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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

update or allowance?

I recently had the privilege of doing a Home-Staging consultation for a family in Fairview, TN.  Their home was on the market for a year without any luck so they pulled it off and are now re-listing it.  They agreed to have a home-stager come out for a consultation (provided by the Realtor, so who would refuse??) but were a little surprised at a couple of my suggestions.  Here is the kitchen as it currently stands-


What would you think when you walked into a house with this kitchen?  Is it appealing to you?  What do you like/dislike about this kitchen?  A friend of theirs suggested giving a "kitchen allowance" so home buyers can do updates.  What do you think?  Allowance or updates?

Here is more what I'm picturing for the kitchen.  I wouldn't change layout but I think the cabinets need to be painted, walls need to be painted and countertop needs to be replaced.


As we all know, kitchens and master bathrooms are really important so besides the recommendations I offered for the kitchen, I also want them to focus some attention on the master bathroom. Here it is now-


The tub and the shower line the wall and since the shower has no door, it is basically a wall of fabric.  My first suggestion for this bathroom is to get a new shower stall that has a door.  The bathroom will seem bigger and a shower with a door is much more practical anyway.  I'm thinking that once the shower is redone then the shower curtain in the tub can come down because it doesn't need to function as a tub AND a shower.  Thoughts?


My second suggestion is to paint the vanity.  Right now it looks old and dinged up.  Aaaand, the wall color should be addressed, too, because this orangey brown isn't a color that will appeal to a broad audience of people.  I'm not saying it has to be beige, but it needs to be current.  Benjamin Moore Yarmouth Blue or Palladian Blue would be a lovely colors.

Here's an idea of what the vanity will look like once it's painted.
This bathroom vanity looked JUST like the one in my client's house.  Here is a link to their  pictures.

Sometimes rearranging furniture is enough to stage a home but sometimes there are some bigger projects that should be tackled so a home feels updated and welcoming.  As a home-buyer, what do you prefer?  Updated home or a redecorating allowance?