What Not to do When You are Selling Your Home

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

Another Saturday - another blogpost showing how some sellers and their realtors are allowing their homes to be marketed on the Internet. A few of these listings stated that the realtors were "premiere" realtors.  Really? That adjective doesn't hold here.

1) If you are going to highlight something on your listing, such as a closet - make it neat please!  This closet makes the buyer think there's not enough room for everything. And the buyers don't have to see all your personal notes and notices.  Take those down!

2) Purple?  Please paint this a neutral or calming and lighter tone!  And while you're at it - paint the brick fireplace in a cream or light off white. I gather that this is a bedroom - but where the bed is doesn't make any sense.  It should be on the other side of the room - directly across from the fireplace or angled in a corner.  This arrangement makes a buyer think there may only be room for their bed on the side where it is now.  A beautiful painting or a mirror over the hearth would help make up for no mantle.  Some large candles and some fireplace tools by the fireplace would make this room much more attractive.

3) How about a picture of the entire door?

4) You really can't tell what this room looks like can you??

5) The next few pictures - I think the seller must be in the rug business.  This is a beautiful room - and the wide planked floors are to die for.  The rug ruins this photo and it doesn't show off how great the floors are. This space would have looked incredible if it was staged with furniture. And the little puny accessories on the mantle do nothing to help a buyer remember it.

6) The rug in the middle of the room again. You want to emphasize the floors - place the rug underneath the feet of the sofa and underneath the coffee table.  That would make the room cozier - like you'd like to sit down and have a chat.  The rooms looks colder the way it is.

7) We're still in the "rug" house, but this time the teensy rug they have here is rather silly.  They should take one of the rugs from downstairs and place it under the bed.  That would make the room homier.  The little painting that's placed too high over the mantle won't help a buyer remember it.  The sunflower picture would be better - coupled with some nice pillar candles - and that would make a nice vignette. But - at least the floors are a stand out in this room.

8) Get ride of the two toned paint job.  Buyers want to just move in...they don't want to paint. And that orange color?  It is an advancing color - which means it brings the wall forward, perception-wise.  This seller just made his kitchen smaller - and we all know that buyers want smaller kitchens, right? The yellow is an advancing color as well - so this home actually will seem smaller.  A cooler neutral color on the wall would be much smarter. (and of course - get rid of the magnets and clean up the clutter!)

9) The next few photos are in a really beautiful, upscale home.  At least the first floor is really beautiful but somehow the upstairs was just a forgotten wasteland. This office could be nice if it was straightened up and decluttered.  This just says "chaos"and not organized and efficient - that's what you want to portray when you are selling your home with an office in it.

10) This is the same home - the bathroom is just a mess.  The counters should be cleared and the rugs on the floor look like someone just took a bath in here (it also makes a buyer feel that maybe the floor is too cold with all the little scatter rugs). The wallpaper should be removed also.  Right now a potential buyer is only focusing on the negatives - the clutter, the wallpaper and the green sinks.  Neatening everything up would make those green sinks less of an issue. PS - the pink washcloths and the pink glass actually bolster the green in the sink. Pink makes a green next to it seem more green (a little color theory thrown in here!).

11) Finally - every room should have a function. This one is just a catch all.  It's housing all the furniture that the owners don't know what to do with.  Keep two or three items and put the rest in the garage or in storage.  If you don't have a bed, buy a blowup bed and put sheets, pillows and a comforter on it and make it a bedroom.  It's not expensive to do this.  Or - hire a stager to help you! Give every room a definite function.

Well, that's my advice for today.  Remember you only have a few seconds to make a great impression.  Don't waste any time marketing your home in an inferior way.  If your realtor has not suggested hiring a stager - ask them to recommend one in your area.  Or, you can call me to help you.  I can assess your photos via email and can make great suggestions on how to improve the look and saleability of your home.

Happy selling!!



I am Still a Cheerleader for the Homeseller

Back in High School, I was a cheerleader for Bayside High School in New York. I had a lot of fun doing it...I loved cheering our sports teams on to victory!  We wound up winning several championships while I was there in basketball and football.

I am still cheering - but for the homeseller who needs to sell quickly and profitably.  I cheer them (and their realtors) on as they market their properties in this rough and tumble real estate market.  When you have a great team - a seasoned realtor and an experienced home stager - it's much easier to win this real estate game.

If you are about to put your home on the market, don't just put it out there and see what happens.  You need a game plan.  Let me help you to succeed - with my great home staging ideas and successful and knowledgeable realtor recommendations that I can make.

S-U-C-C-E-S-S...That's the way we spell Success!  Happy selling!!

PS If you didn't know which one was me - I am in the middle of the second row from the top...with my goofy hair parted in the middle!

Just Got an Offer on a Vacant Home we Staged Right Before Christmas

Last week I learned that a vacant house that we staged in mid-December has an offer.  I am so happy!  We had a great time making this little gem in Lindenhurst NY a wonderful place to call home.

Here are some of the rooms...

We always aim to make the vacant homes that we stage very warm, livable and inviting.  Small touches and pops of color help liven up a home that could look souless and cold if left vacant.  If you would like some help selling your home, give a call at 631 793-1315.  I would love to help you!

What Not to do When You are Selling Your Home

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

Today while perusing homes for sale, I decided to look in a state that has a pretty strong home staging industry.  Listing after listing featured very nicely furnished and edited rooms, no clutter and they all felt very warm and inviting - like a stager had their hands all over the place!  But I kept looking and found some that were problematic - and here they are. 

When you are selling your home and the house down the block is also for sale (and it's neat and furnished beautifully), you had better sharpen your home's presentation.  Why?  Because you are only inviting the buyers to go elsewhere.  You are, in fact, helping the guy down the block to sell his home faster because yours doesn't measure up.

1)When your home has unusual features, as in this corner fireplace, you need to show the buyer how to furnish the room.  Leaving it vacant will only have your home on the market for a much longer time.  Buyers need to "see" how to place their furniture in such a room.  Would you pay a lot of money for something you have no idea how to use?  I didn't think so!!


And why bother with the mums and the lone vase on the mantle?

 2) Above, another corner fireplace in the same listing - this time in the bedroom.  A prospective buyer might say "Uh, I guess I can't have the bed face the fireplace." Having even a minimum of furniture - a bed, two nightstands, a dresser and some artwork - would help the buyer "see" how to furnish the room.  There are some great features in this room - the round window, the tall ceilings, the mantle...a balcony right outside - but these features are not being played up. Additionally, having furniture in this room would have hidden the vacuum marks (pet peeve of mine!). Unfortunately, this room is designed rather poorly and that's what the buyer will remember.  A creative furniture arrangement would have allowed the buyer to focus on how nice and warm the room is - rather than focusing on a room's problems and "where the heck do I place the bed?"

3) This is the same listing - there are angles everywhere in this house. I love angles - but most people do not have any idea of what to do with them.  They will pass up this house that otherwise is very nice and clean with beautiful hardwood floors. Show the buyer a home that is furnished - then they won't focus on "how do I place my furniture in this room!"

4) Is it so hard to make the bed nicely?? Doesn't it look like there's something else hidden underneath there? And would it be so difficult to get rid of the clutter to the left?  A missed opportunity.

5) In this bedroom, it looks like your head will always hit the ceiling.  I would have made this bed differently.  I would have had the pillows lying flat on the bed instead of upwards. I would eliminate the larger pillow - it indicates if you are any larger than this pillow when you're in this bed - your head will bump the ceiling.  I would have smaller, wider lamps on the nightstands. Alternatively, you could eliminate the bench at the foot of the bed and pull the bed forward and add a headboard. 

6) In this space, I would have placed the bed where the dresser is.  When possible, the bed should be the first thing you see in a bedroom - it's best on the focal wall.  This bedroom could be spiced up more - it's a little bit dull and uninspiring.  Some artwork, simple panels on the windows, pillows, a throw - all in green, orange and brown (my favorite color scheme) would make this bedroom more appealing. I'd ditch the track lighting - it's not in keeping with the traditional tone of the room.



So - just some ideas and suggestions from me this week.  If you are selling your home and you aren't getting any bites from buyers - just give me a call at 631 793-1315.  I can help you make your home more attractive to buyers.



What Not to do When You are Selling Your Home

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

Here are some "what not to do when you are selling your home" helpful hints.  If you want to entice more buyers to knock on your door - you need to have the online photographs to be enticing!  Simple enough, right?   But, more often than not, it's just not the case!

1) Always Close the Lid! Seems like an easy thing to do - but most homesellers forget to do this.  I would have closed the doors to the laundry for one picture and angled it differently. Then  I would have staged this bathroom simply and nicely: a picture above the toilet, a faux orchid on the lid, bath soaps and a guest towel on the sink vanity. Then I would have taken another shot of the laundry doors opened - but staged with some clean, fluffy white towels folded, some laundry soap and a plant - plus a nice picture (artwork with a laundry theme).  Make it seem like it's fun to do laundry in this space!

2) OK - it's new construction...but could someone please remove the boxes and close the garage door!

3) Remove Excess Furniture and the Date Stamp on Photos: This room is nice but it looks a bit cluttered. There seems to be very little room between the wing chair and the coffee table. I would think about moving the wing chair to another room. It's also a little too cutesy - looks like my Grandma's house. I would remove some of the floral accessories - it's dated and distracting.  There's no reason for the green rug on top of the carpet (unless they are trying to hide something!) Also - remove the date stamp.  On your camera's menu, you have the ability to turn off the date stamp. 

4) Remove Unnecessary Clutter:  This is a really nice kitchen - but the clutter is distracting. The kitchen table is also full of clutter. It seems as if this is where the homeseller pays the bills.  Just remove it - it's not relevant. When you are selling, you want to show off the countertops - have the buyer think there's a lot of space here to create some wonderful meals.  Also the angle of this photo isn't right.  I would have stepped to the left and then taken the picture.

5) Buy New Bedding and Re-arrange Furniture to Show Off the Best Aspects of a Room:  I would have switched the bed to where the dresser is and vice versa.  Then for a few extra dollars, I would have purchased a neutral duvet cover to hide the polar bear comforter.  Ad a few nice pillows and you have a welcoming look in this bedroom.  I would have de-cluttered the dresser and then I would have taken down the silly window treatments.  This only draws attention to the fact that you have awkward windows in this room - and that you didn't know what to do to them.  Always accent the positive - and eliminate (or rather...disguise) the negative! Also, pet peeve of mine - shut off the flash!

6) Try not to Sell your Home When it's Vacant: There are many reasons why you should always sell your home furnished - one being you see every thing that's wrong with the house...including your bad taste in window treatments!! This picture doesn't make a prospective buyer salivate!  And it looks like there's something wonky going on above the baseboard heating! Buyers have little or no imagination when it comes to figuring out where to place their furnishings.  Having furniture in a room gives them a reference!  In this photo, you don't know what kind of room it is - looks like a living room maybe.  Always sell your home with furnishings - you will sell it faster and for more money.

These tips may seem like small, unimportant things but they do make a difference in getting more people to come and take a look at your home or listing. Nearly 90% of home buyers start their search for a new home on the Internet today. You want to entice the buyer from the moment they see a photo online.

If you are having any trouble selling your home and you need some advice, call me at 631 793-1315 or email me at Linda.Leyble@gmail.com.

So What's Wrong With These Photos: How to Improve the Marketability of Your Home for Sale

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

It's Saturday and it's time for "So What's Wrong With These Photos." Here are the images of today's post.  If you see anything else wrong with them - write a comment so we can all learn "what not to do when selling your home."

1) Turn the flash off...and more: If you look on your camera setting, you'll see this sort of lightning bolt type of symbol - that's the "turn off the flash" indicator.  It's best if you leave your camera on that setting all the time and you won't wind up with those shiny bits on your pictures.

The above photo is a pic of really a lovely kitchen - but it doesn't show it off like it should. What else could be improved?  I would have taken this picture from many different angles. Plus I would have made a vertical pic - the ceiling is cut off and so it's not showing the wonderful height of this kitchen. I would also have taken the curtains off - they are doing nothing for the kitchen - plus they are distracting and they are blocking the light.

The floral arrangement in the corner does nothing for the room either. And what they are sitting on top of (to add height supposedly), doesn't do a good enough job.  I would have put something high here - and colorful to catch the eye. Staging-wise, there could have been more interest in this room.  A colorful tea kettle would have been a better cloice on the cooktop...and perhaps a bowl of red apples and a colorful cookbook on a stand would add a welcoming note.

It also looks like the pendants are not square over the island.  I also would have done a quick faux wood graining on the island's switchplate - it's just glaring in the white (I know - most of you can't do this...then switch it out for a darker color).  The cabinets are in shadow and they don't show off their beauty enough.  More lights on would have helped this - plus even putting some lamps on the floor (but outside of the shot) would have given more light to the shadowed area - to show off these beautiful cabinets.

2) Why bother putting this picture online?  What are they selling here - the silver tea service?

The subject of this photo is all wrong.  I'd have taken this photo from several angles - not this one.  Taking a vertical shot from the right would have shown the beautiful, tall window (it would be beautiful - minus the cheap cutains that do nothing for the picture). The curtains also cut off the room.  A buyer's eyes go to the height of the curtain - and they stop there.  If you have tall Palladian windows (or just tall windows in any style), you want to show that off.  Don't cut it in half with draperies (even nice, expensive ones!!) If your rooms have height - show it off.  It's a plus...something that buyers are looking for.

The photographer (most likely the realtor and not a professional) should have, again, turned off the flash.  A sunnier day would also have helped.  And the snow on the ground is a little troublesome - is this photo from last year?  That shows the buyer that the property has been on the market for a long time.  You always need to revise your photos if the home has been on the market for awhile. A potential buyer looking at this photo would not be impressed and would wonder what's wrong with the home because it hasn't sold yet.

That's it for today.  I welcome your comments and other ideas that you have about these photos and how you would improve them.  Any professional photographers reading this?  Please comment on how you would improve these shots!

If you are having trouble selling your home, give me a call at 631 793-1315.  I can help you get it into top selling shape. 

Newport Rhode Island Grandeur for Sale - in Peapack NJ

I love to look at Architectural Digest's luxury homes for sale whenever I get the magazine.  I love to drool and dream that I could afford to live in one of these mansions.  Well, fat chance - but a girl can dream right?

Well, if you have a spare $4.9 mil laying around, you might want to take a look at this beautiful mansion called Blairsden - that's very Newport Mansion-esque.  I had a great time with my husband when we visited all the "Cottages" in Newport several years ago.  This home that's for sale, listed by Molly Tonero of Turpin Realtors, has all the trappings of those wonderful mansions.  You can see all  the pictures and details about this home here.

Couldn't you imagine a fairy tale wedding taking place here? In fact, the original owner, C. Ledyard Blair, had all four of his daughters' weddings here. C. (Clinton) Ledyard Blair was an investment banker (he and his father and brother founded Blair and Co). He and his wife hobnobbed with the Vanderbilts and other titans of industry at the time.

The Dining Room

I just love the ceiling design and murals in this dining room.  I wish that more homeowners would hire my decorative painting company to do these types of ceilings - but these projects are few and far between today.

Blair was a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and he was a true patron of the arts.  His home in New York City, when it was being built, featured a studio for the artist John White Alexander. Alexander was a famous portait artist and muralist of the day. More information about that home and about Alexander can be found here.

Look at the beautiful Caen stone work, marble columns and carved architectural details in this home.  Blair's architects, Carrere and Hastings, hired seasoned tradespeople, many from Italy, to work on the decorations in his home.  Most of these artisans stayed on and settled in the area.  Blair had a railway constructed just for the purpose of transporting materials to the home.  If this man were alive today - he could single-handedly lower the unemployment rate in New Jersey!

The architecture of this home is just spectacular. I wish I had a room like this in my home. I love the fluted columns, the plaster friezes the trellised glass ceiling - everything is detailed and beautiful.

Every inch of this home is truly spectacular - fit for a King and Queen...with a large family and a huge guest list.  There are 38 bedrooms in this home. You could have a wedding here and you could just about have all your guests sleep over!

I hope that this home gets sold and that the owners keep and improve it.  There were so many Gilded Age mansions on Long Island that were demolished and all that's left are pictures. 

If you are interested in this home, please call Molly Tonero of Turpin Real Estate, Inc. at 877-788-7746.

If you are having trouble selling your home or listing, please give me a call at 631 793-1315. We have budget-friendly staging options - from a quick fix and declutter service...to furnishing and accessorizing an entire home that will help sell your place quickly.