Complimentary Wall Colors Add Value to Home Sales

Experience proves that staging a home adds value to the selling price and garners quick sales, however without the structure of a well maintained home a quick sale may take a little longer than necessary. A home owner may chose to save money and avoid changing their wall color, thinking it is just paint, no big deal. But it is a big deal! When a home has been painted with bold, in-your-face colors, the walls show wear and tear, are dirty, or painted in stark white, home buyers will be turned off and it can be more difficult for you to sell the home. Consequently the home will sit on the market longer and unfortunately lose the potential for a higher selling price.

Zillow.com conducted a study in 2016, of color schemes of 50,000 homes sold during a 10-year period beginning in 2006. The results showed the highest sale of premium homes with kitchens painted in hues of creamy or wheat yellow. These homes did better than those painted white or eggshell, or had no color at all. Other top-performing listings had earthy tones like sage green or dove gray walls.

Now in Santa Fe, NM, opting for sage green walls may not be the choice of color to use especially with our heritage of rich warm tones and new creamy palettes. Instead, consider a warm palette in neutrals that are stylish and clean, and compliments the homes architectural features. Lighting, flooring and additional elements of the rooms will play an important role in selecting the proper color and should be taken into consideration whether the home is for sale or one to live in for many years to come.

Images: the harsh eggplant walls (before image-top) was a hard sale. Lightening up the room with neutral creamy wall colors and staging accessories in complimentary hues (after-bottom image) created a relaxing and cozy master bedroom and an offer received shortly after listing.

At DeMarais | home staging + design we offer color consultations and home staging solutions to help sell homes fast and for top dollar! Contact Debbie at 505.699.4989 today to schedule an on-line consultation. Check out our portfolio or reach us www.homestagingsantafe.com.

Challenges If Not Staging a Home

There are challenges in selling a home that is vacant compared to one which has been staged. For instance, the first thing buyers experience is empty, cold and unattractive rooms, areas of neglect are front and center, even if the rooms have been painted, there is nothing for buyers to connect with visually, and no perspective for the scale and size of the space. The home remains on the market for many months with little or no interest from buyers and their agents and ultimately frustrating the seller. Buyers do find ways to ask for a reduction in price because they see the duration of the listing period and assume that the seller is eager to sell. Empty homes also lose momentum when listed before they are staged. Many sellers think they will save money if they stage it later, however the listing period continues even after staging and each month results in big loses for their return on investment.

The benefits of staging an empty home are enormous! Using a trained home stager, they will work with the home and each room to create strategic placement of furniture, decor and artwork, the home says "welcome" to prospective buyers, and home staging provides intention while giving each room purpose, plus the features of the home are highlighted.

Vacant home before and after images of master bedroom and living room with dining room.

In this example, upon entering the house, in the living room is immediately off the front door,  the couch was placed against the wall to project a larger room size and draw focus to the kiva fireplace, rather than the odd shaped and small room.

Of course the major benefits to home staging is more money in your pocket and faster sales, incredible photos for on-line marketing, which do make a difference, and in most cases staging a home will increase the selling price.

As a trained and certified home stager, I encourage my clients to make the most of their listing and invest in the process of staging their home at the start. This means taking the time to fix and mend those neglected areas, freshen up the wall colors, replace outdated light fixtures, do a deep clean, and hire a trained home stager. Trained home stagers know how to maximize and position the home to sell, they focus on placement, furnishing arrangements and are trained to style the home to attract buyers. Some home stagers are able to use existing furnishings or they have an inventory you can rent.

These little tips will bring in faster offers in a shorter timeframe and the home will stand out against the competition. Buyers are savvy, they do not want to buy a house if it is dirty, unattractive, has a lot of repairs to do (unless of course the house is sold-as is for a lower price), looks a mess and is empty. Buyers want the perception they are getting move-in ready home and one that feels like a five-star hotel when they walk in.

All homes deserve to look their best and this can be achieved through home staging. If you want to sell your home quickly, first step hire a trained home stager, it's a wise investment that gets great results!

Debbie DeMarais is a trained and certified home stager at DeMarais home staging + design, and trained in the field of interior design. She provides full service solutions for occupied and vacant staging, color consultations, and interior design services. She can be reached at 505-699-4989 to schedule a personalized consultation to sell your home faster.

Staging to sell, or leave as is?

Sell a home as is or stage to sell? An awesome transformation to this home in Wilderness Gate, Santa Fe, NM will garner more money now that it's staged rather than if it was left as is.

We removed the center island blocking the amazing views of Santa Fe, painted, cleaned out years of personal belongings, updated the kitchen, and more. This home seller will be able to sell the home for more money with home staging and the updates we recommended. With a complete transformation it is positioned to sell quickly. 

Ready to stage your home, contact me to schedule a consultation.

Debbie DeMarais

DeMarais | home staging + design

Certified Home Stager and Designer

Neglected First Impressions

I recently visited a home for sale, where the seller assumed that they didn't need to maintain its appearances since the "for sale" sign was up. This is a common thought that serves no purpose other than to have the house sit on the market for months, have no interest from potential buyers and disengage the agent from really promoting and advertising the home, and selling it! Bottom line - can a seller afford to keep the house on the market when attention-to-detail is a minor expense?

If the front of the home, which should be pristine, is neglected what does it say about the inside of the home? The home, especially if vacant should shine! Buyer's as well as agents, are not interested in cleaning up after a seller, unless it's a fixer-upper and is being sold as such, but then that is a different story for another day. There's such a competitive market out there can a buyer really afford to disregard appearances?

First impressions to consider:

• Clean up dead plants, scattered leaves, dirt and trash, blown in with the wind that has gathered along the walkway and front door.
• Overgrown branches, scraggly bushes and weeds must be cut back, trimmed and removed.
• Wear and tear or paint peeling on the front door, should be stripped, painted or stained and if the door is heavily damaged replace it.
• Front doorbell and lights - do they work? If not, replace or repair and clean the light fixture to rid of cobwebs and dirt.
• Windows - should be clean and sparkly, and check the window screens are they tattered, damaged or not hanging properly? If so, get them fixed.
• Snow - yes, it's that time to think about it. Hire a neighbor kid to shovel the driveway, front walkway, porch and steps and scatter Snow Melt to prevent accidents.This will protect you as well as create an invitation to see the home. No one wants to tread through snow and ice to see a home. Make it as welcoming as possible.
• Don't have trees in your yard, but your neighbor does? Leaves know no boundaries - have them cleaned up especially if it's on your property.
• Unable to maintain the home yourself because of location? Then hire someone to do it for you.

Paying attention to these areas will encourage "drive-by" lookers to want to go inside, once inside make certain the house is just as pristine as the out. Again, no one wants to look at a home that has remnants of the previous occupant, or one that they will need to clean. Buyer's want move-in ready homes. What does yours imply?

Do you know the impression your home is portraying? If you need help to identify what needs to be done, contact me, as a professional home stager, I'm trained to know what to look for and a third-party viewpoint is helpful. I can provide an assessment for both inside and out to help you sell your home quickly, whether it is occupied or vacant.

In this competitive seller's market can you afford not to have a pristine first impression?