By Audeliz Angie Perez: a full time real estate agent for Weichert, Realtors and founder of njretoday.com. She can be reached via her website forsalebyangieperez, email at njretoday@gmail.com or voicemail 973-388-7268.
So, I’m a clutter freak. I can admit it. I collect all types of things and when I go home, I think about how much I would have to put away if I ever put my house on the market. As a realtor, I see a lot of houses in different shapes, sizes, and in different locations, yet one thing remains consistent in my industry: A Clean House Sells.
I cannot tell you how important it is to put your best foot forward when you are thinking about listing and marketing your home. A buyer’s first impression is often the impression he or she relies on when making a decision to buy.
Consider the following cost-effective, do-it-yourself home staging tips:
Let’s start with curb appeal:Trim the hedges; keep the lawn trimmed, remove garbage, clean the windows, power wash the siding, plant new flowers, and brighten up the door with seasonal themes if applicable to the season. Do whatever it takes to welcome the buyer from the curb. Deodorize if necessary and especially if you have pets.
Second, remove clutter. Since I am a clutter prone, I know what it looks like: mail stacked up into neat piles, folded clothes outside of the closets, shoes around and underneath the beds, lots of mismatched furniture, receipts, books or magazines spilling over onto the floors and around your desk or coffee table, or simply not enough walking space and too much stuff everywhere and anywhere that doesn’t exactly go together like the clock from your trip to Iceland next to your African collection of dolls. It just doesn’t go together. Even if your organized mess makes sense to you, it may not appeal to the next person looking to buy your home.
Thus, it pays to remove the furniture and items that overwhelms or prevents easy flow in your home. These are the furniture pieces that even you have to maneuver around or if you’re like me, you’ve crashed your baby toe into it one too many times. You’re supposed to be moving, so pack up only what you need to survive (Space Balls) and put the rest in storage.
Some people overreact when they hear the word staging. They think that staging encompasses a lot of work and for some people it might depending on what you choose to do and how much atmosphere they are trying to create that doesn’t already exist. De-cluttering is a form of staging. It’s the one that I recommend because it is simple and cheap to do. De-cluttering won’t break your bank. But, if you want top dollar for your home, start with a clean house. Remember first impressions are worth a thousand dollars.
Here are some other additonal home staging tips from Weichert, Realtors:
• Create a finished look by adding crown molding, wider baseboards and/or decorative framing around doors.
• Add better insulation, caulking and energy efficient appliances which are popular with buyers.
• Freshen up the walls with a new coat of neutral-color paint. Faux finishes or accent walls can add pizzazz when colors and textures with mass appeal are chosen.
For a experienced homestager and more advice on home staging visit Restyledtosell.com. Take a look at the before and after pictures. It’s not just clutter that can make or break a picture. Pictures are important! It’s what gets thebuyer into the home in the first place, which will ultimately lead to the sell of your home.
Angie Perez is a NJ Circle of Excellence award winning real estate agent for Weichert, Realtors in Edison. She sells anywhere from 12-25 houses per year on a consistent basis since 2005. Ms. Perez is primarily a buyer's agent on 60% of her real estate sales where she represents rental income investors, first time home buyers & trade up home buyers of 1-4 family homes within specific towns encompassing 4 NJ counties: Union, Essex, Middlesex and Somerset County. Many of Ms. Perez's clients appreciate her ability to negotiate favorable real estate deals for them. Many of her clients commented that her research abilities, her honesty, her knowledge of local market trends and her proficiency to manage multiple real estate transactions from start to close are some of the reasons why she was hired as their agent of choice. Please call, text or email Angie Perez to ask if she lists or sell in your town. If she can not help you, Ms. Perez would be more than happy to help or refer you to someone who can. Cell: 973-715-6210 email: angie @ njretoday .com
123 Lincoln Highway Edison, NJ, 08852 USA
angie@njretoday.com • (973-715-6210)
