2008 Profile of a Pennsylvanian Home Buyer

The National Association of Realtors have released their 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

So, what did Buyers in Pennsylvania look like last year?

• The median age was 38 years old. For first-time Buyers, the median age was 29 (Go you under-30somethings).
• 66% of home buyers had no children under the age of 18 in the home.
• 59% were married couples, 18% single females, 11% single males, and 9% unmarried couples.
• First time home Buyers accounted for 46% of purchases.

And I thought this was especially relevant:

• 43% of Buyers used social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, etc. (Pssst...look to your Right ->)

So what does this mean for Bucks County Sellers?

Well, for one thing, when staging your home, make sure you're appealing to the right age group. If you're selling an entry level townhome, keep those 20-somethings in mind and make sure that it's not their "parents" house. I'll give you a hint - look to Target for some great decorating ideas.

Another thing to keep in mind is the growth of the single Buyer and the fact that a large percentage of Buyers did not have small children in the home. I've been routinely staging my extra bedrooms as a nursery and a child's room, but perhaps a better option would be as an office/guest room - maybe a daybed and a desk?

Lastly, make sure that you're utilizing social networking sites to sell your home. If you're not participating in any of the sites, ask your Realtor if they are, and if / how they plan to market your home on these sites.

What a Difference a Cookie Makes

I was showing homes on Thursday, and I've come to the conclusion that a cookie can make a big difference. We toured several properties in the same neighborhood. The first property we walked into, the Seller had left a small plate of cookies by the brochures. But it wasn't just the cookies - it was the whole experience she created. Candles were lit, soft music was playing, towels were stacked neatly in the baths. Was the home perfectly staged? No. The closet was filled with clothes and the children's rooms weren't neutral. There was an odd family photo throughout the home. But it was staged in the sense that the Seller made the home welcoming. It felt like a happy family lived there, and loved the home, and took care of it.

The next home we went to had beautiful new cherry hardwoods. It had an expanded kitchen with miles of granite. It had an extra full bath. It was spotlessly clean.

But it didn't have a plate of cookies. And there was something missing from the experience.

It's a lesson that you don't have to do everything right. You have to do enough to make a difference in the perception of the Buyer. Is it candles? Is it soft music? Or is it taking the time to love your home, and create a sense of welcome for the Buyer? Is it something more intangible?

Or is it the cookies?

The 10-Minute Staging

I'm baring my soul (and my kitchen) below. How you live in your house, and how you sell your home are two different things. I took pictures of my kitchen exactly how it looks after a frenetic weekend with the kids, and a hectic morning getting them all off to school. I'm sure many of the rooms in your home look just like this. (Right??? Don't they?) This is what a well lived in home can look like, and I gave myself 10 minutes to get it show ready.

Ready...set...go!

If I'm honest, most of this was just putting things back where they're supposed to be, but it also entailed clearing some small appliances off the counter, clearing off the refrigerator, and hiding my "lunch station" (bread, peanut butter, sandwich bags, etc) in the pantry.

Some other ideas of how to live to quickly stage a home:

• Get rid of all toys except what fit in a Rubbermaid Storage Container. When you have a showing, throw all the toys in the container, then put the container in a closet.
• Institute "no eating and drinking" rules except in the kitchen until the house is sold (that goes for messy husbands, too).
• Delegate one bathroom for all usage. You only have one to worry about before showings, and the others should remain clean.
• Declare rooms "off limits" to everyone. If they don't sit on the couch - you won't have to fix the pillows before the showing.
• Do a "final walkthrough" before leaving in the morning. Carry a trashbag with you and put everything that you don't have time to put away into the trashbag. Empty the bag when you get home that night.

Want some more tips? Shoot me an email and I'll send you more ways to "live" while "selling." Also, checkout Flylady.net for some great systems on how to keep you home clean and clutter free (obviously, I'm only a wannabe Flylady!)

Semi-Staging a Vacant Property

Ta - DA!
As promised in my previous post here are a few before and after photos of the "semi-staged" vacant home. You'll see that even a few pieces of furniture will have a great impact on aesthetics of the home, and will help a Buyer visualize the functionality of the space.

Formal Living Room




Great Room




Bedroom


I think the pictures not only speak to what a great impact a few pieces of furniture have on a home, but they're also a testament to my fabulous, wonderful, talented photographer/virtual tour provider!

Staging your House for Sale

So, I'm wrapping up the work on my flip property (hence, the scarcity of posts lately). I'm planning on staging the property because it's hitting the market at a really bad time - right smack in the dead holiday season. Hey, "It is what it is." (That's my absolute favorite saying for real estate)

I'll be posting some before and after pictures in the next two weeks to show you the difference and what an impact staging can have.

Here are some of my quick staging tips:

1. Stick a red plant next to something you want to call out to the Buyer. I don't know why, but it draws the eye right to it. I read a study where red flowers brought more Buyers into a home than any other color (no source, sorry).

2. Walk through the house and take one piece of furniture out of each room. It'll make the house seem bigger, and you really won't miss it for the one day the house is on the market (Aim high, Grasshopper. Aim high.)

3. Stage the room how it's being marketed. If you're using the living room as a dining room, or a dining room as an office - you need to switch it back. Re-working rooms is fine for living (I do it in my own home) but when you're marketing the home, it leaves the Buyer thinking you don't have enough room. ("This dining room is SO SMALL! You can't even fit dining room furniture in here!")

4. Glade plug-ins or candles.

5. De-clutter. You're going to have to get rid of it or pack it up before you move anyway. Just do it now, because I can guarantee that some Buyer is going to walk through the house and pompously declare, "Wow! Look at all this stuff they've got crammed in here!" Others in the group will nod derisively. Then they'll all go back to their own junk riddled houses not even noticing how great your home is!

Want more suggestions? Shoot me an email and I'll send you a "Pre-list checklist"...

**And check for those pictures coming soon...