Home Staging & Decor: Living for 100

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people aged 55 and older will spend more money on housing than any other expense they have; and that forty-one percent of homeowners with a mortgage are over age 65. Thirty-two million homes or two of every five are owned by baby boomers or by those born between the years of 1946 and 1963.

Design trends for selling points have shifted dramatically in the last decade for those who’ve lived in the same home for most of their lives.  It is much popular today to seek out that home that we can enjoy living into our triple digits. These very capable buyers and sellers are critical to today’s marketplace. Their homes become homes for others to begin the journey into owning a home.

If you are going to be listing your home with the idea to purchase a home specifically for living to age in place at home, you’ll want to consider taking some small steps that can make a big difference in selling your home without renovating before selling.

First, remove any drapes or curtains that might date the home. If possible, consider having a painter add updated color and paint kitchen cabinets after consulting with a designer. Your designer could come in the form of your agent, like me or by consulting your paint store. Typically, paint stores offer designer services for color. Cabinets are like furniture and can date a house.

Hardware and light fixtures are also an easy way to get a more contemporary look. It’s not important to buy something expensive, but more important to choose something that says “today.”

Removing family photos if you’ve lived in the home for a long time will help remove some of the datedness of the home in this case. If you can remove extra furniture and open the home up, you’ll attract younger buyers who want clean lines and open floor space.

Once you have the inside lined out, don’t forget to view the home’s curb-appeal. I always remind people that planting and installing a yard are the easy parts of the outside of the house. It’s the upkeep that requires the work. So, if you have overgrown shrubs, consider having them removed or pruned naturally to give them a fresh shape. Add something flowering to the yard and a few pots of plants at the entry.

Getting your home priced right from the start is another critical factor to selling a home that you’ve lived in a long time.  Involve me or your real estate agent as early in the process as is possible.

Walking through the home with a person who brings an objective view will help you to finalize the above suggestions so that there is the right amount of light in the house, closets are presentable, and the house presents as open as is possible. One of the suggestions that I also make to sellers who have lived in a home for many years is to organize service contracts or reports you have about the home. Younger buyers count on home inspections and do not want to have a problem as soon as they move into the home, so you will give peace of mind to your buyers, if you can show that you have cared for the home.

As a listing agent, I can help prepare cost-analyses to demonstrate the value of prospective renovations to the kitchen or bathroom areas for your potential buyers.  Keep in mind that most buyers will change something about a house they buy whether you have renovated or not and it doesn’t make sense to try to guess what those changes might be.

Being amenable to someone loving your home for the structure it offers is a great start.  Now is the best time of the year to begin talking to your agent. If you don’t have one, be certain to interview agents about whether design services are offered and whether your agent has the experience to know what renovations will add value to the property.

Call me at 360.635.1121 to help get your home ready to list. You can also email me at DianneMorrisHomes@gmail.com