Home Staging Archives | Blessings Realty | Colorado Springs and Monument Realtor

11 Reasons Why Your Home Isn’t Selling

April 8, 2022 By Claire Garlick Leave a Comment

When you first put your house on the market, you might be hopeful for a quick sale—especially if you’ve put a lot of money into improving the house over the years and if the neighborhood is one that has historically attracted a lot of buyers. While you shouldn’t panic if the house doesn’t sell the moment you list it, you should begin to worry if the weeks start flying by without any real offers. If this is the case, here are 11 reasons why your house may not be selling:

You overvalued your property. If your house is overpriced, it’s simply not going to sell. Compare your property to similar properties that recently sold within your area to get a better idea of its true value. An experienced real estate agent can give you an accurate value of your home. Additionally, don’t make the mistake of tacking on the cost of any renovations you made. You can’t just assume that the cost of a renovation translates to added value.

Your listing is poor. If the listing of your home includes a poorly written description without any images, a lot of buyers are going to skip over it. Make sure you and your REALTOR® put an effort into creating a listing that attracts the attention of buyers. Make sure to add high quality photographs of both the interior and exterior of your home. Don’t forget to highlight unique features as well.

You’re always present at showings. Let your agent handle your showings. Buyers don’t want to have the seller lurking over their shoulder during showings, especially during an open house. This puts unwanted pressure on the buyer, which will make them uncomfortable and likely chase them away.

You’re too attached. If you refuse to negotiate even a penny off your price, then there’s a good chance that you’ve become too attached to your home. If a part of you doesn’t want to sell it, or you think your house is the best house in the world, odds are you’re going to have a lot of difficulties coming to an agreement with a potential buyer.

You haven’t had your home professionally cleaned. A dirty house is going to leave a bad impression on buyers. Make sure you have a professional clean your carpeting and windows before you begin showing your house.

You haven’t staged your home. If you’ve already moved out, then don’t show an empty house. This makes it difficult for buyers to imagine living in it. Stage your house with furniture and decor to give buyers a better idea of how big every room is and how it can be used. You want the buyer to feel at home when they are taking the tour.

You kept up all of your personal décor. Buyers are going to feel uncomfortable touring your house if you keep all of your family portraits up. Take down your personal décor so that buyers can have an easier time imagining themselves living there.

Your home improvements are too personalized. You might think that the comic book mural you painted for your child’s room is absolutely incredible, but that doesn’t mean potential buyers will agree. If your home improvements are too personalized, it can scare off buyers who don’t want to pay for features they don’t want.

Your home is too cluttered. Even if your home is clean, clutter can still be an issue. For example, maybe you simply have too much furniture in one of your rooms. This can make the house feel smaller than it is.

Your home is in need of too many repairs. The more repairs that are needed, the less likely a buyer will want your house. Many buyers simply don’t want to deal with the cost or effort of doing repair work, even if it’s just a bunch of small repairs, such as tightening a handrail or replacing a broken tile.

You chose the wrong real estate agent. Choosing the right real estate agent is simply the most important decision you make in selling your home. A good REALTOR® makes all the difference in selling your home within a reasonable time.

All these things can be fixed once you realize your mistake; however, the longer your property stays on the market, the less likely it will sell at listing price. One of the best ways to avoid making these common mistakes is by working with a professional real estate agent.

Article source http://blog.rismedia.com/2017/11-reasons-home-not-selling/.

Spring Cleaning Checklist for Sellers [Infographic]

April 1, 2022 By Claire Garlick Leave a Comment

Some Highlights

If you’re thinking about selling your house this spring, here are some things you’ll want to tackle before you list.
Spend your time on tasks that make it feel inviting, show it’s cared for, and boost your curb appeal.
To determine the full list of things you’ll want to tackle for your home, you need the opinion of a trusted expert. We’d love to partner with you to help make sure your house shows well this season!

Article and infographic source https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2022/03/18/spring-cleaning-checklist-for-sellers-infographic/.

The Most Instagrammed Interior Design Styles by State

June 22, 2020 By Claire Garlick Leave a Comment

House pride has a new platform in the 21st century: Instagram! #Interiordesign is big (87 million posts and counting), and no redecorating project is complete without a before-and-after shot on the number one photo-sharing platform.

And it’s not just about showing off your new kitchen. Instagram has also become the go-to place for home design inspiration. But with so many pictures to browse, it helps to have a map to find your way to the most relevant ideas – so that’s just what we’ve done!

Instagram’s photographers like to tag their interiors with the design style that they’ve chosen for their project, be it #bohodecor, #midcenturymodern, or #cottagestyle. We decided to find out which styles are most popular across different regions.

Our researchers extracted location data for Instagram posts tagged with hashtags relating to popular interior design styles. We then cleaned up the data and organized it by state, to create two maps: one that shows the most popular design style tag in each state, and one that shows which states share their #instahomes the most.

The most popular interior design style in every state

State-by-state, the most popular design style in the US is #coastalliving. Eighteen states use this hashtag more than any other to describe the interior of their home. It’s no surprise that these are all sea-facing states. However, the east coast favors the style more than the west.

Instead, the west coast states of Washington and California prefer #midcenturymodern. In fact, this is the second most popular style in the States. The ‘new retro’ look of mid-century modern feels both classic and contemporary, allowing amateur interior designers to cherry pick their favorite details from a century of interior design.

The states sharing more photos of their #instahome map

For a state populated by outdoors-types, California sure is house-proud. We counted 10,082 uses of our chosen hashtags by Californian Instagram users, way out ahead of Florida with 4,606. It might be because California is home to San Francisco, the design capital of the US, and LA, which is home to the third highest concentration of professional designers in the country.

At the other end of the scale, Dakotans either don’t care for interior design or they don’t care for Instagram. North and South Dakota have the fewest design hashtags, with just 38 and 42 respectively. Check out the color-coded map below to see how ‘hot or not’ your home state believes its décor to be!

(SEE DESIGN SLIDESHOW AT https://www.angieslist.com/articles/most-instagrammed-interior-design-styles-state.htm)

The #coastalliving style

You don’t have to live by the coast to embrace the coastal living style. After all, everyone loves to bask in the sand or up on deck. But it’s best to avoid anchor motifs and ornamental life-preservers if you can’t actually reach the sea without crossing the state line.

Instead, think about the colors and textures you associate with being at the coast. The Instagram images that really sparkle match frothy whites and steely grays with a broad spectrum of blues and greens. Unpainted or weathered wood immediately adds a nautical look (think decking and driftwood).

Most important is to listen to your own imagination. What are the sensations you connect with being at the beach or sailing? You might dream up a coffee table upcycled from an old fishing basket. Or plump for lots of blankets and throws to cuddle up under when in the cool of the evening.

The #midcenturymodern style

Mid-century modern refers to a sophisticated look that developed between the 1930s and 1960s. Bauhaus design principles had made their way to the mainstream and were now more hip than avant-garde. Today, a mid-century modern interior tells your followers that you appreciate classic design (rather than traditional) and have a sharp sense of style (but never, ever without substance). If in doubt, think Mad Men.

Historically, the mid-century modern style has utilized materials such as plastic, acrylic, and formica – but the best of today’s designers work with sustainable materials. Furniture in this style is stream-lined, often with surprising shapes that are underpinned by practical ideas. Surfaces have a matte finish. Designers may use striking primary colors or moody ‘in-between’ shades like teal, burnt sage, and rust.

Of course, the most sustainable furniture pieces you can buy are vintage. And part of the fun of designing a mid-century modern interior is curating unusual details that fit together in a way that no other Instahome quite manages. A sideboard with hairpin legs topped with an atomic-themed lamp; plastic shell chairs with a trestle-style table. Think about designing your room around one signature piece, and avoid clashing patterns and colors.

The #rusticdecor style

The rustic décor style is most popular in the mountain states and parts of the north east. The look harks back to simpler times, but there is inspiration all around us today – from the farmhouse to the hilltop cabin and the land outside.

Rustic décor takes its cue from the ruggedness of nature. A rustic-themed room is characterized by unrefined textures and earthy colors: browns, greens, and sandy yellows. Furniture is simple and sturdy. Reveal the structural detail of your interior to add that ‘just got home from the frontier’ feel: ceiling beams, exposed brick, and stripped floorboards set the tone.

The beautiful thing about rustic décor is that the charm is in the imperfections. Try upcycling old tiles as plant stands or coasters, and mend torn fabrics with brightly colored thread instead of reupholstering. If you can build your own furniture, now’s the chance for your carpentry skills to shine!

If you’re looking for a new interior design style for your home, Instagram is one of the best sources of inspiration out there. And once your renovation is complete, you can share proud pictures of your Instahome right back on the platform to inspire others!

Article and style inspiration slideshow originally published at https://www.angieslist.com/articles/most-instagrammed-interior-design-styles-state.htm.