Home Staging takes the preparations for “getting your house ready to sell” a bit further, showcasing it so that buyers can visualize living there.  Many aspects of staging involve the same advice real estate professionals have been giving sellers for years, but with some fresh additions.

Professional stagers are available for hire in our area.  Some work with your own furnishings to create a new “look”, while others often have a warehouse of furniture and accessories to draw from.  Others might expect you to purchase new items.

Will staging help you sell your home?  Most definitely yes, but if you’re not ready to hire a professional, there are some things you can do to stage the home yourself.

• Clean and spotless are still musts for everything.  I don’t mean your ordinary, weekly house cleaning.  I mean a deep cleansing in which you make every surface, every window, every nook and cranny sparkle and shine.   Remember to clean the oven (this is often forgotten) and other major appliances.  
• No offensive odors.  They’re the first thing buyers notice, and often a permanent turnoff.
• Reduce clutter.  Put away small kitchen appliances and other items that might be sitting on countertops or tables throughout the house. 
• Don’t forget the outside.  Clean the drain gutters, because buyers nearly always comment if gutters are full of leaves.  It makes them question other maintenance issues.  Store or organize items that might make the yard look messy.

WHETHER YOU ARE PREPARING TO SELL OR JUST WANT TO SPIFF UP YOUR HOME, contact Becky via email and I will send you a checklist to begin your home makeover.

Windows washed in the sunlight or on a windy day will streak much more readily than those washed on a cloudy day, as the latter will dry more slowly.
You don’t want to wash windows on a really cold day either. Very cold glass also streaks badly. When you must wash windows during cool weather, wet your cloth with automobile windshield washer solution. Wipe windows and dry with paper towels.

Window cleaner: Add two tablespoons of vinegar to eight ounces of water in an old spray bottle. Spray window lightly and wipe with old crumpled newspapers. After windows have dried, rub a clean blackboard eraser over them for a really fine shine.
Many people swear by using crumpled-up newspaper to dry windows. Contrary to what you might expect, wiping the newspaper does not leave ink on the window. Wear rubber gloves to keep the newsprint from leaving smudges on your hands.

A well-staged closet or storage room has a major impact on buyers.  Make the closets look as spacious as possible.  A good rule of thumb to follow is to clean out about 50% of the things in your closet.  Buyers will be opening closet doors and they will want to see a lot of organized space. 

• Install organizers to bring items up off the floor, and use racks, hooks and holders to ensure a specific place for every item. 
• Purchase wood hangers for a front hall closet and make sure all contents hang in the same direction.
• Group same-size jackets together for a spacious, organized look.
• In bedroom closets use clear storage boxes stacked neatly on shelves.
• Carefully line up shoes on a rack underneath clothing.
• Make linen closets look as neat and well-organized as a linen shop by tri-folding and carefully stacking sheets, blankets, and towels so no seams or edges show.

There’s no doubt about it - - the kitchen is the most important room in the whole house for many prospective buyers.  Take a close look at how you can make your kitchen a real asset when it’s time to sell.  Your efforts here can have a major impact on the sale price.

• Your kitchen doesn’t need to be state-of-the-art to be attractive. The first step toward enhancing your kitchen’s appeal is a thorough cleaning. This includes the walls, cabinets (inside and out), floors, pantry, windows and appliances.
• Keep the counter tops as clear as possible of small appliances and gadgets.
• Group like items together (baking pans, serving pieces, etc.) to create a feeling of space and ease.  Purchase organizers to make efficient use of tight space. 
• Cabinets and drawers should contain only a few items, because prospective buyers will be opening doors and drawers and they will want to see a lot of organized space.
• Silverware drawers.  Purchase a new organizer if yours if worn.  Sort the drawer so all similar utensils are together.
• Clean out and unclutter the junk drawer.
• Consider low-cost improvements which can make a big difference, such as a coat of paint, or new floor covering.
• Replace the knobs to give a facelift to cabinet doors.
• Be sure to keep the kitchen sparkling when the house is being shown. This means no dirty dishes in the sink or moldly cucumbers in the refrigerator.
• Refrigerator.  Remove and consoliate extra items.  Take out the shelves and wash and shine with glass cleaner.  Add a fresh box of baking soda.  Remove anything hanging on the refrigerator.
• Under the sink.  Remove, consolidate, clean or paint .  Throw out dirty rags.  Put cleaning products and containers into a paid or holder.
• Replace the worn floor rugs with new.

This extra effort will pay great dividends!

Pets are an important part of our lives; they’re family members. Unfortunately, not everyone loves pets like an owner does. Prospective home purchasers have come to view the home, not to worry about or visit with pets. Realtors want, and need the undivided attention of prospects to point out the features of the home.

It is a positive first impression of the home that results in a second visit, and very possibly an offer. Homes with pets may give the impression they are not as clean or fresh as a pet-free environment. Pet hair or faint animal odors can be a strong negative for prospects. There are some steps you can take to bridge the gap between pet ownership and having a home on the market.

Begin by being totally honest with your Realtor about how your pets will react with strangers in the house. Familiarize them with their names. When a showing is scheduled the best thing to do is remove the pets from the house and property. If that is not possible, confine your animals in a secure location so that the home can be viewed without distraction. Vacuum and dust. Have carpets cleaned by a professional carpet cleaning service to remove stains and odors. Refrain from using potpourri and air fresheners; they may create an impression they are masking odors. If you have a cat, clean the litter box daily. Lastly, your animals might inadvertently bolt from the house when it is being shown. Your pet may not respond when called by a stranger so make certain they wear ID tags.

Heed the advice of your Realtor when it comes to marketing a home with pets. They have the experience and expertise to maximize the viewing opportunity for the prospect and minimize the inconveniene for you and your pets.

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ” I will try again tomorrow.”

One of your home’s first impressions is the main entry.

• What does your front door look like? If it’s your standard, metal, no window door, replace it with an attractive front door that will smile “welcome”.  
• Make sure your entry windows and porch are clean and free of spider webs and clutter.  
• The door frame should be freshly painted and decaying wood replaced.  
• How do the exterior light fixtures look?  Think about replacing them if they are outdated, rusty and tired looking.  
• Add some bright flowers in ceramic pots and finish off with an attractive door mat.
  

EMAIL BECKY YOUR QUESTIONS AT BECKY@BECKYLARSEN.COM

A good friend is like a four leaf clover . . .
hard to find and lucky to have.

A man’s home is his wife’s castle.

With our temperatures dipping below zero its hard to believe the Spring Parade of Homes is almost here.

Mark your calendars: February 9 through March 16. Open Thursdays and Fridays from 3:00 - 7:00 and Saturday and Sundays from 12:00 - 6:00.

Parade books can be picked up at any Holiday gas station.

If you’re thinking about building, or collecting decorating ideas, you’re not going to want to miss this. The homes are spectacular.

My husband and I built a home this year and we had the best experience. After many years of showing homes to my buyers and visiting hundreds of homes built by different builders, it wasn’t difficult to know who we wanted to build our home; SONDERGAARD FORCIER BUILDERS! SFB have won prestigious awards for building a high quality, beautiful home. And, they provide a building experience not offered by large scale builders.

SONDERGAARD FORCIER has four Spring Parade Homes for you to visit:

3828 Pascolo Bend, CHASKA (Chevalle community) $779,000

5114 Sundance Run, MAYER (Fieldstone community) $345,000

2630 Fieldstone Drive, VICTORIA (Rhapsody neighborhood) $549,900

1554 Sparrow Road, WACONIA (Oakpointe neighborhood) $589,900