Staging your home really matters.
A well-staged home…
Improves the photos & attracts more buyers, gives those buyers confidence in your home, and makes for the best sale possible. ~Amy Bumpus
A common question we are ask is, “do I really need to stage my home?’ The answer is YES. And let’s review why. Selling your home is a significant financial transaction, one where you don’t want to be lazy and settle for a lower selling price or a longer marketing period than you have to. Time is money (think taxes, utilities, maintenance; and more time on the market the lower the offers).
Consider when buyers dream of their next home it is to improve their lifestyle, not just put a roof over their head. Staging helps create the spaces that fulfill a buyer’s dreams, creating a more emotional purchase that can generate more money for the seller. Think merchandising, just about any product you are going to buy from an Apple computer to a Tesla has their marketing and scene set to emotionally draw you in with its benefits. And a flat practical view is noting that potential buyers don’t want to see work that needs to be done upon moving into their new home from paint to window repair. For every problem or update they see, they’ll deduct its cost from their offering price—and this is often an inflated cost to what a repair may actually cost. If they see too many problems, they’ll pass altogether.
Lifestyle tv shows play a role in what buyers expect. An NAR study notes a median of 20 percent of respondents stated that buyers were disappointed by how homes looked compared to homes they saw on TV shows. And, eighty-three percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. We love the work done by Brenda Barrett. An accredited home staging professional and owner of Home Staging by Brenda Barrett & Co., she shares the following for the Central Ohio Marketplace and how clients benefit from her professional home staging.
“As a former CPA and Budget Director, I love numbers and statistics! You can learn so much by analyzing them! I've got spreadsheets for everything!”
Home Staging by Brenda Barrett & Co.'s 2109 performance results
* Our homes were IN CONTRACT on average in 8.9 DAYS!
* 46% of our homes SOLD on average for $9,963 OVER LIST PRICE!
* 61% of our homes SOLD AT or ABOVE LIST PRICE!
“The numbers don't lie. Staging will help you sell your home faster and for top dollar!!!!” ~ Brenda Barrett
When shopping for a home, it can be challenging to envision the possibilities of an empty space or see past the current owners furnishings and every-day clutter. Let us help you showcase your home’s distinguishing features and create a memorable connection for today’s buyers. We’d love to make you one of our success stories, too!
Of course everyone has a budget, and we can help you assess how much to spend based on your potential return. We like to go through our homes a couple of months prior to listing to review and prepare a plan to make sure we have your home in the best possible showing condition. Making sure we maximize the value in your home. We start with the exterior and entryway (a buyer’s first impressions matter), the living room, kitchens and bathrooms, the owners’ bedroom and outdoor living space, such as a back patio. In the kitchen, potential buyers love to see new appliances that come with the home, but if you can’t do that, make the ones you have spotless. No one wants to see splattered spaghetti sauce, films of grease or piles of crumbs in their potential new home. Likewise, make sure your bathroom sparkles. Your goal should be to make any needed repairs and to make everything look as fresh as possible for prospective buyers.
So here are a few tips that almost every homeowner should consider as you prepare to sell your home.
Declutter: There are two major problems with clutter. One is that it distracts buyers from your home’s features. The other is that it makes it seem like the home doesn’t have enough storage space. Put away knickknacks. Keep in mind that buyers will be interested in your closet space, so tossing everything into the closet to hide it away may not be the best strategy. Box up what you don’t need.
Depersonalize: Buyers need to be able to envision themselves in your home, so remove all the family photos and refrigerator art. Also make sure to put away all the toys and anything else.
Remove odors: Pets, kids, what you ate for dinner last night, a mildew-covered bathroom and many other conditions can make your home smell. You are probably immune to your home’s smell, so you’ll need to have a friend or neighbor help you out with this one. Find the source of the odors and eliminate them. Also, go with natural options like using baking soda or coffee beans to help remove odors, as the plug in and sprays just make for a worse smelling cocktail.
Wallpaper/paint: It is unlikely that a potential buyer will like your wallpaper. Your best bet is to tear it down and paint the walls instead. Don’t even think about painting over the wallpaper – it will look shabby and send red flags for the buyer about all the work he or she will have to do later.
Paint should be warm, neutral colors that appeal to the masses and project the homey image you’re trying to sell.
Lighting: Take advantage of your home’s natural light. Open all curtains and blinds when showing your home. Add lamps where necessary. I’ve yet to find a home that has too much light for showings.
Furniture: Make sure furniture is the right size for the room, and don’t clutter a room with too much furniture. Furniture that’s too big will make a room look small, while an empty room also feels smaller to a buyer with no scale for the eye. Also a vacant home brings all of the flaws front and center as the buyer’s focus. Showing them the potential in a space really creates value.
Exterior: Your home’s exterior will be the first impression buyers get and may even determine their interest in viewing the inside. Make sure your lawn, hedges, trees and other plants are well-maintained and neatly pruned and eliminate any weeds. To brighten windows, wash them well. If you can, carefully power wash/clean your home’s exterior – it can make it look almost freshly painted but with less effort and expense. Make sure the sidewalk leading up to the house is clear and clean, and purchase new doormats for the front and back doors. Creating some sort of outdoor living space in the backyard, such as a deck or patio with outdoor furniture, is another way to use the exterior of your home to its greatest advantage.
Last touches: Just before any open house or showing, add a nice touch of fresh flowers or fresh colorful fruit in a large clear vase.
Remember, a staged home sells faster and for top dollar, so we always provide:
• a staging consultation — helping you to create and present the best version of your home — a move in ready home will encourage buyers to choose your home over others.
• a professional photographer — staging improves upon the images our photographer can provide for the MLS, online ads, flyers and —great photos attract more buyers.
• repair resources — if you have some repair needs, we can help you line up the professionals needed to make repairs prior to listing — a well maintained home provides buyers with the confidence to make their best offer.
Contact us with any questions about selling your home.
