Design To Sell

Let’s get your house SOLD!!

So what does “Design to Sell” look like in action? First impression is everything as we all know!!  Where do buyer’s start looking for homes today? Without a doubt- 100% of the time from the internet and 100% of the time by pictures!!  So our number one goal is to put our best foot forward with your pictures. And if you are working with a real estate agent that is not having professional pictures taken of your home you are alreay behind the 8 ball! You definitely want professional pictures for your listing- its a game changer for first impressions!

There are only TWO main goals to “Design to Sell”… Neutralize and Minimize.  

We want to take away all distractions to your house- funky colors, funky decor, etc. I don’t care if your prize room in the house is your tribute to Betty Boop (and trust me I have seen it!! LOL!!)- its gotta go!!  I tell my clients’ “I don’t want prospective buyers looking at your things- I want them looking at your house!”.  At the end of the day, we want the buyer to be able to picture themselves living in your house the way they would live it in… not the way you live in it. And we also want the buyer to see the house as move in ready… minimizing their need for a lot of work and money!! I don’t want the buyer to remember your Betty Boop room- I want them to remember how when they walked into your home- it felt move-in ready, with tons of possibilities and perfect for them and their family!!

So let’s get started and get your house SOLD!!

This is not a time to implement my Top 2020 Interior Design Trends unfortunately- LOL!! You only have two goals as I mentioned to “Design to Sell”-neutralize and minimize! But whats does this mean?

“Neutralize” means to take everything back to a monotone thoughout the house as best as possible.  And to do this “Paint” is our best friend when we stage- it’s the quickest way to neutralize and update a house.  I don’t care how much you as the seller can’t stand your house not having color- we have to think in terms of the buyer. So while it may cost you a little time and money and may not be your thing… we at least need to get all the common areas back to a light neutral color.

What is the best neutral color? I’m glad you asked!! The best neutral is a “cool neutral” such as grey tones.  While I say this, I also caution my clients to please be careful with greys… not all greys are the same.  Dare I say, no grey is the same- blue undertones, purple undertones, green undertones.  So please choose a grey with a taupe undertone- its the most forgiving.  My favorite grey is “Agreeable Grey by Sherwin Williams”. Also, furnishings and decor- while you may not have as much flexibility with furnishings- we still need to get rid of bright colored furnishings, the bright art on the walls, bright colored decor and even consider changing out floor coverings to more neutral.  And just a quick note- I know southwestern colors are still a big player because of where we live- they do not photo well.  Shades of Grey, Shades of Off White- with a cool neutral undertone- photo best and also give a clean update look to the home for walkthroughs

“Minimize” means to get as many of  your personal effects out of the house, off the walls and out of the space as possible.  I usually use this as a motivation as a “2 and 1”… you need to pack up anyway to move because the goal is to get your home sold.  And you don’t want to have to take the stuff you don’t want to take or keep anyways because it’s just more to move and more money to move it.  So you get a ‘twofer’ out of this deal- hooray!! I hear all the time “but isn’t it too sterile… it looks like no one lives here”… exactly- I don’t want the potential buyer seeing all your stuff and clutter.  Also, it’s time to get rid of all the excess furniture and overcrowded rooms and walkways.  Less is definitely more when we are “designing to sell” your home!! Again, we want the potential buyers to look at your home- see that it’s been updated (with fresh paint/colors), move in ready and see all the possibilities it has for them and their family!!

For more information on “Design to Sell” your home or to schedule a complimentary design consultation, please fill out the information on the form below- I would love to chat with you!!