Get Your Orange County Home Dressed for Success

“It looks fantastic!” These are the magic words everyone longs to hear about their Orange County home. Well-deserved praise reflects your impeccable style, good taste, and flawless judgment. But aside from sending your ego into a high-velocity orbit, there’s another good reason for making sure your home sweet home is a shining example of beauty –

It’s Gotta Have the Look That Sells

This is a fact of life. Like it or not, a home’s appearance has a deep psychological impact on prospective buyers. Sure, sure, you’ve got the world’s most gorgeous designer furnishings on display. And you’ve gone over every nook and cranny to make absolutely sure the place sparkles with cleanliness. But these steps are only a beginning. Creating the total look and feel that says sales appeal requires nothing less than the sheer artistry of superb staging.
Acclaimed interior designer Melissa Spangler has staged numerous Orange County homes. Through her company, Spangler Design Development, she’s helped many of these properties sell in record time. Melissa would like to share some of her personal insights with anyone selling or considering the sale of their home –
“It takes enormous time and energy to sell a home, especially in this soft market. Because things are so tight, sellers basically have two choices: Lower the sales price or make their home appealing enough to attract a broad spectrum of buyers. Staging is the most inexpensive way to accomplish the latter.”
Melissa sees the art of staging as 8 basic phases, each critical to upping a home’s sales appeal to acceptable levels.

1. De-Personalize – As stunning as your house may be, no buyers want to see your home as yours. They want to see it as theirs. This requires full-scale de-personalization. As quickly as humanly possible, remove all photos of your kids’ soccer team from the fridge, all event schedules from the walls, etc. In other words, purge the place of anything that screams YOU.

2. Minimize – Do you like stepping on junior’s roller blades? Neither do prospective buyers. They’re much more attracted to clean, clear spaces. So de-clutter with extreme prejudice. Put those toys away, clear counters of extraneous objects, and just say ‘no’ to knickknacks. To create the impression of more closet space, remove all those dusty garments you haven’t worn since Clinton was president. And be sure to re-locate all furniture you won’t need in your new place. Store it, sell it on eBay, whatever. Just make sure it’s good and gone.

3. Deep Clean – Rub, wipe, and rinse like your house depends on it. Because it does. Doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of an Arctic cold December. You’re doing spring cleaning, baby! Pour it on. This means floors, windows, walls, fridge. You get the idea.

4. Stick to Neutral Colors – OK, sure. Maybe a buyer will love your hot pink bedroom. Then again, the color could make another reel in horror. So make sure your wall colors are neutral, even if you have to cruise on down to the local hardware store and plunk down a wad of cash for a dozen gallons of paint. A great neutral color is water chestnut. This is a ‘fail-safe’ sandy shade that’s easy on the eyes and goes with any kind of home — contemporary, country, traditional, cottage of the Seven Dwarves, etc. If possible, go with a paint that’s low VOC (volatile organic compounds). Not only is this type eco-friendly, it minimizes those lingering odors that can be problematic for people with issues like allergies and asthma.

5. Give Them Something to Remember – Every room should have something important to say — a special touch that lingers in the memories of prospective buyers. Some of the many possibilities are: arranging a unique grouping of pillows on a bed; dressing up a dining room for a special occasion; and displaying plants in strategic locations.

6. Create Curb Appeal – Do unto the outside as you did indoors. So de-personalize, de-clutter, and deep-clean the exterior of your home. It all has to be perfectly manicured. Remember, if prospective buyers don’t feel good about the outside of a home, chances are astronomically high they won’t bother setting foot indoors.

7. Get a Second Opinion – If you staged the home yourself, invite a friend or neighbor inside for a test run. They may very well spot a smudge of chocolate mocha pudding that slipped in under your radar.

8. Hire a Great Real Estate Agent- If you’d like to sell your home for the highest price, go with an experienced professional who’s passionate about helping you reach your goals. Hillary Caston has worked very closely with Melissa for a number of years. By combining their expertise, the partners have achieved the amazing feat of selling of ALL of Hillary’s listings in 10 Days or Less!
If you’d like to learn more about improving your home’s sales appeal with expert staging, Melissa Spangler will be more than happy to help. Feel free to contact her at Melissa@Spanglerinteriors.com.

And be sure to connect with me if you’re interested in getting the most out of buying or selling a Laguna Beach luxury property or any other Orange County home.

Feel free to contact me at 949.922.8490 or hillary@thecoastalpropertyexperts.com.

FREE GAS — Get a gift card worth $25 at the pump for every referral you give our office.

Regards,
Hillary Caston

Sunshine for Sale: Why the British Should Jump on U.S. Real Estate

Warm temperatures and blue skies regularly draw thousands of British citizens to the world’s hot spots. In fact, destinations such as Spain, Italy, and the south of France often become second homes to many UK residents seeking bountiful sunshine for months on end.

Now these legions of British sun-worshipers have even more reason to rejoice. Somewhere dream homes can be had for unbelievably low prices. The new hot destination place is the United States, and the price has never been more right!

It all comes down to basic international economics. An exchange rate favorable to England has sent the almighty dollar into a tailspin. The result? The pound is pounding the dollar.

So How Far Does the Dollar Stretch?

Quite a bit, right now, a pound is worth $1.57. This means approximately 1.3 million pounds will buy a $2 million home in the U.S. Quite a hefty discount; but the savings become even more pronounced as the sale price rises. For example, plunking down 2.5 million pounds will get you a stunning $4 million dollar Luxury Laguna Beach property, with a breathtaking view of the shimmering blue Pacific Ocean. In effect, this monetary imbalance has transformed the U.S. Real Estate marketplace into a giant bargain basement for anyone with pounds to spend.

High Velocity Purchases

Besides bargain prices, the U.S. Real Estate market offers UK buyers another major advantage – speed. On average, American home purchases are completed start to finish (including mortgage arranging) in a peppy 4-6 weeks. Things move considerably slower on the big island across the Atlantic.

The Call of the Coast

The British are overwhelmingly drawn to the sea. It’s an attraction that comes into play whether they’re buying an overseas property as a second home or an investment. As a result, many U.S. coastal communities are always top choices for UK homebuyers. Of course, much more than sun and fun lies behind this overwhelming popularity. The similarity of U.S. and UK cultures gives the British an instant connection with the land of red, white, and blue. After all, there’s a lot to be said for feeling right at home in your second home.

Come to Where the Sun Shines Brightest

If you’re a UK citizen seeking the ultimate coastal escape, you need look no further than Laguna Beach. The sun just seems to shine a little brighter in this coastal paradise. And thanks to a very vigorous pound, this beautiful beachfront community can be yours for a song. If you’d like to learn why Laguna Beach is your ideal second home or investment destination, I’ll be delighted to help. As one of the area’s premier Coastal Property Experts, I can answer all of your questions and help you discover the numerous opportunities the Laguna Beach Real Estate market has to offer.

Feel free to contact me at 949.922.8490 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 949.922.8490 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or hillary@thecoastalpropertyexperts.com.

FREE GAS — Get a gift card worth $25 at the pump for every referral you give our office.

Regards,