My children spent the last couple of Halloweens Trick or Treating on Capitol Hill with family and friends. Washingtonians near the Eastern Market area go all out for Halloween, and my kids love the impressive home decorations and elaborate costumes.
While the row houses allow for a high rate of candy collection, there are some houses that that are so scary that my youngest son will happily forgo the candy and move on to the next house.
Home buyers can be the same way, and will move on to the next house if something scares them away. Here are a few staging tips that can help prevent scaring off home buyers:
Clearly Define Each Room
Is your dining room being used as an office and is your formal living room now a playroom? If so, switch the room back to its intended purpose otherwise home buyers may conclude the home is not spacious enough.
Darkness
Have you ever heard anyone say they like a house (other than a haunted house) because it is so dark? Be sure to turn on all of your lights for showing, open the blinds, and take down curtain panels that block too much light. Dark MLS photos will encourage Internet shoppers to move on to the next house.
Mismatched Appliances
Mismatched appliances disappoint buyers. The price of new, matching stainless steel appliances is much less than a price reduction of $20,000 or $30,000.
Wall Paper
Leaving dated wall paper on your walls is a trick not a treat to buyers. Though your wall paper may have been expensive, it poses a concern to buyers, and they may inflate the effort and cost of removal.
Clutter
Lots of clutter can turn your home into a haunted house! Your collections and paraphernalia can scare buyers into thinking there is no storage space in the home.
Please give us a ring at 571.230.4025 if we can help your home become less "scary".
Happy Halloween!
Katrina Cantrell
President, Capitol Staging LLC
