What I Learned From My House Sale

It's been a bit of a whirlwind these past few weeks.....we put our house on the market the day after Easter and one week to the day it sold. It had only been seen by four families during that week and one of them bought it. And then two others wanted it. We never heard from the fourth family but 75% of the people who saw it wanted it was good enough for us. And we hadn't even started looking. So that's been what we've been doing for the past few weeks. I'm happy to say we found one and closing on everything will be mid-July.

So now that things are settling down a bit I've had a chance to reflect on what I learned from selling my home - or at least what I learned about staging.

First, sellers really do envision themselves living in the homes they see. According to our Realtor, what made the decision a definite was the buyer sitting in my office chair at my desk looking out the window - and seeing himself working there.

Second, stainless steel appliances really don't matter. And neither does granite. This is something I've often shared with my seller clients, but not always successfully. The goal of staging is to draw the potential buyers' eyes away from any concerns and towards the things that might sell the house. So with the focus on the view out the windows, the mantel in the great room, and the spaciousness and cleanliness of the kitchen, the buyers had little or no concern about the white appliances and Corian countertops.

And finally, condition really is important. We made sure everything was in tip-top shape, including the barely finished steps into the basement as well as the basement itself. We also had an inspection done prior to putting the house on the market to make sure we were right about the condition. And guess what? The buyers didn't even bother to get their own inspection (something I wouldn't really recommend) but simply asked to use ours!

I'll admit, I had a few moments of melt-down. (How can the buyers not see that the refrigerator doesn't fit neatly into its space but sticks out too far into the kitchen? I know people with kids won't like our less-than-level yard!) But one week and three potential buyers pretty much says it all. Now if only I can use my experience to convince my staging clients.

Staging Bathrooms

Pretty cut-and-dried, isn't it? It needs to be clean - really, really clean with sparkling tiles, grout, and fixtures. It needs new towels. But it's a bathroom, right?


It certainly is, but there are still a lot of touches you can add to give it some pizazz! And I'm not talking about updating although that may be important as well. But if that money isn't in the budget or it makes more sense to spend it elsewhere, there are still some of the things you can do to make a bathroom a little less humdrum.

First, paint can make a big difference. Not only will that make the bathroom feel very fresh and clean, it can create interest in a space that doesn't have much. And while you don't want to choose a color that's totally wild, because it's a small space a more dramatic color may be okay. While it's usually still a good idea to stay in the neutral family, feel free to go darker than you normally would. Just make certain there is enough light so potential buyers can see the room. And keep the rest of the lines of the room clean and spare.

A rug on the floor is very important to soften all the hard, cold lines. But because the space is usually small, you don't want a lot of small, colorful rugs that will further break up the space. Add one rug in the largest size possible for the room. And choose a color that matches the floor. This will lessen the impact on the size of the room while still adding softness.

Make the room pretty (and keep it from feeling too empty) with one or two well-placed accessories. A well-cared for plant, towels tied with ribbons, an attractive soap dish with a new bar of fancy soap, or a pretty dispenser with hand lotion are all  nice touches. If there is room around the tub, make it feel like a spa with a basket of spa treatments such as soap, a towel, and a loofah. 

There are also a few things you need to remove. First, all personal items should be either packed away or well-hidden in baskets with lids. That includes everything personal on the counter tops and in the medicine cabinet and linen closet. Even things like toothbrushes and toothpaste are unsightly and should be removed from counters. If you have a toilet seat cover, remove it. Any rugs other than the one larger one mentioned above should go.

As you stage your bathroom, think of a hotel bathroom. You want it pretty, but impersonal. Even though everyone knows you are using it if you are living in the house, potential buyers don't want to be reminded of it. Rather, they want a room that feels open, inviting, and fresh - ready for them to move right in!