Agent Blogs

 Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by.

My name is Anne-Marie Ezeard, and I am a Professional Home Stager from 10 Rooms Home Enhancement.

This blog is a great place to find staging tips, and additional information on Staging. I welcome any questions or comments you may have for me, and would love to hear about previous experiences you have had with preparing your home for sale, so we can discuss them. If there is any topic you would like me to cover, please let me know and I will do my best.

Spring is in the air, and as the Real Estate market is moving quickly here, I have been answering many inquiries regarding exterior staging. This post will give you some idea of the preparations that will help you in the sale of your home.

 We have all experienced it: we're passing by a home, and have the urge to stop and stay a while.. something intrigues us, it feels so welcoming, and lovely.

 We wonder what lies within..

That is curb appeal working it's magic, and if you are selling your home, you need it.

Curb appeal is one of the most important components in a successful property sale, for two reasons:

1. We live in a digital age, and an estimated 90% of prospective buyers search for homes online.

This means the tiny online photo of your home has about three precious seconds of viewing time, during which it must stand out from the competitions tiny photos enough to generate interest. The buyers then enter the listing, and investigate further..

2. Curb Appeal is what invites buyers into your home.

This is such an integral part of the viewing.  Did you know that most buyers decide if they are interested int our home within the first twenty seconds of arriving outside?  Buyers want a place that makes them feel hood and they can be excited about coming home to.  This is your opportunity to impress them with a well-maintained, welcoming home - and allow them to begin to make the crucial emotional connection with your home that creates a desire to own it.

If you are selling, you wan tot get the greatest impact with minimum investment.

 Here is a checklist of considerations you should make to increase curb appeal at your property:

1. The most important thing you can do is to declutter, repair and clean up.  For very minimal cost you get great impact.  We all accumulate excess "stuff", and quite often the kids toys, garbage bins, extra building supplies, etc.. end up piled outside somewhere.  by reducing excess, fixing that screen window that's ripped, and cleaning the cobwebs from the porch light you are preventing buyers from being distracted by negatives and are allowing them to focus on the positive - your beautiful house!

2. Landscaping is where a small investment and elbow grease will reap you huge rewards.  Trim trees and shrubs to ensure they are not blocking your house from view or blocking sunlight from entering windows.  Edge and weed gardens, place fresh mulch in beds and under trees.  Staging Secret: A few colorful flowers placed up the walk to the front door will lead buyers eyes where you want them - to the interior.  Want to take them with you? Try planters or windowboxes.

3. Driveways and walkways need to be clean, sealed if necessary, and in good repair.

4. The all - important front door: a fresh coat of paint, preferably in an accent color that complements your exterior palette - match it to your flowers for bonus points!  Are the hardware, mailbox and street numbers in good condition and up-to-date?  If not, replace.  If there is room, add seating, buyers love front porches.

5. Last but not least, consider lighting.  Ensure you have an attractive front light that matches you hardware, and use the maximum wattage bulb.  Don't want buyers driving by your house because they can't see the house numbers, do we?  Solar lighting in the garden is inexpensive and you get to bring it to your new home, use it to lead the buyers eye up to your door ( just like the flowers).

These are really general guidelines.

In a staging consultation I make specific suggestions regarding color, updates and repairs that I know will get you a high return on investment.  Every property is different, and you can really benefit from hiring a professional to assist you - we ensure you don't spend money where it's not needed.

I welcome your questions and comments, and will be updating this blog frequently, so be sure to stop in again for some fantastic tips and discussions.

Anne-Marie