Staying Sane Living "Ready-to-Show"!

Living in a show-ready home may seem daunting, but with some planning and a bit of effort you can do it. Remember the better your home shows, the more likely you will sell quicker and therefore need to live this way for a shorter time. You may even come to enjoy living in a serene and clutter-free environment. Once you’ve put in all the work to get your house de-cluttered, effectively staged, and show-ready, it is easier to maintain than you might imagine, and well worth the effort.

Set aside a time everyday to do the necessary tidying tasks. If you are a morning person, get up a bit earlier than normal and take care of your daily to do list. If you are a night owl, work this into your pre-bedtime routine (with the exception of making beds and general picking up after your morning routine).

If you have older children and teens in your household, get them involved in the daily process of staying show ready. Make it easy for them to help by giving them storage baskets and bins to use to gather their belongings and designate a space in their closet or dresser where they can store them. The promise of a family getaway or some other reward when your house sells works well as an incentive. With younger children, make the preparation process a game for them. Children as young as 2 or 3 can help put items in bins and enjoy the fun of using a timer or special clean up songs.

Remember, when a potential buyer sees a spotless and well-organized home, it has a big positive impact on their overall impression of the property. They tend to see the home as well-cared for, more spacious, and easy to maintain—all of which go a long way to getting you from “for sale” to “Sold!”.

Stay on top of the day to day clutter and dirt, have a schedule and a plan, and give yourself and your family "treats" for your extra efforts. You'll be able to keep your sanity and the quick and successful sale of your home will be your well-deserved reward.

Watch for future posts with specific steps to follow daily, every few days, weekly, and anytime you leave the house when your home is on the market.

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A savvy seller or realtor looking for expert assistance getting a property ready to show to its best potential? Please visit the Feels Like Home Interiors website or call Mary at (724) 884-7148 to find out more about how she can make a difference for your home or listings.

MLS Photos--Shoot For Quantity AND Quality

According to a July 2008 study by Point2 Technologies, online home shoppers turn away from listings with no or few photos and spend their time viewing the listings with the most MLS photos.

This study found that listings with no photos had the worst results, getting only a .02 percent of the detailed listing views that the 21 or more photo listings received. The study also indicated that listings with 21 or more pictures received 55 times the number of page views, 27 times the amount of interest and 898 the number of leads as a listing with no pictures.

According to Carey Tufts, Director of Marketing for Point2 Technologies, “Once again the data indicates that online home shoppers want rich content, specifically in the form of more photos, otherwise they tend to move on to the next listing. Especially in today’s market, home sellers and their agents do not have to take this risk. The data sends a powerful message. With more than 80 percent of home buyers continuing to do their research online, agents must attach more photos to their listings for them to stand out and attract more potential buyers.”

While this study makes a strong case for listing agents to increase the number of photos they use with their listings in order to attract interest, it does not address the importance of the quality of all these photos. Clearly, online interest is not enough; sellers need that interest to result in showings and offers. While more photos may bring an increase in views from an online shopper, quality of the staging of the home and the photos themselves will lead to showings and ultimately, offers.

So definitely put more photos with your listings, but make sure the photos do an excellent job of captivating a potential buyer's further interest and helping them make an emotional connection to the home. This means each photo must show an area that is well-staged highlighting the space’s function, flow, and features. And each picture should be taken from the ideal vantage point with the best lighting and then properly finished using a good photo editing program such as www.picnik.com/ .

When it comes to MLS photos helping you get to SOLD, both quantity AND quality will be crucial in generating showings and offers. What's a great way to ensure your photos will have the best impact on prospective home buyers? Enlist the services of a Professional Home Stager to help you get your home show-ready before it hits on the market. The investment in home staging will result in a home that shows well both online and in person.

See the graph below for the detailed results of the Point2 Technologies Study. Click here to read the complete study.

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A savvy seller or realtor looking for expert assistance getting a property ready to show to its best potential? Please visit the Feels Like Home Interiors website or call Mary at (724) 884-7148 to find out more about how she can make a difference for your home or listings.

Bright Idea -- Go Dimmer!

Want an easy, affordable way to improve the lighting in your home? Go dimmer!

Yes, I know you need to have enough lighting from various sources in order to proper illuminate your space. But the sources and quantity of lighting are only part of the answer to creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home. Lighting that is too harsh can be a problem just as much as not enough light. Being able to control the light adds greatly to the mood you can set in a space.

A simple dimmer switch costs less than $15 and can be easily installed in just a few minutes using some basic tools. Check out this video from about.com for a short tutorial on how you can install dimmer switches yourself. Make sure you choose the right dimmer for your needs because they vary based on the number of switches you have connected to the light source you want to control.

Take control of the lighting in your home with the simple, affordable addition of dimmer switches throughout your home. Whether you're having a romantic dinner for two, hosting a dinner party, relaxing by the fire, or playing a board game with the kids, you will enjoy being able to adjust the level of light in order to create the mood best suited to your activity. Once you go "dimmer", you'll never go back!

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Mary Fasnacht of Feels Like Home Interiors helps home owners in Washington County, PA and the surrounding Pittsburgh area with their home staging and interior redesign needs. Her Stage to Sell services help sellers prepare their homes to make the best possible impression in today's challenging market. Her Stage to Stay services offer home owners an easy, affordable way to refresh and revitalize their homes. Please visit her website or call her at (724) 884-7148 to find out more about how she can make a difference for your home or listings.

It's Like Going to the Prom All Over Again

Have you noticed it's prom time again? I've seen the guys decked out in tuxes picking up corsages at the store. I've spotted young ladies coming out of the salons with fancy up-do's. And when I drove in my neighborhood last evening couples were posing in front of flowering bushes for parents trying to capture the perfect photo.

Getting ready for the prom these days is serious business. Months of planning goes into the preparation process for this big event. Money is set aside. Appointments and reservations are made. Many dresses are tried on until just the right one is found. The tux that goes best with the dress is ordered. Nails are painted and flowers are ordered. Every detail is covered--hair, makeup, jewelry, purse, shoes, wrap, reservations, transprortation, spending money, etc. It is a lot of work, but worth it when everything comes together in the end to make a memorable night.

Did you know getting your house ready to hit the market with the best success is a lot like preparing for the prom? It takes time, planning, and some serious effort to get it to all come together for the big event--the official listing of your property for sale.

Here are some tips for getting your home "Prom Night" ready and increasing your odds of selling quickly and for the best possible price:

• Start the planning process early ~ I love it when a client comes to me for a consultation as early as a year before they plan to list their property seeking advice on what steps they should get started on now to be ready to list later.
• Determine how to look your best from head to toe ~ Use a Professional Home Stager to help you evaluate your home from a buyer's perspective and formulate a prioritized action plan to most effectively and efficiently prepare your home to be market ready inside and out on listing day. This professional direction will priceless in helping you maximize the equity you have in your home.
• Plan your budget ~ Getting your house market-ready usually requires some investment. Your Professional Home Stager and Realtor® can advise you on the best way to allocate your funds to get the biggest bang for your buck. And many of the items that will help your home show better, like new towels and bedding and updated lamps and accessories, you will get to take with you to your new home.
• Create a checklist to keep you on track ~ Use six months, five months,...three weeks, two weeks,..., etc. And divide each list up by areas inside and outside your home.
• Make needed appointments well ahead of time ~ Decide which tasks you can complete yourself and where you will need help from a professional. Will you need a handyman, a house cleaner, electrician, plumber, window washer, painter, wallpaper remover, landscaper, an off-site storage place, etc.? Call them now and get them scheduled.
• Don't forget the flowers ~ Fresh flowers in a nice vase or fresh fruit (lemons, green apples) in a couple of key areas like the entryway, dining room, or living room add a nice touch.
• Take photos before the dance when you are looking your absolute best ~ If you've followed your checklist, your home will be ready from head to toe, shined, white glove clean and looking its very best. This is the time to have your MLS photo and video tour taken, allowing you to maximize your first impression with more than 85% of your potential buyers who will start their search online. Your house will be sending the clear "this is the one!" message to buyers.
• Keep your touch up tools handy ~ Have a system for keeping your house show ready. Keeping the house as straightened up as possible is the best way to go. Make the beds and straighten up each morning and clean up any messes as they happen. A large basket on each level of your house that can be stowed on a shelf or in a cabinet works well for cleaning up any items that are out when you get the call for a showing. Dirty laundry can be tossed in the washing machine. Clean "show only" towels should be placed in each bathroom. Keep cleaning wipes under the counters in the kitchen and bathrooms for quick touchups. Clean up after your pets on a daily basis and keep their things in an out of the way place like the garage or laundry room. Get everyone in the habit of keeping those toilet seats down. As a general rule of thumb, it's always safest to leave the house "show ready" whenever you go out.

Much like the prom, selling your home is a big deal. Plan ahead, get advice and help from professionals, and plug away at your to do list. When the big day arrives for you to make your market debut, you will be all set to stand our from the crowd and be the belle of the ball. You efforts will be well-rewarded when in no time at all your buyer knocks on your door knowing your house is the one that is the perfect fit for their glass slipper!

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Mary Fasnacht of Feels Like Home Interiors helps home sellers in Washington County, PA and the surrounding Pittsburgh area prepare their homes to make the best possible impression in today's challenging market helping them to be successful sellers. Please visit her website or call her at (724) 884-7148 to find out more about how she can make a difference for your home or listings .

Mom Was Right ~ There I Said It!

Mom was right, there I said it! Remember how hard it used to be to admit your mother was right about anything? Well, with this piece of advice she was not only right, but right on the money--literally!

What was the simple yet profound advice? Avoid looking desperate! This gem held great wisdom back in my dating days and perhaps somewhat surprisingly works as excellent counsel for today's home sellers.

And to be honest, there were moments in my younger, dating days when I felt a bit desperate. But feeling desperate didn't mean I had to appear desperate. Most of us have our insecurities. But the key to success is mustering up our confidence and putting our best foot forward.

Whether you are looking for a potential life partner or a buyer for your house, coming across as desperate lowers your perceived value. So while in today's challenging market you may be feeling fairly desperate as a home seller yourself, you can take crucial steps to avoid appearing desperate and to ultimately set yourself up for the successful sale of your home.

First, you need to understand some things that can make a home seller look desperate:

• being listed on the market for a long time


• having seasonally outdated MLS photos


• offering huge buyer incentives


• making a price reduction

Here's some advice to avoid becoming that "desperate seller" :

• Start the preparation process early ~ it usually takes some time to get your house ready to sell and to gain the knowledge you need to make wise listing decisions


• Find and hire a professional REALTOR® ~ choose a Realtor you feel comfortable working with and who you believe will do the best job marketing and selling your home


• Do your homework before you list ~ understand the market in your area--who is your likely buyer, what are they looking for and what are they paying for houses similar to yours


• Price correctly from the start ~ you can do some research yourself and your Realtor will be an invaluable source of guidance on this decision


• Make any necessary repairs to your home first ~ now is the time to fix that leaky faucet and oil those squeaky hinges


• Stage your home to sell ~ the way we live in our home and the way we need to present our home to sell are quite different--a small investment in professional home staging advice and assistance will payoff huge returns in helping your house sell more quickly for a higher price

Taking these steps will help you avoid looking like a desperate seller and help you keep your negotiating strength when you sell your home. Put in the time and effort needed to put your best foot forward when you hit the market and buyers will be attracted by your home's many wonderful attributes.

So if your mom advised you not to look desperate, remember to thank her. Follow this wise advice to prepare your home for listing and instead of a desperate seller you will be a successful seller!

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Mary Fasnacht of Feels Like Home Interiors helps home sellers in Washington County, PA and the surrounding Pittsburgh area prepare their homes to make the best possible impression in today's challenging market helping them to be successful sellers. Please visit her website or call her at (724) 884-7148 to find out more about how she can make a difference for your home or listings .