Staging

STAGING STRATEGIES FOR YOUR HOME by Kimberly Caldwell

Staging your home is all about putting the best foot forward for potential buyers. By highlighting its most desirable features, you can draw more interest for your home and leave a lasting impression that is sure to help you sell it more quickly. Here’s what you should keep in mind as you prepare for your next open house or viewing!

  1. Help them visualize it as their own. Make it easier for buyers to imagine themselves making your house their home by removing personal memorabilia, knick-knacks, and photos. Instead replace them with simple décors, such as paintings, nature images, and plants.

  2. Think sleek instead of comfy. Modern-day buyers are leaning toward modern, crisp, clean interiors over comfy, homey looks. When staging your home, keep a minimalist mindset, and incorporate bright colors and metal accents.

  3. Deep clean the small spaces. It's obvious to say you should clean your home before viewing, but don’t forget to cover your bases by deep cleaning the small spots. Take time to scrub porous areas like grout that may hold on to stains and baseboards where small pet hairs and dust love to cling.

  4. Spruce up your landscaping. The first impression your home gives to potential buyers is its exterior. Ensure you have a freshly mowed lawn, neat hedges and shrubbery, bright flowers, and a clean driveway.

  5. Set the mood. A home is so much more than just the way it looks, so you need to appeal to the other senses. Prior to having potential buyers over, set the mood by burning delicious smelling candles and selecting an upbeat, happy soundtrack to play in the background.

Why your kids don't want your stuff and what you can do by Kimberly Caldwell

I read this great article (see the link below) about the generational differences if passing down stuff. This is something I am seeing more and more in my line of work. I encourage you to read the article and share it with others.

What I can add to this is…

  • Ask, don’t assume your family doesn’t want any of the family treasures. Take pictures and send them asking if they want them. Box it up and ship it, or pass it on to someone else if they don’t want it.

  • Be open to them saying no. It’s okay. You might find someone else who is ecstatic to have your stuff. And that can be a charity that sells it to make money.

  • Remember that they, like you, do things differently and value different things. You might have felt burdened with your parents’ belongings. Don’t do the same to your family.

  • Give grace and receive grace. Be gentle with each other when negotiating re-homing items.

  • Don’t “hold on” to something for a member of the family, pass it on now, and free yourself from dealing with one more thing. Don’t pay to store it monthly, get it to the new owner as quickly as possible.

  • The market could be quite “flooded”, that that can lower the value of your item. Be realistic. Some antiques and artwork, jewelry might be worth a little bit. Others might have very little value. Know the difference and don’t spend too much time, money, and effort on the ones that have little monetary value.

    Click here to read the article from PsychologyToday called Don’t Blame Your Kids No Wanting Your Treasures.

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