First and Last Impressions

Recently I was called in to stage a home for sale and while doing the initial walk through I found a couple of problems. The overall house was nice but the first and last impressions were really bad.

I have already spoken a lot about first impressions, curb appeal. Getting people to want to come into the home to view it...and ultimately fall in love with it. And frankly, I think most people understand the concept of first impressions. The issue here is that if you don't have a great first impression then you MUST have a great last feeling, something to carry your buyer through to an offer.

Unfortunately most sellers don't spend the time at the back of the house when preparing it to sell. They are too overwhelmed, hoping that a buyer just won't notice. But they do. It is at this point that most sellers make their final call.

In the house I was recently called in to stage the master bedroom was in the back, and the master bathroom was behind that - the last stop on the train. It was horrid. Not only was it an awful color the tile in the shower didn't match the rest of the tile and the toilet was brown. The actual color brown. The idea that the future owner was going to be comfortable taking on this job was not an optimistic one. Maybe in a better economy but now if a buyer has any money it is put into the purchase price leaving nothing left for fixer-uppers.

In the case of bathrooms I always suggest getting the space clean with fresh linens. Update light fixtures and when the tile is bad, my go-to option is always Miracle Method, a bathtub and tile refinisher. It is truly a miracle. They will cover most flaws and can bring any bathroom to a clean white space. I love white tile in a bathroom - it is bright and clean.

So, when thinking of selling, if you can't fix up the front then please make sure that the last stop will carry the reluctant buyer through to an offer.

HomeGain Nation 2010

I am just back from HomeGain Nation 2010, hosted this year at The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Wow, what an inspiring and informative group of people. If you don't know about HomeGain and you are a real estate agent then shame on you. If you are someone looking to buy or sell your home -- you too should be very familiar with HomeGain. They are an online real estate site based out of Emeryville, CA. I have the privilege of blogging for them on home staging issues, but even if I didn't I can list a number of reasons why I would follow them.

Today there were discussions about social networking, marketing, and how to increase your efficiency in this crazy fast-paced world we live in. I had the pleasure of meeting top producers from all of the country who were all there just to learn about how to be a better agent and community leader.

As a home stager I love helping people to prepare their homes for sale. I also love helping the sellers get prepared emotionally for the big change in their lives. But in the bigger picture I love being able to help my community. Sometimes all that might be is sharing information that I hope will benefit you. So, here is one - go to HomeGain and let them help you in all of your real estate needs.

Just your friendly neighborhood resource gal!

Curb Appeal 2.0

Curb Appeal in real estate terms used to be the appeal of your home when a potential buyer gets to your curb. It was the first time they were seeing your home and it sets the stage for the rest of your home. But this has changed with the use of internet sites such as facebook and other social networks, as well as real estate websites. The appeal comes long before a buyer gets to your front door - it starts online. The drive-by of today is on the internet. And it is not just your front door, it is your entire house that the buyer can see before ever getting to your home.

With the online marketing for your home it has suddenly gone from being shown to a few buyers by a few agents to thousands of potential buyers. And for the listing agents some of those buyers might not have a real estate agent and will call you directly based solely on your photographs. But if the photos aren't representative of your home's appeal then the buyer will never get to your front door. There is another house just a mouse click away. But when done effectively it draws people to your actual curb, where they are lured inside for more.

My suggestion to every home owner is to make sure the photographs are taken by a professional photographer who specializes in photographing homes for sale. There are too many mistakes that can be made by someone who doesn't understand what the photographs must convey (i.e. light, space, design, etc.). And for home stagers, it is a must to stage the home so it will be photographed well, not just as it will be seen in person. I will even add something after the photographs are taken so that when the buyer shows up, they are pleasantly surprised that it is better then they imagined or saw online.

So before the For Sale sign ever goes up on your home photographs must be taken for the internet For Sale sign to go up. Then your total curb appeal is ready for your buyers.