Attention all sellers: Staging your home for today’s market is critical.
When you open your home to a potential buyer, it is so important to make the right first impression as it is the first impression the buyers carry with them throughout their home search.
When you think of staging think of a first date or a job interview for the dream job of a lifetime. Would you leave anything to chance? Probably not, you would pick just the right suit of clothes, perhaps a fresh haircut, for women just the right amount of makeup is a must and men, perhaps it a fresh shave or beard trim.
Well selling your home is no different, you want to make the best impression possible; hence staging. Staging is not about covering up problems, it is about showcasing the strengths of the home. Perhaps a facelift is in order, finishing projects there were started and never finished, and remember the yard is just as important as the home.
You will find a lot of staging tips online, in numerous magazines and TV shows. Please take note, you cannot install granite counters for $2,000, nor can you tear down walls and renovate a kitchen in one weekend, unless of course you are a professional building with an entire crew of workman. So let’s be realistic about appropriate staging for your home, not the one on television.
Pictures: I suggest you take pictures of your current home, both inside and out. Several pictures from all angles. Then view these on a large screen computer or a Smart TV screen if possible. What do you see? Now let’s be honest? Is your home ready for a buyer?
Start with the curb appeal: Is the front door appealing? Does the lawn need to be fertilized, how are the shrubs and flower beds? What is the condition of the driveway and sidewalk? Is your front porch inviting or are the steps cracked and hobbling?
Front Entry. Here we go, the buyer has just entered your home, how does it look? Shoes stacked in the corner?
Living Room: Is this the family hangout? How does it show? Are you showcasing a gorgeous fireplace and beautiful windows, or the dogs toys, old papers and magazines, along with dried out plants?
Get the picture? I have staged many homes and I can tell you staging is just as important as pricing the home correcting.
I provide staging services to my clients at no charge as my goal is to help you sell your home for the best price and as quickly as possible.
Loretta Spinrad
Accredited Staging Professional