Staging and Remodeling for Top Dollar

Should I remodel? If I do will I get my money back on resale?
Should I stage my home?
How do I get started?

When your home is listed to sell it’s no longer your home: it’s a product to sell. You need to undecorate and depersonalize your home so it will appeal to a wide range of buyers. To ensure that your home sale brings you top dollar you should keep your home meticulously clean, orderly and uncluttered.

Here are a few tips to get you started for staging or remodeling your home

Staging!

Your Home’s Curb Appeal: attract buyers from the street!

• Paint porch railings and posts
• Paint the front door and the door buyers will be most likely to enter
• Place a potted plant and new door mat at the door.
• Move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc to the garage
• Check gutters & roof for dry rot and moss, sweep & clean
• Prune bushes & trees, remove dead plants, weeds & spread mulch
• Keep lawn mowed, edged & fertilized
• Clear patios & decks
• Remove mildew and moss from walls or walks
• Remove any outdoor furniture that is not in good repair
• Take stains off your driveway

Presentation is Everything!

Grab their attention with cleanliness

• Add a fresh coat of paint in light, neutral colors
• Shampoo carpeting, clean and wax hardwood floors
• Wash all windows, vacuum blinds and curtains, wash window sills
• Clean the fireplace
• Clean out and organize closets: pack extra clothes you won’t need again until after you’ve moved
• Remove extra furniture
• Repair problems – loose door knobs, leaking faucets, squeaky doors
• Secure your valuables! Jewelry, cash, personal records and papers

Mudrooms – everyone’s back door

• Pare down coats, hats
• Remove shoes & boots
• Clean, fresh pet bowls
• Double as a laundry?
• Use a hamper with a lid
• Store detergents, etc in a closet or cabinet
• Keep brooms, mops, pails & cleaning supplies out of sight

Kitchens and Bathrooms sell houses

• Kitchen Cabinets
  • Remove everything you can do without – plastic storage containers, excess china, platters, pitchers & punch bowls
  • Clean appliances inside and out
  • Make certain all appliances are working properly
  • Unclutter counter spaces – no more than three countertop appliances allowed
  • Wax or sponge the floor

• Bathrooms – go for the hotel bath!
  • So clean it looks never used
  • Make sure lighting is bright but soft
  • Remove or store in baskets in the drawers all
    • Toiletries, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream & razors, hairbrushes, combs & makeup
    • Medicines – both prescription & over the counter
    • Cleaning products, toilet brush, plunger
  • Remove hair from the drains & soap scum
  • Replace loose caulking and grout
  • Remove deodorizing spray from the top of the toilet tank
  • Buy new towels for display purposes only.

The Living Room

• Make it cozy and inviting
• Display a sofa and two chairs or a sofa and love seat

The Dining Room

• Polish all visible silver and crystal
• If is it a large room, set the table for a formal dinner to help viewer imagine entertaining here
• If it is a small room, have a vignette on the table center

The Master Bedroom

• Organize furnishings to create a spacious look with well-defined sitting, sleeping and dressing areas
• If it’s a smaller room, downsize the bed from a king to a queen or double
• Remake the bed with new-looking linens

The Garage

• Tidy storage and work areas
• Clean the floor
• Provide a strong overhead light
• Remove all unnecessary items.

The Basement

• Remove all unnecessary items – organize neatly what’s left
• Clean and paint concrete floors and walls
• Clean all utilities – the furnace, water heater, water filtration containers
• Remove all cobwebs
• Provide strong overhead light

The Attic

• Discard or pre-pack any unnecessary items
• Make certain air vents are clear and working well
• Provide strong overhead lighting

Remodeling Payback:

The following information is from Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report. 2006 for the Manchester NH area.

• Cost Data from HomeTech Information Systems, Bethesda, MS. HomeTech collects data quarterly from home contractors.
• Prices include labor, material, sub-trades, and contractor overhead and profit.
• Resale Data are aggregate data from over 20,000 appraisers, real estate brokers, real estate sales people