A Window (En)Treatment

July 10, 2007

Many people are going to disagree with me, but I hate drapes.  Ugh.  To me, the word “drapes” conjures up visions of heavy, floral, musky fabrics staunchly barricading a room against any ray of light which might try to eek its way in.  I’ll take vertical blinds any day, thank you.

In my ideal world, none of us would need window treatments of any sort – there would be no nosy neighbors, UV damage to our furniture, or unsightly street views through our windows.  However, drapes and other window treatments are a fact of life for daily living.  There’s no denying that black-out drapes are great accessories when you want to sleep in on a Saturday, and with all the variety out there, drapes and window treatments can be a fantastic mode of expressing individual taste within your home.

But, as any stager worth a grain of salt will tell you, how you live in your house is not how you sell it.  This certainly applies when it comes to your windows!  All too often I see open homes where sellers and agents have forgotten that they are selling the house and its architectural features, and leave the windows obscured behind outdated curtains or dusty blinds.

Things to keep in mind about your windows when selling:

  • ­(Most) windows are selling points.*  Accentuate them, don’t hide them.
  • ­Make sure all windows are CLEAN.  I don’t mean swiped with a dirty squeegee.  If you don’t have the time to make the windows q-tip clean, calling in a professional is a good idea.
  • ­No one likes a dark house!  Keep blinds, shades, and/or curtains open during your open houses, even if you normally keep them shut.  If you have a less-than-picturesque view outside a window, consider keeping the shades or blinds partially closed.  However, most of the time the benefits of bringing in light outweigh an ugly view.
  • ­You are not selling your designer valences and swags.  These items tend to make the windows look smaller.  Take them down when you’re selling.

So what do you do if you still need treatments on the window while you’re selling? If you have blinds, shutters, or shades that are in good, working condition, I’d take down the extra curtains and swags and just leave the other covers in place for when you need them.  If drapes are your only option, buy some inexpensive tiebacks, and move them out of the way for showing.  Your goals are to let in the most light possible and to make the windows look as big as possible.

Here is a great before and after example from Erin Blackburn, ASP, of Showcase Staging in Santa Cruz:

Before

After

Before, who would have thought that those were nice windows??
Staging lesson:  Ditch the drapes whenever possible!

*If you have cracked, moldy or otherwise unsightly windows that you absolutely can’t replace before selling, these are not selling points.  But don’t let their light be blocked by heavy treatments.  I recommend making a run to your local box store and buying some inexpensive sheer panels.  Simply thread a rod through them, hang, and, voila!  Unsightly windows out, lots of light still coming in.

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Written by Ann O'Connell · Filed Under Real estate 

Comments

16 Responses to “A Window (En)Treatment”

  1. Susan Patereau on July 11th, 2007 4:48 am

    This was very helpful for me, because I recently had a listing with elaborate custom window treatments in every window of every room. The draperies matched the furniture/accessories. The owner wanted to take the drapes and valances with her when she moved and I told her (in a nice way) that they wouldn’t fit anything she moved into. The house sold, but the owner is having a hard time leaving those window treatments. In retrospect, I should have let her take them down and take them with her, because we had the wood blinds underneath. No doubt the new owner would have bought the home with only the wood blinds in place. The fit will still be all wrong in her new house (most probably) but the owner would have left this house easier and would have come to terms with the sizing issues on the other end. There’s psychology in a real estate transaction, too.

  2. Diane Aurit on July 11th, 2007 1:20 pm

    I agree with 99% of what you said. As listing agents we can’t over emphasize enough the importance of LIGHT and professionally cleaned windows when staging our properties. Anything on the windows that takes away light, even custom drapes, should be removed before showings begin. Now for the 1%: two thumbs way down for vertical blinds. They remind me too much of the 80’s!

  3. Ann on July 11th, 2007 1:38 pm

    Susan - there’s SO much psychology going on! It’s so much fun to get creative with window treatments in your home, and it’s a great way to show your personal style. But, as your seller is learning, what works for one person may not work for the next!

    Diane - But don’t you just love the way vertical blinds blow and clack in the breeze??? :)

  4. The Feed Bag on July 11th, 2007 6:00 pm

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  6. Jack Macferson on July 12th, 2007 1:43 am

    Hai There,

    Really an entertaining blog on Real Estate Industry. The information that you have written about drapes is really useful. It gave me some more ideas for my New home.

    Thankx
    Jack Macferson
    http://indianpropertysearch.blogspot.com

  7. Richard Mann on July 12th, 2007 3:21 am

    To Ann and all interested in this subject.

    This website will interest you all: http://www.itsMiraculous.com

  8. Derek Burress on July 12th, 2007 5:01 pm

    Eww.. the drapes in the first picture kind of reminded me of a haunted house. Its almost looks like the drapes are nothing but a tattered piece of cloth as you can see right through it.

  9. FSBO Louisville on July 13th, 2007 11:29 am

    I have no problem with blinds, but drapes are too grandma-like for me. Great post!

  10. Ann on July 13th, 2007 11:34 am

    I agree that drapes in the pics definitely qualify for a spooky grandma’s house! There are plenty of contemporary alternatives out there. Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

  11. Sandy on July 20th, 2007 9:28 am

    What I want to know is how changing out the drapes changed the view of what was outside the window!

    I know–different angle. But it is amazing the differences between the two pictures!

    I’m with ya though. Drapes are ugly. Not as ugly as vertical blinds though!

  12. www.foodthatheal.info » A Window (En)Treatment on October 7th, 2007 1:02 pm

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  14. sendpost » Blog Archive » A Window (En)Treatment on October 23rd, 2007 4:59 am

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  15. Chicago Flat Fee MLS on May 28th, 2008 8:39 am

    I have no problem with blinds, but drapes are nice especially with the hot summer days or cold winters

  16. Flat Fee MLS on June 4th, 2008 1:01 pm

    I think the trade off is great!

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