How To Level Up Your Listing
Have you ever found yourself looking at a room and thinking, “It’s nice, but something feels off?“ Or perhaps the room is completely empty but still somehow feels dingy, dated, rough? Did you know there are three easy ways to elevate the look and feel of a home… even when it’s completely vacant?
Why bother?
With today’s challenging marketplace, sellers are forced to get back to the basics. Cool Murphy we have a mantra, presentation is the better half of promotion.
More than 95% of buyers see a home on the Internet before they see it in person. (I suppose that the remaining percentage happen to get lucky by stumbling upon an open house). That means the first impression they have of a home is the picture of that home.
Here are six listings that went live in New Orleans the day this article was written:
Marketing and advertising strategies absolutely matter, but what you’re presenting has to make the right impression at first glance. As you can see some of the above listings do put their best foot forward. If your home doesn't yet, it’s time to level up before you list.
Cool Murphy offers turn key staging, painting, repairs, and other options to our clients to get their listings ready for showtime. But what are the smallest ticket items that make the biggest best impression?
Don’t worry. We’ve outlined three major categories below with projects scaling from easy-peasy on up. Welcome to our three part series to “Leveling Up Your Listing.”
Part 1: Paint
Paint makes the biggest splash, pun intended.
That's why I instruct all of my clients to match their paint colors to their buyers before we list. Why? A home in Bywater with a brilliant jewel tone paint will be better received than a home with the same hues flanking Audubon Park.
Why? The buyer looking for one type of home, in one neighborhood, has different wants, needs, and style than the buyer looking across town. When we sell real estate we aren’t selling framing, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. We’re selling a lifestyle.
Thus, everything from light switch covers to cabinetry that contributes to the “feel” of the home matters. The sum of these things tells a story of what life will be like in that home. You want that story to say, "things are going to be just wonderful, promise!"
To get top dollar for your home, you'll want to appeal to the top buyers searching in your marketplace. You'll want to narrow it down to those who will best appreciate the lifestyle your home affords.
Therefore, it’s important to work with a real estate agent who knows who your buyer will be before you list. We specialize in just that. And, we have the means to get the work done for you.
Three Paint Projects Worth Investing In
1. The front door - Did you know that the governing bodies in real estate require that the first picture shown in your listing be of the front of your home?
You may have a fabulous en suite, amazing kitchen, or a to-die-for pool, but you have to show the exterior front of your home first.
Thus, a little pop of color to get the buyer's attention is super important. Social Influencers call this “stopping the scroll.” We call it good sense. It will also help people who tour your home differentiate it from the others they've seen after a long day of touring multiple homes.
(Materials plus - $75+ for labor)
2. Trim work - Have you ever been into a room after a good professional cleaning and wondered what makes it feel so much cleaner than when you clean things yourself? It’s likely freshly scrubbed trim.
Doors, door frames, baseboards, even crown molding looks better clean. A fresh coat of paint elevates it even more.
(Materials plus - $200+ for labor per room).
3. Walls - It’s almost impossible to color match your walls. I’ll say it again. You cannot effectively color match your walls to ‘touch up,’ paint.
Why? Paint fades over time, and paint technology changes over time. The same chemicals used three years ago to make your Haint Blue may not be exactly what's in the bucket or machine today.
And, you cannot account for time, sunlight, or sticky little fingers. Mismatch your touch-ups, and you’ll be left looking cheap. Take the plunge and repaint. (
Materials plus - $200+ for labor per room).
BONUS - If you’re looking for extra credit, consider updating your kitchen cabinets. Different styles and colors will appeal to different buyers (see above for how to get to know your potential buyer). Make sure your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry are sending the right signal.
The good news when it comes to painting
Painting not only gives your home that 'wow' factor, it can also highlight your homes best features further giving it that competitive edge.
For example the room below is from a listing we took to market in September of 2022. It had undeniably amazing floors, trim, and a beadboard ceiling that most any Bywater shopper would adore. But, that old red paint was too close to the hue of the beautiful wood. The amazing ceiling, floor, and baseboards got lost.
The solution was simple. We switched the wall color up to a contrasting brilliant blue hue. As you can see, the ceiling, trim, and floors really came to life. Everyone who toured the home paused in this room to take them in and complement them. And, it became our most engaged with photo in all of our marketing efforts online.
Don't know how to pick colors to do this kind of magic? Don't worry, we do!
The bad news when it comes to painting.
You'll want to budget in about 1-2 days of your life to paint each room of your home yourself. That's 1-2 full days on a ladder, dealing with drips and tape, etc. Good paint will run you about $75 a gallon. Cheap paint will mean more coats and more time on that ladder.
The great news?
If you don’t like painting, aren’t very good at it, or have better things to do with your time, we can have it done for you for less money than you think. We’re cool like that. Our partners at Murphy Property Services, LLC offer exclusive rates to Team Cool Murphy clientele.
So there you have it. One of three great ways to level up your listing for less than you thought. Thinking of putting your home on the market? Bring us in early we will listen to your goals and bring you a plan to fetch you top dollar.
In the meantime, keep reading our series "Level Up Your Listing," for more fresh thinking to get you top dollar for less stress.
Voted Neighborhood Favorite by Nextdoor, Team Cool Murphy is a top-producing, licensed real estate team based in New Orleans, brokered by Cool Murphy, LLC.
Celebrated for her next-level creative approach to real estate, Elisa Cool Murphy is an award-winning, top-performing agent in New Orleans and the founder and leader of Cool Murphy, LLC.
Contact Her -
email: cool@coolmurphy.com
Facebook: @homeinneworleans
IG: @coolmurphynola
YouTube: @coolmurphynola
phone: 504-321-3194
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