This is wrong on so many levels.  First, Old World is now officially “old”.  It was the hot thing for a long time, longer than I thought possible.  But no more.

Secondly, any faux finishes are an individual taste.  Some potential buyers may love what you’ve done to the walls, but some will hate it.  And some will try to overlook it, but they’ll probably end up buying a different house that has a more neutral color palate.  You only have about 2 seconds for your house to make a favorable impression when a buyer walks through the front door.  Winning that first impression won’t get your house sold, but they’ll keep looking.  But if you lose that first impression, you’re finished.

We faced another shock when we saw the kitchen:

Now I’m one who likes color.  Our bedroom walls were this color for a lot of years & I really loved how it looked.  And I think this is kind of a cool look.  But most people will have the reaction my buyers had: “What were they thinking?”  This look may get attention and comments for being bold, but it won’t make buyers fall in love.

The staging in this house was unusual as well.  Everything was miniature.  In the photos it made the rooms look bigger.  But my buyers commented that they came to the house expecting more space.  And in light of their expectations, the house didn’t measure up.  It seemed small because they came expecting more.  Take a look at the size of the chair in comparison to the chair rail in the doorway.

If you’re listing your house for sale, the more people you can appeal to the better.  Even with the most perfect staging most people will just look and go on to the next one.  And anything you do that narrows the potential appeal to the average buyer makes your chances of selling your home drop like a rock.

Remember the 8-second rule: That’s all the time you have to create a winning first impression. Here are some simple yet significant ways to maximize your home’s appeal.

Exterior

* Keep the grass cut and remove all yard clutter.
* Weed and apply fresh mulch to flower beds.
* Apply fresh paint to wooden fences.
* Tighten and clean all door handles.
* Clean windows inside and out.
* Powerwash home’s exterior.
* Ensure all gutters and downspouts are firmly attached and functioning.
* Paint the front door.
* Buy a new welcome mat.
* Place potted flowers near the front door.

Interior

* Evaluate the furniture in each room and remove anything that interrupts “the flow” or makes the room appear smaller. Consider renting a storage unit to move items off-site.
* Clean and organize cabinets, closets and bookshelves.
* Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
* Shampoo carpets.
* Remove excessive wall hangings and knick-knacks.
* Repair all plumbing leaks, including faucets and drain traps.
* Make minor repairs (torn screens, sticking doors, cracked caulking).
* Clean or paint walls and ceilings.
* Replace worn cabinet and door knobs.
* Fix or replace discolored grout.
* Replace broken tiles.
* Replace worn countertops.

Special details for showings

* Turn on all the lights.
* Open all drapes and shutters in the daytime.
* Keep pets secured outdoors.
* Buy new towels for bathrooms.
* Buy new bedding for bedrooms.
* Replace old lamps or lampshades.
* Play quiet background music.
* Light the fireplace or clean out the ashes and light a candelabrum.
* Infuse home with a comforting scent, such as apple spice or vanilla.
* Set the dining room table for a fancy dinner party.
* Vacate the property while it is being shown.

Note:  If you have something like this on your house, don’t worry about dressing up the front yard.  All the staging and merchandising tips in the world can’t overcome this.

Today is Tuesday, the day realtors host open houses for other realtors.  I picked out 2 that looked promising.  I entered the address of each into my phone and set out.  The first house was listed on the open house tour, but it was locked up tight.  I thought about calling the agent and say “Where are you?”, but decided to let it go.  I dont’ want to give myself any excess stress?

At the turn-off to the next house I saw a sign that said “realtor lunch”.  Hmm.  Looks promising.  This one was truly open for showing.  It’s listed for $189,000.  The flyer says it “would be a good “starter home”.

The good
The floor plan is an atrium split.  This is gives the feeling of a lot of open space.  The trade off is that it’s got lots of levels.  It’s been well kept and is decorated nicely.  It shows well.  There’s a finshed lower level that looks to be used as a play area.  The bedrooms are on the upper level.  They’re average size.

The Bad
The agent made a point to tell me that it “has neutral colors”.  This is true.  The paint is in good shape and looks fresh.  There were places, however, that should have been repaired before the paint went on.  The bad thing about the paint is that these neutral colors look dead.  Because of my life with Brenda I know that choosing the right paint color is important.  In this case I can really tell the lack of emotional impact because the colors–although pleasing–are lifeless.  They were too gray.  They weren’t awful.  But I’m listing this as a “bad” because they are a long way from “good”.

The Ugly
The floors in the living, kitchen and dining area are all laminate flooring.  It’s starting to wear, but the thing I don’t like is that it sounds hollow when you walk.  All laminate sounds like this so I’m not surprised.  But the real ugly comes from a straight seam in the floor right in front of the back door.  Maybe there had been carpet or tile and they just put in more laminate–too lazy to do it right.  Maybe the crew had a new guy on the job.  Maybe I’m too picky about some of these things.  Many may not be concerned about this ugly part of the floor, but in my not so humble opinion,  it’s still ugly.

Here’s a great article by professional home stager Christine Rae explaining how looking good is vital for getting buyers to be interested in your home.