David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

A first of it's kind survey by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reveals that buyers prefer a staged home that appeals to their tastes, and that proper staging results in a higher sales price. Keep in mind that for today's buyers, staging goes beyond a sparkling clean home and a clutter-free environment.  Staging with color and furnishings helps a buyer visualize their belongings in the space. In the survey, 93% of real estate agents who work with buyers said they thought a well-staged home contributed to a positive impression of a buyer's view of the home.  46% of agents thought a staged home contributed to a buyer's willingness to tour the home in person after viewing it online.  Forty-five percent said a home decorated to a buyer's taste positively impacted its value.   When it comes to selling the home from a listing agent's perspective, the view of staging is a bit different.  One-third of all Realtors use staging all the time, while...

Are you getting a home ready to sell in the Venice, FL area? There's a lot you can do to fix up your home so that it appeals to more buyers, and gets you a higher price. Here's a great tip:  if you have damaged or worn concrete that you think is jackhammer-worthy, try using a product called Deck Over.  It's made by Behr and is for sale at the Home Depot. Not a pretty sight to a potential buyer. Pops of color, some landscaping, and voila: backyard oasis on a budget. Back yard or nuclear waste dump?  Not very appealing.... What a difference Behr's Deck Over makes! Behr's Deck Over product is thicker than normal paint, and fills in cracks and evens out surface imperfections in concrete and wood decks. If you're thinking of selling your Venice, FL area home, please contact me .  I not only specialize in pricing your home to sell, I can also help you stage it for maximum effect to attract a buyer (this is my own handy work).

The Berkshire Hathaway Venice sales team had a meeting at the new home community Grand Oaks in Venice, FL a couple of days ago.  I was inspired by their design team to blog about how important color choices can be for today's home buyers. New home community Grand Oaks in Venice, FL Grand Oaks is a small gated and walled community of 55 homes, located on Venice Avenue near the intersection with Jacaranda.  A brand new Publix is within walking distance, and it's just 3 miles to downtown Venice.  Grand Oaks has no CDD fee, with monthly association and maintenance fees of only $199.  A rare combination for a new home community! I was especially impressed with one of their model homes, in particular, the color palette and decor. The Sabal model home at Grand Oaks in Venice White cabinets never go out of style. Light, bright, and tone on tone colors increase the visual appeal Color is used sparingly on an accent wall in the master be...