Why you should care about
staging
Think of "staging" as preparing
your home to star
at a big event. As the star,
your home should be dressed in a tuxedo (or ball gown),
rather than appearing too casual, as if wearing sweats and a t-shirt.
As an agent with years and years of
experience, I can tell you there are 2 important reasons for
this:
1. Buyers automatically "discount"
the price if a home is messy, cluttered or, worse yet,
dirty. The unspoken assumption is that owners who are
careless with the appearance of the home while they are
trying to sell it were probably careless about upkeep of the
home and its systems. Then buyers either make no offer
on the property or make a lower price offer.
2. Agents will often put a messy,
cluttered home last on the list to show their buyers -- and
the buyers may very well make an offer on another home
before they get to that messy home.
So here is how to put that
"star-in-a-tuxedo" look into your home:
Make it look like Mr. and Mrs. Clean
live in your home. Scrub, vacuum, wash, clean the carpeting
-- whatever it takes to make your house sparkle.
- If you have to hire
someone, do it. It will be well worth the money you
spend.
- Make sure you attend to
the little things -- such as cleaning the bathroom tile
grout, polishing the doorknobs, washing the windows and
dusting the blinds and the plants.
- During the time your home is
listed for sale, keep up the "clean work". Vacuum
regularly, do the dishes after each meal, make the beds
every morning, empty the garbage cans and wastebaskets
daily. Yes, it may be extra work, but it can mean extra
dollars in the purchase offers.
Paint it mild
Wild wall colors can limit the
number of buyers who are interested in your home. Mild, gentle
colors generally are better.
$70 worth of a soft pastel paint
-- taupe or pale buttery cream or a soft beige -- and a few
hours of painting can result in offers that are thousands of
dollars higher. Paint the baseboards, the interior doors
and window frames white or off-white for a super-clean look.
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Less
is more...money for you
De-clutter and depersonalize
your home.
- Pack up the photos,
souvenirs, small pictures and that stack of mail. After
all, you will be moving soon, so you will have to pack
everything anyway.
- Clear off tables, leaving
only one object on flat surfaces.
- Pack up small appliances in
the kitchen and remove everything you can from the
counter-tops.
- Stow away make-up and other
clutter in the bathroom. Hang fresh towels.
- Move large furniture out of entry
ways and hallways to make those areas seem more spacious.
In fact, if at all possible, you should minimize your
furniture throughout your home when you are trying to sell
it.
Fix it up.
If there is a light switch that
does not work or a faucet that leaks, make sure you have it
repaired by a licensed professional. And keep the
receipt for the repair.
Smells like Mom's kitchen.
A home that smells clean is good.
A home that smells as if Mom just baked cookies with cinnamon is much, much better.
- Do not use
floral scented room air fresheners. Surprisingly, many
people have negative or allergic reactions to the floral
scents. I've seen buyers turn right around and walk out of
a home filled with overwhelming floral air fresheners. Use
the cinnamon or apple pie ones. Lemon scents are okay, too.
- If you have pets, you may
want to use Febreeze or other air cleaner. And empty the
litter box often. You may be accustomed to the pet smell
but prospective buyers are not.
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