Therese Robinson, with Staged 2 Sell, offers both realtors and homeowners a service that is "invaluable" to the real estate process. Her "Blogsphere" is here to aid website visitors with tidbits and insight into her staging experience through the buying and selling process.
Have a question? Send it to her by using this contact form!
She just might use your question as her next "Blogsphere" topic.
1. Longevity on the market only means one thing: Price Reduction. Stage First! According to the National Association of Realtors survey, homes that sold after 4 weeks on the market sold for 6% less than ones within the first 4 weeks. After that, homes lose their selling momentum and become "market worn."
2. You will make more money! U.S. Housing and Urban Development reports that a staged home will sell, on average, 17% higher than an un-staged home. Maximize the selling price of your listing - stage it!
3. Your listings will sell faster. According to the Real Estate Information Network Inc., the average time on the market in 2008 for a resale home was 86 days versus only 35 days for a Staged 2 Sell home. Using Staged 2 Sell for your listings means you will get paid sooner, have improved stats and have less hassles.
4. The investment in staging is less than a price reduction. In the 2008 Home Gain Maximizer Guide, staging ranked #3 in their Top 10 Recommended Home Improvements. In their survey of over 2,000 realtors, it was discovered that sellers who spent an average of $500 on staging consultation services recovered over 343% of the cost in the sale of their home.
5. You get photos that sell themselves. The National Association of Realtors reports that 80% of home buyers are first 'shopping' online before they ever hit the streets to look. If the pictures don't speak a thousand WOW words, then your listing doesn't have a chance! Great photos will get their foot in the door!
6. You will showcase the potential of a home. Only 10% of home buyers can visualize the potential of a home; staging is critical! Staging maximizes the best features and minimizes the worst. Buyers only know what they see, not what a home is going to be. Confusing layouts make the home seem cramped and unlivable. Multifunction rooms (those with an eating area, TV hookup, fireplace and sitting area) are often confusing to buyers, especially when vacant. People wonder, "Where is my couch supposed to go?" Staging makes sense of room possibilities.
7. Staging creates more perceived area space and value. Clutter in a room takes up valuable visual space and makes a room look cramped. But, when a house is vacant, rooms look smaller, uninviting and unimaginative. Decluttering rooms or adding furnishings to an empty space presents the buyer with real value. Knowing what size and types of furniture complement a room can be help a buyer visualize living in the home. Staging helps show the best use of the home's square footage.
8. You will broaden the mass appeal of the home by depersonalizing. Depersonalizing takes the seller's personality out of the house and makes it a home that potential buyers can see themselves living in. Staging helps buyers focus on the bones and features and not get distracted or overwhelmed by baby pictures, expensive collectibles, sports memorabilia and valuable art. It's about selling the space... not the stuff.
9. Present the Dream - you are selling a lifestyle. You are showing a house the way potential buyers can live in it. Staging helps create a lifestyle that people want. Buyers don't often have the vision of what their life in a home could look like and they may pay more for the property when they see the lifestyle they've been searching for. Some people even buy (or want to buy) the home the way it is staged!
10. YOU don't have to wear the 'black hat.' Your stager can do the dirty work! A professional stager can deal with issues like removing/painting over wall murals, removing/painting expensive wallpaper, recarpeting, removing religious and sports-related articles, packing away baby and wedding photos, painting over bold interior decorator colors, renting a storage unit or PODS for excess clutter, and more. Homeowners often don't want to change their decor and you can't force them to do it so you must show them the value! Help your sellers understand why these things must be done to create a neutral environment potential buyers will visualize as their new home. To make sellers more open to staging, present it as a service you do for every client and an investment in their future.
Title: Curb Appeal... - 04/11/2009 04:13 PM
A recent study from HomeGain shows that a $378-546 investment in Curb Appeal gives the seller a 319% return on their investment... just behind the investment to Lighten & Brighten, Clean and Declutter.
Check out some easy, quick and cost-effective Curb Appeal tips, as well as before & after photos to prove how freshening up your listings will make them stand out. Share them with your sellers to invest minimal time and money on modest improvements for maximum appeal!
You have one chance to make a first impression and it all starts at the curb! Paying attention to the details will "tell" potential buyers you've maintained your home well, and you've now set the stage for what they expect to see inside! By raising the bar, you'll WOW buyers.
Take a digital photo of the home's exterior from across the street. Show your sellers and ask them, "What do you see?"
Don't let the competition sell your listing!
www.Staged2SellVirginia.com
