Getting your home picture perfect ready takes more than cleaning the counters, organizing your living room space, making the bed, vacuuming and picking up the backyard. With today’s market it's more important than ever to make sure you stage your home in order for it to stand out amongst the other homes on the market. The right staging can boost your homes showing, people's interest in your home, and inevitably get you a higher buying price on your home. Keep reading to find out why staging is a critical piece of selling your home, and some easy tips to help get your home sold.

What is a Sellers Market?

Simply put a sellers market is when there is a higher demand of homebuyers looking for a new home then there are houses listed on the market. This normally equates to higher home prices, and more cut throat bidding wars for homes. This is the time period where the home sellers have the upper hand on how much they get for their home, and some aren't afraid to wait for the perfect offer. 

A Staged Home Results in Better Photos

Your listing photos are what makes your home stand out above the others when people are scrolling through real estate websites. A new listing tends to get three times the views in its first week of being live on the market, and 85% of buyers say that photos are the most important aspect that draw them into being interested in looking and purchasing a home. In short, your listing photos are a first impression and it’s important that sellers do what they can to obtain the best listing photos possible. 

Depersonalize So Your Buyers Can Visualize

It’s hard for people to buy a home if they can’t see themselves living within the home during the initial showing. Make sure to take down any personal photos or possessions off the wall, countertops and shelving. It’s hard for potential buyers to see themselves in your space and purchase your home when they feel like they are viewing someone else's home obviously it is but, when selling you want to try to avoid that feeling. Make it easy for the potential buyers to envision their family photos and personal items up on the wall and shelving while viewing your home. It also helps if you declutter your home, take down any fixtures or any other items of décor that aren't necessary. This further allows them to envision their belongings in the living spaces instead of yours, when there are less items in the room it make is much easier to do so.  The more an individual can envision their personal items in your home and where they might put them, the more they are inclined to make an offer.

Make It a Home

It’s important to evoke that feeling of “home” for your potential buyers as they walk through your house. Staging a home with more modern and clean furniture and accessories can do so much for your home's appearance and overall appeal to potential buyers. Try to move your furniture around your home, if you don’t have the money to invest in a few new items to help the sale. It sometimes can be as easy as moving some furniture around your home into different locations to give your home a cleaner and revamped vibe. 

Avoid Dark Colors and Future In Your Home

It’s best to avoid dark paints, and furniture when staging your home for marketing purposes. Darker colors can make a space look a lot smaller, and sometimes that can detract buyers from making an offer. Painting your walls white or a cream along with taking out that dark furniture is another easy way to change up your home for the better, along with making it more appealing to potential buyers. 

Add Some Illusion

Along with avoiding dark furniture, and removing clutter there are other things you  can do in order to make your home seem more inviting, and larger than it actually is. Try to avoid having furniture in your home that just barely fits against a wall or in a specific room. Instead try to only feature the small furniture in your home during the showing process. Placing a low bed near a window can also help create this illusion, you can enhance this look by hanging a mirror on the opposite wall to reflect the outdoors making the room seem even larger. Use light colored bedding on all the beds in the house, beds take up a lot of space in a bedroom and having the bedding a white or cream color, makes the bed blend in more to the light colored walls and expands the bedroom. Also adding vertical shelving and art into the space to make rooms look taller and larger.

Think About The Outdoors

Especially since the pandemic and forced isolation in our homes, outdoor spaces are becoming more prominent in buyers' minds and hold more importance to them. Staging your properties baloneys, porches, front yard and backyard can greatly increase your properties appeal. Plant new flowers, power wash the deck and walkways, make sure your outdoor space is an addition to the house, not an afterthought. If you have a smaller home, this is also a way to make your home seem slightly larger by really incorporating your outdoor space as a separate “room” for you potential buyers to work with. 

 

For many of us, our home is our personal getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. After a long day at work or running around with the kids, our home is the place to unwind and feel a sense of serenity. Have you ever wondered how you can maximize your home's style and comfort so that you can feel like you're returning to a personal haven when you step foot through the door? Keep reading to learn about seven easy steps to make your home a personalized cozy paradise for you, family and friends.

1) Don’t Forget The Candles 

Buying a scented candle and personalizing it to the time of year is the easiest and cheapest way to make your home a cozy atmosphere. Change the scent depending on the season, something nice and floral in the Spring, a uplifting fruity smell for the Summer, pumpkin spice in the Fall, and you can't go wrong with pine or cinnamon in the Winter months. Place them all around your home to add a calming scent to each room and create a sense of warmth within your home. Candles are the perfect way to achieve the right amount of ambient, and romantic lighting around your home.

2) Throw Blankets are Your Best Friend 

Nothing is more comforting and relaxing than snuggling up with your favorite throw blanket on the couch. If you don’t have any, go out and find a few nice quality, fluffy or furry  large blankets and throw them along the top edge or across the armrest of your living room couch. When shopping, keep in mind what type of look you want the blanket to achieve. Do you want it to blend with the existing color pallet of the room, or do you want it to act as a big and bold pop of color? This adds texture to your space along with creating a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere for both you and your guests.  Not to mention they will keep you warm and extra cozy on those cold Vermont winter nights. 

3) Personalize Your Fireplace Mantel

Decorating and personalizing your mantel is a way to further make your zen living space represent you! Sometimes people can really over think it, but it's very simple to make a stylish and eye pleasing mantel that has the perfect balance. There is an easy algorithm in order to achieve this. 1) Start with a large painting, unique mirror or sculpture to act as a center anchor point. 2) Add something organic like a plant or flowers in order to add a touch of tranquility. 3) Stay with a consistent color pallet that is already present in the room. 4) Add a grouping of like trinkets and small art pieces at the corners, these can be crystals, vases, books or other smaller objects that you are attracted to.

4) Pillows on Pillows on Pillows 

Adding throw pillows is a fun and easy way to add comfort, charm, texture and a little bit of seasonal style to your living room! Have some fun with it! Purchase pillows for each staple holiday to make things a little bit more festive, look for interesting patterns that seem to attract you, or pops of color depending on the season, get some faux fur pillows to add texture and a little extra softness to a regular couch when you lay into it. Throw pillows are the ultimate way to sink back into the couch, to feel like you're being hugged by cozy goodness.

5) Set The Mood With The Proper Lighting

Setting a mood is all about lighting. When you want your home to be welcoming and upbeat it's best to have bright and constant lighting within your home, but when you are trying to create a different, more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, warm lighting is your best friend. Your candles can help create this look. Place them around your home or even in your fireplace if you can’t build a fire. Twinkle lights are also a good opinion for a unique and equally eye catching and pleasing look. A warmer light can also calm the mind down, and it’s a good idea to set your light to a warmer tone when you're trying to relax or leading up to the hours before bed.

 

6) Bring The Green of The Outdoors Inside 

Plants are a way to add some of Mother Earth's undeniable beauty into your home. There are so many different plants to choose from depending on what you're looking for. Do you have a shelf in a room, get a plant that hangs down over the lower levels of the shelf, hang them from the window, place them on windowsills or get a large fern to locate in a corner. You can also add some of your personality to your plants or even flowers by placing them in a unique vase that adds a little character to your room. If you're a person that likes the outdoors this is a perfect trick for you! 

7) Sprinkle Your Personally in With Art

Try not to have blank walls when designing your home. This creates a cold feeling, and unwelcoming space for both you and your guests. Pick 3-10 large prints, canvases, or even select and print some of your favorite family photos on a focal wall within your home. Try to stay within the same theme and color pallet so there isn't any clashing, make sure these pieces of art speak to you and represent yourself. These works of art will be some of the most important aspects that you place in your home, so make sure you love the theme you choose. 

Colder weather has begun to set in across state as Autumn creeps in through Vermont’s Northern border, coating the entire state in shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. This combination of Vermont being home to the highest concentration of maple trees combined with the fact that 3/4^th of the state is shrouded in forests equates to beautiful bursts of fall colors throughout the entire state. The change in color begins as early as mid-September, and from there, foliage enthusiasts are pursuant of the ever-elusive peak season, when the most vibrant range of colors are on display. Cold snaps at night and the recent rains have amplified this season. The peak seasons progresses from North to South and from higher elevations to lower elevations throughout the course of the season.

Whether you are exploring Vermont on a scenic byway, or taking in a picturesque autumn hike, everywhere you look is alive and erupting in color during the fall months. Festivals and activities that celebrate the season pop up throughout the entire state. Apple picking, vegetable harvests, farm visits, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and game hunting are among some of the most popular ways to enjoy the outdoors and take advantage of the panoramic fall surroundings. The Green Mountain State unanimously celebrates the changing season, and every part of the state has something to explore and discover. The question becomes what is the best way to experience Vermont’s Foliage, and what region reigns supreme for the most breathtaking fall landscapes.

Scenic Routes

One of the most common ways to soak in the autumn scenery for out-of-staters is on the highways and byways crisscrossed throughout the state. The most well-known foliage drive is Route 100, also referred to as the “Skier’s Highway”. Route 100 is 146 miles of spectacular valleys and vistas that stretch from Massachusetts all the way up to the Canadian border, connecting North and South. It passes through the Green Mountains, as well as past several waterfalls and scenic bridges. Continuing North on Route 100, tourists will reach the Mad River Valley, which is a hidden autumnal treasure during the peak season in central Vermont. Route 100 will also lead to the Green Mountain Byway that offers a litany of scenic overlooks around Stowe, the Waterbury Reservoir, and peaks of the Worcester Mountain Range.  

Drivers looking for an alternate route that’s little more off the beaten path can find beautiful scenery on Route 7, which stretches from Pownal at the Southern end of Vermont all the way up to Highgate near the Canadian Border in the North Country. Route 7 runs through majestic mountain views, brilliant foliage, and wonderful towns, including Bennington and Manchester. Each town Route 7 runs through has its own ambiance, and plenty of places for stopping and sightseeing along the way. Route 2 goes from East to West, from the Maine/Vermont Border, through Burlington, and into the divine fall colors on display in the Islands of Lake Champlain.

Northern Vermont

The Northeast Kingdom provides a good chance to enjoy the fall leaves without crowds. The remote area is commonly considered one of the most scenic areas in North America. The best time to see the collage of red’s, oranges, and yellows in the Green Mountains and Northern Vermont Runs from late September to Mid-October. Peak season usually falls on the last two weeks of September and the first week of October. Northern Vermont offers the opportunity to ride gondolas at Jay Peak and Stowe ski resorts and see the sprawl of colors from above.

Central Vermont

Ski resorts scattered across the entire state become hotbeds of activity for fans of Vermont’s foliage, Killington Mountain is one of the most sought-after destinations in Central Vermont. The Connecticut River Valley loop is one of the most popular and crowed roadways during peak season. The loop brings visitors through Woodstock, often regarded as one of the most beautiful towns in the United States, and fully equipped with miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, gardens, farms, rivers and meandering brooks throughout. Quechee Gorge and the Little Grand Canyon are also hidden gems to explore when experiencing the picturesque autumn in Central Vermont. Peak season at lower elevations and in a majority of Central Vermont usually takes place in Mid-October.

Southern Vermont

Traditionally the last region to succumb to the fall weather and the change in color that comes with it. Southern Vermont also usually faces the highest concentration of out of staters on the roads and overloading sleepy Vermont hamlets. Manchester is often at the top of tourists lists of must-see locales. However the highest point in Southern Vermont, Equinox Mountain is known for many excellent vistas, and expansive hiking trails. Bennington has also been a go-to for a glimpse of postcard fall views of New England. Mt. Snow is the most popular resorts in Southern Vermont and puts on an unbelievable display of colors that visitors can experience from above on a chairlift ride to the summit. Peak foliage season in Southern Vermont takes place in the middle two weeks of October.

As temperatures continue to cool down, enthusiasts need to be vigilant and pursue the evasive fall season as it makes its way down the state and early stages of winter begin to set in. Whatever your passion, Autumn in Vermont has something to offer for everyone, most of all one of the most charming times to experience everything the state has to offer. Wherever you get the chance to see the season, and however you chose to experience it. whether it’s a weekend trip, or just driving to work, autumn in Vermont leaves its impression on everyone who has the privilege to encounter it.