When it comes to selling your Tahoe Keys real estate, the experts all suggest creating a selfish experience for the buyer. You want them to think about themselves, not you and your family. This means de-cluttering, pulling down a majority of the family photos, removing things that are so specific to you that the potential buyer is going to be looking at your stuff more than the house itself. In fact, some real estate experts have gone as far as to say that if a potential Tahoe Keys real estate buyer is thinking about you and your family (not them and theirs) when they walk in, you already lost them. This may be extreme and doesn’t apply in all cases, but there is truth to the matter. The whole point of staging a home is to create a nuetral pallete in which the buyer can imagine their things in your home. 

The main key points I have discussed in past blogs go as follows:

• Statement walls are out. That wine colored wall in the dining room is no longer what buyers want to see. Nuetrals are in. This means creams and light grays. 
• Toss, donate or pack! Now is not the time to show off your trophy collection from your years of doing sports as a kid. Before you even list you have to first go through and throw stuff out. Once the trash is gone, go through the left overs to determine what can be donated and what can be packed and put into storage. 
• Remove the family photo gallery wall, kiddo art and wedding invitations on the fridge. Of course buyers know that you live here and that these things are all apart of life but they are distracting. Don’t erase your family completely, but be sure to pick just a couple of things to keep up and then pack the rest. You have to pack it anyway, you may as well make it easier on yourself while you are already at it. 
• Let there be light! Keep curtains open, remove window screens and leave the lights and lamps on.

The above points are all Staging 101. During the holidays, it can feel a little more complicated. You may feel like you want to go all out for your last holiday in your Tahoe Keys real estate, but more than ever it is important to keep it to a minimum. You can absolutely decorate, but try doing these instead:

• Go neutral with this years color scheme. While the blinking colored lights timed to music feel very festive, the solid white lights are going to show better.
• Silver, gold, white, browns and creams might not be the bold colors you are used to, but they will look so much better to a prospective buyer. Tap into your inner Martha Stewart and you could turn your home into a Better Homes & Gardens layout. The plus is these colors are appropriate for Thanksgiving as well so you really only need to decorate your home for sale in Tahoe Keys once! 
• Keep the sidewalks and driveway clear of snow and debri and be sure to put down the ice melt salt so no one slips. 
• Keep the thermostat somewhere between 68 to 72 degrees. It is cold outside so if they come to tour your Tahoe Keys real estate and it is freezing, they will not stay long. 
• Put your lights on timers if you can. It gets dark earlier and since great lighting is necessary, make sure that the home is properly lit even if you don’t have time to get home and prep. 

If you are thinking of selling your Tahoe Keys real estate this holiday season, give me a call.