Realtor Margaret Mikkelsen specializes in mid-century modern houses. Of course she does it all, but Margaret admits to having an affinity toward the mid-century modern, ranch and contemporary homes. No matter the style, she believes in maintaining the architectural integrity of the home and looks to connect sellers and buyers who feel the same way. Here’s her story and advice to potential sellers on how to prepare and stage a home to sell.
OTHER THAN THE INSPIRING STORIES ON YOUR WEBSITE MY MODERN HOUSE JOURNEY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER INFLUENCES YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY?
I was raised by people who appreciated good design, architecture and art, not in a cerebral way, but in an emotional, gut-feeling kind of way. When I was young, my mother bought our family home, a 1920 Mediterranean Revival, without consulting my father. I do not recommend doing that, but that taught me to trust my own gut feelings. I spent fifteen minutes in my current home before deciding to buy it. My husband wasn’t with me, but unlike my mother, I showed him photos before we made the offer! That 15 minutes has given us over five years of joy with no regrets. I share that story with first-time buyers because I want them to trust themselves. If they love a house, they don’t need to justify that feeling to anyone else. They do need a home inspection though!
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU SUGGEST DOING TO PREPARE FOR LISTING A HOME?
Call me. The second thing is to have an honest conversation with yourself about the condition of your home. I don’t mean does it have the latest trend in countertops? I mean is it clean, is it maintained, is anything broken? If you think a buyer is going to ignore that ceiling stain or the home inspector won’t notice that loose stair tread, you are practicing wishful thinking, which will hold up the sale of your home.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH WORK TO DO TO BEFORE LISTING A HOME?
There are three factors I consider:
1. Is anything not working that should be working? Buyers are not going to be enthusiastic about accepting a credit for a new furnace. They want a working furnace.
2. What was the condition of the similar homes that sold recently in the neighborhood? That tells us what buyers expect to see at the price point the sellers want. Do they expect refinished hardwood floors or fresh paint?
3. The time, talent and treasure of the sellers. We all have a finite but differing amount of each. If you can paint a room yourself and have the time to do it, that might free up funds for the electrical repair you should not do yourself. But if you are maxed out on all three, we just need to adjust the price.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR THE INTERIOR DESIGN TO FIT THE STYLE OF THE HOME? DO YOU EVER SUGGEST REMOVING THE OWNER’S THINGS AND STAGING WITH APPROPRIATELY STYLED FURNISHINGS?
I’m less concerned about décor (furniture, art, etc.) than more permanent design changes like tile and trim which might not suit the architecture. That’s why I ask my clients to talk to me before making choices that are hard to change, like a tile backsplash or cabinetry. But I love a home with a mix of furniture styles. Grandma’s table with modern chairs? Love it. Buyers have an emotional response to a house that feels like a home. Granted, it needs to feel like it could be their home, so put the family photos away, but don’t worry too much about creating a room that looks like a theme museum.
It is important that what you have is in good condition. Polish that table, vacuum the couch, take down the dusty drapes. If a home is going to be completely vacant, I do recommend bringing in staging furniture. Doing this helps buyers understand the scale of a room and imagine their own things there. An empty room is much harder to photograph in a compelling way. Sometimes we can just rearrange what a seller already has. I recently prepared a Midtown bungalow with two twin beds in one tiny bedroom and nothing in another bedroom. We moved one of the beds and a dresser into the empty room, added some accessories, and boom, we had two nice bedrooms that photographed very well.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FIRST-TIME SELLERS TO PREVENT FEELING OVERWHELMED BY THE PROCESS?
It can be overwhelming, especially if you have lived in a home a long time and it is chock-full of memories and stuff. I work with my clients to create a market preparation plan. The sellers can then hire help efficiently, if needed, and prioritize their efforts to focus on what will have the biggest impact. There is almost always something left undone when photo day arrives, but it makes a difference if that thing is painting the powder room versus fixing the crack in the foundation.
I never recommend major renovations before selling to make a house something it is not—like putting ornate crown molding in a simple ranch house, or to try to match the latest design trends. You are unlikely to get your money back, and the buyers may wish they had gotten to make their own design choices.
Buyers have an emotional response to a house that feels like a home. Granted, it needs to feel like it could be their home.