Thank you for watching!! ***Please Note: I am a licensed Realtor in Minnesota & Wisconsin with Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices North Properties. This video is not intended to solicit anyone who is currently working with a real estate professional. This video represents our experience, but may not apply to all homes or locations, please check with a real estate professional who is familiar with your specific market before implementing.***
Thank you for this video - very timely as I am beginning my first packing/ declutter job for a client whose realtor told it needed to have been done weeks ago - wish me luck, patience, please pray as this is what I hope to do as a business thanks
Wow ... i never understood it but u r right... i always felt like I was "intruding" when they left their photos and "stuff" and...i wanted out super quick if a pet was in the house ....especially a barking dog in a cage because i did NOT want to disturb the pet.
Wow ... i never understood it but u r right... i always felt like I was "intruding" when they left their photos and "stuff" and...i wanted out super quick if a pet was in the house ....especially a barking dog in a cage because i did NOT want to disturb the pet.
@@sandywillis7722 I know what you mean. It's like getting something for nothing and misrepresenting the purchase. However, I think as long as the items are clean and not damaged that it is ok. They let people return items that they don't like as long as they are in a sellable condition. but I know how it seems like cheating!
I worked in a retail store that carried furnishing, pillows and other home decor including dishes. Nothing was more annoying, then selling lots of items to a home designer/stager, knowing full well that it was all going to be returned “USED.” Please don’t do this, it is not fun for the retail workers, the cashiers not to mention, the floor staff who have to return these items to the floor insuring they are clean, repackaged in a sellable manner and then to find space for the returned items. As we sell items in the store, the holes created by product that has been sold, must be filled with new stock. If products are returned, the floor staff must find new homes for theses items. It is a lot of unnecessary work for the retail staff. Please hire a professional stager, who has a warehouse of household items for staging homes.
She said she kept them in pristine condition. I think if a store offers a policy and that policy is adhered to, you shouldn’t shame people for utilizing it. Plus, what do you care? You’re working till 7 either way. Employees doing work while at their jobs is not a tragedy that a customer can be responsible for. I mean, by all means, don’t be a douche- don’t leave messes everywhere or show up right before closing- but not doing returns? Just because it’s “not fun” for the people who work there? I mean, that’s insane. What a crazy expectation to put on someone. If you work retail, _returns are a huge part of the job_ That’d be like a dentist who expected patients to never need braces bc they don’t like the orthodontist at the practice
No, it would be like a dentist who told their patients how to scam free braces from the orthodontist. It's one thing to buy something and discover it doesn't fit the aesthetic of your home, but a different thing to never have the intention to really purchase the item and just "borrow" it - for free! It's actually lying, and it disgusts me that people who make a show of being "Christian" have no qualms about lying and advising other people to lie, in order to save/make money.
We moved 50-75% of our stuff into storage prior to putting our house up for sale. Our house looked so beautiful we decided not to sell it after all! That's how we found out what we can live without & don't want or need any more. Now we have a lot of stuff in storage to go through & get rid of. We're accidental minialists.
I moved after 45 yrs and had a LOT of stuff. My attitude was I didn't want to do ANY prep to sell but came around when the realtor offered a staging adviser. Everything I owned was moved except what we kept for staging, which was minimal. Several doors were changed, new carpet upstairs, painted the bath & most all of the window trim. She even suggested removing all the curtains so I did and had a service power wash the outside & clean all the windows. It still didn't sell "fast" but I'm sure I did better than if I had gone with "as is"!
I decluttered ruthlessly, depersonalized and cleaned properly...and “staged” to the best of my ability..I put myself in the buyers shoes...our house sold in 5 days!!! Multiple offers...we had back to back showings for the weekend and got to cancel them, because the house sold before the weekend!!!!🎉 I used bedding and towels I already owned in light colors or white..no dark colors..our agent said we made it so easy for him.😁 We don’t have pets, but I would suggest remove all traces of pets In the house...including odors.
Agree! I did the exact same and our house sold to the first people who looked at it, the day before our open house was scheduled! We saw them arrive on our Ring doorbell and the wife looked through the window and said “I haaaate the kitchen!” Our cabinets were dark wood, not white or gray like everybody wants now. But it was a beautiful kitchen besides. When we heard them chatting as they were leaving, she was singing a different tune lol. She was in love with the house and they made an offer $11k over asking. Our realtor said the same, that we made it very easy to market and sell :) Make sure to freshen up your flower pots a few weeks before listing so the annuals are bright and beautiful and don’t look like they were planted two days ago
Exactly what we did, and I worked on it for over a year. And my husband updated and repaired everything. Every week, I took fresh photos of all the spaces and stared at them to make further improvements. Our house sold in 2 weeks, then 6 months later, we bought my DREAM cottage on a lake. It’s worth all that work.
My husband and I are DIYers who had already remodeled and sold five houses and were looking for another. Our realtor insisted on taking us to a neighborhood that was way out of our price range, but she said that the house she wanted to show us was one we could afford. It had been on the market over a year, and the husband had been transferred already. I was repulsed when I walked in. It was filthy, cluttered, and the smell of dog urine made my eyes water. The owners had ten (yes, 10) Dalmatians in the house and garage (the breeding pair and their litter). We bought the house for well below market! We ripped up all flooring, treated the concrete foundation, painted every surface, including ceilings, and replaced all fixtures. I got the house that I wanted with the finishes I wanted. A good deal for us was an unfortunate loss for the homeowner.
mrseak Wait, are you saying you had to treat the concrete foundation because the urine had soaked down that far and the smell was embedded???! 🤢 Or am I reading something into this lol
My house was staged and I hired professional cleaners, sold in 2 days, $10 K over asking. I had to buy new curtains, mine were too short, new pillows and bedding. I also filled holes and painted, my choice. My garage was full of packed boxes, but the inside of the house looked great. Freshly cut grass and new mulch, too. It was worth it!
Getting items out and into temporary storage is key. When buyers open cupboards and closets you want them to feel spacious so only a few things in there. I removed upholstered chairs from the TV room. Take out hutches, bookcases, etc. You're going to be moving them anyway. When we sold our house a realtor for the buyer asked "Where is the family living while they're selling?" :)
I feel like a decluttered house isn't just easier to "see yourself" in, but there is another aspect that nobody is talking about. A clean, calm home tells something about the sellers and what kind of intentional care they probably put into their home when they lived there. Which is why a dirty cluttered house sends buyers "running the other way" as some of the above comments mentioned.
exactly, I've gone into homes (house hunting) where a homeowner allowed their children's to put stickers EVERYWHERE! on the walls, wood work, glass, everywhere. The house was dirty....And odors, dirty ceiling fans....
More tips: make sure that the baseboards are surgically cleaned/scrubbed! Paint a nice white if needed along with door frames. Update door handles if they are older styles and replace the handles on the kitchen cabinets as well to a modern set. Use chalk paint on the kitchen cabinets if you want to update the color. Ensure that all electrical outlets are the same colour with no cracks and properly do the caulking in the kitchen and bathrooms. These are very simple things that anyone can do with little to no experience and by watching TH-cam videos.
My husband and I were house shopping this year, and the biggest shock to me was that some people didn't clean up at all! These people were not hoarders, but they had very dirty houses, and I was simply baffled that they would try to sell it like that.
I would also add "Clean your house"!! Like a REALLY GOOD deep clean. It seems like common sense, but I can't tell you how many houses we went into that were so gross :-(
I staged my Mother in laws house, it was a real Granny house. We spent £2000 to update it, I did a lot of emulsion painting and we even replaced the very dated carpet with neutral ones. Some people told me we were going way over the top but it sold quickly and for more than other houses in the road so it was all worth it! I love staging houses!
I’ve done my own staging. I decided on a theme for my aunts condo near the water. Went to second hand stores and purchased everything I felt I needed to make it inviting. Sold her condo after the open house. Then I did the staging for our house. Used inflatable mattress for the beds and reused the items from my aunts condo. Staged both places for less than $200.00. House also sold after open house. Anyone can stage their own place. Also do curb appeal because that is the first thing buyers see before entering the home.
Great tips! As a former realtor, I always suggested that home sellers pay a home inspector to pre-inspect the home so they can make any necessary repairs and avoid unnecessary negotiations. Buyers often estimate repairs high resulting in reduced offers. Having a current inspection report with all repairs dated and warranties available was a great selling point.
Hi Dawn, I came across your channel when I was about to put my house on the market and I found this video to be SO helpful! Funny thing was, once I had decluttered and lived like that for 6 weeks, I did NOT want to bring any of that stuff back into my house again! Then I Googled how to cook at home more and I came across your video about meal planning. I didn’t even click that it was the same channel that I’d already watched before. Again, I found it to be SO helpful and it has transformed our eating habits! Then I realised that it was you again and now I’m totally hooked on your channel and minimalism! You talk about how you have a small house; well, here in New Zealand our houses are generally much smaller, so our family of 5 lives in an 80 square metre house (860 square feet). Minimalism is very important when you don’t have much space! Thank you for all of your advice. I felt like one of those people drowning in day-to-day life stuff, and now I am starting to be able to breathe again. You really are transforming my life. Love your minimalist videos too - you clearly explain your points without unnecessary word clutter! Thank you, thank you, thank you 😊
Staging and cleaning is everything with selling a home. Last year I sold my 50 yr old California condo, and took the cleaning, painting, simplifying every space, and staging (I did it myself) very seriously. We got rid of 60% of what we owned. I got nothing but praise for all I did. I was selling during the Fall and winter so I always had plenty of lighting day and night, and my wax warmer was always on with cinnamon wax melts, which was the first thing visitors always noticed. My home was scrubbed shiny clean, and I had a few well placed seasonal decor items around. I kept new white towels out specifically for viewings, and staged the outside of my home as well., including the patio (that I staged to look like a living room with lamps, and a rug, furniture, tables etc. ) And the landscaping at the front of the home was fresh and inviting. My bedroom closet had just a few items in it and even those were hung in the colors of the rainbow, all on the same white hangers. I had battery candles inside and out. It cost me under $300 to buy fresh new things to stage my home after I painted each room, decluttered, and brought the entire home down to its simplest, form, while still feeling warm and cozy. Putting in the extra effort to show your home at its very best at all times is well worth the effort. I got my full asking price, with no problem.
Those are a lot of great tips. It's really hard to make suggestions about decluttering and depersonalizing especially when the sellers are older and have lived in the home for a long period of time. Their house and everything in it is a part of them, so you have to be uber diplomatic about asking them to pack up certain items like family photos or especially their collections (figurines, dolls, beanie babies) and ask that they put them away. I have had to play psychologist with people on occasion and point out that they've put the house on the market because they don't want to or can't live there anymore and that eventually when the house sells, they'll have to pack all their things up anyway. Even in homes with the tackiest décor, I've had to tread lightly and explain that my suggestions are not a criticism of the things they love, but if their home appeals to a broader range of buyers that maybe don't share their sense of style then there's a better chance of selling their home and selling it quickly. I find it helpful to keep coming around to that point--"you don't want to live here anymore, you want to sell this house."
Our house was on the market almost 8 months (we live in a super tiny town and that timeline is often the norm) and we fully staged and cleared out everything like you suggested and it certainly helped us get a better price. Then, after not needing all that packed away stuff for that long we barely took any of it to the new house.... It was great!
Yeah, I'm agreeing with the others. I love your videos and I've subscribed. But buying, USING, then returning things is wrong. And yes, if you're using it for staging, and "returning it in the same condition", yes it's still being used. Plus, it's not in the same condition. If the items appeal many people may come in and touch them, sit on them, or otherwise handle them. Buying a returned comforter or pillow it's a big deal to me if ONE person tried it and didn't love it. But it's not cool if half the town felt it up then it was returned and I bought it.
That's exactly why a Realtor should recommend a local stager. I am an Interior Designer and also have several Realtor friends who often ask me to stage homes for them. I have all the things needed to stage the homes. I would NEVER buy something.. use it to stage a home and then return it. That is terribly un-professional. I use things in one home and then return them to my warehouse and use them again later in another home. It is definitely TRUE.. staged homes do sell FASTER and for a HIGHER price.
It’s really not wrong. Companies expect this. The film industry does this with every single television show, advertisement , and film. Its totally fine.
I doubt that. Items used for filming would have a good chance of being dirtied or damaged. And even if they did do that, well lots of people shoplift, or give their kids produce to eat while grocery shopping, so you think that makes it OK for you to do that to? After all, the stores expect a certain level of stock loss and factor that into their pricing, so it's not really stealing...
I recently sold my home myself - and did exactly this. I got big bins, and placed every personal item into these and stored them in the garage. No clutter on any surface, no photos, nothing on the fridge, and every cupboard cleaned in case someone did look in. I also took then opportunity to go through my wardrobe and get rid of unwanted items. THEN I took the photos :-). Sold in rapid time.
This is so true! My mom who is a realtor always said it's the staging that helps sell a home and she's been in the business for 25+ years. I hate looking at homes that have clutter on Zillow it makes me cringe !
We did the same with our home ten years ago, and had a beautiful yard and curb appeal. We staged our screened in porch with a wine fridge full of fancy beer, the tv on baseball, and an empty garage with fresh paint, and a beautiful (painted with special enamel floor paint ) garage floor. We also had a videographer and photographer for the virtual tour online. After two days and a bidding war, we sold for 15,000 over asking. The buyers were thousands of miles away.
this video is 100 percent correct! I saw 5 houses before we found the one we purchased. Something that all the houses had was so much stuff, overfilled and dark; i was distracted and couldn't imagine being there. Sometimes the family was actually still there, which made it exponentially uncomfortable.The house we bought was COMPLETELY empty, and while it was outdated we were able to see the potential in the vaulted ceilings, big windows and light filled basement. cant go wrong with having less, no matter how you look at it!
I agree with all of this except returning staging items to the store. That is not an ethical practice, in my opinion. I've paid a professional stager twice and she spent two full days staging plus half a day unstaging. It helped both of our homes sell fairly quickly in difficult markets. Prices and availability of stagers varies widely. Make multiple calls and see who you can afford and who makes you happy to work with. Talent really helps sell your house!
Great advice, also don’t forget repairs, small repairs go a long way in selling your home, neutralize odors (pet odors are not going to help sell your home), light is important too (replace burnt out bulbs and open the shades), and don’t forget how important first impressions are (so don’t forget about curb appeal).
Enjoy your videos. Good tips except the buying and returning. As a former store owner, I don’t think that is kosher. The store is also in business and it isn’t like the free public library. 😊
I went to Home Goods and bought items to stage our home AFTER de clutter and donating or packing up the majority of our stuff. I decided what each room needed and I bought things that I really loved. I intended to return anything I didn’t want or need but ended up keeping most of it. I didn’t feel bad about returning the other couple of items because they were untouched and pristine and it was within the return window.
@@TheMinimalMom I just staged a house that we listed. I shopped at Goodwill and found brand new bedding there. I used it and then sold it at our yard sale. That is terrible to use brand new from a store and then return. It would be one thing to rent it, but, not "buying" it with no intention of keeping it is just wrong.
Thank you Phyllis for a polite perspective check for Dawn, and myself, quite honestly! When Dawn shared what she shared about returning items, I didn't think twice until I read some of the comments concerning returning items not intended for keeping. Some of comments were painfully rude! No one is perfect, and we all learn from each other. So, people, please careful how you word your comments!
I guess staging is about the inside of the house, but I had an experience relating to the outside. I had a job transfer from Sacramento to Houston. Looked on the internet ("HAR", Houston Area Real Estate) to find house to buy in Houston. This all needed to happen FAST, so I picked out 3 to look at and told Houston realtor I'd only have time to see these 3 before I had to fly back to Sacramento. AND, that I'd pick one of them. One of the 3 was a two-story red brick mainly, but it did have some siding that was painted this hideous bright yellow. Realtor said she'd never even thought to show the house to a prospective buyer because the yellow was so ugly. Told her "easy to paint" (obviously). Anyway, bought THAT house. HUGE back yard with shrubs and trees (and swimming pool). Other 2 houses had tiny back yards. Got it painted soon after I moved in, and it looks great. Also got a good price because it had been on the market a LONG time. If the sellers had only RE-PAINTED the house before they put it on the market, I bet it would have gone quickly and they'd have sold it for more. (After I moved in and painted it, neighbors came by and THANKED me. They said the yellow was such an eyesore in the neighborhood. lol).
About taking your personal stuff out, and Why You Should Do That: I once toured a home that was lovely, until I entered the master bedroom. The couple had hung a professional photograph of themselves in the nude, waist up, wife apparently just about to give birth, husband behind her with arms wrapped around so as to cover her nipples, both grinning happily. I can't remember a single thing about the rest of that house, and I definitely didn't buy it! On a different note, I wouldn't work with an agent I knew ahead of time would advocate buying decor items and then returning them for a refund after using them in staging. This is just unethical. It costs the retailer while enriching the agent and sellers, and involves deception. Just buy those items, and enjoy them in your next home! Otherwise, I found this video really well done and very informative. Thanks!
Saw one of your other videos and I appreciate your honesty and candor. Its been twenty plus years since I sold my house. Wish I had done more as in your suggestions to make it easier for my realtor, Andy. Anyone selling, listen to this woman. She knows what she's talking about and you really can do it!
As a current active house hunter, this video is entirely accurate. I looked at a house last week that was not staged at all. It wasn't empty, it was basically just listed with the current owners still living there. It did feel like I was intruding on their home. Their house still sold quickly because the market doesn't have a lot of inventory here, but it was VERY difficult to appreciate the house instead of the current owner's lifestyle. I wish all sellers watched this video. It's important to think about how the buyers will see your home when they walk in.
When we were shopping for our home, all of the ones I picked to go see were staged! The pictures attracted me enough to go take a look in person. Our house we ended up buying was not staged, but my husband could see what it would look like with us in it... He's very gifted at seeing what things can be not what they are.
That is an awesome gift!! I would say only about 20% of buyers possess it! Tom and I are always trying to help people see past paint colors and over-sized furniture!! ;)
Our whole house was green, from lime green to Forest green to mint green lol 😂 good thing the previous owners had good taste in everything else that's harder to change (counters, flooring, etc!).
Please please please tell people to take pics to post on real estate sites AFTER it is staged, and give pointers for how to photograph a house for staging. Or tell them to hire a photographer! I am currently house hunting, and I can't tell you how often I flip through pics and I'm like oh, nice photograph of your dresser/couch/chachki collection LOL! And then I get to the end and I still have a ton of questions: Just how is that kitchen laid out? Is that a gas stove? Was there even a pantry? How come they only photographed the master bath? How big are the closets? Is there a laundry room at all? Because there's no photographs at all of any of those things. Can you tell I spend too much time on Trulia and Zillow right now???
Oh yes, professional pictures are a MUST these days! We'll do a separate video about hiring a realtor and if they can't pay for professional photos, they probably aren't going to pay for extra marketing either, might not be best to hire them! :)
And for heaven sake, when you take those pictures for the internet, close the top on the toilet, turn off the TV, and get the dirty dishes out of the sink. No dog bowls, no kitty litter boxes.
Beth Lewis Yes, house needs to be completely staged and show-ready for pics. And pics must be professional. Our agent paid for the Matterport (I believe that’s what it was called?) where they take photos on such a way that you can do a virtual tour through the house, able to see in all directions and up and down. That is the best way to get a feel for the actual layout. It’s indispensable, in my opinion.
I saw one recently where I knew what they ate for dinner because the dirty dishes were piled all over the kitchen counters and spaghetti sauce was splattered all over the stove and the wall behind it. 😬😂
I am in the process of decluttering my house and I’m amazed at how much the clutter was hiding the beautiful architectural touches of our 1913 bungalow.
We moved when I was in elementary school, my parents looked at 97 houses, and only the last five they looked at twice, and let me tell you it was exhausting. The amount of people's houses that had way too much stuff and it was amazing. You want the buyer to walk into your house and feel cozy and like it could be their space, not like it's your house because let's be real you're trying to get rid of it. You would clean your car and have it professionally detailed before you went to sell it, so the same is true of your house
I was staging’s before staging was even a word! I’m a retired licensed real estate broker in two states. I always staged my listings as part of my service. I never charged for my staging services but I was always compensated for whatever I spent on new linens and other accessories and items, and also for cleaning, painting and other items. My listings sparkled, looked and smelled good and they always sold quickly, at top prices. I loved helping and being of service to people!
I am not selling my home, but I by totally agree with your tips. Even for everyday living. I can't tolerate a bunch of clutter...items around for nothing.
I am watching your video and you are correct on removing EVERYTHING - well, MOST everything. I am not listing my home until March 1, 2020 but I got my future realtor to stop by my house to give me ideas and she said my stuff had to go. I have rented a storage unit, been packing for about 2 months as time allows, have repairmen working weekly on items for future inspections, will be completely painted inside before Christmas and hopefully can rest a little before listing in March. I agree 100% that personal stuff must go. I already see a huge difference. She (my realtor) suggested my ceiling fans were fine but that I should probably update the globes to bring a fresh look to them and I did for minimal money and it truly has made a tremendous difference. My realtor knows me enough to say my crap had to go! LOL Good video and thanks!
I sold my last place 4 years ago. It was a one bedroom, 700 sqft condo. I had a realtor come over and said she could sell it in a day or two. She was the only one that didn't try to tell me to get rid/store my stuff before selling. The only thing she didn't like was I had a box of kleenix on the end table in the small living room. I was going away for the weekend and I boarded my dog. I did leave out her bowl and dog bed. My place was very clean and as uncluttered as I could make such a small place. We had a big snow storm the day before. The realtor said there were people writing up offers on my sofa, dining room table and in the hall. When I landed at the airport she called and said I had multiple offers and 2 cash offers. I got $5000 over asking price. What really sold it was the great location and lack of affordable housing. It ended up going to a 40 year old man with wealthy parents. They paid cash for it.
I’m a realtor in CT. When I meet with my potential sellers, I ask them the obvious question: is their intention to sell their home for the highest price? If “Yes” then I tell them that their house, the PRODUCT up for sale, needs to transform in their minds and physically from the house that they live in to a “marketable product” to sell. “Your house” vs. “Marketable Product” - that’s the difference. I provide them with tons of tips and resources to clean out, declutter, depersonalize, etc. But it’s the change in mind-set that helps the most. I also try to get them to focus on their NEW lives, their new house/apartment/condo even if it is half-way across the country. This works.
LIVING IN A HOME FOR SALE IS DARN HARD and max stressful to you and the whole family so do ANYTHING you can do to sell as soon as possible! Do it up front!
My husband before we retired was a realtor, our house sold in two days, being minimal it was easy to stage my home. It works...... my daughter sold her house first week as well. This was a great, informative video Off topic , but I Love your hair this way Dawn😀
What amazes me about downsizing and decluttering is that the more I get rid of the more I find that I need to get rid of. When I think I'm down or should be down to the Bare Bones I start finding more things that I need to get rid of guy didn't even think about before. I've been downsizing for about 3 years now in a home that I brought my family in for the last 34 years. Trying to get it ready put on the market and it's taking me so much longer than I thought it would
We've sold 8 houses, all within 60 days, never "staged" a single one. Cleaned? Of course. Personal items removed? Yes - who wants strangers seeing your personal stuff. What I want to know is why do buyers make themselves at home while looking at houses? I've been able to tell that people had been on the bed, sat on couches, pulled out desk chairs, opened up and played (and damaged!) the piano... seriously! Why would anyone think it's okay to touch other people's belongings?
@Kristin Haha a frustration that we often get from our sellers as well (we are realtors). Truth is, buyers want to imagine themselves in the home so they may want to sit where the couch is because that's where they'll have theirs and see it from their own perspective. Or they have kids and they sneak on the bed (or the parents don't say anything 🙄). Although most people are considerate and courteous, unfortunately not all humans are 😣
My realtor told me to remove personal valuables bc people go and touch and feel to imagine themselves in the house. I find it uncomfortable, I've never sat on a couch or someones bed, always a walk through and go.
There are always people who have nice homes and have the common sense to clean and de-clutter. 🥰 Unfortunately, those people seem to be few and far between. Most can definitely benefit from some suggestions, pointers and guidance. Sometimes, when I am asked to stage a home.. it is a simple matter of re-arranging the furniture in a more sensible way that allows the features of the home to stand out. One lady had hated her home for years. By the time I got done helping her she fell in love with her home and decided she no longer wanted to sell. I am not sure the Realtor was real happy about that.. but I do give her a lot of referrals. 😊
I have bought quite a few homes and I DO sit on the couch or a chair sometimes to imagine what it would be like to live there. Everyone processes information differently. If I'm not "allowed" to imagine myself in a place where I'm about to spend 6- to 7-figures, I have no problem walking away from the deal.
We we were reluctant to stage because we were still living there but it was the best decision. Now I want my new home to look staged all the time. I have been decluttering for two years now and I don’t miss a thing I got rid of! Moving next time will be a breeze! Thank you for your videos showing me I am on the right track.
Great video with helpful tips! We sold our house in Minnesota and moved to Wisconsin in 2017. As other comments noted, It pays to deep clean your house. I removed all personal items, cleared the fridge, everything was tidy. Made sure there were no pet items visible. We had many showings, a lot of multiples, and a signed PA we were happy with on the 13th day on market. I definitely could have added some updated linens, etc - I like that idea! When we were buying, I was totally surprised by the lack of cleaning in homes and it was a big turn off to me. I get people are busy, but as a buyer if you were to busy to clean you were likely to busy to keep up with maintenance of the house.
This is really interesting! I have never owned a house, let alone stage one, and in Germany, where I’ve been living for a long time, things seem so different, for apartments for sure and houses perhaps as well. For example, when you have an appointment to visit an apartment that is for rent, generally it is completely empty, the walls are all painted white by the former tenant as required per rental agreement, no washer or dryer ( dryers are pretty seldom in general anyway!), no kitchen appliances or counters or anything. No light fixtures usually, maybe one or two. No curtain rods unless the previous tenant has left them. And if you don’t want them you can ask them to be taken down before you move in... there are some apartments nowadays with kitchens already in them, but you either pay extra for that or you buy it from the previous tenant. It’s pretty rare to be shown a place while someone is living in it, unless it’s a private contact.
The only thing our house had was a refrigerator and a stove when we looked at it. Others we looked at were full of things and some were staged very nicely. The ones that were full were hard to look at and felt strange being in them so we couldn't imagine living there so I understand completely what you mean. The one we chose was one of the empty ones because we could imagine our things in it. Thank you for sharing.
We sold our last house last year. We didn’t depersonalise & still managed to sell it pretty quickly. It was clean & tidy. When looking at other houses to buy, I was put off more by serious clutter, dishes piled high in the sink and next to the sink, dirt, holes in one bedrooms ceiling, rusted radiators, coats and shoes greeting you as you walk through the front door. I love the house we’re in. It was only 1 person living in a 4 bed house so it wasn’t cluttered other than about 1000 pairs of shoes in one room lol It is nicely decorated so we didn’t have to do much to it.
I stage houses for my clients and other realtors. I also use my own personal items. I have a storage unit full of bedspreads, towels, pictures and now furniture. I truly believe it sells the home faster and two recent clients got $40;000 and $50;000 over ask and credited the staging. A nice compliment. Lynn Pronger. Realtor. Windsor Ontario.
I have purchased five homes in my 65 years. They were all dumps and I definitely got them for below listing price. Then I cleaned, painted and updated each one. Sellers so often say "I'm not fixing or changing anything. Let the next owner do that. This is how we live." If only realtors could convince them they will sell for a higher price and be off the market quickly with all of your suggestions. Love your channel and share your videos with my children who own waaaay too much stuff.
I love your explanations of why you do things. When my realtor said to take down photos, I discussed that with friends. We all agreed that it would make it seem cold, or that nobody really lived there. We left them up. My house still sold quickly, but explanations go a long way!
I prefer a completely vacant home when I'm looking. Ended up choosing one of those all three times. Much easier to spot problem areas and quicker to move in if no one lives there.
I do too. But not everyone can visualize where their furniture might go, will it fit or how rooms might be used. I heard one stager say they are selling a vision of the perfect new home for the buyer.
I agree with you. An empty and clean home allows me to envision exactly how I'd use it. Seeing anyone's furniture, even carefully staged furniture, muddies the whole process in my mind. If a house has big windows, lots of natural light, and gleaming hardwood floors, I'm halfway sold just walking in.
Are you really unable to use your mind and imagination that you can't see past and see the bones of a place? No telling what you have missed in your lifetime.
Dawn, I loved this! You are 100% on the mark, here. You know, it just reaffirmed to me that the "staging" was what attracted me to the house that we have now :) Three years ago, when buying, I went through these same thoughts as we looked at prospective houses. Our own house sold to the 1st viewer, and I had worked to stage it with fresh linens, a few pieces of new furniture, all freshly painted white walls, soft music playing, dinner mints in a crystal dish, and a fresh flower arrangement with lemons. As we were looking for our current house, we came to realize very quickly that not everyone does this. We were turned away from several homes because of messy spaces, clutter, and smells that were not so lovely. This will no doubt help hundreds of people, ready to sell and buy! And the icing on the cake is, if we adopt a minimalist mindset, our current home can typically be "15 minutes away from tidy," already fairly staged, but still with a relaxed and peaceful feel. :D
@@TheMinimalMom Aww thanks, that's sweet of you to say. My husband and I have a running joke, we may have only sold three houses through our 25 yrs of marriage, but all 3 sold to the 1st viewer, haha in 1999, 2006, and 2016😊😊😊And we didn't even know about staging back then with 1st two...I just like to clean, haha
I am amazed this video hit my inbox today. I have been binging on Minimalist Mom videos for the last month or so. Watching some of them over and over. My daughter was smart enough to get us boxing stuff into a pod months ago so our house wouldn’t look cluttered. I just thought she meant declutter a little. But I wish I binged on your videos sooner. I WANT TO LIVE IN A HOUSE LIKE YOURS. So my latest packing boxes? 80 % goes in donation. Much lighter boxes!!! I’m 67 and I’m also looking at the Swedish Death cleaning theory - I am doing my kids a favor by getting rid of my junk. I had a few pieces of expensive jewelry that I gave to my d oldest daughter years ago. Why not let her enjoy it while I am alive and can see her treasure it? Waiting until I passed seemed silly. I don’t go to many fancy places. If I want to wear it, I can borrow it from her. The sentimental things like my Mom’s Bible and Grandma’s teapot went to my other daughter who likes things like that and couldn’t care less about expensive jewelry. So the other stuffi own. I either use it or donate it. I am surprised at how much stuff I have that I just have “”because I always had it”. Never used it. But I always had it. But I digress. Just by watching your videos, and what my daughter knows about staging - our house was on the market for a few days and we had multiple offers at above asking price. The main reason for that is because I want to live in a house like the minimalist mom’s! Me? Wannabe hoarder. Thank you for all you do. You are awesome ! And the Sunday show. I never miss that 😊
I was a licensed realtor in MN and did staging in WI. And practiced exactly what you’ve recommended myself. It is so true!! The 1/2 full cabinets is HUGE.
Love this! You mentioned having "current" things - linens specifically to stage. Could you do a room by room breakdown on how you would stage each room - what the rooms need and don't need?
Remove all photos of family, never have more than one item hanging on a wall. Either a picture/painting or shelves. Thin out bookcases or shelves- They should be neat and sparse. As many flat surfaces in your home need to cleaned off without clutter. Only one item on a table. You can set your dining table with linens, plates, silverware and wine glasses. Laundry room should look like you could "eat" in there! Spotless-all clothes removed bc it should look like heaven! LOL. Clean your ovens and microwaves. Toilet lids closed, all trashcans empty. open drapes, blinds, curtains and let the light in. Yards should be perfect. A house will sell quickly if the yard is in shape too. Paint your mailbox outside-so many people forget about that. First impressions!!!! Hope this helps-I stage homes.
Totally agree with most of what you said! I'm currently sitting in my house that's in escrow. We decluttered a ton! We put a lot of our belongings in a self-storage facility. Our house sold in 2 days for 15k above asking - and it was already listed higher than other houses in our neighborhood that have been listed for months and haven't sold.
I have owned and sold 5 homes and I love staging. I like living in a space that feels like a model home already, but I get even more thoughtful about my home when I want to sell. I make sure to touch up paint, freshen the landscaping and give a good deep clean. I also don't cook anything that will leave odors unless it is the smell of cookies. The good news is all my homes have sold to an offer made within the first week and for asking or more.
I love your vlog! I have 3 grown sons who are minimalists. I appreciate their way of life but I can't relate to them because they are all single and are out-of state renters. I live alone and have 1800 sf fully furnished home. However, after watching you on several vlogs ... your philosophy as a woman and mother is making ALOT of sense to me! Keep on sharing your wisdom!
Cluttered homes do detract from my ability to see the house for what it could be to a certain extent. When I look at a house, I remember that it is personal to those who live there and that doesn’t bother me so much. Instead, I look at how well maintained it is, which communicates more to me than anything. It means someone loves this house enough to take care of it. I can change the style and decor when I move in.
Great tips Dawn. The other thing we did was pay for a good cleaner to come in for a day. With work & kids & everything else, doing a great clean of EVERYTHING was overwhelming & stressed me out. Having the big clean done allowed me to just maintain it. Did this before the stylist came in & it worked great. (Melbourne, Australia)
@Debi I agree, another alternative is you can buy something you think you could use in the future OR sell it after and consider the small loss as a "cost of selling a home" ✌
Wow I never thought about this but it makes total sense! And it completely true as a buyer, if I go in a house where all of their belongings and clutter are there, I dont like to stay because it does feel like intruding!! And yes, if it's open and clean and staged nicely-I like to stay and imagine it being my home! You're spot on.
I never took anything out of my house. Just cleaned up to the max and made it look amazing. I've sold 3 houses, each within a week of initial listing/ putting them on the, market, & for full asking price. The trick isn't having less stuff, but having NICE, good, beautiful stuff that is new, fresh, and styled like a staged house.. the trick is having really nice things and good taste.
I enjoyed video up to hearing about returning items used for staging... that did not sit well with me... it's unprofessional. Almost akin to stealing.. yep... stealing...
I totally agree. Is it not our fiduciary duty to give our clients the utmost care, integrity and honesty in dealing with them & the sale of their home? Yes it is! I was all on board with what you had to say, until you return items you have used. And just telling the children to not touch those items...you so can return them??? Geez! you do realize the impact you have on your children as a parent? Both good & bad?🤔
I see nothing wrong with returning things as long as they are not damaged and the store can sell them again! As a poor person, I have done it myself. It is not the least bit wrong,because there is nothing damaged and the store just puts it back out and sells them again!
Great advice, except for the unethical suggestion to buy accessory textiles knowing you plan to return them. It's no less dishonest than buying a dress for an event with every intention of returning it. No matter how perfect the condition, the merchandise is no longer brand new. A homeowner should borrow or rent the accessories, or buy things that can be used in the next home. Would you want to pay full price for a dress that had been worn for an evening by someone else? A bedspread no longer in its tidy factory packaging? The store typically can't or won't return them to the full price display any more. They lose money on your "free" rental. It's taking advantage of generous return policies, and it's one factor driving retailers out of business. Please don't be that person.
I totally agree. I was shocked and saddened by that. Maybe it's just an oversight, but a huge one and what is it saying to our children? It's not worth trying to rationalize how something unethical is 'within the limits'. Otherwise a really terrific video.
Yes, I was embarrassed when I heard that after I had shared with my daughter. I told her, actually I like the video and ideas except the part about buying the items, receiving the benefit from them and then returning them, since I think that is dishonest.
I would just be buying things I would use in the new home accessory wise. Or go on my local buyers Sell Groups, pay someone looking for the money to sell their stuff and then resell it if I wanted to go to the hassle of the mindset of returning stuff. Just resell it. This is two years later but yeah I think that's tacky LOL
I came here to say the same thing - it's unethical. The store isn't a rental place, and they get nothing out of this. Not only that, they pay the employees like the cashier and those that reshelve items, so it costs them. TJ Maxx, Home Goods are common stores for stagers to shop at and already have great prices. The items have been used by you, even if your purpose was different. My 10-year-old was listening and was shocked by the suggestion.
I also think the suggestion to buy items for staging and return them later is completely unethical. I can’t imagine why you would think it is ok to conduct business in such a fashion. An item should only be sold as new if it has never been used and is in its unopened, original factory packaging.
Our realtor connected us with a stager and wow what a difference. Our condo was less than 10 years and staging made it look even better. Sold in a week for over asking and had multiple offers. Great tips!
I wonder too if it has something to do with that rental house/hotel feel. It’s peaceful and not overwhelming. I know when I was looking at houses I was also starting minimalism and staged houses made me feel like a simplified life was possible there (though it’s possible in any house!)
Great tips. My husband and I have sold and bought a few homes using these tips before ever watching your video. From experience, the tips work. :) Thanks for sharing. The fastest we sold a home was in 18 hours. Longest time it took to sell a home was 3 months. We have also rented and each time we moved we left the home better than we moved in.
Six years ago when my husband and I were looking for a home (We found the perfect one by the way) we went into places where the people just said "forget it we're not doing anything." We saw personal pics, laundry, clutter, etc. and terrible yards. They made it easy for us to scratch them off our lists!
We rented an 8 x 24 ft. storage shed in order to declutter our home and were surprised that we filled it. We also cleaned out cupboards, closets and donated a lot of stuff to Goodwill. After 18 years in the house we changed light fixtures, painted, put down new flooring, hung new curtains, got new bedding and pillows, had the vents and ducts cleaned and polished everything we could reach. We laid 10 cubic yards of mulch, planted new flowers and power washed the driveway. We are listing the house in less than two weeks, wish us luck!
We had an awkward layout in our living room. We got rid of our old large furniture and bought ikea furniture that was small enough to put at an angle and made the layout look less awkward. Worked like a charm. It also worked for our new larger house because we needed the extra furniture to fill the more rooms.
My husband thought I was crazy when I packed up the majority of our first house but when it sold quickly he was on board the second time. We even went as far as to repaint walls to make it look fresh. It was a lot of work but we accomplished what we set out to do, sell our house quickly!
I'm a home stager and liked your explanation about how staging changes things for the buyers. Thank you for that! (I would not, however, state that someone could bring in fresh accessories for $100! This is a premium service as first of all we own the accessories, then we tie it all together with what we have told the homeowner will be staying, the style of the house and the buyer demographics to highlight the features of the house. This is all after a thorough 2+ hour Consultation.)
I was just thinking about finishing my decluttering (i've been stuck after the major stuff was taken care of) because I know I'm NOT moving everything in this house. So might as well finish decluttering before we list instead of before we move. I did the same thing 13 years ago. 1/2 the stuff, a few new items to update decor, and we sold our house at the first day of our open house. This advice is the BEST. Thanks.
When we were young, first time home buyers, the house we ended up buying was the one that was de clutter and depersonalize. I cannot tell you how many houses we went into and the personalization was what drove me out. I remember one room of one house, the nursery, was sponge-painted red and had an Elmo theme. I couldn’t get past that room. It made me want to leave that house immediately. Also, even though we are animals lovers, and have cats ourselves. The odor from litter boxes turned me off. I think all the ideas you mentioned anyone could apply to selling their home.
Awesome video! We are in the process of minimalism when we realized it was all our stuff- not our budget- that was preventing us from buying the acreage we wanted. We really don't need the amount of space "society" tells us we need.
Great video! I think when the time comes for us to downsize from our home of over 30 years, the first thing I'll tell the Realtor when they visit is that I won't be offended by anything they say about what we need to do to make our home look its best!
Just sold our house yesterday. Wish I could have viewed this before selling! We did much of what you said. We did get full price after one day on MLS listing! It works!
When I was looking and saw homes at homes that were cluttered and disorganized it also leaves a negative impression. I wondered if they maintained the house properly because it did seem that they were struggling. So that’s my feeling in addition to everything you said, which I agree with. We’ve sold several homes and we always got top dollar for the market ar the time. It’s all about positive impressions when the potential buyers walk in the door.
I am so glad to hear you're doing a video on photos. This is such a huge problem area for me. Please be very thorough and give a variety of ideas ,options and methods of decluttering , backing up and storing and the steps to tackle it when it feels so overwhelming. Especially what to do with photos already in albums especially if they will get ruined if you try to remove them ( or might). Old school sticky albums. If it's a little longer or two parts that would be fine by me!
Thanks, this was great. I'm going to be talking to my husband tonight to see if we can push off our move until next spring. We both have had unexpected health problems and we feel under such pressure to get it "good enough" that I think if we actually get a plan in place and have it totally ready and not just as is, we'll feel better about it.
All this information is spot on. On a side note, as I am now calling myself your personal interior designer Dawn, look at the last photo of the house with the black loveseat and blue and white striped curtains. Here are the design problems. Those shelves are hung WAY too high, and the curtains are way too low. Look at how these two things make the window/door look short and squatty. Curtains should always be hung almost to the ceiling (definitely if only an 8' ceiling) to make a window look bigger.
Great tips, Dawn! We recently emptied mother-in-law's home, had entire inside painted a nice soft grey & wood floors restored to their former glory. For us, circumstances required us to focus light staging on the parts of the home that may befuddle prospective buyers, in this case a teeny eat-in kitchen & dated, pink-tiled bathroom. Did it look like new construction when we were done? No, but it certainly helped browsers see the possibilities of adding fresh & current accessories.
When I see cluttered & messy homes, I think they haven't been taking care of their home, whether it's true or not. Seems easier/safer to skip those ones.
You are definitely right about staging. We recently sold our home. We got 15000 more than we origionally thought we would get because we emptied the house, painted the walls to a neutral color, and replaced all the carpeting. It was a lot of work but it was worth it! I have a wall in my new home that i would like to turn into a gallery wall. Can you give some suggestions?
I’ve done a bit of staging (2,500 homes in the past 11 years) and I always disagree with realtors on the family photos issue. I intentionally leave a few photos on dressers and desktops to charm up a space. As long as the photos are not a distraction, they will not inject the sellers personal life into the buyers’ decision to buy a new home. And don’t forget to keep some charm or cool factor in the staging. A guitar leaning against the fireplace hearth or cute hat and scarf on the coat hooks. “Cool factor” sells home just like any other product.
Agreed! The home needs to project the fact that the people who live there are a loving, caring family.. Just not an entire gallery wall full of family photos. I also had a woman who gave me a bad time about removing her GIANT painting of Jesus.. which was the first thing you saw upon entering the home. I tried to explain to her that people of all faiths will be looking at the home. No one wants to feel as though they are being judged.. or that they are not welcome if it happens they are not Christians. Political and religious artifacts should be put away while the home is on the market. These things will have to be packed up for the upcoming move anyway.. so as she mentioned in the video.. might as well do it now rather than put it off until later.
Agreed! I saw a lovely home but the counters were all cluttered the tops of the cabinets dirty dishes in the sink 🤢. Makes you wonder if there is bug problem under all that..if you are going to need to deep clean the cupboards with bleach.
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Thank you for watching!! ***Please Note: I am a licensed Realtor in Minnesota & Wisconsin with Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices North Properties. This video is not intended to solicit anyone who is currently working with a real estate professional. This video represents our experience, but may not apply to all homes or locations, please check with a real estate professional who is familiar with your specific market before implementing.***
Thank you for this video - very timely as I am beginning my first packing/ declutter job for a client whose realtor told it needed to have been done weeks ago - wish me luck, patience, please pray as this is what I hope to do as a business
thanks
Wow ... i never understood it but u r right... i always felt like I was "intruding" when they left their photos and "stuff" and...i wanted out super quick if a pet was in the house ....especially a barking dog in a cage because i did NOT want to disturb the pet.
Wow ... i never understood it but u r right... i always felt like I was "intruding" when they left their photos and "stuff" and...i wanted out super quick if a pet was in the house ....especially a barking dog in a cage because i did NOT want to disturb the pet.
Thats cheating to return items when you have used them. That is a horrible lesson to teach your kids. not impressed
@@sandywillis7722 I know what you mean. It's like getting something for nothing and misrepresenting the purchase. However, I think as long as the items are clean and not damaged that it is ok. They let people return items that they don't like as long as they are in a sellable condition. but I know how it seems like cheating!
I worked in a retail store that carried furnishing, pillows and other home decor including dishes. Nothing was more annoying, then selling lots of items to a home designer/stager, knowing full well that it was all going to be returned “USED.” Please don’t do this, it is not fun for the retail workers, the cashiers not to mention, the floor staff who have to return these items to the floor insuring they are clean, repackaged in a sellable manner and then to find space for the returned items. As we sell items in the store, the holes created by product that has been sold, must be filled with new stock. If products are returned, the floor staff must find new homes for theses items. It is a lot of unnecessary work for the retail staff. Please hire a professional stager, who has a warehouse of household items for staging homes.
I just heard of this trend and was horrified. To me it is not ethical
She said she kept them in pristine condition. I think if a store offers a policy and that policy is adhered to, you shouldn’t shame people for utilizing it. Plus, what do you care? You’re working till 7 either way.
Employees doing work while at their jobs is not a tragedy that a customer can be responsible for. I mean, by all means, don’t be a douche- don’t leave messes everywhere or show up right before closing- but not doing returns? Just because it’s “not fun” for the people who work there? I mean, that’s insane. What a crazy expectation to put on someone. If you work retail, _returns are a huge part of the job_
That’d be like a dentist who expected patients to never need braces bc they don’t like the orthodontist at the practice
No, it would be like a dentist who told their patients how to scam free braces from the orthodontist. It's one thing to buy something and discover it doesn't fit the aesthetic of your home, but a different thing to never have the intention to really purchase the item and just "borrow" it - for free!
It's actually lying, and it disgusts me that people who make a show of being "Christian" have no qualms about lying and advising other people to lie, in order to save/make money.
These returned items often end up in the dumpster.
We moved 50-75% of our stuff into storage prior to putting our house up for sale. Our house looked so beautiful we decided not to sell it after all! That's how we found out what we can live without & don't want or need any more. Now we have a lot of stuff in storage to go through & get rid of. We're accidental minialists.
I moved after 45 yrs and had a LOT of stuff. My attitude was I didn't want to do ANY prep to sell but came around when the realtor offered a staging adviser. Everything I owned was moved except what we kept for staging, which was minimal. Several doors were changed, new carpet upstairs, painted the bath & most all of the window trim. She even suggested removing all the curtains so I did and had a service power wash the outside & clean all the windows. It still didn't sell "fast" but I'm sure I did better than if I had gone with "as is"!
I decluttered ruthlessly, depersonalized and cleaned properly...and “staged” to the best of my ability..I put myself in the buyers shoes...our house sold in 5 days!!! Multiple offers...we had back to back showings for the weekend and got to cancel them, because the house sold before the weekend!!!!🎉 I used bedding and towels I already owned in light colors or white..no dark colors..our agent said we made it so easy for him.😁 We don’t have pets, but I would suggest remove all traces of pets In the house...including odors.
Yes, it sounds like you did!!! This is awesome to hear!!!
Agree! I did the exact same and our house sold to the first people who looked at it, the day before our open house was scheduled!
We saw them arrive on our Ring doorbell and the wife looked through the window and said “I haaaate the kitchen!” Our cabinets were dark wood, not white or gray like everybody wants now. But it was a beautiful kitchen besides. When we heard them chatting as they were leaving, she was singing a different tune lol. She was in love with the house and they made an offer $11k over asking. Our realtor said the same, that we made it very easy to market and sell :) Make sure to freshen up your flower pots a few weeks before listing so the annuals are bright and beautiful and don’t look like they were planted two days ago
Exactly what we did, and I worked on it for over a year. And my husband updated and repaired everything. Every week, I took fresh photos of all the spaces and stared at them to make further improvements. Our house sold in 2 weeks, then 6 months later, we bought my DREAM cottage on a lake. It’s worth all that work.
My husband and I are DIYers who had already remodeled and sold five houses and were looking for another. Our realtor insisted on taking us to a neighborhood that was way out of our price range, but she said that the house she wanted to show us was one we could afford. It had been on the market over a year, and the husband had been transferred already. I was repulsed when I walked in. It was filthy, cluttered, and the smell of dog urine made my eyes water. The owners had ten (yes, 10) Dalmatians in the house and garage (the breeding pair and their litter). We bought the house for well below market! We ripped up all flooring, treated the concrete foundation, painted every surface, including ceilings, and replaced all fixtures. I got the house that I wanted with the finishes I wanted. A good deal for us was an unfortunate loss for the homeowner.
mrseak Wait, are you saying you had to treat the concrete foundation because the urine had soaked down that far and the smell was embedded???! 🤢 Or am I reading something into this lol
My house was staged and I hired professional cleaners, sold in 2 days, $10 K over asking. I had to buy new curtains, mine were too short, new pillows and bedding. I also filled holes and painted, my choice. My garage was full of packed boxes, but the inside of the house looked great. Freshly cut grass and new mulch, too. It was worth it!
Getting items out and into temporary storage is key. When buyers open cupboards and closets you want them to feel spacious so only a few things in there. I removed upholstered chairs from the TV room. Take out hutches, bookcases, etc. You're going to be moving them anyway. When we sold our house a realtor for the buyer asked "Where is the family living while they're selling?" :)
I feel like a decluttered house isn't just easier to "see yourself" in, but there is another aspect that nobody is talking about. A clean, calm home tells something about the sellers and what kind of intentional care they probably put into their home when they lived there. Which is why a dirty cluttered house sends buyers "running the other way" as some of the above comments mentioned.
exactly, I've gone into homes (house hunting) where a homeowner allowed their children's to put stickers EVERYWHERE! on the walls, wood work, glass, everywhere. The house was dirty....And odors, dirty ceiling fans....
More tips: make sure that the baseboards are surgically cleaned/scrubbed! Paint a nice white if needed along with door frames. Update door handles if they are older styles and replace the handles on the kitchen cabinets as well to a modern set. Use chalk paint on the kitchen cabinets if you want to update the color. Ensure that all electrical outlets are the same colour with no cracks and properly do the caulking in the kitchen and bathrooms. These are very simple things that anyone can do with little to no experience and by watching TH-cam videos.
My husband and I were house shopping this year, and the biggest shock to me was that some people didn't clean up at all! These people were not hoarders, but they had very dirty houses, and I was simply baffled that they would try to sell it like that.
I would also add "Clean your house"!! Like a REALLY GOOD deep clean. It seems like common sense, but I can't tell you how many houses we went into that were so gross :-(
Yes, you're exactly right, it would seem like common sense, wouldn't it!?! ;)
Yes! So many people have dirty baseboards, funk around the faucets, etc. A super thorough clean is a MUST
Yes! Or mold in the shower!!
Yes!!!!! And if you really need to, cleaning companies actually aren't as expensive as some people think.
@@marianneshannon4345 moldy showers really?! 😷🤢
I staged my Mother in laws house, it was a real Granny house. We spent £2000 to update it, I did a lot of emulsion painting and we even replaced the very dated carpet with neutral ones. Some people told me we were going way over the top but it sold quickly and for more than other houses in the road so it was all worth it!
I love staging houses!
That's awesome!! Way to go!!
I’ve done my own staging. I decided on a theme for my aunts condo near the water. Went to second hand stores and purchased everything I felt I needed to make it inviting. Sold her condo after the open house. Then I did the staging for our house. Used inflatable mattress for the beds and reused the items from my aunts condo. Staged both places for less than $200.00. House also sold after open house. Anyone can stage their own place. Also do curb appeal because that is the first thing buyers see before entering the home.
Great tips! As a former realtor, I always suggested that home sellers pay a home inspector to pre-inspect the home so they can make any necessary repairs and avoid unnecessary negotiations. Buyers often estimate repairs high resulting in reduced offers. Having a current inspection report with all repairs dated and warranties available was a great selling point.
agree, do this prior to listing
Best explanation of why staging works. Our home didn't sell until it was staged and I didn't understand why until now. Thank you.
Hi Dawn, I came across your channel when I was about to put my house on the market and I found this video to be SO helpful! Funny thing was, once I had decluttered and lived like that for 6 weeks, I did NOT want to bring any of that stuff back into my house again! Then I Googled how to cook at home more and I came across your video about meal planning. I didn’t even click that it was the same channel that I’d already watched before. Again, I found it to be SO helpful and it has transformed our eating habits! Then I realised that it was you again and now I’m totally hooked on your channel and minimalism! You talk about how you have a small house; well, here in New Zealand our houses are generally much smaller, so our family of 5 lives in an 80 square metre house (860 square feet). Minimalism is very important when you don’t have much space! Thank you for all of your advice. I felt like one of those people drowning in day-to-day life stuff, and now I am starting to be able to breathe again. You really are transforming my life. Love your minimalist videos too - you clearly explain your points without unnecessary word clutter! Thank you, thank you, thank you 😊
Staging and cleaning is everything with selling a home. Last year I sold my 50 yr old California condo, and took the cleaning, painting, simplifying every space, and staging (I did it myself) very seriously. We got rid of 60% of what we owned. I got nothing but praise for all I did. I was selling during the Fall and winter so I always had plenty of lighting day and night, and my wax warmer was always on with cinnamon wax melts, which was the first thing visitors always noticed. My home was scrubbed shiny clean, and I had a few well placed seasonal decor items around. I kept new white towels out specifically for viewings, and staged the outside of my home as well., including the patio (that I staged to look like a living room with lamps, and a rug, furniture, tables etc. ) And the landscaping at the front of the home was fresh and inviting. My bedroom closet had just a few items in it and even those were hung in the colors of the rainbow, all on the same white hangers. I had battery candles inside and out. It cost me under $300 to buy fresh new things to stage my home after I painted each room, decluttered, and brought the entire home down to its simplest, form, while still feeling warm and cozy. Putting in the extra effort to show your home at its very best at all times is well worth the effort. I got my full asking price, with no problem.
Those are a lot of great tips. It's really hard to make suggestions about decluttering and depersonalizing especially when the sellers are older and have lived in the home for a long period of time. Their house and everything in it is a part of them, so you have to be uber diplomatic about asking them to pack up certain items like family photos or especially their collections (figurines, dolls, beanie babies) and ask that they put them away. I have had to play psychologist with people on occasion and point out that they've put the house on the market because they don't want to or can't live there anymore and that eventually when the house sells, they'll have to pack all their things up anyway. Even in homes with the tackiest décor, I've had to tread lightly and explain that my suggestions are not a criticism of the things they love, but if their home appeals to a broader range of buyers that maybe don't share their sense of style then there's a better chance of selling their home and selling it quickly. I find it helpful to keep coming around to that point--"you don't want to live here anymore, you want to sell this house."
Our house was on the market almost 8 months (we live in a super tiny town and that timeline is often the norm) and we fully staged and cleared out everything like you suggested and it certainly helped us get a better price. Then, after not needing all that packed away stuff for that long we barely took any of it to the new house.... It was great!
LOOOOVE this Julie!!!! :)
Yeah, I'm agreeing with the others. I love your videos and I've subscribed. But buying, USING, then returning things is wrong. And yes, if you're using it for staging, and "returning it in the same condition", yes it's still being used. Plus, it's not in the same condition. If the items appeal many people may come in and touch them, sit on them, or otherwise handle them. Buying a returned comforter or pillow it's a big deal to me if ONE person tried it and didn't love it. But it's not cool if half the town felt it up then it was returned and I bought it.
That's exactly why a Realtor should recommend a local stager. I am an Interior Designer and also have several Realtor friends who often ask me to stage homes for them. I have all the things needed to stage the homes. I would NEVER buy something.. use it to stage a home and then return it. That is terribly un-professional. I use things in one home and then return them to my warehouse and use them again later in another home. It is definitely TRUE.. staged homes do sell FASTER and for a HIGHER price.
Yes, I was pretty shocked when she said that - really doesn’t feel ethical or right to do that - I would feel almost as if I had stolen those items
It’s really not wrong.
Companies expect this.
The film industry does this with every single television show, advertisement , and film. Its totally fine.
I doubt that. Items used for filming would have a good chance of being dirtied or damaged. And even if they did do that, well lots of people shoplift, or give their kids produce to eat while grocery shopping, so you think that makes it OK for you to do that to? After all, the stores expect a certain level of stock loss and factor that into their pricing, so it's not really stealing...
I recently sold my home myself - and did exactly this. I got big bins, and placed every personal item into these and stored them in the garage. No clutter on any surface, no photos, nothing on the fridge, and every cupboard cleaned in case someone did look in. I also took then opportunity to go through my wardrobe and get rid of unwanted items. THEN I took the photos :-). Sold in rapid time.
This is so true! My mom who is a realtor always said it's the staging that helps sell a home and she's been in the business for 25+ years. I hate looking at homes that have clutter on Zillow it makes me cringe !
We did the same with our home ten years ago, and had a beautiful yard and curb appeal. We staged our screened in porch with a wine fridge full of fancy beer, the tv on baseball, and an empty garage with fresh paint, and a beautiful (painted with special enamel floor paint ) garage floor. We also had a videographer and photographer for the virtual tour online. After two days and a bidding war, we sold for 15,000 over asking. The buyers were thousands of miles away.
this video is 100 percent correct! I saw 5 houses before we found the one we purchased. Something that all the houses had was so much stuff, overfilled and dark; i was distracted and couldn't imagine being there. Sometimes the family was actually still there, which made it exponentially uncomfortable.The house we bought was COMPLETELY empty, and while it was outdated we were able to see the potential in the vaulted ceilings, big windows and light filled basement. cant go wrong with having less, no matter how you look at it!
I agree with all of this except returning staging items to the store. That is not an ethical practice, in my opinion. I've paid a professional stager twice and she spent two full days staging plus half a day unstaging. It helped both of our homes sell fairly quickly in difficult markets. Prices and availability of stagers varies widely. Make multiple calls and see who you can afford and who makes you happy to work with. Talent really helps sell your house!
I staged the last home I sold. I kept all the new stuff I bought. It's great to have nice new linens and decor in a new home.
Great advice, also don’t forget repairs, small repairs go a long way in selling your home, neutralize odors (pet odors are not going to help sell your home), light is important too (replace burnt out bulbs and open the shades), and don’t forget how important first impressions are (so don’t forget about curb appeal).
Enjoy your videos. Good tips except the buying and returning. As a former store owner, I don’t think that is kosher. The store is also in business and it isn’t like the free public library. 😊
That's good to know!
I went to Home Goods and bought items to stage our home AFTER de clutter and donating or packing up the majority of our stuff. I decided what each room needed and I bought things that I really loved. I intended to return anything I didn’t want or need but ended up keeping most of it. I didn’t feel bad about returning the other couple of items because they were untouched and pristine and it was within the return window.
@@TheMinimalMom
I just staged a house that we listed. I shopped at Goodwill and found brand new bedding there. I used it and then sold it at our yard sale.
That is terrible to use brand new from a store and then return. It would be one thing to rent it, but, not "buying" it with no intention of keeping it is just wrong.
@@TheMinimalMom you just don t give a care ...no integrity , great example to your kids!
Thank you Phyllis for a polite perspective check for Dawn, and myself, quite honestly! When Dawn shared what she shared about returning items, I didn't think twice until I read some of the comments concerning returning items not intended for keeping. Some of comments were painfully rude!
No one is perfect, and we all learn from each other. So, people, please careful how you word your comments!
I guess staging is about the inside of the house, but I had an experience relating to the outside. I had a job transfer from Sacramento to Houston. Looked on the internet ("HAR", Houston Area Real Estate) to find house to buy in Houston. This all needed to happen FAST, so I picked out 3 to look at and told Houston realtor I'd only have time to see these 3 before I had to fly back to Sacramento. AND, that I'd pick one of them.
One of the 3 was a two-story red brick mainly, but it did have some siding that was painted this hideous bright yellow. Realtor said she'd never even thought to show the house to a prospective buyer because the yellow was so ugly. Told her "easy to paint" (obviously). Anyway, bought THAT house. HUGE back yard with shrubs and trees (and swimming pool). Other 2 houses had tiny back yards.
Got it painted soon after I moved in, and it looks great. Also got a good price because it had been on the market a LONG time. If the sellers had only RE-PAINTED the house before they put it on the market, I bet it would have gone quickly and they'd have sold it for more. (After I moved in and painted it, neighbors came by and THANKED me. They said the yellow was such an eyesore in the neighborhood. lol).
About taking your personal stuff out, and Why You Should Do That: I once toured a home that was lovely, until I entered the master bedroom. The couple had hung a professional photograph of themselves in the nude, waist up, wife apparently just about to give birth, husband behind her with arms wrapped around so as to cover her nipples, both grinning happily. I can't remember a single thing about the rest of that house, and I definitely didn't buy it! On a different note, I wouldn't work with an agent I knew ahead of time would advocate buying decor items and then returning them for a refund after using them in staging. This is just unethical. It costs the retailer while enriching the agent and sellers, and involves deception. Just buy those items, and enjoy them in your next home! Otherwise, I found this video really well done and very informative. Thanks!
Fully agree. I cringed at the part about returning decor after using it.
Saw one of your other videos and I appreciate your honesty and candor. Its been twenty plus years since I sold my house. Wish I had done more as in your suggestions to make it easier for my realtor, Andy. Anyone selling, listen to this woman. She knows what she's talking about and you really can do it!
As a current active house hunter, this video is entirely accurate. I looked at a house last week that was not staged at all. It wasn't empty, it was basically just listed with the current owners still living there. It did feel like I was intruding on their home. Their house still sold quickly because the market doesn't have a lot of inventory here, but it was VERY difficult to appreciate the house instead of the current owner's lifestyle. I wish all sellers watched this video. It's important to think about how the buyers will see your home when they walk in.
When we were shopping for our home, all of the ones I picked to go see were staged! The pictures attracted me enough to go take a look in person. Our house we ended up buying was not staged, but my husband could see what it would look like with us in it... He's very gifted at seeing what things can be not what they are.
That is an awesome gift!! I would say only about 20% of buyers possess it! Tom and I are always trying to help people see past paint colors and over-sized furniture!! ;)
Our whole house was green, from lime green to Forest green to mint green lol 😂 good thing the previous owners had good taste in everything else that's harder to change (counters, flooring, etc!).
Please please please tell people to take pics to post on real estate sites AFTER it is staged, and give pointers for how to photograph a house for staging. Or tell them to hire a photographer! I am currently house hunting, and I can't tell you how often I flip through pics and I'm like oh, nice photograph of your dresser/couch/chachki collection LOL! And then I get to the end and I still have a ton of questions: Just how is that kitchen laid out? Is that a gas stove? Was there even a pantry? How come they only photographed the master bath? How big are the closets? Is there a laundry room at all? Because there's no photographs at all of any of those things. Can you tell I spend too much time on Trulia and Zillow right now???
Oh yes, professional pictures are a MUST these days! We'll do a separate video about hiring a realtor and if they can't pay for professional photos, they probably aren't going to pay for extra marketing either, might not be best to hire them! :)
And for heaven sake, when you take those pictures for the internet, close the top on the toilet, turn off the TV, and get the dirty dishes out of the sink. No dog bowls, no kitty litter boxes.
Beth Lewis Yes, house needs to be completely staged and show-ready for pics. And pics must be professional. Our agent paid for the Matterport (I believe that’s what it was called?) where they take photos on such a way that you can do a virtual tour through the house, able to see in all directions and up and down. That is the best way to get a feel for the actual layout. It’s indispensable, in my opinion.
I saw one recently where I knew what they ate for dinner because the dirty dishes were piled all over the kitchen counters and spaghetti sauce was splattered all over the stove and the wall behind it. 😬😂
I lol at chachki 😂😂😂 I haven’t heard that one in a long time. But it’s so true!!
I am in the process of decluttering my house
and I’m amazed at how much the clutter was hiding the beautiful architectural touches of our 1913 bungalow.
We moved when I was in elementary school, my parents looked at 97 houses, and only the last five they looked at twice, and let me tell you it was exhausting. The amount of people's houses that had way too much stuff and it was amazing. You want the buyer to walk into your house and feel cozy and like it could be their space, not like it's your house because let's be real you're trying to get rid of it. You would clean your car and have it professionally detailed before you went to sell it, so the same is true of your house
I was staging’s before staging was even a word! I’m a retired licensed real estate broker in two states. I always staged my listings as part of my service. I never charged for my staging services but I was always compensated for whatever I spent on new linens and other accessories and items, and also for cleaning, painting and other items. My listings sparkled, looked and smelled good and they always sold quickly, at top prices. I loved helping and being of service to people!
I am not selling my home, but I by totally agree with your tips. Even for everyday living. I can't tolerate a bunch of clutter...items around for nothing.
I am watching your video and you are correct on removing EVERYTHING - well, MOST everything. I am not listing my home until March 1, 2020 but I got my future realtor to stop by my house to give me ideas and she said my stuff had to go. I have rented a storage unit, been packing for about 2 months as time allows, have repairmen working weekly on items for future inspections, will be completely painted inside before Christmas and hopefully can rest a little before listing in March. I agree 100% that personal stuff must go. I already see a huge difference. She (my realtor) suggested my ceiling fans were fine but that I should probably update the globes to bring a fresh look to them and I did for minimal money and it truly has made a tremendous difference. My realtor knows me enough to say my crap had to go! LOL Good video and thanks!
I sold my last place 4 years ago. It was a one bedroom, 700 sqft condo. I had a realtor come over and said she could sell it in a day or two. She was the only one that didn't try to tell me to get rid/store my stuff before selling. The only thing she didn't like was I had a box of kleenix on the end table in the small living room. I was going away for the weekend and I boarded my dog. I did leave out her bowl and dog bed. My place was very clean and as uncluttered as I could make such a small place. We had a big snow storm the day before. The realtor said there were people writing up offers on my sofa, dining room table and in the hall. When I landed at the airport she called and said I had multiple offers and 2 cash offers. I got $5000 over asking price. What really sold it was the great location and lack of affordable housing. It ended up going to a 40 year old man with wealthy parents. They paid cash for it.
I’m a realtor in CT. When I meet with my potential sellers, I ask them the obvious question: is their intention to sell their home for the highest price? If “Yes” then I tell them that their house, the PRODUCT up for sale, needs to transform in their minds and physically from the house that they live in to a “marketable product” to sell. “Your house” vs. “Marketable Product” - that’s the difference. I provide them with tons of tips and resources to clean out, declutter, depersonalize, etc. But it’s the change in mind-set that helps the most. I also try to get them to focus on their NEW lives, their new house/apartment/condo even if it is half-way across the country. This works.
LIVING IN A HOME FOR SALE IS DARN HARD and max stressful to you and the whole family so do ANYTHING you can do to sell as soon as possible! Do it up front!
My husband before we retired was a realtor, our house sold in two days, being minimal it was easy to stage my home. It works...... my daughter sold her house first week as well. This was a great, informative video
Off topic , but I Love your hair this way Dawn😀
YES, living simply already makes a world of difference, doesn't it? And thank you :)
What amazes me about downsizing and decluttering is that the more I get rid of the more I find that I need to get rid of. When I think I'm down or should be down to the Bare Bones I start finding more things that I need to get rid of guy didn't even think about before. I've been downsizing for about 3 years now in a home that I brought my family in for the last 34 years. Trying to get it ready put on the market and it's taking me so much longer than I thought it would
We've sold 8 houses, all within 60 days, never "staged" a single one. Cleaned? Of course. Personal items removed? Yes - who wants strangers seeing your personal stuff. What I want to know is why do buyers make themselves at home while looking at houses? I've been able to tell that people had been on the bed, sat on couches, pulled out desk chairs, opened up and played (and damaged!) the piano... seriously! Why would anyone think it's okay to touch other people's belongings?
@Kristin Haha a frustration that we often get from our sellers as well (we are realtors). Truth is, buyers want to imagine themselves in the home so they may want to sit where the couch is because that's where they'll have theirs and see it from their own perspective. Or they have kids and they sneak on the bed (or the parents don't say anything 🙄). Although most people are considerate and courteous, unfortunately not all humans are 😣
My realtor told me to remove personal valuables bc people go and touch and feel to imagine themselves in the house. I find it uncomfortable, I've never sat on a couch or someones bed, always a walk through and go.
There are always people who have nice homes and have the common sense to clean and de-clutter. 🥰 Unfortunately, those people seem to be few and far between. Most can definitely benefit from some suggestions, pointers and guidance. Sometimes, when I am asked to stage a home.. it is a simple matter of re-arranging the furniture in a more sensible way that allows the features of the home to stand out. One lady had hated her home for years. By the time I got done helping her she fell in love with her home and decided she no longer wanted to sell. I am not sure the Realtor was real happy about that.. but I do give her a lot of referrals. 😊
I have bought quite a few homes and I DO sit on the couch or a chair sometimes to imagine what it would be like to live there.
Everyone processes information differently. If I'm not "allowed" to imagine myself in a place where I'm about to spend 6- to 7-figures, I have no problem walking away from the deal.
People are strange, I've seen them allow their children up on someone's bed with shoes on! Jump on furniture at Open houses, they don't care
We we were reluctant to stage because we were still living there but it was the best decision. Now I want my new home to look staged all the time. I have been decluttering for two years now and I don’t miss a thing I got rid of! Moving next time will be a breeze! Thank you for your videos showing me I am on the right track.
It is amazing the difference when you remove bath mats and small carpets. The floor space seems to double.
Yes! You're right on!!
Agreed!
Great video with helpful tips! We sold our house in Minnesota and moved to Wisconsin in 2017. As other comments noted, It pays to deep clean your house. I removed all personal items, cleared the fridge, everything was tidy. Made sure there were no pet items visible. We had many showings, a lot of multiples, and a signed PA we were happy with on the 13th day on market. I definitely could have added some updated linens, etc - I like that idea! When we were buying, I was totally surprised by the lack of cleaning in homes and it was a big turn off to me. I get people are busy, but as a buyer if you were to busy to clean you were likely to busy to keep up with maintenance of the house.
My house looks staged all the time because we don't own much. I love it!
BEST way to live!!! (In my opinion ;)
Same here! When my mom comes over, she always asks "do you guys use these rooms?" 😄 They look like they are staged for sure.
@@kellymary2444 Isn't that the best compliment? I love it! It gives a sense of peace.
L S Same here 😊
Mine does too ! :) 💐
This is really interesting! I have never owned a house, let alone stage one, and in Germany, where I’ve been living for a long time, things seem so different, for apartments for sure and houses perhaps as well.
For example, when you have an appointment to visit an apartment that is for rent, generally it is completely empty, the walls are all painted white by the former tenant as required per rental agreement, no washer or dryer ( dryers are pretty seldom in general anyway!), no kitchen appliances or counters or anything. No light fixtures usually, maybe one or two. No curtain rods unless the previous tenant has left them. And if you don’t want them you can ask them to be taken down before you move in... there are some apartments nowadays with kitchens already in them, but you either pay extra for that or you buy it from the previous tenant. It’s pretty rare to be shown a place while someone is living in it, unless it’s a private contact.
The only thing our house had was a refrigerator and a stove when we looked at it. Others we looked at were full of things and some were staged very nicely. The ones that were full were hard to look at and felt strange being in them so we couldn't imagine living there so I understand completely what you mean. The one we chose was one of the empty ones because we could imagine our things in it. Thank you for sharing.
We sold our last house last year. We didn’t depersonalise & still managed to sell it pretty quickly. It was clean & tidy. When looking at other houses to buy, I was put off more by serious clutter, dishes piled high in the sink and next to the sink, dirt, holes in one bedrooms ceiling, rusted radiators, coats and shoes greeting you as you walk through the front door. I love the house we’re in. It was only 1 person living in a 4 bed house so it wasn’t cluttered other than about 1000 pairs of shoes in one room lol It is nicely decorated so we didn’t have to do much to it.
I stage houses for my clients and other realtors. I also use my own personal items. I have a storage unit full of bedspreads, towels, pictures and now furniture. I truly believe it sells the home faster and two recent clients got $40;000 and $50;000 over ask and credited the staging. A nice compliment. Lynn Pronger. Realtor. Windsor Ontario.
That is awesome Lynn!!!
Lynn Greer I am interested in starting a small business staging. How is the best way to go about this? I love decorating.
I have purchased five homes in my 65 years. They were all dumps and I definitely got them for below listing price. Then I cleaned, painted and updated each one. Sellers so often say "I'm not fixing or changing anything. Let the next owner do that. This is how we live." If only realtors could convince them they will sell for a higher price and be off the market quickly with all of your suggestions. Love your channel and share your videos with my children who own waaaay too much stuff.
I love your explanations of why you do things. When my realtor said to take down photos, I discussed that with friends. We all agreed that it would make it seem cold, or that nobody really lived there. We left them up. My house still sold quickly, but explanations go a long way!
I prefer a completely vacant home when I'm looking. Ended up choosing one of those all three times. Much easier to spot problem areas and quicker to move in if no one lives there.
I do too. But not everyone can visualize where their furniture might go, will it fit or how rooms might be used. I heard one stager say they are selling a vision of the perfect new home for the buyer.
I agree with you. An empty and clean home allows me to envision exactly how I'd use it. Seeing anyone's furniture, even carefully staged furniture, muddies the whole process in my mind. If a house has big windows, lots of natural light, and gleaming hardwood floors, I'm halfway sold just walking in.
Are you really unable to use your mind and imagination that you can't see past and see the bones of a place? No telling what you have missed in your lifetime.
Dawn, I loved this! You are 100% on the mark, here. You know, it just reaffirmed to me that the "staging" was what attracted me to the house that we have now :) Three years ago, when buying, I went through these same thoughts as we looked at prospective houses. Our own house sold to the 1st viewer, and I had worked to stage it with fresh linens, a few pieces of new furniture, all freshly painted white walls, soft music playing, dinner mints in a crystal dish, and a fresh flower arrangement with lemons. As we were looking for our current house, we came to realize very quickly that not everyone does this. We were turned away from several homes because of messy spaces, clutter, and smells that were not so lovely. This will no doubt help hundreds of people, ready to sell and buy! And the icing on the cake is, if we adopt a minimalist mindset, our current home can typically be "15 minutes away from tidy," already fairly staged, but still with a relaxed and peaceful feel. :D
Sounds like you were a dream seller Julie!!!
@@TheMinimalMom Aww thanks, that's sweet of you to say. My husband and I have a running joke, we may have only sold three houses through our 25 yrs of marriage, but all 3 sold to the 1st viewer, haha in 1999, 2006, and 2016😊😊😊And we didn't even know about staging back then with 1st two...I just like to clean, haha
I am amazed this video hit my inbox today. I have been binging on Minimalist Mom videos for the last month or so. Watching some of them over and over. My daughter was smart enough to get us boxing stuff into a pod months ago so our house wouldn’t look cluttered. I just thought she meant declutter a little. But I wish I binged on your videos sooner.
I WANT TO LIVE IN A HOUSE LIKE YOURS. So my latest packing boxes? 80 % goes in donation. Much lighter boxes!!! I’m 67 and I’m also looking at the Swedish Death cleaning theory - I am doing my kids a favor by getting rid of my junk. I had a few pieces of expensive jewelry that I gave to my d oldest daughter years ago. Why not let her enjoy it while I am alive and can see her treasure it? Waiting until I passed seemed silly. I don’t go to many fancy places. If I want to wear it, I can borrow it from her.
The sentimental things like my Mom’s Bible and Grandma’s teapot went to my other daughter who likes things like that and couldn’t care less about expensive jewelry.
So the other stuffi own. I either use it or donate it. I am surprised at how much stuff I have that I just have “”because I always had it”. Never used it. But I always had it.
But I digress. Just by watching your videos, and what my daughter knows about staging - our house was on the market for a few days and we had multiple offers at above asking price.
The main reason for that is because I want to live in a house like the minimalist mom’s! Me? Wannabe hoarder.
Thank you for all you do. You are awesome ! And the Sunday show. I never miss that 😊
I was a licensed realtor in MN and did staging in WI. And practiced exactly what you’ve recommended myself. It is so true!! The 1/2 full cabinets is HUGE.
Love this! You mentioned having "current" things - linens specifically to stage. Could you do a room by room breakdown on how you would stage each room - what the rooms need and don't need?
Good idea!! Yes :)
Great idea, Brookie M44!
Yes!!!
Remove all photos of family, never have more than one item hanging on a wall. Either a picture/painting or shelves. Thin out bookcases or shelves- They should be neat and sparse. As many flat surfaces in your home need to cleaned off without clutter. Only one item on a table. You can set your dining table with linens, plates, silverware and wine glasses. Laundry room should look like you could "eat" in there! Spotless-all clothes removed bc it should look like heaven! LOL. Clean your ovens and microwaves. Toilet lids closed, all trashcans empty. open drapes, blinds, curtains and let the light in. Yards should be perfect. A house will sell quickly if the yard is in shape too. Paint your mailbox outside-so many people forget about that. First impressions!!!! Hope this helps-I stage homes.
Totally agree with most of what you said! I'm currently sitting in my house that's in escrow. We decluttered a ton! We put a lot of our belongings in a self-storage facility. Our house sold in 2 days for 15k above asking - and it was already listed higher than other houses in our neighborhood that have been listed for months and haven't sold.
I have owned and sold 5 homes and I love staging. I like living in a space that feels like a model home already, but I get even more thoughtful about my home when I want to sell. I make sure to touch up paint, freshen the landscaping and give a good deep clean. I also don't cook anything that will leave odors unless it is the smell of cookies. The good news is all my homes have sold to an offer made within the first week and for asking or more.
Great topics. Kind of overlaps minimalism, and gives us a good perspective on our own cluttered homes. Thanks 🙂
I love your vlog! I have 3 grown sons who are minimalists. I appreciate their way of life but I can't relate to them because they are all single and are out-of state renters. I live alone and have 1800 sf fully furnished home. However, after watching you on several vlogs ... your philosophy as a woman and mother is making ALOT of sense to me! Keep on sharing your wisdom!
Cluttered homes do detract from my ability to see the house for what it could be to a certain extent. When I look at a house, I remember that it is personal to those who live there and that doesn’t bother me so much. Instead, I look at how well maintained it is, which communicates more to me than anything. It means someone loves this house enough to take care of it. I can change the style and decor when I move in.
Great tips Dawn. The other thing we did was pay for a good cleaner to come in for a day. With work & kids & everything else, doing a great clean of EVERYTHING was overwhelming & stressed me out. Having the big clean done allowed me to just maintain it. Did this before the stylist came in & it worked great. (Melbourne, Australia)
Buying from a store ..using it for stage then returning ..nah
@Debi I agree, another alternative is you can buy something you think you could use in the future OR sell it after and consider the small loss as a "cost of selling a home" ✌
Wow I never thought about this but it makes total sense! And it completely true as a buyer, if I go in a house where all of their belongings and clutter are there, I dont like to stay because it does feel like intruding!! And yes, if it's open and clean and staged nicely-I like to stay and imagine it being my home! You're spot on.
I never took anything out of my house. Just cleaned up to the max and made it look amazing. I've sold 3 houses, each within a week of initial listing/ putting them on the, market, & for full asking price. The trick isn't having less stuff, but having NICE, good, beautiful stuff that is new, fresh, and styled like a staged house.. the trick is having really nice things and good taste.
I enjoyed video up to hearing about returning items used for staging... that did not sit well with me... it's unprofessional. Almost akin to stealing.. yep... stealing...
rtjeff83 couldnt agree more
I used to work in retail and lots of people did that kind of thing. Tacky as hell.
How on earth were no.es ever sold before?? Please.
I totally agree. Is it not our fiduciary duty to give our clients the utmost care, integrity and honesty in dealing with them & the sale of their home? Yes it is!
I was all on board with what you had to say, until you return items you have used. And just telling the children to not touch those items...you so can return them??? Geez! you do realize the impact you have on your children as a parent? Both good & bad?🤔
I see nothing wrong with returning things as long as they are not damaged and the store can sell them again! As a poor person, I have done it myself. It is not the least bit wrong,because there is nothing damaged and the store just puts it back out and sells them again!
Great advice, except for the unethical suggestion to buy accessory textiles knowing you plan to return them. It's no less dishonest than buying a dress for an event with every intention of returning it. No matter how perfect the condition, the merchandise is no longer brand new. A homeowner should borrow or rent the accessories, or buy things that can be used in the next home.
Would you want to pay full price for a dress that had been worn for an evening by someone else? A bedspread no longer in its tidy factory packaging? The store typically can't or won't return them to the full price display any more. They lose money on your "free" rental. It's taking advantage of generous return policies, and it's one factor driving retailers out of business. Please don't be that person.
I totally agree. I was shocked and saddened by that. Maybe it's just an oversight, but a huge one and what is it saying to our children? It's not worth trying to rationalize how something unethical is 'within the limits'. Otherwise a really terrific video.
Yes, I was embarrassed when I heard that after I had shared with my daughter. I told her, actually I like the video and ideas except the part about buying the items, receiving the benefit from them and then returning them, since I think that is dishonest.
I would just be buying things I would use in the new home accessory wise. Or go on my local buyers Sell Groups, pay someone looking for the money to sell their stuff and then resell it if I wanted to go to the hassle of the mindset of returning stuff. Just resell it. This is two years later but yeah I think that's tacky LOL
I came here to say the same thing - it's unethical. The store isn't a rental place, and they get nothing out of this. Not only that, they pay the employees like the cashier and those that reshelve items, so it costs them. TJ Maxx, Home Goods are common stores for stagers to shop at and already have great prices. The items have been used by you, even if your purpose was different. My 10-year-old was listening and was shocked by the suggestion.
I also think the suggestion to buy items for staging and return them later is completely unethical. I can’t imagine why you would think it is ok to conduct business in such a fashion. An item should only be sold as new if it has never been used and is in its unopened, original factory packaging.
Our realtor connected us with a stager and wow what a difference. Our condo was less than 10 years and staging made it look even better. Sold in a week for over asking and had multiple offers. Great tips!
I wonder too if it has something to do with that rental house/hotel feel. It’s peaceful and not overwhelming. I know when I was looking at houses I was also starting minimalism and staged houses made me feel like a simplified life was possible there (though it’s possible in any house!)
YES, such a good point!!! Love this!
Great tips. My husband and I have sold and bought a few homes using these tips before ever watching your video. From experience, the tips work. :) Thanks for sharing. The fastest we sold a home was in 18 hours. Longest time it took to sell a home was 3 months.
We have also rented and each time we moved we left the home better than we moved in.
Six years ago when my husband and I were looking for a home (We found the perfect one by the way) we went into places where the people just said "forget it we're not doing anything." We saw personal pics, laundry, clutter, etc. and terrible yards. They made it easy for us to scratch them off our lists!
We rented an 8 x 24 ft. storage shed in order to declutter our home and were surprised that we filled it.
We also cleaned out cupboards, closets and donated a lot of stuff to Goodwill.
After 18 years in the house we changed light fixtures, painted, put down new flooring, hung new curtains, got new bedding and pillows, had the vents and ducts cleaned and polished everything we could reach. We laid 10 cubic yards of mulch, planted new flowers and power washed the driveway.
We are listing the house in less than two weeks, wish us luck!
So much truth..sold a few homes in my day,did all of your suggestions..it’s just common sense,always sold my homes very quickly.
I am a former Realtor, actually still licensed, and this is gold!!!
We had an awkward layout in our living room. We got rid of our old large furniture and bought ikea furniture that was small enough to put at an angle and made the layout look less awkward. Worked like a charm. It also worked for our new larger house because we needed the extra furniture to fill the more rooms.
My husband thought I was crazy when I packed up the majority of our first house but when it sold quickly he was on board the second time. We even went as far as to repaint walls to make it look fresh. It was a lot of work but we accomplished what we set out to do, sell our house quickly!
That's awesome! And YES, paint is HUGE, too, we'll talk about that coming up!!
I'm a home stager and liked your explanation about how staging changes things for the buyers. Thank you for that! (I would not, however, state that someone could bring in fresh accessories for $100! This is a premium service as first of all we own the accessories, then we tie it all together with what we have told the homeowner will be staying, the style of the house and the buyer demographics to highlight the features of the house. This is all after a thorough 2+ hour Consultation.)
I was just thinking about finishing my decluttering (i've been stuck after the major stuff was taken care of) because I know I'm NOT moving everything in this house. So might as well finish decluttering before we list instead of before we move. I did the same thing 13 years ago. 1/2 the stuff, a few new items to update decor, and we sold our house at the first day of our open house. This advice is the BEST. Thanks.
When we were young, first time home buyers, the house we ended up buying was the one that was de clutter and depersonalize. I cannot tell you how many houses we went into and the personalization was what drove me out. I remember one room of one house, the nursery, was sponge-painted red and had an Elmo theme. I couldn’t get past that room. It made me want to leave that house immediately. Also, even though we are animals lovers, and have cats ourselves. The odor from litter boxes turned me off.
I think all the ideas you mentioned anyone could apply to selling their home.
Awesome video! We are in the process of minimalism when we realized it was all our stuff- not our budget- that was preventing us from buying the acreage we wanted. We really don't need the amount of space "society" tells us we need.
That is really cool Sarah!!
Great video! I think when the time comes for us to downsize from our home of over 30 years, the first thing I'll tell the Realtor when they visit is that I won't be offended by anything they say about what we need to do to make our home look its best!
Been several years since we bought our house which is in need of a lot of refreshing and decluttering. Very helpful video.
I'm preparing to sell my home. I wasn't planning on staging it, but now I'm seriously considering it. This video is super helpful. Thanks!
Just sold our house yesterday. Wish I could have viewed this before selling! We did much of what you said. We did get full price after one day on MLS listing! It works!
Dawn I just love your channel!! Almost every episode you've posted interests me and they are all so well done. Keep it up!❤❤❤
When I was looking and saw homes at homes that were cluttered and disorganized it also leaves a negative impression. I wondered if they maintained the house properly because it did seem that they were struggling. So that’s my feeling in addition to everything you said, which I agree with. We’ve sold several homes and we always got top dollar for the market ar the time. It’s all about positive impressions when the potential buyers walk in the door.
I am so glad to hear you're doing a video on photos. This is such a huge problem area for me. Please be very thorough and give a variety of ideas ,options and methods of decluttering , backing up and storing and the steps to tackle it when it feels so overwhelming. Especially what to do with photos already in albums especially if they will get ruined if you try to remove them ( or might). Old school sticky albums. If it's a little longer or two parts that would be fine by me!
Thanks, this was great. I'm going to be talking to my husband tonight to see if we can push off our move until next spring. We both have had unexpected health problems and we feel under such pressure to get it "good enough" that I think if we actually get a plan in place and have it totally ready and not just as is, we'll feel better about it.
That probably sounds like a VERY wise plan!!! Selling and preparing are STRESSFUL!
Yes, yes, yes! Wait!
All this information is spot on. On a side note, as I am now calling myself your personal interior designer Dawn, look at the last photo of the house with the black loveseat and blue and white striped curtains. Here are the design problems. Those shelves are hung WAY too high, and the curtains are way too low. Look at how these two things make the window/door look short and squatty. Curtains should always be hung almost to the ceiling (definitely if only an 8' ceiling) to make a window look bigger.
Great tips, Dawn! We recently emptied mother-in-law's home, had entire inside painted a nice soft grey & wood floors restored to their former glory. For us, circumstances required us to focus light staging on the parts of the home that may befuddle prospective buyers, in this case a teeny eat-in kitchen & dated, pink-tiled bathroom. Did it look like new construction when we were done? No, but it certainly helped browsers see the possibilities of adding fresh & current accessories.
Awesome work!!! :)
Pink tile & porcelain bathroom fixtures are the worst!
@@HosCreates I had pink tile in our last house, very old, and it made my skin look beautiful in the bathroom mirror....she said humbly...
Buy stuff and return it, not cool at all.
We are about to start house hunting and the online listings that have photos of highly cluttered homes send me running! It’s overwhelming
Right!?!
When I see cluttered & messy homes, I think they haven't been taking care of their home, whether it's true or not. Seems easier/safer to skip those ones.
You are definitely right about staging. We recently sold our home. We got 15000 more than we origionally thought we would get because we emptied the house, painted the walls to a neutral color, and replaced all the carpeting. It was a lot of work but it was worth it! I have a wall in my new home that i would like to turn into a gallery wall. Can you give some suggestions?
I’ve done a bit of staging (2,500 homes in the past 11 years) and I always disagree with realtors on the family photos issue. I intentionally leave a few photos on dressers and desktops to charm up a space. As long as the photos are not a distraction, they will not inject the sellers personal life into the buyers’ decision to buy a new home. And don’t forget to keep some charm or cool factor in the staging. A guitar leaning against the fireplace hearth or cute hat and scarf on the coat hooks. “Cool factor” sells home just like any other product.
Agreed! The home needs to project the fact that the people who live there are a loving, caring family.. Just not an entire gallery wall full of family photos. I also had a woman who gave me a bad time about removing her GIANT painting of Jesus.. which was the first thing you saw upon entering the home. I tried to explain to her that people of all faiths will be looking at the home. No one wants to feel as though they are being judged.. or that they are not welcome if it happens they are not Christians. Political and religious artifacts should be put away while the home is on the market. These things will have to be packed up for the upcoming move anyway.. so as she mentioned in the video.. might as well do it now rather than put it off until later.
the timing of this is perfect! I am in the process of decluttering/packing/freshening up the house now to put on the market soon. Thanks!
Oh good! All our best to you!!! ♥️
I always judge the horrible pics I see in listings! The piles of clutter, baby gear etc. At least remove it for the photos ! 😄😄
Right!?!?!
Agreed! I saw a lovely home but the counters were all cluttered the tops of the cabinets dirty dishes in the sink 🤢. Makes you wonder if there is bug problem under all that..if you are going to need to deep clean the cupboards with bleach.
When I start to feel negative about my house I look at listings for houses. So many are cluttered and dark it makes me feel better about my house 😁
Yes! Or the ones with the home owners somewhere in the background!!!! I'm mortified for them! Or the glimpse of the pet cat or dog, not good.
if it's not in the photo, it should not be in the house when you view it.