|
|
| Channels |
News
Arts & Leisure
Sports
Business
Opinion
Dining
Gardening
Travel
Classifieds
Jobs
Community
Events
Forums
TV Listings
|
Community
|
 |
| ZOSKA LANDERS is owner of Zland Interiors in Sedona, AZ, and can be contacted at Zlandinteriors@yahoo.com or 928-282-4277 or visit www.zlandinteriors.com. |
By Zoska Landers, Designer |
Zland Interiors
Sedona, AZ - In today’s real estate market any and every
advantage a seller can gain over another is worth its weight in
gold.
As a designer, custom-paint consultant and painter, photographer and stager, I have a few suggestions I would like to share that can help a seller better prepare their home for a quicker and successful sale.
Outside
First, there is the outward appearance of your home.
This is vitally important because that is where a buyer forms
their first impression.
Is the property neat? Are all lights such as garage lights and
outside lights working? Are hoses properly rolled and stored out
of site.
Are hedges trimmed and leaves or dry-plant debris picked up? Are
there any dead plants that need to be pulled and replaced? Are
your windows spotless and shiny?
How about the driveway? Are there visible oil stains? What about outside-paint peeling? Are there boxes, old tires, anything leaning against the house that should not be?
If anything seems out of place, waste no time in correcting the condition. You might look around your community as well. If there are homes that are sloppy or in disrepair leading towards yours, you might suggest a route to your house that would bypass an eyesore.
Inside
Sunshine helps present your home in its best possible light.
Keep those window shades open and let as much light in as you
possibly can. Some rooms are very bright and could create a
serious contrast in another room making it seen darker than it
should. Keep lights on in that room -- during the day when
showing the house.
Clutter is another thing one needs to avoid. Do you have too much furniture haphazardly arranged without system or order? Do couches or sofas block your way into the home as soon as one walks in through the front door?
Furniture should be arranged to allow smooth navigation through each room; and a natural flow of energy and air as well.
There needs to be a balance between the size of the furniture and the room. Too many large pieces in a small room will make it feel cramped. If that is the case, take some furniture out and store it during the sale period.
Wall art, family photos, knick-knacks and such need to be carefully placed. Too much stuff on the walls will make your home feel cluttered. Prospective buyers want to imagine what there stuff would look like on the walls. Too much stuff displayed on furniture tops will create the same sense of clutter.
Mirrors also need to be hung with precision and purpose in a manner that they capture as much outside light and views coming in through the windows as possible and reflect the light and views into the home. If a window looks out to a blank wall of another home a few yards away, then that window should have a curtain or blinds.
Needless to say, everything needs to be kept impeccably clean and ready all times for inspection.
Kitchen appliances need to sparkle as well as the bathrooms. Personal hygiene items need to be kept out of site.
Kitchen cabinets and house closets need to kept clean and clear as possible. People want to know how much space they would have for their own stuff.
The house needs to be aired out regularly.
People pick up on unpleasant scents; especially chemical odors that can make them feel uncomfortable.
If there are birds in the vicinity windows should be open, weather permitting, to let their happy chirping in. Soft, meditative music can also be played low in the background.
A buyer will be using all their senses when choosing a home, consciously or unconsciously.
And for older homes a new interior-paint job will help keep things fresh. Wall color needs to be carefully considered. Does the color clash with the furniture or the scenery outside? Would brightening the rooms with pastels and flowing colors enhance the experience of the interior space? These are all considerations that need to be measured carefully.
Photos
Buyers love to look at photos when choosing which homes to
visit. Sometimes a buyer can actually make up their mind that
that’s the home they want just from photos, as happened with the
last home I staged, painted and photographed.
Real estate agents by profession are not necessarily the best
photographers in the world and hiring a professional is a good
idea. It is wise to take lots of photos, preferably in a series
so that that one captures the experience of pulling up to your
home, walking in through the front door and touring the house.
Photos of the community itself; what people see when they leave or come home, can also help prospective buyers get a sense of what it would be like to live there.
Good luck with your sale and I am always available to lend a
helping hand.
