Greetings!
As they say, "the best things in life are free". There are many things you can do to spruce up a home, whether it's for sale or you are just content living it.
This month I will be introducing Part I of No Cost Ways to Improve a Home. Whether it's decluttering or rearranging furniture, all it takes is some motivation and an investment of time. And in the end you'll be rewarded with a house or apartment that looks better than the other listings on the market, or at the very least a better looking and more comfortable home to live in.
Welcome to summer!
Warmest regards,
Donna M. Dazzo, President
Designed to Appeal
P.S. Yours truly made Hamptons magazine's Beach Bound: The List, along with Kim Basinger, Bruce Springsteen and others:
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No Cost Ways to Improve
a Home - Part I
Staging a home for sale, or even sprucing one up that's not on the market, doesn't mean money has to be spent.
In Part I of this series, here are FIVE things that can be done at no cost:
- Curb Appeal Enhancement - first impressions are critical, and curb appeal, or lack thereof, is the key. Mow the lawn, weed, rake, trim edges and overgrown bushes and trees, clean windows, hose down (or power wash) the exterior, entry way area and walkways, remove cobwebs, clean the gutters, store garbage cans neatly, and remove children's toys and bikes.
- Declutter - most people have too much "stuff". Whether you are moving or not, divide things into four piles: Keep, Discard, Donate and Store. If you are selling, now is the time to begin packing because you will need to do it anyway. Also, this is the time to pack away family photos, artwork and trophies - buyers can't imagine themselves living there when it seems like somebody else lives there! Do one room at a time if it feels overwhelming, and don't forget closets, kitchen cabinets, garage, basement, shed and attic.
- Clean, clean, clean - no one wants to walk into a dirty home, not a buyer nor neighbors or family. Especially if the home is on the market, clean everywhere, not just the surfaces - windowsills, behind the toilet and sink, moldings, bookshelves. Bathrooms and kitchens are particularly important.
- Lighten and Brighten - beginning with cleaning the windows, do all you can to let in as much natural light as possible. Trim overgrown bushes and trees that are blocking the windows. If the home is for sale, one trick is to remove the screens. Replace all burned out bulbs, and swap out lower wattage ones for higher wattage ones (of course, using compact fluorescent lighting where possible).
- Eliminate odors - just as no one wants to walk into a dirty home, no one wants to walk into a smelly one either. Asking a good friend to come over for a smell test is a good idea since our noses get used to odors. Cleaning is a good start to eliminating odors, but if the home is for sale, refrain from smoking, minimize cooking and bring pets and their belongings to a friend or a kennel during showings.
Stay tuned for FIVE more no cost ways to improve a home in next month's newsletter. |
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Market Overview:
New York, NY
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of the Trade
Problems with weird spaces? Here are some tricks and tips to help solve those problems:
- Long Rooms - divide the space into two or three separate areas (e.g., in a living room, have several seating areas) and anchor each with an area rug. Use dark colors on the end walls to visually advance the wall towards you.
- Narrow Spaces - put the bed in a bedroom or a couch in a living room on a diagonal. Use square area rugs to visually widen the space. Use a dramatic color on the short wall to advance the wall towards you and keep long walls free from wall hangings to minimize advancement.
- Low Ceilings - paint the ceilings white, hang draperies as high as possible, use tall pieces or art to create a sense of height, lighten upward using can lights or torchiere floor lamps.
- High Ceilings - paint the ceilings a warm, deep and rich color to visually bring the ceiling down, hang window treatments higher than the windows, hang artwork at eye level, choose furnishings and lighting carefully so they don't seem dwarfed by the space, and warm up the room with area rugs.
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....Occupied Homes
That Were Staged
Spent 89% Less Time on the Market?
- Unstaged occupied homes that were on the market an average of 57 days....
- ....sold after an average of only 6 days of being staged.
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Do You Have a Vacant Property Not Ready for Summer Renters?
It's not too late. Maybe you missed the Memorial Day to Labor Day renter in the Hamptons, but there are plenty of renters who only want to start renting beginning in July or August.
Designed to Appeal can furnish and accessorize vacant homes for summer rental -- from the furniture in the house and around the pool, down to the silverware in the kitchen and television in the master bedroom.
Here's a link to a 60-second slide show of a home we outfitted for summer renters last year. It was partially furnished and had been on the market for months. Once we finished furnishing it and stocking the kitchen with everything a cook could want, it rented in a few weeks!
And here's what the homeowner/real estate agent had to say about his experience:
"I had an immediate need to get our property staged for a potential summer rental. Donna dropped everything and swiftly and cleverly made purchases and organized rentals all within budget. Her "eye" is so good with unfinished and partially furnished spaces. Without her we could not have quickly rented the house for a six figure price. "
Timothy Davis
Homeowner and Senior Managing Director,
The Corcoran Group
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Market Overview: The East End
All 3 major towns on the East End suffered similar percentage declines in the number and dollar value of sale for the quarter ended 4/30/09 compared to the same period last year, however Southold town suffered much less of a percentage reduction in the median sales price than the other two towns.
According to Suffolk Research Service, in...
- The median sales price was $825,000 down 16.7%
- The number and dollar value of sales was down approximately 84%
- The median sales price was $670,000 down 16.2%
- The number and dollar value of sales was down approximately 84%
- The median sales price was $475,000 down 5%
- The number and dollar value of sales was down approximately 83% |
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Recently we learned that one of the properties we staged sold in March for less than the original asking price. Once the "financial crisis" kicked in this past Fall, the homeowners were forced to lower their asking price to be more in line with current economic conditions and the real estate market.
Though they got less than they had originally hoped, the homeowners were very happy as they were carrying two mortgages, tax payments, etc.
Here's what the homeowner had to say when I asked her if she thought staging helped sell the house or would it have sold anyway without staging due to the price reduction:
"We definitely think the staging helped us sell the house, without a doubt. I would do it again without hesitation."
Kara J.
East Hampton, NY
To view a 60 second slideshow of Designed to Appeal's transformation of this vacant property into a home that buyers would want to live in, click on the link below:
Hamptons Vacant Staging | |
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