Marianne Rigby has made the real estate industry her life’s work starting with creating RPM Real Estate Co. in Webb Lake along with her husband Lee in 1981.
Six years later they relocated to warm Florida and worked in real estate until they returned to this area to start Classic Realty in 1992. It turned into My Favorite Realty and in 1997 they brought Edina Realty to Spooner, a well-oiled company that began in Edina, Minnesota.
After 14 years it was time for some downtime. The downtime didn’t last long and now Marianne has been with Lake Place Realty in Shell Lake for 6 years and doing well.
Her biggest advantage to working in the industry for so many years selling hundreds of homes and properties is she knows what sells a house and what holds it back or reduces the price.
It was a class in staging in 2002 that was held in Minneapolis that introduced a new challenge for her; to help owners show their home, or property in the best possible way.
She was so impressed with the results of the class she went back and took the Master’s Class.
Ever since, not only does she still sell homes, she’s often the person that’s called to suggest changes so an ordinary space can be transformed into a must-have property.
She charges $150 for a 90-minute consultation and when you figure that the suggestions she makes will net you added money at the sale, she’s more than reasonable.
Being an expert stager, she shares a few of her suggestions with us to increase the possibility your house will sell such as:
Start at the curb. If there are trees and shrubs that are all scraggly, trim them, or remove them. If it’s winter, shovel, shovel, shovel.
You might consider painting the exterior of your home, but you need to trim the grass, fix broken windows or screens and wash the windows until they sparkle.
Everything should be clean, even the new welcome mat at the front door along with a few green plants near the door in the summer.
Once the client steps inside the house, they want to see their possibilities, not your version of decorating. They also do not want to smell potpourri or candles; they want a nice neutral smell to greet them and they do not want a dog, friendly or not, to greet them.
The first room they enter needs to be de-cluttered big time. Remove boots and shoes and snowmobile helmets. Wash the floor and think seriously about painting several rooms, especially the ones covered in wallpaper. Marianne likes the Benjamin Moore paint color, Flax. “It’s warm and clean looking and compliments any room.”
You need to remove extra furniture that clutters up the rooms along with the art on the walls and make sure all your light bulbs are working and have them all on.
Vacuum all the carpeting and rent a carpet cleaner if needed. Open the shades and curtains so prospective buyers can see the view.
Speaking of view, you might have to erect a trellis or plant a shrub or two if your side view looks into your neighbor’s messy yard or house.
In the kitchen, remove everything from the refrigerator door and only leave 3 things on the counter. Make sure the appliances are clean and replace any rugs that are dirty or worn.
Marianne recommends storing the extra things you’ve taken out of the house off-site and not in the garage. You want that to look de-cluttered too.
In the bathroom, replace old towels with new soft ones and add some greenery if you can. Clean all the fixtures, including the shower tiles and inside the toilet bowl.
First impressions are most important, so step back and look at your home with honest eyes, take a photo or ask an honest friend how it looks.
Marianne is available to make valuable suggestions even if you’re not selling your home. Using your own things, she can create rooms that will surprise you. For this, she charges $25 an hour and will either make suggestions or do it for you.
If you’ve got empty land for sale, she has clever ideas that will help bring in extra cash to the sale by adding trails, parking, or a dock.
She’s full of imaginative ideas so if you’re looking to sell, or if you have a house for sale that just isn’t moving, you might want to give her a call at Lake Place Realty, 715-416-0511.
Last Update: Jan 16, 2017 12:10 pm CST
