We’re well on our way to the hottest months of the year, and the San Francisco real estate market is heating up, too. The market has a way of spiking through the summer — with so many hot new properties making a splash and getting snatched up, it’s important to keep your property visible, alluring, and competitive.
All the structural details and competitive pricing can only go so far. The first impression is always the most important. So this summer, we’ll be following these staging tips to make sure that your piece of San Francisco real estate is putting its best foot forward.
Even with San Francisco’s often cool summer weather, it can get hot outside. When a heat wave strikes, even the walk from the air-conditioned car, up the front steps, can sometimes be oppressive. It’s just a fact of the season. Delight prospective homebuyers by ensuring that your home isn’t stifling. (If you’ve not been living there, for instance, it can get stuffy pretty quickly.)
An inspection, and cleaning, go a long way to being certain you can maintain the right temperature. It’s important to keep out the humidity, too, so go ahead and set those appliances running even a few days in advance of your showing.
Homes are more than just buildings, right? Much more than just the rooms inside. You spend time outside, at the grill, or sitting around on the patio furniture. You tend the garden and paint the window trim, and pressure-wash the siding, right? Imagine all the long summer nights, spent socializing on your back patio. Well, it’s those sorts of experiences that your potential buyers will have on their minds, too.
So make sure your yard is just as lavishly prepared as your interior. Update your patio furniture, or refinish the deck. Don’t shy away from a fancy table-setting, on the patio table, for extra flair. You want to be sure all your spaces are staged just so, indoor or outdoor.
Summer is all about flowers, trees, grass, and all kinds of greenery. Creeping vines, fruit trees, hedges, and other appealing foliage help keep the property looking fresh. It’s well worth your time to invest in some proper landscaping, if you haven’t already done so. Summer is a very nature-forward season, and your piece of San Francisco real estate should echo that.
Consider a cobblestone path, or a bit of statuary to really enliven the space. For this summer, think reclaimed barn-wood and cast iron accents. Those little additions can be a radical boost to your final sale price, as well, so think of them as a dual investment.
Now might be the time to take that summer vacation. With the kids home from school, it will take a little extra work to keep your home show-ready, so it could well be worth your time to get out of the way entirely. In fact, this is always recommended when selling San Francisco real estate. Your potential buyers are treating your property like a blank slate – the more of your character they see, the harder it will be to intuit the space as their own. Psychologically, humans are tremendously tactile. We have a hard time putting something down once we have touched it, or felt a sense of ownership over it.
So let prospective homebuyers project! Be as absent as possible, and let the staging speak for itself.
If you know you’ve got potential buyers coming by, your San Francisco Realtor can make your home stand out with extra little courtesies. For example, flowers in every room or a vase on the hall table. To make the open house even more inviting, a pitcher of lemonade, or a cucumber water, or a pretty mocktail can make a very strong impression. If you want to get involved, be sure to choose a drink that fits with your overall color scheme. Frozen cherries in sparkling mango juice, maybe, or lime and mint leaves. Choose something that fits with the mood of the room.
As we noted, the San Francisco real estate market is absolutely heating up for the summer, and that energy is only going to climb. The market moves fast, but with these summer staging tips you’ll be able to give your property a leg up and get it noticed by the right buyer. Let Danielle Lazier + Associates help! Get in touch, so that we’ll be able to help you stage your home this summer. We’re the San Francisco real estate experts you can depend on to get you the right sale, at the right price.
