After having worked with several clients as a Professional Home Stager in Orlando and the Central Florida area I have come to realize that most people are resistant to change in their home. The problem with this in real estate is it can cost you-big time!
Home Stagers want to work with clients to SELL their home because they love helping people get the most for their home in a short time period. That is what Home Staging is all about!
I worked with a client and was referred to a relative of hers who actually lived in the same area. They both had their homes listed at the same time but she was waiting to see what results would occur before referring me. Well, after receiving no offers in 4 months and finallly selling her home in just 2 weeks after the staging, she was ready to pass my name along! This particular client had questions about some of my recommendations but told me "If I'm going to get the house staged, I'm going to do it right! You are the expert, not me." With that she did take all of my suggestions right down to taking out some patches of flowers in the backyard by the pool and replacing them with something more colorful and less overgrown.
She also forged ahead when her realtor said "Is that really necessary?" when discussing curtain panels for the dining room. The client was with me and those curtain panels in that bare dining room paid off!! The Realtor listed the home and said it was beautiful but didn't need any work. Clearly it needed staging!
Why is it that when some people call in an expert they actually listen to their advice and others still want to learn the hard way? That is the case of another client of mine, the relative of the client mentioned above.
I was excited about the referral and met with my new prospective client. Upon touring the home is was even more evident then than in the MLS photos that the house was really dark and almost cave-like. They had painted the whole home those colors and enjoyed them and didn't see the need to change. I went in and room by room made recommendations and really highlighted a few areas that were must-do's, one of them being lightening the paint to increase the lighting in the whole house. The other major suggestion was to paint over the painted murals in the children's bedrooms. After all, this is a furnished non-occupied home so the kids won't miss it anyways! The greatest of my points being that other sellers don't look at cute Disney murals and fall in love with the home, they just don't stop talking about how cute or how hidious the bedroom was-not what you want to be remembered for believe it or not! Their argument was that her husband would not paint over his own work. Understadable, but were they willing to lose several thousands because of some Disney characters and a little paint?!
After providing the consultation and preparing the estimate I was told a week later that they wanted to attempt to stage it themselves. They really couldn't afford both the staging and the materials to make changes and repairs. They really brought me in at the suggestion of their relative. With the details they remembered from the consultation they got to work. My client who referred me stayed in touch and showed me the updates as she helped them out. I have to admit they did make some changes and they even painted a few rooms to have them appear lighter but they wouldn't budge on the murals. I did mention to them that if the home didn't sell a big reason could be because of those massive full-wall murals in every bright color imaginable. After all just because they have children doesn't mean the next buyer will! Well, the proof is in the pudding my friends. Not only is their home still up for sale with no offers after my consultation visit 6 weeks ago, they still are against painting over those murals! Since they moved out of that home and into another they are carrying that mortgage for as long as it stays on the market-thousands of dollars are being poured down the drain because they are resistant to change and as a result are NOT getting top dollar for their home.
Don't let this happen to you! Hire a Professional Home Stager today like Restoring Order Home Staging and get the results you desire! Be prepared to make the small changes that will net you top dollar and sell in a fraction of the time!
For more information on Home Staging your Central Florida Home visit the Florida Home Staging website: www.FloridaHomeStager.com or call Karla Davis directly at (407) 284-1705.
Get it Staged! Get it Sold! Get Top Dollar!
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