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8 Ways to Make Buyers Fall in Love With Your Home

Ways to Make Buyers Fall in Love With Your Home

 

We all want people to love our home as much as we do, but especially when it comes to trying to sell it! While it’s impossible to please every buyers’ taste, there are several easy things you can do to make your home more appealing without spending a lot of money.

Check out these 8 easy ways to make buyers fall in love with your home and see if your showings cause buyers to swoon.

 

1. Check your curb appeal. Take an honest look from the curbside. What are buyers seeing first? If your home needs to be painted or pressure washed, consider making that investment. Clean up landscaping by trimming trees and bushes, planting some fresh annuals and laying new mulch. Clean windows, repair sagging soffit, or porch railings, and have any trip hazards on your driveway or front walk repaired. Finally, consider some attractive, yet subtle decorations for your front porch. Check out this “Grill the Geeks” Episode on ways to improve your home’s curb appeal.

2. Create an inviting entryway. When buyers step inside your front door, you want them to feel welcomed. If you have a foyer or front hall, it is easier to make an attractive entryway, but even if your front door opens right into your living room, you can create the feel of an entryway with a couple of simple tricks. Clear the area of clutter things that tend to pile up at the front door, like backpacks, dog leashes, or shoes. Place a small table or bench beside the door with plants, candles, or other simple décor. A small area rug can help define the space as the entryway.

3. Let the light shine in. Take advantage of natural light as much as you can. Trimming any bushes or trees outside your windows can help immensely. Wash your windows inside and out and replace or remove any worn screens. Make sure to open blinds or curtains before all showings.

4. Add some fresh color. Painting is an easy and inexpensive way to make an older home look new and is especially important if your current wall color is dark or outdated. Choose a light neutral color like a warm grey or light beige and use the same color throughout the house. If your home tends to be dark, this will help brighten it up.

5. Let storage spaces speak for themselves. Many sellers make the mistake of waiting until they have a contract to start cleaning out closets. Cleaning out clutter is part of getting ready to show, not just getting ready to move. You want buyers to perceive that there is ample storage in the home, and this doesn’t work if every drawer, cabinet, and closet is stuffed to the gills.

6. Eliminate distractions. Streamline your decorating so your buyers see the house and not your collection of Mexican roosters. Go ahead and pack up collectibles and family photos and keep decorative touches to the minimum. Too many plants, magazines, or toys distract the buyers from seeing the home as their own.

7. Entice them with outdoor space. The back yard shouldn’t be an empty space of infinite possibility, nor should it be a storage area for neglected toys. Get rid of any eyesores you’ve been avoiding dealing with, spruce up your landscaping, repair irrigation or pool issues, and create an entertaining space with a patio set, or a backyard oasis with some potted plants and a hammock.

8. Make it easy for them. Taking care of minor repairs is another step you can take to help buyers see your home as an easy and comfortable move. You want them to be mentally arranging their furniture as they walk through, not making a list of nicked woodwork, torn window screens, and leaky faucets. The less work involved, the easier it is to fall in love.

 

If you are looking for additional ways to improve your home’s appeal, give us a call today. We’d love to help you get your home ready to sell and to help even the pickiest buyers fall in love with your home!

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5 Tips for Virtual Home Shopping During a Pandemic

virtual home shopping

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much of the way we live right now, home shopping included. With Stay at Home mandates in place in much of the country, we certainly can’t be going in and out of strangers’ homes touching doorknobs, light switches, and appliances.

If you are needing to move soon, however, don’t despair! We can help you find a home and stay safely within the health guidelines. Here are some tips for home shopping during the pandemic.

  1. Be selective about the homes you choose to visit. If you are the type of buyer that likes to cast a wide net and see everything in your price range, you may have to change your methodology. Try to narrow down your list of homes to visit to your very top choices.
  2. Start with a Virtual Tour. Many sellers are making virtual home tours available for buyers. The technology for virtual has improved greatly in the last couple of years, from simple videos to 3-D tours with floorplans that help you feel what it is really like to walk through the rooms.
  3. Take a Facetime tour with your agent. If the seller doesn’t offer a virtual tour, have your agent do one for you. The seller may be more comfortable allowing one agent to come in than a group of people. Your agent, masked and gloved, can take a video for you or Facetime with you while you tour the home.
  4. Scheduling a live showing. When you find a home you really must see in person, don’t bring anyone with you that isn’t vital to the decision-making process. Besides the fact that sellers probably don’t want a family of six parading around, with fewer distractions you can get a better look and eliminate the need to come back a second time. Take lots of pictures and measurements so you don’t miss anything.
  5. Put safety first when touring. You want to safeguard your own health, and you want the sellers to appreciate that you safeguard theirs as well. Have your agent arrange for the sellers to stay in one area of the home, or in the yard, while you look and ask the sellers to open all the doors, cabinets, and closets so you don’t have to touch anything. Wear a mask and use hand sanitizer before and after you enter the home. We are showing and selling houses during the pandemic, so don’t let it discourage you from looking. Most of the process can be handled online now, and what cannot be done digitally we are taking care of with your health and safety in mind.

 

Contact us today to get started!

 

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3D Floors – Will the Trend Take Off?

Home decor is as much of an expression of personal style as the clothes you wear. Some homeowners prefer a retro look and feel, while others prefer more futuristic home design. And then there’s THIS — a new trend in home design which is rapidly gaining popularity overseas. It’s called 3D epoxy floor painting, and it’s a rousing conversation piece for any home.

The examples below were created by Imperial Interiors, a design company servicing Dubai and UAE. According to Imperial, liquid 3D floors are a recent innovation first used in hotels, offices, and shopping centers. However, they insist it’s a misconception that decorative screed can only be used in the bathroom or toilet – in fact, 3D floors are suitable for any room, “and even villas.”

As you can see below, these floors completely transform any room in the house into something right out of a story book.

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Would you consider doing something like this in your home? What kind of design would you want and in which room?

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Selling your home with pets

What to Do with “Spot” When Selling Your Home

According to the 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 68% of American households have at least one pet. If you’re one of the approximately 85 million families that shares your home with a four-legged friend, that can be challenging when it comes time to sell your home.

A couple of weeks ago Property Geek Hannah Smith answered a seller’s question on our weekly #GrillTheGeeks segment about how to handle their pets when they had showings. If you missed Hannah’s response, you can watch it here:

#Grill The Geeks – Pets & Showings

Hannah Smith, Realtor chats about why it's so important to have a plan for your 🐕 pets🐈 when selling your home. Have a question for #GrillTheGeeks? Message us on Facebook or send it to info@thepropertygeeks.com.#BHHS

Posted by The Property Geeks on Wednesday, January 9, 2019

 

Basically, if you’re able, it’s best to make sure your pets are removed from the home when you’re having a showing. Here are our top reasons why:

#1 Pets stink.

We love them and couldn’t live without them, but let’s be honest… most pets have a certain eau de animal about them. If you’re able to find Fido somewhere else to stay while your house in on the market, that would be ideal. But if you can’t temporarily rehome your pets, we do advise removing them from the house during showings. Spray a little Febreze around their preferred areas and take the dog for a walk or the kitty to a friend’s place while prospective buyers are walking through.

#2 Pets can be squirrely.

No matter where you secure your beloved furry friends during a home showing, there’s a chance they could get loose. A buyer might not see the sign you left on the laundry room door and next thing you know, your cat could be hightailing it right through the front door. No agent wants to have to make that call.

#3 Pets get stressed out.

Even if you’ve got your pup nestled into his crate in a corner of the basement, you have no idea how much stress it might cause him to have strangers parading around his house. Spot doesn’t know you’re selling  — he just knows there are people there who probably shouldn’t be. If he barks the whole time prospective buyers are trying to tour your home, he might just be the reason they write an offer on a different property.

#4 Pets are unpredictable.

Your cat might be the most loving feline on Earth. But what if she chomps down on a kiddo’s hand who reaches out to pet her? As real estate agents, we’ve heard it all. You’d be surprised how many times a loving four-legged member of the family gets a bad rap for having a natural reaction to a stranger being in their home.

#5 Pets are living allergens.

We’ve seen estimates that 10% of the population has pet allergies, with cats being twice as likely as dogs to cause an allergic reaction. Removing the pets from the home just for a showing won’t eliminate allergens, but it may help. And if you’re able to find a new temporary home for your dog or cat while your house is on the market, it might increase your odds of finding a buyer.

We know it’s not always possible to make alternate arrangements for your pets and buyers do understand that. If you can’t remove them during a showing, try to make sure they’re in a separate area and well-contained for their safety as well as the safety of the prospective buyers.

If you have other questions for #GrillTheGeeks, feel free to send us an email at Info@ThePropertyGeeks.com.

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Couples Are Prioritizing Home Ownership Over Weddings

Engaged Couple Buying Home

‘Tis the season to get engaged! Approximately 40% of couples get engaged during the months of November through February, with December being the most popular by far. Once the confetti has settled from popping the question, the next big decision to make usually revolves around the wedding. Of all the purchases most people will make in a lifetime, two of the most significant—and most expensive—are weddings and purchasing a home.

Because they’re so expensive, it can be challenging for couples to save for both. According to a recent survey, it looks like the majority of couples are prioritizing homeownership over a fancy (and expensive) wedding. Per ValuePenguin, the average cost of a wedding in 2019 will be just shy of $30,000. That could be a sizable down payment on a new home.

According to a recent survey from Open Listings, 64% of couples said they would delay or downsize their wedding if it meant being able to purchase a home sooner, and when asked what big-ticket item they were currently saving for, 29% of couples said a home (compared to just 17% of couples who were saving for a wedding). And the reason? Owning a home is just more important to most Americans couples than dropping tens of thousands of dollars on a wedding—53% of couples and 65% of engaged couples claimed that home ownership was “very important.”

The Takeaway

If you’ve been putting off saving for a home in order to have a large, fancy wedding, you might want to reconsider. A big wedding is a great day. But buying your dream home? That can give you a great life.

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Home Trends for 2019

10 Hot Home Trends for 2019 (and 2 that are OUT!)

Each fall, decorators begin to share the interior design trends we can expect to see in the new year. Looking ahead to 2019, bold colors, metallics, and statement ceilings take center stage.

If you’re planning to put your place on the market and want it to appear like the freshest spot on the block, you need to know what’s hot and what’s not.

1. Wallpaper stages a comeback

Put down that paint brush! If you’re looking to add a splash of color or geometric flair to your rooms, wallpaper is a fashionable alternative that adds instant personality to any area. But if you’re picturing your Great Aunt Polly’s overwhelming floral patterns or you’ve heard horror stories about wallpaper removal, those days are over. Easy-to-remove papers come in an array of colors and designs that range from subtle to seriously jaw-dropping. Prepare to see plenty of wallpaper in 2019.

2. Making the most of the ceiling

Ceilings are often considered a room’s fifth wall, so why not capitalize on that blank canvas? Whether you choose to add an accent paint color, wallpaper, or decorative beams, enhancing the ceiling draws the eye upward and can make a room appear larger — not to mention more interesting.

3. The color of the year…

If you still can’t get behind the idea of papering your walls, give them a bold, up-to-date look with a fresh coat of paint. Which hue is a modern standout? Behr’s 2019 color of the year is Blueprint (S470-5). Pair it with gray or other neutral tones and you’ve got a vibrant new feel.

4. Kitchen hoods slim down

For a while, kitchen hoods have been working overtime. Not only do they ventilate the room, removing odors and smoke, they also add a decorative flourish. From copper to brick and beyond, some nearly swallowed the space with their oversized appeal. Well, in 2019, hoods are going on a diet. Expect to see rounded, more slimmed-down designs.

5. Colorful kitchens are on the menu

Neutral, all-white kitchens are out as darker, more dramatic designs are finding favor with homeowners who are looking to spice up the heart of the home. Expect to see islands, cabinetry, and fixtures get an exciting, decidedly darker makeover in the new year.

6. Appliances go for gold

Remember when rose gold was having a moment? Well, it’s over, and plain old gold is reclaiming the top spot. From faucets to fridges, decorators are imploring homeowners to go for the gold and give stainless steel the year off.

7. Metallic sinks make splash

Hammered metallics are the hottest thing in sinks according to designers. These fun and funky alternatives to your white farmhouse sinks often have a vintage vibe. Popular in kitchens, they’re expected to make a big impact in the powder room as well.

8. Keeping it interesting with colored tile

Kitchens aren’t the only rooms that are saying goodbye to neutral tones. Bathrooms are striving to be just as eye-catching thanks to bold tile colors. This trend might not appeal to everyone, but it definitely makes a trip to the loo more memorable.

9. Curvy furniture exudes comfort

Furniture with rounded edges beckons you to sit a while. Warmer and more inviting than couches and chairs with sharp lines, these comfy seating designs feel like a welcome throwback to a more casual time. Rectangular tables are out, and ovals are in. They’re safer for households with young children, making them a popular pick for families.

10. Invite the outdoors in

Some say plants are like tattoos: You get one and you’ll just end up wanting another. Greens give off oxygen at the same time that they add a nice pop of color, doubling their appeal. Tired of your artwork? Replace it with plants. Living walls will be all the rage in 2019. But if your green thumb isn’t ready for a full-scale indoor garden, start with a few easy-to-maintain plants on shelves.

Trends That Are Out

1. Accent walls

“Dramatic-colored or wallpapered accent walls are no longer the focal point of interiors. Single-colored walls are making a much bigger impact by creating a balanced backdrop for furnishings and decor.” — Kesha Franklin of Halden Interiors (via Elle Decor)

2. Cherry Cabinets

“Warmth in the kitchen is no longer achieved with this traditional go-to finish. Painted cabinets in deep blues, grays and black are dominating both modern and traditional kitchen designs.” — Kesha Franklin of Halden Interiors (via Elle Decor)

We want to hear your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree on what’s coming in and what’s trending out?

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