PA Real Estate Blogs

Staging your home so not an option…. It’s a necessity in today’s sluggish market.

Like a blind date, your home needs to make a good first impression.

Here’s 10 points to make your home sexy and appealing!

1.       Curb Appeal- Make sure l lawns are cut, edged and green. Remove leaves, and debris. All flower beds mulched and colorful for the season, and shrubs well groomed. All trash cans, patio furniture and other outdoor elements need to be properly stowed for all showings.

2.       Get rid of Clutter! Less is better. Thin out closets; store your collections, photos etc.  Store your toaster, spice racks and blender to make your counter tops to look spacious and workable. You want to showcase your home, not your personal items and family mementos.

3.        Take care of all maintenance items. Clean and polish your heating, air conditioning unit, and hot water heater casing to make them look new. Clean the air filters, paint worn area or trim that is chipped. Windows and doors should open easily and locks workable are all important elements. I recommend hiring a professional home inspection company to go over your home before it goes on the market. This way you can remove all issues that could be considered an objection to a buyer.

4.       Remove excess or worn furniture. In some cases you may need to purchase or borrow pieces to complete a room. Make sure that furniture does not block windows, views or other focal points such as a fireplace. Large area rugs will make a room look larger, where a small rug will make the room look tiny.  Conversation areas are important when staging a space. Staircases should be clean, remove traffic stains, and clutter.

5.       Fresh flowers are a “sunny” addition to any room. 

6.       Open up your house so fresh air is allowed in whenever possible. Remember while marketing be sensitive to Pet and cooking odors. Do Not Mask Odors- Eliminate them! The worst thing to do is to add perfume to an already offensive odor. Pet stores sell enzyme cleaners for pet odors. Try not to cook that ethnic dish or do a fish fry the day before an open house!  We do become immune to odors so ask a friend what your homes smells like.

7.       Clean the windows and open the blinds. A bright home sells faster than a closed up dark home.

8.       Ceramic tile and the harvest gold one piece bath tub can be painted with epoxy paint. Pink tile worked in the 1930-1950’s but it’s not working today. White is clean and bright and always works. Trim the coping tile in black for a trend retro look.

9.        Vintage hardwood floors look dry, scratched and dull? Easy solution is to deep clean, lightly sand with pole sander, vacuum the floor apply a semi gloss polyurethane finish using a lamb’s wool applicator. Should only take one coat if you don’t sand too much. Your floors will look renewed, clean, and  light reflective.

10.   Before all showings change bed linens, pillow cases, put nice towel sets in bathroom and clean the home from top to bottom. Clean and well maintain home sell the joy of home ownership verse all the work that goes into maintaining a home.  

Bill Sands and the Sands & Company Team  www.parealestate.com