One of the things I am most proud of is that our LG Real Estate listings have the reputation of showing in top condition. In today’s highly competitive market, agents can typically present a buyer with as many as 30 to 50 homes that fit their price point and location. That’s why I place a priority on ensuring our homes stand out; when they do, they get the showings and ultimately the offer and contract. As an agent, I work very hard educating and guiding my new clients about the expectations of their homes as resales in a heavily saturated market.

 HGTV has done wonders to educate and inspire homeowners to be creative and tackle many projects to make their homes special, comfortable and personal. Yet, when a home is on the market and needs to appeal to a broadcross-section of potential buyers, neutral is actually best. To give the best advice to our clients, my supporting staff-Lee Ann Crowder and Jennifer Grinter-are specially trained and equipped to help our sellers. Once I have all of the paperwork signed to market a home, Jennifer Grinter makes an appointment with our new clients for the SWAT Team visit.

Swat Team Visit

 Jennifer and Lee Ann arrive at your Cary home with notebook and pad in hand and a very keen eye for all of those things we each overlook as we are busy just living our lives. Not even a spider web is too small to be

Jennifer & Lee Ann

overlooked, but don’t worry: we don’t suggest more than is necessary. Our goal is to ensure the home’s exterior and interior is as clean as possible and all the features show in their best light. This may mean anything from suggesting that you repaint a bath to “pop,” trim those shrubs blocking the front of the house or move the sofa from upstairs in the bonus to downstairs in the family room to enhance the scale of the room.

Helpful Suggestions

 Both team members are very detailed and have experience and training in design placement and style. Jennifer takes the lead on documenting all of the home’s features and creating our executive home brochures. Lee Ann focuses on placing the furniture and ensuring the client’s home looks as neat and as peaceful as possible for potential buyers. It helps for clients to have somewhere they can store personal belongings until they move. Friends’ homes, donation locations and even recycling sites can be of assistance.

 Our SWAT team takes this job seriously, and we are always sensitive to each seller. As we say, no one really lives the way you need to while you are selling your home. You may have to live lightly for a while, but it will get YOUR HOME SOLD. If you are serious about selling your home, call us at 919-653-2647.

Controlling Cost When Preparing Your Cary Home for the Market?

So I spent some time online looking for cheaper door knobs.  I figure I had a few weeks before the house is on the market, so I wanted to shop around for something less than $24-$50/knob.  After a good amount of time searching, the best we could find online was $15 for each closet door, $16 for each bathroom/bedroom door, etc.

Apex Hardware Store Saves the Day!

Before I had a chance to order them, I happen to be in Ace Hardware in Apex (for wall paper remover…) and had the kids just check the prices on their door knobs.  I have to admit I have not been a frequent shopper at Ace, but now things have changed!  For the same prices, I bought ACE brand door knobs and hinges, (Colonial style, brushed nickel).   They were friendly and a great help!  They ordered the 3 closet knobs, 1 bathroom knob, 1 front door handle with deadbolt, 1 key entry knob for the door to the garage, another key entry knob for the door to the deck, and one deadbolt for the deck door as well.  They were all in in less than 1 week and they re-keyed them all to match (keeping track of one key per person is enough!).

A Little Cary DIY can Save You Some Bucks

So this weekend my husband and my son got to work.  They started with the hinges.  My son watched my husband do the first one and off he went to the next door.  While still on the hinges, they started by removing the center brass hinge and putting in the brushed nickel one.  Then on to the top and then to the bottom.  For the 4 inside doors (1 bathroom and 3 closets),  they finished in less than one hour (just in time for hockey practice).  And this was using a regular philips head screwdriver since the battery on the cordless was dead!

Making More Progress

On Sunday they did the door knobs on the same doors.  I wasn’t home for this one, so I am not sure how long it took or if there were a few bumps in the road.  My son simply said that after the first one, it went smoothly and quickly (and what home improvement project does this not apply to?).

I have done my best to try to give you a before and after shot. Please excuse my photography, still life photography is not my forte!

Your Feedback!

As you can see, we are moving right along in preparing our home for the Cary real estate market. What tips did you use when prepping your Cary property to be “show ready” for your home’s debut?

As the office manager, so much of my time at LG Real Estate is spent supporting buyers and sellers in selling a home or choosing the right Cary area house to make their home.  I’ve lived in my Preston home for about 9 years and have learned a few design tips over the years. 

One design tip is to frame your art for the piece, rather than the room. 

So…even as your tastes change or that once neutral paint gets dull and needs a lift, you can still enjoy your art of any price in any room. 

With our new unframed painting, our family packed up the car Saturday morning to run some errands.  First on the list was to drive the short distance to Bev’s Fine Art in North Raleigh.  Bev Kesterson, the owner of the art gallery and custom framing shop, works some weekdays and most Saturdays.  She has the greatest eye for what type of frame works for each painting.  I hardly have to do anything but agree with her and the perfect frame is selected.   My husband and my 2 boys enjoyed the outing as well.  It’s always a great cultural experience for my husband and I to take our boys into a gallery and introduce them to different types of art.  Bev, with her lively personality, is quite the entertainer and she shared a photo on her laptop with my boys of her latest personal art purchase.  A painting that they found quite funny to see…a self portrait of a man, just standing there against a wall.

For any of our Cary, NC clients seraching for new art or reframing current artwork, I would highly recomend a trip to Bev’s Fine Art.  As Bev says on her website, www.bevsfineart.com, she “specializes in making a house YOUR home”.   Our team at LG Real Estate couldn’t agree more.