Home Staging During the Holidays

Home Staging During the Holidays

by | Nov 21, 2022 | Homes

Did You Know?

Staging your home for showings during the holidays can be a fine balancing act. You want to enjoy the season with the decorations you are accustomed to and traditions that your family enjoys. But you cannot overwhelm a buyer with too many personal and ornamental things or they are unable to see the house or imagine themselves in it.

Say welcome with a wreath on the door.
A simple lush wreath on the door is enough of a welcome. A blow-up Santa using a noisy air compressor on the lawn should stay in storage.

One tree is enough.
Find the perfect spot to display a tree and keep the size balanced with the area. Simple small lights and generic ornaments are much better than a themed tree that pay homage to an interest or experience your family has.

Decorate the mantle.
If you have a fireplace, a simple garland with ornaments or hanging stockings will be just right. Put the pictures of pets with Santa Paws up, but put the string of Christmas cards received away during showings. Keep it simple and uncluttered so the potential buyers and see the mantle.

Smell the cookies.
Baking a pan of cookies using a tube of ready-made dough, 30 minutes before a showing, will fill the house with cheer and hide minor smells that may turn buyers off.

Hear the songs.
Playing Christmas carols on LOW VOLUME in the kitchen or living room of your home will complete the simple but effective holiday staging.

Keep it simple for showings during the holidays to find a buyer who simply can’t resist.

The Nose Knows

The Nose Knows

by | Nov 11, 2022 | Idaho

Did You Know?

Showing a house during the holidays is a challenge. You have decluttered, cleaned, staged, and primped up the curb appeal. Don’t waste all that hard work by forgetting to tackle the air quality in your home.

Being greeted with an odor in a house is not the first impression you want to make. It’s important that the house smell CLEAN. Not perfumed or roiling in scented candle smells. Sometimes perfumed air is worse than the odor that is being covered.

Pet odor
You can take your pets out of the house, but you must neutralize their odor in the house. Keep their beds and lounging areas super clean. Launder their beds and keep them groomed and clean.

Smoke
Smoking in a home permeates the carpets, draperies, and upholstery. If you must smoke, I suggest you do it outside while trying to sell your house. Sprinkling baking soda on the carpet, allowing it to absorb the pet and smoke odors, will go a long way.

Vacuum
Enough said.

Food smells
Pay attention to what you cook the day of a showing and the day before a showing. Frying fish not only puts an oily smell into your house, but a fishy one as well. Cooked cabbage and brussels sprouts do not create a feeling of hominess to many people. Save the robust-smelling meals that you and I love for an outdoor kitchen or until after the house sells.

For an emergency air freshener:
Add water to a saucepan or small crockpot along with a fresh lemon or lime that has been sliced or quartered. Add in a spice you may have on hand, like a cinnamon stick or basil. Simmer very slowly, being sure not to let it simmer dry.

Refresh for the Holidays

Refresh for the Holidays

by | Nov 4, 2022 | Homes

Did You Know?

The holiday season is fast approaching. The kick-off is 3 weeks away with Thanksgiving. There is still time to organize some last-minute updatets to your home. Consistently doing small updates go a long way to protecting the market value and keeping your home current and enjoyable.

Paint the front door. It adds to curb appeal, first-impressions and is a welcome to your guests. Use a new color that is subtle and blends with the style and color of your home, or just keep the existing color fress and the door in good repair. Ask the professionals at your local paint store for help if you are choosing a new color.

Change hardware. Changing out the hardware in your home can have a big impact on the feeling. You can do a lot or a little. The biggest impact is changing cupboard door pulls in your kitchen and/or bathrooms. Be sure to measure and count the size and number of pulls you need before shopping. There are a lot of choices, so bring several styles home in small amounts, before buying the whole number needed.

Paint a room. A fresh coat of paint is not only a cost-effective way to update the look of a room, but it also provides a fresh, clean feel and smell. Try a new color, or simply refresh the existing color. Either way, painting a room will maintain the market value of the home.

Light Fixtures. Often overlooked, replacing outdated light fixtures can make a huge statement. During the holidays when you may have family and guests around your table, changin out a dining room chandelier or fixture can easily transform and update the room. Use an online guide for sizing and hanging advice to be sure your choice is the correct aspect and provides enough light for the room.

Change light switch covers. Dirty or borken light and plug-in switch covers are easy and inexpensive to change. As with the hardware, the choices are plentiful from decoratives ones to simple plastice new and clean ones.

Fall Back Daylight Savings

Last Reminder!
November 6, 2022 @2:00am
Fall back! It’s that time again where we mess with our internal clocks and we turn our physical clocks back one hour and get an extra bit of sleep.