What to Do with Your Electronics

by Karen F. Cormier, REALTOR &  

While you may find having a TV in every room or multiple computer screens at your workspace to be a bonus, prospective buyers may not be as impressed. As it is for everything else when you stage your home to sell, you want to leave the slate as clean as possible so that others can potentially project their lives into your living space.

Does this mean that you need to put all electronics away? Not at all but here are some things you can do to reduce the technology “clutter” and sense of being overwhelmed that may be detracting from your house’s image.

• Clean all electronics – electrical devices tend to attract dust and fingerprints because of their electrical charge. Carefully clean each device and wipe each screen.This is especially true in the kitchen where you can make some old and tired appliances and electrical gadgets look many years newer with a good (factory approved) scrubbing.
• Wrap up cords – while you’re cleaning those electronic devices, untangle and use plastic ties to contain all of those electrical cords and tuck away what you can. You want your house to look neat, not like an electrical snake pit. 
• Reduce what you have – if you have gaming systems only keep out the ones that you are currently using (if you even need to do that.) It’s not necessary to have on display every gaming console your kids have ever gotten. Let the kids know that if they want to play with a particular system, to just give you a few minutes to set it up.Likewise, take a look around the kids’ rooms and play areas. Reduce and remove electronic games and toys that are not necessary. Once again, you don’t have to get rid of them, but putting them in a drawer or in a basket in the closet would make a big difference to the feel of the room.
• Eliminate computers clutter – some work areas require multiple computers while others don’t. See what you can eliminate (do you really need multiple screens or is it that you simply like multiple screens) and clean up the clutter that usually surrounds home computers (extra mouse pads, USB drives, gadgets, etc)
• Update TVs- now might be the time to put away some of your spare TVs. Sure you got the kids’ TV from your sister when she upgraded and it has worked out well in the kids’ room but do you really want prospective viewers to see convenient but old technology (and while you’re at it, get rid of that VCR machine.) You can either pack the TV away to use in your new home, donate it to others and get a newer updated one, or you might even decide that now would be a good time for the whole family to cut back on TV consumption. 
  
• Upgrade devices - While we’re talking about old technology, if you were thinking about upgrading a computer or player, go ahead and do it now. You’ll be able to enjoy the device, get rid of your old one, and have your house look “smarter.” It’s a win-win situation for all. 
• Want to sell your home today? Call Karen F. Cormier at 603-620-5002 or email her at kcormier@kw.com. Please visit our home staging website at www.kfcormierstagedhomes.com today!
• 
  

8 Tips for Staging a Yard

by Karen F. Cormier, REALTOR & Accredited Staging Professional

In a recent post, I briefly mentioned tips for staging your yard, plant flowers near the walk-way, mow the lawn, and pick up old or stray toys. Because first impressions really do matter, I thought I’d give a few more tips on how to best present your yard when you are staging your home.

• 1.      Mailbox – if you have a cute flag or decoration on your mailbox, take it down. Sure you may like puppies but a small flag hanging off of your mailbox with a picture of a puppy saying “Welcome” may not appeal to everyone.  This goes for house flags or cute decorations as well.
• 2.      Invest in your lawn – if you have weeds, either hire a lawn service or apply weed killer yourself. Dandelions are pretty but not when they are in the middle of your lawn and of course, crabgrass is always a big turnoff. Likewise, a good dose of fertilizer followed by adequate watering can bring some inviting green life back into a lackluster lawn.
• 3.      Trim – Take a good look at the shrubbery in your yard, does it overpower? Like a haircut long overdue, have you waited too long and now it’s nothing but annoying? If you can trim the bushes in your yard do it, if you’re not sure how to, then hire a service. Likewise inspect your walkways and garden edges, make the boundaries clean and crisp.
• 4.      Rake – too often we neglect to rake certain areas of our yards; it might be near the woods, or behind a structure. Get out the rakes (have the kids help) and finally clean up those eyesores to your otherwise magnificent yard.
• 5.      Take a look at your gardens – consider planting some pretty annuals or some plant cover that will fill in holes. Remove all of those little garden statues (or at least reduce the number) and store them to use in your new home.
• 6.      Make it appealing – consider placing some outdoor furniture by a particularly shady and inviting tree. A hammock  in a quiet corner of a yard (you might even want to leave a book out there to really make a point) would make anyone yearn for your yard.
• 7.      Corral the toys – while I’m not saying to take down the swing set or grass over the sandbox, you should make an effort to corral children’s toys. Line bikes up (better yet, keep them in the garage) and make sure that all outdoor toys have a home (box) to live in when not in use. Get rid of the toys that are no longer used or that your kids have outgrown.
• 8.      Spiders – finally, with a critical eye, look around your yard for spider webs. Remove them from corners of equipment, furniture, and even fences or gates. I kid you not here, with so many people afraid of spiders, why even take the chance that a large web might turn someone off? 
• If you have questions or need additional information about your next staging project, please call Karen at 603-620-5002 or email her at kcormier@kw.com. Visit her website at www.kfcormierstagedhomes.com today. A Staged Home Is A Sold Home!