Home Staging Warehouse Blog

Throw Away That Real Estate Brochure Box

Driving around and checking out homes for sale signs, often you'll see a sign rider.  That's the small sign over the big one that has a website address or phone number.  On other homes, you'll also see a brochure box.  The listing real estate agent has full-color brochures printed up with a great many interior photos and descriptive text.

One thing experienced real estate agents will tell you is that the first week or so the home is listed with a brochure box, check it frequently.  That's because the neighbors are curious, especially the ones who weren't friends with the sellers and haven't seen the home's interior.  They want to see that and the list price of the home.  They empty a brochure box in a hurry, often twice in the first week or so.

Another drawback of brochure boxes is that they are out in the weather in most cases.  This discourages drive-ups from getting out in the rain to grab a brochure.  With often long periods of empty boxes and inclement weather, is there another way to get the marketing job done?

Services have cropped up that allow a business to set up a text number and message code number to disseminate information via text message.  It's something like "Text 123456 to 56789," or similar.  Real estate agents can use these services to create online brochures with more images and greater marketing clout than a simple printed brochure.

Visualize the listing ID number texted into the receiving text address, with an automatic text message reply linking to the online listing brochure.  The drive-up visitor doesn't have to leave the comfort of their car to get a much more detailed brochure about the home; it's never empty either.

Once the drive-by home shoppers leave, they're taking that text message home, and they can look at it later as much as they want, often generating a request for a showing.  All this is great and not terribly expensive, but there is more as well.

Though you could have ten-page brochures, it would be very expensive and not too many would fit in a typical brochure box.  With the online approach, you can have as much information as you want, even having subdivision covenants and other documents available.

Better than that, offer those more lengthy documents with a link to a quick form to provide their email address to receive them automatically via email.  When they do that, you've just generated a lead from an anonymous prospect.  They've seen the online brochure, so asking for more info or documents indicates more interest.

That delivery text could also offer a link to a form to set a showing appointment.  In today's world, people are in a hurry and expect instant gratification from technology  Using the texting delivery method and these strategies, you can increase your leads, sales, and customer satisfaction.  And, you're doing it without lifting a finger once it's set up.

Shop the text message companies and find one that works with real estate professionals.  You just may find that you can throw away those brochure boxes forever.

Home Seller Cheat Sheet for House Showings

When your realtor wants to show your home to a potential buyer in an hour or so, do you panic? Keep reading for 10 check-off items to get your home ready for the next showing. Keeping your house in order and clean on a daily basis can reduce the amount of work necessary from each of the 10 cheat-sheet items listed below.

(1) Vacuum the Floors

It's important to give the floors a quick vacuum immediately before a potential buyer comes to tour your home. Run the vacuum back and forth in straight lines to make pile carpet look newer and fluffier. Avoid stepping on the carpet after you've finished vacuuming to keep it looking fresh. In addition, fluff up area and scatter rugs with a quick vacuum. Run the dust mop or vacuum over hard-surface floors to collect visible lint or dirt.

(2) Stash Pet-Related Items

Sometimes it's an absolute deal-breaker if a buyer sees pet stuff lying around. So, put away your pet bowls, toys, cages, food, and treats inside a cabinet or storage tub where they're not visible.

(3) Clean the Sinks

 Giving your kitchen and bathroom sinks a quick cleaning before your next house showing is imperative. Wipe the sinks and countertops down with a disposable disinfectant wipe to make them look good and smell clean.

(4) Put Away Stuff

If you keep things picked up and put away daily, this should be a very quick item to check off your list. Pick up miscellaneous items, such as newspapers, magazines, shoes, or personal items that are lying around and put them away. If you have dirty dishes in the sink, stash them in the dishwasher and quickly put away your toiletries in the bathroom.

(5) Create a Light-Filled Space

Be sure to quickly turn on your lamps and overhead lights before a potential buyer tours your home. If it's dark outside, switch on all your outdoor lights as well. Also, open your curtains and blinds to let natural sunlight stream inside. Buyers are attracted to light-filled, cheery spaces, so create one for them.

(6) Make the Beds

Unmade beds are not attractive, especially to a potential buyer. It conveys the possibility that if you don't take care of your bed, you probably don't take care of anything else in the house. If you get in the habit of making your bed every morning, you can check this item off your list.

(7) Lock Specialty Cabinets

Keep your specialty cabinets locked at all times and you won't need to remember to lock them before your realtor brings a possible buyer to view your home. Make sure lockable cabinets, such as file and gun cabinets, lockboxes, and home safes are securely locked.

(8) Light a Scented Candle

Before you start checking off the items on this cheat sheet, you might want to light a scented candle to fill your living or kitchen area with a sweet aroma. The pleasant scent will permeate the air while you're preparing your home for a buyer tour. For safety reasons, be sure to blow out the candle before you leave your house. If you leave the candle on the counter, its aroma will continue to fill the air even after the flame is extinguished.

(9) Hang Fresh Towels

Used towels that are hanging up in your bathrooms can smell musty and convey a less-than-stellar appearance. So, replace all your damp bath and hand towels with fresh, dry replacements in your bathrooms before your next house showing. Don't forget to also exchange used kitchen towels and dishcloths for clean substitutes.

(10) Exit Your House

It's typically recommended by realtors that you leave your home when a potential buyer comes to look. So, put the kids and pets inside your car and take a drive, get a burger, or go to the park. A buyer wants to concentrate on looking at your home without distractions, so go out for a while and let them focus on your home and what it has to offer.

Now that you've got your home seller cheat sheet, put it into practice before your realtor brings another buyer inside your home. The 10 check-off items you just read about will help you to properly prepare your home before a buyer steps inside. Even though it requires a bit of work, your home must look its best if you want to stand out among the similar houses  a buyer might be viewing.

11 Personal Items to Pack Before Putting Your Home Up for Sale

Your home and its contents reflect your personality, hobbies, and what's important to you. However, potential buyers won't have similar interests. In fact, your personal possessions might even scare off a person who's interested in purchasing your home. Read the following list of 11 items that you would be wise to pack up and store before your home hits the real estate market. Make your home as generic as possible to all home buyers.

Political Paraphernalia

Remove politically biased posters, photographs, newspaper clippings, mementos, and other items that can distract a buyer from forming a neutral impression about your home.

Great Bathrooms Sell Homes: 10 Staging Tips for a Speedier Sale

If you want to sell your home quickly and for top dollar, you need to give buyers what they crave. Increasingly, those buyers are looking for killer bathrooms, ones that combine practical needs with luxury accouterments.

The bathroom is arguably the most important room in the home from a real estate perspective, so putting it in its best light is essential for a fast sale. Whether your bathroom is newly renovated or as old as your home, the right staging can make a world of difference. Here are 10 bathroom staging tips that will have your bathroom looking better than ever.

First Impressions Count: 7 Tips for Effective Entryway Staging

When welcoming viewers into your home, making an immediate good impression is vital if you want to encourage a sale. Staging your entryway is hugely important for this, and here are seven tips on how to do it effectively.

 1) From the Outside

 Your viewers' impressions of your home will begin before they've even entered. If your exterior door is looking a little old and weathered, a lick of paint or a thorough clean will make a huge difference. Also, clean, polish, or replace the house numbers and other hardware to make sure they're fresh and sparkling.

Selling an Environmentally Friendly Home? Here Are 3 Tips

If the home that you are selling is designed with the environment in mind, its eco-friendly features can help command a premium on the market among homebuyers who care for the environment. The benefits to the environment aside, eco-friendly homes come with the promise of smaller energy bills, something that can actually increase their value on the market.

Some studies have revealed that adding solar panels to the roof of a home can raise its value by as much as $20,000. In the state of California, for example, green-labeled homes sell at a premium of close to ten percent.

If you have a green home to sell, taking advantage of its environmental credentials requires that you know how to communicate its positives to potential buyers. Here are tips.