Need a Little Help Selling Your House?

I just created a little TV show I call "Take This House and Sell It!" and it can be seen locally on RETV (channel 60 on the Island and channel 75 in Bluffton) just a few days from now! I took a house in need of a little TLC, spiffed it up, and it is now on the market. I will post more about my show later in the week, but here is a great article about home staging that I found recently. Need a little help selling your house? You may find this helpful:


What is Home Staging?
by Barb Schwartz

Staging is the process of preparing any home for sale, regardless of price or location. When you place your home on the market for sale it becomes a product. Similar to a product on the shelf at your local store, the product has features and benefits as well as pluses and minuses, and competition.
Why should you Stage your home or listings? To compete with the competition in the marketplace you must be priced right and look better than the other products. Your home is no different, it is one of many homes for sale and you must present it to the buyers in the best possible light.
Home Staging has proven to help sell homes faster and/or for more money. "You should detail your house like you'd detail your car if it were for sale", says Barb Schwarz, Founder of StagedHomes.com and creator of the Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) course and the International Association of Home Staging Professionals ( IAHSP.com ). Schwarz says, "The cost of Staging your home is usually less than your first price reduction!"
Barb has been Staging homes since the 70's and has taught over 1,000,000 agents and individuals. Her company, StagedHomes.com has a wealth of information about Home Staging including tips, staged homes property searches and the ability to locate an ASP in any area. Barb offers these quick tips for Staging a home.
Before you show your home to any potential buyer be sure to go through your whole house with your agent to finish the Staging process. Meanwhile, here are some quick tips to help you start. Follow these general tips and your home will look better than the competition. Staged Homes sell faster and/or for more money!
INSIDE
? Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items. In general, a sparsely decorated home will help the buyer mentally 'move in' with their own things.
? Rearrange or remove some of the furniture in your home, if necessary. Many times home owners have too much furniture in a room. When it comes to selling your home, thin out overcrowded rooms to make the rooms appear larger.
? Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn't been used for three months...put it away! Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, magnets, pictures, etc.
? In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from the countertops, tub, shower stall and commode top. Keep only the most necessary cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels in one or two colors only.
? Take down, reduce, or rearrange pictures and objects on walls. Patch and paint all walls, if necessary.
? Review the house interior, room by room, and:
1. Paint any room needing paint.
2. Clean carpet and drapes that need it.
3. Clean windows.
? If you need room to store extra possessions use the garage or rent a storage unit.
? Leave on certain lights during the day (your agent will show you which ones). During showings, turn on ALL lights and lamps.
? Play light FM music every day in the house, for all viewings.
OUTSIDE
? Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., to the garage or, if applicable, take them to the dump.
? Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss. Make sure they are swept & cleaned.
? Look at all plants. Plants are like children...they grow so fast. Prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows: "You can't sell a house if you can't see it!"
? Remove any dead plants, weed all planting areas and put down fresh mulching material.
? Keep your lawn freshly cut, edged and fertilized during the growing season.
? Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as little planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbeques, toys, etc.
? Check the condition of the paint on your home, especially the trim and the front door. The first impression, or 'curb appeal,' is very important.
IN GENERAL
Try to look at your house "through a buyer's eyes," as though you've never seen it before. This exercise will help you see what needs to be done. Any time and money invested on these items will usually bring you the return of more money and a quicker sale.

State of the Island

Ahhhhh, the last days of summer...they are here! The beaches are busy, the tourists are tanning, kids kicking back for the final few weeks, and fall is just around the corner! Are you still in need of a few days rest and relaxation? Well, come on down! Southern schools start this week and next, meaning that crowds will begin to lessen and lines shorten. What are some great things to do in August on Hilton Head? Glad you asked.....


Summer Concerts
Hallelujah Singers
August 2 and 16, 2006 8 p.m.
Savor the flavor of the Lowcountry when the Arts Center's resident choral company presents a musical history of the Gullah people.

Make Your Own Art
www.hiltonhead.com/artcafe
Everyday...times vary
Fun for all ages as you paint your own pottery. The Art Cafe then fires it and you pickit up in a few days. My daughter is having a birthday party there this weekend...great fun and beat the heat!

Sing Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie
High Tide Concerts presents Don McLean and Blood, Sweat and Tears,
Center Court at Harbour Town
www.hightideconcerts.com

More Music
ShoutFest, August 27 at Historic Honey Horn
www.ywhisper.com
A day full of Christian bands and Extreme Games-- teens galore!

And lots more on our favorite Island. Come see us, come join us, or come live here-- we can't wait to have you!

Turning over a new leaf....

Ok, ok..........I am still a bad blogger! May 31-- last entry--yikes! Today is July 28th and we are enjoying a steamy day of clear sunshine on the Island. A great beach day or perfect for boating or kayaking. Me, I am inside, typing....but it's cool!!

Real estate sales here are still a bit on the lukewarm side, but you know what that means: good buys for buyers! For most of 2004 and all of 2005, Hilton Head Island was in an upsurge of property values, as was the case with most coastal markets. Our market has seen cooling in terms of number of transactions, but selling prices are still fairly steady. Overpriced properties are beginning to come down as sellers reluctantly become more realistic. Many investors bought with the intent of reselling immediately and are now faced with the prospect of paying on mortgages that they had hoped not to.

Opportunities? You bet! As many of these speculators bought multiple properties or bought at the very top of the market and are heavily leveraged, there are several opportunities in all price ranges available now for buyers who can buy and afford to keep a property for 2-3 years. If you have thought of a vacation home on Hilton Head, this is a great time to buy. Motivated sellers mean buyer power, there's no two ways about that!

Otherwise, business is booming here! The tourists are out in full force, restaurants are busy, shopping areas bustling, and all is good. Please come and visit us if you have not already. Hilton Head is a most unique spot and a little piece of paradise.....and just plain fun!!

Such a bad blogger, I am....

I promised myself that I would add to this blog at least every other day... so far, no good. But I am back and this time with news of the perfect vacation cottage now available for rental on Hilton Head Island in beautiful Sea Pines. Well, it's my house, but I do think it's pretty wonderful.

To see it yourself, go to www.vrbo.com/93146 and check the calendar for dates you just might want to visit the Island.

And while you are here, you will definitely want to try several of our fabulous restaurants. My friends/clients, Darby and David, submitted their choices for "best on/off Island" and I will have to concur. They like 211 Park, Sage Room, and Michael Anthony's for "nice" restaurants, and I love each of these. Must haves are Surf and Turf Pizza at 211, the Snow Pea Martini (not a drink!) and Tuna Tartare at Sage Room, and the Turbo (fish) or Ossa Bucco and Chocolate Soufle at Michael Anthony's. AL DELISH!!

Favorite nice/casual restaurant is Truffles, with locations in Sea Pines and also in Bluffton at Belfair, and soon to be opening on Pope Avenue, South end of Island. Yummy salads, tomato dill soup, great burgers, always fresh fish, and even fabulous ribs! Must have here is the "Blondie": blond brownie with homemade vanilla ice cream and homemade fudge and butterscotch-- go ahead, say you're on vacation even if you're not, and love it!

Best very casual is Captain Woody's at Palmetto Bay Marina for the Island's best (lightly) fried shrimp, and for ultra low $$ Mexican, you must go to Fiesta Fresh at Fountain Center (south end). Good, fast and cheap is maybe not the prettiest description, but it fits!

Ice cream? We have LOTS! But the very best is still Hilton Head Ice Cream at Fountain Center. ALL homemade from scratch. My favoite, Oreo, is made from Oreos and Cream, not Oreos folded into ice cream. Decadent but soooooooo worth it. (Truffles, as well as many other Island restaurants, use their ice cream!)

I promise to be back soon with other bests! The weather is beautiful-- come visit!

Today on the Island

Greetings from sunny HHI! Yesterday we had much needed rain, but the rest of the week is forecasted to be one that is evidence of why we live here-- sunny and warm. The Beach Club at Sea Pines looked to be busy today with vacationers already, plus a few residents, too, I imagine. Sea Pines offers so much to do and, as I talked about last week, was THE original planned community. In fact, the acronym PUD didn't even exist before Sea Pines. See www.seapines.com for complete details on the doings and happenings this unique resort community. I love living in Sea Pines. Harbour Town and South Beach Village are just bike rides away from my front door, leisure trails abound at every corner, shopping and dining are right here! Also see www.trufflescafe.com for one of my favorite Island restaurants, located in Sea Pines Center. Memorial Day weekend also means the return of an Island tradition-- Gregg Russell concerts nightly (except Saturdays) through Labor Day under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town. One more site: www.greggrussell.com. When you visit Hilton Head during the summer, you MUST attend at least one concert while you are here--pure fun for everyone! And speaking of Gregg, I am off to a new gourmet to-go shop, Christine's to Go Go, at Coligny Plaza, to pick up dinner. Proceeds this evening benefit the charity Hilton Head Heroes, founded by Gregg and Lindy Russell, which brings critically ill children and their families to Hilton Head for a fully paid vacation. I will expound on this wonderful cause a bit more next writing... I mean posting. I'm getting the hang----

Our Unique Island: Part Two

The sun is shining, humidity is low, sky is blue here on the Island-- what a beautiful day! I often feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. Actually, I always feel blessed, but many times I even stop to appreciate the moment......

More of what makes our Island different from other resort islands: Nature! Hilton Head is still a wildlife and environmental "sanctuary" in many ways, despite being a sporting, beaching, shopping, and dining mecca as well. Have you crossed the bridge to HHI and noticed Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge? This 4,000 acre refuge comprises Pinckney and several other small islands and hammocks (very small islands) and is home to numerous white ibis, herons, and egrets, as well as other wading birds, as 67% of the refuge is made up of salt marsh and tidal creeks. Fourteen miles of trails are available for hiking and biking. See http://www.fws.gov/pinckneyisland/ for details, activities, and history of the refuge.

Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island is also home to a 572 acre Forest Preserve, dedicated by the Fraser family in the late 1950's. The Preserve is home to leisure trails, which were constructed in the 1970's and followed antebellum rice dikes (built by hand into he 1840's) and old logging trails built in the 1950's. The Preserve also boasts small lakes, bridle paths for horseback riding, observation decks, picnic areas, and fishing docks.

Getting the picture? We co-exist with nature, and it benefits all who call this place home-- even if it is only home for a week of vacation into he summer! Homes and retail establishments blend in to the natural scenery, signage is small, lights are dim at night. Special and unique, a blend of old and new, serene but happening..... a very unique Island is Hilton Head!

Our Unique Island: Part One

A unique coastal island....Hilton Head? Aren't we surrounded by water, with a beach, lots of golf, swimming and tennis? What's so unusual about that? Ahh, but Hilton Head is far from usual!

For instance: Hilton Head as we know it today was developed by a visionary man named Charles Fraser, beginning in the early 1950's. Mr. Fraser's concept of balancing nature, people, sport, and dwellings has been often imitated in the years since, but never quite duplicated. Did you know that Mr. Fraser's Sea Pines Plantation was the first community in America to weave a golf course in and around homes and villas?

In fact, that is what we call condominiums here on the Island-- villas.

Another unique fact of Hilton Head: We have more tennis courts per capita than any other locale in the country, with Islanders and visitors enjoying lessons, tournaments, and play year 'round!

As for golf-- we do a little of that, too. In fact, there are 15 courses on the Island, and another dozen in the immediate area of the South Carolina mainland and on neighboring Daufuskie Island. Private Long Cove Golf Club and public Harbour Town Golf Links are ranked by Golf Digest among the top 100 courses in the country, and both among the top 3 in the state. Mainland courses named to Golf Digest's 100 best in USA are the those in Colleton River and Berkeley Hall Pantations.

I will blog tomorrow with other unique-nesses of our special Island, including our dedication to nature and wildlife preservation, and the Town of Hilton Head's dedication to keeping land from development.

Or, you could also just come see for yourself... It's a beautiful day on the Island!