One of the 15 “secrets” from MyPhoenixMLS.com article 15 Insider Seller Secrets: Don’t Try to Sell Your Home without Them, is “Paint prospective buyers a picture.” A buyer’s decision to buy is based largely on emotion, not reason. Prospective buyers will pay attention to how they feel in your home. Can they imagine themselves at home there? Isn’t that the same way you purchased your home?
If your home is in move-in condition, with neutral decorations so that the buyer can envision her family at the dining room table or snuggled up on the couch, you’re on your way to a sale. But if the house needs cleaning or repairs – or you have so many highly personalized decorations that the buyer can’t imagine himself living in your home, then a sale is going to be much more difficult.
For more information on home staging, check out www.MyPhoenixMLS.com
MyPhoenixMLS.com
of AZ
@
Jan 28, 2009 12:53:49 PM
staging
We sold our house in two days...it was hard to repaint and take out all our belongings to stage the house...but SO WORTH IT!
I painted my precious pink wall a neutral cream and this was all because of our wonderful realtor, Barb Christianson in Willmar, Minnesota. Thanks again Barb!
Barb Cloyd
of FL
@
Oct 29, 2008 16:12:41 PM
Home Staging
It is very difficult for a novice to guess what's in the mind of a buyer. As a REALTOR, I bring in a professional home stager for each listing I take, and we do not enter the market until the work is completed. Buyers (and time) are both precious, and why waste either one? Even in a slower market, I have been fortunate to present either full price (or multiple offers) to my sellers, allowing them to make a choice and move forward. Pricing, visibility and presentation are all important in today's market.
Thomas A. Werth
of WI
@
Oct 14, 2008 08:28:48 AM
Staging is Essential in ANY Market
One of the worst time in life is the period when your home is on the Real Estate Market - FOR SALE!!! PROFESSIONAL Home Staging (I do stress - PROFESSIONAL!) makes the diffrence!! It really should not be done by your well intended neighbor or best friend. Poor or incomplete Home Staging can actually hurt you in the long run. There are serious Home Staging Companies out there - find one before you put your house on the market and watch it sell quickly and for the highest market value.
BTW - to the author - Home Staging was created in the 70's by Barb Schwarz, ASPM, IAHSP As an industryit has been around for over 40 years!
Check out www.stagedhomes.com/janwhitlow
Jan Whitlow, ASPM, IAHSP
of FL
@
Jul 26, 2008 05:56:49 AM
Save on Commission
Another great way to sell a home is to skip the commission and go "for sale by owner." Studies from Stanford and Northwestern universities have found that FSBO sellers get more money for their home than homes sold by agents.
Check out http://www.forsalebyowner.com on how to sell FSBO.
Brian
of NY
@
Jul 23, 2008 11:21:18 AM
Okay. And there's this other little thing.
Form-over-substance indeed DOES work for the seller of anything, especially with buyers who are a tad dumb.
Smart buyers (if they ARE smart) are looking for PRICE so that the home they buy now is not "down" as fast as a new car being driven off the lot. SOME, at least, are looking past "staging".
Daniel David
of NM
@
Jul 23, 2008 10:53:53 AM
who cares...
who cares if you can tell that a house has been staged. The staged homes are usually in much better move-in condition which is a big plus for the buyer. And the fact that the seller is willing to take the extra step instead of selling the house with many "projects" attached, shows that they may be better candidates to deal with in the transaction. (Not a blanket statement.)
of GA
@
Jul 22, 2008 23:16:31 PM
Emotions are key when selling
Staging a home is common sense. Removing personal photos, clutter and cleaning the home makes a lot of sense. Candices' comments on the psychology behind staging is correct. A home that appeals to a buyers emotions, that excites them and is properly staged will sell quickly.
The website sexystaging.com has a lot of materials about how profesional marketors of many products appeal to buyers emotions. The more we understand about how buyers think, the better job we can do in selling a home.
The most basic rule of real estate is, the better a home looks - the faster it will sell. Staging a home can make it look great.
David Jones
of CA
@
Jul 22, 2008 20:07:04 PM
I'm not convinced
I've been in the market for a home for a while now and staging makes NO difference to us! We want what we want and making it look bigger is not going to fool us. I think people still want certain things. For us it is acreage, location, number of bedrooms. If the people can't make their bed that day, it won't deter me from buying their home. It is a way for someone to make more money off of OUR homes.
Audrey
of NH
@
Jul 22, 2008 18:04:32 PM
I agree....
We are planning to put our home on the market in early 2009,
so we have been visiting area open houses in our price range,
and you can tell which homes have been staged (still a small %).
It will become the norm, but for now (in this market), staged
MyPhoenixMLS.com of AZ @ Jan 28, 2009 12:53:49 PM
Barb Cloyd of FL @ Oct 29, 2008 16:12:41 PM
Thomas A. Werth of WI @ Oct 14, 2008 08:28:48 AM
Jan Whitlow, ASPM, IAHSP of FL @ Jul 26, 2008 05:56:49 AM
Brian of NY @ Jul 23, 2008 11:21:18 AM
Daniel David of NM @ Jul 23, 2008 10:53:53 AM
of GA @ Jul 22, 2008 23:16:31 PM
David Jones of CA @ Jul 22, 2008 20:07:04 PM
Audrey of NH @ Jul 22, 2008 18:04:32 PM
Bill Hogate of VA @ Jul 22, 2008 14:42:34 PM
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