'You Can't Fish Without Bait', as the saying goes. It just so happens, this truism is the perfect way to explain one of the key reasons for staging a home.
Whether your entire house is designer-decorated or a mix of styles, periods and more, every seller will benefit from professional staging and styling.
Years before I obtained by Real Estate license, I studied Home Staging as a way to enhance my part time decorating career. This education has been tremendously beneficial as I serve my selling clients' needs. Often, I suggest improvements and enhance homes with my styling know-how and inventory of accessories. For more info and some 'Before and After' photos, read on...
Here's a few facts:
· Over 95% of buyers now shop for homes initially on the internet. It’s critical that your home has an immediate, strong and lasting visual presence online.
· Most home buyers form an opinion about your home within the first 7-10 seconds upon arriving. Just like a first date - it's key to make that terrific first impression.
· In controlled tests selling similar homes, staged versus not staged, the staged homes sold with 60% fewer days on the market and on average for 3% to 5% more. That is both time and money on your side.
What is Staging in a nutshell
Staging is far more than just decorating and cleaning. It's about the art of creating moods and a desired lifestyle. The benefits of this styling cannot be overlooked. Your home will look bigger, brighter, cleaner, warmer and best of all, buyers will easily envision themselves living in your home and want to buy it.
Some of the details
We are creatures of habit. We are so used to living in our homes that we often don’t notice that they may appear crowded, cluttered and filled with family-specific, personal items. These conditions deter buyers from imagining themselves living there. It’s also important to stage your house well so that it looks better than competing properties in your price range and area. This entails cleaning every surface, making visible repairs, possibly painting, removing large pieces of furniture, personal items, and accessories. It might also require a few updated items.
Here's where I can help
You can trust me, as your Real Estate Agent, to only make recommendations that I believe are worthwhile and will give you the highest return on your investment. My complimentary and staging and styling consultation (valued at $475) entails the following:
· Exterior property inspection
· Interior room-by-room assessment
· Immediate feedback, if desired
· Detailed list of recommendations and next steps
· If additional services are needed, I provide names of my favorite Certified Home Stagers and Home Organizational Experts
Some FAQ's:
“My home is already decorated, why does it need staging?” Decorating is for the current homeowner, staging is for the new homeowner. Staging can “remove your fingerprint” from the home and depersonalizes the space.
“Can’t a buyer envision the potential?” Buyers don’t know what they can’t see. Also, many belongings and furnishings become distracting to a buyer. They get overwhelmed easily in someone else’s space.
“Isn’t staging expensive and time-consuming?” Staging your home need not be cost prohibitive and overly time-consuming. It will depend on the home, its condition and the target buyers.
Easy next steps
Once you are ready to list, I start with my complimentary professional consultation and we can take it from there. My priority is always to accomplish your goals of selling quickly and for top dollar. My clients find my recommendations both rewarding and strategic.
Here are just a few examples of listings that have been staged in various degrees. Many changes are quick and easy, such as adding a fresh new paint color or buying a few new accessories. Others are more elaborate, requiring adding furniture and décor.
'Before' Living Room
'After'. In a word, 'WOW'!
'Before' Dining Room looking ho hum and dark for photography...
'After' with styling and updated chairs. Pretty and picture perfect!
This 'Before' Kitchen had updated counters but those walls scream '70's':
'After' the owner heeded my advice to sheet rock the wall and paint the backsplash tile white.
Every home needs the 'WOW' factor to sell successfully in today's competitive marketplace! Let me help to create your own home's "WOW" today!
Staging services in the first 2 sets of photos provided by Susan Tracy, House Whisperers.