Tag Archives: Key West

STAGING YOUR KEY WEST HOME FOR SALE

In today’s digital technology driven real estate market, staging your Key West home is essential for successfully marketing and selling your property. Web appeal is the new curb appeal. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 100% of buyers use the internet to search for a home and 70% tour the inside of properties online. While a well-written online description is important in conveying your home’s selling points, high quality digital images of your beautifully staged home will speak volumes and garner the most attention. Before the photographer shows up to capture your home’s story in pictures, make sure it is ready to win the hearts of buyers.

Dedicating your time, energy, and budget toward staging your home will benefit your bottom line on closing day. Staged homes sell for 17% more on average than non-staged ones—and they sell 87% faster.

We have broken down the somewhat daunting task of staging your Key West home into ten fundamental elements that will help potential buyers fall in love with your property and make a winning offer.

LET THE LIGHT SHINE IN
Key West plays a leading role in the Sunshine State with an average of 259 sunny days a year. Buyers are drawn to the island’s sunshine like Ernest Hemingway was to a whiskey & soda. When staging your home, let the light shine in. Clean your windows and doors: inside and out. Take down heavy window treatments. Throw open the curtains and pull up the shades. Replace burned out lightbulbs. Turn on all the lights in your home for the photoshoot and for every showing.

REFLECT ISLAND LIFE
Buying a Key West vacation home is not just about purchasing a property, it is about embracing a lifestyle. Whether your property is a Victorian cottage, a Classical Revival estate, or a modern seaside condominium, adding elements that evoke our tropical island’s sand, sea, and sky will help buyers feel they are coming home. Casually placing a conch shell on a side table, featuring paintings and sculptures by local artists, and displaying orchids and tropical cuttings, will connect buyers emotionally to your property through a sense of place.

SPIC AND SPAN IT
Grandma used to say, “Soap is cheap, and water is free.” Water may no longer be free, but the cost of water and cleaning supplies is a small price to pay for the payoff they provide. With a little elbow grease, a super clean home is easy to achieve. We have learned from experience that buyers will look past outdated kitchens and bathrooms when they are spotless, and they will see dollar signs when dust, dirt, and grime cover expensive finishes and furnishings. Cleanliness and staging go hand in hand.

COLOR IT KEY WEST
If the exterior of your home needs a fresh coat of paint, color it Key West to capture the attention of buyers. When successfully selling any product, you must give buyers what they want. People dream of owning an island escape that looks like their fantasy. Reflect the island’s tropical hues in the colors you paint your home and you will harness the imagination of eager buyers.

CREATE CONVERSATIONAL AREAS
In today’s chaotic world, people are longing for a simpler time—one of visiting with neighbors and spending quality time with family and friends. Placing both indoor and outdoor furniture in arrangements that are conducive to conversation creates a welcoming sense of home that elicits positive responses from buyers.

BOX IT UP
Declutter, declutter, declutter! Removing unnecessary items is essential to make your rooms feel tidy and spacious. Buyers can’t see themselves living in your home if they can’t get past an overabundance of knickknacks, art, furniture, or plants. You are going to be relocating anyway, so box up your beloved treasures and store them away, ready for your upcoming move.

MISTER FIX IT
Don’t wait until the inspection period to make necessary repairs to your property. Potential buyers see every cracked window and broken fixture as a reduction to your asking price. The clear majority of Key West’s buyers are looking to purchase move in ready properties. Multiplying minor repairs can distract people from making the lasting connection that will lead them to purchase your home.

SHOWCASE OUTDOOR LIVING
Indoor/outdoor living is one of Key West’s greatest marketing features. Staging your home to showcase a flow from inside to outside is an important component of selling our coveted tropical island lifestyle. Many buyers are coming from regions where, avoiding the elements, they spend much of the year indoors. They are accustomed to living in much larger spaces than are typically found in Key West. Painting the picture that your outdoor relaxing and entertaining spaces are a natural extension of your home is vital to help buyers overcome the sticker shock of living in paradise.

FOLLOW YOUR NOSE
Unpleasant odors can tank a showing. Neutralize unwelcoming pet, food, bathroom, and musty smells. Ban smoking in your home. Avoid scented air fresheners, scented candles, and perfumes—you never know what will be a turn on or a turn off for buyers. Opening your home to the island’s clean fresh air is always a good bet. Don’t forget to take out the garbage before every showing.

SHOP THE WHITE SALE
Nothing is more inviting than a bed adorned with beautiful linens. Invest in the best bedding you budget will allow. Fluff your pillows and make your beds with freshly laundered, crisply ironed sheets before your photoshoot and for each showing. Make sure your bathrooms are well appointed with fresh towels. Create an environment that says luxury resort and buyers will want to check-in for a lifetime.

Ensuring that your home is ready for its close-up—before it is photographed and for every showing—is essential for getting your home sold for the highest price, in the shortest amount of time. Stage with the intent of empowering potential buyers to fantasize about living the laid-back Key West lifestyle in your home. Create a picture-perfect environment through staging and you will reap the rewards on closing day.

THE TOWNSEND TEAM
Dean & Keith Townsend, REALTORS®
Keller Williams Key West Compass Realty
333 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040
305-942-1369, www.DeanTownsend.com

“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Mark Twain

One week has passed since Hurricane Irma began picking a fight with our beloved island. We are glad to report that the bitch did not win. Life in Key West has not been easy for us over the past seven days. Together, we faced many challenges and overcame countless obstacles. We have witnessed the best of our island community: friends, neighbors and strangers looking out for one another.

Our 1890’s cottage on Olivia Street suffered no damage—although waves of our neighbor’s trees are resting on our fence. As we checked on the places of our friends, neighbors and clients, we found intact homes waiting for their families to return. Texting them images of their standing strong houses brought us a joy we will never forget.

CNN may be reporting that 90% of Key West’s structures are damaged or destroyed, but that is not true. Very, very few of the island’s buildings are in bad shape—and most have gone unscathed. Trees are down everywhere, but our endless summer will breathe new life into our once beautiful tropical canopy.

As our hearts ache for those in the Middle Keys that have lost their homes and livelihoods, the residents of Key West will be here to help them rebuild their lives. As evacuees begin their journey back home, we will welcome them with open arms.

Our corner of paradise might be temporarily down, but it is not out. As Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

—Dean & Keith Townsend, Grateful Key West Citizens

1800 Venetia Street, Key West, FL 33040—$989,000.—SOLD $968,250.

Invite the whole gang down for a tropical island escape! There will be plenty of room for everyone in this spacious, 2,688 square foot, five bedroom and five and one half bath, Key West family retreat.

The home’s well-designed first floor features a formal living room, spacious bedroom with en suite bath, generous storage, powder room, large open-concept kitchen/dining/family room, and a covered porch overlooking the sparkling pool. Light and bright, the upstairs offers three roomy bedrooms with en suite baths, laundry, storage, and tempting sundeck off the king-sized master suite.

The formal living room welcomes you home.

A must-have, the spacious ground floor bedroom with en suite bath will be appreciated by friends and relatives not up for climbing the stairs.

The open plan design of the kitchen, family room, and dining room is perfect for entertaining and creating lasting memories.

Overlooking the tropical pool, enjoy delightful conversations with dinner and drinks on the covered porch.

The downstairs powder room is perfect for guests.

The laundry, storage closet, and attic access is off the upstairs hallway.

The two upstairs front bedrooms are light-filled and inviting. Each one features a sunny, white, en suite bathroom.

Set apart from the other bedrooms, the large master suite is decked out with beautiful plantation shutters (like all the rooms) and opens to a wonderful deck for catching some rays and enjoying the island’s renowned sunsets.

Savor paradise in your own backyard.

Just off the sundeck, the fifth bedroom is filled with light.

While you are enjoying a short stroll to Smathers Beach, your two cars can take a break in secure covered parking.

Constructed in 2004, on a 4,625 square foot lot, this Midtown family home is priced to sell at $989,000.—a real Key West value at under $370.00 a square foot.

We would love to give you a private tour of this spacious Key West vacation home. It just might be the piece of heaven you have been dreaming of.

—Dean & Keith Townsend, The Townsend Team
305-942-1369, www.DeanTownsend.com

3314 Northside Drive, #108, Key West, FL 33040—SOLD AT FULL PRICE $375,000.

For those sun, sea, and sand filled souls beginning the search for their Key West dream home, the reality of purchasing a corner of paradise can serve up a strong shot of sticker shock. After setting out to find a charming Old Town cottage with a sparkling pool, nestled on a hidden lane, just blocks from historic Duval Street, many hopeful buyers find they must adjust their expectations. What you get for $375,000.00 in Schenectady is not what you get here. Living the tropical island dream does no come cheap.

As Key West REALTORS®, we are always glad to be marketing a home for sale that is priced within the reach of more families. Our new listing at 3314 Northside Drive, #108, offers real bang for the Key West buck. Priced to sell, the three bedroom, two bath, New Town townhome is a great value at $250.00 a square foot. Featuring 1,500 square feet of living space on three levels, covered parking, fenced side yard, and a screened porch overlooking the community’s playground and pool, this end unit Solana Village townhouse is not-to-be-missed.

The main floor’s eat-in kitchen is light and bright.

The spacious living room flows to a generous screened porch overlooking the grounds.

Keep cool, swim laps, and catch some rays at the grand community pool.

A full bath, with a shower and washer & dryer, can be found on the main floor.

Along with a second bedroom, the master bedroom—with double closets and attached bath—is upstairs.

A sturdy ships ladder leads to the townhouse’s top floor, where a light-filled loft serves as a third bedroom, home office, or den.

The fenced side yard offers lots of possibilities.

We would love to give you a private tour of this inviting family home. We bet you see the value as much as we do.

—Dean and Keith Townsend, The Townsend Team

1127 Packer Street, Key West, FL 33040—SOLD $600,000.

Strolling by the intersection of Old Town’s Packer and Catherine Streets, you will likely pause to capture an image of the picture-perfect cottage shining on the corner. A Key West souvenir to enjoy for a lifetime, this adorable island home is a dream come true.

Constructed in 1928, the beautifully renovated and maintained historic shotgun cottage features two bedrooms and one bath in 840 square feet of indoor living space.

Teeming with casually sophisticated coastal style, the home’s inviting sun-dappled interior features gorgeous hardwood floors and high ceilings.

The tranquil master bedroom offers a welcome respite from days and nights of tropical adventures.

Perfect for catching ocean breezes, the shotgun cottage’s architectural design allows air to flow freely through the home.

Guests will feel more than welcome as they settle into their inviting room for a visit.

Flowing to the garden, the sunny kitchen’s beachy décor captures the joyful essence of the island’s laid-back lifestyle.

The 1,687 square foot lot has recently been spruced up with mature tropical plantings, brick pavers, and a convenient irrigation system.

Ideally situated six blocks from Upper Duval Street’s celebrated galleries, dining, and entertainment—and six blocks from Higgs Beach’s shimmering Atlantic waters—you will enjoy easy walking and biking access to the very best of Key West. Stay close to home and savor the cuisine at renowned neighbor eateries; The Flaming Buoy Filet Co., El Siboney Restaurant, and Seven Fish.

Whiling away the hours on the picturesque front porch, visiting with friends and neighbors in the island-style living room, or sharing a bottle of wine with loved ones in the garden, you will undoubtedly come to cherish all your moments spent in this charming Key West vacation home.

—Dean & Keith Townsend, The Townsend Team

Click here to enjoy a virtual tour of this captivating island cottage.

Photo taken by the Property Appraiser’s office c1965; 1127 Packer St.; built 1928; Tract 13, Sqr 5, Pt Lot 14

Our Key West

THE TOWNSEND TEAM, Dean & Keith Townsend, REALTORS®, www.DeanTownsend.com