Quick Staging Tips to Help Sell Your Home

If you are getting ready to sell your home, or your home is already on the market, here are some tips to quickly stage your home to make it more appealing to a buyer.

Most of the tips are courtesy of Barb Schwarz of Stagedhomes.com , and realtor.org, the National Association of REALTORS(R) website, some are mine:

1) DECLUTTER!

• Take everything down from the fronts and sides of the refrigerator. Counters in kitchens should be cleaned of all unnecessary things, like papers and appliances you do not use on a daily basis.
• Bathroom counters should be clean of everything except your toothbrushes and soap. Towels should be in only one or two coordinating colors.
• Remove most personal photos. People need to imagine their family there.
• Take most decorative items down from furniture. Keep only 1, 3, or 5 things in a group in each area. This includes pictures, candlesticks, pillows, and other small items you may have on side tables and mantles! (The odd # grouping has been shown to be more appealing to the eye).
• This one isn’t on the list, but it is a big one on mine. CLEAR OUT YOUR CLOSETS. The more stuffed your closets are, the more people feel there must be a storage issue. Whatever season you are in, leave that set of clothes. All others should go in boxes. The linen closet should only have the extra set of towels you will need, the one or two bottles of shampoo, soap, etc you should need while your house is on the market. Storage closets can have larger items in them, but should NOT be stuffed to the gills!

2) RENT A STORAGE UNIT

• Take out unnecessary furniture. The extra chair, the ottoman, the side table you don’t use. Less furniture makes a room feel bigger.
• Boxes should go in the unit. People understand that you are moving, but you don’t need the mounds of boxes to prove it. (Those decorative items you removed earlier? The clothes & “stuff” from your closets? Hopefully you put them in boxes. Put the boxes directly into the storage unit, so they are ready to go to your next home!)

3) REHANG PAINTINGS & PAINT WALLS

• Some of your paintings/pictures/etc might need to come down to open the room up. This may mean rearranging some as well, which will show the walls in their natural state, which means you will most likely need to paint.
• Paint colors are very personal. If you have bright or strong colors, you may want to consider making those rooms more neutral.
• Touch up paint in rooms where there may be little nicks or scratches marring the paint. You want to look fresh!
• Repainting throughout is almost always a big plus. Fresh paint puts a fresh face on your house!

4) WHEN YOU HAVE SHOWINGS

• Have some music on — Light FM is best — when I was showing homes this weekend, we were struck by how nice it was to have the music going in one of them.
• Leave all lights on. Yes all. Are you wasting electricity? Yes. Is it worth it? YES. Your home *hopefully* shows best when it is brightly lit. Let people see it in top notch condition!
• Make sure you are NOT HOME. Allow for extra time before and after the showings so you don’t leave late and don’t come home early. People will feel rushed and uncomfortable.

5) OUTSIDE

• Make sure gutters are clean and there is not any mold, mildew, rust or any major marks outside. If necessary, have the house power washed.
• Get rid of the *stuff* — the toys, the wood stacks, the forgotten piles of leaves.
• Have nice plants around the property — in the flower beds, etc. Make sure they are well maintained and not overgrown, nor dead!
• Paint window and door trims if necessary. Again, fresh paint = fresh face! If most of the exterior is looking worn and it is a painted house, PAINT IT!

I hope these tips help you in staging your home to a successful sale. If you would like more information on your Towson house value, please contact me today!

Broker’s Open 20 Perryfalls Place Wednesday, March 10, 2010 12-2 pm

This Wednesday, March 10, 2010, please join me and my company, Keller Williams Excellence Realty, at a Broker’s Open to showcase my new listing at 20 Perryfalls Place in Perry Hall, MD.

This great townhouse has three bedrooms, one full bath, and two half baths, plus large, open living spaces on each level.

I will be there on Wednesday, along with my office colleagues as well as agents from other real estate brokerages in the area. Stop on by to have some light lunch and view this home, and share feedback with me so I can share with my seller!

Weather.com shows around 60 degrees and cloudy on Wednesday, so make sure to enjoy the warm weather and some light food on the deck off the kitchen and dining room of this great home!

20 Perryfalls Place – Oakhurst – Nottingham, Maryland
Offered at $230,000

• Download the Brochure (PDF)
• Schedule an Appointment
• Ask a Question
• View Virtual Tour

Explore this wonderful Perry Hall home for sale at $230,000…

• First Floor
• Second Floor
• Finished Basement
• Exterior
• Neighborhood

Read more

“Around the Mill” First Friday Tonight, March 5, 2010 at Mt. Washington Mill

Don’t forget to come “mill around” at the Mt. Washington Mill tonight from 5-8 pm and get your Mill Pass Stamped to enter into the drawing for the wonderful basket of goodies from the shops!

Stop by the Mt. Washington Wine Company from 6-8 pm for their special wine tasting tonight — Frederick County’s own Black Ankle Vineyards!

The “Around the Mill” stores are: Amazing Glaze, Dogma-Life with Your Pet, Gore-Dean, Holly G Boutique, Home on the Harbor, Mt. Washington Wine Company, Starbucks and Whole Foods, and they will be offering both special discounts and refreshments this evening!

Come visit this unique area and interesting shops — you’ll find things here you won’t find anywhere else!

The Mt. Washington Mill is located near Falls Road and not far from 83 North and South in the Mt. Washington area of Baltimore at 1340 Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209.

Maryland Zoo in Baltimore to Open March 13 After Delay From Major Blizzard Damage

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is ready to reopen its gates after two major blizzards caused a tremendous amount of damage to buildings and animal housing.

As I have written in multiple posts about these blizzards, the heavy snow caused damage to many homes, and hurt the Baltimore real estate market. It also has hurt Baltimore businesses and tourist attractions both with their buildings, and the fact that the damage in the zoo’s case, forced them to remain closed for an additional two weeks to repair and remove snow from walkways and the like.

The Baltimore Business Journal reports that the damage to the zoo could top $2.5 million, a hit to the attraction that is already having financial woes.

Tickets for the weekend of March 13-14 will be reduced to $5 to celebrate its’ reopening, and hopefully entice many visitors to come see the animals. Some exhibits may not be open, or they may be modified (for example, the giraffes will not be outside, but can be viewed in their inside habitat) due to the still snowy, cold & muddy conditions, or damage to the area.

After the opening weekend, ticket prices will be $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10 for children on weekdays, and $16 adults, $13 seniors, and $11 children on weekends.

Coming up on March 20th is the popular Samson the elephant’s SECOND birthday party from 11 am-1 pm. It is hard to believe he is now TWO!

So come on down to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore to support and help them rebuild — just by coming to visit the animals and enjoy the beautiful surroundings in Druid Hill Park.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is located in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, 21217. The hours once open are 10 am – 4 pm. For more information, call 410-366-LION (5466).

Charm City Circulator — Free Transportation in Baltimore City

Have you heard of the free bus transportation available in Baltimore City called the Charm City Circulator?

This is a new great idea from the City of Baltimore that will run three routes and transport workers, commuters, students, visitors and the like for FREE. The busses run every 10 minutes from designated stops on the lines.

The first one up & running is the ORANGE ROUTE, which runs from Hollins Market to Harbor East. It runs around Little Italy and along Lombard Street down to the University of Maryland Baltimore right by the UMD Medical Center, and loops back around and heads back to Harbor East going down Pratt Street. It has 26 stops in all, including the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Inner Harbor, as well as the Convention Center and Camden Yards.

The Purple Route will run Penn Station to Federal Hill, and the Green Route will run run from City Hall to Johns Hopkins.

This is an exciting initiative set forth in Baltimore, and even more exciting is that the busses are DesignLine 2009 EcoSaver IV LF Hybrid Electric vehicles, which conserve gas and are good for the environment. The goal of the Circulator, per the Baltimore.org site,  is to “reduce congestion and greenhouse gas pollution by offering a convenient, reliable and eco-friendly form of public transportation.”

So, hop on the Circulator and help the environment while getting where you need to be in Downtown Baltimore quickly & efficiently.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Opens in Cockeysville

A new Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened yesterday in the York Market Place shopping center in Cockeysville, MD.

The site is the former location of the Moe’s Southwest Grill just south of Industry Lane and just north of Cranbrook Road.

York Market Place also houses a Starbucks, a ColdStone Creamery, Gamestop, T-Mobile, Bray & Scarff Appliances, and Fuji San.

This new Five Guys joins the popular one located down York Road in Towson at 936 York Road just south of the intersection of York and Fairmount Avenue.

These stores have been shown to be very popular in all of the areas they move into. They do have vegetarian burgers for those who do not partake in meat.

I know a number of people who you may see at the new one in Cockeysville on a regular basis, so you may find me visiting them while you are there!

York Market Place and the new Five Guys Burgers and Fries, plus these other fine shops and food are located at 10015 York Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030.

Melting Snow Photos 3136 Eden Drive in Abingdon

Finally enough snow has melted that I was able to take new *better* photos of my listing at 3136 Eden Drive in Abingdon, MD.

The great court location had been working against it because the plows had to put the large mounds of snow somewhere — and the large open space by this wonderful home was the place they chose.

I was able to take new front photos and put the signs in place — and you can actually see them from the road!

The new photos are on the front of the brochure.

The new exterior shots are on the virtual tour.

And I am excited!

I have felt like I couldn’t do this home its justice with marketing until you could actually see how wonderful it is from its location and its exterior. The wide open space to run in the side yard is so unusual!

The sellers are looking for photos from the spring when their beautifully manicured gardens and lawn are lush and inviting, so we can share them with prospective buyers (see tip #3 from the Top Four Inside Secrets to Selling Your Home in this Buyer’s Market).

Not only is the weather more spring-like, buyers feel it too, and I know I have a spring in my step as well.

So don’t miss out on this unusual and wonderful townhome in Abingdon. Or if you are looking for the Perry Hall/White Marsh area of Baltimore County, stay tuned, I have an inside unit in Oakhurst coming on soon!

Top Four Inside Secrets To Selling Your Home in This Buyer’s Market

Gary Keller, the owner of the company I work for, Keller Williams Realty, was interviewed this morning along with a few agents on Good Morning America about HOW to sell your home in this market.

These tips hold true in the Towson real estate market as well as others across the US.

Tip #1: When Pricing Your Home, Don’t Try to Make Money. If a similar house down the street is on the market for a certain amount, list your home just under that amount. Buyers will perceive your home as a deal, and will more likely move on yours versus others on the market.

Tip #2: Don’t Be Lazy When It Comes to Presentation. Staging is a great way to get your home to look its best. Remember, once you decide to sell your home, it is no longer *your home*. The goal is for it to be someone else’s! A Staging Professional is a good investment along with a REALTOR(R). As Gary Keller said, “Price gets you interest. Staging gets you offers.”

Tip #3: Some Photos are Priceless. When listing in winter, especially when you have feet of snow still to melt like here in Towson, share any photos you have of the yard, landscaping, etc, from when it is nice out with your real estate agent. Your agent can incorporate these into their marketing of your home. You know how great your yard is to enjoy, but when others can’t see it at the moment, they don’t know what a difference that makes in your home versus another. With these additional photos, it could make the difference.

Tip #4:Don’t Be Cheap When It Comes to Fixes. Have a faucet that drips? A floorboard that squeaks? A carpet that needs replacing? DO IT. Have older appliances? Buy new ones. Yes, new ones. They don’t have to be expensive, but more modern helps to sell!

I disagree with Tip #5 because my buyers find it extremely uncomfortable when the owner is home, and I find that they tend to not take the house seriously if the seller is there. It is good to have brochures and photos there to share information about your home, and your agent is an important facilitator in this process in speaking with the buyer’s agent and getting buyer’s questions answered. But do NOT be there for showings. Buyers want to open cabinets, closets, and feel like it could be their home. If you are there, they can’t imagine themselves as the owners there.

I hope Towson home sellers find this information useful as they prepare to sell their homes. Please contact me to help you further!

Ryland Homes Names New Chairman and New Homes To Be Built in Baltimore County

Ryland Homes Inc., a builder who has been behind many popular communities in the Baltimore area, has named Bill Jews as its new Chairman, reports the Baltimore Business Journal.

Mr. Jews was the CEO of Maryland’s own Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield and brought it back from the point of it almost shutting its doors in 1993 to a successful company by the time he stepped down in 2006.  Jews is on a number of boards in the Maryland area, including Fortress International in Columbia, Maryland, and Camden Learning Group in Baltimore.

Though Ryland Homes is based in California, they are a pillar in the Baltimore real estate community. Their developments have won awards and have shown to be well planned.

If you would like more information on new Ryland Homes in Baltimore County, Harford County, and surrounding areas, please contact me so I can help!

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