How to Make Your Model Home Sizzle

 How to Make Your Model Home Sizzle [26:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

BuilderRadio interviews Kay Green, Kay Green Design.
Okay:  You build a great home using all the latest and greatest features to push all the hot buttons that your buyers have.  You use an award winning floor plan and even throw in some great upgrades not usually found in your price point.  You’ve addressed your punch list, the house is spic and span, and there it sits glistening in the sunlight.  Is it really ready to show?

This week we interview Kay Green, a model home merchandiser, that gives this caution:  Not so fast!

Your house may be a real stand-out, but will it stand out in the minds of your buyers?  We asked Kay to explain the role of model home merchandising and why it should be an important part of your design and marketing.

“I really believe that most builders understand what a model home can do for them.  But, it’s important to remind people, especially in these times, that the general public has no imagination; it’s very difficult for them to walk into a space and picture how they can use that for their lifestyle – where the TV goes, how much seating there is…”

“Homes look there biggest when they have furniture in them and you can actually prove the space – that a king size bed will actually fit in the master bedroom, that the living room actually will seat eight; that they can have a dining table that will seat 10.

What interior merchandising firms specialize in is creating the WOW factor.  A lot of what we do is backgrounds – applied molding treatments, interesting ceiling treatments, even something like accent paint can really dress up a house.  The furniture is secondary to the backgrounds; we’re selling the house, not the furniture.  So, we want people to see and notice the interesting features of the house.”

Color plays a big part when it come to getting people emotionally involved.  We use a lot of color.  The color is what attracts people and turns them on emotionally.

Space Planning is one of the most important things.  The way you plan the furniture proves that every square foot is being used.  So, the space plan is the first thing that you do.

Green likes to get floor plans before the house is ever built.  She considers how furniture might work in each room and redlines the plans with her recommendations to make the house  “work right” when fully furnished.  “We usually get involved when the architect has done all the preliminary drawings.  That’s when we look at furniture placement and traffic flow.  We spend a lot of time on the kitchen and bathrooms to make sure that they’re dramatic as well as functional.”

Choosing the Right Model to Merchandise
People buy what they see that excites them.  That’s why merchandising is so important to buyers.  What’s important to the builder is profitability, and model home merchandisers can help with this, too.  “We are often involved in the selection process of the house,” says Green.  “The plan that you choose is the one that you’re going to sell the most of, so I always say that you should first choose the plan that is most profitable for the builder.  Secondly, choose the home that you think will be the most difficult for the consumer to imagine.  That’s the home you should pick to be your model.”

You are Not Your Market.
Merchandising a model is a function of marketing.  Merchandisers plan, decorate and furnish a home to appeal to the target buyer, someone whose tastes might be decidedly different from those of the builder.  Green explains, “Sophisticated builders understand that they are not their market.  Everything that a model merchandiser does is very targeted toward who the buyer is.  We study the demographics; we get out in the field and look at the competition to see who they’re going after and study demographic reports.  So, we have a good idea of what the expectations of buyers are.”

Keep Up With the Trends
“Currently, we’re seeing a move to a more contemporary, clean line look in terms of style,” says Green, “even in more traditional markets like Atlanta and Washington. Gen-X, Gen –Y, and even the ‘boomers’ are all leaning toward cleaner lines.  If you look at the Ethan Allen catalogs, they are all getting a lot cleaner.
In terms of colors, Green sees these trends emerging:

• Chocolate brown is a big trend color;
• Off white is being replaced by ‘white white’ and is being used with brighter colors;
• Backgrounds are more neutral colors, like cream and white, and the color is only in accessories and art and toss pillows and accents.
• The big white bed is very ‘in.’

The Bridge from Architect to Marketing.
When an architect or designer develops a floor plan or a builder or community, they aren’t designing for a specific customer.  That’s where the merchandiser comes in and bridges the gap.  Green explains:

“Architects sort of design from the exterior to the interior.  They worry about how the windows are going to look from the outside of the house, whereas interior designers are more in to how the interior spaces work.  So, very often I’ll have architects call me and say, ‘Okay, it’s time for you to come in and make sure that what I did was right.”

Then, when the home is built, they choose a decorating theme.  “That theme is based first and foremost on who the potential buyer is – what their expectations are.  We also go out and look at the competition.  We don’t want to do a theme or a color that is like anything else they are going to see, because they remember color more than anything.

Also, we base [the theme] on lifestyle.  If they’re in a golf community then the theme will be golf; if it’s a family community the theme might be soccer… It’s based on a lot of things,” says Green.

Advice for Small Builders
Spec homes that are professionally merchandised sell more quickly.  However, not all builders are in a position to invest in a merchandising.  As a bare minimum, Green offers this advise:  “The best thing to do is to get somebody in to pick the right finishes.  Choose the right carpet, cabinets and countertops – things that go together well.  My rule is that everything that stays with the house needs to be neutral.

Then, if you want to go a step further, merchandise the kitchen and the bathrooms.  Those are the areas that people look at the most.  Do something nice in the kitchen with accessories.  Hang towels in the bathroom to warm that space up.  Accessorize the bathtub.

If you want to take it a step further, I think accent paint and applied molding in a spec home is a good idea.  If you have shelves in the family room, then go ahead and accessorize those.  Those items can be moved to the next home with this one sells. Even very simple window treatments can add warmth and life to a house.”

Another simple idea that Green offers is that, if you can’t fully furnish the home, then present a drawing of the floor plan, complete with furniture, on easels in the home.  That way buyers can get an idea of where the furniture might go and see that the rooms are, in fact, large enough to accommodate them.

Make It an Event
A bonus that Green offers her clients is what she calls A Day With The Designer.  After she’s merchandised a model home and the grand opening traffic has died down, she offers to come back for a day to meet with potential buyers to go over the design options that will be available to them if they buy a new home.  She strategically emphasizes features that can’t be retrofitted into an existing house, showing the benefits of moving into a new home and encouraging people to do so.

The bottom line is this: The warmer and more inviting you can make the space become, the more likely you are to connect emotionally with your buyers and make the sale.  Merchandising can help you accomplish this.

So, instead of seeing model merchandising as a cost, look at it as the bridge between design and marketing, and as an investment that promises high returns.

Learn more about Kay Green Designs at www.KayGreenDesign.com.

Rave Reviews for The Insider’s Guide To Selling More Homes by Jerry Rouleau and Scott Stroud.  Get your copy here.

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