The Lawhead Team would like to share these fall tips from HomeAdvisor to help you stage your kitchen for the season. 

1. Fall counter decor

You should always keep the countertops nearly clear when potential homebuyers are walking through. In fact, you should keep it down to about two to three essentials if you’re living there from day to day. For the fall season, you can add small elements like placemats, fruit and leaf decor (window drapings, vase, etc.).

2.  “Fall odors”

The smell of leaves, apple pie, pumpkin and cinnamon evoke the cozy feelings of fall. Candles are nice and actually baking something “fall-like” before a showing is a sure way to make potential buyers feel more at home during a showing.

3. Colors of fall

Depending on the current condition of your home, you might consider a fresh coat of paint. What color you decide to use may or may not be influenced by the season. While you should always lean towards neutral colors, you might consider accent walls or cabinets in browns or dark tones of red or green if you think they would work.

4. Bring nature in

If there are windows in the kitchen, make sure to keep them clean. Depending on the weather outside during a showing, you might open them and let the fresh air in. It helps to create a flow between nature outside and the atmosphere you’re trying to create in the kitchen. If your budget allows, you might also accent the windows with fall-like window treatments to create an even easier flow.

5. Natural lighting elements

Lighting is an essential element of home staging, no matter the season. In fall, in particular, it’s all about enhancing the twilight or sunset and complementing of all the fall colors. For lighting in your kitchen, consider accent and track lighting. Or, you could install recessed lighting on a dimmer switch, which will allow you to control the brightness of the kitchen to complement the mood outside.

The Lawhead Team would like to share the latest “One Cool Thing” from the California Association of Realtors on the impact that home staging has on a house for sale.

Most homeowners know it is important to keep a home clean, bright, and free from clutter while it is on the market for sale. But, sometimes taking the extra step to stage a home can make a difference in how a buyer values it and the price a seller might get for it.

49% of REALTORS® representing buyers say home staging impacts most buyer’s final decision.

Top reasons a buyer’s decision is impacted by a staged home

• 81% – Easier to visualize the property as a future home
• 46% – More willing to walk through a home viewed online
• 45% – Will positively impact home value of home if decorated to buyer’s taste
• 28% – Overlook other properly faults
• 10% – Will negatively impact home value if decorated against buyer’s tastes
• 5% – More suspect of home features

Source: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® 2015 Profile of Home Staging

The Lawhead Team would like to share some great tips to stage your home to sell during the holidays this year. Happy Holidays from The Lawhead Team!

• Make it subtle – Remember, less is more. Avoid over-powering your home with décor for the holidays. Instead add a few pinecones to your tables centerpiece and a couple evergreen wreaths.
• Create a cozy feel – Cider simmering on the stove or winter scented candles will create a warm and inviting holiday feel.
• Make sure your décor for the holidays match the rest of your home. If your living room wall is a cool color, avoid using warm holiday colors to decorate.
• Use holiday décor to attract your home’s best features. Is your fireplace an elegant focal point of your home? Hang elegant stockings from your fireplace.
• Avoid tacky holiday décor – Simple strands of white lights on your home will draw much more attention than blow up inflatable snowmen in your yard.
• Keep your tree on the smaller side – While a tall Christmas tree will show off your great room, make sure the base is not too wide as to take away floor space from you home during the holidays.

Looking to sell your home during the holidays? Call The Lawhead Team for all your home buying and selling needs. “Because Two Lawheads Are Better Than One!”

Here are a few things you may want to keep in mind as what NOT to do when putting your home on the market and selling it:

• “Make sure your home is painted in bright colors that stand out or drab white walls.” Don’t do this! Paint the interior of your home neutral colors in the brown and beige family.
• “Decorate my home with all my cute unicorn nick-knacks.” Make sure your entire home is tidy and organized and free of décor that portrays your personality. Remember, keep the word “neutral” in mind when selling. Any family pictures and various dust collectors on your shelves should be boxed up and kept in the garage. Remember, you are going to have to pack this stuff up anyway!
• “Potential buyers can see past the clutter”. If you are selling your home and your rooms are filled with too much stuff, box it up. Minimal décor and “stuff” in general will show your home the best. Plus, it makes your home look bigger the less you have in it.
• “The walls don’t need any TLC.” Once your start moving your furniture around and taking those personal family pictures off the walls, you will start to notice holes, cracks and chipped paint. Take a moment to patch any holes and use the paint to touch up any scuffs before selling your home.
• “Buyers won’t notice the dust.” Remember, you want potential buyers to look around and think about what great shape you have kept the home in. This means do a deep clean of all your appliances, get rid of the dust on your ceiling fans and scrub the stove.
• “No need to tidy up the closet, I’ll just close the door.” Potential buyers will be nosy. They’ll open closets, cupboards and drawers. Tidy them up when selling your home! It is also a great idea to take half of the items in your closet out. This makes your closets and cupboards look bigger than they actually are.
• “I don’t need to spend any money on planting flowers or plants outside; the new owners can do that.” The first impression a potential buyer gets from your home will be the curb appeal. Pull weeds, green up the grass and plant new flowers.