20 WAYS TO SELL YOUR HOME FAST

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1 20 WAYS TO SELL YOUR HOME FAST by Crystal Ortiz, IDDP, ISRP Make your home show at its best and sell quickly for the most amount possible by following these tips from Professional Home Stager and Interior Decorator Crystal Ortiz.

2 20 Ways to Sell Your Home FAST By Crystal Ortiz, IDDP, ISRP Forget the price, location, square footage, and all the other reasons why you THINK your house will not sell fast. As a trained Professional Stager, I believe there IS a buyer out there for your home. But how you live in your home is not how you sell your home. Think back to the Prom, or a Wedding Day, or another event in your life where you got all dressed up for a special occasion. That s similar to what Staging your home is dressing it up nice so everyone can admire it. But this is a special occasion as well SELLING FAST AND MOVING ON. This free report will cover 20 ways to make your home show well. Buyers don t want to see how YOU live in the house, they want to picture the possibilities of their own lifestyle in the house. We see our homes every single day. We have trained ourselves to look past the scratches on the door frames, or put a rug over the ugly spot on the floor. We like our own personal choices for the house, the furniture that works for our family, where the TV is located, and we all believe we have great taste. 1

3 So what are my Top 20 Tips for Homesellers? 1. It s no longer your house: Yes, you re still paying the mortgage, but once you put your home up for sale, it s a commodity. It s time to let go of the emotional attachment you have to living in this home. Keep your memories, but mentally move out. Start telling yourself The sooner this house is sold, the sooner we can start making new memories. Getting in the right frame of mind will help you move on. Trust your Real Estate Agent on pricing. They ve researched the comps. They know what the market is doing. Your emotional attachment will cause you to feel that your home is worth more than what a buyer is willing to pay for it. If you price too high because of emotion, you risk your house sitting on the market for much longer than necessary. Trust your professional Stager when she (or he) tells you what needs done to have the home ready for photos and Open Houses. It s time to let go, do what needs done, and move on. 2. First impressions MATTER: That s why Curb Appeal is so critical! I will say it over and over again. And the very first thing any potential buyer is going to see is the outside of your house. Whether it s a drive-by in the neighborhood or listing photos online, the outside will be seen before the inside. Mulch the flower beds, trim the bushes, make sure tree branches are trimmed back so they don t block the view of the house. Landscape the mailbox if it s next to the curb. Planting annuals if the season allows brings instant color. Power wash the house if the siding isn t clean, as well as the driveway & walkway. Be sure gutters are cleaned out. Refresh the front door and add some plants in containers that can be taken with you. Check that all exterior lights are working properly. And that brings me to the second part of this POOR ONLINE PHOTOS. Have you seen them as you ve started looking for your next house? Don t do this! Stage the home BEFORE the photographer arrives. Photo copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 2

4 3. White Glove Clean: This is the most labor intensive item on my list. Your home needs to feel as clean as the day it was built. You are competing with brand new homes. It s a ton of work, and if it s in your budget I highly recommend hiring a professional cleaning service to do much of this for you. Your cost in cleaning products alone may equal what it would take to pay a professional to do it in less time, and they will be very thorough. They will see things you may overlook. Your job is then to keep it that way while the home is on the market. 4. Safety!!: Please protect the Real Estate Agents who are showing your home!!! There should be no weapons displayed anywhere. Knife blocks removed from kitchen counters. No flatware included in a Tablescape. Every light left on when you leave for a showing. And be sure that the driveway and all walkways are shoveled in winter weather. Photo & Staging Copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 5. Repairs: Fix the leaky faucet. Or the leaky roof. Head off any problems BEFORE the Home Inspection. If you know about it, do it early. The Inspection may reveal things you weren t aware of, either repair yourself of hire a pro. A new HVAC system may run you $5000, but a potential buyer might deduct at least $10,000 from their offer to account for it. Not handling the problem early could cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Buyers are willing to pay more for move-in ready. 3

5 6. Smelly Cat (or dog, guinea pig, fish ): We all love our pets, but they can have odors. So do our teenagers, come to think of it The kitty litter must be cleaned DAILY. No pee pads left on the floor for small dogs. Potential buyers should not even realize you have pets. If Fido or Fifi have scratched woodwork, repair it. If there are rugs or carpets with pet stains or smells, they should be completely removed from the home. Hide the pet bowls during showings. Your nose may not pick up on the pet smells, so ask your friend, Agent, or professional Stager to be HONEST with you about any smells they notice and don t take it personally, just take care of it. And NO SMOKING inside the home from this day forward. 7. What on earth is this room? You must DEFINE each space in your home and show its purpose. Buyers who see your listing and ask Is it a Dining Room? An office? A playroom? will not fall in love with the home. Define the spaces and help them visualize how they will live there. I ALWAYS recommend that empty homes receive at least a partial Staging. Photo copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 8. The 80 s called, they want their house back: Dated colors, furniture and finishes make a home feel like it hasn t been maintained. If what buyers see looks like it hasn t been changed in 30 years, they worry about the big ticket items they can t see. Even if it has been maintained, it s a psychological thing. I d recommend either using furniture you ve purchased for your next home or renting from a full service Home Staging company. 4

6 9. Stuff, Stuff, and more STUFF: Again, how you live is NOT how you sell. Pack up everything you don t absolutely have to have on hand and rent a storage unit. Or hold a yard sale and start clearing out items you no longer want or need. It helps you mentally detach from the house, and you will have a lot less to do when offers come in and Moving Day arrives. Clearing the clutter allows the SPACE to be sold. And don t forget the front/sides of the refrigerator! When you re done, have your professional Stager or even your Real Estate Agent look over and tell you honestly if there is anything else that should be packed away. 10. Let it Flow, Let it Flow : Some furnishings are REQUIRED to define spaces. Never try to sell an empty house at minimum rent furniture. Be sure to arrange the furnishings in the home so that buyers can flow from one area to the next. Define the focal point of the room and work around it. Don t block traffic areas. Size and scale of furniture is also important. Photos & Staging Copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 5

7 11. SIZE DOES MATTER: Your sofa may be the most perfect piece of furniture for your family, but if it s not properly proportionate to the room, buyers will feel the room is too small for their furnishings. Choosing the appropriate scale of furnishings is critical to a room showing well. This also holds true for bed sizes and dining tables. A professional Stager can help you with size and scale. 12. Color & Lighting: There should ideally be 3 sources of light in a room. And it should ALL be on when the house is being shown. Not only does it help highlight the room s features, it keeps buyers from feeling they are looking at a cave. If wall colors are taste-specific or dated, they should be painted. Gray is very chic these days but be careful with it, as it can also depress moods. My personal favorite neutrals are navy blues, olive greens, and beige or brown tones with warmth colors we find in nature. White is safe if it s clean and in good repair. Be aware of the tones in the flooring when choosing a paint color. Try to carry the color theme throughout the house to make it feel more open and not disjointed. If there is dated wallpaper, remove it. Although I do love wallpaper - if it s trendy then leave it. A professional Stager can help you with color selection and knowing when to spend time & money, and when it s not necessary. Decorating & Photography Copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 6

8 13. Lack of Storage: Don t think you can just stash your dirty laundry in a closet and no one will see it. Home buyers will look through your kitchen cabinets, your medicine chests, and every closet in your house. If they re all busting at the seams, then the message the buyer gets is not enough storage in this house. Reduce the amount in your closets by at least HALF. Pack up anything you don t use often and either store it, donate to charity, or add it to your yard sale items. Clear the kitchen cupboards as much as possible. If the refrigerator is part of the sale, clean it out and only store a week s worth of groceries at a time. 14. Outdoor Living Areas: Don t overlook this bonus square footage! Potential buyers LOVE the idea of outdoor entertaining spaces. If you have deck or patio space, that is a selling feature that should be enhanced. Add a table & chairs, a grill (in good condition, covered if it is not), a patio umbrella and a few plants in containers to bring the space to life. If you don t own outdoor furnishings, you can either borrow from a friend, purchase a set for your next home, or rent from a full-service Staging company (I have several in my rental inventory). Do NOT put white plastic chairs around the perimeter of your deck and feel you have Staged your outdoor space. It s unappealing. Staging & Photography Copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 7

9 15. Artwork: Not everyone owns expensive art, but too many family photos or posters that scream college dorm are counterproductive. Rent art if necessary or borrow from a friend. Candle sconces can also be used. A plate collection if done properly can be Art. Remove anything that depicts religion or politics. Stay neutral yet true to what is in the home. Abstract art and landscapes are safe. If it s appropriate in a 4- or 5-start hotel, it s fine for a Staged home. Be sure it s hung at the proper level. My usual guide is 7 above a mantel, sofa, or headboard, but sometimes that may need adjusted based on size or scale. Start there and adjust if necessary. Below you ll see some art I painted to include in a room makeover. Artwork, Decorating & Photography Copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 16. Think Fresh!: I don t recommend artificial fruit or flowers. If possible, have a live plant in every room of the home. Fresh flowers can naturally fragrance a home, and look beautiful in a vase on a mantel or table. Open the windows the day of a showing for about 30 minutes, even if it s cold outside, to refresh the air. Be sure you ve got them all closed and the temperature of the home comfortable again before your showing. I do NOT encourage sellers to bake cookies or bread before an open house if the baking goes awry, your home will now have the lovely smell of charred bread and/or smoke throughout, and that s not appealing. If you re putting a bowl of fruit on the counter, choose something to go with the colors in your kitchen. Limes, lemons, apples (green or red), oranges Allow your family to enjoy the fruit and replace as necessary. 8

10 17. Accessories: Less is more! Group collections together. Remove half of what is currently on your bookcase. Remove your personal items from your nightstand. Group items in odd numbers like 3 or 5. Do NOT leave anything of value on display. Pack it safely so you can enjoy it in your next home. 18. Bathrooms: If a commode looks old, dirty, or dingy and a good cleaning doesn t help, replace it. At a minimum, spend $15 for a new toilet seat. A Staged home feels cleaner and more spa-like with white towels displayed. Be sure to have hand soap by the sink, as someone very well may need to use your restroom. Interior Decorating & Photography Copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 9

11 19. Vignettes: A bread board with cheese, crackers, and two glasses with a bottle of wine; a tray of lemonade and glasses on the back patio; a book, reading glasses, and a throw near a comfy reading chair; a board game set up on the family room coffee table. These are called Vignettes, and their purpose is to help buyers picture a LIFESTYLE. Your home s target audience will help define the vignettes you might want to include in your home. Your professional Stager can guide you in choosing vignettes, and where to place them. Décor & Photography Copyright Crystal Ortiz, Bluestone Decorating 20. Kids: I absolutely adore kids, but selling a home with them can be a struggle. It s stressful on them, and they aren t used to living in such an environment. Whether it s the toddler with toys throughout, or the teenager who feels the bedroom floor is the best way to store their clean laundry. For homes targeting families, pack up at least 50% of the children s stuff and store it away. Living areas should not have more than what will fit into a decorative basket that can be tucked away under the coffee table or in the child s room for showings. 10

12 Hiring a Professional Stager is Easy! So are you ready to go pro? A Consultation is the very first step in the process. A simple phone call to Crystal at (540) and I will get you scheduled ASAP for your in-home Consultation. The Consult lasts 90 minutes, and you receive a full report WITH PHOTOS AND FLOOR PLANS that will explain in detail what to remove from the house, what to keep, where to put it all, and what pieces might need to be replaced. Cleaning lists from the front of the property to the back. It is fully customized to your home and gives you everything you need to know to do the job from start to finish. My budget recommendation for COMPLETE Staging work ranges from 1% to 3% of the listing price of your home. The exact amount depends on the homeowner s actual budget, condition of home, and what furnishings may need rented or purchased. Example: A $200,000 listing means the homeowner should budget anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 to Stage the home. My expertise will allow you to spend that money wisely. And even if you are the top of that price range for work to be done, your first price reduction when the home isn t selling will be MUCH more than $6,000! Hiring me can put money in your pocket, and according to IRS publication 523 may even be tax deductible for you. Check with your tax preparer for details. Full service Staging is also available for those who cannot take on all of the work by themselves. We can also work together to decide which areas of work you as the Homeowner can take on or where you might need extra help. I will stretch your budget as far as humanly possible, and work my magic to try to bring your expenses in under budget. My inventory of furnishings & accessories are available on a rental basis to provide quality décor at minimal expense. Staging should be done BEFORE your Agent sends a photographer, and smart homeowners do it before an appraisal. Let s get your home ready for listing, make a great first impression, sell it fast for the most amount possible, and get you moved on to the next phase of life. Crystal Ortiz earned her ISRP (Interior Staging & ReDesign Professional) and IDDP (Interior Decorating & Design Professional) Designations through QC Design School. She is a longtime resident of the Shenandoah Valley, lives with her family in Penn Laird, and has been very active in the Rockingham County area Community for the past 20 years. Contact her at (540) or crystal@bluestonedecorating.com to discuss your options or schedule a Consultation. 11