If you're looking for a truly unique Chicago experience, Uptown is the area for you!
Nestled comfortably between Edgewater, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview, Uptown is one of the most distinct and historical spots in Chicago. Once a booming entertainment district, Uptown has undergone many transformations over the years. At its heart, though, the area - which includes many smaller neighborhoods, including Sheridan Park, Buena Park, and part of Andersonville - has always been a fascinating, funky place.
Need proof? Check out the area's amazing theaters, including the Aragon Ballroom and the Riviera Theater. The streets of the area also play host to the beating heart of Chicago's jazz scene, including the legendary Green Mill, and feature world class dining, courtesy of strips like the West Argyle Street Historical District, which is laden with appetizing markets and restaurants.
To top it all off, you've got some of the most impressive art-deco design in the city peeking around every corner! And don't just take our word for it; here are some resources worth checking out if you want to explore this vibrant area even further:
Looking to buy or sell in Uptown, including Sheridan Park and Andersonville? Here's what you need to know about the real estate market right now:
Read more: What Are the Current Real Estate Market Conditions in Uptown, Sheridan Park, and Andersonville?
Think of your favorite advertisement, whether it’s a commercial or a bus ad. What makes it stand out in your memory? A catchy jingle? A startling statistic? Or is it something more visual – an image, a photograph, a dominant color?
We’re willing to bet that you’ve been floored by a powerful image or two before, right? You’re not alone. In fact, visual content is the cornerstone of modern marketing – and that holds true for real estate, where photography may make all the difference for the success of your home sale.
We’ve said it before:
“It’s important to adopt the mindset of turning over your home to the market. In essence, this means pretending that it doesn't belong to you anymore and treating the property as a product that needs to be marketed for sale.”
A successful sale requires the homeseller and their real estate team to think like marketers, and to invest in many of the same tactics that marketers use to sell other consumer goods or services. In many cases, that means bringing on a photography pro to capture the essence of your property, rather than relying on easier alternatives, like cellphone photography.
In fact, we always bring on a professional photographer for our listings. Why? Well, in our time, we’ve seen beautiful houses go unappreciated because of poor images, and we’ve seen high quality photographs lure in buyers who may otherwise have been on the fence. In fact, in today’s marketplace, a great set of images may just be the most important tool for getting prospective buyers into the home.
Still need convincing? Let’s explore some of the reasons why photography is so important – and show off a few examples of what works and what doesn’t:
Think of a Photograph as Part of the Staging Process
Read more: How Real Estate Photography Makes All the Difference in the Sale of Your Home
While the South Loop is a large part of the Near South Side MLS neighborhood, residents tend to think of it as its own area with a distinct feel and a unique set of amazing cultural and historical offerings.
Among those offerings? The South Loop's eastern edge includes Museum Campus, a sprawling, gorgeous section of Grant Park that includes the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum, and Shedd Aquarium, along with lots of green space and stunning views of Lake Michigan. Want even more greenery? The South Loop also boasts easy access to Northerly Island, an undeveloped peninsula that is a welcome refuge for city-dwelling nature lovers (and fans of outdoor concerts).
As for Chicago history, the southern edge of South Loop includes legendary Soldier Field, home of the Bears; the area also includes some of Printer's Row - once the central hub of the Midwest's publishing industry - and the Prairie Avenue "Millionaire's Row," the home to many of Chicago's 19th century elites. Plus, this area is home to facilities for some of Chicago's institutions of higher learning, like Columbia College Chicago and Roosevelt University.
Curious about what else to expect out of the South Loop? Here are a few handy resources worth checking out:
Ready to give the area a look for yourself?
Here are the current market statistics for South Loop as of winter 2020:
Read more: What are the Current Market Conditions for the South Loop?
There are so many ways to get around in Chicago, from bike lanes to CTA trains to walking paths like the world famous 606. But for many, the car is still the best way to get from one end of the city to the other.
With that in mind, it’s important to remember that many potential buyers will care very deeply about one part of the home that many of us take for granted: the garage. Don’t let this space go to waste!
Here are three ideas for staging your Chicago garage for maximum impact:
1.) Don’t Just Shift the Clutter Around
One thing to keep in mind if the garage is part of your prospective buyers’ tour? Don’t just shift your clutter from inside the house out into the garage!
Having a massive pile of home junk in the center of the room is hardly a great way to show off the potential of the space to your buyer, who is likely more interested in seeing how a garage can be used to store a car or act as a work station than to take a look at the life-size Michael Jordan poster you took off of your wall and put out of sight.
Instead of just relocating your clutter from one part of your home to another, focus on the home decluttering hacks that your buyers will really love: Organize messy spaces like closets or bathrooms, and be ready to part with a lot of unnecessary detritus (or at least store it off-site).
2.) Organize Your Space
Read more: Staging Your Home? Don't Forget the Garage
