Discover why selling your home is like going to the prom! We interviewed Realtor Jerry Cibulski, who works with clients in the North Fork area on Long Island. We had the pleasure of getting to know Jerry when one of our client’s listed their home with him. Right off the bat, it was evident that Jerry is a top-notch realtor who really knows his stuff. He coordinated an amazing open house event and the post and beam house sold in record time. Jerry also photographed the home and the pictures really helped sell the property. We’ve also been following him on Facebook and his posts are always fun and SELL. One other fact about Jerry? He was featured on HGTV’s House Hunters! Now, how cool is that?
We thought we would pick Jerry’s brain on what his top tips are for selling your home. Many of our clients are eager to sell their home, and fast, prior to starting the construction process. Jerry has a 5-star rating on Zillow with over 25 reviews! Read on for some great tips to sell your home.
Staging: Plan and Prepare
What is the purpose and why consider the task? Staging a home is very effective. Think about it from this perspective. When you are attending an important function, you tend to dress a bit sharper and style yourself a bit more than the average day. As a result, you tend to get a positive reaction. When you tweak your home decor, furnishings, and accessories, it creates the same results with the home buyers. A clean and cohesive look carries through the entire home and it is easy for the home shoppers to picture themselves in that space. You are telling a visual story when you create your outfit that is coordinated with your prom date; it accomplishes the same with the home staging of your accessories. Remember, less is more!
Take Great Photography
Having a professional photographer will feature the house in the best perspective. The camera sees the space differently than the human eye. As we all know, everyone looks for houses based on the pictures in the advertisements and websites before they make an appointment. A professional photographer will highlight the best features of the house and minimize the distractions. They will adjust for shadows and lighting to make sure you are not seeing dark hallways and will highlight the gleam radiating from your stainless steel appliances. They will also know how to position the furniture in the photograph so it represents the room appropriately in the pictures. Remember, you are seeing the spaces at standing height and the photographers position the camera closer to waist height to take in the perspective of the floors and ceilings with the focus of the furniture as the center of the shot.
Just like the prom, there is a difference from the professional photographer’s photos and the selections available on your friend’s cell phones. Stand taller, tilt your head to the right, now SMILE.
Dining
Part of the highlight of the prom is the full course meal, prepared to perfection and plated perfectly. The kitchen is the heart of the home; you want to present the kitchen clean and organized. Have fresh produce in a decorative bowl, all open counter space and organize the cabinets and refrigerator. Face all the labels forward, sort by size and color so it looks fresh and easy to manage.
Entertainment
Present your entertaining spaces with a fresh approach. Take the dining table and create a cohesive tablescape at each seating. Show how many people can attend events at the house. Don’t make it fussy, keep it simple. Do the same for outdoor spaces and have some gentle music playing in the background. Music creates a mood, just like the theme song at the prom!
The Experience
You want your home buyers to remember the house and the experience. Create a high-quality brochure for the house that highlights the best features. Large dining room for 8, backyard slate patio for summer grilling. Don’t get specific with dates of home repairs. Remember, you want to look back with fond memories of the prom. Don’t highlight the everyday tasks of homeownership with mundane details. You want them to picture a bright future and owning this house is a step in that direction.
We hope you find this article fun and with some valuable tips. By preparing, planning ahead and staging, you can really make headway with selling your home!
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