Neglecting Curb Appeal

One of the most crucial aspects of staging your home is the exterior presentation. Neglecting curb appeal can be a major oversight that detracts from your property’s value. Potential buyers often form their first impression of your home from its exterior. Overgrown bushes, chipped paint, or a cluttered front yard can discourage them from even entering the property.

To avoid this mistake, invest some time and effort in enhancing your home’s curb appeal. Trim the bushes, give your front door a fresh coat of paint, and tidy up the yard. Adding some colorful plants or flowers can also make a big difference.

Personalizing Too Much

While your home may be a reflection of your personality and style, potential buyers need to envision themselves living there. Personalizing too much is one of the most common home staging mistakes. Overly personalized decor, such as family photos, eccentric artwork, or unique paint colors, can make it challenging for buyers to see themselves in the space.

To address this issue, consider neutralizing your home’s interior. Opt for a more neutral color palette, remove personal items, and aim for a clean, minimalist look. This allows buyers to imagine how they can personalize the space to suit their own preferences.

To take depersonalization a step further, consider rearranging your furniture and decor to create a more universally appealing atmosphere. Arrange furniture to maximize space and flow, allowing potential buyers to visualize various furniture layouts.

Replace bold or unconventional decor items with neutral and timeless pieces that can cater to a broader range of tastes. By striking the right balance between depersonalization and a welcoming ambiance, you can help potential buyers feel more at home during their visit, increasing the likelihood of a successful sale.

Ignoring Repairs and Maintenance

Neglecting necessary repairs and maintenance is a home staging mistake that can significantly hurt your property’s value. Buyers are often willing to pay more for a home that appears well-maintained and move-in ready. Conversely, a property with visible issues like leaky faucets, squeaky doors, or peeling paint can raise red flags and deter potential buyers.

Conduct a thorough inspection of your home and address any outstanding maintenance issues. Fixing these problems before putting your home on the market can boost its perceived value and appeal to a broader range of buyers.

Misjudging Furniture Placement

Proper furniture placement is essential for showcasing your home’s functionality and flow. Misjudging furniture placement can make rooms appear cramped or awkwardly arranged, which can be a major turn-off for buyers.
To get it right, consider consulting with a professional home stager. They can help you rearrange your furniture to maximize each room’s potential. Pay attention to traffic flow and ensure that rooms feel open and inviting. In addition to that, you can also hire professional movers to do all the heavy lifting and put extra furniture in storage. If you live in Ontario, for instance, the Brampton area, moving companies in Brampton would be a great choice in this situation.

Neglecting Lighting

Good lighting can transform the atmosphere of a home. Dark and poorly lit spaces can make your home feel gloomy and uninviting. Neglecting lighting is one of the typical home staging mistakes that can harm your property’s value.

Ensure that all rooms are well-lit. Open curtains or blinds to let in natural light, and add additional lighting fixtures if necessary. Bright, well-lit spaces are more appealing to buyers and can make your home feel more inviting.

Overlooking Home Odors

The scent of a home can leave a lasting impression on potential buyers. Overlooking unpleasant odors, such as pet smells, cooking odors, or musty air, can be a costly home staging mistake. Buyers want a home that looks good and smells fresh and clean.

Address the source of any odors and consider using air fresheners or natural remedies like baking soda to create a pleasant aroma. Be cautious not to overdo it with strong scents, as some buyers may be sensitive to fragrances.

Ignoring the Power of Professional Photography

In today’s digital age, online photos play a crucial role in attracting potential buyers. Ignoring the power of professional photography is a home staging mistake that can hinder your property’s value. Grainy, poorly composed photos can make your home appear less appealing than it actually is.

Invest in professional photography services to capture your home in its best light to avoid this. High-quality photos can make your listing stand out and generate more interest from potential buyers.

Failing to Depersonalize the Entire Home

While we’ve discussed the importance of depersonalizing the interior, extending this process to the entire home is vital. This includes the garage, basement, and storage areas. Buyers will likely explore every corner of your property, and finding these areas cluttered or disorganized can diminish your home’s value. Ensure you declutter and organize all areas of your home, including those often overlooked. A well-organized and clean storage space can leave a positive impression on buyers.

Disregarding Feedback

Finally, one of the most significant home staging mistakes is disregarding feedback from potential buyers. If you’re receiving consistent feedback about certain aspects of your home that need improvement, it’s essential to take it seriously.

Consider the feedback as valuable insight into what may be hindering your home’s sale. Whether it’s outdated fixtures, worn-out carpets, or an odd room layout, addressing these concerns can help enhance your home’s value and appeal.

Home Staging Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Home’s Value—The Takeaway

Home staging is a crucial step in the selling process that can greatly impact your property’s value. Avoiding these common home staging mistakes, from neglecting curb appeal to ignoring feedback, can make a significant difference in attracting buyers and achieving the best possible sale price. Remember that presenting your home in the best light can ultimately lead to a successful and profitable sale.

The post Embarrassing Home Staging Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Home’s Value appeared first on FINDLAY REAL ESTATE.

According to Realtor.com’s 2022 housing market forecast, home for-sale inventory will increase from last year, as will the projected number of overall sales.¹ This means, if you’re looking to sell in the near future, now is the time to consider how you can stand out.

Updating your home design is one way to do that. Changes like new security features or upgraded siding can add value to your home now and be highlighted when you market it for sale later. To get the most out of your updates, focus on these popular home design features that will wow buyers in 2022.

Keep in mind, not all of these will work well in every house. If you plan to buy, list, or renovate a property, give us a call. We can help you realize your vision and maximize the impact of your investment.

Eco-Friendly Fixtures

Millennials account for the largest share of current homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors.² Sustainable living tops the list of priorities for this generation. A recent Deloitte survey found that nearly one-third of millennials initiate or deepen their consumer investment in products or services that help the environment—this also includes the houses they choose to live in.³

Here are a few eco-friendly design features that will be attractive to these millennial buyers in 2022. Bonus, they can net a significant return on investment (ROI) for you, as a seller, too. 

• Energy-Efficient Windows: Heat gain or loss from low-performance windows drives 25–30 percent of home heating and cooling costs, according to Energy.gov.⁴ Therefore, energy-efficient windows can help homeowners save money. 
• Low-Flow Water Fixtures: According to the EPA, replacing your shower head with one that’s labeled with WaterSense can save four gallons of water with each shower.⁵ Doing the same with your faucet can save 700 gallons per year. This leads to cost savings and environmental support.
• Native Landscaping:  According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, 58 percent of members report increased client demand for native trees and plants as a means to combat biodiversity loss from climate change.⁶ Enhance the eco-friendly appeal of your home with some native plants in the front yard.

Wellness Retreat Nooks

The pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health. For example, in an effort to prioritize mental health, many people are relocating to quieter, more peaceful homes, with 22 percent of city dwellers planning a move to less congested residential areas, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) 2021 Insights Summit.⁷

However, no matter where you live, you can still intrigue buyers by jumping on this trend. At-home wellness amenities, which were once viewed as luxuries, are now on many homeowners’ must-have lists. Indoor spaces that function as a retreat for wellness and self-care have become extremely popular, according to HIRI.

Improve your quality of life in your home with reading nooks, spa-inspired bathrooms, and exercise or meditation spaces. Even if your house doesn’t have the square footage to section off an entire room for relaxation, making simple tweaks to natural light, air purifiers, and indoor plants can help you feel better in your home now while enabling future buyers to see the opportunity for their own space.

Calming Paint Colors

Paint colors that produce a calming atmosphere will also be a key selling point in 2022. Soft earth tones and natural hues will prevail this year, including various shades of blue, green,  brown, and beige. Recent research suggests steering clear of trendy paint colors in favor of a more classic palette to bring the feel of nature indoors in a subtle and soothing way.⁸ 

In fact, the same research found that buyers are often willing to pay an extra $4,698 for a house with a light blue bathroom or an extra $1,491 for a house with a dark blue bedroom. Another crowd-pleasing hue to refresh the walls with is BEHR’s 2022 paint color of the year, known as Breezeway.⁹ 

This shade of green with silver undertones was created to mimic sea glass. As the BEHR website describes it, Breezeway “evokes feelings of coolness and peace, while representing a desire to move forward and discover newfound passions.” 

Home Safety Features

Buyers want peace of mind more now than ever before. According to a 2021 survey from the American Institute of Architects, members report seeing an increase in the popularity of these home safety features¹⁰:

• Emergency backup power generation
• Accommodations for multiple generations
• Wider accessible doorways and hallways
• Home security monitoring equipment
• Interior ramps and home elevator features

Consider how you can build home safety features like these into the design of your home to enhance your quality of life now and attract more buyers later. For example, you could install a backup generator in the garage and sell it with the house or update your major doorways to be wider.

Before making an investment in expensive home safety upgrades, contact us. We can help you determine what will deliver the greatest ROI for your location and goals.

Designated Work Spaces

It may come as no surprise that after the pandemic, 63 percent of homebuyers want their next house to feature room for a designated office, according to the National Association of Home Builders.¹¹ In addition, 70 percent of these buyers want the office to be at least 100 square feet (or a 10×10 room).

If you can, consider turning a bedroom or a den into a work-from-home office. When designing the space, make it both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Position a desk near the window for natural light, install a bookshelf unit, arrange a few succulents on the work surface, and hang a few framed posters or a cork bulletin board on the wall. You want the space to foster productivity as well as be a place in your home you enjoy spending time.

When you get ready to sell, we can help you highlight your designated work space. Given the high demand for this design feature, it can help you interest more buyers and attract more competitive offers—if marketed creatively.

Luxury Kitchen Retouches

The kitchen has always been a main focal point of interior design, and that’s no different in 2022. Families will always need this space to come together in their own homes. 

This year’s buyers want a kitchen with new upgrades and retouches, but you don’t have to renovate the entire kitchen to make an impact. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few tips on how to create a kitchen that buyers will love without spending too much money on renovations:

• Repaint the kitchen, keeping the calm and nature-inspired colors in mind that are most popular right now. Taking a kitchen from dark to light by painting cabinets and walls can make all the difference.
• Update the hardware. These kitchen “accessories” stand out and add personality to an otherwise standard kitchen. 
• Update light fixtures to bring in more light while also adding a fresh look and feel to the space. 

Unique Accent Walls

In a recent interview with the National Association of Realtors, Brian Santos, the director of education for Fresh Coat Painters, explains that bold, unique accent walls are trendy right now.¹² An accent wall gives a home character while maintaining the calming feel of natural- and neutral-colored walls.

Santos also explains that this is part of a design aesthetic that draws inspiration from the Roaring Twenties, and it’s likely to remain a sought-after home feature in 2022. Here are some bold colors to consider for your home’s accent walls:

• Solid black
• Jewel or metallic tones
• Textured wallpaper
• Painted ceilings
• Built-in shelves

If you’re planning to sell in the next year, talk to us before adding an accent wall. Depending on your target buyer, it may be a design feature that actually hurts your home’s value. We can run a free Comparative Market Analysis on your home to help you understand what would resell best in your neighborhood.

Exterior Siding Updates

A new exterior siding refresh is one of the most affordable renovation projects you can do to help increase a home’s resale value. The average cost is just $12 per square foot, but higher-end material options can push costs closer to  $50 per square foot.¹³ What’s more, there are many siding materials available, from fiber-cement, brick, and wood to vinyl, metal, and stone. 

While all these options can infuse the exterior with character and add curb appeal, fiber-cement and vinyl deliver the highest ROI. In fact, according to a 2021 Cost vs. Value Report, a vinyl siding replacement can boost resale value by $11,315 (68.3 percent cost recoup), and a fiber-cement siding replacement can boost resale value by $13,618 (69.4 percent cost recoup).¹⁴ 

Give your home this simple, affordable, and attractive facelift before putting it on the market. If you’re not sure how to get started yourself, our team can connect you with a trusted vendor to guide you through the process. 

Keep These Home Design Features on Your Radar in 2022

These design features can infuse personality into your home while helping to close the deal if you plan to sell in 2022. The average buyer knows just what they’re looking for in a space they plan to call home, so with some investment and foresight, you can give your house an edge over the competition—and boost resale value in the process. 

However, you don’t need to make all these changes to attract more buyers. We can help you determine which design features you should add to your home by sharing insights and tips on how to maximize the return on your investment. We can also run a Comparative Market Analysis on your home to find out how it compares to others in the area, which will help us decide what changes need to be made. Contact us to schedule a free consultation!

Sources:

1. Realtor –
   https://www.realtor.com/research/2022-national-housing-forecast/
2. National Association of Realtors –
   https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/home-buyer-and-seller-generational-trends
3. Deloitte –
   https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/2021-deloitte-global-millennial-survey-report.pdf
4. Energy.gov –
   https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/update-or-replace-windows 
5. EPA.gov –
   https://www.epa.gov/watersense/about-watersense 
6. American Society of Landscape Architects –
   https://www.asla.org/NewsReleaseDetails.aspx?id=60427
7. Home Improvement Research Institute –
   https://www.hiri.org/blog/4-major-home-wellness-trends-from-hiri-summit-speaker-dr-jie-zhao
8. Zillow –
   http://zillow.mediaroom.com/2021-07-15-Homes-With-Light-Blue-Bathrooms,-Dark-Blue-Bedrooms-Could-Sell-for-Up-to-4,698-More-Than-Expected
9. Behr –
   https://www.behr.com/colorfullybehr/behr-announces-2022-color-of-the-year-and-trends-palette/
10. American Institute of Architects –
    http://info.aia.org/AIArchitect/2021/0910/aia-interactive/index.html#
11. National Association of Home Builders –
    ​​https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/news-and-economics/docs/housing-economics-plus/special-studies/2021/special-study-what-home-buyers-really-want-march-2021.pdf?_ga=2.188050984.1824982414.1639512139-1247360189.1639512139
12. National Association of Realtors –
    https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/styled-staged-sold/hot-home-trend-the-accent-wall-is-back
13. Forbes –
    https://www.forbes.com/advisor/home-improvement/how-much-does-siding-cost-to-install/
14. Remodeling Magazine –
    https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2021/

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