Christina Rordam: Sage advice to help sell your home

When it comes to selling a home Realtors like myself have a plethora of tools at our disposal. Things like SEO, real estate websites and blogs along with video, drones and social media are leading the way for more and more buyers to meet their new homes.

I embrace the newest forms of technology. With a few keystrokes and some professional photography I can reach tens of thousands of buyers in very specific areas almost immediately. But what about the other ways to promote good fortune and energy in your home?

Long before Zillow and Trulia, before you could drive past a home and text a number to view a link with all the details and photos about that property, people sought out other ways to promote their homes. Generally speaking this meant word of mouth, newspaper ads and a sign in the yard. All of the above methods are still at play at any given time for home sellers in Central Florida. As I’ve helped homeowners buy and sell real property in greater Orlando over the past 11 years, I’ve taken note of less commonplace ways that homeowners have chosen to attract buyers. Here are a few.

Sage

Before writing this column I asked my friends and clients on social media: what are some out-of-the-ordinary things you or a friend or family member have done to help sell a home? One of the more frequent responses was to sage or to smudge their homes.

Sage is the most common herb used to smudge a home, the purpose being to clear the home of any negative energy enabling more positive energy and opportunity to flow in. Sellers have opted to buy a bundle of sage often bound with twine and light it then blow it out allowing it to smoke a bit. The homeowner then takes the bundle room to room, still smoking, sometimes visualizing a positive outcome such as the sale of the home until the whole house has been smudged. Once the smudging is complete the owner opens a window to allow the negative energy to leave the home and the positive to enter.

Many people swear by this method. And, if nothing else, taking time to walk through your home while meditating on the positive intention of attracting a buyer is good for the mind. And sage just smells good!

Statues

The second most popular response to request for unusual methods of clearing the energy in a home or to sell it was to bury a statue of St. Joseph upside down in the front yard of the home one is trying to sell.

One friend advised me a relative had tried multiple times to sell their place only to bury dear old St. Joseph head first and receive multiple offers shortly after. Was St. Joseph the cause of the buyers placing an offer? This family seems to think so, as do many others.

It’s said that this tradition goes back hundreds of years with its origins in Europe. St. Joseph was thought to be the patron saint of families (among many other things such as the dying and working people). Nuns were said to have buried medals of St. Joseph in hopes of obtaining more land for convents.

However this tradition got its start, it’s now thought best to bury a statue upside down in your yard in order to bring buyers to your home. I wonder where you put St. Joseph if you own a condo?

Oils and candles

I was advised more than once that utilizing oils throughout your home can help invite positive energy and good fortune as well as expel the bad. Some have mentioned newer oils such as blends of essential oils diffused in the home. It’s an excellent alternative to a candle left burning while a seller steps out for a buyer to view their home!

Others told me that prior to moving in to their new place they dripped holy water blessed by a priest in all the corners of the home and said a prayer amongst the family to bless the home. Frankincense is another oil with roots deep in religious traditions. It’s recommended to dab this oil by all windows and doors, then leave the front door open to allow negativity to leave. Frankincense is also fabulous smelling and great around the holidays. Why not give it a dab and see?

Whatever your heritage, culture or belief, I say give it a go! It can’t hurt and who knows, maybe it’s just what you need to draw in that perfect buyer. Just don’t forget to call a Realtor too.