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Events near you!
Here are some local Washington events that may be happening near you this July! Hopefully I can make it to at least one 🙂
$10,000 Throw Pillows
Have you ever purchased $10,000 worth of throw pillows? You might if you are selling your home! I don’t mean the pillows will actually cost $10,000 but, they could put $10,000 in your pocket by increasing the value of your house. The reality in today’s market is that staging a home is no longer luxury. It’s a necessity! That doesn’t always mean hauling out your own furniture and filling it with fake furniture, but it does mean putting it in market ready condition. Neutral colors with consistent pops is the easiest option and gives you the best bang for the buck. To start, you must pick a theme color. An example would be, blue or grey as a neutral color with a pop of orange and/or white. Throughout this process you will likely spend a couple hundred dollars on coordinating throw pillows, wall art, and hand towels, even if you buy them from TJ Maxx or Fred Meyer. Remember, you are not decorating, you are staging! When I decorate my own house, I buy $50 throw pillows from pottery barn because I LOVE THEM, AND MY ENJOYMENT FACTOR IS WORTH THE MONEY. However, $50 per pillow will not get you more money when you sell your house. Remember, decorating is for personal enjoyment but staging is for effect.
Once your pillows, art, and hand towels are set it may not seem that dramatic to the eye, but it will be dramatic in the photos. Photos are how buyers are enticed to come see your house in person, so how the photos look is just as important as the house.
That may be all you need to pull your room and house together. The more your house is pulled together, the faster it will sell, and the faster it sells, the less negotiating you TYPICALLY have to do. I have regularly seen homes that are market ready sell for $10,000 more than those that looked like they threw a sign in the yard on their way to the next activity.
Must have pockets
Is there something you do in your daily life, specifically because of your job or lifestyle, that you don’t even think about because it’s such a habit? When my son was little I carried a baby bag. He is now almost 18, and no longer needs apple juice and fish crackers, but I still have not given up the large purse (which may or may not contain fish crackers). When I started in real estate 13 years ago I didn’t realize my wardrobe would need to change as well. But here’s the thing, I always have 15 things to hold at once. My car keys, my phone, the MLS key, the printouts of the house I’m showing, then the key to the house that I’m showing. Thus….the pockets. Now when I purchase a coat, skirt, pants and even dresses, I look at the pockets first to make sure they can hold my stuff. Then I try it on. This is one small stage of real estate, and now the title of my blog. The fun thing about the people I meet is that they are fascinated about the market, house values, communities, and what my job entails. So, this blog is about real estate from all aspects: the things I learn, the advice I give and get, the current market, tips for selling and buying a house, and the many ups and downs of a lifestyle career. I love real estate and this is simply another way to engage my community with my favorite people, such as you.
Jennifer
