Home Staging & Selling – Exploring Shangri-la Expectations

August 3rd, 2010

What is your favorite moment when you arrive at a destination for vacation? Is it the cool and refreshing feeling of being welcomed into the thoughtfully-appointed hotel lobby? Surrounded by warm colors and manicured greenery, are you lured into relaxing? Possibly it is the mere inhalation of the sweet-smelling air from a clean room? Perhaps it is the attention to details which you casually note. Somehow, you felt embraced by the overall wonderful feelings of your first impressions and you relaxed into your own private Shangri-La.


Isn’t this how we all want to happily relax after our day is completed?


Each one of us pretty much has the same desires and needs when it comes to the relaxing feelings we crave while living in the place we call…Home.


When we are looking to buy a new home, we search and hope to find that perfect opportunity to learn our new Shangri-La.


So here is the dilemma. How do you activate your home’s Shangri-La to welcome new owners?


Because we all have different tastes and styles of living, it is often a challenge to envision our personal home in a different light. Home Staging professionals have the discerning eye which benefits every home seller. Staging will help guide your potential buyer to the ‘I can see myself and family living here’ feeling which every home-buyer is seeking.


Ahhh….this is where the magic starts. HOME STAGING. A professional Home Stager has the creativity needed to bring out the personality of a home. Stagers are a homeowner’s ally because they want to help you make more home value and improve your selling position. These talented professionals will fashion more universal and inviting spaces within your home! (Pssst…and by you trusting the professional’s direction on recommended improvements, your home will more likely show the necessary appeal to attract serious potential buyers!)


It is imperative to reckon about the impact of HGTV on our lives. Home buyers today have much higher expectations than in the past! The fabulous and creative home programs have shown us in less than 30 minutes, how to identify and organize cleaner spaces, increase curb appeal, redecorate using your grandmother’s vintage china….the shows are endless. They are fun and intriguing to watch aren’t they? The general public has changed and improved their knowledge when it comes to expectations of home living.


So what does this change of viewpoint mean for the home SELLER? You can no longer be complacent when you are competing in today’s real estate market. It’s SHOW TIME!


Yes, you read that correctly. It is a fierce competition out there in the home seller’s market and you need to be prepared to run in this race if you want to reach the end line quicker. Hiring the expertise of a professional Home Stager in your area will more than pay for itself when your home sells. 90% of buyers can not easily picture themselves living in your home. They need help to visualize your home as their Shangri-La. There is no question as to what the smart seller must do – Hire a Home Stager!


There are many, many small details which make a huge difference when preparing your home to sell. That pile of ancient papers and magazines in the bedroom corner, which is barely noticed by you, becomes a stand-out distraction to a potential buyer when they walk through your home. Perhaps too many framed photos of the children growing up can unintentionally cause the buyer to feel as though they are invading your family’s sanctuary. It can be a challenge for many prospective buyers to picture themselves living their Shangri-La in your most private rooms and spaces. There are countless benefits to you when hiring a professional Home Stager. They can help not only with the most vital details of preparing a home for sale, they will also provide fantastic suggestions for ways to increase your home’s value. When you choose to work with a Home Stager, you will improve your chances of selling your home for more money in your pocket.


Let’s face it, times have changed. The Real Estate marketplace is ever-evolving in many areas and our expectations as homebuyers have reached new levels. Television home shows have increased our awareness and desire to reach for new heights in home design and decor. What should you do if you want to sell your home? Your best choice is to consult with a professional Home Stager and let them help you. You will then have a better advantage over the many other homes on the market in your area. Plus, it is likely you will increase the selling value of your home as well!


Now reckon back to the inviting feelings at the beginning of this article….smell the freshness of the arranged cut-flowers in the reception lobby, your nerves are calmed by the clean living and sleeping quarters, and your sense of relaxation and general well-being feels excellent. You cherish these feelings and you want to remain there longer. In fact, you make a vow to return because those nice feelings are ones to remember.


Ah-ha! That’s the result you desire from buyers after staging your home to sell – you want the interested buyers to return and offer a fantastic contract to buy your home.


Every piece of real estate property can be strategically and creatively enhanced through hiring a professional Home Stager. All properties are unique and want to be noticed…and every Buyer desires to own a piece of Shangri-La.

Written by: Kathleen Garvey, Enhanced Interiors & Home Staging, Fort Myers, Florida


Email us at: Enhancedinteriors@gmail.com or visit our site: http://www.enhancedinteriors.net

Kathleen Garvey is a professional Home Stager, property remodeler and interior designer in the Fort Myers-Naples area of Southwest Florida, USA.

Sell your House in Seven Days or Less!

August 3rd, 2010

Are you mired in a mortgage you simply can’t afford? Can you no longer wait for a home to sell because you’re going through a divorce? You are not alone. Thankfully, if you live in the UK, there are people that will help you sell your home quickly. In fact, in most instances, you may successfully sell your home in seven days or less!


Perhaps you need to place the brakes on repossession before your credit score is ruined. Seek out one of the UK’s expert cash home buyers and they will easily help you out of your hard situation. It will place an end to embarrassing calls from debt collectors and help you go back to living a stress-free and pleased life. There is no uncertainty or hidden fees. You will know exactly how much money you’re getting for your home; in cash and up front. You will save on estate agent fees, and best of all, you will be free from the mortgage you cannot afford.


The first step toward selling your house in seven days or less is contacting a reputable company that specializes in purchasing homes in the UK for cash. The company will then come to your home and perform a home valuation. Then, the company will make you a cash offer for your house. It’s just that simple! Typically, you can even choose the day you want to go out.


Emigration, legal problems and Section 20 notices all may cause the need to sell your house quick. Regardless of whether your home has problems with poor location, rot or any other detrimental factors, you will nearly always find a home buyer willing to give you cash in exchange for your home. When you sell your house to a cash home buyer, you don’t need to wait for bond approval. And they can buy properties that can’t be financed by traditional mortgage lenders.


There are options available to you when you are facing repossession. You don’t have to go through the painful property reversion process. Home reversion schemes lead to more pain than relief in the long run. Large up-front fees combine with astronomical interest rates to place you in a worse position than you were before you ever opened the loan. They are certainly a terrible financial solution to the problem of being in mortgage arrears. They will leave you buried in debt. Contact an experienced home buyer, and let them help you find a way out.


If you’re tired of watching as bills pile up month after month and your mortgage balloon out of your control, you can sell your house and do so quickly. There is no need to stare out the window at your “For Sale” sign forlornly when you know there are no prospects for buyers in your near future. Even if your home is less than perfect, even if it is downright shoddy, UK home buyers are ready and waiting to appraise your home and give you cash for it within a week.

Robert Clark is the founder of Rapid Property Buyers. If you need to sell your house: click here for one of the largest house buyers networks in the UK
http://www.rapidpropertybuyers.biz

Tips for Selling your Home – Real Estate Consultants

August 3rd, 2010

At one stage or another there will come a time when you are going to want to sell your house. Although you might reckon that your house would be a quick sure sell, the actual process of selling can take place over a longer period of time than expected.

So to make sure that this doesn’t happen, you have to make sure that your house has the right “feel” to it. The “feel” factor can have a major influence on your property buyer. You want them to feel like it’s already their home. So get to get your house ready, there are a few things you should things to keep in mind when selling:

First impressions

First impressions are absolutely vital, so make sure your house is clean. Eliminate all clutter that might obstruct people as they stroll through your home. Clutter also makes a place feel smaller than what it really is, so it really is essential for you to de-clutter your home, which would also include removal of any unnecessary furniture.

After giving your home a excellent spring clean, make sure your home also smells nice. Odours can make or break a deal and unfortunately because buyers use all five their senses when browsing for a new place.If there is anything broken, like a tile for instance, than fix it. Small things like that can have a larger influence than is necessary in order for you to sell your house.

Bedrooms

It was estimated that nearly 60% of all buyers went home because of the bedrooms. Bedrooms add more value to your home than a study or any other extra rooms you might have, especially the master bedroom. Your buyers are adults, so obviously it’s

where their main focus will be, so go out of your way to impress them with the beauty of your master bedroom. Children’s rooms doesn’t bother buyers as much, but make sure that it’s tidy and clutter free.

Pets

If you do have pets, make sure they are out of the way when people view your home. Not everybody likes animals and it could also prevent any unforeseen situations. So for the safety of the pets and the chance of the potential buyers disliking animals, rather let the children take your dogs out for a walk for the small period of time, or try and make other kind of arrangements with the pets so that they won’t be upset and your buyers made uncomfortable.

The garden

Most modern houses have quite a small garden, so it’s simpler to uphold. This could be a excellent selling point, because not everybody has green fingers. If you but, have a larger garden and you don’t have to the time to work in it, investing in a gardening service would be a excellent thought. This way you can be sure that the grass is greener on your side.

History

If you’ve got an ancient house, try and find out as much as possible about the house’s history. People like to know the history, and hopefully it would have some historical significance.

The excellent, the terrible and the in-between

Nearly all property has a excellent and a terrible side. So try and not show the terrible observation of your home, but rather focus your attention on the positive. Most people would probably not notice the terrible unless you point it out directly to them, so for that simple reason, point out the greatness of your home. If you present your home as a water glass half empty, they would see your home in the same way. If they question you questions about the house, then answer honestly and direct.

Although these may all seem like simple things to do, it can and most certainly will have a major influence in the buyer’s mind. Remember buyers would only pay what they believe your house to be worth, so in order for you to get the best price, it would be in your best interest to present your house the best possible way!

Integrated Housing Property Consultants (IHPC) is a specialist real estate developer and agent for property to rent and for sale in the entire Cape region.