Michelle Millikin

Archive for the ‘Staging’ Category

Home decor is like fashion:  ever-changing and fun!  There are some easy and inexpensive ways to update your home to keep it within the trends of the times – whether remaining within your home or preparing for a sale.

Mother Earth Inspired:  Popular color palettes are reminiscent of natural elements – reds found in the earth and soil, blues of the ocean, greens of the forest and neutrals in a textured look of eggs, sea shells and sand.  These natural tones are being paired with color accents (my favorite!) such as tangerine.  Pantone Color Institute named Tangerine Tango as their color of the year.

Accessories found to incorporate natural elements may be a thick woven blanket, woven baskets, leather stools and use of cotton textiles.

1. Animal print:  Still but use sparingly.  I recommend only one use in a room at a time.
2. Digital Fabrics:  Have become a new work of art.  Frame a digital fabric with a natural theme such as leaves or branches.
3. Don’t throw out old peices:  Vintage is Vogue.  Use old asian rugs or art peices as a focal point of your room – drawing off of its color palette for paint colors and other accessories.
4. Mix your textures:  Matchy-Matchy chromatics is a thing of the past.  Mix wood species and upholstery fabrics.  Silk with suede, furniture with large studs, shiny/modern with vintage.
5. Reflection and Light:  Very key element within a living space, especially in our climate which is filled with cold and overcast days.  Reflective white, blue and silver objects help lift a room.  Mirrors have a magical way of making a room look much larger and refract light to areas that may need some help.

Have fun and make your home your own.  The typical rule in staging a home for sale id to strip it to neutral.  If it is gawdy, I tentd to agree but I also watch Buyer’s eyes light up when introduced to a home with class, taste and imagination appropriately displayed.  It can be inspiring to see what can be done within a space.

Give me call to set an appointment for some updating and easy ideas!

I think it is fairly common knowledge that a home needs to be prepared for sale or the lack of doing so can cost the owner a lot of money.  Many homes available for sale within the Wausau Real Estate market are vacant, short sales or foreclosures owned by a bank with little interest or a seller with limited funds.  There are some easy, inexpensive ways to prepare your home that could pay off more than you can imagine.

First, fix or replace anything that has not been working properly.  The longer you let these things go unattended, the more costly the remedy.  Many buyers are using loans that will require that the mechanicals of the home are in working order.

Second, manage the exterior of the home.  Overgrown trees can prolong the natural drying process leading to mold in the yard.  All rain gutter spouts need to be in place and be sure landscaping around the house pitches water away from the foundation to prevent water from seeping into the basement (a real estate kiss of death).  Make sure the roof is not leaking by actually going into the attic (or having a roofing expert do it) and searching for water stains.  Repair broken concrete in walk ways and maintain the blacktop driveway.  Note, if a buyer drives by and sees obvious neglect to the exterior to the property they may automatically assume the inside has been neglected as well. Curb appeal should be of paramount importance in marketing the home.

Third, the interior of your home needs to be cleaned, professionally if necessary.  If you cannot afford to remodel and update your kitchen and baths, at least be sure that countertops do not have permanent staining and toilets and sinks are updated.  Sand and re-stain older window sills so a prospective buyer does not assume the homes needs all new windows.  Paint over trendy or individualized color choices and create a neutral pallet.  And the old advice is the most crucial:  DECLUTTER.  Remove all unnecessary furniture and personal items, primarily knick-knacks and pictures.  The rooms should appear comfortable, clean and clear: similar to a picture you would see in a home magazine.

Getting a home prepared for sale is typically more labor-intensive than costly.  If you simply do not have the extra time and some extra cash, I can team you up with outstanding professionals that will gladly help you.  It will be worth the time, effort and expense in the final price in selling your home and the quicker timeframe in which you closed the transaction.

Please call me for a free staging consultation at 715-581-9013.