To Remodel or not to Remodel, that is the Question! Tips from Kristen and Stager Extraordinaire Cora Sue Anthony on Preparing your Home for Sale

To remodel or not, that is the question!

Clients are always asking about ways to prepare a home for sale and increase its value. Should they paint? Re-do the entire kitchen or just do the countertops? And how about adding a beer garden (complete with garden gnomes)? (Naturally Frau von Bargen says yes to that one!) While each home is as unique as their owner, there are a few investments that are more worthwhile than others, especially in the East Bay. I recently caught up with one of my favorite decorators and home staging experts, Cora Sue Anthony, of HGTV, to gather the best tips on how to update and remodel your home – and prepare it to sell!

It’s helpful to initially think about the big picture, and decide if any major projects are needed for a remodel. Naturally, one will need to check the overall structural integrity of the home, like how the foundation is holding up, and what the pest report reveals. (By the way, I’ve always maintained that “pest report” is an inaccurate name. This report is actually scoping out the condition of the home’s wood, and looking for things like dry-rot – it mightn’t have anything to do with pests at all!) Then things such as the plumbing, wiring, and heating are taken into consideration. If there are major fixes needed, this can be either tended to by the sellers before coming onto the market, or passed on to the buyers. It’s important to talk with your Realtor to weigh the benefits of either side.

Then we get to the fun stuff! How does it look? How’s the flow? Is it beautiful? Now, blowing out walls mightn’t sound fun to everyone, but it’s easier than you might think, and can make a tremendous impact! This may sound intimidating and overwhelming to most people, and absolutely calls for a professional – do NOT simply grab a sledgehammer and go to town. But it can be a terrific transformation. Many times older homes, such as the beautiful Victorians, have small sectioned off rooms that would be more appealing if they were opened up. Many Piedmont homes, for example, have small kitchens with a separate pantry and even the refrigerator in another room. This simply doesn’t work for most modern families, who like opened up spaces, kitchens that open to family rooms, great rooms and dining areas.

One big proponent of wall removal is Cora Sue, decorator and home staging extraordinaire, and a regular on HGTV’s “Real Estate Intervention.” She has great tips on everything from décor to major projects, hints on staging homes and transforming spaces into desirable real estate. She has been glamming up homes and offices in the East Bay for over 15 years with her business Anthony Staging. In fact she did the décor for Highland Partners’ offices (come by to say hello to me while checking out her amazing work!) Cora Sue also decorates the White House for Christmas (!) and is doing work for President Obama soon, but still took time to provide me with great advice on how to glam up your own home as well. “You can almost always tear down a wall!” she says. Even loadbearing walls can almost always be managed by putting up a support beam. So don’t let the small, closed in rooms pen you in! Blast out those walls and make a spacious kitchen, I say! Find a reputable contractor who can assist in this project to really open up your home.

NOW REMEMBER: IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU—IT’S ABOUT THE BUYER!

When preparing your home for sale, take a step back and look at it from a buyer’s perspective. Painting the walls is almost always a must, but don’t pick colors that YOU want. That bright pink was awesome for your daughter’s room, but mightn’t suit the next guy. So pick your colors wisely. Again, ask a professional – but always paint. Painting not only freshens up the home, it is also an inexpensive way to provide a blank slate for the new owner. Cora Sue recommends warm neutral colors. These colors will provide a classic look, and will contrast beautifully with ceilings that should always remain white.

Cora Sue further advises, “don’t do wallpaper!” I have to say that for the most part I completely agree! I see a lot of older homes with wallpaper, and not only is it often outdated, but the first thing that pops into my head, as it will the buyers’, is “God, getting this off is going to be a nightmare!”

And it used to be so! Wallpaper has traditionally been a mess to put up and a bummer to get down. That said, it’s a whole new story nowadays! There are some great sexy wallpaper options out there: removable, temporary wallpaper! Almost like a giant sticker, I recently put some up when I redid my home office. It was easy and fun, and looks great! I got it at Urban Outfitters (who’d have thought?), which shows that this really is a widespread trend! Wall Candy Arts is a great source for removable wallpaper, and has all kinds of colors and finishes. And yes, if you get bored or change your mind, you can simply peel it off and reapply elsewhere!

Now take a walk through your bathrooms. In fact, take a seat on the royal thrown and just look around. Is that toilet seat so low it makes for a small workout just to sit on (a phenomenon that never ceases to amaze me. Where people that much smaller back then?) Chances are the tile could use doing, there’s clutter all over the place, and the shower isn’t exactly a spa-like experience. Definitely a redo! Redoing bathrooms are a great investment, upping your property’s value almost instantly.

Make sure to pay special attention to popular communal areas like the kitchen. Sometimes this can simply entail cabinet re-facing or new countertops. More drastic measures may be necessary, like tearing out walls or building an island. Either way, if it’s done well it’s money well spent. Most buyers have specific “must haves” on their list and a large, bright kitchen is usually one of them. Wowing them right off the bat with an updated kitchen will be a major selling point.

 

TO STAGE OR NOT TO STAGE?

Home staging: the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Staging techniques focus on improving a property’s appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that anyone might want.

Once your home has been updated and freshened up, it is time for it to be staged! The primary goal is to remove YOUR clutter and personal décor, providing a blank enticing canvas for the new owner. Essentially the home should be staged to target the dream of the new owner. You don’t want them thinking about YOUR home and belongings (even if they’re beautiful); people want to picture themselves in their new digs, not you! So stage your home. It will command a higher price tag. This can obviously be a bit emotional since it requires you to make big changes to your home, which is why I always advise that you hire a professional.

One of the best in the business is Cora Sue! Part of Cora Sue’s talent is that she pays close attention to the demographic of the area and the targeted buyers from the vey beginning. For example, a house recently came on the market in the East Bay in an area with a great school district, but no real yard. So she staged the downstairs room as a big playroom to help potential buyers envision how best to utilize their space.

From the front door to a clutter free bathroom–staging is all in the details. Staging your home will increase its value and transform the space!

WHAT NOT TO DO…

Renovations like tearing down walls to create large spacious rooms, repainting walls, or retiling bathrooms all safe things to do in order for a seller to get the most out of their investment. Other changes like installing an expensive pool or a hot tub is not cost efficient—especially if you don’t plan on using it. Now far be it from me to argue against most any water feature, because personally I love them! But as an East Bay resident looking to sell a home, installing a pool in the backyard just isn’t worth the cost. First off, they’re a lot more expensive to build than they used to be (that’s just my age talking, but still) and aren’t well suited to hills in general, which is where a lot of prime Bay Area real estate sits. It also doesn’t get that hot on this side of the tunnel (Alameda County, as opposed to Contra Costa County, which is warmer) that many days a year. Furthermore, pools are expensive to maintain, which can be a turn off some buyers. And those with young children may not want to deal with the maintenance or dangers of a pool. Plus we have a lot of animals like raccoon, and deer in the area, which can add up to calamity. Likewise, hot tubs are fun and all, but simply don’t bring back the investment dollars.

Now, if you’re going to stay in your home for all of time, then by all means paint the walls that fabulous shade of purple, and put in the water slide and disco balls! But when you’re ready to sell, hire a professional, stage your home and get advice on the details such as whether you should leave the garden gnome out front or not!