There are so many things that can be done to enhance a property for marketing purposes, but often paying for them is not a possibility for owners. Compass Concierge has been extraordinarily helpful in this regard, and sometimes even the cheapest fixes can make an enormous difference. Here are two that are super-cheap - possibly even FREE - and often the most impactful of all:
1. CLEAN, TIDY, AND SCRUB. Even a home with hideous furnishings and questionable taste (or a complete lack thereof) will benefit from a serious cleaning and tidying up. Most people when confronted with messy, untidy, and/or dirty homes are turned off completely. If everything is neat, clean, and sparkling, it allows the eye to imagine the consumer's lives in the space. Mess and dirt distract. They send the very worst visual message and devalue AND slow a transaction more than anything. There is simply no excuse for showing a messy, dirty property ever. Maybe a good reason, but not a good excuse. This is a potential do-it-yourself (free) project or a really cheap opportunity to hire some professional help.
2. PAINT. Yes, a good old-fashioned coat of paint in a neutral color can radically transform any space or exterior. How many homes have you seen painted an awkward or dated shade with virtual images showing what it could look like with a more neutral contemporary color? (Or peeling paint?) Virtual imagery has some value, but nothing will beat painting physically. Of all preparation and staging items, this should be at the very top of the list. It's relatively cheap and can be financed mostly via Concierge if even small costs are a consideration. For those super-strapped financially, picking up a roller and brush and doing it yourself can be equally effective....and free if there is leftover paint. (PS: I love the Benjamin Moore color, China White)
When a consumer visits a property these days, chances are they have visited it virtually online, possibly many times. Entering a home that is messy, needs cleaning, and/or painted with distracting colors regardless of what you have shown virtually staged online is almost CERTAIN to deliver negative reactions or bad (or no) results.
