Want your buyers to fall in love with your home? Then you need to know their hot buttons.
Selling your home in Boca Raton, Delray or anywhere in Palm Beach County is no different from anywhere else. Your house needs to be in move-in ready condition and appeal to a broad range of Buyers.
A recent survey of over 2200 first time home buyers by Trulia asked men and women what features made them fall in love with a house. How can this help you …. The Seller? Well, as you are preparing your home for sale you may want to prioritize your projects. This may be due to time and/or budget constraints.
So what’s important and what can you do with this information?
The #1 area that men and women listed as the feature that would make them fall in love with a house was the Master Bathroom. (70% of both men and women.) Does that surprise 
you? I didn’t think so. But knowing how important this is to selling your home should motivate you to place this area of your home at the #1 position when updating and preparing your home.
What can you do? Besides giving your Master Bathroom a fresh coat of paint, you can also update your cabinet hardware, paint your cabinets, treat yourself to fluffy new towels, update your lighting and mirrors.
Number 2 on the list was Walk-in Closets. Surprised? Now you know why your Realtor and Stager warn you that Buyers do look in your closet. Storage space is always a key and why shouldn’t the “Master of the House” have this!
What can you do? Edit your closet... pack up, donate, or store items you don’t immediately need. Don’t forget the floor and shelves up above. If things are shoved in and on top of each other it does not give the serene appearance you want in the Master area.
Number 3 Gourmet Kitchen! I don’t know about you but when I’m looking at a house the kitchen is probably the first room I head for. When buyers see a kitchen that is in dire need of some updates the calculator begins to add up what it will take to bring it into this century. What that means for the buyer is either a Pass by the Buyer for a house that has an updated kitchen or a lower offering price. 
What can you do? Of course paint is always a great tool for freshening any room. But consider new pulls, updated lighting such as pendant lights, cabinets or at least painting them, and new appliances.
These are the top 3 items but you can learn about the others at Trulia.
If you’re selling your home contact your local professional Home Stager. We can provide a Consultation that gives you a Gameplan for preparing your home for sale.
Boca Raton Home Staging- Want Your Buyers to Fall in Love With Your Home? Then You Need To Know Their Hot Buttons!
39 comments • Kathy Streib-Home Stager-Palm Bch County South Florida - 561-914-6224 • February 16 2012 06:51AMComments
This blog does not allow anonymous comments
Content © 2009 Kathy Streib-Home Stager-Palm Bch County South Florida - 561-914-6224 (Room Service Home Staging). Original design and tiling header/footer images © 2008-2009 Drew Stauffer.
HTML, CSS, "raindrop" logo, and generic header image © 2009 ActiveRain Corp. Logos and service marks owned by copyright holder.
HTML, CSS, "raindrop" logo, and generic header image © 2009 ActiveRain Corp. Logos and service marks owned by copyright holder.
Good morning Kathy,
Excellent post! Suggested. The master bedroom and bath and kitchen has always been and always will be where you need to spend the money to get the most return! 70% of consumers are telling seller's what they want..do you hear them now? LOL!!
Good Morning Kathy, I am surprised. I really thought kitchen would be number one when I started to read your blog. It sure seems to be the prevalent one in our area but a large master bedroom and large walkin closet are high on the list too. Great info. Have suggested!
Thank you for the list. These three items are hot buttons in Philadelphia and Bucks County as well. I would think Kitchen is #1.
Kathy, most people would think kitchen are #1, and that the closets might not even be in the top 3. However, I know buyers are not against re-doing a kitchen if needed, but in order for a master bath and closets to be good they must already be of a good size and structure.
Featured already!!! Well done! Great advice for preparing a home for sale. You have to give the buyer what they want and knowing what they want is the first step!
Yep, those three things would make me fall in love with a house. I'd take a great kitchen over a man-cave any day. 8-)
Kathy, Another great and well deserved feature. You're my favorite blogger today.
Good morning, Kathy.....great post.... I'm surprised that the kitchen is not #1 on the list..... congrats on another well deserved feature....
BARFF, look at you girl, a Feature.............Gold Star! And why not, this is great info!
Hi Kathy, I too am surprised that the kitchen is not #1 and the master bath #2. What do I know??? Congratulations yet again on a great feature.
Kathy, after a Stager helped me sell a home I thought was nearly impossible, I am a true convert!
BTW I have enjoyed reading your posts for awhile and just realized that I have yet to subscribe. I will remedy that as soon as i post this comment!
Kathy~~ Yes... my new construction homes feature all three of these and they are certainly where we put the extra dollars into the love affair for the new buyers. It's all about the wow factor!
Kathy, Trulia got it right on this one. These seem to be the hot buttons buyers look for in a home.
Terrific post! I'm reblogging.
Good awareness post and discussion too....There are so many things to like which makes buying and owning stand out so much...
Nice info, Kathy. In addition to those 3 top items, its important to find the unique feature every home has, and play up that benefit.
Have to admit Kathy, we are surprised! Always thought it was kitchen and bathrooms in that order! Master bedroom oasis it is from now on, including the closets!
Master bathrooms, kitchens and closets (storage) is what initially sells a home. Then, of course, price, location and condition seal the deal!
Sales 101. We need to pay attention to what they are looking for or we just aren't doing our job.
Great post Kathy. And interesting to see the information on Trulia.
Dorie-Thank you for the suggest and Good Morning. Now if we can just get the Sellers to realize this.
Bobbie- I agree... before I looked at the list I fully expected the kitchen to be #1! Maybe people aren’t cooking at home as much. Thanks for the suggest.
Gita- I have a feeling most everyone expected the kitchen to be #1.
Ellen-you make an excellent point. We can buy new appliances and counter tops but if a bathroom or closet is small then there’s little to do without getting out the sledge hammer!
Sharon- chalk it up to clean living! (LOL!!!) I agree, if we know what’s important to buyers we can focus our energies and budget there.
Mike- I talked myself out of a Staging job once because while the rest of the vacant house had been redone, the Master bedroom and bath were in major need of an “overhaul”. I suggested the Seller put their money there.
Judi- Thank you!!! I bet you say that to all the bloggers! (just kidding)
BarbaraT- Thanks and judging by the comments we’re all surprised.
BARFF- just trying to keep up with you! (LOL)
Joanna- I’m thinking that since they polled first time buyers, who are probably still in the work force, they have little time for cooking. Who knows!
Russell-on behalf of all stagers, we thank you!! You know, I’ve followed people here too only to realize I’d not subscribed to their post.
Janis-What’s so funny is when you look at older construction and see how small the Master Bathrooms and closets were.
Michael- I love reading these surveys because every once in awhile you just might be surprised... like we all were that the Kitchen was not #1.
Chris- Thanks for the reblog!!!
Richie- I think what’s interesting is how many of us figured the kitchen would be #1.
Lottie-I so agree. For example in Florida, people want to see the outdoors. Having windows clean and with a clear view to an inviting patio area are important.
Al and Peggy- we finished a condo a few weeks ago where we turned the Master bedroom back into a retreat. Made a huge difference.
Craig- right on... Price, location and condition. The Trifecta!
Hi Kathy! Thanks so much for arming me with excellent information so I can be a more knowledgeable stager for my clients!
Kathy went to hit the suggest and found you have already made feature status! Congrats on a great post hope you enjoy a great day!
Great post Kathy, it's really no mystery what people are looking to buy these days, as professionals we have to keep our fingers on the pulse.
Great tips as always Kathy!
Important information to share. Thanks for explaining it in a easy to follow blog!
This is great information for anyone planning to sell their home. You are right about paint in the kitchen but new cabinet hardware can do amazing things also!
Karen- absolutely right. How can we sell anyone anything if we don't know what they really want.
Teri- Thank you and it really is surprising that the kitchen didn't come in #1.
Pam- you're very welcome- hope it serves you well.
John- Thanks so much! Hope your day goes as well.
Malcolm- I do think it's important that all of us keep up with what's important to buyers and sellers.
Dan and Linda- Thank you! I would say your listing I saw meets those needs!
Leslie- Glad you liked it.
Kathy- isn't it amazing what new door pulls can do.
I love Trulia's newsletters. It alwasy provides me with some great ideas to spin off of!
Kitchen is definitely a great selling point of a home. Even for non-cooks buyers.
Every buyer has a "hot button" or two, and based on the article many buyers share the same top trigger buttons.
Great post as usual Kathy! congrats on another well deserved feature!
Jennifer- I don't use it as much as I should but I will now.
Eileen- I know it's the first place I go when looking at a house.
Norma- and for Realtors this information can help them when working with Buyers.
Janice- many thanks!
Great info Kathy. I am surprised that the bathrooms are more important then the kitchen, but all three are the hot items at present.
Hi Kathy, great post. I especially like how you not only tell what the top attractions are, but show how we can achieve that. Well done!
Hi Kathy--great post and great Feature. This is great information for every buyer out there to take note of. I had not seen the Trulia information, so thanks for that.
Gabe- you're not alone. I would have thought the kitchen would have been #1.
Cheryl- I think it should go in a Listing Agent's "tool box" to help convince their Sellers of the need to get their home in "show" condition.
Sandy- thank you... I think it's important to show the Seller that it doesn't have to be expensive and cause a huge upheaval in their lives.
Janet- Trulia really does have a lot of information that can be useful... it's just hard to find the time.
Kathy - I would have figured number one to be the kitchen not the bathroom.