We’ve all seen it: The house that could sell more quickly and for more money if only the seller put more work into preparing the property for sale.
But what about the changing needs of buyers? Will 2019’s staging techniques work now, when many households still serve as a home office, home school, home gym and the center for family life?
Remind sellers that buyers are looking for homes that improve their quality of life or meets their changing home dynamics.
1. Begin with the basics
Certain staging and listing preparation techniques never go out of style, such as decluttering, depersonalizing, deep cleaning and adding curb appeal. With two weeks’ time, most sellers can take care of these tasks while professionals tend to necessary maintenance or improvements.
Offer to coach your client. You can do so by pointing out or placing sticky notes on items that should vanish before professional photography. These include family photos, religious or cultural pieces, books, magazines and knick-knacks.
Give the gift of moving boxes, tape and permanent markers to your sellers to inspire them.
2. Uncover shared, flexible spaces
This is the year of flexibility, in everything from the way we think to the way we organize. Work with your seller to show how flexible their home’s spaces can be.
Many homes have wall space that is either overused or underused. Never worry about the underused space; leave it empty or add lighting.
Free up space in the halls, the living room, the family room and most bedrooms to give buyers a chance to envision the home’s capacity for home offices, student’s desks, workout equipment, exercise space or even quiet retreat areas. Good items for the storage unit or garage include bookshelves, side tables, end tables, recliners or other chairs, potted plants and even China cabinets or hutches.
Avoid the urge to fill freed-up spaces with desks or tables or computer stands in an effort to help the buyer envision an extra home office. Instead, let the buyer envision how they can take advantage of open wall space or room area to meet their household’s needs.
3. Add living spaces outside
We’re fortunate in California that the home office can exist almost anywhere on the property for about nine months per year. Show buyers how any patio can convert from outdoor home office to an ideal place for relaxation, play or entertainment.
Start by cleaning up old or dead vines, shrubbery and plants. Welcome visitors with a clean front walk and an unadorned front step or simple potted plant. Remove most, if not all, outdoor toys and give away the old redwood play set the seller’s kids grew out of in 2015. Keep walkways and patios clean by blowing or sweeping daily.
Next, outfit the patio dining chairs with cushions in simple colors. Add a coordinating umbrella, either in the table or tilted from the alongside the table, to demonstrate how useful the space can be all day. Consider positioning one of the tables against a neutral or background or greenery that would flatter someone on video conference.
And remember that daylight is dwindling in the fall and virtual or in-person showings may take place in the evening. String outdoor lights along pergolas, fence lines, walls and even around the bottom of the table umbrella.
4. Let there be light.
It’s amazing what a single lightbulb can do. It’s also amazing how dusty a lightbulb can get in a short time. Now imagine the magic that 20 to 50 lightbulbs can do.
Before professional photography, clean light fixtures and replace bulbs in all table lamps, floor lamps canned ceiling fixtures, bathrooms, kitchens, chandeliers and desk lamps. Make sure to choose the same color temperature for bulbs on shared surfaces, such as the kitchen ceiling.
Clean or dust window coverings, open window blinds or shutters and tie back curtains or other window treatments to let in natural light. It’s best, also to line up, turn or pull up window treatments to the same level in each room, ideally just below center, if the outside view is attractive.
5. Finishing touches
Because kitchens and bathrooms remain high on the priority list, changes to them should demonstrate openness and functionality. The same goes for the common rooms and busy hallways.
Fix up nicks on cabinetry with furniture or cabinet repair marker sets. Repaint or color walls using light colors. Consider how a new faucet, medicine cabinet and mirror in the most popular bathroom can add a bit of pep.
And, throughout the house, remove unsightly rugs, replace old or worn carpeting and replace doorknob hardware that is scratched, inoperable or doesn’t match.
