Posts Tagged ‘home staging’

5 Holiday Home Staging Ideas

The holidays aren’t usually the ideal time to sell a home, but there are people looking for the right Hawaiian residence year-round. Staging a home for sale is a bit different during this time of year, and these ideas can increase your odds of a sale and a happy new year in a different location.

1. Minimize Holiday Décor

For many people, holiday decorating is a highlight of the season. If you are trying to sell your home, keep your decorations to a minimum, especially outside. No matter the time of year, curb appeal is critical. A wreath on the front door is welcoming, but excessive lighting, Santa and reindeer displays, Snowmen and the like are distracting. If you must have holiday lighting, choose simple white lights set around the front door frame or a similar look.

Indoors, keep your decorations simple. If you celebrate Christmas, choose a smaller tree and again, go with white rather than colored lighting. Keep in mind that not all potential homebuyers celebrate Christmas, and vivid holiday decorations make it harder for them to imagine the house as theirs. Any seasonal décor used should emphasize the holiday per se, not religion.

There is an exception to the décor minimization rule. If there is a feature in your home you want people to notice, tie a red garland or a color appropriate to your décor in that area. The garland won’t look out of place, and visitors’ eyes are drawn to that item.

2. Greenery

While you should cut back on the decorations, feel free to brighten up your home with greenery, traditional or otherwise. Fresh flowers in the kitchen or holiday greens are a simple, elegant way to make the home more attractive, without clutter.

3. Let the Light In

When a real estate agent brings clients over in the evening, make sure your house is well-lit. Not only does good lighting allow the visitors to get a better look at the interior and exterior of the house, but a well-lit home is inviting in the dark.

During the day, keep the curtains or blinds open to let in as much natural light as possible. At any time, light a few candles to enhance mood or provide scent, but don’t overdo it and make sure candles are placed where small children –or even adults –can’t knock them over.

4. Holiday Baking

You want your house to smell warm and inviting, so go ahead and indulge with holiday baking. Offer freshly baked holiday cookies to those touring the home – along with their real estate agents. Keep some bottled water on hand, and serve the snacks in your spotless kitchen or dining room.

5. Set the Table

With home staging, decluttering and depersonalizing is essential. As noted, buyers should imagine themselves living in your home, and clutter and too many family photos and objects take that focus away. One way to show off the entertainment aspects of your home is by setting the dining room table tastefully, letting buyers think about much their own family and friends would like to create memories there.

Contact Us

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or find a rental property, you need a knowledgeable, experienced realtor familiar with all aspects of the Hawaiian real estate market. Contact Island Realty Group LLC at 808-689-7407 or IslandRealtyGroup@irghi.com.

Filed under: Blog by Freddy
Comments Off on Staging Your Home During the Holidays

The Ins and Outs of Staging Your Home

Right now, your home reflects your taste and preferences. If you’re thinking about selling your home, however, you have to decide whether a more neutral look might attract more interest. Staging a home helps it appeal to more potential buyers and usually generates a faster sale. While you have to spend more money on home staging, you will likely get a higher price for the dwelling than if it isn’t staged.

The Pros of Home Staging

You only get one chance to make a first impression. A home stager wants to ensure that the first impression is the best possible, so staging showcases the home. While you must pay for the service, you literally have someone else do all the heavy lifting. If your furniture sports some wear-and-tear, there is no need to buy new furniture to improve a room’s appearance. The stager has access to all sorts of furniture and artworks, and can also mix and match these items with your own. They know the tricks of the trade to play down or hide difficult spaces. The end result is harmonious and attractive.

A professional stager tours your property, and then comes up with ideas best suited for your home’s particular marketing needs.  The stager will send you a proposal, which you can discuss to nail down all specifics. Once an agreement is made, the company stages the property. That includes removing superfluous pieces and putting them in storage, and bringing in new furniture and decorative items and arranging them. While the process varies by the home, this is usually completed with two or three days. Once the house sells, the stager removes the furnishings brought in.

Home Staging Cons

Home staging isn’t cheap. While it can increase the sales price, from a practical standpoint it makes more sense for upscale and luxury properties. When the market is hot, and your type of home is in demand, staging may prove an unnecessary expense.

You also have to make sure staging isn’t overdone. Buyers have different expectations of older homes than they do for newer ones. Trying to make an older home look more up-to-date than it actually is might prove a red flag.

Do It Yourself Staging

For many homeowners, it doesn’t make financial sense to hire a home stager. That doesn’t mean you can’t stage your home on your own. Cleaning and decluttering are home staging basics, as are making necessary repairs. If you don’t use something regularly, prepare for your eventual move by boxing it up.

Put personal items, such as family photos and mementos, into storage when preparing your home for resale. You want those viewing your home to imagine themselves in it, which is harder to do with other people’s cherished articles around.

Contact Us

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or find a rental property, you need a knowledgeable, experienced realtor familiar with every aspect of the Hawaiian real estate market. We also work with professional stagers. Contact Island Realty Group LLC at 808-689-7407 or IslandRealtyGroup@irghi.com.

Filed under: Blog by Freddy
Comments Off on To Stage or Not to Stage?