• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Phone: 979-693-0201 Email: [email protected]

Myke Leatham | Brazos County Realty

Myke Leatham | Brazos County Realty

Welcome to Aggieland!

  • About Us
    • About Myke
    • Myke Leatham Team
    • Service After The Sale
    • Testimonials
    • Realtors Be Your Own Boss
  • Search Properties
    • Our Properties
    • MLS Search
    • Map Search
    • Rentals
    • Patio Townhomes & Condos
    • Luxury
    • Golf Course
    • Farm/Ranch/Land
    • Foreclosures
    • Rental Applications
    • Reserve My Airbnb
  • Subdivisions
    • Attractions
    • Bus Routes
    • Resources
    • Utilities & Hook Ups
    • Becoming More Energy Efficient
    • Bryan & College Station School Information
    • School Reports
  • Buyers / Sellers
    • Frequent “Q & A” For Buyers
    • First-Time Home Buyers
    • Loan Approval
    • Local Lenders
    • Mortgage Calculators
    • Tips for Sellers
    • Sellers Info
    • Frequent “Q & A” For Sellers
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact

Top 13 Home Staging Mistakes You Don’t Even Know You’re Making In Your College Station Home

September 14, 2018 by Myke Leatham

Selling a home is a process, and it takes more than just signing a listing agreement, uploading some pictures and a summary to the MLS and entertaining visitors at an open house. To sell a home, a real estate agent works hard to help potential buyers visualize what their life could and will look like if they bought this specific home. When people are looking to buy a home in College Station, they visit multiple open houses every weekend, they ask their agents to show them private listings and they’ll endlessly browse the web until they find the perfect property to call home. This is why it’s important to present a newly listed property in the best possible way and to help potential buyers see themselves living there and enjoying everything that the home has to offer. 

One way of elevating a listing is to enlist the services of a professional home staging expert in College Station, TX. Home staging is the process of bringing in furniture, accessories and other décor that can make a house feel like a home, and it helps prospective buyers see the potential that the home has. It’s like a professional makeover that has the potential and power to slash the time a home sits on the market and it can even boost profits from the sale. With proper staging you have the power to create a visually appealing environment that is designed to capture and captivate buyers.

There are many different options to consider when staging a home – you can completely furnish a vacant property from top to bottom with furniture that is rented, you can partially stage a home with accessories, décor and minimal furniture, or you can rearrange existing furniture to create the illusion of more space and openness. With the expert advice of a professional, even a home with outdated furniture can be transformed into a positive scene by highlighting the best features of the house. 

Staging your College Station home is not difficult, especially if you employ the services of a professional designer, however there are some common mistakes that many agents make when staging a home without even knowing it. Check out the list below and see if you’re guilty of some of these home staging mistakes that you don’t even know you’re making!

  1. Underestimating the power of home staging. 

Whether you are bringing in only a few select pieces of furniture or completely furnishing a property from top to bottom, a well-staged home can make the difference between selling the home quickly or having it sit on the MLS for days, weeks and months at a time. Remember that the goal is to sell a lifestyle and to help buyers pictures themselves living in and enjoying in this specific College Station home. 

  1. Not letting buyers know what is staged and what isn’t. 

Don’t forget to let buyers know what pieces are staged and if any of the fixtures, furniture, etc. are included in the sale of the property. Many buyers may fall in love with the professional work of the designers who staged the property and they may not realize that if they buy it, the home will be completely unfurnished. Make sure to inform buyers about the many positives the property has to offer and focus on the items that will remain in the house when it is sold. 

  1. Using low-quality photography for listings. 

Don’t use low-quality photography services if you have invested time and money in professional staging for your College Station home. Bad photos are a bad idea from the very beginning, and it’s the first thing that agents need to learn when listing a new property for sale. It’s ALWAYS a good idea to invest in high-quality photography, no matter what state the property is in. If you are also staging a home, you don’t want to take away from the appeal and aesthetic by uploading blurry or low-quality images along with the listing. Many properties have been sold through video, images and virtual tours alone – the buyers never even stepped foot on the property before submitting an offer!

  1. Packing too much furniture in a small space.
    Ever heard of the saying “less is more?” It’s very easy to get carried away with accessories, décor and cute items that can be placed throughout the home. However, there is such a thing as too much stuff – and when staging an open house or a new listing the main goal is to help prospective buyers be able to visualize what their future and life will look like if they bought the house. A few items tastefully placed throughout the rooms will add a subtle and pleasant aesthetic, but oversaturating with décor can be a big turn off to anyone who walks through the door. 
  2. Using outdated décor, furniture, etc. 

If your budget doesn’t allow for professional staging or renting new furniture, then you may have no choice but to work with what is already within the home. The first rule of thumb is to declutter your College Station home as much as possible and to remove outdated lighting fixtures and window treatments. Lighting is extremely important when it comes to staging a property so it’s important to let in as much natural light as possible and to ensure that the darker rooms and spaces are well lit as well. Once that’s done, you can always cover up outdated furniture with blankets and throw pillows. Other ways to spruce up an older property with a small budget include replacing hardware and cabinetry handles, removing clutter from countertops, adding a fresh coat of paint on the front door or even painting additional rooms in soft neutral tones.

  1. Not using virtual staging services. 

A different solution to a small or non-existent budget is to utilize the services of virtual staging. There are numerous online services that are easy to use and very user-friendly that can help make all the difference when prepping a home for sale. 

  1. Using too many bold or statement pieces. 

Pops of color and bold design elements are welcome in the staging process, but they must be implemented tastefully. It’s also important to limit statement pieces and décor to ensure that the property appeals to buyers who have varied taste. 

  1. Ignoring landscaping. 

The front lawn of your College Station home is the first thing a potential buyer will see as they drive up to walk through the property. Paying attention to curb appeal and ensuring that landscaping is clean and neat is just as important as staging the inside of a home. 

  1. Not knowing your audience. 

Think about the kind of demographic that will be attracted to your College Station home, the area and the price point of the property. For example, a conservative community that appeals to a senior demographic calls for traditional staging. College Station does have a mixed demographic, especially since Texas A&M is right here, so if you are looking to attract a more hip and young demographic made up of students and young professionals then you should consider transitional or modern furniture with pops of graphic art. 

  1. Relying only on fake décor. 

Too much fake stuff – fake fruit, fake plants, fake TV screens, fake computers, etc. can be off putting to prospective buyers. Striking the right balance between making your College Station home feel lived in and actually being lived in can be tricky. If you oversaturate the home with fake everything it will remind potential buyers that the staging is not real, that this level of “perfection” is not achievable and that this is definitely not their new home. Try to keep it as real as possible. 

  1. Not staging to scale. 

Every homeowner and realtor will want to make the property feel big and create the illusion of extra space, especially if it is on the smaller side. Beware of using small and lightweight items, because this can actually make the home look smaller. It’s important to ensure the furniture and accessories match the room in scale and proportion. 

  1. Closing the doors. 

This may seem obvious, but sometimes we habitually close the doors without thinking about it. When you host an open house for your College Station home, you want to encourage visitors to easily move through the home – if there are any closed doors they may assume that a room is off-limits or that the door leads to a closet rather than a staircase or another room. 

  1. Staying too neutral. 

Neutral is good, but too much neutral can be boring. There’s nothing wrong with a classic color scheme, after all many flippers stick to greys and beiges to help them sell a property because that’s what appeals to most buyers. And while you shouldn’t paint each wall a different color, contrasting color here and there or having one or two rooms be staged differently will make the house more memorable, which is the ultimate goal. 

If you are thinking about listing your College Station property for sale get to know our team and contact us if you have any questions about the process of selling your home. Our team boasts more than 25 years of real estate expertise in the local area and we would be happy to offer you a home evaluation and help you navigate the process of selling your College Station home and helping you find a new one. 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Print
  • Pocket
  • Reddit
Category: Blog

About Myke Leatham

I’m so glad you found me – your College Station and Bryan, TX real estate source! When you choose to buy or sell a home in College Station/Bryan, TX or other surrounding areas using our expert services, you will receive a free consultation to determine your needs, free listings, and free reports sent to you by email. These weekly reports will show you how hard the members of my team are working to accomplish your property goals, and we guarantee the best service and consultation you have ever experienced. You’ll find the best community information for the College Station, Texas region right here.

It’s nice to know YOUR Realtor will still be of service after the sale.

Experience Counts: Broker/Owner of Brazos County Realty
Over 25 years of sales experience. With past ABR, GRI, CRS, & Epro designations.
Continuing education in real estate: Education is paramount in an ever changing industry like Real Estate. Myke has taken over 1000 hours of real estate specific courses which include but are not limited to: Residential Appraisal, Marketing, Law Contracts I & II, Finance, Residential Inspections, Principles and Practice, Law of Agency, Code of Ethics, Bankruptcy/Easements/Surveys/and Probate, Home Warranties, 1031 Exchanges and hundreds of hours of extensive real estate training.

Reputation: SALES LEADER since 1998; Top Producer 2000 through 2009. Listed among the top agents in the county. Consistently ranked among top realtors for total sales volume out of 900 realtors for commercial and residential real estate in the Bryan/College Station, TX area. When Myke represents buyers, she presents all viable options to her clients, including those properties that are not officially listed, but could be available for sale based on her inside information. Her expertise lies with investors and marketing homes of all price ranges in College Station/Bryan to local, national and global buyers, across all major media channels and through her extensive, personal network of contacts.

Myke is among the top 1% of all Realtors in North America!
She has earned the Designations of ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative), CRS(Certified Residential Specialist), GRI (Graduate of Realtors Institute)CHMS (Certified Home Marketing Specialist), and E-pro (Certified Internet Professional)
Fewer than 3% of all Realtors nationwide earn these certifications. They are not only a symbol of Myke’s commitment to this business, but these designations are your assurance of a skilled, trained real estate professional.

Myke is a consummate real estate professional who not only understands the art of deal-making, but also the art of relationships. She makes the process of buying and selling homes an uplifting and fun experience. She has a tremendous appreciation for Bryan and College Station, its rich history, and Texas A&M traditions having lived in the area for 25 years. Her knowledge of Bryan/College Station’s real estate market and market trends is unparalleled. Having been personally involved with clients through their remodeling, purchasing and selling processes, she knows intrinsic quality and value when she sees it. When she doesn’t see it she lets her clients know, without hesitation.
Myke’s proven track record and affiliations in the field of real estate demonstrates her high level of professionalism.

* High energy and enthusiasm
* Aggressive marketing
* Expert negotiating skills
* Ability to listen and ascertain customer’s desires and needs
* Fun to be with
* Internet savvy
* Because Myke is an experienced investor, she quickly helps her customers locate and define good business opportunities. No one likes the feeling of being ‘sold to’ so Myke provides as much information as possible to help you make the right decision.

Personal Commitment:
I am prepared to go the ‘Extra Mile’ for you, because I understand the financial and emotional significance of purchasing and selling your home. I will carefully listen to your desires and arrive at a workable plan. I believe sensitivity, listening, and service are important keys to success.
Whether you are buying or selling a home or you are just curious about your home’s market value, I’d be happy to provide my market expertise and intelectual property without obligation, or meet with you to evaluate your home for future reference. I want my customers to have a great time and enjoy the total process of purchasing or selling property. It gives me great pride when my customerspass my name on to their friends and family. I will continue to work hard to make sure critical information is available at www.AggieRealEstate.com and I invite all interested investors to search my site for cash flow opportunities. I will dedicate my time and talents to helping you achieve your goals. It is my goal to make your buying and selling experience extraordinary. Look closely and you’ll see how much I love meeting and working with people. You’ll experience the difference in working with an experienced and dedicated professional.

Personal information:
Michelle goes by ‘Myke’ and is the proud mother of 6 children – 3 girls and 3 boys. Her husband is David Leatham. They met at Brigham Young University. They have been married since 1977. David is a finance professor, and Associate Head over graduate studies in the Agricultural Economics Department at Texas A&M University, and speaks fluent Spanish. They have lived in College Station since 1983 and loved every minute of it. Myke loves to quilt, sing, swim, ‘sing’, bake bread, ‘sing,’ garden, ‘sing’, sell real estate, and ‘sing some more’ :-). Family, church, and real estate consume most of her time. Truth, honor, integrity, kindness, loyalty, gratitude, and service are very important words to her.

Slogan: ‘Let Myke Help You With Your HOMEwork!’

Referrals: The highest compliment I can get is when you pass my name on to others or post a kind remark on the internet. When you send your friends and family my way, I’ll always provide them with the highest quality of service that I know you would appreciate. Thanks in advance for all your support and friendship.

Previous Post:11419 English Rose Trail, Missouri City, TX 77459
Next Post:Things to do in September in and around the Brazos Valley

Brazos County Realty

Your leading resource to search for College Station homes and BCS real estate. Let us help you find your dream home in Bryan & College Station, Texas!

Contact Us
Company

13464 I and GN Rd.
College Station, Texas 77845

Phone: 979-693-0201
Email: [email protected]

Navigation

About Myke

Featured Properties

Search Properties

Rentals

Quick Search By Area

IDX Sitemap

Resources

Areas of Expertise

Homes for Sale

College Station Houses

MLS

Land & Investment Properties

Additional Info

Information About Brokerage Services

TREC Consumer Protection Notice

Still Have Questions?
Get More Information

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

AggieRealEstate.com is Not Affiliated With Texas A&M University. Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved · Made With ⚡ By imFORZA

 

Loading Comments...