Here we go again!
I was checking out the weekly New York Times online article, “On the Market in New York City” which featured apartments for sale, as I always do every weekend, and once again found many examples of how these listings can benefit greatly from some experts and professionals. home staging advice
I know we’ve probably all seen worse photos of homes for sale, but after all, these are properties featured in the Sunday New York Times!
This is what I, a professional home stager, have to say about the photos I saw. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but it will give you an idea of some simple mistakes homeowners make when listing their homes.
1. Don’t present an unwanted distraction: The artwork in the kitchen photo was so HUGE, both in terms of the size of the artwork and the subject matter – a pair of hands sticking out of the frame – that the eyes of a buyer will immediately go to him, instead of to the kitchen. This is a great distraction.
Make sure the buyer sees the intended focal point, not something else.
2. Too much clutter: The counters in this same kitchen had too many trinkets and plates on display. disorder. Cut back on counter trinkets and limit countertop appliances to no more than three.
3. Outdated Furniture and Fixtures: The kitchen set and ceiling light fixture scream early 1990s (that was almost two decades ago). These must be replaced. You want buyers to aspire to the lifestyle represented.
4. Overcrowding with furniture – Continuing from this same apartment, this room had an armchair that was not necessary for the seating arrangement that was already represented with an L-shaped sofa. It was too big and filled the room and even encroached on the area from the kitchen. Too much furniture tells buyers that there is not enough space for everything and that the room is too small, and will leave the buyer feeling claustrophobic.
5. Keep exercise equipment out of the bedroom: In this case, the exercise bike was blocking the closet, telling the buyer that there isn’t enough room for anything in this apartment. And in another room in the same apartment, the photo showed a huge treadmill in a small room with a couch, TV, and desk. Which brings me to my next mistake…
6. Every room should have a purpose: what room is this? A study? Exercises room? Den? Guest room? One cannot tell. Each room should have one purpose and one purpose only so as not to confuse the buyer or send the message that the apartment is so small that four functions must be crammed into one room.
Moving on to the next apartment shown for sale, a duplex in Brooklyn, I’m sure it’s a very nice house, but without any staging, it doesn’t show its full potential.
7. Sending the wrong message: The dining room photo shows a high chair. Not only is this unappealing, but homes for sale need to appeal to the widest range of buyers so that everyone can imagine living there. An older couple without children or a single person cannot imagine living in an apartment that screams “A family lives here!” Also, the fans in the console and bookcase across the room tell the buyer that this apartment must have air circulation problems, or worse. , it’s hot.
8. Master Bedrooms and Other Rooms That Double Up as Kids’ Rooms: A crib was pictured near the bed in the master bedroom. Keeping the crib in the master bedroom tells a potential buyer with children that there is not enough room for them in this apartment. The crib may be in the bedroom because parents want to be close to their baby, but it definitely shouldn’t be shown in a photo, or during an open house or visit.
Is that a playpen I see in the lobby (downstairs)??!! This is totally unacceptable. Not only does a potential buyer run into this when he walks through the front door, but he’s also told “there’s not enough room in this apartment for your baby’s things.”
9. Not showcasing outdoor space to its full potential: In New York City, having an apartment with outdoor space is a priority. Stepping out onto the patio pictured, buyers must think “Aaah…I can’t wait to sit here, relax and read my book or entertain my friends.” While I know it’s winter, do we really need to see the collection of empty pots? These should be stored away and out of sight. If possible, the furniture on the far right should be brought here so that it is the first thing the buyer sees.
10. Having an overly personal color scheme: And last but not least, the furniture in a living room on another list features blue walls, a green couch, a red TV console, and a black and white side table. . It’s too young, hip and colorful to appeal to the wide range of buyers. The red console and zebra side table, at a minimum, should be replaced with more neutral pieces, and the blue wall should be painted a more neutral color.
To view these actual photos, please click on the following link: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/05/realestate/20101105_otmnyc_ss.html?ref=realestate
© Copyright 2010 Designed to Appeal, LLC. All rights reserved..
