Have You Staged Your House?
Staged? What does that mean? And why should I do it?
My house is clean and looks like a home where people live and enjoy life. Isn’t that enough?
No, unfortunately it isn’t anymore.
It might be enough in a market where homes were few and far between, but in today’s mobile society there are usually plenty of choices for a buyer searching for homes for sale in your locale. Sometimes home size and amenities are similar, and the only difference is condition.
That means that as a smart seller, you have to make your home stand out from the other homes for sale by “staging.” You need to add the “Wow” factor. And it is easier than you think.
Begin with de-cluttering. You’re going to move anyway, so now is the time to get rid of all those things you never use. Clean out the closets and the cupboards and the garage. Remove furniture that overcrowds any room.
Have a yard sale, give things to a charity, or rent a storage unit. The more vacant your storage areas look, the more spacious your house looks. Remember that clutter anywhere gives the impression of “not enough room,” then be ruthless in moving things out and away.
Then comes the cleaning. Make sure your light fixtures and windows sparkle, and shampoo all the carpets. Wash off all the fingerprints from light switches and cupboard fronts. If the walls are looking dingy, repaint.
Painting is a big chore, but it could make the difference between selling and not selling. Be sure to use a neutral color so your potential buyers can picture their own belongings in your house.
Go over the house looking for minor irritants like squeaky doors, dripping faucets, burned out light bulbs, etc. that you can fix with ease. Then fix them.
Pay special attention to your front door and the approach to your house. Scrub or repaint the door. Weather permitting, plant some flowers and mow the grass. Curb appeal is important because it is the first thing people see about your house… and the emotional feeling it creates will carry through and affect everything those people see inside.
Those are the basics. If you’re serious about besting the competition, you need to do a little more.
- Stash all the small appliances and other things that clutter the kitchen and bathroom counter tops.
- Buy and display new towels in both kitchen and bath.
- Put up a bright new shower curtain.
- Put together some pretty flower arrangements and place them in strategic places.
- Remember to open the curtains and blinds before each showing.
- Run the vacuum and the broom just prior to a showing.
- Put your dogs in the yard or take them for a drive before people arrive.
- If you have a cat box… make sure it has just been cleaned.
- Use air freshener if any pet, bathroom, or cooking odors linger in your home!
- Turn off the TV and send family members off to do something else… Buyers are hesitant to “interrupt” when someone is watching TV, playing video games, etc. and they might leave before seeing the best features of your home.
- Stay out of the way when your agent arrives with buyers. You don’t want them to feel hesitant to “snoop” by checking out cupboards, closets, etc. If you can, leave for a while.
- Let yours look like a “model home” – as if nobody lives there yet.
You don’t sell a house the same way you live in one, so your household routine may be disrupted a bit. Just remind everyone that making your house look as if nobody lives there will get you moving on to the next home sooner than they think.
Remember that if your agent uses a good virtual tour, potential buyers are going to see multiple photos of your home for sale on the internet. They’ll be interested… or not… based on the photos and the information they find on your home tour.
Stage your house before you list… so the photos seen on the Internet will make potential buyers say “That’s the one!”
Click here to contact me if you have any questions.
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