SW Florida Home Showings Can Borrow Some Staging Technique, Naples, Ft. Myers, Estero!

SW Florida Home Showings Can Borrow Some Staging Technique, Naples, Ft. Myers, Estero! It’s not a coincidence that the same word is used in both dramatic undertakings and SW Florida residential real estate preparation. Both describe preparations that seek to establish a feeling within the beholder. Of course, staging for SW Florida home showings differs fundamentally from its theatrical homonym. With our kind of staging, the presentation is real—not make-believe.

That’s not to say we can’t borrow an idea or two from the theater. Some stage directors begin first rehearsals by encouraging the actors to overdo their readings; to “make it big—really big!” The idea is that later on, after they’ve rehearsed the same scene dozens of times, it will be harder to think creatively about interpreting their characters. There will be plenty of time to tone down wildly overdone acting, but after many days of rehearsing, over familiarity with the play will make it harder to come up with creative ideas to improve performances.

There can be some value in applying the same kind of thinking when you approach the staging of your SW Florida home—at least in the sense of thinking outside the box. One way SW Florida’s staging professionals have the advantage over homeowners who do it themselves is that they arrive on the scene without preconceptions. They get to see a home with fresh eyes. That’s pretty much impossible for someone who has lived in the place for years. The pros have also developed a good deal of expertise in imagining basics, like how the placement of furniture can improve the “flow” of a home: how visitors naturally move from room to room.

When actors perform that first rehearsal, making their reading “bigger” than it will wind up being on opening night, there is an apt analogy for staging a home.

It’s about the all-important staging rudiment: the de-cluttering.

Essentially, the ideal would be to clear everything out.

Of course, unless it’s a pack-up-and-move situation, that’s usually not practical. But what can be accomplished is to progress through the house, room by room, slightly overdoing the de-cluttering. Walking through a living room that you’ve made comfortable through the years, it is really hard to think of doing much other than clearing surfaces or rearranging an item or two. But when you evacuate almost everything from a space (which is possible if you’re only moving it into an adjoining room), it’s suddenly easy to see what really needs to be moved back. And new ideas pop up for where lamps, tables, chairs might be more appealingly placed…and most important, which things aren’t really necessary at all!

SW Florida Home Showings Can Borrow Some Staging Technique, Naples, Ft. Myers, Estero! Come opening night (that is, the first showing or the first open house), the results from a serious home staging effort can often earn the kind of critical results that translate into a “sold” sign in the front yard.

Remodeling Demonstrates SW Florida Homeowner Confidence, Naples, Ft. Myers, Estero!

Remodeling Demonstrates SW Florida Homeowner Confidence, Naples, Ft. Myers, Estero! Sometimes the experts who project trends in residential housing and real estate find that they have to correct their predictions. Once the final statistics are in, if they consistently reveal errors as wide of the mark as 50%, it’s just embarrassing. Such was recently the case with Harvard’s LIRA remodeling project—and for those of us who represent buyers and sellers in the SW Florida home market, the resulting revisions were meaningful.

Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies’ statistical barometer for home improvement activity is known as “LIRA”—its Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity. And as their research analyst Abbe Will wrote recently, it had become evident that “the quality and reliability of the LIRA’s benchmark data series declined markedly.”

When your benchmarks are no longer meaningful, there is only one thing to do: it’s called “re-benchmarking.” In this case, it caused JCHS to overhaul the very activities that it was attempting to measure. Instead of just projecting home improvement spending alone, the new “re-benchmarked” LIRA is broader. It adds maintenance and repair spending to remodeling activity.

What do the new findings augur for SW Florida’s home market prospects? First good news: it looks as if the new projections should be much more reliable. And the graphs reveal a strong surge in national remodeling spending—not only for the remainder of this year, but for well into 2017. When remodeling spending is strong, real estate values (and prices) rise, too. For SW Florida homeowners, the addition of the right kind of improvements is one way to bump up the value prospective buyers see a property.

One feature that SW Florida’s luxury homes share is a well-planned, open kitchen. Where that is precluded by structural elements, one work-around is the addition of new appliances with a contemporary look. Stainless steel ovens and refrigerators have a way of creating a “luxury home feeling”—even when the spaces they occupy are relatively modest.

Another feature that signals opulence is at least one luxury bathroom. Spa-style baths can go far in that direction—and the resulting photography can add major eye-appeal to a listing. More modest improvements like changing out faucets for brushed nickel or other metal finishes (not gold, please!) can make outsized differences. Add fluffy new towels, and perhaps a scented candle—and the formerly so-so bathroom can become a mind-changer.

Remodeling Demonstrates SW Florida Homeowner Confidence, Naples, Ft. Myers, Estero! With LIRA’s home improvement activity projected to strengthen more than 8% this year—and promising further acceleration into next (to nearly $325 billion!)—it demonstrates the faith that consumers across the nation have in the growing value of their home investments. If you are evaluating the merits of various possible improvements for your home, I hope you won’t hesitate to give me a call. I’ll be glad to offer some incisive feedback on the preferences we have discovered with today’s SW Florida buyers!      

5 Major Photo Mistakes You Shouldn’t See in SW Florida Listings, Naples, Marco Island

5 Major Photo Mistakes You Shouldn’t See in SW Florida Listings, Naples, Marco Island. One good way my clients get a head start from the word “go!” is the amount of attention there SW Florida listing receives. Since that listing is by far the most prominent display piece their property will be presenting to the world of potential buyers, it has to be first-rate. The details must be presented in clear and unambiguous language, laid out with the information buyers consider important right at the top. Most important of all is how the data is illustrated. If there is ever a place where top-notch photography will pay off, this is it!

That’s why it’s astonishing when you come across SW Florida listings where the shots appear to have been taken with casual abandon. You seldom see those when a property is represented by a licensed agent—or if you do, it’s probably the result of a client’s sudden need to sell quickly—in which case the offending specimens are usually swiftly replaced by professional substitutes.

What are the most common amateur photography slip-ups that can’t help but harm a property’s impact? Here are five that seem to lead the pack:

1.        Flash. Even most smartphone cameras have flash capability for dark scenes. The problems with that kind of flash is that, since the light provided is right next to the lens, everything that’s illuminated looks flat—it erases the depth that shadows provide. Also, things that are closest to the camera are bright, those distant are darker—making for all the appeal of a crime scene photo. As if that weren’t enough, reflective objects like mirrors and glass reflect the glare of the flash. Professionals use multiple “slaved” flashes deflected off walls and ceilings—an entirely different matter!

2.        Illumination. Most SW Florida  listings are more inviting when they serve to emphasize a property’s open, spacious qualities. There are exceptions, but most of the time that means bright and light. Rooms look their best when their natural light is only subtly augmented by additional photo lighting. Photo lights introduce unnatural shadows unless they are skillfully placed…but when that’s accomplished, the result is a bright, clean, color-balanced shot.

3.        Selection. When a listing photo portrays an area that isn’t obvious—when a shot doesn’t “explain itself”—the result is confusion for the viewer. More than one or two close-ups of architectural details without a clear indication of where they are found don’t help tell the listing’s “story.”

4.        Focal length. Most “normal” lenses aren’t well suited for listing photography. Wide angle shots are almost always more appropriate. They provide more information by showing a greater area—which also conveys a more spacious feeling.

5.        Clutter. Experienced listing photographers know how the viewer’s eye is attracted to details which are out-of-place. The personal bric-a-brac that’s part of daily living can be a show-stopper in listing photography. Amateurs leave clutter in; professionals seek to remove it before every shot!

5 Major Photo Mistakes You Shouldn’t See in SW Florida Listings, Naples, Marco Island. A superb SW Florida listing is one that features photos that tell a story beautifully and accurately. It’s really the opening act of a presentation which—hopefully—ends with a deed conveyed and front door key presented. I hope you’ll call me when it’s time to get your show on the road!

Springtime in SW Florida Can Prompt Home Décor Decisions

Springtime in SW Florida Can Prompt Home Décor Decisions. There is something about spring that gets everybody at least thinking about fixing up the house, and it’s that time of year again. Throughout the length and breadth of SW Florida, home décor decisions are being pondered. Ambitious landscaping and fix-up plans are being laid, budgets drawn, and troops assembled (the troops will be armed with paint brushes and rollers, hedge clippers and rakes).

Perhaps it’s the weather; perhaps the angle of the sun—or maybe even last Sunday’s clock-adjusting exercise—for whatever the reason, this time of year is when we look around the house and decide changes will be made!!

It’s also the time of year when occasional disagreements between SW Florida’s husbands and wives have been known to crop up. The Home Improvement section of the realtor^® web site just ran a feature titled “When Couples Disagree About Home Décor,” which promised to tell who the winner is in such arguments. It pointed out that women have different priorities than men (women: “leather makes those embarrassing noises each time you sit or stand” vs. men: “but you’re going to freak out each time someone sits on [the linen cushions] with a drink”). The woman who wrote the article says that she won the argument—but admits that now she freaks out every time someone sits on her sofa with a drink (it’s already freckled with water marks). So maybe the man won in the long run…

If your home décor efforts are getting special attention this season because you plan to add your home to the SW Florida listings, “what’s hot” might suddenly be more of a consideration. But a different home décor impasse can come about when the fashion zeitgeist points in one direction while your personal taste pulls in another. Even worse, you may find that the fashion world is arguing amongst themselves!

The Realty Skinny says, for instance, that gray is about to overtake white in popularity (simultaneously also “pushing out the beige era”). That’s not a problem for The Washington Post, which agrees that “gray makes all your possessions pop out” (except, I have to believe, the gray ones). On the other hand, the Pantone Color Institute, which practically wrote the book on color, couldn’t disagree more. They think that pinkish Rose Quartz (“warm, embracing”) and faintly bluish Serenity (“calm-inducing”) are what’s happening right now. In fact, it/they are its Color[/s] of the Year. That is because “the pairing…brings a feeling of calm and relaxation into the home environment.” That would be welcome—especially when you’re freaked out about the water marks on the sofa.

Springtime in SW Florida Can Prompt Home Décor Decisions. You don’t have to be selling your home for home décor tweaks and garden renewal to occupy your thoughts, but if you do, I hope you will give me a call. My free, no-obligation consultation will let you in on the latest SW Florida market information. I think you’ll agree that knowing exactly what’s happening has a definite serenity-producing effect!

For SW Florida Homeowners, Value of Remodeling Projects Vary. Naples, Ft. Myers.

For SW Florida Homeowners, Value of Remodeling Projects Vary.  SW Florida homeowners don’t have to be planning to sell before they set out on the remodeling track. Growing families can need more room; aging homes can require structural renovation to prevent larger problems from developing. And sometimes a creative brainstorm strikes, resulting in a design enhancement that brings an undeniable improvement to the living space.
There are lots of reasons that remodeling projects beckon, especially when there are glaring faults to be dealt with before a house can be listed for sale. If its ‘as-is’ condition even begins to look like a hazard, it needs to be brought up to snuff before anything else can get going.
But even for those who are remodeling for other than an impending real estate sale, it’s interesting to get a general idea about what value the market places on various improvement projects. If for no other reason than peace of mind, if you are about to spend money on a SW Florida remodeling venture, it’s good to know what the outside world thinks it’s likely to be worth.
Remodeling is a magazine for designers and builders that has also attracted readers from the wider home owning public. Every year it updates a listing of cost versus value for a variety of remodeling projects—35 of them. Even though I’d argue that the national dollar averages cited are not spot-on for local SW Florida costs and values, its findings are useful as a guide to more universal trends.
For instance, if you are thinking about planning a deck addition next spring, you might not want to count on the listed average costs of $10,048 (for wood) or $15,912 (for composite), but the percentage of value added is more useful. In 2015, a wood deck addition is found to return an average 80.5% of its cost upon a property’s sale. A composite deck, on the other hand, adds a significantly lower 68.9%. That lesser value is probably attributable to the 50% more that it costs, which is unlikely to be recouped. Composites offer ease of maintenance, but they’re costly. Nonetheless, your own choice might be swayed by how long you intend to stay in your property (especially if you aren’t really fond of yearly deck staining).
This year, Remodeling’s report included a column that added some more food for thought (or at least a snack). It showed a comparison with the findings from the year before. In other words, by listing the “change vs 2014” column, we can see the direction that recover ability is moving.
For the upscale projects—like adding a bathroom or fully replacing a roof—the costs recouped are even lower than in 2014. Expensive projects never return much more than 75% of their cost, but the direction is to be lower still.
Midrange projects are mixed. Most have lost a bit of their ability to fully recoup their costs, but not all. Entry door replacements of every kind have gained steam…in fact, a steel door promises to return 101.8%. Replacing a garage door is now a better bargain than last year; likewise, vinyl siding replacement. Somewhat confusingly, a minor roof replacement is a better bargain this year than last.
For SW Florida Homeowners, Value of Remodeling Projects Vary.  Selling may not be the reason you are planning to remodel, but if it’s even on the horizon, I may be able to offer some advice that takes the future into consideration. I’m always happy to share a professional opinion on all your real estate questions!

Of Lambs, Pilgrims, and SW Florida’s Thanksgiving Celebration. Naples, Ft. Myers.

Of Lambs, Pilgrims, and SW Florida’s Thanksgiving Celebration. It turns out that there is a connection between SW Florida’s Thanksgiving celebration and a notorious lamb—but it’s historical rather than culinary.
The early history includes the tale of one uncanny happening that befell the Pilgrims when they went ashore in the spring of 1621. They had reached the New World the previous November because of a delayed departure, and the early onset of a harsher winter than expected had given them no chance to establish their settlement. They spent that long, miserable winter in the cramped confines of the tiny Mayflower. Illness and near-starvation followed…
By the time spring arrived, nearly half of the settlers and crew had perished. It was shortly afterward that a native stepped out of the forest and the uncanny happening ensued. Rather than fleeing, he raised his hand and greeted them.
In English.
He may not have said, “What up, bro?”—but it’s certain that this must have been low on the list of anything the astonished Pilgrims could have expected. Later, the famous native Squanto showed up to explain in detail. He had been kidnapped by slavers years before, taken to Europe, escaped, and eventually returned, where he had shared his adventures (and the odd language of London).
It turned out to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Squanto instructed the settlers in how to grow corn (which probably saved their lives). At any rate, to the pious Pilgrims, it’s small wonder that by the time of the first Thanksgiving celebration, what had at first seemed “a hideous and desolate wilderness” had been transformed into bounteous proof of “the loving God” they had traveled so far to worship in peace.
Today’s SW Florida family Thanksgiving celebration may now include football (and we now substitute turkey for the eagle and swan that prevailed back then), but the core of Thanksgiving—gratitude—remains. The connection with the lamb happened centuries later.
A young girl named Mary Sawyer had a pet lamb, and one day her brother urged her to take it to her one-room schoolhouse. A visiting college student was an onlooker, and wrote a few lines of a rhyme memorializing the giggling uproar that resulted. The poem survived, and was appended with another stanza by the poet and editor Sarah Josepha Hale. The schoolhouse was purchased by Henry Ford, who moved it to its current location in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The poem was immortalized by Thomas Edison, who recited it as the first demonstration of his new invention, the phonograph. Of course, it’s ‘Mary had a Little Lamb.’
Of Lambs, Pilgrims, and SW Florida’s Thanksgiving Celebration. The connection with SW Florida’s Thanksgiving is due to Ms. Hale, because it was she who was responsible for the campaign that turned a pious local New England tradition into the national holiday we in SW Florida celebrate every year. She’d had to petition four Presidents before Lincoln finally gave in. Also an accomplished educator (she helped found Vassar College), still remembered for her optimism and faith, added an explanatory final stanza to the poem:
“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
The eager children cry.
“Why Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
The teacher did reply.
You can be sure the Pilgrims would have understood!

Kitchen Tweaks Broaden SW Florida Homes’ Market Appeal, Naples, Ft. Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Isles Of Capri, Sanibel Island

Kitchen Tweaks Broaden SW Florida Homes’ Market Appeal, Naples, Ft. Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Isles Of Capri, Sanibel Island. Just as the kitchen is a magnet for family activity, when a SW Florida home goes up for sale, it’s the one room guaranteed to get rapt attention at every showing. Older SW Florida homes can be at something of a disadvantage here, especially when structural design elements prohibit their being transformed into one of today’s popular airy open plan kitchens.
Perhaps you’ve already taken a paintbrush to your cabinets to give them a new look, or discovered the transformative power of inexpensive subway tile on a dingy backsplash. If your kitchen is still looking a bit uninspired, enhance it before the home showings start with a final inexpensive tweak or two.
Where empty wall space is present, you may be able to create additional storage space. Open shelving is a trendy look that’s both aesthetically pleasing and functional. A blank wall can be transformed by installing rustic wooden or sleek metal shelving units…but with one proviso: open shelving does double duty as display space—and that’s no place for mismatched or over-the-hill china and glassware!
A little of the right kind of handiwork can go a long way toward adding some 21st Century features to an aging SW Florida home. Where an outlet is handy, transform a cabinet shelf into a docking station for smartphones and tablets. A small wall-mounted flat screen monitor can bring TV (or web video) to liven up the area. Hooks mounted near a back door can be made available for hanging backpacks, grocery bags, keys, or leashes. A bottom kitchen drawer can be transformed into a rollout pet feeding station.
No matter what else, it’s a plus whenever a kitchen space can clearly function as a gathering place as well as the meal preparation hub. It may be as simple as placing stools on one side of an island, adding a pub table and chairs, or transforming a neglected corner into a coffee station (those Keurigs make it a snap!)—giving your SW Florida home yet another spot for a family to congregate.
Kitchen Tweaks Broaden SW Florida Homes’ Market Appeal, Naples, Ft. Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Isles Of Capri, Sanibel Island. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry reported that kitchens were the top remodeling project in last year. In fact, 82% of NARI members stated that kitchen remodels represent their primary work—and I think we can guess what the results for 2015 will be. It makes a good argument for putting in a little elbow grease and creativity to spruce up the kitchen before you put your SW Florida home up for sale. You can also give me a call: I’m pleased to do a no-obligation walk-through for my feedback on how your listing should fare in today’s market!

Eye-Catching Photos Influence Home Sales in SW Florida. Naples, Ft. Myers, Captiva Island, Estero, Isles Of Capri

When it comes to home sales, looks do matter.
Eye-Catching Photos Influence Home Sales in SW Florida. Naples, Ft. Myers, Captiva Island, Estero, Isles Of Capri. Once a home comes onto the market, how soon it moves can depend on its location, design, quality of construction—not to mention how well it’s been maintained, the neighborhood, school district…it’s the sum of at least a dozen contributing factors. But when it comes to SW Florida home sales, looks now matter more than ever before. Making sure a home is camera-ready could well be the most important single thing a homeowner can do before listing a house for sale in SW Florida this fall.
It’s in the Numbers
The 2013 National Association of REALTORS® survey found that a decisive 92% of all home buyers use the web to search for a home. That’s more than just a coup for your computer, it also points to something vital for SW Florida home sales—something sellers can’t afford to ignore. Unlike previous generations of home buyers, the attention span of today’s online audience is miniscule. With comps (comparable listings: the competition) just a mouse click away, the success of home sales in SW Florida is directly influenced by how eye-catching its online presentation is…whether it has what the ad industry calls ‘pop!’
Accentuate the ‘Good Sides’
Successful film stars and fashion models leave nothing to chance when it comes to photography. They know which angles accentuate their good sides. Likewise, photos that spur home sales don’t just show living room, bedrooms, kitchen, etc.—they highlight the most interesting features in ways designed to draw the viewer’s eye. For example, if a splendid dining room has to compete with a blazing sun during the day, it’s bound to be better shot at night. Ditto, any room with a sparkling chandelier. As for the exterior, if the siding is unremarkable but the new roof is gorgeous, angling the picture to emphasize the positive makes visual sense.
Up Close & Impersonal
Buying a home may be an intensely personal affair, but when selling one, photos are not the place to showcase a favorite collection or kids’ sports trophies. Make an effort to remove very personal objects before photography begins. One key to SW Florida home sales is to transform your space (not too appealing to potential buyers) into a place they can easily envision being their own.
Cleaning Counts
In this era of high-res photography and lickety-split download times, a sparkling clean house is the mandatory starting point. Double-check that the house is devoid of dirt, stains, and even dust that might pick up the light. Although most small blemishes can be removed in editing, the less retouching that’s needed, the more natural-looking the result will be.
It’s important, for sure; but there’s no need to freak out about the photography. With an experienced real estate agent as your SW Florida home sales advisor, you’re sure to snap a series of appealing shots that makes your listing stand out from the crowd.
Eye-Catching Photos Influence Home Sales in SW Florida. Naples, Ft. Myers, Captiva Island, Estero, Isles Of Capri. Thinking of selling in this fall? Call me today to discuss how to come up with your home’s glamour shots—as well as the entire marketing plan!