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Updates & tips

How do I increase my curb appeal using buyers' eyes?

How Do I Increase My Home's Curb Appeal by Using Buyers' Eyes? Okay, so you look at your home, and you think the outside looks great. The lawn is mowed, edges are trimmed, and some of your spring flowers are beginning to bloom. But just like in the messiest room in our house, we tend to be blind to things that are out of place, need paint, or other sprucing up. We get so used to it, we no longer see the clutter or the dings in the woodwork. How do you look at your home's exterior? Do you stand on the sidewalk and give it a cursory once-over? Do you REALLY see the flaws that a buyer might notice? Here's a trick. Armed with a small hand mirror, go across the street from your home and look at it. How does it look now? Can you see curling of the roof's shingles? Do you need to fill in some space with more flowers? Do you need mulch? Now, here is the biggest trick! (You might get some strange looks from your neighbors as you do this step, but it works!) Turn your back on your home, and look at your home through the hand mirror. Wow! A different perspective, huh? Do you need to trim the bush that is beginning to cover your living room window? Is the fence pristine? How do the window treatments look—dated? Uneven? Shades half closed? Look at your front door. Could it use a coat of paint? And the hardware—is it a little dull? Maybe that needs to be replaced too. Your light fixture…do you see some rust? Time for some spray paint. Would it add some charm if you placed red or yellow blooming pots on either side of the doorway? Or maybe a cute little wicker porch set, if you have a larger porch? The mirror trick forces you to look at your home from a completely different perspective -- more objectively, and thus, through "buyers' eyes". Now you are equipped with seeing things that you normally didn't notice. Now you know where it needs to pop! The way your home looks from the curb and the approach to the front door tells a potential buyer what could be in store on the INSIDE. You don't want them to drive or walk away! They make a decision about your home in the first 5 seconds! If you think aprofessional home stageronly works on the interior of your home, you might be surprised! Their job is to make the WHOLE house say "WOW!" Get the picture? (And yes, the mirror trick works great on your messiest room, too!)

By Transitions Home Staging and Redesign

Should I stage my home?

So, why should you recommend home staging for your sellers in Buffalo and Western New York?  What shocked me, when I first joined this business, was how this industry is virtually unknown (and untapped) inWestern New York. There is a hugeStagingpresence in Metropolitan New York City and California, and even right across the border in Ontario, Canada. The competition is amazing in these spots…but we are relative newcomers here in my own back yard! (This is great for me and otherHome Stagers in the Buffalo area, with very little competition.) Perhaps it's becauseBuffalo and Western New Yorkhas such affordable (read: "cheap!") housing! Yet, when I research listings on the Internet in my area, most homes look just awful on the inside and out. You know what I mean: toilet lids up, pet dishes in the kitchen, empty cold rooms, snow still on the ground when it's already April… I love what I do. I wish I couldstageEVERY new home listing, as I love this business and its effect on the real estate market. Nevertheless, I am puzzled that more Realtors do not use our professional services on their new listings. I have noticed that recently, some real estate brokerages tout that a new Agent has become "certified" as ahome stager. I think that's a step in the right direction, in that they can advise the homeowner on how to better show their home.But what happens if the Realtor is uncomfortable being the "bad guy?" A few days ago, I received a call from a Realtor who was listing a sizeable, newer home…but the homeowner was a friend of hers. She was not sure how to approach her friend with things that needed improvement, and wanted to hire me for a consultation. I can hardly blame her. She needed a third party to tactfully give her friend feedback on the home's condition, recommend some improvements, so that the home would show its very best. That's a pretty awkward conversation to have with a friend, especially if there are pet smells in the house, poor curb appeal, and furnishings and accessories that detract from the home's best features. You certainly don't want to disappoint your friend when the home doesn't sell in a month or six months or a year, but you also don't want to alienate them by hurting their feelings about their personal tastes and saying "Get rid of that waterbed!" Professional Home Stagersare just that—professionals! It's our job to transform a home so that it will appeal to the most potential buyers. We are here to help get that home sold quickly and to ease the stress that goes along with trying to sell a property. We take our time getting to know a seller, yet quickly making the home look like a show-stopper to get buyers and other Realtors excited about the home. And if it results in a bidding war, that's awesome! I'm hoping that more Realtors in the Western New York area will contact alocal Home Staging Professionalfor their next listing. We are always available for presentations at your office, or just to sit with you and discuss your timeline, your needs and your budget!

By Transitions Home Staging and Redesign