Home Staging and a Realistic Price Sell a Home in One Day!

Recently, a realtor  for whom I stage called me  to do a  consultation in a home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, about 20 minutes from where I live in Jacksonville.  When I arrived, I saw a salmon-colored home with a bright blue front door.  I knew that front door color would have to go.  

After ringing the doorbell,  I was greeted by a friendly homeowner eager to take notes on what she had to do to get her home sold.  She informed me that she had  her home listed with another realtor and it sat on the market with no action for 73 days!  It was overpriced and not staged. She and her husband were anxious to move on to their new home and needed results fast!

What was wrong with the presentation of this home?  Why had it sat in this lovely seaside community for 73 days?  There were three major problems which I addressed with the homeowner.  First, she had some wallpaper and a color scheme which really didn’t flow.  She had a pretty gold color throughout  the home, wallpapered bathrooms, a lilac- colored bedroom and a blue-violet master bathroom.  I recommended painting most of the home Sherwin-Williams  Softer Tan, SW 6141, which has a very good light reflective value while giving the walls a rich  clean look.  For the living room which was a bit darker and painted a  pale pink, I suggested a  shade lighter called Sherwin-Williams Moderate White, SW 6140, because it would provide a lighter contrast to the Softer Tan used  in the foyer and kitchen.  I also recommended a shade darker, Sherwin-Williams Macadamia, SW 6142, for an accent wall in the foyer and for the master bath and another bathroom. What a difference the paint colors made!  This home exuded  a clean, cohesive , spacious look. 

Kitchen  Before - Cluttered and Painted Gold with  a Wallpaper Border

Kitchen Afterwards - Decluttered and Repainted

Before - Wallpapered Bathroom

After - Declutterred , Wallpaper Removed and Repainted  to Add a Little Contrast

Before - Cluttered and  a Color Palette That Doesn't Work in Guest Bedroom

After - Decluttered and Repainted

The next issue was the abundance of knick-knacks on tables, countertops and shelves, as well as  too many pictures on the walls.  I assisted her in removing the excess accents reminding her that  less is better.    We discussed how to artfully arrange her accessories on tables and shelving using fewer but  larger accent pieces.  The illustrations I brought helped her visualize how she needed to arrange her accessories and artwork. In addition, we discussed using items in odd numbers, and  varying the size, shapes and textures of items to make the arrangements pleasing to the eye.

Before - Too Much to Focus on in Gold  Family Room

After- Repainted and Less Clutter

Before - A Bit Too Much in this Gold - Colored Office

After - Painted and Declutterred

Before - The Gold is Not Relaxing

After - A Room to Get A Good Night's Sleep

The third problem was furniture arrangement.  In her dining room, we removed two of the six chairs and angled the table which made the room look more spacious. The living room had too much furniture.  We removed two chairs and a  small table and made an “L" shaped conversation area with the couch and two chairs. We moved a large baker’s rack to the other side of the room so it could serve as a center of interest.  By removing the two bigger  chairs we created better traffic flow.

Before - A Distracting Pink  Living Room

 

Another "Before" of the Cluttered Pink Living Room

 

After - Repainted and Excess Furnishings Removed 

 

Before I left, I assisted the homeowner in  selecting  a better color for the front door to tie in the red-orange-colored roof and the salmon- colored house paint.  I wanted to create a warm, inviting, harmonious color  scheme for the entrance which is so important in making that first great impression.  I selected a  Sherwin – Williams color called Rockwood Terra Cotta , SW 2803.  It was perfect.  She also agreed to change her front door hardware.  It was a great consultation and the homeowner thanked me for giving her such valuable tips to help sell her home.

Two days after listing it, the realtor  advised me that they had an accepted offer on the second day. I heard that the buyers spent a lot of time in the home – they became emotionally connected to this beautiful spacious house.  They couldn’t imagine living any place else.   Once again, a realistic price and excellent presentation worked in favor of the seller. This demonstrates that even a home staging consultation can help sell your home if you implement all of the suggestions and price your home competitively for your neighborhood.

Which scenario would you rather have -  unstaged and overpriced and sitting on the market for 73 days, or staged, priced right, and sold in one day!?  Contact me if you are thinking about selling your home before you contact a realtor so that your listing pictures showcase your home.  $taging really does make good $ense!!!!