Melinda Bartling

How to be the Right House for Your Buyers

If you are selling your home, you already think you know how to be the right house for your buyers. You have a pretty good idea why someone will buy your home. And then using the art of home staging and having a professional come in and stage and style your home to have that Model Home Look, is the icing on the cake.

It’s a long standing proven fact that staged homes sell faster and for more money. Staged homes seem more turn-key to buyers and if done correctly, present that emotional feeling that makes buyers want to live there.

Why will someone buy your home?

But when I ask sellers why someone will buy their home, I get the same answers over and over again,..

We’re in a great school district
We’re on a cul-de-sac
It’s an open floor plan
We have a finished basement with another bedroom down there
The neighbors are awesome
The neighborhood is very active for families with kids
The location is perfect and has easy access to everything

Everybody says that. While all of those things are important, none of them matter unless it’s the right house.

What is the right house?

Most buyers look at dozens of houses before finally getting one that actually speaks to them. And since the pandemic, many buyers decided they really don’t like the house they bought as much as they thought. In all actuality, it was the “one they could get.”

Many buyers in the past couple of years made offer after offer before finally getting their offer accepted. Personally, I worked with buyers that actually got to the point of making an offer on every house that came on the market in their price range. At some point, all those things buyers thought they had to have somehow became less important.

But now that the market has slowed down a bit and adjusted somewhat mainly due to increasing interest rates, many houses are staying on the market longer. Actually, the average days on the market in Johnson County, from list date to contract date is well over 30 days. We are back to a market I’ve experienced in my 35 years of being a Realtor.

How to be the right house for your buyers

We are finally getting back to sellers having to do a bit more upfront in preparation to attract the right buyer that will make the right offer for the right house. As a result, the right house must speak to those buyers and make them feel like they want to live there.

The real estate transaction is becoming more personal once again and less transactional. Buyers want to have those feelings about a house as they pull up outside and walk through the front door. I call that the 10 Second Rule. Your buyers will make a decision about buying your home within 10 seconds of walking through your front door. It’s like the 1^st impression rose on the Bachelor. Those feelings are either there or they aren’t. And as a seller, you’d better hope everyone that walks through your door feels that way about your house.

Home Staging is more important now than ever with an ever changing real estate market. This is the must have prelim to the photo shoot and will attract the most number of buyers. Don’t overlook the 3 step process of de-cluttering, depersonalizing and then letting your home stager rearrange and style your things for the right flow through your house. That’s how to be the right house for your buyers.

When buyers feel themselves living in your home, they will buy it faster and pay you more money for it every time!

For more information about our real estate services, visit Melinda Bartling Real Estate and Home Staging. We detail and style your home using your own things so it attracts the largest number of buyers, therefore selling faster and for more money! Cha-ching.

Call or text Melinda direct at (913) 515-3250 or contact us here to schedule an appointment or for a quick 15 minute call to see how our strategies make you more money when selling your home.

Quick Ways to Create Spring Curb Appeal

From recent freezing temperatures, warmer weather is just around the corner, and here are some quick ways to create spring curb appeal, whether you are selling or dwelling.

While shopping over the weekend for fresh, new spring curb appeal accessories for my new listings, I went into Home Goods to see what they were featuring this spring.

First of all, I love the feeling I get when I walk into Home Goods. They know how to get you in the mood to shop. It’s the same trick I use for all of my new listings. Home Goods and I both know we’ve got a short time to grab the buyer while they are present and either they’ll buy or they’ll move on. I call it the 10 second rule. It’s based on grabbing the buyer within 10 seconds of entering a house.

Home Goods is bright, full of happy music, and the colors throughout the store are outstanding. Furthermore, it’s such a pick-me-up and an incredible feeling. I love their bright cheery dishes, pillows, springtime furniture and outdoor cushions. It makes me want to buy everything in the store and give my own home a spring makeover.

I also love Home Goods for doormats and front door wreaths. They are bright, colorful, and full of life. The spring season is the best time for a change. It’s like starting over new again. In addition, you get a new lease on life and your home deserves this as much as anything. For that very reason, you will reap the benefits from your spring curb appeal makeover.

How to be the favorite house on the block

This week while working on a couple of houses, I thought about what would make us stand out from the other neighbors? What were some quick ways to create spring curb appeal?

Both houses had substantial front porches so I decided with the new season and the energy in the air, I wanted to focus on the porch and really hone in on the spring curb appeal to draw people inside.

As a result, at one of the houses, I added a new spring doormat, a fresh wreath and added new outdoor pillows to the homeowner’s glider. Adding large, colorful planters to each side of the front door was a plus.

Here are 5 quick ways to create spring curb appeal

Paint your front door
Add an expensive pot or planters filled with colorful flowers next to the front door
Find a pretty new wreath and hang it on the door
Get some new, large house numbers
Change out your mailbox (if it’s on the house) or paint it to match the color of your door

Do these 5 things to create your spring curb appeal and while the buyer’s agent is busy getting the key out of the lock box, the buyers are quickly falling in love with your house.

We had a cold winter in Kansas City. The spring real estate market is here and creating the model home look starts with your curb appeal. Zing your home into spring in no time with our help. Call or text (913) 515-3250 to schedule your home styling appointment.

Best Red Carpet Look for Your Home

Whether you realize it or not, there is the best red carpet look for your home. After all, the whole purpose of home staging is for your home to stand out from your competition.

Just like the stars walking the red carpet at the Grammys, it’s a process for the stars to look that way. From choosing the right gown and accessories, to their hair, make-up, and nails, they will tell you it takes a village to create their red carpet look.

First of all, the stars know they will be judged and the consensus will either be good, outstanding, or bad. It’s the same when selling your home. You, too, have one chance to make a first impression. If you knock it out of the park, you may sell your home for more money than you imagined. And if you don’t?

The best red carpet look for your home

The best red carpet look for your home comes from using a professional home staging stylist. It only makes sense when your home’s reputation is on the line. A star wouldn’t walk the red carpet without her team behind her. When selling your home, your money is on the line. The faster your house sells, the more money you will make. Your professional home stager or stylist will be responsible to create the best red carpet look for your home. And when the buyers fall in love, it’s money in the bank from there!

What’s the alternative? Sell your house as it is and see what that gets you. I call that selling by default…you get what you get. Your money comes down to the Realtor you hire. They might sell a lot of houses but at what price? And how fast does it happen?

There are a lot of skills necessary to sell houses for top dollar. Likewise, the number one skill agents don’t have is home staging. And yet many agents will attempt to stage your home themselves. Why? All the extras in real estate cost money. Many agents don’t want to spend money to make money. They probably had a bad experience of spending their own money on a home they didn’t get sold.

On the other hand, some agents will bring their home stager in for an hour-long home staging consultation. That is not home staging. That’s advising you on what to do. That’s like a hair stylist telling you what style will look good on you versus doing it. And have you ever had a bad hairstylist? Case closed.

The art of home staging

Perhaps unknown to the average Realtor, above all else, there is an art to home staging. After all, there’s a whole giant industry based around it. It’s so much more than clearing the countertops. It’s creating your best first impression look, so buyers are drawn into your home, sweeping them off their feet, causing them to fall in love with it, to the point they have to have it, and will gladly pay you extra money to get it.

That’s what I do as your home stylist. You can declutter and put your family photos away but you need a professional stylist to create the best red carpet look for your home that will sweep your buyers off their feet. Your job is to find that person with the right broom.

Remember, the way you live in your home and the way you sell your house are two different ways. Consequently, selling your home is a beauty pageant and a competition. You need to be ready. There will always be another house that looks better than yours if you don’t create your best red carpet look for your home. I’ve seen your competition and I’m in it to win it. Game on!

Want to know your home’s current, local value, not some computer-generated Zestimate? Click here!

If you’re thinking of selling your home, allow me to create your best red carpet look. Call me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here to schedule your FREE home selling consultation and let’s see if what I do will work for you!

Easy Home Staging Secret

Here is one easy home staging secret I use on all of my listings before they come on the market. We stage occupied homes so we work with what you have in your house. I won’t lie, sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s not. But regardless, I always tell people their house will look better for selling than it did when we arrived.

I always say, selling your home is simple, it’s just not easy. After all, buyers will make a decision about your house within 10 seconds of opening the front door. So as a home stager, first impressions are critical for me. I will walk your house over and over making sure everything is “just right.” I call it the Goldilocks Effect.

Another Happy Seller

As my Happy Seller, Gayle Krieger said, “selling your home is a mindset.”

“We were looking for a Realtor that had experience and also did home staging. Our daughter found Melinda on the internet. I contacted Melinda initially to visit with us and look at our house to see what improvements we needed to do for selling our home.

From our first visit, we knew Melinda was the Realtor for us. She gave us some recommendations for improvements to do. The first thing was to get a mindset that we are selling a house, not our home. When we were ready to list we called Melinda. She staged our home and told us she would sell it the first weekend. My husband was not a believer in being able to accomplish that. We sold for over the asking price the first weekend! He is now a believer!

Melinda was very prompt in answering emails, texts, and phone calls. We were moving out of state. Melinda called Realtors in our new location and interviewed them. She found us a great Realtor to buy our next home. We really appreciated that. We highly recommend Melinda.”

My easy home staging secret

Does your house have the Goldilocks effect? Gayle and Jerry’s house did have the Goldilocks effect before I staged it. While I didn’t have to do much, I brought in some accessories to freshen up their look by staging and styling their home to create their best model home look for the buyers.

Their dining room was right inside the front door and was lacking a little style that was necessary for selling. I rearranged the dining room and added some trendy accessories to their dining room table and china cabinet to make things pop.

I also stopped by the garden center on the way to their house and picked out a perfect arrangement that was “just right” to dress up their front porch.

Needless to say, when their house came on the market, everything was “just right.”

It’s about an eye for style

People always tell me I’m very stylish. My reply is, “if I can’t style myself, how can I style your home?” It’s all in the presentation – arranging and accessorizing your home until it’s “just right.” By focusing on your home, getting it “just right” and having a marketing plan that works, I’m able to sell my homes within 3 days of coming on the market. That creates very Happy Sellers!

While I know I can’t help everyone, the sellers I have helped have had great success. It starts with their mindset and my ability to create their Goldilocks effect – making sure everything is “just right.” Remember, you have one chance to make a first impression when selling your home in Overland Park. Is your house “just right?”

If you are ready to create your Goldilocks effect when selling your home in Overland Park, call me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here. Home staging is one small expense you’ll have when selling that will increase your bottom line. If you list your home with us, we will stage your home for FREE!

Home Staging Magic

If you are selling your Overland Park home anytime soon, you definitely need some home staging magic – especially in this real estate market!

Honestly, it never ceases to amaze me that many Overland Park Realtors just don’t get it. Certainly, it’s not like home staging is a new concept – it was “created” in 1973 by a lady who knew occupied houses could look better when selling. For that reason, I flew to Chicago in 2006 and worked with her one-on-one, and became an Accredited Home Staging Stylist. That was a very long time ago. Where has everyone been?

Buyers only see what they see

After showing several houses over the past weekend, I just sometimes have to laugh. I’m truly embarrassed. “OMG – let’s go. Another house no one cares about. This isn’t going to get any better.”

Because you have a house that doesn’t show well, you want my feedback after showing your listing? Come on now!

Selling a house is simple but it’s not easy. Prepare, List, Sell is my formula for home staging magic. It works over and over again for those home sellers who get it and for agents who want my help.

Here are my 5 best tips if you are selling your home in Overland Park or Olathe or anywhere:

Home Staging Magic

Have a plan – first of all, what are you trying to accomplish? If you don’t know, start over. You’ve got to have a plan. We don’t need more inventory, we need more GOOD inventory.

Be ready to sell – another issue is most sellers aren’t ready to sell. If your house is filled to the gills with stuff you can’t seem to part with, that doesn’t tell me as an agent that you’re going to be moving anytime soon. My buyers want to close in 30 days. Can you possibly be out? Probably not.

Prepare your home to sell – would you just roll out of bed and show up and run a 5K? Of course not. It takes preparation. There’s a whole list of questions you need to answer. Selling your house is the same thing. You’ve got to prepare. And it’s hard work. But it’s got to be done.

Pick up your stuff. In all honesty, nobody wants to see your collections, family photos, piles of papers, or anything else for that matter. Buyers are trying to see themselves living there and yet you are preventing them from doing that. They are easily distracted by your own stuff.

Step up to the plate and be ready. Selling your house is an event to me…it’s called Showtime. There’s no dress rehearsal, no guessing. If your agent isn’t sure and needs the approval and feedback from the entire office, get a different Realtor.

Create your best model home look

Above all else, you want buyers to go ga-ga over your house, fight to get it and make ridiculous offers. Don’t know how to do that? Hire a Realtor who has a clue and is producing the results you want. Consequently, you don’t want a Realtor who has 30 listings. That just means their houses aren’t selling. I’m not knocking my competition. I’m only educating you on getting your home sold.

You are not only wasting your time, but you’re also wasting my time and my client’s time when your house isn’t spot-on and ready to be sold. Plus the worst part is you are giving away your hard-earned equity. All of my sellers tell me they want MORE MONEY! I get that. Why don’t you realize that your days on the market are only taking away from your own hard-earned money?

The way you live in your home is your business,

the way you sell your house is my business!
Melinda Bartling

Ready to get started with some home staging magic?

Finally, selling your house is simple, it’s just not easy. Furthermore, my home staging services are FREE to my sellers and my sellers consistently sell faster and get more money than they were expecting. I’ve never had a seller tell me they wanted less money. My services are the solution to all of their home-selling problems.

If you are an Overland Park or Olathe home seller and need help getting your house ready to sell, call or text me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here. Let me create some home staging magic for you!

Check out today’s new listings either below or in the sidebar. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 to see inside one of these homes. I AM NEVER TOO BUSY to show you a house. Real estate is my main hustle after 35 years! Everything else I do is bells and whistles to enhance your experience!

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Holiday Home Staging Rules

Now is the time to think about those holiday home staging rules if you are selling your home before the end of the year.

Selling a home in Overland Park over the holidays – especially in a shifting real estate market is different than other times of the year. Most buyers don’t want to see your holiday collections or decorations – so let them envision their own.

Here are my 10 best holiday home staging rules for your home when selling over the holidays:

1. Create some front door appeal. First of all, it always starts right here. This is the most important of my holiday home staging rules. A simple, live wreath on the front door is classy. Add a big bow for major impact. Let them know this is just the beginning of a house they will love. Remember, love is the emotion that sells your house.

2. Curb appeal is also important. Consequently, what will your buyers see as they drive up to your house? This is where their excitement starts. Add a colorful mat (preferably a non-holiday one) outside the door. A big urn or two next to the front door is preferred. Add fake or real Christmas trees and decorate them if you like, just keep it simple.

3. Keep outside holiday decorations to a minimum. Above all, yard decorations, outdoor house lights, and holiday collections are distracting so keep them to a minimum or avoid them altogether. Home staging is always about less versus more. This is especially true outside.

4. Minimal decorations inside, too. Inside, one simple Christmas tree is always best, with simple white lights and standard ornaments in one color if possible (or no tree at all is preferred). Remember, not everyone celebrates Christmas. Furthermore, the more distracting your tree is – the less of your house the buyers will see. Remember, potential home buyers are not there to look at your stuff, they are there to fall in love and envision themselves living in your space. Loads of presents under the tree are sometimes hard for small children to resist so keep that in mind when your house is on the market.

5. No stocking hung with care. Keep the mantle free and clear and uncluttered (as always). Let your buyers visualize decorating the mantle themselves.

Here are your last 5 great tips!!!

6. Replace, don’t accumulate. Wherever you add holiday decorations, remove the other decorations. Remove what you have before adding anything new.

7. Fresh displays of flowers or holiday greenery can be added in the kitchen and dining room if desired. Go for one big, well-executed display versus lots of little things. Don’t go overboard with Christmas decorations in each room. Decorations easily turn to clutter which eats up equity.

8. Be cautious with candle displays and lit fireplaces – they cause accidents.

9. Stow away your holiday collections. Definitely don’t get out your collections of nutcrackers, Santas, or other holiday display items that distract your buyers. These are the reasons buyers leave a house and ask their Realtor, “Was there a fireplace in the living room? I was so busy looking at their stuff, I don’t remember.”

10. Bake up your own offer and let them know you’re ready to play! Freshly baked slice-and-bake cookies on the counter are a quick way to make the house smell fabulous and are a great way to win over the buyers – and hungry Realtors! Refreshments can help, too, so have some bottled water or anything else bottled or canned. Buyers get hungry and thirsty when out looking for the right house. Be sure to provide them with some napkins and it will keep them lingering in your home longer. Make sure your kitchen is spic-and-span spotless because while hanging out, they will notice everything!

Selling your home over the holidays

Remember, selling your Overland Park home over the holidays isn’t that much different than any other time of the year. I sold 13967 W. 146^th Street in Olathe on Christmas Eve with two offers for full price. Plus it’s a great time to sell since January is the busiest month for corporate relocations.

Use these simple holiday home staging rules to prepare your home. It will stand out from your competition so you win the home-selling game over the holiday season. One more house SOLD FAST is good for everyone!

If you want to sell your Overland Park home over the holidays, I can help. My home staging strategies give your home that model home look all buyers want so it sells fast and for more money. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.

Fall Home Staging Curb Appeal

Fall Home Staging isn’t just about busting the clutter inside your house. It actually starts at the curb. If you’re selling your home this fall, follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to a faster sale and more money!

Want to create your best fall home staging curb appeal?

Walk across the street and take a long hard look at your house. What do you see? Look long and hard. Make some notes and get busy. Home Staging doesn’t mean removing everything in sight. It’s about removing and adding back in to create that perfect model home “I can see myself living here” kind of look. You know the one. If you’ve been to the Fall Parade of Homes, I’ll bet you said that to yourself – more than once!

Painting is the number one thing you can do to spruce up your exterior fall home staging. Look closely at your house. NOW is the time to do some whole house or touch-up painting – before the temperatures drop. Don’t get caught up in the waiting-to-paint dilemma. I know about that. I woke up one cold morning in January and decided I was selling my house. Unfortunately, my house needed to be painted. Luckily it was one of those typical Kansas City winters where we had a few mild days in the 50s and I had my house painted in February.

Clear the clutter around your front door. Do you have too much stuff? KISS – keep it simple staging is the best advice. Add a couple of urns on each side of your door with some pretty mums to frame the space. Invest in a new doormat and a simple fall wreath. As the seasons change, so should your curb appeal.

Do you need to change your outdoor lighting? If it’s weathered brass, the answer is yes! You’re so used to looking at it that way, you don’t even see it. But agents may spot it first thing and wonder what else hasn’t been updated. Yes, today’s buyers want an updated home so if you’ve failed to do that throughout the years, you’ve got some work to do! I’ve got a 5 Year Plan for that!

Along with the lighting…look at your house numbers. How do they look? Do they need to be replaced? Are they located so buyers and agents can see them from the street? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost entered the wrong house because I didn’t see the numbers.

Last but certainly not least, look at the hardware on your front door. If you have more than one lock, do they match? Many times, the doorknob will be brass and the deadbolt will be silver or vice-versa. Be sure to match them up or replace them entirely if they are worn. It will send the message to the buyer and agent that this house is going to be just what they are looking for – clean, fresh, and updated.

Bottom line

First of all, do yourself a favor and follow these tips to update your fall home staging curb appeal. There are plenty of houses out there, just not a lot of inventory that buyers want to buy. Because at the end of the day, it’s easy to get a leg up on your competition and sell your house fast. Remember, it’s all in the updates and details when selling your house faster and for top dollar. Buyers don’t want “projects” unless, of course, they can get a steal on the house. Once you get those projects done, it’s the final arrangement of your furniture and accessories that seal the deal. Furthermore, the home staging is always the icing on the cake and the reason my average house sells in less than 3 days for way over the asking price.

Finally, there’s still time to sell your home this fall and be moved on by the holidays. That’s what my clients, Brian and Fiona did. We listed their house at the end of September and it closed on November 1st. They are now living happily ever after in their new home in Colorado. Who wouldn’t want those fast results, especially in a shifting real estate market?

For that very reason, if you’d like to see what it’s going to take to get your house sold faster, for more money call me direct at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.

Staging Tips for Your Outdoor Space

If you are thinking of selling your home anytime soon, here are some staging tips for your outdoor space. Especially since Covid, outdoor spaces are trending bigger than ever and are an added feature that every homebuyer wants.

Today’s home buyers want that extension of outdoor living and are willing to pay extra money for it! Whether you are selling or dwelling, when it comes to creating a fun, outdoor space for your home in Overland Park, there are loads of options for you to try.

Staging tips for your outdoor space

Whether you have a deck, patio, or neither, start with what you have and create a fun outdoor space from there. If all you have is a yard, you could create a new fire pit area in your backyard. Build out your firepit and get a few cool Adirondack chairs in a fun color.

Maybe you have a deck or patio and already have some outdoor furniture. More staging tips for your outdoor space would be to buy some new, colorful cushions and pillows. Add an outdoor umbrella, some party lights and voila! Be sure to include an eating table for outdoor dining. Whether you have a green thumb or not, buy some plants to add to the ambiance.

Create your outdoor space now

Enjoy your outdoor space and your buyers will be able to see themselves living in your home. Everyone wants a special place to hang out and taking it outdoors is the right thing to do. It not only extends your living space, being outdoors is good for your mind, body, and spirit.

Having a fun spot to enjoy a nice glass of wine at the end of the day and to hang out with friends and family is what everyone wants.

Now is the perfect time to create your best outdoor space. Let your backyard be an extension of your home. After all, home is where your story begins and if you don’t have a story, you can definitely create one. If you need help creating an outdoor space you’ll love spending time in, call me direct at (913) 515-3250 or contact us here!

Home Staging for Baby Boomers

Home Staging for baby boomers is about creating the best look your house has to offer so buyers fall in love when they open the front door. Most of the younger generations understand the concept of home staging – they’ve seen shows on HGTV and they realize that the way you live in a home and the way you sell a house are two different ways.

But what do you do if you are a boomer selling your lovely home after all these years? Does home staging really make a difference in a hot seller’s market? Yes it does and now more than ever.

You see, in order to get buyers interested in your home, you’ve got to step up to the plate and turn your home into a hot commodity. You must get your buyers emotionally involved. They won’t buy your house until then.

Here are my top 7 home staging for baby boomers tips

Your home may need a new coat of paint to freshen things up.
Make sure there is absolutely NO wallpaper lurking around your home.
Remove the collections or “treasures” as one of my clients lovingly referred to her stuff. Buyers don’t want to see your years of accumulation. Put away those “grandma” things – doilies, etc.
Pack up the photos of family members and friends from the tables and remove them from your walls. Today’s young buyers want to add fresh new photos of their own families.
Renew your main living areas with some colorful throw pillows, hardback books, and trendy accessories.
Do the same with the master bedroom and master bath. Add some new bedding in the way of a bed in a bag if necessary. Make the bed the focal point of the room and bring the décor up to today’s standards. Buy some new fluffy towels for the master bath and add some new accessories.
De-odorize the house with some seasonal scents – no matter what the season. Make the house smell delicious.

Today’s buyers don’t want to buy grandma’s house

Years ago, I had a listing that I showed to a young couple looking for their first house. After walking through I asked them what they thought. They said it reminded them of their grandma’s house and they would never buy a house like that.

After the showing, I shared that conversation with my seller and she asked me when she “got old.” First of all, I replied that she just hadn’t bought any new things lately. For that reason, she decided to buy some new things for her new house and use them to update her home that was for sale.

We went shopping and she bought a new kitchen table and chairs, a new couch for the living room and a few new accessories. It was part of our home staging for baby boomers plan that truly worked!

The house sold immediately after changing things up. I believe her new look definitely added a freshness to her older house that appealed to her younger home buyers.

It comes down to 1st impressions

Remember, it’s all about first impressions when selling your Overland Park home. Selling your home starts with the 10-second rule. If your buyers think of your house as their grandma’s, it’s probably going to take some time to get an offer.

Start with the above home staging for boomers tips and dress your home up ready to impress those picky buyers. As I always say, give the buyers what they want and they will buy your house faster and will pay more money for it every time.

If you want to know exactly what you need to do to prepare your home for the Overland Park real estate market so it sells faster and for more money, call or text me direct at (913) 515-3250.

Home Staging Pet Peeves to Avoid

When you are thinking of selling your home, there are so many home staging pet peeves that are made by sellers and their real estate agents that really bother me.

First of all, probably my biggest pet peeve is not hiring a professional home stager. It’s the same as not hiring a professional photographer. Why shouldn’t you have every opportunity to speak with a professional home stager who can not only advise you but also help you? Many agents advise their sellers on what to do when staging their homes. Sure, there are certain things about staging that everyone knows about – like decluttering and depersonalizing. But I find sellers want and need more help than that. After all, home staging shouldn’t be taken for granted or left to chance. For those very reasons, be sure to request a home staging consultation, at the very least, from your agent. You want to create the best Model Home Look for your house.

Our home staging process

At Melinda Bartling Real Estate and Home Staging, we use our sister company, Overland Park Home Staging for every listing we take. We believe home staging is the determining factor for the results you get when selling your Overland Park home.

We will meet with you and do a complete walk-through and walk around of your home. This is part of our Home Staging Consultation. The actual Home Staging occurs once you’ve done your punch list of our recommendations. We will tweak every inch of your home before your Professional Photo Shoot.

When it comes to selling your home, you must remember…it’s not about you anymore. You have decided to sell your home and move on. It’s time to put on your buyer’s hat and make some serious money. Everything you do from here on is marketing. You are setting yourself up to sell your house for some ridiculous amount of money while you can. Take advantage of it.

My other home staging pet peeves

The hardest conversation I always have is about dead animals mounted on the walls. I call them home staging don’ts or no-no’s. Unfortunately, all dead animals must be removed from the house. Furthermore, I find that a lot of agents don’t know how to have the right conversations with their sellers so they just overlook certain things that really should be addressed.

Home staging consultation case study

Years ago, I received a call from a lady that had been unable to sell her home. She hired me for a home staging consultation to see what she needed to do to get her house sold.

When I got to the house, I immediately noticed a number of things that needed to be changed to attract the most buyers. It’s all part of my 10 Second Rule and the fact that buyers will make a decision about your house within 10 seconds of opening the front door.

As soon as I entered this home, I saw several things that probably prevented the house from selling.

They had bright blue tile and countertops in the kitchen
The rooms were stuffed full of furniture
The arrangement of their furniture was wrong for selling the house

Finally, I went to the finished lower level and there it was!!! My jaw dropped.

There was an entire room full of mounted heads with brass nameplates next to each one. There must have been at least 25 dead animals in that room. (I wish I had a photo but I don’t). I asked if there was a photo of this on the internet. She honestly didn’t know – which was another problem in itself. I looked at her and said not every woman likes those things and they had to come down.

While we were downstairs, her husband returned home. She gave him the bad news and his response was, “If I have to take them down, we’re not moving.” He stormed out of the house. She apologized to me and said he was angry long before I got there. LOL!

Months later, after they had changed out the blue in their kitchen and removed all of his trophies from the house, the house sold. But in the interim, how much money did they lose with being on the market for almost 9 months? It was a terrific house but it wasn’t staged to sell.

Are you serious about selling your home?

This is just one example of this situation. I see it at least once a week in homes in all price ranges. There are all specimens…bears, wolves, fish, deer, moose heads, stuffed roosters, etc. I actually saw a full-size standing bear wearing a designer scarf one time.

If you’re serious about selling your home, prepare your house to sell before it comes on the market. It’s your money when selling your house. It’s the largest investment you’ll ever have and you’re giving away your hard-earned equity.

If you want to know my other home staging pet peeves that will cost you money when selling your home, call me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.