Real Estate Monday: Edgewood

Since I missed last week's Real Estate post, I told you this week would be extra special. Well, for this post, I'm not only going to share a beautiful home with you, I'm going to show a couple of don'ts, too.
First, a home in Edgewood that gives me that "ahhh" feeling when I look through the pictures. I've said it before, but I'm such a sucker for clean, clutter free staging. And honestly, who isn't? When you're selling your home, you've got to make those online pictures count, and this house made the first cut.
210 Dewey St. Edgewood, Pa 15218

Clean & manicured



Neutral colors, but not boring.

Probably my favorite room so far. Awesome dining table. Cool mix of chairs. Great, soothing wall color. The curtains actually grace the floor and the rod is not nailed into the woodwork. A+ 

Updated kitchen: new appliances, shaker style cabinetry, solid surface counter top, subway tile backsplash.

Inviting bedroom.

A huge soaking tub under a cathedral ceiling. Why not?

I'm sure this kid's room doesn't always look this nice, but this is totally the way it SHOULD look for listing pictures.

Always nice to have another bathroom. I love the classic tile and updated sink. Great juxtaposition of old and new.

A nice little office.

My idea of a perfect back yard- one that can be cut with a push mower from the Wonder Years.

So that was most of the house. There are more pictures on the listing website, but was it enough to give you that warm fuzzy feeling inside? I toured a house a few doors down a couple years ago, and it was nothing like this inside. These owners seem pretty meticulous, or at least it seems that way. What I've been getting at is that pictures matter. They're what gets a potential buyer in the door. So here are a few don'ts that I've come across all too often and they drive me bonkers, and here's why:

Clutter.

I can make a mess like this. It happens everyday past 10am at our house. We wake up, destroy things, clean, go to sleep, then repeat. I'm not judging! Except I don't want to see this when I'm looking to buy your $200k home. Even if you'll never clean it for a showing, clean it just once for a picture. Or don't show this at all. I don't need to see that you have an office if this is what I'm going to see.

Kids take over. I know.

Trust me. I know this is the natural way of life when you have kids. They invade every.single.inch of your adult space. Again, this is where 1. Decluttering and 2. Pushing things out of the camera's way might come in handy. We only see what the camera wants us to see. We never see what happens behind a camera shoot. So why not push that pack n'play two feet to the right, and give a clear view at that fireplace?


Pets.

I'm NOT an animal hater when I say this, but your pets do not belong in the pictures when listing your house. He looks totally adorable and welcoming, but I know many people who are simply allergic, and they'd have to stay clear because of Fido posing on the bed. Don't give anyone else a competitive edge by putting yourself at a disadvantage. Just make sure you're showing the house. Not the dog. Not pictures of your Great Uncle Cecil. Just the house.


I hope this was helpful. These are all real pictures, from real houses that will remain nameless. I think they're actually pretty neat-looking houses aside from, well you know, the three things I pointed out.

Happy staging sellers, and happy buying buyers!
Till next week...