First impressions are key.
That adage applies to homes as well as people.
“As my grandparents said, you never get a second chance,” said Todd Fahlman, real estate broker at Keller Williams Realty in Marysville.
“Selling a house is selling a feeling. People are touched by emotions and those emotions enact a behavior.”
Fahlman will take the stage as “Jedi Realtor” to do seminars on staging, selling and seizing the real estate market at the three-day Everett Fall Home Show starting Friday at Xfinity Arena in Everett.
Yep, he’ll be wearing a cape and holding a lightsaber.
The show has vendors and lenders to authors and animals. There are RVs, cheese, appliances, windows, jewelry, hot tubs, hot gift items and everything else to make a house a home.
The admission is a three-fer deal.
“It’s three shows with one admission,” said Bill Bradley, event producer.
In addition to the Gift Show, this year there’s a new show, Authors &Autographs, with 25 Northwest writers of books for kids, teens and adults.
“All day, every day, get your picture taken with the author,” Bradley said. “Basically you can come up and they’ll say, ‘Here’s my book and why I wrote it and what inspired me.’ ”
What better reading companion than a warm, furry body.
Not your man — a pet.
Everett Animal Shelter is teaming up with the home show to facilitate adoptions, sign up volunteers and raise awareness of homeless pets.
Beware: Kittens know how to make a really good first impression.
Watch where you step. You might trip over … an RV.
“It’s a concept like the tiny homes but called tiny campers,” Bradley said. “These are inexpensive and go anywhere. You can tow it with almost any car.”
There will be about 250 booths with home improvement items, deals and drawings.
Fall is a good time to spring on things for the home.
“In spring the contractors are busy,” Bradley said. “Home improvement dollars go further in the fall on everything: kitchen remodeling, roofing, bathrooms, floors and carpeting. Get that kitchen remodeled before the holidays.”
There will seminars with experts on topics that include remodeling, solar power, foundation issues and air-conditioning.
Fahlman’s presentations include a crash course with simple tips on home staging.
“Everything starts at the curb,” he said.
You want to entice people to the front door. That’s just for starters.
While the real estate agent fiddles with the lock box to get the key, “eyes are wandering around the area,” Fahlman said.
Put a fresh cost of paint on the trim and make the front door a grand entrance. “Get a new shiny doorknob,” he said.
And get those cobwebs out of the corner.
Fahlman said after that first impression, people keep evaluating everything.
“They are looking for negatives, for reasons why they shouldn’t buy it,” he said. “Reduce the possibility of negatives.”
Make them fall in love. With the right mix of sights, sounds and smells, they’ll be putty in your hand.
“It’s the emotion that is created by staging. People who feel better pay more for a house,” he said.
Turn on the lights. Open the curtains. Scrub and deodorize. Declutter and depersonalize. No pet smells. No teenager’s socks on the floor.
“A lot is common sense,” Fahlman said. “You just need a professional to tell you the things you know but don’t want to hear.”
Planning a party?
“Prepare for guests in same fashion as you prepare a home for sale,” he said. “When guests come over, you don’t want them to have to move a sock to sit down.”
Tips
Play subtle jazz. Make them want to linger with the seductive scent of cinnamon.
Create a simple yet elegant setting that is visually appealing. Arrange furniture so people can see how to use the space.
Furnishing should be in proportion to the room and appeal to the targeted demographic. For a starter home, have a table with four chairs, not eight. In the spare bedroom, are potential buyers more likely to want a nursery or an office? Outfit it accordingly.
Add pops of color and accent walls. Four blank walls look like four blank walls. Try a bright abstract painting here and a mirror there.
Mirrors. There almost can’t be enough of them.
Accent rugs can be art for the floor and hide flaws.
Spice up a dull mud room with a colorful raincoat or shiny boots.
Wow up a master bedroom with a chair and end table as a reading area.
A foam board headboard covered with fabric adds an inexpensive elegance to a small bedroom and doesn’t have the bulk of a heavy wood frame. Toss in some pillow accents.
Show off the kitchen counters. Put small appliances away. Put out a bouquet of flowers on the counter and a bowl of foil wrapped chocolates.
In the bathroom, use vanity lights with at least 60 watts. Replace switch plates. Caulk around edges of the tub. Hang a new shower curtain. Display new towels.
Put down the toilet seat. Make sure it stays down.
Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
If you go
Everett Fall Home Show: Xfinity Arena, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett.
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 25, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 26 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 27
Admission: $7 for adults; $6.50 for seniors; and free for children
More at www.everettfallhomeshow.com
The Everett Animal Shelter is located at 333 Smith Island Road. For more information about volunteering or adoption, go to www.ci.everett.wa.us.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
