Why Sellers Should Stage Their Home- Part 3

Home Staging Tricks and Advice 

For those of you wondering what exactly staging a home consists of here are a few of the basic home staging suggestions typically needed in most homes.

Clutter – Every homeowner is proud of the possessions within their home.  It is completely natural to feel this way because these are the items, collections, furniture, and hobbies that are acquired over an individual’s life. Although each of these items may carry a sentimental value to the owner none of this may apply to a potential buyer. In fact in certain instances a seller’s possessions may push potential buyers away. Keep in mind that the fewer buyers the lower the price because when demand is diminished price will follow. Consider this example for a better explanation of clutter and the issues it creates.

A seller is an avid hunter. Over the course of the past 40 years this seller has collected and mounted the heads of every animal hunted and proudly displays each across the entire home. In the eyes of this seller each head represents another successful journey and memory, yet each buyer walks into the home and becomes horrified. As a Realtor it is difficult to convince the seller to remove the heads without offending his way of life.

As an Accredited Staging Professional you need to ask the seller a simple question, “You plan on selling this home and moving correct?” The seller will obviously say yes. Once the seller says yes ask him/her to please pack early. You will need to pack anyway why not pack early. It is also important to remind that seller that a house is a place of shelter and a home is where the heart is. Where ever the seller decides to move next will become a home once the heads are back up on the wall. It is this depersonalization that creates a good home to sell.

I realize that this hunting example may seem a bit extreme, yet it may not be as far off as you would think. Consider all of the unique collections and hobbies people spend their lives collecting. A collection of dolls may seem more reasonable then animal heads, yet consider an entire home filled with dolls. It makes buyers uncomfortable.

One other aspect of clutter that prohibits a buyer’s imagination is a lack of light and space. Most buyers interested in a home want large rooms and a bright and happy environment. It is this desire that clutter eats away at because when a room is completely filled with stuff it will not be portrayed as large. Since large rooms are a selling point disguising these rooms with stuff can be extremely detrimental to a sale.

Paint – It is amazing how important a fresh paint job within a room can be. A new paint job can breathe life into a room; especially if the color is lively and accentuates light. Think back to the example above with buying a used shirt. Once a hole was found the buyer wanted a discount. Paint is the owner’s way of patching that hole before putting it on the shelf. When a buyer walks into a home that has been freshly painted the home seems newer or less used. This buyer will immediately think differently about the home because it at looks well maintained. New paint also helps conceal any smells within the home. This works great for smokers or individuals who cook more eclectic foods with natural spices. These smells are within the walls of the home and fresh paint helps eradicate the odor.

Another excellent example of how paint can completely change a buyer’s opinion of a home is when a home is painted dark and dreary. Wall colors like dark purple, black, and even blue can make a home feel sullen or depressed. These colors soak in the light instead of reflect light. Buyers want to buy into an image of happiness and success. A couple coats of paint can change a depressed looking home into a picture out of a magazine.

Cleaning – It is absolutely amazing how many homes I preview that are filthy. As a Realtor I have previewed enough homes to get past the dirt and see what the home is truly made of, yet buyers do not. A dirty home makes most buyers want to leave. In fact many buyers will laugh about the list price of a dirty home saying, “Are they [the sellers] crazy? That place was filthy.” It is a shame because many of these homes could be easily corrected if the sellers realized how crucial maintaining a home’s appearance can be.

As a buyer would you walk into a home that has stains on the carpets, piles of garbage on the floors, and strange odors from the basement and offer full price? Unless the price was well below where it should be I would not. If the sellers neglected to maintain the noticeable things how many hidden problems exist within the home. It is these thoughts that cause many buyers to walk out of the home without thinking twice; especially considering the price tag for many of these homes. Most people interested in buying a million dollar home would never consider buying something used looking. As you can see cleaning is a simple task that goes a long way in regards to price.

If you have any questions about professional home staging or about listing your home feel free to contact me. I hope you have a great day!

Home Staging Charts, Graphs, and Statistics 

Return on Staging Investment
This chart shows the average return of your Home Staging investment versus condition-based improvements.

Days on Market
This chart compares the average number of days on market between houses not Staged and listed, houses listed, Staged and sold, and houses Staged first, then listed and sold. 

Equity Gain
This chart compares the average equity gain on houses that were listed, Staged and sold versus houses that were Staged first, then listed and sold. 

All three charts can be accessed through Home Staging Statistics

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