Two weeks ago, I interviewed Realtor Pat Olenick about the Spring Real Estate market. Since then things have really heated up. I’m told by a number of realtors and mortgage professionals that homes on the market right now are going fast. There are buyers out there looking and the inventory of homes is low. If you were thinking about listing there is no time like the present. Getting your home ready to sell is step one. To help you take advantage of the favorable market, I asked staging experts Chris and Melissa for their advice.

QUESTION: Chris and Melissa, for someone getting their home ready to put on the market, sometimes getting started is the hardest part. What do you suggest?

ANSWER: The first step and the most important thing you can do to prepare your home for re-sale is to get rid of clutter. A major contributor to a cluttered look is having too much furniture. When professional stagers come into a home in an effort to stage it for sale, we often remove as much as half the owner’s furnishings, and voila! the house looks much larger. You don’t have to go to the extreme, however, you should take a hard look at what you have and ask yourself what you can live without. You can store the extra
furnishings in a storage unit, donate to Goodwill, or even have a garage sale!

After this huge task is accomplished, we move onto the smaller items – like tackling all the horizontal surfaces in the home. They should be clean and clear, and closets and cabinets should also be orderly.
Just about EVERY potential buyer will sneak a peek at the home’s storage options!

The idea of de-cluttering the home is to make it look as large as possible and to showcase your home’s best features. People essentially buy space and light. Potential buyers want to be able to see themselves in your home, with little updating or work.

Once your home is clear of clutter, home stagers usually walk through each room to see what, if anything, needs updating. Bright paint colors should be repainted, using neutral colors. Old or outdated wallpaper or worn carpeting should be removed or replaced. Extremely outdated baths should be updated, otherwise, a good cleaning/organizing and a few new towels should do the trick. Essentially, each room should present itself as fresh and up to date.

Once the stagers have completed their task and your home is ready for potential buyer to Ooo and Aaahh over its amazing features, you should stay on top of keeping the clutter at bay, keeping it clean, and maybe place a few vases of flowers here and there!

QUESTION: What is the cost for a consultation and what does it include?

ANSWER: Our consultation fee for 1hr is $150. We will go through your house with you and come up with a list of suggestions for staging for resale. If the customer would like, we can also implement those ideas for an hourly rate.

QUESTION: What is your contact information?

ANSWER: We can be reached by phone at Chris’ Cottage during business hours. The number is 215-345-1550 or via our emails: Christine Robinson [chriscottage@yahoo.com] or Melissa Hawes [mldecordesigns@gmail.com].

THANKS Chris and Melissa. Coming soon an interview with the Approved Mortgage Group. In a hot market if you want to by you need to get your ducks in order.