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How to Spruce Up Your Garden Before Selling

In 2020 alone, Americans purchased more than 5.6 million existing homes. Considering the unusual circumstances and rocky start of 2020’s real estate market, the uptick in home sales came as a bit of a surprise. As of mid-2021, we’ve seen a huge surge in home buying across the country, and sellers are enjoying significantly higher sale prices. If you are thinking of selling your home to capitalize on the hot market, it’s a good idea to make some repairs and improvements to get top dollar offers.

For some, that means bringing in professionals for a big renovation. For many others, that means a less-intrusive combination of smaller interior and exterior projects that you can likely handle at least partially by yourself. One of the easiest and best ways to boost your home’s value is landscaping, which increases curb appeal as the first thing prospective buyers see. The best thing is a garden update is relatively cheap, and you can do it yourself with a bit of elbow grease!

So, are you interested in gardening tips and tricks you can use before selling your home? Keep reading for our top picks to get your home’s exterior and landscaping in selling shape.

1. Deep Cleaning

From built-up grime, to dirt and mud, to scruff from kids and pets, your home’s exterior can easily become a mess. Just think: when was the last time you cleaned your exterior walls?

In a pinch, a garden hose with good water pressure will do for knocking dust and grass clippings off walls and pavers.

But if you really want a thorough clean, a power washer is the ticket. The super-pressured stream of water works wonders to peel away the layers of dirt and grime that accumulate over years of use.

Pay special attention to your walkways, since you might spot broken paver stones or cracked bricks that you can then replace.

2. Update Based on Your Environment

One of many benefits to owning a home is that it’s up to you what to grow outside. Many ecologists recommend installing plant species that are native to your region, which helps your landscaping thrive and helps you save on irrigation in dry climates. If you’re moving from the rainy Northwest or East Coast to the arid Southwest, planting the flora that you’re used to seeing may not work out very well.

The best course of action is to update your planters and garden with region-friendly plants, such as common drought-resistant plants for the Southwest. Not only does this ensure that you won’t waste time, money and water, but it also means your home’s exterior will make sense in the context of the local environment.

3. Trim Your Trees and Shrubs

A big one on the list of gardening tips before selling a home, and for home gardening in general, is taking care of trees and shrubs. An unhealthy tree or large plant, with dead or damaged limbs, can drag down your home’s curb appeal and turn off potential buyers.

Beyond that, poorly trimmed shrubs and trees can make the plants unhealthy as they spend extra effort to maintain parts that would be better served pruned.

On the flipside, neatly trimmed trees and shrubs send the message that you’re a conscientious homeowner, which bodes well for the rest of their tour through your home for sale.

4. Ditch the Ornaments

Personal style is all well and good, but it’s not recommended when the time comes to sell your home to someone else. As pleasant as they can be, not everyone loves wind chimes. Certainly not everyone loves garden gnomes or the magic-looking orbs sold at Home Depot and Amazon.

Point is, when you are prepping your home to hit the market, it’s highly recommended that you minimize the decor, especially things that may appeal to only certain tastes. For the best results, you want your listing to appeal to the widest swath of prospective, qualified and likely homebuyers. So, pack up the gnomes until you’ve moved on to your next adventure!

5. Embrace the Mulch

Whether you’re a beginner gardener or a talented green thumb, mulch is your friend. Mulch serves to trap in moisture after you water your plants, it prevents weeds and other things you didn’t ask for from growing, and it makes sections of your landscape look nice and neat wherever plants aren’t growing.

Mulch is cheap, easy to place, and gives your garden a clean and ordered look that will appeal to almost every buyer. Embrace the mulch!

6. Simplify

Some homeowners love a complex garden, filled with numerous assorted plant species that often require tender, individualized care. Trouble is, not everyone knows how to take care of plants, or wants to learn for that matter.

Now, if your garden is already beautiful and well-kept, there’s no need to make big changes before listing your home for sale. But if you are planning to spend money to refresh your home’s exterior before hitting the market, it’s a good idea not to go too wild. Keep it simple enough for buyers of all kinds — gardening-inclined and otherwise — to feel comfortable with the space.

If you know you’ll sell this year, work on a simplified garden plan that reduces the total plant species to a less imposing number. If possible, use plants that come with similar care requirements. You can use that as a selling point when it’s time to list, as it means a lot less work for the future owner.

7. Good Fences Makes for Happy Buyers

Fences aren’t technically part of your garden, but as a visual backdrop they are a key piece of the exterior puzzle, like a frame for a painting or photograph. Much like a shoddy, beat-up frame will detract from even the most elegant image, a rough fence will distract from the garden.

Before you get serious about selling your house, give the fences some attention. If possible, give them a fresh coat of paint or stain, and consider making repairs if sections of your fence are in worse shape.

8. De-Kid the Garden Area

This one depends on your community and potential buyer pool. If your home is located in a hot area of town where buyers may be younger and enticed by walking distance to nightlife and bars, then your potential buyer pool may be less enticed by a swing set or other play equipment on the lawn. Since you’re moving anyways, consider packing up the play set and moving it to temporary storage along with your other non-essential items.

If your home is in an area that appeals to young families, then the reverse is true. You can even consider making a play set optionally included in the sale, if you’d rather not break it down and move it with you.

9. Tidy Up

With landscaping, trees and shrubbery comes leaves, leaves and more leaves. Depending on the season, you may have more or less detritus littering your landscape, but inevitably there’s some on the ground at any time of year.

Before you start to host showings at your listing, head outside with a rake and tidy up all the plant refuse in your yard, plus any tools or unsightly items left over from landscaping, painting, etc. Just like the inside of your home, the outside should look neat and cared for before buyers have a look.

Gardening Tips and Tricks for Selling Your Home

Preparing your home for sale can be a big undertaking, but only getting your interior shape is not enough. Your home’s exterior is the first thing buyers will see, and there is added emphasis these days on outdoor living space. That’s why we compiled these gardening tips to help your home attract more interest and sell for the highest possible price.

At the Stavros Group, we’ve helped countless Orange County homeowners to sell for top dollar, and we have a broad professional network of trusted vendors who we utilize to take the heavy listing of home prep off your hands. It’s all part of our proven plan to help sell your Laguna Beach, Orange County or Newport Beach home without leaving money on the table. If you are considering selling your home, get in touch to start the no-pressure conversation and discuss your options.

10 Ways to Stage Your Home for the Feng Shui Buyer

In any real estate market, Orange County included, selling a home quickly and effectively comes down to two things. First, the home must be priced to sell. Second, the home must motivate buyers to submit an offer.

Pricing your home largely comes down to a comparison of other recently sold listings in the area. Sites like Zillow even provide an estimation of value with just a simple search. Of course, the best Orange County listing agents will consider many additional layers of strategy on top of that ballpark market analysis. They might even net you an extra 5 or 10 or 15% (a great achievement), but in most cases the estimated range is still within the same ballpark.

The second factor, motivating buyers, is less clear-cut. How do you maximize your home’s appeal? How do you cater to the type of buyers who are actively looking in your neighborhood? Who are they, anyways, and what do they like? Add to this the unfortunate fact that not everyone has a designer’s touch.

Well, that’s where we come in. At the Stavros Group, we have decades of experience in preparing and staging homes to squeeze out every possible penny from your transaction. We work with expert design professionals to handle all the logistics and minimize your stress throughout the process.

Today, we’re diving into some concepts that we consider when preparing a Orange County home for sale. In particular, these 10 basic staging tips reflect the Feng Shui principles that so many home buyers enjoy. Read on for 10 Feng Shui home staging tips!

1. Declutter or Move Out Entirely

One of the most important things you can do before staging your home is significantly decluttering and minimizing your possessions. If possible, we highly recommend moving out of the house. The less your presence is felt in the house, the easier it will be for prospective buyers to picture themselves living there. Not to mention it makes showings easier, with less involvement required from you, the seller.

If you can’t move out yet, we recommend renting a storage unit to store your things until you are able to move it into your new residence. One of the most essential Feng Shui tips to sell a house is to “depersonalize it.” Remove things like personal photos, certifications, awards, niche decor like religious or sports-related items, eccentric colors, and so on.

Neutralize your home for maximum appeal. That’s Feng Shui, and it’s good practice for real estate.

2. Take Care of Any Aesthetic Repairs and Updates

Next, you should plan to invest a little money in perfecting your home’s aesthetics. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about complete renovations, just small things that make a big difference.

For example, replace old cabinet hardware like drawer pulls and handles for a more modern look. You can also update light fixtures, doorknobs, and anything else that makes the home feel out-of-date.

Finally, make sure you take care of any superficial repairs, such as damaged trim, drywall, doors, weatherstripping, etc. The future buyer will know they’re in a home that’s cared-for and move-in ready.

3. Thoroughly Clean the House

The Feng Shui-minded buyer will be completely turned off if they walk into a dirty home. Wouldn’t you be too? So, after the decluttering process and updates are complete, make sure to spend adequate time and elbow grease and give your house a thorough, deep cleaning.

If you don’t have the time or abilities it takes to really dig in and do the job right, it’s very worthwhile to invest in a professional cleaning service. An ultra-clean home conveys a message of care, which buyers may presume extends to the rest of your tenure as homeowner. People want a home that has been well maintained, and bad smells or sights are a telltale sign of poor maintenance. Don’t let a simple lack of cleanliness scuttle your home sale!

4. Consider Hiring a Professional Home Stager

The numbers don’t lie. Staged homes sell as much as 87% faster than non-staged homes. Yes, it costs some extra cash, but it pays to present a beautiful, manicured space to prospective buyers.

To properly stage a home, it takes a designer’s eye and quality decor. If you have old, beat-up furniture, for example, staging your home won’t have the desired effect. You may love your old chair with well-worn indentations that perfectly conform to your shape, but that’s not doing anything for prospective buyers. Rule #1 of preparing a home for sale is putting yourself in the buyer’s shoes.

If you do have newer furniture and an keen eye for interior design, you may be able to save some dough and DIY the project. But for most folks, it’s often best to move out your things and let a professional home stager have their run of the place. Experience is key, and a full-time professional stager knows just how to appeal to the broadest range of buyers.

5. Perfect Your Curb Appeal

Whether it’s love at first sight or something less nice, first impressions matter. When a potential buyer pulls up to your home, their first impression is influenced by your home’s curb appeal, or what your home looks like from the street. Remember, the principles of good design and Feng Shui are just as important for your home’s exterior as the interior!

When they pull up to your home, buyers get the experience of coming home from work or activities, greeted by the view of your home’s facade and exterior space. What they see on the outside will inevitably color the way they see the rest, even in subtle and subconscious ways.

So, if your home’s exterior paint is fading or peeling, it’s time to add a new coat. If your yard is overgrown, it’s time for some yard care. Do everything you can to make the exterior of your home as inviting as possible. These simple cosmetic improvements are well worth the investment.

6. A Fresh Coat of Paint Goes a Long Way

Painting is one of the easiest steps in the home selling preparation process that will definitely boost your Feng Shui. First, a fresh coat of paint makes everything feel nicer, newer, crisp and clean. Take advantage of this relatively easy and inexpensive project to increase your home’s aesthetics.

With a steady hand, you can do it yourself. However, a professional painter will likely get more uniform results, and big spaces can take a good bit of time and effort. Consider whether you’d prefer to save time or money when making your decision.

When choosing your paint, it’s critical to keep the color tones neutral to appeal to a wider audience of buyers. Replace any vibrant or loud colors that don’t hold mass appeal (even if you love them, it’s about your target buyers!). Make sure you touch up painted trim pieces as well to make them pop.

7. Keep Things Open

One of the most important Feng Shui tips to stage your home is to make it feel open and spacious. Prospective buyers want to feel the flow of the house from one room to the next. Don’t set up furniture in a cluttered fashion, such that it blocks pathways or cuts off this essential flow through the space.

Additionally, don’t back furniture all the way up against the walls. Though it may seem like it adds more space, having the furniture at least one foot off the wall will make the room feel more open and inviting. There’s no need to maximize an unnatural dead space in the middle of the room.

8. Incorporate Houseplants

One of the best things you can do when staging your home is fill it with lively green plantlife. The presence of indoor plants has been shown to make people feel better. Not only do plants aesthetically liven up a room, but they’ve also been linked to better focus, productivity, and moods.

9. Maximize Natural Light

Next, remember that lighting is ever-important. A dim or dark room feels closed-off, cold, and somewhat depressing. Therefore, to stage your home for maximum buyer interest, ensure that every area of your home has adequate lighting.

We recommend letting in as much natural light as possible from your windows and any glass doors. In rooms with limited natural light, try bright, warm light bulbs to liven up the vibe. If a room’s overhead lighting is poor, you can always use lamps to make up the difference.

10. Create an Amazing Buyer Experience

Finally, learning how to stage your home means assuming a buyer’s perspective for all their senses. As a buyer walks through your home, they aren’t just looking at it — they’re also smelling, touching and hearing.

Hopefully by now, you’ve cleaned up any odor-producing waste or spills as described in step three. This means making sure there are no pet smells or any other unpleasant odors lingering around. Many home sellers light a candle or bake cookies to enhance the homey feeling, but not everyone likes the same scents, so don’t go overboard.

To further stimulate the senses, soft music can be played in the background: jazz, classical, or other unintrusive styles are best.

Want More Advice on How to Sell and Stage Your Home?

Are you looking to sell your Orange County home? If so, it’s helpful to know what to expect and how to maximize your investment. Even moreso, it also helps if you have the best real estate listing agent in Orange County. At the Stavros Group, we are expert marketers with a proven track record of preparing OC real estate to net the best return.

Visit our seller’s page to start the no-pressure conversation and tell us more about your situation. We can help expertly price your home and work with you throughout the entire home selling process. Questions about Orange County real estate? Contact us today and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

How to Boost Your Listing’s Winter Curb Appeal

Though the weather outside is frightful, selling your home in the winter actually isn’t so bad! The real estate market in winter months — particularly in December and January — is typically a scaled-down version of the rest of the year. Buyers and sellers with time to spare tend to put their real estate plans on hold for the holidays. With fewer properties on the market and fewer buyers house-hunting during these times, your listing is more likely to stand out and become a prime target for the buyers who are actively looking.

So, while there is plenty of opportunity to buy or sell in the spring, summer and fall, you’re not out of luck in the winter! The real question is: how do you keep your home looking great during gloomy, rainy, or even snowy weather?

The trick is to increase your curb appeal, and it’s easier than you think! Keep on reading for our must-know tips to improve your winter curb appeal.

Remove Clutter

The easiest and most cost-efficient way to improve your winter curb appeal is to tidy up and declutter your yard. Even the neatest of homes on the inside can quickly accumulate leaves, debris, junk and other items outside that might turn off potential buyers. As a home seller, you want buyers to have a great impression of your home as soon as they arrive, so curb appeal is critical!

Any items that are looking weathered, such as children’s play items, outdoor seating, or exterior features like an old, busted fountain should be thrown out or put in storage. If the items can’t be removed, or if you don’t have the necessary storage space, then you should still spruce them up as best you can.

Any wooden areas, such as decking, may require new treatments. Replace broken panels, sand the area, and treat it with wood stain. For best results, take a look at your exterior before winter weather kicks in. Repairs are easier when it’s nicer outside, and you definitely don’t want to trap moisture in your wood.

Finally, clear your yard of natural debris and detritus. Rake those pesky autumn leaves into a large pile, cut off any dead branches hanging from trees on your property, and remove unsightly plants that have overstayed their welcome. Tidying up your yard goes a long way to boost that ever-important curb appeal.

Give Them a Warm Welcome

Now that your yard is neat and tidy, have a look at your front entryway. Does it beckon potential buyers to come inside and explore your home?

One way to make your home more inviting is to spruce up your front door. If your current door is looking weathered or displays a drab color of paint, consider restoring it with a vibrant color like a rich red or green. It will look fresh and welcoming, and add to the appeal of your home’s facade.

You can also enhance your entryway by adding some new fittings. Install a charming door knocker, or if “‘tis the season,” decorate the door with some holiday cheer. This will inspire buyers with the look of a warm, family home. Keep in mind that you want your home to appeal to any and every potential buyer, so overly religious or otherwise personal motifs should be avoided. But a nice, wintery wreath will be loved by all but the Grinch-iest visitors!

Switch Out the Mailbox and Signage

When it comes to curb appeal, the devil is in the details. Unlike inside of your home, where staging and fresh paint can express elegant style throughout your floor plan and walls, exterior fixtures and fittings are not so abundant. The easiest and cheapest exterior fixtures to improve are your mailbox and signage.

When you replace your mailbox, select one that complements the architectural style of your home. If you have a grand colonial setting, then go for something that fits with it. If you have a sleek, modern home built from glass and concrete, pick something that supplements that style. These little details add to an overall tapestry that buyers experience when they visit your property.

Additionally, if you repainted your front door like we suggested above, try and match the mailbox to the color of your front door. Pick bright and cheerful shades to add color that might otherwise be lacking due to the season.

Signage on your home’s exterior is another opportunity to add some flavor. You can update your street numbers, whether they’re on your mailbox or on your home’s facade. An embossed plate can also add a cute message, like “Welcome Home.” Whatever you choose, pick something unique that complements the theme of your home. These will be the first features that buyers see from the street, and first impressions count!

Add Some Evening Lighting

Lighting a home’s exterior is easy, but really doing it well requires some talent and tact. Too much evening lighting can make your house look brash and cause the facade to have a spaceship-like glow. (And it probably won’t make the neighbors very happy!) On the other hand, tasteful evening lights can accentuate your home’s best features and make it look beautiful for more hours of the day.

Exterior lighting can be placed on your exterior walls, amidst your landscaping, or on features like your mailbox. Lanterns and sconces add a warm touch, and they’re extra helpful if you have a long, dark driveway. If you go that route, metal lanterns will be more durable than other materials which may weather easily. With the right paint, you can even tailor your new lights to match your siding, front door, and mailbox.

Go Evergreen With Your Curb Appeal

Not all plants wither and die in winter weather. In fact, there are a number of evergreen plants and foliage options that stay green all year round. Some plants even thrive in winter conditions.

Placing these hearty plants in your garden will give it a lush, well-kept appearance. Find some plants that flower in winter and place them in pots, so you can leave them outside to greet buyers with a touch of color. If you have extra space in your yard, you can even plant some winter-friendly trees.

Make Paths and Driveways Clear

In addition to clearing the yard, make sure that your driveway and walking paths look clean and pristine. These are the sections that will draw the eye up to the property — particularly if they are cracked or marred. If your hardscape is cluttered, messy, or damaged, it will leave a bad impression before buyers even step foot into your home.

To get your hardscape in shape, clear any dirt and foliage that has found its way onto your driveway and paths. If you need to trim back live foliage, have at it! The walkway must be clear for all to see, and it makes your home more accessible too. Buyers don’t want to feel like they’re trekking through the outback as they make their way to your front door.

After a good cleaning, repair any damage to paths and drives. This may involve calling in a professional for repair or replacement. It can be hard and heavy work. Additionally, if any weeds or plants are making walkways unsightly, trim them back or take them out entirely.

Get Help from the Real Estate Experts

Once you have increased your curb appeal with these handy tips, you just need to get the buyers visiting your home! The best way to do this is with the help of an expert real estate agent who understands your neighborhood and local real estate market.

If you are buying or selling real estate in Orange County, then Stavros Group are your trusted advisers. We specialize in residential and investment properties in Orange County, and we bring a wealth of experience to all of our work. Contact us today to start the no-pressure conversation, and let’s talk strategy!

8 Ways to Prepare Your Orange County Home to Sell

During the resale of a home, the diligent negotiation work of the real estate agent is crucial, but it’s only one part of the equation. As a seller of real estate in Orange County, California, where appearances are everything, you should try to go the extra mile to make your home as presentable to potential buyers as possible. These eight tasks can help you unload your property quickly at a price you can feel good about.

1. Landscape

Unkempt landscape may cause potential buyers to believe you haven’t taken care of your home, and this perception can dissuade people from making offers. During the resale process, mow your lawn and trim your hedges regularly to keep greenery tame and polished. Use this opportunity to add new plants, including colorful flowers or bushes. These touches make a fresh first impression that may set the stage for a positive showing.

2. Make Repairs

When you move into a new home, the last thing you want to do is perform repairs. Your house can become much more appealing to buyers if you take on those necessary fixes yourself. It’s possible that some issues may be uncovered during a home inspection, and you might be required to fix them before moving ahead with the contract. You can save yourself this stress and potentially encourage higher offers by doing repairs ahead of time.

3. Deep Clean

No one wants to think about dirt and grime left over from the previous homeowner. A deep clean lets your house seem brand new for the next occupant and may remove offensive odors. Focus on the following key areas:

– Dusty spots

– Plumbing fixtures

– Appliances

– Countertops

– Floors

Though your furniture will likely be coming with you, it’s a good idea to wipe down or vacuum these pieces as well. Cleanliness overall can enhance the home’s presentation.

4. Repaint

You’ve likely personalized the rooms in your home with your favorite paint colors and treatments, but some buyers may not share in your style. Homeowners want a blank slate they can add their own flair to; you can make that job easier by choosing a nice neutral to repaint in.

If your walls are already fairly neutral, a fresh coat of paint still isn’t a bad idea. Over the years, the surface may have been chipped or scuffed, and it might even appear dull. Repainting can make a room feel like new.

5. Remove Personal Items

There are obviously many things you’ll need to continue living in your home as it sells, such as toiletry items or office supplies, but it’s a good idea to tuck them neatly away in cabinets or drawers during showings. Take down personal photographs, bulletin boards or household calendars. Clean up the surface of the refrigerator, removing things like coupons or pictures.

6. Launder Linens

Fabric alone won’t sell your home, but clean, fluffy linens can make the home appear less lived-in. Fresh bathroom linens, including full-sized towels, hand towels and bathmats spruce up the environment and make it more inviting. Take a day and launder textiles throughout your house:

– Towels

– Bedding

– Curtains

– Throw blankets

As you prepare house to sell, consider tasks you might perform if you were welcoming a guest to stay in your home. Fresh linens make visitors want to stay.

7. Prioritize Curb Appeal

The first thing buyers see when they view your home is the exterior. To improve your home’s curb appeal, make sure the yard is clean and empty. You can freshen up siding by repainting it, and stone or brick can undergo a power wash. Small touches, such as planters, welcome mats or benches can give a front porch a more hospitable feel.

8. Organize

Potential buyers want to understand your home’s storage options, so they may peek into closets, cabinets and drawers to see what the house has to offer. An accumulation of junk can quickly turn people off. Additional shelving and storage bins are a good investment to help you organize the mess, and they can give these areas the impression of greater storage capacity.

You’ll be amazed by the transformation your home can undergo when you take these crucial steps. Freshening up the property can help buyers visualize the potential and imagine their future in your space. If you’ve got your home in tip-top shape to hit the market, contact us today to start your listing and to sell your house in Orange County.