What Does Home Staging Do When Listing a Property For Sale?

Curious about home staging? The Chicago team just finished the renovation of a large home in Olympia Fields. In order to sell it faster, we decided to try staging the home.

What did home staging do?

Surprisingly, it made the home feel bigger. The furniture, artwork, and rugs helped define the space and give perspective. It also helped visitors imagine where furniture would go and what sort of decorations would fit well. Most importantly, it made visitors feel like it was a home that they could see themselves living in.

How did it look?

Right after they finished decorating, Jennie got a look at how it turned out. These videos offer you a picture of what home staging looks like before and after. Let’s go inside!

(click here to see the staged home video on your mobile device)

How did it look before?

If you’re curious what it looked like before, check out this initial final tour before the home was staged. The difference is remarkable.

(click here to see the before video of this home on your mobile device)

Buying a home can be confusing, difficult, and full of bumps along the way. We create our videos to help you make decisions, see what kind of homes are out there, and have some fun along the way. Hopefully you get some ideas.

If you have any questions about staging a home, homes in general, or buying a home, we’d love to help answer your questions. Just post a comment here on the blog or the Insider Show Facebook wall and we’ll help you out as best as we can or point you in the right direction. You can also contact us on Twitter.

To stay informed and get future episodes, click here to subscribe for free. The upcoming months will be exciting as we begin to prepare for Spring.

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- Your friends on the Insider Show team

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7 Decisions You Must Make Before Shopping for a Home

Thinking about buying a home?

If you’re like most people, you want an enjoyable experience without a lot of wasted time. To help out, the Milwaukee Insider Show team shares seven decisions you should make before (not after) you decide to go home shopping.

1. Location – They don’t say “Location, Location, Location” for nothing. Whether you want to live in the city, the suburbs, or out in the country, deciding on a general location will be the first step.

2. Commute – Once you’ve decided on a general type of location to look at, you’ll need to decide what’s the longest commute you’re willing to have each day when driving to school or work. That will help narrow down your search area.

We discuss these two and the remaining five in today’s video

Let’s go inside!

(click here to watch the episode on your mobile device)

Here are three costs to remember when considering a hot tub or other home improvement:

3. Size of Home

Bigger isn’t always better. It’s not just the size of the home that matters, it’s how you use it. You’ll need to decide what size home you need.

Do you have children? You may want a larger home to fit everyone comfortably. Do you travel a lot? You may want a smaller condo or house.

4. Needs or Required Features

You’ll need to establish a list of features you need (not just want). Do you need a yard for your dog? Do you need a one level home? Wheelchair ramp? A big enough living room for your furniture?

These are non-negotiable items that any Realtor will need to know so they can help you narrow down your search.

5. Do You Really Want to Buy a Home?

This one is simple. “Window Shopping” for a home is fun, but do you really want to buy a home? It’s an investment of time and not everyone is serious about it. If you’re not ready to commit, don’t waste your time yet.

6. Wish List Features

This is where you put the fun features you want, but don’t really need. It’s okay to want that three car garage or pool. If there are many homes that meet your needs, your wish list of items you want will come in handy as a sort of tie-breaker.

7. Which Realtor Will You Choose?

You pay no fee to have a Realtor help you shop for a home. They generally get paid from the seller’s fee and would be more than happy to be your personal home shopping assistant. If you need help finding one, post a comment here on the blog or the Insider Show Facebook wall and we’ll help you.

If you’re interested in getting future episode, click here to subscribe for free. The upcoming months will be exciting as we bring in new faces and share more information that will help you become and stay a successful home owner.

Stay tuned!

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4 Steps Once Your Offer to Purchase a Home is Accepted

If you missed last week’s episode, Ryan had fun researching and proposing to “The One” home of his dreams.

So what now?

What should a person do once they find the right home, write an offer to purchase, and get it accepted? In today’s episode, Jennie and Pat get some help from Will Ferrell as they share four steps Ryan and other home buyers should take to get ready for the big day…the closing!

Let’s go inside!

(click here to watch the episode on your mobile device)

Here are four steps you should take after finding and committing to buy your dream home:

1. Schedule a home inspection – Home inspections let you know if there are any potential long-term issues that may arise after you buy the house.

2. Stay faithful – There are so many homes on the market and you may be tempted to have second thoughts about the home you chose. Don’t risk ruining your experience by wasting time with second guessing and buyer’s remorse. Trust your first instincts.

3. Make your loan officer your best friend – Your loan officer is the middle man between the bank and you. If you develop a good relationship with your loan officer, it can make the loan process much easier.

4. Stay Calm – Honestly, this may be the most stressful 45-60 days of your life. If you stay calm, the process won’t be nearly as grueling. Worrying doesn’t help anyone!

Stay tuned for next week when we talk more about the real estate market and what to look for when home shopping. If you have a topic you’d like us to cover, let us know. We’ll do a whole episode on it.

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3 Things Buyers Should Do When They Find the Right Home

Shopping for your dream house is like dating. After many failed attempts, hopefully you will find “The One” home that is perfect for you.

So what now? What is your next step?

In today’s episode, Jennie and Ryan do some research and tell you what to do after you find “The One”.

Let’s go inside!

(click here to watch the episode on your mobile device)

Here are three steps you should take after finding your dream home:

1. Meet with your Realtor – Realtors have access to information that the average person can’t obtain, such as what the seller paid for the property or if the home is in foreclosure. Based on this information, you may be able to make a lower offer on the house.

2. Meet with your loan officer – When you are first pre-approved by your loan officer, they don’t know what taxes and insurance will be on your new house. If you are pre-approved for a home but haven’t factored in property taxes yet, you may not be able to afford it. That would be a big disappointment, so make sure you give your loan officer all the information they need to give you an accurate pre-approval estimate.

3. Make an offer – This is the most important step! If you do not “propose” to “The One” you want, it could end up being “The One that Got Away”.

Stay tuned for next week when we talk more about the real estate market and what to look for when home shopping. If you have a topic you’d like us to cover, let us know. We’ll do a whole episode on it.

Stay tuned!

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3 Ways to Ruin Your Home Purchase Transaction (Episode 6)

Today Jennie and Pat discuss the top three ways that you can ruin your purchase transaction:

1) Lack of commitment: Before Realtors can be dedicated to you, they need to be certain that you are committed to buying a home.

2) Setting expectations too high: While home buyers may hear some “suburban legends” about amazing homes for low prices, they need to realize these bargains are quite rare. Real estate is about buyers and sellers working together to create a market, and if the buyer has unreasonable expectations, it is hard for both sides to reach an agreement.

3) Withholding information from your lender and Realtor: If you give your real estate agent misleading information, they are not able to provide you with a house that is within your needs, and everyone’s time is wasted. Entering into a loan with untrue information can also lead to being charged with loan fraud.

Here’s more!

(click here to watch the episode on your mobile device)

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Should You Use an Attorney When Buying a Home? (Episode 5)

You’re not going to believe what happened to Jennie in today’s episode!

All we’ll say is that an attorney is involved and he gives some good advice about the home buying process.

Let’s go inside!

(click here to watch the episode on your mobile device)

Real estate attorneys read through the pages and pages of legal jargon in housing contracts to make sure you are getting clear title of the house. Despite the common belief that lawyers are ridiculously expensive, real estate attorneys have flat, reasonable fees. Hiring a real estate attorney guarantees that you are protected in a housing contract.

Stay tuned!

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The Importance of Pre-Approval (Episode 3)

Pre-Approval letters enable your Realtor to work with a loan officer more efficiently, enabling you to quickly close on your house.  Realtors need to be aware of how taxes could affect the amount their client is Pre-Approved for, because they may not be able to afford to make their payments after property taxes are factored into their budget.

Let’s go inside!

(click here to watch the episode on your mobile device)

Up next, Pat gives insider tips on the home inspection process once you’ve found the perfect home.

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