What are some tips or suggestion when staging an investment to help maximize the marketing?

Some people can look at a property and see all the potential that it holds. A bad patch on the wall is actually the perfect place for a gorgeous antique mirror. An empty medium sized room is just the beginnings of a family room with pops of blue and silver decor. An overgrown front walk way is an inviting garden of newly mulched gardenias and lamb’s ears welcoming all future guests. 

Not everyone can mentally do this though. Not even my creative assistant possess the ability to see beauty in the rubble of a house. When she sees a small, plain white room with windows, thats exactly what she sees. She can’t take a room and redecorate it in her mind. This is why she relies heavily on the way the house is staged when she is marketing these properties. If I show her a beautifully staged room, then she will market this beautifully staged room with the thought process that it has all the beauty and potential that any homebuyer would want and need.

This is why we have to help others imagine the potential of the houses we are listing and selling. And even though not every seller has a decorators touch, there are a few simple and cheap steps to consider when preparing to list or show your investment properties, easy enough for anyone to do.

Detach yourself from the property

• Pack up family photos
• Put away memorabilia and hide personal keepsakes
• Turn heavily themed rooms into more neutral spaces

Add A Focal Point

• Add a bench and decorative pillows to your porch or any plain area of view
• Make the main entrance and foyer welcoming. Remove key holders, coat racks, shoe racks, etc. Keep everything clean and simple.

Market your Neighborhood

• If you live in an area that has a great restaurant near it, or its only 5 minutes from your nearest gas station and/or grocery store, let people know! Create a little list of all the attractions that you think would draw them to your home. This can be done on a small chalkboard which can be purchased at any craft store or simply on a catchy sheet of paper. 

*CLEAN* 
This is the most important thing to do. If you only have the time or energy to do one thing on this list, pick this task! It will make a huge difference in the way your home is viewed by others.

• Pick up trash, toys, clothes, etc. GET IT OUT OF THE EYE’S VIEW. You would think this is a no brainer but the amount of houses I’ve seen with clothes sitting in piles in rooms and bags of trash in yards is unreal.
• Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
• Kitchen cabinets will be opened and examined. Be sure to organize and clean them and make it as appealing as possible.
• Add fresh flowers, scentsy (personal favorite), and candles to help create a homey feel and destroy any unwanted smells. 
• Pet odors are hard to hide. Try using baking soda and other pet cleaning devices to remove any odd smells from furniture and carpeting.
• Make sure your trash is taken out of the house (and don’t leave the bags sitting on the side of the house or street.) Take all trash to the nearest dumpster where it belongs.

Make the Room Feel Bigger

• Try to pack up each room by 30%. Not only will this make the room feel bigger but it will also give you less to pack when your house sells!
• Consider Renting a storage area for the bigger objects like exercise machines, bikes, extra chairs and furniture. The less random and unnecessary things you have sitting around, the more your home will actually look like a home and not like a hoarders nightmare.
• Remove all non-daily linens, sheets, and accessories from closets. By moving them you will  increase the appearance of storage space.
• Rearrange furniture to create a better flow of the room. Pick a focal point and work around that to make sure the buyer’s are drawn to it.

Other Tips

• Use neutral colors on the walls, but bring color to your property with furniture and decorations. You don’t want the property to be too loud or too weak. The easiest option is to keep walls neutral and add pops of color using pictures, flowers, fruit, etc.
• Brighter bulbs give a better appearance! You want to fill the house with at least 100 watt bulbs to make it look brighter and bigger. Make sure to replace all broken bulbs.
• Remove items from the kitchen counters such as coffee makers, toasters, microwaves, etc. These items take up space and crowd the view.
• Make sure features like the eat-in kitchen have chairs in place to show off all the potential of the new home.
• Set the dinner table and other tables/bars in the house. This helps buyers easily imagine living at the property.

Buyers love to see the many different ways that homes can be staged so we hope that you take just a few of these tips into consideration. If you have any additional staging tips that we didn’t include, let us know!
We are always looking for new ways to spice up our listings and investment properties. 
​
Happy Staging!

Investors! How can you get your Rental ready at a budget friendly cost? 

Considered these 3 main categories when preparing your rental that will give you the maximum value without breaking the bank. 

#1.    WITHOUT A DOUBT - DO THESE! 
    •    Paint- Make sure your kitchen has a light, bright, or neutral paint scheme. Try to stay away from bold wallpapers that can make your kitchen look tacky or noisy. Lighter shades can also make the room itself appear larger and cleaner.
    •    Lighting- Your kitchen should always be well-lit up for good functionality. The size of your kitchen will control the number of fixtures you will need to generate the required lighting but color plays an important role as well. If your kitchen is white, it will reflect back light making the room feel bright and glowing. If you have a dark finish, you would require more light to insure proper lighting in the kitchen.
    •    Fixtures- While these seem like little things, they can be eye catchers. The hardware on cabinets and door knobs SHOULD ALL MATCH (typically a silver tone through all fixtures is usually recommended)

#2. STRONGLY CONSIDER THESE UPGRADES! 
    •    If you have hardwood….KEEP THE HARDWOOD!
    •    If you have Tile or Laminate there are many affordable options that can be installed. Recommended: neutral, wide planked, good quality tiles for a clean finish.

**Keep In Mind**
GOOD STAND OUT:
THE POP = BACK SLASH: This is a nice accent piece placed along the wall to make the kitchen pop to the eye of the buyer. This will grab their attention without making the area look too busy. There are so many Realtors/Buyers/Sellers/and Renters that get excited when they see a nice Back Slash in a kitchen because  they know that this is "The Pop".
BAD STAND OUT
MIXED MATCHED APPLIANCES: Keep your appliances all the same color (but they do not necessarily have to be the same brand). Nothing looks tackier than a kitchen with chrome and black or white and black or white and chrome. Pick a color and stick with it. There are affordable ways to find nice appliances that can match together without having to spend tons of money. 

#3. MORE WAYS TO ADD VALUE! 
    •    Repaint what you have. While you are tearing your kitchen apart to repaint, this may be a great time to replace and update your fixtures. 
    •    Add an island or portable island to your kitchen to grab the buyers’ eye. This can serve as a very functional piece as long as it doesn't make the area look cramped or confined.
    •    Counter tops: refinish/paint/coat your existing counter tops to make the kitchen look more upscale. There are tons of different paint options and even ways to make the counters look like stone without paying all the extra money!
    •    Sometimes there are parts of the counter that are just unsalvageable. If you have kids or animals then you will understand. By adding a Butcher Block, you can cover up the problem areas. This is a genius way to save money for the seller while giving the space character and functionality for the buyer.

These are just a few ways to make your rental “live-in ready” without breaking your bank but there are many other ways as well. We find that Simple Is Key but we love to see what creativity people can come up with when refinishing their investments. So keep in mind that while this can be overwhelming, every house is unique and there are so many ways to make your home stand out to the perfect renters and/or buyers.