Two weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of jumping into Chloe Real Estate's Realtor Wagon and talking about spring refreshes. I talked about the 3 P's: Paint, Purge and Pillows! These 3 action points are definitely major necessities when preparing to sell your home. I have included more details on the 3 P's as well as a few other important steps below!
1. Paint - Paint is THE most inexpensive way to update your home or simply to freshen the space. Paint can make an instant transformation. When staging your home, I always suggest light and neutral colors. This allows a buyer to really see the space and see the square footage. It can also make rooms feel bigger. Plus, right now, whites, grays and beige's are on trend in home design. Some of my favorite Benjamin Moore paint colors right now are: Classic Gray, Agreeable Gray, Wickham Gray, Gray Owl, Simply White, and Revere Pewter.
Another component of paint updates are to think outside the box. SO many items in your home can be refreshed with a coat of paint! Between chalk paint, spray paint, and paint for metals, you can tackle some dated furniture, your light fixtures and even your fireplace! Here are a few of my favorite paints: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Krylon, and Rub N Buff. I have personally used these paints and have loved the outcomes.
2. Purge - Purging is another inexpensive way to update your home. I can't stress enough that buyers do not want to see clutter. They also do not want to see your decorations. I once told a client that to get her space ready, we needed to un- decorate, which sounds strange but it is so true. As a rule of thumb, keep the bare necessities in place in each room, but nothing more. The less "full" your home looks, the better. The attention should be on your home and not on your personal decor style.
I had never heard of this, and I recently posted on Facebook that Amazon will take in your used goods. All you have to do is save your Amazon boxes, fill them up and send them in. Learn more here about this awesome program. I am a huge fan of donating to Goodwill or Big Brothers Big Sisters. We have a great drive thru Goodwill nearby and Big Brothers Big Sisters will come right to the front porch to pick up your items. Also, Facebook's Marketplace is another easy way to pass on items that you no longer want or need. Purging has never been easier! To keep myself organized I constantly have a "donate bag" going. I leave it in my closet and fill it over time so that things don't get out of control. Once the bag is full, I make a donation.
3. Pillows - Pillows are fairly inexpensive and can give an instant face lift to a space. They bring in texture, color and coziness. They are my favorite way to pull a space together. While I recommend un-decorating your home when getting ready to sell it, pillows are a way to keep character in the home and can add some color to those neutral walls without being overwhelming like some other decor choices.
Once I discovered down pillow inserts, I haven't been able to go back to poly filled pillows. I LOVE that you can change the covers with the seasons or simply when you are tired of a color palette. Inserts come in standard sizes with 20" X 20" being the most popular. My favorite inserts are from Ikea and are super inexpensive. Covers can be bought almost anywhere but to get a designer look, my favorite shops are Etsy, Pottery Barn, Danielle Oakey, Serena & Lily and McGee & Co. And how much easier is it to store pillow covers as opposed to mountains of pillows?? You're welcome:)
4. Curb Appeal - I can't stress enough how important this step is. Buyers start making a decision about your home the minute they drive up to it. In a competitive market, your home needs to stand out to these buyers. The most common issues I come across are the following: chipping paint, dirty siding, broken outdoor lighting, messy landscape, weeds and a less than inviting front entry. These are all simple fixes with some work OR a few hundred dollars spent on professionals. The biggest tip I can give is that your home should look neat and tidy from the exterior. Feel free to use some paint to spruce up light fixtures and front doors as well as pretty pots with flowers to draw attention to the front entry!
5. Quick Fixes - This last suggestion is really personal to your home. When you look around, what jumps out as needing updating? 9 times out of 10, most homeowners already know what is dated. If an item has been around for 10 years, chances are it needs updating. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes: do you have older, dated light fixtures? Old appliances? Worn out welcome mats, a broken mailbox or dated drapery? These are all items that I will advise sellers to change prior to listing their home. These items do not need to be costly especially with so many online resources these days. My favorite go-to quick fix resources are Target, Ikea, HomeGoods, and Wayfair. From light fixtures and rugs to shades and mailboxes, these stores pretty much carry it all. These changes can make all the difference to a buyer that is forming an impression about your home. If you feel that you need some help focusing on updates, ask your realtor for a recommendation for a staging specialist - we can give you that "buyer's eye" to prepare for photos and showings!