A home’s harmony can seal the deal
Greater love hath no Realtor than she who put aside her Harry
Potter book (purchased at midnight at Kelly’s Gift Place in
Hollister) in order to write her column. I’m just afraid someone’s
going to tell me what happens before I have a chance to finish
it.
What I love about JR Rowlings’ books is her ability to sweep me
away fully into a different world. And because I’m a former
architect and current Realtor, I especially love the descriptions
of houses and Hogwarts grounds and various built environments. I am
invited in and allowed to explore fully through her words.
A home’s harmony can seal the deal
Greater love hath no Realtor than she who put aside her Harry Potter book (purchased at midnight at Kelly’s Gift Place in Hollister) in order to write her column. I’m just afraid someone’s going to tell me what happens before I have a chance to finish it.
What I love about JR Rowlings’ books is her ability to sweep me away fully into a different world. And because I’m a former architect and current Realtor, I especially love the descriptions of houses and Hogwarts grounds and various built environments. I am invited in and allowed to explore fully through her words.
As Realtors, we too are allowed into homes of all size, shape and variety. It is amazing how unique they are, bearing the imprint of the owner. It’s as if the DNA of the owner is transferred into the very walls. From colors, textures, odors, levels of cleanliness and order, amount of decorations and density of possessions – no home, even identical floor plans in a tract, is like any other.
So as a buyer how do you know which home to purchase? It’s not easy. Over the years I have been in hundreds, thousands of homes. Many times have I gone in and said, “I could live here.” My response had nothing to do with whether or not the home was appropriate in size, amenities, location, etc. It was totally emotional.
And do I always feel at home in the same type of house? No. Sometimes it is a charming condo with a perky pot of scarlet geraniums on the porch. Sometimes it’s a small house nestled tightly in a cul-de-sac with soothing colors on the walls, sparse furniture and a spotless kitchen. Or it could be a horse property on 20 acres with a pool and a barn and a house full of priceless antiques.
What the homes have in common is a sense of place. You know you have entered a space with a sense of itself. And the other common thread is calm. The homes are in harmony. There is no chaos. There can be excitement and energy, but underneath it all there is a sense of order.
Now why I should instantly feel at home in these houses when my own looks like it has been ransacked by Vandals is beyond me. It must be something that goes back to wanting to sit in a clean cave around the fire while the dinosaurs rampage outside.
This is the underlying concept behind staging a home. Since most of us don’t live in designer homes, when we go to sell it we pull in an expert. Either we move all our stuff out and they move the “right” stuff in, or we have someone with taste beyond our own to use our existing possessions to create visual impacts in every room.
These have proven to be a good selling technique. Homes sell faster when they are beautiful. That just makes sense, doesn’t it? Even though taste varies from person to person, the elements of good design– form, color, massing – are universal. Whoa, doggies! Then you get to express it individually…animal head trophies, frog collections, gold leaf…whatever is your thing.
So let’s take this one step further. You’re probably sitting in your house right now. Take a look around. How do things look? Are things ordered and clean? Is what is inside of you expressed in your surroundings? Don’t wait until it’s time to sell to make your environment a true source of pleasure in your life.
“I don’t have the time. I don’t have the money. I don’t have the…” If you say you don’t, you most certainly won’t. But remember we always make time for our priorities.
There are people whose job it is to rearrange your “stuff” and maximize the visual impact, and we are fortunate to have some of these people locally. I can think of two right off the top of my head. They charge an hourly fee. In no time at all, your house looks and feels better. You won’t have to spend a lot of money on new furniture to get a new look. For further information, contact your Realtor. If you don’t have one, get one. You’ll be glad you did.
I have a favorite Realtor story. About five years ago a fellow Realtor helped a family get their home ready to sell. The family worked very hard, and took all the suggestions their Realtor made. When they were done, they looked around. They liked the change so much they decided to not to sell their home. Did the Realtor mind? No, because these people told all their friends what had happened and the Realtor got a ton of referrals out of it.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes: Life is a journey, not a destination. Might as well enjoy your home every day, whether it’s on the market or not. And remember – be kind to your Realtor.
