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If you were having the Queen of England visit your house, you’d tidy up a bit, right? You might even go “all out” to make your place look its very best. Think of that notion when you think of selling your home. Before you put your house on the market, you should “stage” it so it looks enticing to any and all people who will see it.

Staging means decorating and organizing a house in such a way that it looks impressive to buyers such that it sells quickly for the highest possible price. Basically, it involves highlighting a home’s assets and minimizing its weaknesses.

Remember, people are looking for a place that helps fulfill some of their hopes, wants and dreams. Your job is to help them see and believe that your house will do that. Homebuyers would like to see how great a house looks rather than one that hasn’t been tended to, shows no signs of care or concern, and is “falling apart.” Just like people get cosmetic enhancements, so should homes, especially before they’re offered for sale.

What are some key components of staging a house for sale?

Tips for Optimizing the Home You’re Selling

First, it should be clean. Your guests should say, “It’s so clean in here I could eat off the floor.”

Next, it should be decluttered. Even if you have to rent storage space down the road, do whatever it takes to get rid of small and big stuff taking up space. You want the place to look “open” and “inviting,” instead of “cluttered” and “messy.”

Thirdly, depersonalize the place. Stage it so a buyer can imagine themselves living there, rather than having to look at all of your mementos, pictures, and other stuff that says, “I live here and you don’t!”

Also, and try to make sure there is a favorable aroma in the air. Put simply, the house should smell good and not like your pet. It’s no wonder that realtors have been known to have bread or cookies baking in the oven when showing a house—good smells put people in better moods.

As for wallpaper and/or paint, do what you can to make the place neutral enough that a person walking into it says, “I can work with this.” Even though you liked a bright pink room, the majority of people won’t. In addition, that wallpaper that has been up since the Nixon administration? That’s not going to impress buyers.

Finally, define each room’s purpose so a potential buyer can walk into it and know exactly what it’s for, such as laundry, exercise or office work.

Need help with staging ideas and/or buying/selling your home? Contact Donna Littlefield today at 716-578-1788.

Are you thinking of moving? If so, now could be the ideal time. Spring and summer are often considered the best times to move.

For starters, the weather is nice. When it’s sunny and warm outside, people are in the mood to look at houses. It’s much easier to sell a house during July in the Buffalo area compared to mid-January when it gets dark out at 4:30 p.m. and there’s snow and ice covering the roads, driveways and yards. Meanwhile, actually moving stuff from one place to another is a lot easier when you don’t have to wear boots, a hat and a heavy coat. In the spring and summer months, the weather makes moving boxes in and out of homes a lot easier than in the winter.

Next, May and June are prime time for garage sales in Western New York. That means you can sell a lot of your stuff before you move out, and there are plenty of eager shoppers who’d be happy to check out your bargains. It’s easier to sell off stuff you don’t really need or want anymore from the comfort of your current garage/yard than to have to pack it up and haul it away in a car or truck.

If you have kids, it’s best to make your move when they’re not in school. Therefore, it makes sense to move in July or August when school is not in session. Most families with kids like to move in the summer months in order to give the kids some time to adjust to their new neighborhood. Furthermore, they get a couple weeks at the new place before they have to start at their new school. In Western New York, most schools start “back to school” in early September, so families like to get settled before that.

As for adults with jobs to worry about, summer months tend to be a little more relaxed and flexible for many workers. Indeed, many workers take their vacations in July, for sure. Therefore, it might be easier to take days off to move to a new place without disrupting your employer’s operations too much during the laid-back summer months.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Western New York, Donna Littlefield can help you make that a reality this spring or summer. Please call 716-578-1788 to connect with her today.

Stay tuned for more blog posts!