Sweat equity + staging magic = sold
A big misconception is that staging is expensive. Depending on the condition of the home and its contents, staging can be quite affordable with a huge return on investment.
Do not remodel your home to sell. Do it for you to enjoy while living in it. There are cost-effective things to do to refresh your home. Replacing countertops with granite in a dated kitchen or bath is not one of them. Saving my clients from overspending by not over-prepping sells their home.
Sweat equity staging
In an occupied home, the home should be cleaned and de-cluttered as part of the staging process. Roll up your sleeves and start as soon as possible. Lighten and brighten by refreshing with paint where needed, removing wallpaper, editing and rearranging furniture, and removing distracting window treatments. Clean everything!
Listing photos matter
Be a proactive seller. Curb appeal begins online with the photos. This is where the potential buyer does the initial walk-through. The ideal situation is to post professionally shot photographs by an expert in real estate photography, not just someone with a camera.
The photos need to showcase the house, not the stuff in it. If buyers can’t see past all of your personal belongings, they will not be able to make a connection.
Home is such an important factor in anyone’s life. Staging is an investment in getting your house sold faster and for top dollar. Staging does not mean just bringing in a few pretty accessories. Staging is prep before pretty by creating a lifestyle to capture the target market. Vacant staging is another service that stages an empty home.
Successful Realtors know the value of staging. Many offer a staging consultation as part of their marketing. Others will strongly suggest staging before listing. Not only does staging set the house apart from the competition, it also raises the standards of the Realtor. If I generate a report with staging instructions, the Realtor is copied on the report.
Staging process: Initial staging consult & exterior shots July 2015. Final staging walk through & interior shots February 2016. 113 Denniston Drive, New Windsor presented by Teri Powers of Keller Williams Realty Chester NY. Photo credit: Steve Belner of Photovisions
Why isn’t my house selling?
If your house is sitting on the market without any offers, it is time to reevaluate the price and condition. Sometimes it is just a matter of editing, rearranging and new listing photos.
Frustrated sellers have contacted me after multiple price reductions to find out what’s wrong with their house. The answer is obvious once I view it online. In many cases, it takes staging magic to get a house sold in just a few days after refreshing the listing and photos. The seller is surprised by the inexpensive price-tag for the staging and how quickly the situation resolves itself. If the listing was presented properly from the beginning, the price reductions could have been avoided.
For existing listings that are sitting on the market, any changes require new photos, and the listing should be entered as new. When a house sits on the market the listing gets stale.
