Northwest Living, August 2023

Sneaky Staging Tips for Selling a Small Home

Realtor.com

These days it seems like everybody wants a tiny house. But what if your home isn’t adorably tiny? What if it’s just sadly small?

Even if you’re tight on space,you can fool buyers into thinking things are bigger than they appear—you just have to have some smart tricks up your sleeve. Keep reading for our experts’ savviest and sneakiest tips for seeing big returns on the petite place you currently call home.

THROW A REVERSE HOUSEWARMING PARTY

The less clutter, the bigger your home will look and feel to potential buyers. To get rid of your unwanted items, throw a party before your first open house,suggests Laura McHolm, co-founder of NorthStar Moving.

“Instead of having your friends bring a gift, have them pick one of your items and take it home with them,”says McHolm.

GO DOWN TO THE BARE MINIMUM

Still feel like your home is full of stuff?

“Box up everything you don’t need on a

daily basis and anything that’s smaller than a football,” suggests home staging expert Lori Matzke.

Sift through your glass cupboards and built-ins,and clean off your countertops.

“Leaving just the bare minimum will create the feeling of more space,”she says.

That goes for your beloved tchotchkes, too.

“A smaller space tends to favor a more minimalist design, so having all of your collectible figurines on display on the shelves, side and console tables will bring the room in rather than opening it up,” says Bee Heinemann, marketing director and interior decorating expert at Vänt Wall Panels.

TAKE YOUR DOORS OFF THEIR HINGES

Okay removing all your doors—and privacy—may sound odd at first.But doors just block off spaces you want to open up.

So remove all your interior doors,besides those that lead to bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets, suggests G. Brian Davis, director of education for SparkRental.“The farther the eye can see,the better.”

DITCH THE HEAVY DRAPES

If your windows are hiding behind cumbersome drapes and other coverings, now’s the time to take them down. Leave your windows bare, or hang sheer linen curtains.

Your house will instantly feel brighter and more cheery. And as Matzke says, “you’ll extend the view to the outdoors, which will automatically make your space feel larger.”

USE ONLY ONE COLOR

Paintingeverysingleroomthesamecolor isn’t an artistic cop-out in a small home, instead it actually serves an important purpose.

“It prevents your space from feeling choppy and gives it more of a continuous feel,”Matzke explains.

The same idea goes for your furniture and accessories. Try to reduce contrasting colors wherever possible,suggests Justin M. Riordan,founder of home staging company Spade and Archer Design Agency.

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and 16’ doors w/openers.

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NORTHWEST LIVING

Contrasting hues create definition, and definition will make it that much more obvious that your space is small. Instead, opt for similar tones.

“If you have a room with taupe walls, walnut floors, a brown sofa, and milkchocolate pillows—all various names for medium brown—the edges of each item willbelessdefinedand,inturn,beperceived as taking up less space,”says Riordan.

PUT AWAY YOUR PRINTS

Similarly,if you’ve got an affinity for wild and colorful designs,it’s time to rein it in.

To avoid making buyers feel claustrophobic,“keep prints to a minimum and offset them with solids drawn from the same palette,”Heinemann says.

TAKE DOWN YOUR ARTWORK

Don’t be afraid of blank spaces! Resist the temptationtocoveryourwallswithartworkor

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Nothing makes a home feel bigger than lots of light.

“Add the highest possible wattage bulbs to all the lights in your home,” suggests Nancy Haworth, a professional organizer in Raleigh, NC. Daylight-toned bulbs, in particular, “provide a natural-looking light that can help make a small space seem larger,”she adds.

CUT OUT THE RUGS

“The more you break up the flow of your flooring, the smaller your space will feel,” Matzke cautions.

To prevent that from happening, limit rugs to only one or two main areas such as under your dining table.Just make sure the rugs aren’t too tiny—small rugs can actually shrink a space further.

MAX OUT YOUR USE OF

natural light,Heinemann explains.

Before you go wild with mirrors, make sure you know where and how to hang them (there are some things you shouldn’t do.) But generally,if you place a mirror next to—or directly across from—a window, it’ll trick visitors into thinking there’s more depth to your house than there actually is.

WATCH YOUR CORNERS

We all know no one puts Baby in a corner, so don’t put your couch, bookshelf, or nightstand in the corner,either.

“Leaving the corners of a room open extends the buyer’s view into a space,” Matzke says.“The more open space you can see,the larger the rooms will feel.”

DISPLAY GLASS AND METAL FURNISHINGS

This means you might have to send Aunt Esther’s dark walnut hutch to storage. Not

than dark,heavy wood pieces,”Heinemann explains.

STREAMLINE YOUR LINENS

“You don’t want a red bedspread with orange pillows and faux fur throws, all mixedtogether,inatinyspace,”Heinemann advises. “It’s just too much for the eye to take in.”

Wherever you can, you want to raise the bar—of your shower curtains and window treatments,that is.

Keep colors and textures on your bed uniform—and lighter weight is better.

GO HIGH

Wherever you can, you want to raise the bar—of your shower curtains and window treatments,that is.

“Hang it as high as you can,”Heinemann says. “Doing so gives the illusion of higher

The 8 Mortgage Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

Realtor.com

Picking out the perfect home can be a challenging task. But that’s only the first step. You still need to be an attractive loan candidate, navigate the mortgage process and plan well for the future.

Since all that can get a little tricky, many home buyers made mortgage mistakes that cost them dearly.

In order to avoid some of the biggest missteps, you should first know what they are.

PICKING ANY OLD MORTGAGE

You don’t want to be saddled for even a short period of time with the wrong

mortgage.

Investigate all of your options, and then you need to lay your choices side-by-side and do the math—making sure you have an emergency savings for worst-case scenarios. Loan shop with several different lenders and use a mortgage calculator to fine-tune your estimates.

CONFUSING PREAPPROVAL OR PREQUALIFICATION WITH COMMITMENT

When you’re pre-qualified, the lender is simply giving you an estimate about how much you can borrow based on information you’ve provided.

When you’re pre-approved, the lender

has verified everything you’ve provided and is offering to lend you up to a given amount at current interest rates—under certain conditions.

It’s much better to be pre-approved when shopping for a home, but it’s still not a guarantee: the lender’s final clearance and a loan commitment are subject to an appraisal satisfactory to the lender, good title, a last-minute credit check and other verifications.

HAVINGTOO MUCH DEBT

Even if you pay your bills on time,lenders tend to focus just as much on how much credit you have available to you—that is, your debt-to-income ratio—as they do on timeliness.

Being up to your ears in debt is a sure way to be turned down for a mortgage. Postpone any big-ticket purchases until after you buy your house.

FORGETTING ABOUT YOUR CREDIT

Before you apply for a loan, you should know your credit score and credit report inside and out.

Thoroughly check your credit report for any possible mistakes. You can order a free credit report from each of the big three credit report agencies—Equifax, TransUnion and Experian—once a year.

If you see a mistake, dispute it. If your credit is bad, that’s okay: just work on repairing it before you apply for a mortgage.

NORTHWEST LIVING LYING ON YOUR LOAN APPLICATION

Exaggerating your income on a mortgage application or putting down other untruths can be a federal offense.

If a lender finds out, they can make your loan due and payable. And while bad loan officers may stretch the truth to get a client approved, it’s the borrowers who end up paying the price.

HIDING FROM PAYMENTS

The worst thing you can do is ignore phone calls and letters from your lender when you are behind on your payments.

Lenders have many options at their disposal to help keep borrowers from losing their homes to foreclosure,but they can’t do anything for you unless they can talk to you about your difficulties.

SKIPPING A HOME INSPECTION

Failingtomakeyourpurchasecontingent on a satisfactory home inspection could be a costly mistake.

Good home inspectors examine houses from stem to stern.They’ll be able to tell you whether the roof or basement leaks, whether the mechanical systems are in good shape and how long the appliances should last.

Don’t get caught off guard by needed repairs, or it will mean more money for your mortgage payments.

If you’re unsure of where to find a good home inspector,ask your agent for a referral.

MAKING BIG LIFE CHANGES

Lenders like stability.

It’s a good idea to have kept your job for at least a year or two before applying for a mortgage, and it’s even more important to keep your job throughout the mortgage process.

If you’re looking to switch jobs, wait until after you’ve closed the deal.

Biggest Kitchen Renovation Ripoffs: Kitchen 6 Features That Are a Waste of Money 6 Features That Are a

realtor.com

With mortgage rates soaring, many would-be homebuyers and sellers are choosing to stay put, beautifying what they have, and investing their money in renovating their home.

Andwhileit’seasytofindinformationon kitchen renovations that have an excellent return on investment—like new flooring, refinished cabinets, or updated fixtures— what’s less clear are the improvements that aren’t worth the cash. And who wants to drop some coin on their kitchen, only to

EXPENSIVE BACKSPLASHES

Backsplashes are often a go-to for renovators looking to make a big visual impact.But you need to think carefully.

Baron Christopher Hanson, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in the Stuart/Jupiter, FL, offices, warns against backsplashes and other touches that potential buyers may find oddly colored or garish down the line.

“Here in South Florida, transient residents import very different tastes and styles,” Christopher Hanson says. “Strong

DESIGNER APPLIANCES

We all love big names for big-ticket items,andthenthere’sthethrillofknowing you have a highly coveted professional oven. But ask yourself: Is the spend for a high-end oven, dishwasher, or fridge truly worth it?

“High-end branded appliances are the biggest waste of money when designing your kitchen,” says Isabella Flint, an experienced home renovator, professional chef, and CEO of Fanatically Food.“They do the exact same job as other, lesserknown brands for double the price. My advice is always to do research on the best appliances for your budget. Then look carefully at the customer reviews. They’ll often be just as good as the big brands.”

TRENDY HARDWARE AND ACCESSORIES

A rose-gold faucet in the shape of a swan may make you happy—but it could turn into a deal breaker when it’s time to sell. You may also find your whim embarrassing in a few years when the trend is over.When choosing hardware and fixtures, try to find a balance between your personal style and

“Certain colors of hardware and fixtures may be trending now, but what about in a few years when just one item needs to be replaced?” asks Karen Yeheskel, a designer at Long Island’s Elite Kitchen & Bath Center.“If they’re not mainstream enough or are too trendy, they will be a turnoff down the line and difficult to replace.”

In both cases,you may face replacing the

HIGH-TECH GADGETS

Many of us love trying out the latest tech. But when it comes to your kitchen, you should make sure today’s hot trend will

“In renovating a kitchen, investing too much on current technologies can backfire as they tend to get phased out quickly,” says Joe Ferguson, architectural joiner at Skirting Rus. “Instead, focus on tried

and tested solutions such as self-cleaning paints,Corian countertops,and sustainable hardwood. Investing in something that you’ll use long term and can recycle is better than scrimping only to spend on it again in the future.”

RELOCATING ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS

“Relocating the electrical and plumbing systems connected to your kitchen appliances is a huge expense,” says Robert Johnson, the marketing director at California’s Coast Appliances.“If you’re on a budget,work on the movable and flexible design elements instead of touching the permanent fixtures, like the kitchen sink. The labor cost alone can be a burden on the pocket. You need to hire professionals to do the job right and avoid delays. Material costs are also high due to inflation.”

OPEN SHELVING

Open shelving looks fantastic on Instagram.But in reality?

“Once things are on an exposed shelf for a few months, they get dusty. Try dusting your martini glasses every time you want a cocktail or cleaning out the salad bowl for a meal,”says Carolina Buia,a real estate agent for Sotheby’s in Palm Beach,FL.

There are so many ways to upgrade your kitchen, and sometimes narrowing down your list of priorities can be a chore. With the insight above you can remove these six renovation ripoffs from your wishlist and opt for improvements that will not only make your kitchen more convenient but also help lift your home’s value.

With the help of the Renovation Calculator at My Home, you can determineandprioritizetheimprovements that would yield the maximum return on investment (ROI), improve the marketability of your house, draw in potential buyers,and potentially command a higher selling price. Follow a few steps to get your remodel,addition,or expansion cost in minutes.