Why Staging is Essential Even when Housing Inventory is Low

 
This adorable little St. Paul home sold in less than three weeks at over list price this fall. In order for this kind of success, my clients started working on their property several weeks prior. They cleaned, decluttered and repaired prior to listing their home. See, it’s a whole new ballgame for home sellers right now. 

True, there is less housing inventory in the greater Minneapolis/St Paul area, which is very good news. But in many communities, sellers can find themselves competing with new construction for buyers. But even cute starter homes like this need to "sparkle" in order to sell fast. A home seller must not only have their home priced properly, which is key to getting a home sold, they also must have their home showing ready.
 
Step one is getting back to basics: unclutter, fix and clean! But what is the second step and third?

Paint Properly
If adjoining rooms are painted in the same color palette, your home will appear more spacious. Don’t take short cuts. If you don’t have time or patience to properly tape trim and ceilings, have a professional painter do the job. Painted woodwork and ceilings are noticed by buyers and in most cases this is worse than had the room not been painted at all.

Go Luxurious
Invest in accessories to accent your home. Big, fluffy coordinating towels and mats warm up the bathroom. Fresh flowers on a beautifully set dining room table look inviting. A color-coordinated rug in the foyer will make a wonderful first impression.

Cush-up the Carpet
Don’t replace the carpet on the cheap. Invest in the BEST padding you can find. Buyers will in most cases have to remove their shoes when walking through your home. In their stocking-feet, they will feel the difference!

Make it Match
Slipcovers are a quick and inexpensive way to update and coordinate mismatched furniture. Put away the old blankets and cozy up the room with a beautiful accent throw and a few pillows.

Empty the Closets
Make certain the closets are neat and organized. Replace and paint any shelves and organizers that appear dingy.

Pay Attention to Details
Handles, knobs and switch plates are inexpensive but often overlooked. Handles that are outdated or missing and switch plates that are dirty give a negative impression.

Pack Personal Items
Collections and knick knacks need to be packed! Likewise, take down the plethora of family photos. Use the “3 in any direction” rule. No more than three accent pieces should be able to be seen in any direction. Any more than three is a distraction.

The Sun Shines in when Windows Sparkle
 Feng shui teaches that windows are considered the “eyes of the home” Make sure your windows are sparkling clean inside and out. Avoid the use of vinegar as a cleaner, as the smell may linger.

Hire a Professional
An expert consultation costs less than many people expect. Having a stager visit your home and guide you in what to pack and what to display takes the guess work out of getting your home picture perfect.

Before scoffing at the idea of spending money on a home being put on the market, remember this...It is still your home until it sells. For many people, this is the biggest financial asset they have. Home staging is an investment for a better pay off on closing day.

READY to Make YOUR Move? If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me, Teri Eckholm of BOARDMAN Realty, a call or visit my website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.
 
Copyright 2016 terieckholm.com

Checklist to Get Your Home Ready to Sell in 30 Days

Home buyers are poised and ready to purchase in the Twin Cities but there is very little housing inventory right now. I am really surprised at how few listings I am seeing in the north and east metro right now. It is spring after all. And, spring is one of the best time to sell a home in Minnesota. 

Home buyers are ready, but are you? Preparing a home for sale is not an easy task but it can be done quickly if necessary. If the perfect place to move comes on the market next week, would you be ready to have your home on the market in 30 days?

I have several tips I share with my selling clients when I do a market analysis for a home. Many of my past clients refer to this as their check list of things to do to get your home in tip top shape before selling.  All are simple tasks and inexpensive ways to get your home ready so that first potential buyer is impressed. Following this list won’t take the place of hiring a professional home stager, but it does seem to get my seller’s on the right track to a quick sale.

Teri’s Tips for a Quick Home Sale

1. Pump Up the Curb Appeal—Jazz up the front entrance with a coat of paint and new hardware on the front door.  Remove any personalized signs or doorknockers. Trim trees, bushes and keep the walkway to the front door clear.  Once the weather is warm, invest in bright, colorful flowering plants to welcome visitors. 
2.  Prep the Kitchen—The Kitchen can sell the home so make it appear as large and inviting as possible!  Clean off counter and organize cabinets and drawers.  Store, pack or discard seldom used appliances and large pans. Large kitchen appliances should be in a matching color. Consider replacing the counter if worn or outdated. Replace dated faucets and light fixtures. 
3.  Update the Bathrooms—Bathrooms also can make or break a sale. Sometimes cleaning, painting and re-caulking is not enough to help a dingy bathroom.   Consider replacing a dated vanity, counter and sink. Look closely at the faucets and light fixtures. If they are dated, consider replacing.  A nasty discolored tub, might need resurfacing professionally or use a DIY product like Rustoleum. Likewise, the flooring needs to be scrutinized. If it is out of date or worn, replace. As a final touch, stage the room with colorful floor mats and fluffy coordinated towels to make cozy.
4.  Reduce Clutter—Sort out EVERYTHING! Throw away what you don’t need and pack the rest. Too much stuff? Consider an off-site storage locker or pod during the move. Donate unwanted items to charity. If you have big “toys” like a camper, boat or classic car, consider storing at another location until after the move. 
5.  Clean Inside and Out!—Your home needs to be spotless and smell wonderful. This goes for the garage and yard too. Don’t just dump everything from the house into the garage. A buyer will want to assess the size of the garage and won’t be able to do that if it is too cluttered. If you have pets, the yard, litter box and cages, must be clean and odor-free for every showing. 
6.  Paint—Light and neutral colors will make smaller rooms appear larger. Personalized painting of children’s names or cute designs should be painted over prior to the first showing.  Remove any wall paper. Almost every buyer I have worked with groans when they see wall paper in a house. Use premium quality paint, patch holes properly and tape woodwork prior to starting. A sloppy paint job is counterproductive and can hurt your bottom-line. 
7.  Make Minor Repairs—Tighten knobs, fix leaks, oil squeaks, replace dirty filters, repair cracked windows and holes in screens. Anything that can be fixed, should be fixed. Buyers will not pay top dollar for a “project house”. 
8.  Fix a Leaking Roof—Buyers look at ceilings for water stains. One small stain could cause a buyer to question the entire roof. Find and fix the leak at its source. This might be the time to call in a professional.  Make sure to have a permit for the work whether DIY or professional roofer. Repair any ceiling damage and be prepared to fully disclose the work done. 
9.  Explain a Wet Basement—Do what you can to make repairs and minimize moisture in the basement. Be prepared to fully disclosure any water intrusion issues past and present. 
10.  Exterminate—Call a professional to get rid of any rodent or insect intrusion. One bug, alive or dead, can scare away a potential buyer. If you get periodic mice in the home, remove traps and bait before showings. Again, honestly and fully disclose any pest issues to potential buyers before the sale.

Need more help to sell your Minneapolis/St Paul Home? Let me be your professional guide. If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me, Teri Eckholm of Boardman Realty, a call or visit my website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District. Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2015 www.terieckholm.com 

Mr. and Mrs. Clean Live Here!

A home buyer should impressed by the cleanliness of your home from the moment they step over the threshold.  PERIOD!

While the first step in home staging is decluttering, the second is to be cleaning. Not just “surface clean” either.   A seller must DEEP clean the home!  Potential home buyers will be assessing your property to determine if it is THEIR dream home.  Whose dream includes a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich on the kitchen counter and a dirty cat box in the utility room?  

Sadly, there are places sellers will overlook when too eager to get their home on the market. Here a few spots to have clean and shining so your listing will be known as where Mr & Mrs Clean reside:

Refrigerators—Clean inside and out! Yes buyers will look INSIDE the refrigerator.  Throw out half-eaten food or store in sealed storage containers. Get rid of that moldy bag of cheese that is lodged back behind the drawer. Remove all drawers and shelves and clean until all grime is removed. Take down all notes, photos and drawings from the front door if you have been using as a magnetic bulletin board. If they a If your white refrigerator has discolored, try car wax works to remove the yellowing. Open the doors and check along the inside edge—especially note the rubber molding around the edge where dirt can collect and cause mold.

re not essential, don’t put them back on.

Range/Ovens—Clean your stove from top to bottom, inside and out. Use non-abrasive cleaners to remove all of the stuck on food from the range top. If it is stained and/or damaged, consider replacing the appliance. Clean the microwave and oven. Just like with the fridge,  potential buyers will look inside. Don’t use your ovens as extra storage.  Buyers will think the oven/microwave doesn’t work!

Bathrooms—Take an honest look at your shower and the flooring around it. If it looks grimy and covered with mildew, it will literally gross out a potential buyer. Remove discolored, cracking caulk and put replace with new, matching silicone. Open the toilet lid and make sure that it is clean inside. Clean out every cabinet and drawer….make sure there is no “DNA” with leftover hair, nail clippings etc. at the bottom.

Walls—Wipe down walls by often used light fixtures--Especially if you have little ones. Also, move that trash bin in the kitchen and towel in the bathroom and check behind. It may require some scrubbing. If the stains cannot be removed, consider repainting.

Basements and Garages—These just cannot be a dumping area for all of the things you don’t know what to do with! Clean them out so that potential buyers can open the doors, walk around and see all the way to the corners. If you have to store some items in your garage or basement, they need to be boxed and stacked neatly with plenty of room for a buyer to see what the foundation looks like.

Litter Boxes and Kennels—Pet areas must be cleaned every day and before every showing. Beautiful homes are not considered if it appears that the pets have destroyed the home. If there is an odor, potential buyers assume that the smells have permeated the floors and walls. If possible, let your pet stay with a trusted friend during the duration of the sale of your home.

Light fixtures and Vents—Look up! Sellers will spend hours on their hands and knees scrubbing the corners and sweeping the floors but forget to look up toward the ceilings. Dirty ceiling fans and light fixtures are commonly overlooked in the frenzy of preparing a home for sale. But home buyers often turn on a fan and several months’ worth of dust bunnies are suddenly airborne. Remove the glass from every light fixture and clean off the grime. Wipe down every blade on every ceiling fan. Vacuum the top of every curtain and drape. Check every corner for cobwebs. Remove every vent whether bathroom or air return and wash in mild soapy water to remove the dust.

So before you have your first showing, take another look around your home from a buyer’s point of view and clean it until it shines!

READY TO MAKE A MOVE? Let me be your professional guide. If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me, Teri Eckholm of Boardman Realty, a call or visit my website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District. Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.
Copyright 2015 www.terieckholm.com