Are you putting your home on the market soon? Well, whether you’re selling in one of the most affordable neighborhoods in San Francisco or most popular ones in Austin, every homeowner should prepare their home for open houses and personal tours. As your real estate agent is probably suggesting, the more traffic your home sees the more bids you’ll most likely attract. In fact, according to recent data homes that have open houses not only sell for more on average ($9,000+), they also spend fewer days on the market. Who wouldn’t want that?
To better understand what actually makes a successful open house and what homeowners can do to make their property shine to potential homebuyers, we went out and talked with the pros that know. From home designers to professional staging companies, these experts gave their top tips, tricks, and advice on how you should be preparing your home for an open house.
1. Generate traffic: “It's crucial to have great professional photographs to get potential buyers interested in seeing the home in person. Real estate agents should present a buying/selling Q&A session with a mortgage professional, stager, and home inspector at the open house - this will give buyers a great takeaway, and leave a lasting impression.” Joan Inglis - Carolina Spaces
2. Enhance your curb appeal: “An open house should start with an inviting curb appeal enhanced with a fresh coat of paint, new light fixtures, big planters framing the entrance and trimmed grass.” Clara Godbey - Home Staging & Organizing
3. Clean and declutter: “Think 5-star hotel for your home’s open house; repairs completed, replacements installed, de-personalized, de-cluttered, immaculately clean, with all furnishings arranged picture perfect.” Sherry Castaldi - Organized by Design
4. Think about the little things: “Having an open house is all about creating an unforgettable experience. Pillows, plants, and candles can bring life and highlight the best areas of your home.” Agnieszka Wilk - Decorilla
5. Let light in: “Wash your windows on the inside and outside so that they're sparkling clean! Push back or remove heavy, dated window treatments. Let in as much natural light as possible.” Mary Ann Pickett- Classic Casual Home
6. Make simple updates: “Buyers connect with a home emotionally within 15 seconds of walking through the front door. Updating paint colors and replacing lighting is one of the least expensive ways to make the biggest impact and make your home relevant to your buyer.” Helen Bartlett - Kansas City Home Stagers
7. Think light and bright: “Buyers are looking for light and bright. Remove heavy window coverings and bring in fresh neutral paint colors.” Erin Quigley - Open House
8. Stage your home: “Rent it, don’t buy it! When it comes to preparing for an open house, renting furniture is popular because it offers unlimited options, regardless of size or style. You can rent just the pieces you need for as long as you need them, and then you don’t have to worry about moving or storing the furniture once the home is sold.” Erin Osterhaus - CORT
9. Accessorize strategically: “Strategic accessorizing is key! Faux fur pillows, thick blankets, candles, and flowers create a cozy environment that is sure to make buyers feel warm and fuzzy while touring a home.” Priscilla Bettencourt - Halcyon
10. Fluff the pillows: “Fluff the pillows on sofas and beds; messy pillows visually creates a messy house. Also, playing soft music through the home is a nice touch; jazz or classical is always appropriate.” Sonja Parker - Design Box
11. Open doors and windows: “Open up doors and windows and let buyers head outdoors to linger and admire the beautiful surroundings while serving some refreshing peach tea and sweet treats and make it a Facebook LIVE worthy event!” Krisztina Bell - No Vacancy Home Staging
12. Add a little green: “Add a little green to any space that needs a spark of life -- a tropical floor plant, a potted tree, or even a little succulent arrangement in a staged room can go a long way to wake up the space and make it inviting.” Anne Christensen - Red House Staging & Interiors
13. Have the TV on: “Appeal to the sports enthusiast and have a TV on with "the game." This keeps everyone happy, and hopefully in the house longer.” Lisa Basham - Staged to Sell Homes
14. Offer a local taste: “One open house trend we're loving is the serving of local food, which gives prospective buyers a taste of neighborhood flair. Consider pre-packaged treats from a nearby bakery, or even a local food truck parked outside (bonus: the mess stays outside of the beautifully staged house)!” Alex Lon - Decoist
15. Create a memorable experience: “Bring a Bluetooth speaker for music (Miles Davis is always a safe bet), fresh flowers beautifully arranged, and a killer cheese and fruit tray.” Heather Visnesky - Abode
16. Be mindful of traffic flow: “Extra pieces of furniture crowding a room or a random floor lamp in a dining room can trip people up as they walk through. Open houses get crowded and you want to make sure folks can navigate easily. If they can’t, buyers will wonder if they can entertain easily in the home.” Julie Chrissis - Chrissis & Company Interiors
17. Provide a neighborhood perspective: “Provide a neighbor testimonial sheet! Prior to the open house ask surrounding neighbors to state what they love most about living in that neighborhood. Attach testimonials to the hand out sheets.” Leslie Eicher - Staging that Sells
18. Create a lasting impression: "I want to walk into a home that feels so bright, clean, modern, consistent and beautifully furnished that I never want to leave.” Jessamy Tsoris - Color Zen
This article was originally published on Redfin.
The model home design services of Carolina Spaces Furniture & Design were once again featured in the Metro Charlotte New Home Guide magazine. Our merchandising of a builder's model home in Rock Hill, SC was showcased four times in the November 2018 - January 2019 issue, including our merchandisig of the kitchen, dining and outdoor living area of the home. This included the special Builder's Report section of the magazine, as the photo displayed for Lee Lighting's "A Selection of Current Trends in Home Lighting" article was of Carolina Spaces' merchandising of the kitchen and dining area of the Rock Hill model home. The model was also highlighted as having won a Silver Award in the feature on Charlotte HBA's 2018 Parade of Homes winners.
Carolina Spaces' award-winning model home merchandising services are available nationwide.
Carolina Spaces Furniture & Design, the Charlotte region's leading interior design, model home merchandising and luxury staging firm, has closed 2018 with the addition of four new awards. These awards, all received during the fourth quarter of 2018, add to the firm's extensive list of accolades received since its inception in 2004.
The Lake Norman Home Builders Association's 15th Annual Best of the Lake Design Competition awarded Carolina Spaces with Best Residential Interior Staging of a Property $500,000 - $999,000 and Best Residential Interior Staging of a Luxury Property over $1,000,000. This is the fourth year in a row that Carolina Spaces has taken home the prize for the luxury staging over $1,000,000 category.
The International Association of Home Staging Professionals® (IAHSP®) awarded Carolina Spaces with the award for Best Vacant Staging at their 2018 International Convention and Expo in Charlotte. Carolina Spaces also won the award for Best Vacant Staging in 2017. The award was given to Carolina Spaces both years over staging companies from around the world.
Carolina Spaces Furniture & Design merchandised the "Byford" model for Avencia Homes in the Riverwalk community, which was placed in the Fall 2018 Charlotte Parade of Homes. The parade judges honored this home with the Silver Award for its price category.
"We are humbled and honored that our work was recognized on the local, regional and international level in the last three months of 2018. We are excited to add these awards to our long list of accolades, which demonstrate our consistency and commitment to high-quality work with high-quality service that generates high-quality results," said Joan Inglis, Founder, Owner and Lead Designer.
View the entire press release at PR.com.
Carolina Spaces Furniture & Design - based in Lake Wylie, SC, just south of Charlotte, NC - offers award-winning, full-service interior design, professional home staging, model home merchandising and luxury home staging not just to the greater Charlotte area, but to all of the Southeast. Our model home merchandising and interior design services are also available nationwide.
Joan Inglis, Founder and Lead Designer of Carolina Spaces - the leading home staging, model merchandising and interior design firm in North and South Carolina, was asked to provide her expertise in the August-September-October 2018 issue of the Metro Charlotte New Home Guide. Joan shared her wealth of home staging knowledge by authoring the article "The Importance of Home Staging" as featured in The Builder Report section of the magazine.
In her article, Joan explains the need to stage homes for a faster sale, the importance of using a seasoned professional with verifed references, and the amount to budget for investment in full-service professional home staging.
Joan Inglis has been featured dozens of times on TV, online and in print. She has won numerous local, state, regional and internatonal awards since forming her company, Carolina Spaces, in 2004. Carolina Spaces is the leading expert in Home Staging, Luxury Home Staging, Model Home Merchandising and Interior Design in the Charlotte, NC region and provides award-winning services throughout the Southeast. Model Home services for home builders are available nationwide. Call 1-855-SPACES-5 or Contact Us for more information.
View more information at Blogspot.com.
Carolina Spaces' model home design services were again featured in the Metro Charlotte New Home Guide magazine. The August 2018 issue showcased in full-page view our model home merchandising of the outdoor living area of a model home in Rock Hill, SC, while our merchandising of the model home's kitchen and dining area was featured in the magazine's Parade of Homes section.
Carolina Spaces' award-winning model home merchandising services are available nationwide.
Carolina Spaces is the leading expert in model home merchandising, home staging, luxury home staging, and interior design in the Charlotte, NC region and throughout the Southeast. Call 1-855-SPACES-5 or Contact Us for more information on our award-winning services.
"Looks just like a model home!" Those were the Realtor's words used to describe this charming home in the Ballantyne area of South Charlotte when it was listed on the market after home staging by Carolina Spaces.
After a fresh coat of paint and a kitchen facelift, this previous rental was still lacking a "wow" factor. The vacant rooms appeared small, and felt cold and uninviting. Carolina Spaces furnished and staged the main living areas, the master bedroom and two secondary bedrooms to showcase this home in its best light. The results were immediate!
Don't let your property sit on the market un-staged, undergoing price reductions while you're still paying the carrying costs. Let our award-winning home staging help your home sell faster and for the most money possible!
Carolina Spaces, based outside of Charlotte in Lake Wylie, SC, is a full-service home staging, luxury home staging, model home merchandising, and interior design firm providing services to the Southeast. Carolina Spaces has successfully staged properties in all price points - from entry-level starter homes to multi-million dollar luxury estates. Contact us for more information on our award-winning services!
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