For many reasons, 2023 has been a challenging year. It was one of those years that gives you time to reassess. For almost 19 years, I have been helping clients through many of life’s transitions, and through many different economic climates. I’ve helped thousands of clients prepare their homes for sale, through something as simple as a consultation, to a full vacant staging with rental furniture and accessories, to everything in-between.

I have helped clients sell their homes faster and for more money than similar homes in the area. On average, when comparing the statistics with the typical Denver home for sale, the homes I have helped stage have sold in 1/3^rd of the time and for 6% more. I have also helped clients re-decorate their homes, choose paint colors, select finishes for a new-build, organize their spaces, and generally be a problem-solver for the day-to-day quandaries of living a modern life in a home that may be 1 month or 100 years old.

So, after all these years, what have I brought to the table? What have I really been proud to accomplish? I’ve helped clients pick-out light fixtures and various elements for a remodeling project, and they’ve told me how happy they feel in their new spaces – but what really gets me out of bed in the morning are the staging projects that led to clients making more money, not spending more money.

We all have areas in our homes that could use a little spruce or update, and helping people choose the right thing the first time is a worthwhile skill – but I equally value the times I have told clients that they don’t need to replace something. Sometimes just re-arranging what you have can solve a functional problem in a home. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint can take years off the look of a kitchen, avoiding the need for a large-scale and costly remodel. Sometimes things can be fixed, instead of tossed out.

Growing up in a family that valued repairing items and “making-do” for as long as possible gave me the foundation for creative problem solving. Anyone can throw money at a problem – but if I can help a client sell their home for more with just a small investment or maybe even just their time, I know I’ve provided help that could benefit them and their families for years to come.

If you’d like to chat about the ways I can help you prepare your home for sale, or just life – give me a call (yes, a call – it’s not as scary as you think)!

(303) 322-5327

I’ve had this number for 19 years (too long to get rid of it) – it’s a voice line that forwards to my cell – so if you prefer to type – email me at holly@abundantlycleardesign.com

Spring is here, and that means “For Sale” signs sprouting up almost as fast as tulips.  Once the stay-at-home orders are lifted, and showings go from virtual to in-person, it may be time to “up your game”!

Most sellers understand that some preparation is necessary to sell a house, but they often don’t expect how much work it really entails. We know the counters should be clear, and rooms should be neat, but what about the spaces that may not get photographed?

Home stagers like to talk about how selling is more about psychology than decorating. What “feeling” do buyers have when they walk through your house? The buyer wants to feel welcome when they enter a home.  This is very similar to how you prepare your home for a special party, detail your car when you want to sell it, or wear a suit to an interview. Do they feel like this house will give them a better life, or one the same or maybe worse than what they currently have? Stuffed linen closets, basements that are too full to walk through, cabinets that cannot close, and un-expected items in the master closet (scrapbooks, anyone?), can send the wrong message to a potential buyer.  These common issues might tell a buyer that the house is too small, or it has inadequate storage space.  No matter the size, if you can’t walk into your walk-in closet, it’s not a walk-in closet!

What about the clutter outside of the storage areas?  Mail on the kitchen counter, stacks of clothes in the bedrooms, open bookshelves packed to overflowing, collections and projects covering every flat surface – these are all sending the message that the seller isn’t ready to sell.  Even if they can see beyond the clutter, buyers will hesitate to make an offer on a house if they feel that the seller isn’t really serious. It might feel to them that you may change your mind or not be open to negotiations if they make and offer.

So, what can you do about it?  Off-site storage is an option, and it can come in handy if the storage areas in your house are minimal.  With this in mind, here are some ideas for staging the storage areas:

Basement – buyers do understand you will be moving, so having boxes in the basement is perfectly acceptable.  In fact, seeing them will also tell a buyer that you are ready to go.  Keep the boxes neat and against the walls, and away from the door/entry.

Linen Closets – Have you seen how Martha Stewart folds her towels?  Her website says: “A properly folded towel has a neat, fluffy appearance and hidden edges”. Towels should be folded in thirds, lengthwise, then in in half or thirds widthwise, depending on the length of the towel.  That way, different sized towels can look more uniform because you can control the width of the folded towel in the first step.  Stack like items together, like towels and sheets, and minimize the height of the stacks so they don’t tip. It sounds like a picky item, but it looks great when done this way!

Bedroom Closets (especially the Master Bedroom) – Wire hangers and dry cleaning plastic must be banished from all closets (“no wire hangers”)!  They are unsightly and they can even ruin your clothes.  Inexpensive white plastic hangers can make a closet look neat and uniform – and if you really want to get fancy – buy the wooden hangers (you can find good bulk deals at home and hardware stores).  Make sure only shoes are on the floor, and minimize the items on the top shelf.  A crowded top shelf, with a lot of items out of reach, could say the closet is too small and inefficient.  Finally, don’t store anything in your master bedroom closet except clothes and shoes.  Use other storage spaces for your books, luggage, paint cans (!), etc.

Kitchen Cabinets – Yes, buyers look through your cabinets, maybe not all of them, but at least the larger ones and the pantry.  You don’t need to have your spices in alphabetical order, but food containers with overflowing contents, sticky shelf surfaces, and over-sized items preventing doors from closing just won’t fly.  Kitchens sell houses, so make sure yours feels large, with plenty of storage space.

Garage – If you have a two car garage, then it should look like it!  It’s better to store things in the basement then to make your garage look too small for a Mini Cooper (especially in Colorado – the land of SUV’s).  If you have an extra fridge in the garage, it may be time to part with it.  If you can store larger “toys” off-site (and that includes those for the grown-up kids – like quads, etc.), that’s ideal.

Although it’s crucial to make the living areas feel warm and inviting first, never underestimate the importance of storage areas to a buyer.  A little extra work on those areas will help your home stand out, and sell faster.

And if you need a little assistance figuring out how to get started – give us a call! (720) 289-3986. We offer in-person (safe-distance requirements and/or mask policies will be followed), or even virtual staging consultations. They include a thorough room-by-room list to give you a detailed road-map so you can confidently prepare your home to sell. Call us for more information – thanks!