(Newswire.net — April 29, 2015) Chicago, IL – Is the recession truly over? No single indicator can predict the future of your home’s value. However, in nearly every regional market, a noticeable increase in home values has occurred since the crash of 2008. While Cleveland may not be seeing the same year over year appreciation as San Francisco, both homeowners have profited with a better than 6% growth rate in the past 90 days, according to Bloomberg.
When it comes to positioning your home to take advantage of the resurgence of real estate values, there are 5 key areas to focus on in order to not only increase your home’s value, but position it for a more rapid sale while enjoying it for the short term, as well.
1. Competition. A healthy market place requires a six month supply of inventory. The inventory of USA housing at the end of February 2015 increased 1.6 percent to 1.89 million for existing homes. That’s 0.5 percent less than a year ago. Unsold inventory is at a 4.6-month supply, giving sellers a slight advantage in today’s market. Furthermore, home buyers often found themselves competing with investors since the recession. “Today’s houses are getting less desirable for investors because price points are going higher, so it doesn’t pencil out as much,” says Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac. 
2. Right Size. New home sizes are trending down. In 2015 the average home was only 2,200 square feet. In 2000, the average home was 10 percent larger, according to the National Association of Home Builders. With a focus on reducing carbon foot prints and a more efficient and eco-friendly floorplans, Millennial buyers and downsizing boomers are forgoing McMansions for homes that lean towards function, as opposed to sheer size.
Being functional now, in preparation for an increase in future value can give homeowners a leveraged return on their home. Not only will they make more money when they sell, but they will enjoy it more while living in it.
3. Move-in Condition. It’s not merely a matter of painting and carpeting your home to suit your tastes and the tastes of your future buyer, homeowners should not only “stage” their home but include functional elements such as furniture, landscaping and other maintenance items to give the new owner a true ‘turnkey’ experience. Savvy home sellers and their realtors are even including concierge type services to assist the new owners with moving logistics, utility transfers and a list of vetted baby sitters.
According to Katerina Kapellaki, founder of the Property Stylist, “Simply cleaning and staging a home will help sell it, but a deeper makeover and re-styling of your home will make it more than a property asset-it becomes a home…that warm and inviting place your family can enjoy before you sell.”
4. iHome. In our overly connected world, installing electrical outlets with USB ports and smart appliances that can ‘talk’ to your cellular phone are no longer luxury items. Upgrading your home today with a wireless or even a wired network, will pay for itself in lifestyle enhancement and future value. With nothing more than a smart phone, you can monitor your electrical usage, if your water heater is leaking or if your baby sitter is sleeping. Nanny-cams and security systems are not simply for the wealthy. Any middle class home can install a wireless home security system for under $300.
These additions are rare enough to make your home stand out, affordable enough for anyone to buy and functional enough to make it a good investment today.
5. Property Styling. Selling one’s home is more than open houses, trimming the lawn and pricing it to sell. In the United States, an entire industry of “home staging” has allowed people with a lean budget and a keen eye for function, come in and re-arrange your home to make it more appealing. “Not enough,” according to Katerina Kapellaki. “In today’s highly competitive markets, property styling, not simply staging, is required to make your home stand out. As little as a decade ago, your realtor told you to go neutral on your decorations to make it more appealing. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Most people lack the vision to decorate their new home in their mind’s eye. When you properly ‘style’ a property, you give it life…you give it a personality. People are actually more likely to buy your home after it has been styled by a professional.”
Kapellaki may be onto something. Her ‘Property Styling’ concept is scheduled to be featured in an upcoming TV series as she jets from Australia to the USA and onto Dubai this year.
No matter which trends or ideas you take to heart, the facts are clear, following popular trends in real estate can not only give you a more powerful resale value, but you’ll enjoy your home now, before you sell.
About Katerina Kapellaki
Katerina Kapellaki is a highly sought after and internationally renowned Interior Designer. Katerina has spoken on stages all over the world on the subject of Interior Design, and she regularly writes about Interior Design for prestigious magazines, both here in Australia and around the world. She is an esteemed member of the expert judging panel for the Housing Industry Association of Australia. Katerina also hosts her own show INTERIOR DESIGN DECADENCE in Hollywood, USA.