What's Wrong With my House...
Okay, you finally did it. You’ve listed the house with a realtor.
They’ve put a sign in the yard, flyers in the box and your photos on the
MLS and you expect a sale any day now because, hey - what’s wrong with
my house? Somebody is bound to want it. After all, just look at the
beautiful red dining room. (Anyone can look beyond that if they don’t
like red.) Look at the spacious family room. (Well, anyone can look
beyond all the pictures of little Bobby and Susie as they have grown
these past --- 18 years.) Just look how spacious the house is. (Well,
anyone can look beyond the oversized furniture and at all the things
I’ve been able to get into each room.) Well can’t they?
Fast forward 90 days, the house has been on the market. Not a single
offer and showings have trickled to one every couple of weeks. You’ve
really got to get this house sold and don’t feel like you can reduce the
price. Other houses around you have sold, and then you begin to ask
yourself - what’s wrong with my house?
Let’s consider a different scenario. One that increases your chances of
selling your home faster and possibly for more money!
What if you had staged your house before you listed with a realtor or at
least started showing the house? That investment combined with the
marketing skills of a Realtor would get your house sold more quickly and
for more money. A trained Real Estate Stager knows what to look for, how
to call attention to a house’s best selling points, and how to prepare
the property for the market. After all, your house is typically one of,
if not the greatest asset you will ever own and you deserve to sell it
at the highest possible price. Real Estate Staging is a smart investment
and a very affordable way to get top dollar for your house, especially
in today’s market.
As an example, if you have a $150,000 house on the market, the first
price reduction is going to cost you approximately $5000 that you won’t
get back at the sale. However, that same house could be staged for less
than half of that and you will get that back at closing because most
likely you will sell it for the original asking price.
A first impression only takes 15-30 seconds and staging increases the
possibilities of a favorable first impression. Also, a vast majority of
potential buyers are looking at a house online before they try to see it
in person. The online photos are the first opportunity for your house to
make an impression and become memorable. If the house doesn’t show well
online, the buyer will most likely not want to see it in person.
But what exactly is staging, you may ask. A trained Real Estate Stager
will take a good look at your house through the eyes of a potential
buyer and make suggestions about ways it can be improved in order to
make your house more appealing to the majority of buyers. This is
critical for your house to sell in a shorter period of time. They can
help you to really see what a buyer is seeing and how to correct it. A
well staged home will insure that buyers notice all of the property’s
best architectural features, and will downplay features that detract
from the home’s overall character and charm. Their advice can make your
house look larger and turn key ready for the new buyer. But staging is
not just telling you what to do. A professional Real Estate Stager will
get in there and get the job done by investing the time required to do
the job right. After all, when selling your house, you are in direct
competition with every other house with similar features. Does your
house stand out from the crowd?
Staging has become a necessary tool in marketing houses and is equally
effective in selling homes whether the list price is $75,000 or
$750,000, particularly in our current economy. By creating a series of
positive, lasting, first impressions; and showcasing your house’s best
features, the buyer connects emotionally and is better able to visualize
living there. And that’s the goal, isn’t it?
Written by Debra Burley at 256/478-0890 or
www.recreationshome.com
Read another home staging article...
So You've moved into your new home-now what?
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new home. Soon You'll be moving in- now what? Keep the old sofa or buy a
new one?
