Staging, why bother, who needs it? A question that sellers might ask. It makes sense to question it. Why spend money on something that you are leaving behind?
Why stage a house you are selling
The other day, an agent asked me to stop by her open house. The house had great charm, great curb appeal, and the photos online looked pretty good. She was excited by my comments and asked me to take a tour. The house had not been staged.
As we toured the house I noticed that the décor expressed the seller’s taste. The kitchen had a sunken and cracked floor, but the seller was willing to throw in an architectural plan to fix it. The colors throughout were bold. The pet beds looked neat and clean as did the giant lizard cage in the upstairs bedroom. Seriously this is what the lizard looked like. A little intimidating.
Staging, why bother?
When listing your house for sale, it is the same as selling anything else. The product itself, in order to convey value and desirability, needs to be presented accordingly. What does that mean? The house has to feel that it has value and offers the requirements that a buyer is looking for.
A homeowner putting their house on the market needs to be objective and be aware of any problems that might cause a buyer to walk away. The reasons can vary, like intimidating pets, pet odors, major repairs that need to be done, flooring that is in poor shape. It can even be as simple as the paint color on the wall. These items are reviewed in a staging consultation.
Some Realtors do not feel comfortable to tell their sellers there are issues that need to be addressed. To address anything that might cause an upset is something we all prefer to avoid. No one likes conflict, and there should not be any when selling a home. So how is a seller supposed to know all the concerns that might lose a potential buyer? Hire a professional Stager, make them your partner.
A professional Stager evaluates your house. They are objective when reviewing a property. How the seller believes their house should look and be marketed, is different than what buyers and are looking for. With a staging consultation, a seller receives an objective review of items that will allow their property to resonate with buyers.
A professional stager is knowledgable about the market and the style of home a buyer expects. Sometimes things need to be updated. Possibly somethings moved, other things stored away. A professional stager outlines the steps that are important for a seller to take. This ensures that the property is being shown in the best light, and conveys value to the buyers.
Many believe that it is too costly to suggest staging. In reality, a staging consultation is a small investment, as is staging. Staging is the only investment that a seller makes in the selling process that will give them a return. Staging first can save thousands of carrying costs. It can also allow the seller to avoid large markdowns if the house lingers on the market. A house is one of the biggest investments that we make. Why take a chance to lose a top offer sale ever? Every buyer that walks through a home should feel that they could live there.
That is why you need to bother to have your listing staged.
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