by: Heather J. Bonawitz

 When was the last time you went to the theatre? Were there scene changes throughout the play? Of course there were because naturally, the story unfolds not all at once, but by transition. If the entire story unfolded with every set change happening at the same time, there would be endless confusion. This same natural transition should take place in our homes. Every home is a stage and each room a new set. So let me ask you, when you watch a play and there are a lot of things taking place on the stage, can you see everything that is going on at the same time? Not likely, but any good director will focus your attention to the main characters so that even if there are other things taking place, your focus will be directed to the main focal points. According to a 2009 study by RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) homeowners that staged their house first, before placing it on the market, cut the time their house was listed by an average of 7 months, saving them over $14,700 worth of expenses after mortgage, utility expenses, etc. not including a potential mark-down. Each detail in the house contributes to the overall stage: color, lighting, texture, scale, balance and proportion. Every room in a home acts as another “set” that must work well with the previous “scene” in order to create a unified story. When staging a home to sell, the goal is to create continuity in order to direct the focus to the architecture and not to your personal belongings. So when there are too many elements competing for a buyer’s attention, too much clutter on the stage, this can create confusion and cause a potential buyer to focus more on the secondary elements of the play than the actual story that is being told. By eliminating some of the personal elements in your home, de-cluttering where necessary and marginalizing furnishings to be placed in a proper way, this will focus the buyer’s attention on the story being told throughout your home. Creating natural scene changes is the goal of Home Staging. This may mean a change in wall color, removing elements that lend towards a specific generational era or even eliminating ethnic and religious symbols. Buyers want to envision themselves living in a home so if your personal style shines through and there is a lot of clutter, they will not be able to see themselves living there. The architecture will be hidden by the distraction of your personal taste. Often, photos are the first impression a home buyer has of your house because this is what they are seeing on MLS so you should do everything you can to set your home apart from all the others you are competing with. If there are too many distractions, odds are good that some purging is due. Just remember this: Your favorite stories feature detailed elements that blend together cohesively! People are eclectic in style but just because you may like a variety of things, doesn’t mean that they should all be featured “on the stage” at the same time; that’s why there are scene changes in a play. Remember, context is everything.

For more inspiring design ideas, contact Heather Bonawitz, Owner of  Becoming Designs

Visit www.becomingdesigns.com 434-352-1334 or email: becomingdesigns@mail.com

“ Every home has a story. What is your home…becoming? “

BEFORE

                                                                          AFTER

The first thing a seller asks upon signing a listing agreement is  ”Are you going to do an Open House?’   My response is  ”Why, do you want one?”.   I ask this question for opening the dialogue as to why sellers feel that open houses are important to selling their home.  According to statistics, few homes are sold directly from an open house.  They are more widely used for the agent to gain prospects-for other homes.

My marketing plan does include open houses as a means to promote a seller’s home to the public as well as to other agents.  When listing the home, I am careful to explain the strategy of my marketing plan and, if it incorporates an open house, we will schedule it in the plan.  Not every home is a good candidate for an open house.  Location is one determining factor as its hard to push traffic to a home in a more rural location.

There are two types of open houses- the public open house, which is the most common one that invites home buyers, and a Realtor open house, which is the opportunity for agents to view the home and obtain information for their clients. Many homes have been sold by a Realtor that viewed a home and knew immediately that it was the one their client had been waiting for. 

And, of course, when having an Open House, make sure you do not leave valuables or important, private documents out in view of your visitors. Clean your home, including all cabinets, closets, making sure it smells and looks fresh!

Open houses can sell homes, but your Realtor should have a marketing plan that promotes a strategy for a targeted market and it may or may not include one.  Trust your agent as they are the one that knows the market, knows what is working at the current time, and knows how best to sell your property.