The single biggest mistake made by home sellers is to think they need to do nothing before putting their home on the market. Gone are the days when a for sale sign in the front yard means the home is ready to be shown and sold. Home staging, the art of preparing a home for market, allows a home to attract offers in the top range of values rather than middle or low value levels.
Sellers sometimes want to take the easy way out and don’t want to paint, change the carpet or repair a leaky faucet. It is difficult for sellers to get enthused about sinking time and money into a house they will be leaving. However, it is counter productive to try to market a home without staging it first. Homes in not so good condition tend to attract investors and bargain hunters. No matter how low the home is priced, bargain hunters will often offer less and expect concessions for fix-ups as well. Creativity and low cost improvements can reap big rewards.
It is critical that Realtors team up with a competent stager. Few agents have the experience to work with their sellers to stage the listing. Agents are trained to market and sell properties, not stage them. It is to everyone’s advantage to use a stager to put the property in top dollar selling condition before it goes on the market.
Many agents consider staging as part of their marketing plan and a mandatory final step before listing a property for sale. Those Realtors no longer have to risk attracting investors looking for a fixer-upper when serious buyers wanting a home will be wowed from the beginning. Practically speaking, why would an agent want to give concessions or cash back allowances due to lack of preparation before the home goes on the market? Serious buyers will walk away and bargain hunters will know the listing is ripe for the picking.
In a fast moving market, staging will usually sell the property for more money. In a slow market, staging will usually sell the property while other properties remain on the market unsold. Staging sets the best scene so buyers see the features of the house in the best possible light. Staging services are an investment in achieving the goal of selling the property, creating a win-win situation for agents, sellers and buyers.
