Monthly real estate tips.

From Sandra Agent, Sample Real Estate Company 

www.CompanyWebsite.com  | (555) 555-5555
Hello Rob and Sheila,      

Knowing what not to do before putting your home on the market can really pay off when it comes to boosting your property's appeal to prospective buyers.

Keep this list of helpful "dos and don'ts" to get the most out of your next home sale, and please forward it on to anyone you know who is planning to sell a home soon.

By the way, if you or anyone you know has a real estate need please contact me today.  I'll always provide first-class service!

Home Selling Preparation
"Dos and Don'ts"

 

Do Use Plants to Create Visual Interest 

Don't Choose Plants with Very Spiked or Erratic Shapes 

 

A great way to boost your home's appeal is to strategically position houseplants in a way that creates a natural flow and provides focal points to guide visitors from room to room.

 

Be careful, however, to not use too many plants with long, disorderly branches or extremely spiked leaves.  Those shapes can create a subconscious impression of chaos and hostility which, believe it or not, may negatively affect how people feel about your home.

 

Tip:  The photo below shows a good use of plants with soft contours to enhance an entryway and draw visitors into the home.

 

Entryway with staging houseplants.  

 

 

 

Do Invest in Sale-Appropriate Remodel Projects 

Don't Waste Money on Projects that Others Will Re-Do     

 

Sometimes it's smart to remodel a kitchen or spruce up countertops prior to listing a home, as long as you are able to produce a final result that feels complete.

 

This means not limiting yourself to new kitchen countertops if the cabinets will also need to be replaced soon, or if the floor material is so significantly different in quality that it feels like a mismatch. It may also mean not remodeling a kitchen at all if the rest of the rooms are so dated that a new owner will almost certainly expect to tackle the entire home.

 

Tip:  Please call on me anytime you're considering a project for resale purposes.  Each decision needs to be made on a case-by-case basis, and I'm happy to give you my expert opinion as to what will pay off the best for you when you sell.

 

 

     

Do Use Staging Items to Show Functionality

Don't Let the Staging Overwhelm the Room 

 

Potential buyers often find it easier to envision themselves living in your home when you create scenarios for them with tasteful staging. For example, decorating a breakfast nook table with coffee cups and cheerful place settings may help them get a feel for what it would be like to spend a pleasant morning there. 

 

Just remember that the goal is to draw as much attention as possible to your home's space, functionality, and open flow.  Too much staging can actually defeat this purpose by becoming the focal point of the room, as in the photo below.

 

Over-staged dining room.  

 Tip:  Sometimes less is more when it comes to good staging.  

 

 

 

Do Spruce Up with New Paint and Carpet  

Don't Choose Colors with the Wrong Undertones

 

Paint swatch samples. Could your home use some new paint or carpet before going on the market?  Remember that warm, moderate colors with an earth tone base tend to create a friendly feel that appeals to prospective buyers. 

 

Be sure to choose true earth tones if that's what you're going for.  Too often homeowners mistakenly end up with walls and carpets that have pink, blue, or green undertones.  By then it's usually too late! 

 

Tip:  Compare paint and carpet swatches side by side; this makes it much easier to detect differences in undertones.  

    

 

 

Do De-Clutter, Especially Before Photos 

Don't Forget that Busy Patterns Are a Form of Clutter

These days most people realize that it's important to remove unnecessary items from a home before taking listing photos, but did you know that busy fabric patterns can also create visual clutter?  The bedroom below is a classic example.

Bedroom with busy patterns on cover and walls.

If you look at bedroom listing photos online, you'll see that 30 to 40 percent of the surface area of each picture often consists of the bed covering.  This is why it's a good idea to make sure that busy bedspread patterns don't detract from the room's appeal.  Notice how much nicer the bedroom below looks compared to the one above.

Bedroom with plain bed cover.

Tip:  Take a picture of the bedroom, and replace the current bed covering if it makes the room look busier and smaller than it should.



Do Keep an Eye On New Decor Trends  

Don't Commit to Edgy Styles Likely to Lose Appeal Soon

 

Touring new open houses is a great way to keep track of upcoming design trends, and this can be useful when you're staging or remodeling for a sale.  Just remember that prior to listing your home is not the time to test whether or not Pantone was right when they pronounced Tangerine Tango the Color of the Year. :)

 

Tip:  The goal is to not sink money into styles that are on their way out, while at the same time staying with the tried and true whenever there's any doubt. 

 

 

 

The Easiest Home Preparation Tip 

 

A new welcome mat (especially one with the word "Welcome" on it), a pot of fresh flowers next to it, and a sparkling clean door and doorstep all do wonders to create a great first impression.  

 

Welcome mat in front of home.  

 

   

 

Are you planning to buy or sell a home, or do you know someone who is?  Please call or email me - I'm never too busy to help you and the people you care about with real estate.
 
 
(What the lawyers make us say: The information in this newsletter is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Please always consult a qualified expert before making decisions based on this content. Nothing in this article is meant to be taken as expert legal, financial, or medical advice.) 
 
  
   
Links that Make Life Easier 

Sometimes real estate-related, sometimes not... these are assorted links that come in handy:

Renting a car anytime soon? Start here, and you may be amazed at the discounts you'll receive from major car rental companies.
  
TravelZoo is a free online service that publishes the best travel and entertainment deals, from airline flights to local wine club discounts.
 
This is a very user-friendly airline flight shopping website that lets you compare results with other services such as Hotwire and Travelocity.

If you've ever wondered how to use colors in coordination with feng shui principles, this video gives a pretty good explanation. (There is a 15-second commercial at the beginning.)

An interactive online home maintenance calendar with repairs and tasks scheduled by season.


The Lighter Side

 

Man saving car from bus.  

Could you use a break from dismal news stories?  If so, take a peek at this video of candid moments from security camera footage filmed around the world.  It's a good reminder that ordinary people are often pretty outstanding, even when they think no one is looking. 

 

(At the end you'll notice that it's actually a Coca Cola ad, but the footage is all of real events.)  

 

You can click here or on the photo to watch the video on Brad Aronson's excellent entrepreneurship blog. 

 

 


Have a real estate question?  Please click "Reply" to this email or give me a call today, I'm happy to be of service!

 

Sincerely,

 Signature 

Sandra Agent, REALTOR�, ABR, CRS
Sample Real Estate Company 
www.CompanyWebsite.com
555-555-5555
Michelle Jones

Sandra Agent

 555-555-5555 Direct

 
Contact Me 
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Click here to contact me to get a home buying consultation, remodeling advice and/or a complimentary market analysis on your home!
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