Photo by Patsi Jones / Phoenix Home Enhancement After

The Grand Entry

A potential buyer will have several important moments in your home, and they can happen rapidly and seemingly without fanfare. Anticipate the big moment when people open your door and peer inside for the first time. What do they see?

“When I go inside, the first thing I want to see is a ‘wow factor,’” Jones says. “Every home has a focal point. You need something that says ‘keep coming,’ as opposed to a living room with a pool table right there.”

The goal is a room that is airy, has broad appeal and is not cluttered. It’s also important to make an emotional connection with buyers, and Craze does this by playing up a home’s inherent style. With very elegant properties, she emphasizes the grandeur. In the case of a simple cottage home, she aims for charm.

“We want to pull out those emotions,” she says. “We also don’t want it to be so distinctive of a style that it turns people off…. People in general want things to feel light and open and welcoming.”

Craze persuades clients to temporarily part with niche decorating styles, such as ultra modern abstract art, or country-themed dried flowers in baskets. You want as many people as possible to picture themselves – and their furnishings – in your home, so your style, while perfect for you, could detract the masses, she says.

Clutter is another mental block for buyers. It’s important to note that people buy houses much differently than they live in them. In other words, a buyer may have a china cabinet full of knick-knacks, a desk full of photos and a corner full of clutter in his own home, but he doesn’t expect to see it at your home. Craze instructs clients to box up items they don’t absolutely need, especially collections, which tend to distract curious buyers.