staging – Page 48 – The Real Estate Beat

Have you checked out Brightnest? Of course I have – being a home addict and a Realtor. I’ve really enjoyed playing with the app and reading the newsletters. When this article popped into my inbox – I was intrigued! Be rid of the dinning room?! What? But then I thought about it, and how much lives have changed. It may not work for everyone – but I was an interesting ready – enjoy!

ARE DINING ROOMS DEAD? 5 BETTER WAYS TO USE THAT SPACE

How many times did your family use your dining room last year? If you can count the meals at the table on one hand, then you may want to consider repurposing that room. It can be hard to let go of the dining-room dream, but let’s be realistic. A room that only gets used during holidays isn’t worth keeping.

If you’re willing to break out of the traditional dining-room mold, the possibilities can go a lot further than three-course meals and dress shoes. Here are five ways to get more from your dining room.

Convert it into a home office. Picture your large dining room table. Now picture that same dining room table with one chair. Boom! You now have the home office you’ve always wanted. Let your china cabinet double as office supplies storage and use this space as an office for 360 days a year. For the 5 days that you host large dinners, simply clear off your office supplies and add the extra chairs back to the table!

Keep it as the party room. If you love entertaining people but hate the idea of hosting a formal dinner, turn your dining room into hang-out central. Replace your dining room table with a pool table and install a bar along one wall for finger food and cocktails. The dining room will quickly become the most popular room in the house!

Make it a morning cafe. Instead of squandering every square inch of the room with an oak table that sits eight, place a couple small, café style tables in the room. Small tables are more inviting when you’re enjoying a cup of coffee, reading the paper or even opening the mail. Plus, smaller tables are easy to move around and join together (just in case a dinner party of eight does actually happen).

Turn it into a guest room. If your extended family treats your house as their free hotel, consider installing a Murphy bed in your dining room. Most of the time it will simply look like a shelf and you can use the room for whatever your heart desires. Then, when guests arrive, it instantly turns into an impromptu guest bedroom.

Make it playtime central. If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen and love the idea of your kids playing close by, then turn your dining room into their playroom. Ditch the fancy table and replace it with a craft table and add toy bins or book shelves. We also recommend adding a comfy rug for optimal toy enjoyment.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts by email or comment – thank you! -Sabrina

I read this article at: https://brightnest.com/posts/are-dining-rooms-dead-5-better-ways-to-use-that-space

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

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Thanks for reading – Sabrina

With the Fall Real Estate Market upon us – I thought I would share this great article to help sellers prepare their homes for sale. Enjoy!

4 Listing Photo Turn-Offs for Buyers

by: Jovan Hackley

Pictures move the masses and if you’re not careful, they can move prospective buyers away from your listings online.

Check out these 4 buyer photo turn-offs to avoid and tips for making sure your listings are getting the right attention on the Web:

Turn-off #1: The Lonely Listing Photo.

The number one way to turn off web-surfing and mobile buyers is featuring only one or no listing photo.

Serious buyers need photos to develop a bond with a property and evaluate whether or not they could see themselves living there. The more photos you have online the more time a prospect will spend viewing and connecting with your listing.

Tip: Remember, you can add more than 100 photos to any of your listings on Trulia by visiting My Listings.

Turn-off #2: Amateur lighting mistakes.

Your online listing photos are your shot at making your seller’s property look like a dream home. When photos are gray, grainy, or make your home look like a dreary prison cell, you’re ruining your only chance at a first impression.

Here are a few quick tips for using light to make buyers click “Contact an Agent”:

When shooting outside, make sure the sun is behind you. The light will act as your own natural “studio light” brightening up the property.
Make your photos look cheerful; show off natural light inside by shooting on a sunny day.
If your listing doesn’t have windows or natural light, bring your own “sunlight.” Investing in household lamps (or toting a few in from your office) can go a long way toward producing better photos by brightening things up.

Turn off #3: Missing photos.

If your listing is being overlooked online, it might be because you’re not showing the right areas. Be sure to show these areas consumers we surveyed said make a home most attractive:

Bathrooms
Closets
Kitchens
Outdoor living spaces

Unique add-ons like hot tubs, special appliances, or wiring for an entertainment system

While you want to show off as much of the home as possible, focusing on these top priority living spaces are what really matters when it comes to generating inquiries and offers.

Turn off #4: The clutter monster.

When it comes to listing photos, clutter can be a seller’s worst enemy. When consumers view listings online, they want to see the property not years of your seller’s decorating and collectibles.

If you and your sellers really want to pique the interest of buyers with staging, focus on simplifying the space.

Here are a few easy staging adjustments you can make right before you shoot pictures to make for better photos:

Remove cars from the driveway or garage
Completely clear off any table and counter spaces
Clear out the corners before you shoot a room

You’ve heard it plenty of times “pictures are worth a thousand words.” Here are a few of our photo tips to help you make a better impression on buyers. What tips would you add to the list?

Need help preparing your home for sale? The Caton Team is here to help! Email us at Info@TheCatonTeam.com

I read this article at: http://pro.truliablog.com/grow-business/4-listing-photo-turn-offs-for-buyers/?ecampaign=tnews&eurl=pro.truliablog.com%2Fgrow-business%2F4-listing-photo-turn-offs-for-buyers