Posts Tagged ‘Selling Your Home’

If I Build it Better, They will Come

Monday, July 19th, 2010

I cannot remember if it was the end of last year or the beginning of this year that I came face to face with photos of one of my competitor’s staging projects.  Up until that moment, I was totally confident in all the work I produced.  After all, my clients were always thrilled and the homes always sold quickly.  But in that moment, when I saw that my competitor had taken some risks and made some bold choices, I decided that I could do better.

So when it came to establishing some goals for myself for the new year, I opted to only make one.  In years past that would have been something like grow revenue xx% or build my database by xx people or complete xx more projects than last year.  Not 2010 though.  This year my single goal was to challenge myself more: take risks and stop making “safe” choices.

I will say this; it has not been easy.  There have been times I have been in a complete cold sweat watching the furniture get delivered to a model unit.  I have had difficult conversations with Realtors about my choices and why, if they just trust me, they will be thrilled.

What this has been though, is a ton of fun and a very eye-opening experience.  I have seen rooms come together in ways that I never thought possible.  I have also reached a new level of collaboration with the designers on my staff.  It is like we have a new “well, let’s try it” policy.  No idea is too stupid to try and nobody’s ego is bigger than anyone else.  We are all creative professionals truly just trying to make this project more spectacular than our last.

And so, you may wonder what the result has been.  Amazingly, our business is growing and growing.  I have had multiple projects where a buyers agent has called the listing agent on one of my projects and asked for my contact information.  I became a preferred vendor to the Ritz Residences in Boston after staging a unit there.  But, most importantly, I am more proud than ever of the quality of work my team is producing.

I am surprised that what seemed like such a personal goal has had such incredible results for the business.  We are working on improving in other ways too.  But, I will save that for another day.

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Curb Appalled by Natalie Moore

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

Let’s be honest. Is your curb appeal turning into curb-appall? In these tough economic times, it can be difficult to keep the exterior of your home looking well-kept and inviting. Since curb appeal is a key element to selling a home, here are a few tips on how to quickly give your home a curb-appeal face lift.

Paint-

I cannot stress enough the value of a fresh coat of paint. Just because the house has been painted barn-red since 1984, that doesn’t mean it has to (or should) stay that way! A key element to choosing the right paint color is the style of your home. Is it Victorian? Colonial? Contemporary? Bungalow? Doing some research on this can give you inspiration for the perfect color choice!

For a very detailed gallery of house styles, check out: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,1228909,00.html

Entrance-

Put some thought and personality into your entrance. How do you approach your door from the driveway or sidewalk? Consider using materials that fit with your houses character to make a walkway- stepping stones, brick, pebbles, crushed seashells, wood slats…etc. Solar-powered lamps are a nice way to line your walkway and draw attention to your house at night while other houses on the market in your area will get lost in the dark. Remember, perspective buyers drive by day and night.

A front door and its hardware can bring lots of character to a home if chosen carefully. Choose an eye-catching color for your door that still works with your overall color scheme. A doorknocker, light fixture and updated doorknob and hinges can spruce up an entrance as well.

Have a front porch? Clear the clutter! Nobody wants to see the kid’s soccer cleats, swim toys, bikes…etc. collecting here. This is the perfect opportunity for a seating area such as rocking chairs or a porch swing. Buyers want to see how they can use the space they’re purchasing- make it believable.

Landscaping-

Landscaping can do everything from simply bring color to your yard to create valuable extra living space. Designate sections of your yard for different uses in order to maximize the amount you’ll actually use it.

Choosing the right grasses, plants and trees for your yard can be a daunting task, but alas research is the key yet again. Choosing native plants is always the best way to go. Not only are you guaranteed that the plants will be able to survive, but it will also be easier to maintain your yard with little to no watering!

Some beautiful options:

Wild Indigo, Columbine, Lily of the Valley, Starflower, Canada Lily, Black-eyed Susan, Violets, Sweet Grass and Tickle Grass.

For more ideas, check out the Massachusetts Plant and Resource List: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rdsduse/ma.htm

Don’t limit your landscaping just to plants. Try creating a patio or living area in your favorite part of the yard using recycled bricks or stones such as slate from a demolished building. Recycled products can be found at many deconstruction/recycling companies that salvage building products before they are destroyed during demolition. This will also add to your good karma because post-consumer recycling is as green as it gets!

So now you know, even though your pockets may not be as deep these days, curb appeal is in your reach. Take note of simple things that attract you to other homes and implement it in yours…it’s ok to cheat sometimes! But don’t be afraid to be creative-that’s the fun part. Enjoy!

Natalie Moore can be contacted via email  at mooren@wit.edu

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Sell Your Home in the Limelight. Better Yet…How About the “Green”-light?

Monday, June 15th, 2009

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lime-light [lahym-lahyt] -noun

the center of public attention, interest, observation, or notoriety

The tune around town…most any town today…is that it has become a struggle to sell a home. The housing market in 2009 is certainly not a shadow of any from recent years gone by. We have read all of the headlines…listened with our cups of coffee to the early morning news anchors…and yes…it is true. It has become true. It is NOT a SELLERS market anymore. Woah! That snuck right up on us didn’t it?

Accepting that fact, we are now on a different channel…a reality tv show in which we have found it necessary to be creative and proactive when selling our homes. We need to separate our house from the competitions’…generate an unparalleled interest in our property, which will force a prospective buyer to find no other choice but to submit an offer on our exclusive exhibit. While there are many characters that need to be in place in order to have the right combination to sell a home…staging and price being two of those leading ingredients…there is one additional area that has been drawing a lot of attention lately, and can help to truly make a home stand out above the crowd. If you haven’t guessed it already…like Fenway Park has known for years…it is what I like to call the “Green” Monster.

“Green” homes are what many buyers are interested in today. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), as much as 90 percent of home buyers think that energy efficiency is a very important factor when shopping for a home. The National Association of Home Builders Remodelers (NAHBR) says 72 percent of consumers report energy-efficient features in a home would influence their purchase decision. As a seller, by investing in some green remodeling up front, and tailoring the marketing of their home appropriately, one can drastically increase the visibility of their home in the marketplace…and thus multiplying their chances of taking the center stage in prospective buyers’ eyes.

Once the decision has been made to market your home as a “green” home, the task now is to implement those green changes. This does not need to be an Everest of projects. There are simple things that can be done, which will help to increase efficiency in the home and reduce utility costs. A few striking adjustments that can be made:

- Install appropriate insulation in area to be remodeled

- Install high-efficiency windows

- Purchase Energy Star-rated appliances

- Install low-flow water fixtures

- Upgrade to Energy Star-rated water heater, or a tankless water heater

- Purchase the highest efficiency HVAC system you can afford

- Install energy-efficient lighting such as compact fluorescents

Once these changes have been made, be sure to track your utility bills and showcase the differences to prospective buyers as they view your home. Any savings to potential buyers will draw attention to your home, especially when compared to energy-hogs down the street. Also, be sure to highlight the areas in which the buyers can’t see, such as any insulation that has been installed. These are all key features that will help to draw that buyer in, and secure the interest.

As we continue on with this unusual yet dramatic and entertaining market, we will continue to find alternative ways to set ourselves…and our homes…apart. The vital thing to remember, is we need to go with it…we need to keep moving, and keep growing with the changes. At the same time…if we can…why not do it in a way that will help the environment too. Stand out in the “green”-light…be not afraid.

Lauren DuPaul is a licensed Realtor with Keller Williams Metropolitan in Bedford, NH. To contact Lauren, call 603.305.7006 or email her at Lauren@NHHomePro.com. Feel free to visit her website at www.NHHomePro.com .

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