This is a case study of a home we sold in Hollywood Hills. We loved working with these sellers they were very funny and kept things light and entertaining. They also worked diligently to get their home ready to sell. Listing a home is a team effort both the homeowners and the realtor have to work together to make things happen.
When the homeowners reached out to us they were frustrated because their home had been on the market for months without and offers. What was even more upsetting is that buyers were not even going to preview the property.
When we took a look at the MLS listing right away we noticed what some of the problems were. Below are some of the major reasons this home did not get any showings and wasn’t selling.
Poor Photography
Nowadays buyers first resources is the internet. If the photography is not presenting your home in a positive light buyers will simply skip your listing. This exactly what was happening here. This home had so much potential and many great features that were not being showcased at all. In fact the photos used were actually hurting this listing.
Not Showcasing Selling Points
Even though the home was original and had not been remodeled, it had many positives to it. A huge lot size for starters, this is a features buyers love. The backyard was large and included a pool area with a screened in patio. All awesome features people look for when buying a home. None of these were being showcased previously.
No Staging
The homeowners were a retired couple and had lived in the home for over 30 years. Can you imagine how many wonderful memories you can create in a home in that amount of time, and also how much stuff you can accumulate.
This was exactly the situation in this home. There were a lot of personal items everywhere, which is fine when living in a home, not so good when you’re trying to sell it.
The first thing we did before photographing the home was to let the homeowners know what needed to be done prior. This was a huge undertaking for them. This meant removing many large pieces of furniture which tend to make a room appear smaller. They also had to remove most of the personal photos, and generally trying to neutralize the home as much as possible.
Within a couple of days and with some help they were able to complete most of it.
Here are some of the before and after to give you a better idea of the transformation.
EXTERIOR FRONT
The first photo is of the front of the home. The previous owners were avid gardeners so we made sure to feature the beautiful entryway and all the gorgeous plants they had throughout the exterior of the home.
Before
After
LIVING ROOM
The before photo was dark and had not been properly staged. In this room we removed all the excess items that were laying around, opened up the shades and let the light in. It’s amazing what a little light will do to transform a room.
Before
After
DINNING ROOM
Originally the dinning room contained large pieces of furniture that were too large for the room. Making the room appear much smaller than it was. We asked the homeowners to remove all the furniture and simply leave the dinning room set with only 4 chairs. That made a huge impact, making the room look much bigger. We also opened up the windows allowing a view into the beautiful pool area.
Before
After
KITCHEN
The kitchen counters contained tons of items. The curtains were blocking the view and did not allow the natural light in.
We removed the curtain and decluttered the kitchen counters. It totally opened up the space and brought in that natural light. You were also able to see the beautiful pool area now that the curtains were removed. We also removed the bulky chairs and replaced with smaller ones making the room appear more spacious.
Before
After
BATHROOM
The bathroom was original and had not been updated. In the After photo you’ll see that all we did here was remove all the pink mats, pulled the curtain to the side and decluttered the counters. Instantly you have a completely different bathroom.
Before
After
POOL & BACKYARD
The original photos did not showcase the amazing features and potential of the pool and backyard.
This is one of the best selling points of the home. We focused on really showcasing the size of the backyard and patio. Buyers are always looking for bigger spaces. You do this by stepping back and photographing from further away to give buyers a better perspective of the size of the backyard.
Before
After
