Home staging begins by assessing a house. The overall condition, what should be changed to give a seller a return on their investment. And last, a review of the layout and composition of rooms and the overall appearance.
A Home Staging Story
I had a client that wanted to sell her home to a higher-end market. She asked me to do a home staging consultation. We reviewed what would need to be done. Based on the direction I gave, she took it upon herself to hire painters, do a yard sale to remove clutter, moved furniture, and updated bathrooms. Outside she had the curb appeal taken care of and worked diligently completing the extensive list. I was very clear not to list the house until it was ‘market-ready.’
After two months she completed all the suggestions that I gave. When I reviewed her home she wondered if she could ask her agent to pay for the staging. I suggested…ask, all they could say is ‘no.’
The agent said ‘no’ that they did not feel the money for home staging would be worth their own investment. The agent paid the photographer to take pictures, and the house was listed. Of course, the seller asked the house to be listed higher than what the agent thought. The agent was hesitant but listed it to appease the seller, and still would not pay for the staging which was minimal.
Two weeks later the house went into a bidding war and both the seller and agent were shocked! It caught $50,000 over asking price. The beauty of this story is a professional stager knows how to prepare a house for sale. Although the agent did not have to get involved with the nitty-gritty of preparing the property it was staged properly allowing all buyers to see the value and preserved the sellers’ equity!
How to prepare your house for selling
When preparing your house for sale, consider looking at beautiful home interiors in magazines. Yes, the minimal interior design applies to successful home staging. Although minimal interior design to some might feel like there is no life in the room, what it does do showcase the room’s features. Remember, when selling a home you want to showcase the interior, not the “things” in the interior.
In order to have a high success rate to sell that is exactly what you need to do, minimize, look objectively at what you have. Selectively choose what to feature when you are ready to sell to showcase your house. Realize the “things” are not what buyers are looking at. Look at your house objectively.
The HGTV effect
“I love watching HGTV and the way they make the homes look on the shows.” Clients always will tell me.
Professionals in the field of decorating crate the look everyone loves. Decorators know how to selectively and objectively look at items that when put together, create a universal look that buyers will want. They are not real estate agents that have ‘fun with decorating.’
Agents, are not professional decorators, as you saw in the story above. Agents know the essentials of how to get a real estate deal done, period. The smart ones hire a professional home stager to guide the seller in preparing their property. This way the house can sell quickly and for top dollar.
In conclusion
If your goal is to have a success sale partner with a professional home stager. A stager will assess your property and guide you through the preparations prior professional photography. The evaluation will allow you to protect your equity, and allow you to market your house well. Your house will become an magnet to buyers!
Other Good Reads:
