Money Down The Toilet!!!!!

A few months ago I provided a Written Staging Report to a client. The clients home was going on the market and her Realtor recommended Home Staging to her. The clients home was full of clutter. In addition to that she had wall to wall wallpaper. In the Written Staging Report I recommended that she remove the wallpaper and paint the walls a neutral color. I also recommended that she pack up a lot of the nick knacks and clutter she had throughout the house. Remember clutter eats equity! I recommended that she edit some of her furniture and play up the homes selling features. In the family room there were beautiful built in bookshelves which were being hid by a huge big screen television. Of course I recommended that the television be moved to showcase these built in bookcases. As a compliment to the client I agreed to return to the home once the recommendations were complete to do some fine tuning.

When I returned to the home the client had packed up a lot of the nick knacks in the home. She didn't edit any furniture or move the television as recommended. She also refused to remove the wallpaper as I suggested. She told me that she liked the wallpaper and didn't see the reason to remove it. The wallpaper was very colorful and well honestly very unattractive. I explained to her that the wallpaper was very taste specific and may not appeal to the most buyers. I also explained to her that removing wallpaper is a tedious task. When your home is on the market it becomes a product and it's important to display that product in a manner that will attract buyers. Editing furniture is important so that the rooms don't appear smaller than they really are.

This home has now experienced its first price reduction. The price of the home was reduced $33,900 from its original asking price. OUCH! This homeowner can never get this money back! Most of the feedback coming from the buyers are complaints about the wallpaper. One person said that "she liked the neighborhood but would not purchase this home because of the wallpaper." If the homeowner would have made the initial investment on the front end to have the wallpaper removed perhaps she would not have lost $33,900 on a price reduction. It would have also helped if she would have followed through with all of the recommendations provided to her in the Written Staging Report. You can either make necessary changes to a home prior to going on the market or pay in the end in the form of price reductions.

Buyers have control over two things when their home is on the market. The first is the price of the home and the second is the way the home looks. Staging will improve the homes appearance highlighting the best features of the home. The average investment for Home Staging in the Midwest is only $1,800 dollars. That is a far cry from $33,900. Remember you only get one chance to make a first impression!

The investment made in Home Staging is ALWAYS less than the first price reduction!

Happy Staging!

Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers

When you decide to sell home there are many things that should be done to get your home show ready! In addition to all the cleaning and de-cluttering don't forget the kitchen cabinets and drawers. When buyers tour homes they look EVERYWHERE! Never underestimate the eye of the buyer! Follow the tips below for organizing kitchen cupboards and drawers prior to listing your home. These tips are also helpful for anyone looking for ways to organize the cabinets and drawers in their kitchen.

Lets Get Started!

* The first thing that you should do is empty out all cabinets and drawers top and bottom.

* Next wipe all cabinets and drawers out with a damp cloth. This gets rid of dust, dirt, syrup, spices, crumbs or anything else that may be hiding inside.

* Take a long look at all of your dinnerware, silverware, food storage and cookware. Dispose of any that are stained, chipped, broken or just not that great in appearance. If you are going to be moving you don't want to pack this up and take it with you to your new home. If you have a lot of dinnerware and cookware it may be a good idea to pack some of these items up. Edit items down to the essentials that you use on a daily basis. You don't want your cabinets and drawers to appear cluttered. Clutter eats equity!

* Group like items together. For example group all food storage containers together. Group all cookware, flatware and dinnerware together you see where I am going with this.

* Place items back into the cleaned cabinets and drawers taking into consideration how they are used in the kitchen. Cookware should be stored in cabinets that are close to the stove. Plates, glasses, bowls, spoons and forks should be placed in cabinets/drawers close to the dishwasher. This makes it simple to return items to their rightful place after unloading the dishwasher.





*Stack little pots in side bigger ones. Purchase a lid holder for all of the lids that go with your cookware.

* Little plates can be stacked on top of bigger ones as well as little bowls can be stacked inside bigger ones.

* Line drinking glasses up in neat rolls inside the cabinet.

* Purchase drawer organizers such as the one below for all cooking utensils and flatware.






* Dispose of all cleaning supplies that you no longer use or are empty, place in a container or basket under the sink.

JUST SAY NO to the infamous junk drawer. Everything should have a specific home. Junk is clutter and clutter eats what? That's right equity! You want buyers to see how roomy cabinets and drawers are so they can visualize their own items there. When your home is clutter free buyers feel as though you have taken care of your property. Buyers are more likely to buy well maintained homes.

There are many items on market that you can purchase to help you organize your kitchen. Check out stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond. Wal-Mart and Target are also good sources for kitchen organization merchandise. The possibilities are endless. Remember when you put your home on the market it becomes a product and it should show in the best way possible! Stay tuned for future tips on organizing drawers and cabinets in the bathroom, cleaning appliances and much more!

Happy staging and remember clutter eats equity!