DTLA is a tricky market. First you have to love the city life. You have to love a little grit and the excitement of an ever-evolving area. Think Brooklyn before what it is now. Among brand new skyscrapers and stunning penthouses, you have vintage lofts, the highest concentration of old turn of the century buildings, and a Walkscore of 98. And Union Station where all metro lines meet. There are pop-up art galleries are happening all the time. You have some of the best small restaurants that were born in DTLA, like Sonoratown, Bestia, Factory Kitchen, Maccheroni Republic and Eggslut. And the audience is hip, eclectic, hate "normal" and love community.
So what to do to sell your place when the real estate market is picking up, but the momentum is still not quite there yet? You have to step it up.
Some things you should be prepping before going on the market
1. Staging. Duh. Especially with open plan lofts, you have to stage it because a lot of people don't seem to know where a bed goes, or where to put a sofa in a rectangle room.
2. When staging, try to go very minimal, neutral, and organic. Meaning light and soft colors like beiges, whites, light browns. Put an-off white throw blanket over a dark sofa. Get a light colored rug to cover up dark floors. Get rid of the polkadots drapes, etc.
3. Declutter. Just hide it away. It's ok to have your cabinets stuffed with things, but please just hide it away. Rent a storage space if you need to.
4. If you can, hide personal photos, religious objects, trophies, wall plaques, suitcases, sporting gear and shoes.
5. Swap out lighting. No more silver IKEA track lights please. Just pick out something modern, you can get a nice looking pendant on Amazon for under $100.
6. Ensure windows are cleaned. They should be spotless for showings. It matters in a condo/loft as it's the only outdoor visual one gets in a building, so clean the windows.
7. Update bath and kitchen fixtures. Just spend a couple hundred on a faucet and showerhead. It makes a difference.
