John Yoder Team Blog

Tips for Staging a Mantle

Please watch this video for helpful tips on how to style your mantle.

Until next time,
Cassie Johnson
Key Realty - John Yoder Team

Why You Should Always Stage Beds!

Staging the bed is an often-overlooked but simple way to elevate your listing. Sellers usually don't think about how this one simple task can transform a prospective buyer's perspective on the home overall. Here is what can happen in the mind of buyer when they see it:

1. A styled bed seems intentional. This is important because you want to establish a pattern of thought a prospective buyer's mind that the home has been well maintained and that it functions effortlessly.
2. There is a psychological element at play in showings, if they pick up on a few details that show you've "gone the extra mile," they will pick up on more throughout the home.
3. All of this will lead to a higher level of confidence in the buyer's mind, increasing the likelihood of an offer.

That's a lot of benefit for such a simple task, right? So, if you're looking to style a bed, here's an important concept that will help you know what to do. A well-styled bed has a lot of dimension. That means varying heights, textures, and colors that all complement each other but add their own unique accent to the overall style. You can accomplish this three ways:

1. Personally, I like to have three "tiers" for pillows. I'll start with large pillows in a light, accent color that matches the sheets. I like these pillows to be a bit firmer, because they will be supporting the next few layers. Next, I add a contrasting, darker color (preferably one that matches the duvet or comforter), but I make sure these pillows are shorter and fluffier than the back pillows. Finally, I add one or two throw pillows that really pop and give the bed some more pizzaz.
2. You can also add dimension through textures. I love to use silky sheets, in light or pleasant colors, paired with a fluffy duvet or comforter in a contrasting color. This also works with throw pillows and blankets! For this example, in my video, I've chosen a fuzzy throw pillow and a velvet throw blanket. All of these different textures work together to create interest.
3. Finally, you can add dimension with color. I've mentioned this multiple times already, so you probably get the idea that I like to use contrasting colors that are pleasant (or not too loud) but are very different from one another. For example, using a light beige sheet set with a dark grey duvet or comforter, and topping the bed with a black velvet throw.

I hope this was helpful! Remember, this is a very simple task that can lead to better results for your listing. If you would like any more staging tips, feel free to contact our team!

Until next time,
Cassie Johnson
Key Realty - John Yoder Team

Tips For Controlling Pet Odor

Do you have pets like me? I have three dogs and a cat, and I love them so much! They have pretty much been given free rein of the house, for better or worse, because I want them involved in everything I do. But with pets comes pet odor, and this can be especially problematic when you're showing your property for sale. 

So I have a few quick tips to help reduce these pet odors so that prospective buyers aren't unnecessarily turned off during showings.

Before I get into the three tips, I want to stress that keeping an odor free home is of extreme importance during the listing process! Why? Well, we want buyers to establish an emotional conn...

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Get Ahead of the 30 Minute Showing

Back in the days of abundant inventory, buyer used showings as a way to explore whether or not the property was a fit for their needs and goals, and they usually had an hour to do it. Those days are no longer here. In this market, you'll rarely have the opportunity to spend an hour touring a property. Rather, you might receive half an hour, and you may not be the only buyer touring!

Given that you're making such a big decision, and half an hour seems like so little time, I have advice for you.

Consider the showing as a way to confirm, rather than a way to explore. Use the resources available online to determine whether or not a listing is likely to be a fit for you prior to the showing. If the answer is yes, schedule! If the answer is no, don't. I mean it.

This perspective shift could be a breakthrough in your home search, and it ties into previous advice I've given that buyers need to be picky when scheduling showings. To briefly recap, you should determine what the most important goals are for your home search, and stay true to those. This means that if location is most important, and you want to be in a walkable community near downtown Mount Vernon, you don't look at properties in say, Howard. If you're really needing a home with more than 1,500 square feet because your family is expanding, then it's important that you don't spend precious time looking at homes with 1,000 square feet.

So, how can you determine whether or not a listing is likely to be a fit without walking through it?

Well, agents got creative during the pandemic, and starting offering more information about their listings online. This includes more detailed photos (sometimes, even basement and garage photos, or photos of the mechanicals!), and 360 tours where you can essentially walk through the home from the comfort of your couch. It's important that you use these resources, look through all of the photos, watch the video tours, and open the property disclosures if they are available to you. All of these resources are often included in the multiple listing service or agent websites.

Another thing you want to do is look at the location on a map. Figure out how far the property is from your place of work, from shopping and restaurants, etc. Again, your time is precious in this process, and it will just discourage you to drive to a showing only to discover that the location is inconvenient for you.

I promise, all of this work on the front end will be worth it because it will save you time and hassle.
This process will put you a step ahead of other buyers.
It will also provide you the clarity you need in order to do what it takes to win it. That is, if the showing confirms it's a fit!

Isn't this empowering? If I'm getting a sense of one thing from my buyers right now, it's that they feel like they have little control, but that's not always the case. This shift places you back in the driver's seat. These complex market conditions do not have to control your home search if you don't let them.

Until next time,
Cassie Johnson
Key Realty - John Yoder Team

Buyers, Be Picky!

This week, the team has some advice for buyers that may seem counterintuitive, but I promise that I am not messing with you!

In this ultra competitive market with very low inventory, it's easy to want to look at every listing that comes up. It's very natural for buyers to want to take a look at homes that don't really meet their criteria "to see" if they can make it work.

We have been recommending a different approach, encouraging buyer to be picky. Hear me out…

If you're considering buying right now, it's extremely important that you decide which criteria is highest priority, and then stay committed to those criteria. Don't know what those criteria may be? 

Start by...

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