The market is flooded with housing inventory and if you want to sell your home you want to make your home stand out. Staging or redesigning might be the answer.More often than not, effective staging can be achieved by decluttering and relocating existing furniture and accessories throughout the house to achieve elegant simplicity. Removing heavy curtains can let in more light and make the home seem larger and brighter. Cleaning up the yard and adding some "curb appeal" can make a big difference.
Just like a car needs certain preparation before selling (a good cleaning, removal of trash and personal belongings, or a tune-up), a house is very similar.
Staging is crucial. A home has to be perfect from the start, because we only have one shot to make a good first impression. Your home reflects your personal style and taste, staging does just the opposite. Staging depersonalizes a room. Often personal photos or collections are removed so they don't distract prospective buyers. Buyers need to be able to admire the architectural features of the home, instead of what's in it.
If you're trying to sell a house in today's market, and it has something buyers see as a challenge or defect, you may be stuck with a house that won't move. If improvements and changes are done properly, before a house goes on the market, 'problem homes' may not be problems at all.
Buyers have so much to choose from and negatives of any kind will not be overlooked by today's discriminating shoppers. Sellers must work harder to attract buyers and that's where home staging comes in. Generally staged homes, on average, sold in half the time that the non-staged homes.
Staging is quickly gaining consumer awareness. It has shows dedicated to it like HGTV's "Designed To Sell" and other popular shows have dedicated segments to staging - ABC's Nightline and The Oprah Winfrey Show to name a few. Stories have been published in USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Money magazine, Business Week, and aired on CBS Market Watch and CNN Radio.
Some of the staging shows on cable have done a disservice by giving the idea that lots of money must be spent in order to change the look of a room. That is just not the case.
The most common problems are that most homes have too much "stuff" in them. Editing and depersonalizing is the first and most important task. Another challenge in today's market is the empty home. With properties sitting on the market longer, it's more likely that the homeowner will need to move - with the furniture. Furnished homes show better. The solution lies in planning long before the move. I can recommend what to leave in the house and what to move to the new location. Professional staging is becoming an indispensable part of the home-selling process.
Since I am a Certified Interior Redesigner and Real Estate Stager myself I can help you set up your home for maximum profit and exposure.
1 comment:
Hi Sandy,
I like your blog. I am in the northwest suburbs of Chicago - Broker, Stager blend like you and am enjoying the role. I agree with all that you say and that there needn't be huge cost in staging. I don't believe that stagers should obsess over each and every nook and cranny of the home. As we know, buyers have decided upon entering if they are there to continue looking and forgive anything they think they may change ... or if they are immediately not impressed and just want to dismiss the home. Therefore we really focus on the curb appeal, front entry....main living areas. I find that by they time they reach a teenager's bedroom they are willing to forgive it if they have liked what they have seen thus far. I have a client who insists on having me bring in all the staging items yet refuses to have the roof cleaned that is visible from the street...refuses to remove dated wallpaper or to clean up and paint the front door. Those things really matter! Sellers need to understand that it doesn't matter if the home is staged beautifully if the buyer drives by and cancels the showing due to the lack of curb appeal!
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