Getting A House Ready For Show

If you have been wondering why my blog has been “quiet” lately- devoid of my normal personal chatter and photos- this is why:

Over the last few months, I have slowly been getting our house ready to put on the market.  I had a lot of help from friends and hired help.

Most of my energy has been invested in fixing, painting, cleaning, and putting things in storage.  So the only posts I have been able to muster have been the blog-hops on iHomeschool Network.

But things are working out and the house should be listed in the next few days!

How Not To Show A House

To amuse myself, and learn about staging and showing our home, I have been checking out various blogs and websites that have tips for sellers and real estate agents.

One of my favorites is called Ugly House Photos.  The crazy short-sales in Phoenix over the past few years have led to a number of not-so-stellar sellers that want out of their debt quick with little effort.

Check out a few of my favorite posts:

• Bad Real Estate Photos – if your agent takes pictures like these you need to find someone new!
• Park Where You Want – These homeowners are hilariously rebellious with their parking! (and why not move the cars for the photo?)
• Cloud Cloning – You really don’t need to photoshop clouds into your pictures
• Tan While You Sleep – This really had me rolling- who would think of this???

The site has the good, bad, and horrifying represented in real estate photos.  Here is one good example of how to stage and photograph a home.

I have seen a few crazy pictures and actual houses for sale while out browsing.  People that have left dirty towels and dishes on the counters.  Cats roaming the house staring at you.  Tacky decor.

Some of those things I can look past, and some I can’t.

There is a huge difference between clutter and neglect.  The owners might have tacky taste yet still kept the house in pristine condition.

Tips I’ve Learned About House Staging

I am by no means an expert.  I probably will make a few mistakes during this process of opening our house up to total strangers interested in buying.

However, my agent and a lot of internet pictures and articles have helped me learn a few things about getting a house ready for show:

1. Remove excess stuff – make your rooms and everything look bigger and better by storing most of your belongings.  If that means you have to get a storage unit, give stuff away, trash it, or sell it then do it!
2. Depersonalize – this should be a priority for privacy reasons anyway.  Do you want to display your family photos and favorite art pieces to the world?  Plus, making the home look like it is not yours helps potential buyers to picture themselves in it.
3. Clean! – I know this is hard when you are living in it.  I am dreading having to pick up every day and keep everything sparkling.  It is a hassle but the reaction people have to a house (clean or dingy) sticks with them.
4. Don’t cheapen the house – This is one that I didn’t learn from my agent, but picked up on my own through looking at houses.  I will buy a house that needs a few repairs like carpet, paint, cabinets, etc.  When owners do quick renovations with low-cost materials, it may look good for a few months but overall it cheapens the home value.  If you are going to remodel or repair, have it done right and professionally.

So- I have some questions for you.  What will turn you off completely from buying a house?  Could you look past some things like decor, paint, clutter, pets, etc. ?

Would you rather pay more for a move-in ready house or spend a little less and make it your own?