How We Sold an Expired Kenmore Condo: Paint, Staging and an Honest Price

The condo had expired off the market before I ever met the owner. It was painted in many different colors, with accent walls throughout, and filled with heavy antique furniture and green decor. It was also priced too high.

Sometimes you have to do the hard things, even when it is not what the client wants to hear. This Kenmore condo is my favorite example.

Why It Did Not Sell the First Time

Every one of those choices made sense to the person living there. The colors and the antiques were the owner’s taste, and it was a lovely place to live. But buyers walk into a listing trying to imagine their own life there. When a home is full of someone else’s furniture and bold colors, buyers see the work they would have to do instead of the home they could have.

Add a high price, and buyers had an easy reason to keep scrolling.

The Three-Part Fix

When I came in, we made three changes together:

1. The owner moved out completely. An empty unit gave us a clean slate.
2. We repainted the walls back to neutral. It is one of the least expensive changes with one of the biggest effects in photos and in person.
3. We brought in professional staging. Staging made the condo look and photograph the way buyers expect a home to look, with furniture that showed scale without competing for attention.

We also brought the price down to where the market could respond.

The Result

It still took a couple of months to sell. Condos usually take longer than houses, and I always set that expectation up front. But it sold, which is more than it had done the first time around.

If Your Listing Expired

An expired listing is not a verdict on your home. It is information. In my experience, a home that is not selling needs some combination of three things:

• A better home: paint, cleaning, decluttering and staging.
• Better marketing: professional photos and getting the listing in front of the right buyers.
• A better price: one that matches what buyers are paying for similar homes right now.

The hard part is being honest about which ones apply. That is a conversation I am glad to have.

About Kenmore

Kenmore sits at the north end of Lake Washington, between Lake Forest Park and Bothell. It has Log Boom Park on the water, Saint Edward State Park, the Burke-Gilman Trail and quick access to both Seattle and the Eastside. Condos and townhomes near the main corridors are one of the more affordable ways to buy in the area, which means there is often a lot of competition between similar units.

Learn more on my Kenmore agent page.

Staging on a Budget

Not every seller can move out and stage the whole place. If that is you, there are middle steps that still help a lot:

• Paint first. Neutral walls make rooms look bigger and photos look cleaner.
• Take out a third of the furniture. Especially big, dark pieces.
• “Vignette” staging: stage just the living room, the primary bedroom and one bathroom.
• Clear every surface in the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Swap bold decor for plain towels, white bedding and a plant or two.

Questions I Hear a Lot

How soon can I relist after my listing expires?

Once your listing agreement has ended, you can relist right away. I usually recommend taking a short pause to fix what held it back, so the relaunch feels like a new listing.

Should I change agents after my listing expires?

That is your call. Ask the new agent what they would change about the home, the marketing and the price. If the answer is “nothing,” you will probably get the same result.

How long should I expect my condo to take to sell?

Condos usually take longer than houses. I check current days on market for similar units in your area and set expectations before we list.

Let’s Look at Your Home Together

If your home did not sell, book a free 15-minute call or call or text me at (206) 245-8813. You can also request a free home value report to see where today’s market puts your price.

Emily Cressey is a broker with HomePro Associates at Keller Williams Greater Seattle, serving King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. Client details are shared without names.