Home Staging – Page 19

February 25, 2015February 25, 2015

Beautiful Fireplaces

Since I was young, I’ve always loved fireplaces. When I would visit my grandparents, they had this wonderful home with very rich wood decor and an atmosphere of cozy warmth. In the Fall and Winter months, my grandfather would light a fire in the large fireplace in the living room and my family would gather there to talk and enjoy each others company. I can remember enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and the calming nature of the flames. I was always amazed how that fireplace could make an already cozy spot even that much better. B41XT-B-610x340

Today, as I’m showing homes, there is no question that many of my buying clients are looking for fireplaces in their next home. And while occasionally a buyer will seek a wood burning fireplace, most are seeking the convenience and style of gas fireplaces.

One of the great things about gas fireplaces is that if a home does not have one, it can be added without a lot of difficulty.

The good folks at Heat & Glow published this article outlining 10 really great reasons to add a gas fireplace to your home.

These reasons include improving the value of the home, providing additional heating and warmth to a room or even a whole floor, the fuel efficiency of the new gas fireplaces, the beauty of modern fireplace design including the ‘art’ of flame articulation and much more.

You can read the entire article at the Heat & Glow website here

If you are considering adding a gas fireplace to your home and need a referral to a professional installer or you just have questions on how a gas fireplace may improve the value of your home, please feel free contact me. As always, I’m here to help! Call or text me at 412-613-4466. I can also be reached by email at sold@ericmckenna.com

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February 19, 2015March 2, 2015

First Impressions

It goes without saying that it’s very wise for a home seller to give serious thought to what kind of first impression their home gives potential buyers.

As the sayings goes, “you only get one chance to make a first impression.” With that reoccurring thought in mind, I’m always looking for great articles on the ‘art’ of home selling. Articles on steps homeowners can take to improve the look and feel their homes gives off to prospective buyers.

And often the best advice is straight forward, simple and easy to accomplish. And that is what we have with Ann Miller’s article at Realtor.com entitled “12 ways to make a fantastic first impression on buyers.” You can’t get any more straightforward than that! workingyard

Ann touches on ideas such as:

– Lawn care, bush pruning and generally making your yard ‘neat’ and uncluttered. And of course – well ‘groomed’.

– Professionally clean carpets. One of the worst impressions for a buyer to get past is a dirty carpet.

– Make sure all light switches work. Every one.

– Putting new caulk around sinks and tubs.

– Cleaning out your medicine cabinets.

– Replacing old light bulbs and using the brightest bulbs each fixture will take. Great illumination is a must.

– If you have a pet, make sure you make arrangements for the pet to out of the property during showings.

For additional ideas and further detail, you can read Ann’s entire article on Realtor.com here

If you are considering listing your home for sale and have any questions about preparing your home for a great first impression or you have questions about any other matter related to effectively selling your home, I’m here to help! Please feel free to call or text me at 412-613-4466. In addition, I can be reached quickly via email at sold@ericmckenna.com

You can also reach me via the contact form below:

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February 6, 2015February 7, 2015

Landscaping Tips for Home Sellers

Quick ideas to increase your home’s curb appeal

While it may be hard to believe, a well maintained and attractive landscape can add up to 10 percent to the value of your home. It’s just that simple. Never underestimate curb appeal!

Power-wash dirty surfaces. Clean the grunge and grime off paved surfaces as well as fences, vinyl siding and brick areas.

Repair an outdoor leaky faucet. A leaking faucet suggests that there may be other problems elsewhere in the plumbing, and that can be an instant turn-off to buyers.

Touch up the mulch. A fresh layer of mulch to all garden beds spruces up your yard like little else. The color enhances everything around it and makes plants and flowers ‘pop’.

Shape unsightly or overgrown trees and shrubs. Nothing says neglect like overgrown trees and shrubs. Not to mention dead branches.

Plant some instant color. Create a splach of several colors or a more monochromatic scheme, whatever fits in with the look of your home by planting annuals.

Find more great tips at this article at hgtv.

If you are considering selling your home now or in the near future and would like additional landscape and/or home staging ideas or home selling information, feel free to call or text me at 412-613-4466. You can also contact me by email at sold@ericmckenna.com

January 29, 2015January 31, 2015

5 Quick Home Staging Tips

I wanted to share a great article regarding inexpensive staging tips for home sellers. This article comes to us from Melissa Neiman of Bankrate.com

Without question, correctly staging and presenting your home can significantly improve the odds of an effective and satisfactory sale. However, hiring professional home stagers are not always within the budget. With that thought in mind, here is an overview of Melissa’s article.

1. Pack away personal items. When possible, packing away your personal items is one of the simplest ways to help sell your property quickly. One quick way to de-personalize your home is to remove personal photos. The idea is that it’s difficult for prospective buyers to envision themselves in your home if they are surrounded by your personal family photos.

2. Clear away the clutter. While not always the easiest thing to do, it’s vital to enable the prospective buyer to focus on your home – not your ‘things.’ It’s much better to pack away your belongings in boxes and get them out of the way and out of site.

3. Rearrange and neutralize rooms. The suggestion is that fresh, neutral paint on walls, trim and doors makes your home appear clean and new. Another suggestion is to make sure closets are neat, organized and not over stuffed.

4. Clean and deodorize. It’s near impossible for a prospective buyer to look past a smelly home. Clean, clean, clean. The clean some more. Also ensure your home has a pleasant fragrance when prospective buyers arrive. Whether that would be scented candles or freshly baked sweets. Fresh and clean wins over just about anything else.

5. Enhance curb appeal. First impressions only come around once. Mow your lawn and trim your hedges. Pressure clean your exterior including sidewalks, decks and driveway. Also adding mulch is a low cost upgrade which really enhances a home’s landscape and overall exterior presence.

You can read Melissa’s full article here.

If you are considering selling your home and have any questions concerning home staging or any other selling factor, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help. Feel free to call or text me at 412-613-4466.

Or feel free to use this form:

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