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Blog: Make Your Home Stand Out

Home Staging can be the difference between a buyer purchasing your home or the one down the street. It can make a difference in how much you net at the close of Escrow.

With the housing market being more competitive  these days, potential home sellers need every advantage they can get. One way that a family can help move their home faster is with a practice called home staging. The logic behind home staging is simple: try to make your home look as special as possible when people view it and you will have an increased chance of selling it.

Some tips on how to stage your home properly include simple things like picking up after yourself and taking out the garbage. But there are hundreds of other things that you can do to make your house more memorable.

Try baking a batch of cookies about 30 minutes before you show your home. The inviting and pleasant smell can make people remember your home over others they might have seen.

If you have pets, try to either board them at a shelter or groomer, or at the veryleast, have a neighbor watch them for an hour to have the home pet-free. You never know when you'll show the house to someone who might be allergic or someone who simply doesn't like pets.

The same can be said for a baby or kids. While you can't board your children (unfortunately), see if a friend can watch them while you're showing your house. You don't need little Johnny creating a mess or baby Sue crying at the top of her lungs when you're trying to show your place.

Vacuum everywhere. There probably isn't a bigger turn off when viewing a home than dirt. Although logic would suggest that the first thing you do when you move into a new home is clean every last inch, the sight of a dirty floor or carpet can lower people's opinions of your home.

If you have rooms that are barren, spend a few dollars on basic decorations or plants to give a room a warm, inviting look. The same goes for other rooms in your house. Stay away from clutter and dark, cool colors. Try to focus on warmth. You don't want the people viewing your property to ever want to leav

As you can see, the idea of staging your home for viewing makes perfect sense. Take away these added touches and the home becomes just a lifeless house. But integrate these basic steps into your house-showing routine, and you can expect to sell sooner rather than later.

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Gayle M. Montgomery September 5, 2012 at 05:57 pm
Great advice. Do you have this on something you hand to your clients when you're trying to sell?
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
rubberband June 18, 2013 at 05:21 pm
"What about the hard-working Mexican people..." Did you just write that? Really? O pleaseRead More tell me you are kidding.
rubberband June 12, 2013 at 10:17 pm
See other post about this: It needed to happen...(Ancient Burial Ground that was desecrated) but IRead More maintain we should get some sort of "cleansing" or burn some incense/sage or call for an exorcism. I believe the evil mojo needs to be banished before we build again.........
donna mills June 8, 2013 at 04:40 pm
Hi Therese, I am good friends with Star Shields. He is a busy face painter, and often needs back-upRead More either at the Summer festival in Laguna Beach, now underway, or with one of his other commitments. If you're interested, I would be happy to give you his contact details via email.
Therese B. June 8, 2013 at 11:08 pm
Hi Donna! Star is a good friend of mine too!!! He is more an airbrush artist (and a darn goodRead More one!!) then a face painter. But he is truly a legend in his craft. I have been lucky enough to work with him and learn from him too! I just wish he wasn't so far away :( Nice to hear from you!
donna mills June 11, 2013 at 03:52 pm
Oh wow! what a small world! Best, Donna
rubberband June 7, 2013 at 04:22 pm
Old fashioned country vet "patchin' up" was some of the cool stuff I was taught growingRead More up. Splinting a bird's wing or leg, getting a thorn out of a slightly infected cat or dog paw was part of learning. I am NOT saying to eliminate/not see a REAL vet, however some things can be handled at home with a bit of basic medical knowledge and Bactine/hot clean water and towels/tweezers and some loving hands to hold Fido or Snowball when you can do it yourself. I am already bracing myself for the angry openly hostile messages this post might draw, so it's OK if you feel the need to do so. Watching some of my older friends who have limited income spend THOUSANDS of dollars for a beloved pet out of pressure/and what I call "pusher's guilt" sorta made me feel like mentioning that in the old days, some of the animal care was done by a wise farm woman/man...not all vets are crooks, and not all pet needs need put you in the poor house.
lynn June 7, 2013 at 07:24 pm
I love the old farmers remedies, particularly for mange however when dealing with elderly animalsRead More and certain conditions you just get around it. The farmers remedies are often slow working causing more pain then an animal needs to go through. I try holistic meds quite often for some bacterial infections and they are slow too. Cats in particular are difficult treat. They are great in some situations but in others the it is not appropriate. I will attempt the at home first then the vet. My recent situation was a neglected kitty I rescued with a 1.25 lb cyst I had no idea she had the cyst just thought she was matted. I was trying to get her shaved. Kitty's don't cooperate for though things. One thing led to another she ends up on the operating table. No rescue groups would help me and that's where my anger is directed. I have been donating to different groups monthly for more then 20 years. At one point three different groups at the same time. No one helped me when I needed it. I'm done.
rubberband June 8, 2013 at 11:31 pm
@Lynn: Reading your posts I felt some anger FOR you. HUGE animal lover here, and ALL my pets areRead More rescues/fosters except for the Robo dwarf hamster. Love my cats, and know there just some things you can't do to a kitty without risking kitty AND your own safety. What you have experienced was pretty much the exact thing I saw some older friends go thru...Care about their pets, want to get help, and can't seem to get any or get SOME but with hidden costs and "guilt trips" at the end. If no one said it, thanks for helping critters out and giving when you could. Sorry it was not rewarded.
donna mills June 3, 2013 at 01:20 pm
Gasp! Seriously? OMG--Poltergeist get behind me!!
rubberband June 3, 2013 at 01:48 pm
Donna...Poor Donna. My dear, it is too late. Call that weird yet cute little tiny lady toRead More "clean" your home and get your kids out of the television. ......oh and if you have a pool...DO NOT GO SWIMMING.
Dan Crandell June 3, 2013 at 01:58 pm
Love you Donna. Your comment should have been "Poltergeist get ""thee""Read More behind me"!!!!! All in fun.
Don Ryman May 31, 2013 at 10:07 am
ask andy Montgomery on fb
Robert Parry May 31, 2013 at 01:48 pm
I've recently spoken to Gayle. She's fine, just taking a bit of a mental hygiene breather.
Buzlightyear aka marty June 1, 2013 at 12:11 am
I am glad to hear she is good. I don't do facebook so I will simply take it that she will commentRead More again. She was my first "Patch" debate with someone on the other side of issues......You know, sentimental thing for your first time.... LOL. Just tell her Buzzlightyear "Marty" said hi if either of you two talk to her.