Have You Heard of Digital Staging? It Might Be Right For You!

Many homeowners have heard of  various types of staging.  At its most basic level, it means sprucing up your home  with decor, new paint, and removal of excess items. 

The next level is a hybrid where the homeowner institutes a few of the  aforementioned basics, and  hires a stager for a room or two. 

 Yet another level is when a home stager is hired to show the home in its best light. That's wonderful, but it can get very costly.

The most cost efficient way  is to virtually stage a home, and that means having furniture photoshopped into the  home,  or items removed  from rooms where you have  excess furniture.

And no, it doesn't look fake if it's done right.  Here's a real world example:

85 Carol Road Stratford CT - New to the Market!

Leave your worries behind! Nothing to do but just move in to this delightful single level home with a refreshingly open floor plan that is cheerful and sunlit all the way through! Great spacious feeling- The remodeled kitchen has been opened up to the dining area, which in turn is open to the living room. Main bath has also been tastefully remodeled, too! The fourth bedroom can also double as a large den or office, or a more private main bedroom if so desired. Sit outside in front on the covered patio, or relax on your second patio and enjoy the peaceful and private views of your gorgeous backyard! Close to schools, shopping, bus and the train station is just 6 minutes away! BONUS: Roof and AC 1+ yr old, Boiler & HW tank replaced in 2015!

Maximizing Your Home's Price for The Spring Market

It’s almost spring and in many parts of the country the housing market is already starting to thaw. Some markets  are red hot. According to the S & P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Index, prices nationwide are up 5.6 percent as of November 2016. Pricing your house correctly and increasing appeal with low-cost, high-value upgrades can mean more offers.

The Price is Right

There’s generally two schools of thought in regard to listing price. One philosophy is to list at top price and lower the price progressively until it sells. Sellers who choose this strategy are usually in less of a hurry and more risk averse. A second strategy is to list slightly under expected sales price. These sellers are usually trying to sell faster and hope to bring multiple offers, boosting the final selling price. The latter is, counterintuitively, the better strategy for getting the most money for your home. Here’s how to do it:

Price Under a Typical Search Limit

If you home is worth $600,000, set your listing price at $600,000. This way, you capture everyone who might be setting their search ranges at $600,000 or less, and just as important? The $600,000 or more price range. Your home is NOT like a "big box" store. People understand that a home priced at $599,000 is really $600,000.  This way your home will be in two different common searches.

Create Demand

It might seem risky to underprice your home — what if your home is worth $800,000, you list for $875,000, and the offers all come in at only $775,000? First, that’s your home’s actual market worth. Two, if you receive offers you don’t like, you can counteroffer or decline them. Listing your home under value creates a psychological sense of urgency. You want buyers to visit your home and become attached enough to put in an offer. If enough people do this at once, you have created a buyer frenzy and increased your chance for multiple offers and escalated prices.

Use Comprehensive Comparables

Your agent should create a comparative market analysis of recently sold homes but also those currently active, expired and off-market. What is selling is as important as what is not. According to Zillow, ensure your home is priced within 10 percent of the average home price in your area. If there are few sold comparables nearby, price your home 10 percent under any currently active or expired listings.

Home Improvements Before Listing

There are many home improvements that might enhance your home’s value, such as putting in an expensive new kitchen or bath, but stick to the lowest cost for the highest possible value. Your goal is to make a positive first impression and sell your home quickly.

Replace Tired Flooring

If your carpet is more than five years old, has unsightly stains or is starting to buckle, it’s time to replace it. You can replace carpet with carpet but today’s buyers see more value in hard floors. Buyers with kids or pets tend to prefer engineered floors, bamboo, or cork for their sustainability. One continuous floor of the same material also creates the appearance that the home is bigger, creating an impression your home is worth more.

Paint, Paint, Paint

A coat of paint can cover scuff marks and dirt and brighten a room. Did you love flamingo pink for your hallway and forest green in your kitchen? That’s great! But chances are buyers won’t have your tastes so instead opt for neutral colors such as grays and earth tones when readying your home to sell.

Revitalize Your Kitchen

Fully remodeled kitchens are a great return on investment but don’t spend the money if you are looking to sell. Instead, paint them with Annie Sloan chalk paint. Chalk paint looks so good the buyers will barely be able to tell it’s not the original finish. For about $500 you can transform your kitchen in a weekend.


Written by Realty Times Staff

JudySzablak #TopAgent #FairfieldCounty #Connecticut #Realtor #ColdwellBanker #JudySells #Houses #Homes and #Condos  #ThePetitePowerhouse #TheRealtorWithDrive  203.257.5892

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County Connecticut?  Contact us!

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Fairfield County Connecticut, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like: Find out more about Judy here

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com      www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

and www.BestWestportHomes.com

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY

What Sellers Should Know About Pets and Showings

Selling your home? Keep in mind that buyers and their agents should feel welcome to look at the property at their leisure without danger or distractions. So while you adore your sweet-tempered pit bull rescue, he could turn territorial, barking and growling at potential homebuyers. And it could cost you the opportunity to sell your home.

Think of buyers as guests and work to make them feel comfortable as they consider your home for purchase. If you have a protective dog or one that isn't well-trained, drop her off at doggie day care when you know your home is going to be shown. Or call a pet sitter on call who can take your pet for a long walk while your home is being shown.

If you must leave the dog at home, don't expect real estate professionals to handle your dog. They are not dog trainers and should not be expected to risk a dog bite to show your home to buyers. This is where crate-training can be a huge advantage. At least your dog is secured and more inclined to relax while your home is being shown.

What you should not do is leave your dog loose in the backyard. Not only does the buyer not have access to part of the property, but your dog could bark so much that the din drives the buyer out of the house. Also, don't leave your dog at the neighbor's. It's just as bad if the buyer believes a noisy dog lives next door.

Housecats can also repel buyers. Most homes aren't designed with a convenient place for the litter box, so cat owners do the best they can. Owners get used to the smells of catboxes and fishy foods, which could be offensive to buyers who don't have cats.

While buyers aren't afraid of being cat-attacked, cats can still be startling -- they appear silently without warning and they jump on furniture and counters. And if you've taught your cat to jump on your shoulders, you can imagine what could happen to an unsuspecting buyer.

Exotic pets can be showing-stoppers, too. Birds are gorgeous, but a puffed-up screeching cockatoo can be intimidating and dangerous. Imagine a buyer bringing small children who can't resist sticking their fingers in the cage and quickly get rewarded with a nasty bite from a very strong beak.

When you're selling a home, keep in mind that the first two weeks on the market are crucial. That's the time you want your home to be pristine and move-in ready. You don't want any noise, smells or stains that could put buyers off.

Sell your home faster and for more money by making your home as inviting and accessible as possible, so that buyers have no barriers to overcome. Accessibility to your home is just as important as price, condition and location.


Courtesy of RealtyTimes/ Blanche Evans

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County?  Contact us!

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in  Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like: Find out more about Judy here

www.JudySzablakRealtor.com

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com      www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

and www.BestWestportHomes.com

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY

Is Your Home's For Sale Sign Covered With Cobwebs?

Your home's for sale sign should never get dusty, or full of cobwebs. PERIOD.

If sellers only knew  what their agent WASN'T doing to sell their home, they would be appalled. Trust me, other agents can spot a lack of professionalism a mile away, and it translates right down to YOUR property, YOUR sales price, and YOUR Bottom line.

In  reviewing some listings in the three million dollar plus range for a client of mine, there was some rather elementary attempts at marketing, especially given the styling and features of the homes being presented.  That is certainly not to say that if your home's listing price is $100,000  that you shouldn't get good service, or great marketing. Of course you should!  The feeble attempts at marketing from so-called professionals are positively abominable, in my opinion. No wonder why so many homeowners get discouraged.

You as a homeowner, have the ability to change that.  Look at your marketing materials and your home's online presentation as if you were a buyer. Does the short listing description make you want to know more about the house? Does it make you want to see that property? If  you don't see important marketable features of your home highlighted, or just see some fluffy description that really doesn't catch your eye, have your agent change it. OR CHANGE AGENTS. You lose money every day that your home is available for sale and mis-marketed, and the loss compounds over time, even if the market doesn't change.

You would think that maybe, just maybe... the listing agents would put as much information in the listing as they could. Everyone knows that we don't get paid unless the house gets sold.

Well,  think again. Misquoted square footage. misquoted taxes, impressive home features left completely out of the listing, not enough pictures, poorly presented photos, no room measurements, no room descriptions, Poorly worded and grammatically incorrect remarks. It goes on and on.

I can go on here, too. ( I know I am passionate about this- I really was taken aback after looking at these listings earlier.) Have you checked out your home on Realtor.com? Your agent can amend the description here, too. It doesn't take long, and it can make a world of difference. What about your agent's personal website? Is your home featured there? You would think this is Standard Operating Procedure, but guess what?  It may not be for that agent!  Do you happen to know what percentage of  agents haven't updated their personal site in the last six months?  That number is close to 65 percent!

If the agent is NOT taking care of their professional presence on the internet, how can they take care of you?

If you want your home to get the best marketing possible, by an experienced agent, it's time to contact me. It's time to get your home sold by an agent who cares how they market your property.

I am in the business of selling homes, and I'd like to be in business with you. Contact me today to get your home IN the Market, and I WILL get your home sold.

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County?  Contact us!

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in  Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like: Find out more about Judy here

www.JudySzablakRealtor.com

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com      www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

and www.BestWestportHomes.com

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY