At Home in Berks October 2017 - 30

FEATURES

How did I Collect all this Stuff,
and what am I Supposed to do
with it when I Move?
by Jeffrey Hogue

When selling a home, it is customary to take stock of its
contents and place value on them, accordingly. There
are times, however, when what is not in the home has
merit, as well. Many times during my real estate career
I have counseled homeowners through the process of
selling their homes. My goal is to impart wisdom and
experience to help make their journey successful, satisfying, and tolerable. It seems, though, that no matter
how much information I share, it does little to lessen the
burden of the physical part of moving.

s the time of settlement approaches, I often hear customers say, "I can't believe how much stuff is in this
home." It's true. We Berks Countians know how to
collect stuff and put it in the far recesses of our homes, only to
be discovered when we decide to move.

Cleaning basements, garages, attics, and closets before listing
the home is always a good idea. Removing furniture and
knick-knacks can open up natural walkways in a home. Remember, the people looking at your home are likely to have
never been there before.

Website shopping has created an ease of purchasing not rivaled
by any other era. Websites like Amazon.com and the like allow
us to buy almost anything we want. We can shop on a moment's notice and have our purchases show up on the doorstep
in a little as two days. That might seem great at the time, but
many of the "purchased on a whim" items end up rarely used
and hidden somewhere in the basement or attic.

A prospective buyer could come to look it with several friends,
family members, and at least one real estate agent. When that
happens, a showing can feel like a small party. If you have a
foyer filled with stuff, and furniture that creates tight paths and
inadvertently diverts traffic, the home may feel uncomfortable
or awkward.

The surprising part of the "stuff problem" might be that there
was a buyer who wanted to purchase the home with all that
stuff in it in the first place. And, that statement begs the
question, "Could I have gotten more money if I would have removed the surplus stuff before I put the home on the market?"
When evaluating a home's value, agents and buyers consider what it has in the form of amenities, both practical and
dramatic. After amenities, there is decor and staging. Get these
things right, and you'll create an intrinsic interest in the property that makes it more desirable.
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AT HOME IN BERKs October 2017

I'm often asked if a home shows as well when it's empty as
when it's furnished. My answer to that question depends on
what the furnishings look like. Tasteful furnishings that are
nicely arranged enhance a home, while over-crowding and
undesirable furnishing may detract.
Face it, if you're selling a home, you're probably going to be
getting rid of a lot of stuff. So, you're either going to have to
pay to store it someplace, or you're going to need to get rid of
it. I know . . . that seems like a very un-Berks County thing to
do, because we tend to be of the mindset that "you just never
know when you might need it."

http://www.Amazon.com

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