Fireplaces…a burning desire

Selling Your Home

I have worked with enough buyers in my time to know that kitchen and baths sell houses, but so do fireplaces.  Whether there is an desire to actually burn wood and listen to the crackling sound or to turn the key and let the gas warm the room, fireplaces are a definite selling feature.  Therefore, sellers should pay heed to this post as many times, there is a fireplace, somewhere in the house, that is a selling feature if only….

If only it was made the focal point of the room.  Because fireplaces add value, staging it is just as important as staging other rooms in the house.  It needs to be seen, not looked for.  It needs to be a highlight, not a place for photograph number 15.  It needs to be clean, not full of soot and dust. And it needs to be attractive.

How can this be accomplished?  Well I have included some pictures of homes we have sold that included the staging of rooms with fireplaces.  I hope these help define what I am saying in this post. 

Along with these pictures, I would like to add the following recommendations:

1. Clean the fireplace—inside and outside.  A wood-burning fireplace that has leftover soot and ash is nothing but a dirty eyesore that probably smells as well.  It is well worth the money to have a professional come out and clean the inside for you to remove the creosote and ash from the back and side inner walls as well as the floor of the fireplace.  But don’t forget the outside as well.  Many wood-burning fireplaces have blackened brick or mantels from smoke and hot fires and have never been cleaned.  I have actually seen pictures of these in the MLS—like that is a selling feature!
2. Make sure the fireplace screen is clean and appropriately sized.  These old brass screens with the “moving” screens are so old and outdated.  However, if you have a well-fitted screen that is brass, make sure it clean and polished.  If not, live a little and invest in a pretty screen.  You don’t have to spend a fortune, but if you spend a little you may gain less objection overall about your home.  Remember, buyers are picky and it doesn’t take much to create an objection.
3. Create a warm, inviting space by placing furniture around the fireplace – create a cozy space that makes people want to come and sit down.
4. Don’t hide the fireplace.  If you have a ton of stuff in the room, clear it out!  Show off the fireplace.  Don’t make people hunt for it or overlook it.
5. Place attractive items on the mantel, but not too much.  A mantel full of photos or candles, or knick-knacks is way too much and takes away from the actual feature.  Lighten it up (no pun intended) and allow the fireplace to draw people to it.
6. Use it—if you are having an open house, have a fire going if you have a gas fireplace. Selling a home in the winter is hard enough, so anything that elicits a warm, cozy feeling is a selling feature. 
   

I hope these suggestions help.  Again, we are all about presentation for our sellers and a fireplace is definitely something that needs to be highlighted.

These are examples of our own listings we sold.

Content and photos are copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.

Date: Monday, March, 23rd 2009 @ 07:37:33 PM
Views: 850

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