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Well, we bought the house! So there must be some other idiots out there. The heating bill would be the same for any 2500 sq ft house in the area -- it's ALL oil heat there, and the house has replacement windows and is nicely insulated. Plus I think it's weird that people know the sq footage before viewing then are worried about heating that large of a house. Compared to other houses in the area/street, we are priced better to help make up for the taxes.
i think your house looks really charming. unfortunately, most buyers might not be able to look beyond the wall colors to appreciate the bones of your house.
you might really wanna consider going for some lighter, fresher colors so as to make the rooms look brighter/more spacious/airy (typical HGTV lines). changing paint colors won't cost alot and you cld easily do it yourself.
if you really can't do anything about the wall colors...you can try to use a simple photo editing software to increase/adjust the brightness/contrast/color saturation/hue of the photos (or just use MS Office Picture Manager for editing) to make the photos look better. it'd help too if you or your agent can shoot with a wide angle lens. right now, you can't really see much from the photos.
my other suggestion is very subjective....you can try to paint the window frames/railings in white/cream (right now, the frames appear to be very "imposing" and kind of have the effect of shrinking the room size)..and the current woody brown color look quite dated....and some light colored paint on your kitchen cabinets might brighten/freshen up the kitchen abit? or if you think it's crazy to paint over wood....perhaps sand them and then give them a fresh coat of varnish?
you might wanna freshen up your fireplace too...good scrub or perhaps with some paint?
You don't want to paint that old wood. What you do want to do is make the house warm. Steer clear of whites since they will contrast too much with the dark wood.
No offense to your agent, but an agent that has a designation in staging is not the same as a stager. There are things I am good at and things I outsource. Knowing where your skill set lies is important. I emailed my local stager to see if she has a list of stagers in Maine. I know you aren't there, but it may behoove you to talk check out some stagers as well.
I like your house, but then, I am me You are the one that has the kitchen that looks like mine, from that pic I saw.
I do think Chuckity had good advice on editing the pics(lightening) ...but I do think some need to be from better angles, like from the doorways. Kind showing more of the space not details.
Good luck, I know it is hard to be waiting. but hopefully a buyer will soon come that appreciates an older home, with character
Lawmom first off I likewise love the house, it would be my choice if I lived in Maine.
First things I would ditch your agent asap. 18 months is too long and they should have suggestions on how to improve your home for sale, not take a few so-so pics.
1. curb appeal, trim up those bushes, make the front look inviting.
2. warm up the interior paint with a nice neutral.
3. do not paint the woodwork.
4. clear out the fireplace, they look dirty and dusty. If not being used they should be immaculate.
5. kitchen looks dated would advise to paint walls a neutral tone that will bring out the cabinets.
6. between the countertops and backsplash area it appears so very white, bland. Perk up this area with something staged. A bowl of fruit, canisters...something to disguise the white abyss.
7. have agent draw up a list of the great features of the home. eco friendly bamboo floors, original woodwork, built-ins, list of what is new in appliances, what has warranty coverage.
8. The blinds/shades in some pics look tired and the color isn't right with the room and woodwork.
9. If the electric is still on put in a few plug in's to take the staleness out of the rooms and especially in the kitchen. Put a vanilla/sugar cookie one in there. Make the potential buyer see themselve cooking.
You need your home to look fresh and inviting. That someone looking for a home can see themself there. Good luck.
So far here's what I've done:
Agent is arranging for estimates for painting and wall paper removal;
She suggested another overall cleaning including the fireplaces and some rugs to catch dirt from shoes;
She emailed the pics so DH can make them lighter;
She reminded us of an issue that i had forgotten -- there are some asbestos-wrapped pipes in the basement -- it will cost $880 to abate that. Ugh...but she thinks this hurts the marketability. When she suggested it before we did not have the money but now it might be easier to do.
I second or third or fourth - do NOT paint the woodwork! Trying to make a lovely old house like yours into a newly built home never works - you have to play to the strengths of the home and be true to its period as much as possible, not follow along with the generic advice that is suitable to a new build. You have an entirely different target market. (Says she who is looking at the painted woodwork in her old home with a couple of places where the paint is chipped and there is BEAUTIFUL old woodwork showing through and imagining what it's going to take to strip and entire house's worth to bring it back.) The biggest problems I see are the "pinky red" room with the wallpaper and the "orange" room, and the dirty-looking fireplace. Oh, and the main photo is blurred - not good.
Do clean the fireplaces thoroughly. Windows, too, if they need it - they should sparkle!
Then a little staging - not a lot, might even be able to do it with things (sofa, chairs) you find on craigslist and use slipcovers. The kitchen doesn't need much at all - just a couple of items here and there (a cookbook open on a stand by the stove is always nice) to sketch the lines of a story of someone living in the house.
Once everything is done, it would be worth your while for a house like this, I'd think, to hire a professional photographer. I don't know what they go for in your area, but I've got one down here that charges $60-75 and you get at least 25 GOOD photos (she takes a jillion and then sends the ones that are good) via email for online and on a DVD for print copies. Well worth the investment.
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You are the one that has the kitchen that looks like mine, from that pic I saw.
