Declutter That House to Sell It Faster – New York Times

If someone else can make your point better than you can, let them. 

I ran across this article in the New York Times about the importance of “decluttering” a house.  I realize that I am preaching to the choir for most readers of “to be continued” but I thought you might enjoy it as well as be able to use this article and its ideas when working with your sellers.

Here are a few key takeaways from this great article:

·         “It (decluttering) is vital, because most real estate is aspirational, and buyers want to see themselves someplace better and more beautiful,” said Jeffrey Stockwell, a senior vice president with Stribling & Associates in Manhattan. “They want the feeling that if they move in there, it will be organized, clean and attractive. If they walk into a cluttered, messy space, there’s none of that feeling that life will be better.”

·         ”Even if your home is in good condition, Mr. Stockwell said, “if it’s cluttered, people will think it needs a renovation, and that lowers the value.”

·         But cleaning up isn’t always easy. “You’re parting with things that have emotional value, and that’s very difficult for people,” Mr. Stockwell said. “They understand the need to do it. It doesn’t cost much, if anything, and yet it’s really hard to get clients to do it.”

You can read the article, “Declutter That House to Sell It Faster” at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/garden/declutter-that-house-to-sell-it-faster-market-ready.html?_r=1&ref=marketready

 

Dwell in possibilities

 

Cindy

See What 2 Hours of Professional Home Staging Can Do – Claremont Drive Project

Professional home staging runs the gamut from basic consultation to full scale staging of a vacant house -- and everything in between. 

Recent blog posts have been featuring Transitions home staging projects that are closer to full scale staging – usually bringing in furniture, artwork, accessories and linens.  These projects require an investment that is often returned in a quicker sale for a premium price.

But offering staging services to your listing homeowners doesn’t always have to be expensive or time consuming.  Even a couple of hours can make a huge difference in how a home shows and photographs. 

Today, we feature a basic consultation home staging project on Claremont Drive in Bartlesville.  It just needed a few new and colorful accessories; some furniture rearrangement that took two hours of my time; and, great homeowners willing to do their “homework” and provide some sweat equity. 

The result is a house that shows well and photographs even better! 

Entry – To make the entry and first impression of the house more dramatic, we brought in a console from another part of the house, made it more important with a piece of art and a forsythia arrangement.  A fern added that touch of graciousness.

Formal Living Room – There was just too much too large furniture in this room.  The homeowner’s homework included removing a sofa, bringing in a rug that I spotted in the workout room and adding the wingback chair from the den.  The room opened up and we solved the problem of walking into the back of a sofa.

Den – This den was being used by the homeowner as a bedroom.   A room should be staged according to the original intent of the room.  So, that is what we did.  Isn’t it a beautiful den?

This home is located at 2600 Claremont Drive in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and listed by Donna Skelly (McAnaw Realtors - http://mcanawrealtors.com )

The amazing result is that this house went under contract in 1 day!  Talk about selling a show ready house quickly!

Remember to dwell in possibilities

Cindy