THIS IS AN OPEN LETTER TO EVERY SELLER OUT THERE WHO THINKS THAT THEIR HOME WILL SELL IN 'SPITE OF ITSELF'!
Dear 2007 Home Seller:
Times have changed in the Housing Market. There are more 'unsold' houses on the market than in years past. This, therefore, equates to a "Buyer's Market" which means that you are going to have to work twice as hard to sell your home.
There are a plethora of newly-built houses out there with granite countertops, central air, central vacuuming, jacuzzi bathtubs, gas fireplaces, hardwood floors, 3-car garages, etc. that you are going to have to compete with. That "shag" carpeting and the formica countertops are just not going to 'cut it'!
In order to sell a house in today's market, you need to present a 'product' that is going to compete with all of the competition and other 'products' in your area and price range. Keep in mind that in today's market there are more newly built houses (and for the most part we are talking 'luxury houses') than ever before! Therefore any house offered for resale needs to have comparable upgrades, look pristine, make an emotional impact on the potential buyer, and be priced to sell.
It is difficult for the typical seller to look at their house, their 'product' if you will, with the same eyes as a buyer. Most sellers have lived in the house for so long that they can no longer be realistic in their assessment of how it compares to similar houses for sale. After all, the way that we live in our 'home' and the way that it needs to be marketed to compete with other 'houses' for sale in the area, are completely different. All of the little 'tchokes' and mementos that are so meaningful to us are actually a distraction to people who are looking to buy a house to call 'their own'.
A Vacant House is even more difficult to sell because there is absolutely NOTHING to 'connect to'. The very fact that it is empty conjures up all kinds of questions: WHY is it vacant? Did the sellers have to move away and are they, therefore, desperate to 'unload' this house? Is there SOMETHING WRONG with the neighborhood which forced the sellers to move out? WHY is there a switchplate in the middle of that wall? WHAT is the purpose of THIS ROOM? WHAT SIZE furniture will fit in this space? AND SO FORTH....
All is not lost, however.....there are things that can be done to define, 'upgrade', give focus to the positive areas of a house, and create an emotional connection to prospective buyers. There is a name for the process and it is called "Home Staging". This is the method that will give today's seller the competitive 'edge' in the Real Estate market and the best time to stage is BEFORE the house is listed.
Doesn't YOUR house deserve to look better than all of the competition in your area and price range?
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