So many homes for sale today have been lived in. They're fine. They keep the rain out, there's places for everyone to be, keep stuff, do stuff and be together. But, they're not new. They're "pre-owned", "lived-in", and "worn" to varying degrees. How then can these venerable structures retain their value and compete with new construction?
Here is Part 1 of an article I've been working on for a bit now. The whole article is a bit long for a single blog, so today we'll have Tips 1 - 4. In part 2, I'll review the survey presented at last month's International Home Builder's Show in Orlando, FL, where a panel of experts discussed what consumers say they are looking for in a brand new house, and then incorporate those "wants" into tips 5 - 9.
Tip 1 - Lighting
The biggest "tangible" difference
you can make to approximate new construction is to add lighting. Lots of it.
Especially recessed lighting. That says new construction to me faster than anything else.
I like the idea that came up in a previous post - of changing out the switchplates for a crisp new look - yet wonder if it's ethical to get the electrician in to replace all the thin button switches to the 1" panel ones? It's looks like then you've updated the wiring, but have you?
I think if you want top dollar in this and indeed any market, you should add recessed lighting.
Tip 2 - Mint Condition
If a brand new home is all new, it is essentially in Mint Condition. An owner-occupied house can also be put into mint condition:
Fresh paint, Refinished (or Buffed Up) Floors, everything in like-new or "triple-mint condition" as I often see in listings.
In addition, as we all know and repeat ad infinitum, you can do a lot to oust that "pre-owned" sense once the whole house is clean, very clean, sparklingly CLEAN!!
A freshly shampooed, or newly installed carpet can have paper or plastic runners/pathways down. This not only directs the flow, and order of how the home gets shown, but also clearly suggests that there is something on the floor worth preserving!
More and more, I'm having to remind sellers to bleach the grout, or even re-grout (in bathrooms and kitchens.) Sellers, you need to Kaboom everything in sight, and replace anything seriously moldy, chipped and disintegrating.
Tip 3 - SMELL
All homes have a smell. New homes, like new cars, have a very distinct, attractive aroma. What is it? I'm thinking it has to be a combination of paint, varnish, sawdust.... but if I paint my nails near a cedar-scented candle I can't get close!! (An A.P.B. to Inventors... if you can bottle New Car, can you take a crack at New House?)
All occupied homes have a certain smell, too. Usually not the nicest. Consider shampooing the rugs and carpets, steam cleaning the curtains and opening up the windows for fresh air. The Fabreze 7 Day Program is hugely effective - I recommend it. Always have a can on hand to run round your house with it as you're turning on lights, just prior to a showing.
Tip 4 - Certified Pre-owned
It worked for Lexus. Then BMW, Mercedes and now it's so standard there's an auto industry acronym - CPO. "Can I interest you in a CPO?" (And we all thought CPO stood for Certified Professional Organizer....)
Some realty offices offer an inexpensive home warranty program. This is a great way of assuring the buyer that all the equipment is in fine working order and if not, it's covered by insurance. The risk shifts to the seller and the buyer feels more at ease.
You can extend your current warranties on appliances and offer that as an incentive to the buyer. This again shifts the risk and ameliorates the anxiety.
Any brand new appliance should have its sticker still on with the energy savings, etc. but more on that in Part 2.
We have had good success with these tactics and other staging principles, here in the $1 - 3 million niche of homes in North Central New Jersey. Stay tuned for Part 2....
....where I'll review the list of "wants" people are asking for in new homes, as identified at last month's International Builders' Show in Florida. Then I'll answer those wants with tips 5 - 9.
© Juliet Johnson Staging
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Juliet - thanks for the great tips on staging. Smell is especially important and often overlooked but it's the first thing people notice when they enter a home.
Hi Juliet, I'll look forward to reading "Part 2" when you post it! We tell our clients who are selling a "pre-owned" home that there is so much new construction on the market right now, they need to ready to compete with those homes and remodeled homes, too. Lighting it HUGE! Not just adding lighting, but replacing outdated light fixtures, especially in the dining room and bathrooms. Nothing dates a home more quickly than outdated lighting and it's not that expensive to change. All the "new" features in the home should be the same finish (bronze, black, brushed nickel, whatever the choice is), and similar in style.
Hi Juliet - I really enjoyed reading Part 1 and have bookmarked it. I'll keep looking for the rest of the info. As a Stager, we always recommend to our clients clean and clutter free but I haven't yet suggested that homeowners replace all dated lighting. I think you raise a good point there. One of my own pet peeves is a home with multiple hardware finishes: brass, antique brass, shiny chrome, brushed nickel...people need to pick one (preferably a current style) and be consistent throughout the home.
I am so with you on the lighting Juliet. In my opinion lighting is the single most effective element in any interior, yet very often overlooked - even in new homes. I recently consulted on a new $700k home in which it is obvious no (intelligent) thought was given to lighting.
Greatpost Juliet! thanks for sharing. KH
Good points Juliet, I am helping with a renovation project for a family member and they want the place updated for living in... as well as being ready for the market in a couple of years for a sale... recessed lighting in the kitchen is one thing they could really use! -- And take down the coca cola wallpaper border and ceiling fan they inherited from the previous owner!
Cheers, all. I remember working on a house and still feeling it looked dated, but couldn't put my finger on it. That night, I read 'Peggy's Corner' (Peggy Selinger-Eaton's excellent staging handbook) where she bans ALL brass light fixtures. It clicked. The brass was what was making the home look tired. Unless it's really old, brass from the 60s, 70s and 80s just doesn't wear well.
Janis, you sound very firm about one finish of hardware throughout....maybe they could do it room by room, as if by intentional design.
Deborah, it's funny, people think you can economize with few overhead lights, but the truth is the room is so much warmer and flexible for usage the more cans you have, on a coupld of different switches.
Juliet, You have out done yourself with this post. All excellent information and well delivered. Your "Certified Pre-Owned" connection is fantastic and certainly provides another way to help home sellers place their (dare I say it?) "used" homes in a better position. Great post!
Great tips! You have suggested minor changes that will bring sellers a huge return. I agree that lighting is crucial in homes. I am looking forward to the rest!
Thanks, Yvonne, I love the CPO, too. I hope it was my idea, but I'm just not sure. It makes so much sense, doesn't it? It gives cache to something that the marketers of new construction are trying to take away.
Bevin, you and Melissa do great things with lighting... if I were a broker in Charleston, I'd want you guys on every property my folks listed! After all, people are drawn to the ocean for the sun, its warmth, its light... it only makes sense to infuse its energy into every nook and cranny.
Great post Juliet and I look forward to Part 2. I agree too about the lighting - especially recessed lighting. That is such an added feature. No one has commented on your question yet about whether or not it is unethical to have the electrical switches changed to the new, wider ones. Personally, I don't think it would be unethical. Many homeowners make the change to the newer switches themselves. We did when we bought our house. In most cases, people are going to get a home inspection done anyway, so they would find out then whether or not a home's electrical wiring has been updated. I'd be curious to see what other's thoughts are on that, because I think it makes a definite improvement to the overall appearance, much more up-to-date looking.
Right on with that Juliete - few lights make decor far more challenging and people end up overcompensating with other things for the lack!
Great advice on updating a pre-owned home. I just finished staging a home that was built in the 90's. I recommended updating all the lighting and removing all the dated window treatments. I know this will make a BIG improvement. This property has been on the market almost one year!
So far the owner hasn't done either. :( I am keeping my finger's crossed.
My fingers are crossed with you, Janice. I met Jeff Schnitter today who teaches a terrific series of courses onj Foreclosures. Apparently he is Majorly into staging and includes it as Step 7 on his 7 steps to Foreclosure!!! I'm telling you friends, the time for staging is now! You all weren't around in the seller's market 6 years ago. It was like beating your head against a wall.
These are great posts Juliet, I'm bringing these up for others who may just skim the 1st page.
Thanks!
Juliet- I find your posts to be very informative and creative at the same time. All that you have mention are great ways to update pre-owned homes. I am sure part 2 will be just as good. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Barbara, and welcome to the Rain! It was fun looking at all of your impressive B & As and trying to pick out your suppliers. I won't tell!!! Lovely work. Let's chat sometime, my guess is our businesses touch up at Nutley and Montclair... no?