I remember once going to an open house where every room was dirty and had clutter piled everywhere. I felt so badly for the realtor, who was almost in tears. And all I remember about that house was piles of stuff everywere. The house might have entually sold, but I doubt it was for anywhere near its actual value. Decades later, it still crops up in our conversations because it made such a negative impact.
In nearly every 'better' photo, the shot was towards a corner of the room which gives a sense of depth. In the not so great photos, it was towards a flat wall.
I am back in the market house hunting and you are correct. The first showing is those photos. I go through every photo as a buyer and I cannot believe how many homes barely have beds made. I saw one bathroom counter covered with bottles of hair and body products. Kitchen counters cluttered and what this tells a potential buyer is if you cant at least declutter and organize your home, how well did you care for the other maintenance things on a house. Most likely not so I take those homes off my list to view. Even a little effort is worth getting a buyer into your home.
That hopelessly cluttered room with the cabinet door open and the coat on the shelf - the renter was probably hoping that the house would not sell! He was hoping to continue renting for another year.
Excellent tips Kati, but No 6 is priceless...the angle of the fotos is SO important, it makes a huge difference when you UNDERSTAND the rooms and the flow! Thank you and Happy New Year!!! 🎉
I was surprised at how much it cost to hire a company to stage your home. It ranges from 5k for very basic to way over 20k. Thats not including the daily cost of keeping it staged until you sell it.
I staged mine. Cost me $150 for a bed and $100 for a mattress for an empty bedroom. I had a rug and nightstand and moved an upholstered dining chair in. Since I had to declutter anyway, all I did in the dining room was move a smaller table in and vs er it in the center over another rug. In the LR, I sold the slightly worn looking leather couch and overstuffed chair. I added bins to the bookcase to hide books and streamline the look. I bought a cute small entryway table for $75 and placed a small battery powered lamp on it. I added a new doormat. For the small room upstairs, I arranged things I had to make it look like a cozy place to draw or read. I hung pictures and removed photos. Half of that you’d want to do, anyway. Saved myself $3K!
I asked one realtor if I'd be able to see the pictures and listing before it's posted on the MLS in case I didn't like some of the pictures and didn't want to include them and also if I thought the description write-up could use some changes and was I told no. I basically just go over what's going to be posted prior to listing home and have a say in it if I don't like something. Am I overstepping my boundaries or should the realtor give me the opportunity to discuss the listing before listing home on the MLS?
This is not typical. I'm going to guess that you are working with a team. Teams usually have systems and processes for how it works. So if you are a lower price point and working with a team, then I might expect this. I mean, the video that I just did, I pointed out a lot of things that you probably wouldn't have noticed, and if a client told me that they wanted a room shot a different way, I probably wouldn't agree as I know what I'm doing, and most sellers don't. With that being said, it's courtesy to share ahead of time. We always do for liability purposes. And if the seller wants something changed, I will explain why I might not choose to do that. Or I'll change it if it doesn't make a difference. But in general... this seems really odd to me that their process is not to include the seller in the marketing of photos and the listing. I mean, sometimes we get sellers rewriting the listing, and if it's going to make them happy, that's fine. But if they are going to do something that is detrimental to their listing, then I will tell them that. Does that make sense?
@KatiSpaniak Okay, that's what I was hoping. Yes, I'd definitely take realtors advice but I was more concerned about getting the best pictures online and not any unnecessary ones, if there were any. I've seen some write-ups that contain very basic descriptions and others that give more detailed descriptions that make you want to go see the house. I would obviosly want the latter one and to be able to at least give input on special features or what the home has to offer. I didn't know that it's a liability if they don't share it before posting it. In what ways?
@@smiles36njcp Well, I always want my sellers to review to make sure that I don't have anything incorrect. Any good agent should be working with you on this to make sure you are absolutely comfortable. A liability, for example, would be saying that you have a security system when you don't actually have it.
Should you ask to see the photos before they are used in listing? I would hope my realtor is familiar and uses a quality photographer but I want to be sure.
I'd be really interested in your view about gardens. Mine is fairly large but mainly grass and gravel. Neat but boring. The house is nice looking so has kerb appeal. I'm thinking of selling in about a year. Is it worth investing in the garden or should I just put my efforts into the house?
I just went through this with one of the agents here. But unfortunately, for me, he was pushy. Wanted to this the property when it wasn’t ready to be show. And ended up getting a low balled. Too much going back-and-forth and not a good representation for me. Last two things that need to be done on my property is leveling the dirt. White vinyl fencing, here on property. And artificial turf rolled up and ready to go. so folks never show your property to a realtor, especially if it’s not pristine condition word of the day
I disagree about not documenting all the rooms in a house. When a bedroom or bathroom is missing I'm always suspicious of why no photo was supplied. Especially bathrooms. I'd rather see an empty unstaged room than no room at all.
Wanted to use an agent in our area who sells a lot of homes. But then she says she doesn't do open houses and takes her own photos. She said why pay someone to do it on their iPhone when she could do the same? Then I looked at the photos on her listings and they are bad. Like, really???
Interesting how the photo angles make a difference. Have been watching for months. Makes me want to stay until I die. Don’t know how you work in this business. I’d be a basket case!Too much to worry about!! Just wondering- what sorority were you in?
Why do you say some rooms don't add value, i.e., that a floor plan adds ewuivalent value to, for example, the bedrooms that are not staged? I am just getting my real estate license, so I am looking into stuff like that, but from an average Joe's perspective, I'd say any picture adds more value than no picture, i.e., when buying, I want to see everything
Watching this video showed me how much the appraisal of apperance lays in the eyes of the person watching, i.e., that beauty is in the eyes of beholder. On the other hand, you're the pro, so I might just have a terrible taste for aesthetics (if we are not counting the appearance of dogs, as you can see from the profile pic 😜)
Staging can be very simple decluttering and simplifying. You don’t have to bring in all new furniture. The seller typically picks up the cost. But sometimes the agent pay for it
Not great staging. The staged office / study furniture is out of proportion. The white desk is too small for the arm chairs. Should have been a larger desk or a pair of smaller armchairs. Rookie mistake. My pet peeve is the extent to which images are exaggeratedly photoshopped. Flaws are taken out and when viewing a property in person - cracks and mold etc. My tip is to invest money in professional cleaning services instead of staging. Sparkling windows, deodorised drapes / carpet / rugs, washed walls and cabinetry, clean oven and stove top, impeccable bathroom etc will make THE best impression.
I am back in the market house hunting and you are correct. The first showing are those photos. I go through every photo as a buyer and I cannot believe how many homes barely have beds made. I saw one bathroom counter covered with bottles of hair and body products. Kitchen counters cluttered and what this tells a potential buyer is if can’t at least declutter and organize your home, how well did you care for the other maintenance things on a house. Most likely not so I take those homes off my list to view. Even a little effort is worth getting a buyer into your home.
Download my seller’s playbook bit.ly/SellerPlaybook87
@@KatiSpaniak I have
The comparison of pictures is just so helpful. Those angles make such a significant difference. Keep educating us!
So glad you found it helpful!
I love love looove theses before and after videos! Keep them coming please
So glad you liked this!!
I remember once going to an open house where every room was dirty and had clutter piled everywhere. I felt so badly for the realtor, who was almost in tears. And all I remember about that house was piles of stuff everywere. The house might have entually sold, but I doubt it was for anywhere near its actual value. Decades later, it still crops up in our conversations because it made such a negative impact.
This video is more entertaining and educational than HGTV
In nearly every 'better' photo, the shot was towards a corner of the room which gives a sense of depth. In the not so great photos, it was towards a flat wall.
I am back in the market house hunting and you are correct. The first showing is those photos. I go through every photo as a buyer and I cannot believe how many homes barely have beds made. I saw one bathroom counter covered with bottles of hair and body products. Kitchen counters cluttered and what this tells a potential buyer is if you cant at least declutter and organize your home, how well did you care for the other maintenance things on a house. Most likely not so I take those homes off my list to view. Even a little effort is worth getting a buyer into your home.
Clutter also says, "There are not enough cabinets in this house"
Clutter also invites a lower offer
I once saw a picture with a cat on the bed! Next.....
Not gonna lie... this was excellent content! I now fully understand what you mean about not documenting a room with the pictures. Thank you!!
Such a studied and articulate video, as always.
Any info on house smells??
I always want to ask the agent, "What does this house smell like?" Dogs and cats leave a smell!
Your channel is great and your skin and make up always look so pretty and natural. Happy New Year!
Aw thanks so much! Happy New Year to you too!
Kati, All you do is top-notch. Thank you for sharing, no one ever tells you how you can help yourself, and help your agent.Thanks!
I am so glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for this informative video
That hopelessly cluttered room with the cabinet door open and the coat on the shelf - the renter was probably hoping that the house would not sell! He was hoping to continue renting for another year.
Great video. The comparison photos are very helpful. Thank you!
Glad you found it helpful!
Excellent tips Kati, but No 6 is priceless...the angle of the fotos is SO important, it makes a huge difference when you UNDERSTAND the rooms and the flow! Thank you and Happy New Year!!! 🎉
Thank you for your comment! Happy new year!
Always wait til the tenant is out & repairs are done before listing. You will get so much more than the one month of rent cost you!
I was surprised at how much it cost to hire a company to stage your home. It ranges from 5k for very basic to way over 20k. Thats not including the daily cost of keeping it staged until you sell it.
I staged mine. Cost me $150 for a bed and $100 for a mattress for an empty bedroom. I had a rug and nightstand and moved an upholstered dining chair in.
Since I had to declutter anyway, all I did in the dining room was move a smaller table in and vs er it in the center over another rug.
In the LR, I sold the slightly worn looking leather couch and overstuffed chair.
I added bins to the bookcase to hide books and streamline the look.
I bought a cute small entryway table for $75 and placed a small battery powered lamp on it.
I added a new doormat.
For the small room upstairs, I arranged things I had to make it look like a cozy place to draw or read.
I hung pictures and removed photos.
Half of that you’d want to do, anyway.
Saved myself $3K!
I’m not selling a home anytime in my plans but have been subscribed since your videos are really interesting!
Love that!! Thx!
Great video
Thank you!
what wall colors go best with white appliances (probably 8 years old)?
💯 agree!! This is spot on.
You are awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom to empower us 🙏💖✨
You are so welcome
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it!
great vid!
Thanks!
I asked one realtor if I'd be able to see the pictures and listing before it's posted on the MLS in case I didn't like some of the pictures and didn't want to include them and also if I thought the description write-up could use some changes and was I told no. I basically just go over what's going to be posted prior to listing home and have a say in it if I don't like something. Am I overstepping my boundaries or should the realtor give me the opportunity to discuss the listing before listing home on the MLS?
This is not typical. I'm going to guess that you are working with a team. Teams usually have systems and processes for how it works. So if you are a lower price point and working with a team, then I might expect this. I mean, the video that I just did, I pointed out a lot of things that you probably wouldn't have noticed, and if a client told me that they wanted a room shot a different way, I probably wouldn't agree as I know what I'm doing, and most sellers don't.
With that being said, it's courtesy to share ahead of time. We always do for liability purposes. And if the seller wants something changed, I will explain why I might not choose to do that. Or I'll change it if it doesn't make a difference. But in general... this seems really odd to me that their process is not to include the seller in the marketing of photos and the listing. I mean, sometimes we get sellers rewriting the listing, and if it's going to make them happy, that's fine. But if they are going to do something that is detrimental to their listing, then I will tell them that. Does that make sense?
@KatiSpaniak Okay, that's what I was hoping. Yes, I'd definitely take realtors advice but I was more concerned about getting the best pictures online and not any unnecessary ones, if there were any.
I've seen some write-ups that contain very basic descriptions and others that give more detailed descriptions that make you want to go see the house. I would obviosly want the latter one and to be able to at least give input on special features or what the home has to offer.
I didn't know that it's a liability if they don't share it before posting it. In what ways?
@@smiles36njcp Well, I always want my sellers to review to make sure that I don't have anything incorrect. Any good agent should be working with you on this to make sure you are absolutely comfortable. A liability, for example, would be saying that you have a security system when you don't actually have it.
Should you ask to see the photos before they are used in listing? I would hope my realtor is familiar and uses a quality photographer but I want to be sure.
I'd be really interested in your view about gardens. Mine is fairly large but mainly grass and gravel. Neat but boring. The house is nice looking so has kerb appeal. I'm thinking of selling in about a year. Is it worth investing in the garden or should I just put my efforts into the house?
Most likely you won't get a return on your garden. That is something you do for your benefit. Fix all the deferred maintenance first.
11:54 @@KatiSpaniak
For your viewers in Chicago, can you reccommend an excellent Staging company that you’ve seen consistantly perform well?
As I mentioned in the video. PSLehman. Tell them
I sent you
I just went through this with one of the agents here. But unfortunately, for me, he was pushy. Wanted to this the property when it wasn’t ready to be show. And ended up getting a low balled. Too much going back-and-forth and not a good representation for me. Last two things that need to be done on my property is leveling the dirt.
White vinyl fencing, here on property. And artificial turf rolled up and ready to go.
so folks never show your property to a realtor, especially if it’s not pristine condition word of the day
I disagree about not documenting all the rooms in a house. When a bedroom or bathroom is missing I'm always suspicious of why no photo was supplied. Especially bathrooms. I'd rather see an empty unstaged room than no room at all.
Wanted to use an agent in our area who sells a lot of homes. But then she says she doesn't do open houses and takes her own photos. She said why pay someone to do it on their iPhone when she could do the same? Then I looked at the photos on her listings and they are bad. Like, really???
Open houses get lots of view and very few buyers. I have told my realtor NO open houses. I want serious buyers please not gawkers.
Interesting how the photo angles make a difference. Have been watching for months. Makes me want to stay until I die. Don’t know how you work in this business. I’d be a basket case!Too much to worry about!! Just wondering- what sorority were you in?
Thanks for watching! I was an alpha gamma delta at southern Illinois university.
Great video. If you need a referral partner in Upstate SC we would be happy to be on your list.
Why do you say some rooms don't add value, i.e., that a floor plan adds ewuivalent value to, for example, the bedrooms that are not staged? I am just getting my real estate license, so I am looking into stuff like that, but from an average Joe's perspective, I'd say any picture adds more value than no picture, i.e., when buying, I want to see everything
Watching this video showed me how much the appraisal of apperance lays in the eyes of the person watching, i.e., that beauty is in the eyes of beholder. On the other hand, you're the pro, so I might just have a terrible taste for aesthetics (if we are not counting the appearance of dogs, as you can see from the profile pic 😜)
What can I expect to pay for staging? Hundreds? Thousands? I’m assuming the seller pays this, not the realtor. Also, what should I do with our garage?
Staging can be very simple decluttering and simplifying. You don’t have to bring in all new furniture. The seller typically picks up the cost. But sometimes the agent pay for it
@@KatiSpaniak What about the garage? No photos but should it be clean and neat I assume?
@@katethegardener Yes. It should be neat. It can have boxes stacked up nicely in them
The Realtor pays a professional photographer about $800 (including exterior drone pictures).
People are dumb if they need staging to see a homes potential or lack thereof
Not great staging. The staged office / study furniture is out of proportion. The white desk is too small for the arm chairs.
Should have been a larger desk or a pair of smaller armchairs.
Rookie mistake.
My pet peeve is the extent to which images are exaggeratedly photoshopped. Flaws are taken out and when viewing a property in person - cracks and mold etc.
My tip is to invest money in professional cleaning services instead of staging.
Sparkling windows, deodorised drapes / carpet / rugs, washed walls and cabinetry, clean oven and stove top, impeccable bathroom etc will make THE best impression.
Not liking ANY of the pictures…before or after.
Please, give us a link to YOUR channel so we can see how it should be done!
The bonus was a bust. You had already shown us that tip. 👎
Welp… sorry this wasn’t worth your time
Just don’t AI photo the marketing photos. Instant fake.
I am back in the market house hunting and you are correct. The first showing are those photos. I go through every photo as a buyer and I cannot believe how many homes barely have beds made. I saw one bathroom counter covered with bottles of hair and body products. Kitchen counters cluttered and what this tells a potential buyer is if can’t at least declutter and organize your home, how well did you care for the other maintenance things on a house. Most likely not so I take those homes off my list to view. Even a little effort is worth getting a buyer into your home.