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 photo’s online looked pretty good. She was excited by my comments and asked me to take a tour.
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. 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.
Some Realtors do not feel comfortable to tell their sellers there are issues that need to be addressed. Agents like to keep their clients happy and not rock the boat – so to say. 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 the your house. They are objective 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.
Many RE agents operate in the belief that it is too costly to suggest staging. In reality, a staging consultation is a small investment, as is staging. Staging first can save thousands on carrying costs as the house lingers on the market. It can also allow the seller to avoid large markdowns because there is no interest. Why take a chance to lose a potential 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.
Other good reads
[…] Pet odors can be very disagreeable to some people. Keep your pets off the furniture, if their “space” is not in an area with hard easy to clean surfaces try and move them to one. Keep all bedding clean and bathe and brush your pets on a regular schedule to minimize smells and shedding. […]