Aside from odor, one of the first things buyers say is that a property is too dark. “It’s so dark in here.”

They could mean from an exposure perspective, or it has been too closed up for too long and has not seen the light of day. These cabinets pictured here, were dark brown, and my client wanted to lighten them. She hired a company to come out and I helped her choose the color. The result was fantastic!

Other times the paint colors are way too dark or there is dated wood paneling that has kept the house in the 1970’s. Regardless of why they think or feel it is too dark, is the better question of “How can we fix it before this happens?”

To lighten and brighten a home may be a simple process or an extensive one. Either way it needs to be done. Start with opening all the window coverings or even removing them. See where that leads you, besides exposing the sins of the dirty windows and wells, the bigger item we are looking for is how has doing this changed the brightness of the room?

Natural Exposure and Paint

Exposures of your property create varying degree and colors of natural light and that is a buying factor when buyers consider purchasing a home. Some buyers refuse to buy north facing homes due to the lack of light coming into half the home. So your first plan of action is to determine which direction your home is facing. You cannot change the direction of your home but you can influence its overall interior lighting.

Keep these points in mind when choosing paint

• North exposure causes a dull gray hue to fill the room

• East creates a green hue causing a darker cool feeling

• South exposure brings a yellow or bright hue

• West adds orange/red and creates deep warm glow

Working with the paint colors and the other elements within the room can make a huge impact on the overall first impression. It is a consistent truth that the paint colors seem to change from the store to the home, from the paint can to the tray and from the tray to wall. And usually when the paint dries, people think the paint colors were mixed wrong due to the stark difference in color. However this is not the case, it is simply the fact that the exposure, weather, and lighting all change color.

Choose colors that work well in all these rooms and if you are having difficulty consider hiring a Certified Color Consultant for help with this. I am a Color Consultant and my number is 780-218-7444 if you want to discuss a consultation.

If you choose to have a consultation for paint color will be well worth the small investment and save you bigger problems later once the new paint is applied and you do not have to change it because it was chosen correctly to start with. When painting to sell, it’s important that no mistakes are made. Universally neutral colors are the best road to take, but be warned all color chips are made up of multiple drops of pigment and therefore cause an undertone.

An undertone can be your biggest nightmare or your best kept secret. Neutral paint will have green, pink or yellow undertones and the key here is to choose paint that enhances your existing fixed elements, not the opposite.

Undertone Nightmare

Before I understood this important truth, I had a client who had a very pink house. Everything from tile, carpet, counter tops, walls, blinds, curtains and sheers, furniture, sinks, tubs…all pink. Even the kitchen cabinets were oak with a light pink wood stain. I had never seen anything like it. So, since we were using all of the client’s furniture for staging and they were unwilling to do other changes, all we could do was paint. So I took my paint fan to the STORE and chose a color. A nice neutral beige, paid for 10 gallons and arrived to paint.

I did the entire top floor, painting in my own little world before I noticed the color in its DRY state. It was green. So now I had a green and pink house! The pink elements in the home were now brighter PINK with the un-complimentary color of the green under toned paint. That lesson cost me a small fortune to fix and led to me get training on why that happened and how to not do it again!

Paint is an inexpensive way to add huge overall impact to a property and it can, if chosen correctly, create a wow factor first impression and add value to your property.

Oh and one more tip, Painters are applicators not decorators, so don’t let them choose your color!

Jill Turgeon 

The Staging Agent 

One Percent Realty 780-218-7444

Photo owned by Simply Irresistible Interiors Inc.

Buyers today are savvy, they have been very educated thanks to the internet and the television programs on home staging. They are also not spending the way the used to. The economy changes and daily stress of lower incomes and a higher cost of living have created the demand for move in ready homes.

As well there is a generational gap that is more prominent than ever before, younger couples are buying older homes and they are generally more unskilled at property maintenance and updating a home, than their older generation home sellers. There are multitudes of older sellers moving out of their long term homes and that makes for a flooded market in that category.

The other problem in this scenario is that if a younger buyer is looking in a set price point, they can likely find a new home, with a warranty for the same price as your older unrenovated home.

This happens in every price range, regardless. If your home is in need of repair, why would they buy yours? You are competing with the newer model homes and they are popping up everywhere. So consider your buyer’s needs and demographic.

If your potential buyer is the demographic of a younger family or a couple with no kids but both work, consider that thinking the way they think and finding out what they want to be your top priority if you want to sell your property.

Turning around the Blind Eye

After years of living in your home, it becomes part of you. You tend to get used to the disrepair or the chipped paint and “one day” will get around to fixing the broken closet door and you just don’t see it anymore.

In the weeks to come we are going to give you checklists so you can address these and other issues, and they must be addressed unless you are willing to knock off thousands from your asking price to reflect the work that will need to be done.

Keep in mind that buyers think in “thousands” just like you do when searching for a new home and they want to be compensated for their trouble if they have to repair your half completed projects.

Where to Start- A General Checklist that every Seller needs

CLEANING:

•   Clean door jams and polish handles

•   Clean furnace filters and wipe the furnace down

•   Clean drains

•   Clean septic system

•   Rent an Ozone machine to deal with smoke smells in the home or garage and follow instructions as they  can be dangerous

•   Clean oil stains off the garage floor (CLR™ should work for this or try Coca Cola ™)

•   Clean and wax floors

•   Basically clean every single thing in the house

•   Clean all door tracks and window tracks

•   Clean Windows, Gutters, & take Christmas lights down  https://www.cleanshinywindows.com/

•   Sweep out and if possible wash garage floor & paint it if you can with proper products

REPAIRS:

• Repair holes in gutters and fix all eaves that may be falling down, as well as have them cleaned.

• Fix broken doors, baseboards, trims, windows.

• Fix gates and broken fences.

• Make sure garage doors all open and close properly.

• Service sprinkler systems.

• Repair damaged steps or door casements.

•  Repair damaged screen doors.

•  Replace broken light fixtures.

•  Repair any tiles that need it- floor or back splash tile.

•  Fix all dripping faucets and the damage they may have done under the sink.

•  Service noisy exhaust fans (kitchen and bath).

•  Remove rust stains from sinks and toilets.

•  Remove mold and dirt build up from bathrooms and kitchens.

•  Ensure locks are working easily / replace if they are sticking or stubborn.

•  Oil hinges on doors.

•  Ensure doorbell works properly.

•  Ensure shutters are in good condition.

•  Fix cracks on ceilings or walls or in basement ( don’t hide anything from the buyer).

•  Silence noisy floors.

•  Replace worn toilet seats and covers, take off themed toilet seats or incorrectly sized ones.

•  Remove plastic runners or glued down rugs and repair the damage they may have caused.

•   Seal or re-surface driveway.

•   Add gravel to bare patches like along the side of the house where no sun is).

•   Re-grout any tile if necessary.

•   Re-caulk and repair seals in shower enclosure and around sinks.

•   Ensure that toilets don’t run continuously.

•   Update toilet paper holder, towel racks and curtain rods.

•   Patch floors where damage has occurred or replace flooring.

•   Update batteries in all smoke alarms.

•   Make sure burglar alarms are working.

•   Secure area rugs.

This list is very important to take heed to and is by far the most time consuming items on the preparation report. In many cases, not everything will need to be addressed, so you can tackle your projects in their own order of importance.

Property’s often get neglected in many areas and as you can see once you start addressing an issue there will be another to take its place.

All of these points are items that do affect the buyer’s first impression and also what they feel your property VALUE truly is. If there are many unattended projects left for a buyer, they will either walk away and find a home that is move in ready or they will low ball your offer enough to justify the work they will have to do.

The many Television shows on Staging and Buying Real Estate attest to this.

And as I said before, Buyers think in “thousands”. So spend a couple days or a couple weeks getting these items looked after and in the end you will reap the rewards of the best sale price you can get.

Jill Turgeon 

The Staging Agent 

One Percent Realty 780-218-7444

Photo owned by Simply Irresistible Interiors Inc.

Everyone’s perspective on clean is different, as I can attest to after seeing thousands of properties in my Real Estate and Staging career over the last 25 years. Even some professional cleaning companies have different views on what they deem as clean, which can make even hiring cleaning companies a bit tricky.

To sum up what I will write about I will cut to the chase and say that your home, when prepared for sale, should be WHITE GLOVE clean.

This means that anyone can wear a white glove and wipe any surface of your home and the glove stays white. Even in areas like the tops of door trims…Sounds complicated? It is, but it’s manageable. It will require a “face to face inspection” of areas that you normally don’t get too close to!

Let’s start with a major once over clean of your home

This will occur after all the de-cluttering, packing updates and repairs. It is the step before the Staging.

So first, having these other items taken care of will make the cleaning process go much smoother. A large portion of what would have normally hindered your progress is now out of the way.  You can begin at the top or back of your house and make your way to the front door, using a room by room process or you can do all similar items at the same time.

For example, all light fixtures, then all window sills…and follow that pattern. Whatever works best for you and your family. Remember that cleaning will represents hundreds of dollars to your bottom line and it is worth doing to create the best first impression for the buyers.

Take the following list and use it as the guide to make your master list

• Clean fireplace thoroughly

• Clean out ashes and remove all firewood

• Clean off soot stains with soot remover

• Clean all chandeliers and light fixtures & change bulbs to yellow/ incandescent

• Polish all woodwork, including furniture

• Clean back splashes in all bathrooms and kitchens

• Polish mirrors

• Clean all window screens and storm doors and screens

• Clean front door hardware

• Clean the front entryway very well, it reflects the first impression of the entire house

• Sinks should be free of food, stains and odors

• Keep dishes done and put away every day

• Clear off all small appliances off the counter tops

• Take all items off the refrigerator (top, front and sides)

• Clean cabinets of all stains and food splashes. This will require getting on your knees in front of the cabinets for a “face to face inspection”. You will be surprised what you find!

• Clean kitchen exhaust fan, filters, hoods

• Clean bathroom exhaust fans, they can be easily pulled down, washed and put back up or for a few dollars they can be replaced. You can find them at home improvement stores.

• Clean toilets using “the face to face” approach

• Wash all sinks and faucets, including behind them. They should shine.

• Clean oven, stove top, burners (replace burners if needed)

• Run a dishwasher load with CLR™ only

• Empty the refrigerator and wash all drawers, and shelves. Buyers are buying these appliances and will look inside them. Clean exteriors as well.

• Wash all floors, staircases and closet floors. Keep swept and shiny

• Wash all baseboards throughout the house. Face to face inspections!

• Organize all scrub pads, cleaning supplies and soap under the sink

• Empty pantry by 50% and wash all shelves

• Keep interiors of cabinets neat, clean and free of smells. This will require de-cluttering the pantry also. Cabinet interiors should reflect storage space and should not look cramped and “too full”

• Empty garbage daily to prevent odors

• Eliminate all odors “If you can smell it, you can’t sell it!”

• Wash walls, especially high traffic areas that have been used and abused

• Clean ceiling fans

• Clean and dust everything (doors, mirrors, shelves, baseboards…)

• Clean carpets or update them to the most current trends

• Vacuum often, including the couches. Pet hair is a turn off, so stay on top of it.

• Clean under and behind appliances. This is a dirty job but somebody has to do it

• Garbage out daily

• Cat litter cleaned every day, or if you have other pets, keep their wood shavings or “messes” clean 100 % of the time, you never know when you will get a last minute showing (put a soft air freshener nearby)

• Call an exterminator to deal with any insect problems 

Jill Turgeon 

The Staging Agent 

One Percent Realty 780-218-7444

photo credit to cottonbro studio

Kitchens and bathrooms do help sell houses, although not the main deciding factor, they are strong contenders when buyers consider what property they will now call home. Buyers consider these rooms when they are house hunting because of the difficulty of renovating them and the expense that would be required.

If you have been diligent in the upkeep and upgrades of your home then this blog will be a breeze! However, if you have never updated your home or maintained the repairs in the baths and kitchens, then this could be a pricy section!

The kitchen in this blog was a 1990’s kitchen and the wall was blocking a gorgeous River Valley view in Edmonton, Alberta. So I advised my clients to remove it and open up the view from the kitchen. It was a great choice, as they sold 4 days after listing. 

Truth be told, you will pay to do upgrades in these rooms, either when it comes time to sell and you have to reduce the price to reflect the work needed, or over the years while you live there and have been paying to maintain and upgrade.

Homeowners typically should be spending 1-3% of their market value every year to upgrade and maintain their property in good condition. So if this has not been done, it will need to be.

What types of upgrades can you do?

• Updating Appliances in all the same color, this includes the hood fan, especially if they are more than 10 years old.

• Replace or Repair all damaged tiles or flooring

• Repaint kitchen cabinets (or do touch ups)

• Consider a kitchen update if they are older than 7 years. New kitchens price at $8,000 and up, depending on if you are installing them yourself. This is not recommended for beginners no matter how keen you are!

• Install new countertops

• Update flooring, even a small bathroom looks like a new world with brand new floors

• Update light fixtures, there are many nice affordable and trendy options out there- Ask Jill if you have questions on what to buy

• Paint the ceilings

• Take off old tiles in the bathtub or shower and add a new surround. A simple do it yourself kit can be purchased for around $500.00

• Add under cabinet lighting

• Add new shower faucets and shower rods

• Re-grout your existing tile if it is still in good shape, adding a new grout color can go far

• Fresh paint colors in warm neutrals make a room look 100 x better for a small investment of time and money

• Update faucets to the latest trends

• Tighten all knobs, or replace for a modest cost. Knobs range from $3.00 to over $10.00 per piece, so it is a small investment for a great improvement

• Replace toilet seats, especially if they are cracked, wooden or themed ( yes I said themed! Bye Bye dolphins and fish)

• Add new blinds or window coverings (these often stay as included in the offer, so take this into consideration)

• New sinks, curtain rods and towel bars also make a great first impression

Remember…

You are giving the buyers every reason to buy your house

So carefully consider the first impression and ask yourself what do you look for when you are the buyer?

How do you compare houses when you are the buyer?

Then create a property that will attract buyers. It’s as simple as that.

Jill Turgeon 

The Staging Agent 

One Percent Realty 780-218-7444

Main Photo credit Meruyert Gonullu

Renovation after photo owned by Simply Irresistible Interiors Inc.

Your financial needs do not dictate your asking price.

Recently, in my staging business, we have had 3 properties that have been overpriced and staged, against professional advice. As I have been so clear on this point with my clients, I still cannot force their choices on what they think their home is worth.

Despite their Realtors telling them the correct pricing, they insisted on “trying it higher”. They all had their financial needs/ issues driving these choices.

There are multiple problems with this scenario, first being that they are shooting themselves in the foot and second they are assuming they know the market better than a professional Agent. Their refusal to take solid sound advice has worked against them.

The Result?

Well, instead of selling in record time (our average Staged days on market is 9-18 compared to 56 in the Edmonton Real Estate Board) they sat for months and months, Paying double mortgage payments and double carrying costs in some cases.

As well, they were behind the 8 ball trying to chase the market, while qualified buyers viewed their homes and SAW they were overpriced and moved on to buy other properties. They lost the summer markets and paid for staging rentals for more months than was necessary.

Then, guess what? All 3 Sellers opted to take out their staged rental package. Big mistake, because now, the Agents have called me and told me of the new challenges they face in trying to sell these now stale listings.

Agent #1 called and said that the home that did look like a show home, was now just another empty box and that his open houses were met with disappointment when the buyers came expecting to see the staged home (as the gorgeous MLS photos displayed). Buyers commented with questions like “where is all the furniture?” “Wasn’t this home staged? We came to see it because of the pictures.”

This Agent was put in an awkward position in having to answer these questions and it makes the Seller look bad too. It’s essentially false advertising. This home went through multiple price reductions to finally reach the actual value and took over 7 months to sell when it shouldn’t have. The other mistake I truly believed stalled this sale was that the Seller tried to sell it themselves before staging or calling an Agent, but that’s another BLOG!

Agent #2, had 2 staged listings, and this situation happened to her twice. She also called me after the staging was removed, but with a bit of a different story. She said that now her showings were being booked and then during and after them, Real Estate agents who showed the home called her and were upset that she had staged photos up in a non-Staged home. I totally see their points. This happened to her 4 x between the 2 homes.

Those agents, bringing buyers, are putting staged homes at the top of the list because they show SPECTACULAR. And this sets the bar for all the rest of the showings, ultimately resulting in a Staged home getting sold faster than every other house.

However, these Agents and buyers were met with empty rooms. Both properties also being overpriced and having had 2 price reductions, are still for sale, and now empty.

In one of these cases the Seller’s FRIENDS are telling him how much its worth and none of them are in Real Estate. It always boggles my mind when people deem themselves to be experts in a field they have never worked in.

All the staging money and rentals were lost at this house too, because now the seller needs to have empty room photos re-posted so that he can honestly present what the home looks like today- EMPTY.

Sellers who invest in Staging and Rentals need to take the advice of professionals. This is not a game, it’s the REAL ESTATE market and buyers aren’t uneducated, they won’t overpay for homes and they want to view property that is presented well. Staging allows for emotional connection and buyers will pay a premium for that.

It is totally within a Seller’s right to get the highest price for their home, but overpricing is not the means to that end. It is serious business this real estate thing and as much as I understand that Seller’s have financial issues and are trying to pay off all debts in the sales of their homes, I have said it before and I will say it again, ” Your financial needs do not dictate asking price!” You are only hurting yourself when you overprice.

Jill Turgeon 

The Staging Agent 

One Percent Realty 780-218-7444

Photo credit to Pixabay

Welcome to our Real Estate Blog! Here you can find timely updates of my latest properties, open houses, just solds and much more.

Whether you are interested in buying or selling real estate, I am here to help guide you every step of the way.

If you have any questions about real estate from home evaluations to mortgages to searching for properties in your area, don't hesitate to contact me today!

Jill Turgeon 

The Staging Agent 

One Percent Realty 780-218-7444

Photo owned by Simply Irresistible Interiors Inc.