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Greetings!,
Last month I shared with you the first five of the Top 10 Mistakes home sellers make when they present their home to prospective buyers.
To recap they were:
- Paint issues
- Dirty and/or worn carpeting and floors
- Pets and their accoutrement
- Personalized decor
- Dated or worn hardware and fixtures
This month's issue focuses on the remainder of the Top 10 Mistakes.
This homeowner did everything right to get his home sold quickly and for more money. He gave the apartment a fresh coat of paint and hired Designed to Appeal to transform this vacant small studio apartment into a living space that fits it all in, which resulted in an offer above the asking price in just one week!
See all of the before and after photos here and read what the homeowner and the real estate agent had to say about the transformation below under Testimonial of the Month.
Warmest regards,
Donna M. Dazzo, President
Designed to Appeal
P.S. If you enjoy this newsletter, forward it to someone who also might enjoy it by clicking on the Forward link at the bottom. |
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Top Ten Mistakes Sellers Make When Presenting Their Home for Sale - Part II
6. Dirty, Cluttered or Untidy Interior or Exterior - Despite what sellers might think, buyers cannot see past dirt and clutter. It's extremely important that both the interior and exterior of the home, including the yard, be clean and tidy. Kitchens and bathrooms need to be whistle-clean.
7.  Dated or Inappropriate Window Treatments - Anything dated in a home is a turn-off to a potential buyer and window treatments are one of them. If the drapes are from the early to mid-90s, chances are they are too heavy and too dated. Remove them and replace them with panel drapes on a rod - inexpensive ones can be found at Target and JC Penney.
8. Bad Furniture Arrangements - Furniture that doesn't highlight the room's best features are doing the seller a disservice. For example, a fireplace is usually THE focal point in a room, and the furniture should be arranged around it so that the eye is drawn to the fireplace. Also, furniture should not block the flow of being able to walk through the room. It should not block being able to open a door. Lastly, the furniture in the room should define the purpose of the room. In the picture above, is this a guest room, an office or a game room?
 9. Blocked Lighting/Dirty Windows - Buyers treasure natural light and sellers need to do everything to maximize it. Trim back or remove overgrown bushes and trees that are blocking the windows, clean the windows, open up the drapes, and even remove the screens while the home is on the market to let in more natural light.
10. Too Much or Too Large Furniture - Think LESS IS MORE! Remember that the purpose of furniture when selling a home is to define the purpose of the room (e.g., dining room, not home office) and to show what will fit where (e.g., king size bed). It is not meant to show that you can provide seating for 15 in your living room and every seat has a side table to rest drinks on and the bedroom is large enough to hold 3 dressers. Also, the size of the furniture needs to be in balance with the scale of the room and the other furniture in it.
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Market Overview:
New York, NY
- The median sales price was down 18% to $980,000, year over year.
- The average sales price per square foot was $1,193, a decrease of 40% from the same quarter last year.
- The number of sales was down 20% from the same quarter last year
- The average listing price is $2,011,804
- There are 11,350 homes for sale.
An article in the New York Times on September 20 reported that new data from Streeteasy.com suggests that asking prices are about 24% below levels last year at this time. |
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Tips and Tricks of the Trade
The paint color of a room can affect your perception of that room (as well as your mood - see Did You Know below) :
- RED makes a room appear smaller, but it comes into its own when set against cool colors (blue and green).
- ORANGE also makes a room appear smaller but it is less oppressive than red. Best used to decorate welcoming parts of the home.
- YELLOW can brighten small rooms, however a bright yellow is not recommended for children's rooms as it has a vibrating intensity.
- GREEN does well when used with contrasting colors or several shades of green, rather than all one shade. It is a good color for a bedroom as it promotes relaxation.
- BLUE that is pale will make a space feel light and airy. Darker tones make the space more relaxing, as in a bedroom, but if too dark, it can make the room depressing. Bright blues are good for children's rooms.
- VIOLET should be used sparingly to maintain its effect of mystery, elegance and luxury.
- WHITE used on all walls reflects too much light and the glare can overstimulate the nervous system, making us feel tired and irritable. It's best to use an off-white.
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 Did you know....
...that color can drastically affect your mood?
- RED stimulates our appetite and energizes us
- ORANGE inspires fun and laughter and lifts the spirit
- YELLOW stimulates and energizes the mind, benefits our memories, and maintains our positive frame of mind
- GREEN makes us feel tranquil, relaxed and rested
- BLUE calms us, helps us meditate, and fosters clear thinking
- PURPLE stimulates our senses and minds, promotes creativity and romance, but also can sedate us
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Market Overview: The East End
However, as compared to last year, sales are down.
All 3 major towns on the East End suffered similar percentage declines in the number and dollar value of residential sales for the quarter ended 8/31/09 compared to the same period last year, however East Hampton town suffered a greater percentage reduction in the median sales price than the other two towns.
Note: the number and dollar value of sales for 2009 were calculated on an annualized basis as compared to all of 2008.
According to Suffolk Research Service, in...
- The median sales price was $825,000 down 16.6%
- The number of sales was down approximately 33%
- The dollar value of sales was down 42%
- The median sales price was $740,000 down 7.5%
- The number of sales was down approximately 28%
- The dollar value of sales was down 39%
- The median sales price was $480,000 down 4%
- The number of sales was down approximately 36%
- The dollar value of sales was down 46% |
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The staging of this sweet studio in Manhattan's Greenwich Village resulted in three offers in the week following the staging, one of which was over the asking price!
Check out my transformation of this vacant small studio apartment into a living space that fits it all in. Click here for before and after photos.
Here is what the out-of-town homeowner had to say about the transformation:
"You must have done a great job as we've already received a few offers and we accepted an offer for more than the listing price!!! Yea! Thanks again for your help."
Briant Stringham
Washington, D.C.
And here is what the real estate agent had to say:
"The staging made the apartment much more saleable and was a critical factor in getting three offers in the first week, one of which was over the asking price."
Olof Tenghoff
646-651-7486
Click here for more information and to schedule a
Vacant Staging Estimate | |
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