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Preparing Your Home For Sale: 10 Tips For Staging A Home

January 7, 2015 by Eric Lowry Leave a Comment

Preparing Your Home For Sale: 10 Tips For Staging A Home

Staging a home correctly can result in selling the home faster and at a higher sold price. Here are some tips to get you started:

1 – Create Curb Appeal – Weed your gardens and mow the lawn. Make sure that the yard is nicely landscaped. Power wash the exterior of the house so that it is nice and clean.

2 – Make the Porch Pop – The entranceway should look warm and inviting. Paint the front door. Add seating and plants to the porch. Place a welcome mat or nice indoor/outdoor rug in front of the door.

3 – Make The House Shine – This is Spring cleaning at it’s finest. Mop the floors, vacuum, and dust every room of the house. Clean the carpets and wipe the baseboards. Wash the windows and window treatments. You want your house to sparkle!Tips for staging a home

4 – De-Personalize – Put away family photos and heirlooms. Replace items as needed with other home decor. It is important for the potential home buyer to be able to visualize living in your house.

5 – Get Rid of Odors – Remove the smell of pet, food or other odors from the home. Replace stale, unpleasant odors with the smell of fresh flowers or baked goods.

6 – Pets – Keep the pets and any of their items such as toys and litter boxes out of sight when showing your home to buyers.

7 – Neutralize – If needed, paint a fresh coat of paint on the walls in a nice, neutral color.

8 – De-Clutter – Clutter makes the house look small and it appears that there is not enough storage. Clean out and organize the closets. If you have too much furniture in a room, find another place for one of the pieces.

9 – Bedrooms – If you have taken a bedroom and made it into an office or exercise room you may want to change it back. It is helpful for the home buyer to see all of the bedrooms in the home. 

10 – Update – Update the hardware in the house. Change the knobs, handles and light fixtures if they look outdated. Updating appliances, especially in the kitchen, is very appealing to home buyers.

This may seem like a large list of tips for staging a home but most of the items are easy and relatively inexpensive. When selling a home, you want it to be as appealing as possible for potential home buyers. You only get one chance to make a great first impression.

You can always simplify matters by hiring a house cleaner while your house is on the market. Some people also choose to hire a home staging company such as Design to Market prior to listing their house for sale.

For more staging tips on preparing your house to sell for more money in less time, contact Eric Lowry, CEO and Listing Specialist for The Lowry Team. Eric can do a FREE Comparative Market Analysis to find out what your house should sell for. Ask about our 88 Day Sales Guarantee Program! 

Find Your Home's Value Now!

The Lowry Team – Keller Williams Realty is an award winning, full service real estate firm specializing in West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason, Monroe and the Northern Suburbs of Cincinnati. The Lowry Team’s culture is that of a fun, high energy group who prides themselves on providing personal, professional real estate service.

The Lowry Team is “Different By Design”… taking a team approach to home buying and selling. The Lowry Team consists of members that are focused on areas of specialization including Listing Specialists, Buyer Specialists, Transaction/Listing Coordinator, Inside Sales Associate and a Marketing Director.

Don’t Hire an Agent…Hire a Team.  The Lowry Team.

Buyers and Sellers can reach The Lowry Team Keller Williams at 513-874-1830.

Other Articles You May Be Interested In:

Top Home Updates

Make Your Porch Pop

Tips For Selling Your House Fast

Best Places to Live in Cincinnati

10 Ways To Improve The Resale Value Of Your Home

The Lowry Team Keller Williams: Love It Or List It

The Worst Home Projects For The Money

The Lowry Team Keller Williams: Red Flags For Home Buyers

Search the Cincinnati MLS for Homes For Sale

Find Out The Current Market Value Of Your Home

Connect with us on Facebook

Connect with us on YouTube

Connect with us on Twitter

Filed Under: Eric Lowry's Articles, Home Improvements, Preparing Your Home For Sale, Sellers Tagged With: CMA, easy and inexpensive ideas for upsating your home, Eric Lowry, Eric's Hassle Free Listing, Free CMA, how to sell your house quickly, Keller Williams Realty West Chester Ohio, listing a home for sale, LowryTeam.com, market analysis of my home, Market Value Of My Home, preparing a home for sale, sell your house for more money in less time, Selling A Home, Should I hire a home staging company, Staging a home for sale, The Lowry Team Keller Williams, The Lowry Team Keller Williams: 10 Tips For Staging A Home, Tips For Moving, tips for staging a home for sale, Top Selling Realtor

The Worst Home Projects For The Money

December 17, 2014 by Eric Lowry Leave a Comment

The Worst Home Projects For The Money

Worst Home Projects For The MoneyHome renovations and projects are never a sure guarantee that you will recoup your money invested. If you sell your home down the road, you may or may not get your money back. When you invest a large sum of money into home renovations, be sure that it is for something that will bring you a lot of enjoyment. In the end, it may make you more comfortable while you live in your home but will not be a financial boost to your home’s resale value.

According to a 2014 study done by Remodeling Magazine, the following renovations brought the worst returns on money invested. Please note that all of the projects were moderate to high end renovations done by professionals. These were not do it yourself home projects. All figures are national averages.

Office remodels – An upscale professional grade office remodel will cost $28,000 (national average) and return less than 50% of the cost at resale. One reason for this is that buyers are not as interested in a home office as they are in an updated kitchen.

Sunroom addition – This addition will average $73,000 nationally and yield just a little over 50% of it’s investment. This is, however, a national average. It really depends a lot on the region the home is located in.

Moderate master suite addition – Here is that word addition again! Anytime you add on to the home and it’s foundation, it is going to be a costly project. Remodeling Magazine’s study found that the addition would average $100,000 and you get about a 60% return at the time of resale. Buyers are interested in an updated master just as they would be a kitchen or bathroom. Consider updating or renovating the existing space rather than an addition. The project will cost considerably less that way.

Moderate garage addition – This project will cost around $48,000 and net you a 64% return at resale. If you live in an area where homes do not have garages or lack other storage areas such as attics and basements, this project could really help with resale.

Bathroom addition – Regardless of whether upscale or not, return on investment is around 60% Usually, a homeowner does not just add on a bathroom. It is usually a part of a much larger project. Consider adding a bathroom along with a new master suite addition. First floor masters are increasing in popularity and can be appealing to the home buyer.

In the end, it is your home and you want to enjoy it and be comfortable living in it. Reduce the cost of some of these projects by scaling back on the extras and by doing them yourself. Just be aware that you will most probably not recoup all of the money spent when and if you choose to sell your home.

Thinking of buying or selling a  home? Contact The Lowry Team!

Find Your Home's Value Now!

The Lowry Team – Keller Williams Realty is an award winning, full service real estate firm specializing in West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason, Monroe and the Northern Suburbs of Cincinnati. The Lowry Team is “Different By Design”… taking a team approach to home buying and selling. The Lowry Team consists of members that are focused on areas of specialization including Listing Specialists, Buyer Specialists, Transaction/Listing Coordinator, Inside Sales Associate and a Marketing Director.

Don’t Hire an Agent…Hire a Team.  The Lowry Team.

Buyers and Sellers can reach The Lowry Team Keller Williams at 513-874-1830.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Top Home Updates

Red Flags For Home Buyers

Home Improvements That Are Worth The Investment

Tips To Make Your Porch Pop

The Lowry Team Offers Tips For Selling Your House Fast

Find Your Home’s Current Market Value

Search The Entire Cincinnati MLS For Homes For Sale

Connect with us on Facebook

Connect with us on YouTube

Connect with us on Twitter

Filed Under: Eric Lowry's Articles, Home Improvements, Sellers Tagged With: do it yourself projects, home projects, Keller Williams Realty, LowryTeam.com, preparing a home for sale, return on investment, sell your house for more money, Selling A Home, The Lowry Team, The Worst Home Projects For The Money, updates for the home

The Lowry Team Keller Williams :: 10 Things That Turn Off Home Buyers

August 6, 2014 by Eric Lowry Leave a Comment

The Lowry Team Keller Williams :: 10 Things That Turn Off Home Buyers

The Lowry TeamThe Buyer Specialists for The Lowry Team Keller Williams compiled a list of the top ten things that turn their buyers off when looking for homes.  Together, the Buyer Specialists for The Lowry Team have over 20 years of experience helping home buyers find their dream homes.

1.  Dirt, Grime and Filth – If a house is on the market, it should sparkle!  Home owners need to give the house a once over.  Pay especially close attention to cleaning the kitchens and bathrooms.  Lisa Tesmer says that her buyers are turned off by dirty showers and tubs.  Clean up that soap scum and mold!

2.  Outdated Fixtures and Appliances – A potential home buyer does not want to add the expense of having to purchase new ceiling fans, light fixtures or kitchen appliances.  Old furnaces are also something the home buyer will shy away from.

3.  Poor Curb Appeal – Darryl Smith suggests that the home owner spruce up the yard before putting the house on the market.  Trim the trees and freshen up the flower beds with fresh mulch.

4.  Odors – All of the Buyer Specialists for The Lowry Team listed odors as a big turn off.  If you are a smoker, consider smoking outdoors while attempting to sell your house.  Put away all of the smelly ashtrays.  Also, hide away pet toys, bowls, etc. Vacuum and clean regularly so that the home does not smell of cigarette,pet or kitchen odors.

5.  Wallpaper – Wall paper is usually outdated and personalized to the present owner’s tastes. Chances are the new owner will want to remove it entirely which can be a big, time consuming  job.

6.  Personal Items – Lisa Tesmer suggests putting away many of your personal items and family photos.  The home owner should want the home buyers to be able to picture themselves living in the home.

7.  Carpet Stains – One of the top updates that a home seller can do before putting their house on the market is replacing or cleaning the carpets.

8.  Basement Laundry Rooms – While it is not a quick or sometimes not even a possible fix, Lisa Tesmer, Buyer Specialist says, “My home buyers are turned off by the idea of having to do laundry in the basement.”  It is a hard sell with all of the newer laundry rooms on the first and second floors of homes.

9.  Clutter – Clean off the bookshelves and clean out the closets.  Remove extra items from countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms.  By doing this, it will appear as if there is a lot more room and storage in the home.

10. Seller Stays Home – Jessica Lowry, Buyer Specialist says that the absolutely biggest turn off for a home buyer is when the seller stays home during the showing.  It makes her clients uncomfortable looking through the house and they do not feel at ease talking about thier  likes, dislikes and concerns while the home owner is present.

For more tips on preparing your home for sale contact Eric Lowry, CEO and Listing Specialist for The Lowry Team.  He would be happy to set up a FREE consultation.

The Lowry Team is an award winning, full service real estate firm specializing in  West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason, Monroe and the Northern Suburbs of Cincinnati. The Lowry Team’s culture is that of a fun, high energy group who prides themselves on providing, personal, professional real estate service.

The Lowry Team is “Different by Design”…taking a team approach to home buying  and selling. The Lowry Team consists of members that are focused on areas of specialization including Listing Specialists, Buyer Specialists, Transaction/Listing Coordinator, Inside Sales Associate and a Marketing Director.

Buyers and sellers can reach The Lowry Team – Keller Williams Realty

at 513-874-1830.

Other articles you may be interested in:

6 Steps To Selling Your Home – Part 1 of the series

Hire A Professional Real Estate Agent – Part 2 of the series

Pricing It Right – Part 3 of the series

Home Improvements That Are Worth The Investment

Tips To Make Your Porch Pop

Find Your Home’s Current Market Value

Connect with us on Facebook

Connect with us on YouTube

Connect with us on Twitter

Filed Under: Eric Lowry's Articles, Preparing Your Home For Sale, Sellers Tagged With: 10 thing that turn off home buyers, buyer specialists, Cincinnati, Eric Lowry, Eric's Hassle Free Listing, home buyer, Keller Williams Realty, Listing Specialist, LowryTeam.com, Market Value Of My Home, preparing a home for sale, Real Estate, Selling A Home, The Lowry Team, The Lowry Team - Keller Williams Realty, Top Selling Realtor, VIPHomeFinder.com

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