Visited a young couple the other day for a home staging consultation. It was a distinct possibility they might need to do a short sale in order to sell their home, but the agent who referred me believes strongly in staging.

The first impression I got was; there’s little to no parking space because two large pickup trucks and a trailer filled the driveway.

TIP  Park your trucks on the street if possible and keep garage clear for space to park at least one of your cars

Second impression was entry was not inviting. There were two chairs and a table on porch slab area and empty planters with dirt.

TIP  Entry has to be inviting. Simply set the scene by arranging any furniture to look as if it’s additional living space that can be used and add fresh seasonal flowers to your empty pots. Even in winter/early spring there are pansies or geraniums that will take some cold and are easy to pop into a pot.

Third impression walking in the front door. Every room was painted a different bold color.

TIP  It’s fun to experiment and personalize your home with color but realize that every buyer will have a different opinion on your choices. By asking buyers to accept your taste, you’re narrowing the number who will. It doesn’t have to be beige, but you do have to give the potential buyer of your home the ability to see how their furnishings and taste can live in your home. Neutral also makes your home larger and cleaner.

Top three TIPS for selling are: paint, prepack and clean.

No one wants to inherit a home that needs painting and cleaning. If you don’t want to do it, what makes you think your buyers will?

Prepacking takes the “you” out of the home and gives the buyer a chance to see your home as it could be if they lived in it.

The only cost here is paint and a few cleaning supplies which you probably have already. Don’t leave valuable money and equity on the table (even if you are looking at a short sale). The better your house presents, the better you will come out of any purchase negotiation. It’s your money, hang onto it!

Here’s the lowdown on granite. You can splurge or you can find some levels of granite that are very budget friendly. In fact, granite is not as expensive as most folks would think. If you pick out a lower “grade” you can still find a piece that will give our kitchen the WOW factor.

I don’t advocate spending a lot of money when you’re updating your home for sale and this goes for kitchen countertops. You will need to look at your competition in your price range to see if it’s smart for you to spend the money on granite.

If you decide to go ahead, find a reputable designer or contractor and ask if you can pick out the slab at the granite supply warehouse. Most granite installers do granite only. It’s a speciality. So be sure your installer is connected to a reliable source of granite and has a good reputation for installing and completing work on time.

There’s nothing like granite to add a sense of depth and richness to your kitchen. Take a peek at this video to learn more.

We’re all familiar with the term multi-tasking. It generally means doing more than one thing at a time. Feeding the baby while you’re talking on the phone and attempting to start dinner for example. Or driving down the street while you talk on your phone, eat your bagel and apply your final coat of mascara.

It’s tempting to try and do it all. But. While the jury is still out on whether multi-tasking really is productive (most studies will tell you it isn’t) it’s no secret that multi-tasking homes are definitely a DON’T.

What do we mean by multi-tasking homes? When a room or rooms try to serve more than one purpose. The dining room that also serves as your home office.

The master bedroom that functions as a gym slash retreat. The enclosed front porch that serves as a playroom. The guest room slash gym slash office.

Now you’re probably saying to yourself “I don’t have room for a dedicated home office or gym”.

Guess what? That’s exactly what your buyers will be thinking. You don’t have enough space to serve each purpose. If your dining room doubles as a home office you are showing buyers that your home doesn’t have enough room for basic needs such as eating and using the computer without crowding both into the same space.

Space sells. Having enough space for daily living and perhaps a little more will sell your home. The more you can get buyers to see your home as their dream home, the more emotionally “sold” they will be.

So when you’re staging your home for sale, keep in mind each room needs to have a dedicated purpose. Don’t let buyers think your home is not big enough for their dreams.

What is the one room that buyers always want to be perfect? And what is the one room that can have the highest budget to update when you’re getting ready to stage your home to sell?

I think it’s the kitchen. Oh other rooms such as the living and master bedroom are key rooms to attract buyers, but the kitchen is still seen as the heart of the home. Even if no one cooks in it! It’s still the gathering place for families and usually the most casual room in the house. Or at least the easiest to clean up with a mop.

Dated kitchens make buyers go “hmmmmm” and start adding in their head all the expenses of replacing old appliances and cabinets. Well so far there’s no way to update appliance reliably. Spray paint can do in a pinch but not for price ranges above $100K. But what about the cabinets? If the style is dated but they are in good condition, then paint is your answer. If you prep them properly, you will save a ton of money by painting instead of replacing. Solid wood cabinets are the easiest to paint. I would not suggest trying to paint solid surface, formica or fake wood cabinets on your own. That’s best left to a professional.

Take a look at these painted cabinets. Yes they are in gorgeous updated kitchens, but I think you’ll agree the colors are a little out of the box and a refreshing change from the usual white on white. Oh and don’t forget to update the hardware once you’re done!

Considering remodeling your home before you sell? Have you decided you really need to update your kitchen or bath to stage your home to perfection?

Or do you just need some great ideas on how to squeeze the most money out of your remodeling budget? Here are some great tips for working with contractors and staying within a budget.

It’s almost the end of the year and the news looks very promising for home sellers AND buyers. Of course all statistics can be taken with a grain of salt. One metropolitan area may show gains in the sales of homes while a neighborhood within that metro area may have losses.

Here is Zillow’s take on national home price trends.

But what seems to be a national trend is home prices trending up – slowly.  California looks like it’s rebounding in most areas. Denver looks very promising as does the previously depressed Phoenix Metro area.

My prediction? Spring of 2013 will be HOT for home sellers.  And buyers had better pay attention because they will likely lose out if they hesitate to put an offer in early on desirable homes in good neighborhoods.

What does this mean if you are thinking of selling your home? Does this mean you can ignore staging your home for sale? No. As with any major asset you own,your home sale will benefit you the most if you are prepared and meet or beat buyer’s expectations.

In some parts of the country buyers are still going to be dealing with lower incomes as a result of job loss or changing jobs. They will be looking at getting the most home for their dollar and that is where your home staging will add to your bottom line. Staging your home raises the perceived value of your home in buyer’s eyes. When they walk in and see a move in ready home (the type of home almost every buyer wants) you will receive a better offer with better terms.

You’ll attract the most qualified and discriminating buyer when your home is in turn key condition. So keep your eyes on the news and the trends, and plan for how you will make the most of current conditions when you stage your home for sale.