Waukesha County Home

By Eileen Mozinski Schmidt Special to Waukesha County Home It is a fast-moving real estate market, but the experts say there are still some steps to take when listing a property. First impressions remain criti- cal, according to Nancy Kurtz Hamm, of Kurtz Realty LLC. "You want as many people as possible to have a good first impression," she said, noting that there may be only about 30 seconds of time to capture a viewer's inter- est with photographs in an online listing. Attractive pictures of the prop- erty are important and so the advice of a staging company can be helpful, Hamm said. "It helps buyers envision what they can do with your house," she said. "Often it helps it look bigger or helps buyers figure out spaces. You are giving buyers information with staging." Home showings are typically being slated for just half an hour in the current market, according to Hamm, who said due to the pan- demic it is considered better to not have showing parties overlap. "There is a shorter amount of time to make an impression on a buyer," she said. "You want buyers to walk in and immediately feel comfortable." With buyers poised to make a major financial decision, Hamm said sellers need to help interested parties become attached to a prop- erty and then make a serious offer. "Anything you can do to help them envision living there is worth it," she said. Hamm advised removing family pictures and personal items like trophies or collections and knick- knacks. "You want them to focus on the house and not focus on your life," she said, adding that removing items with political or religious connections is also recommended. Realtor Marc Weisz with Bench- mark Real Estate in Waukesha said a seller with a furnished home could work on their own ver- sion of staging. "You minimize, you declutter, you make it the market's home," he said, also recommending deper- sonalizing the space. As to exteri- ors, Weisz said he tells his clients "the more curb appeal the better." He said a seller should consider the time and money involved in the sale and what is most impor- tant. Those aiming for top dollar for a property may want to put extra effort into its appearance. 'Show it at its best' At Becoming Home, LLC, a Waukesha-based business owned and operated by mother and daughter team Amy Monroe and Katie Knitter, there have been more calls for occupied property staging consultations recently. Due to the busy market, some sellers are "under the impression that their house and every other C O N T E N T S Home sellers celebrate, buyers fret Simple steps to get the weeds out A publication of the Waukesha Freeman and Oconomowoc Enterprise • April 2021 Making a good first impression Submitted photo A view of the living room after staging in a photo by James Meyer Photography. Katie Knitter, co-owner and lead stager at Becoming Home, LLC, said professional stagers can assist in furnished homes by identifying personal items that could distract buyers at the property. See IMPRESSION/Page 4 Selling a home? Declutter, adopt neutral tones, experts advise Spring Home & Garden Special Edition "You minimize, you declutter, you make it the market's home – Marc Weisz, Benchmark Real Estate in Waukesha MILWAUKEE — NARI Mil- waukee is planning its 59th annual Spring Home Improve- ment Show to run May 21-23 at State Fair Park in West Allis. Front-line workers in the pan- demic will get free admission, as will active and retired mili- tary personnel and those 17 and younger. Exhibitors run from design/ build firms to specialized con- tractors for all areas of the home, including roofing, gut- ters, windows, doors, HVAC, electrical and more. Tickets are $10 in advance (online only at NARIMilwau- keeHomeShow.com); $12 at the door; adults 60 and up pay $8 at the door. For more information, visit NARImilwaukee.org or call 414- 771-4071. NARI to hold spring show May 21-23

• Cover