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If They Like What They See, They Will Buy What You Are Selling

By
Home Stager with Sharon Tara Transformations

If you want to sell your house, think of it as a product. 

Prepare, package, and market it accordingly.

 

giftYou have a product for sale. 

Buyers have many houses to choose from.  

If you want them to choose yours, you better have the the most appealing packaging.  If buyers like what they see, they will buy what you are selling.

Before you list your house, it is important that you do your homework. 

First question:  Do you know who your buyer is?  If you are going to successfully set the stage for your house to sell, you need to know who your target audience is.  The features you highlight will be different for a family than for a single professional.

Know your buyer and prepare your house to appeal to that buyer. 


If there is an elementary school in your neighborhood and young families currently living on your street, it stands to reason that your buyer will be a young couple with children or newlyweds planning to start a family.

If your house has three bedrooms and you are using one for storage and one as an office, you need to prepare these two rooms as bedrooms in order to better appeal to your target buyers.

peeking in window

 

Take a step back and really look at your house.

Look at your house from the buyer's standpoint and then offer them exactly what they are looking for. 

  • Create greater perceived value with fresh paint and new carpet. 
  • Create greater perceived space by removing half of what's in the closets. 
  • Arrange furniture to define space and function.
  • Remove all personal items that make it your home.
  • Clean from top to bottom
  • Highlight the features that would be appealing to your target buyer.

Comments(21)

Lisa Udy
Platinum Real Estate Group - Logan, UT
Logan Utah Realtor

Hi Sharon,

I like your tip to step back and look through a buyers eyes. It's really hard for some sellers to do this, which is why you do what you do. Packaging a home is a skill that is hard for some people to grasp. :)

-Lisa

Dec 09, 2009 08:39 AM
Judy Jennings
Top Agent Plus - Middleboro, MA
Tap into Judy's real estate expertise & resources.

Sharon - Most people are so emotionally attached to their stuff, that they don't realize that some of it might be unappealing to the "buyers eyes." Taking that step back is not always an easy task, they sometimes need the guidance of a professional. This is great advice from a home staging pro!  

Dec 09, 2009 09:57 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Tammie:  So many sellers think buyers will see past their living space and imagine making it their own... they are giving buyers too much credit!

Lisa:  So true, it is hard for many sellers to do.  Good thing, too, or us stagers wouldn't have a job!

Judy:  "Emotionally attached" is exactly what they are.  A professional eye is a wise investment!

 

Dec 09, 2009 12:10 PM
Ana Hitzel
AccentPositives Home Staging - Corona, CA
Professional Home Stager Inland Empire

Sharon, great post.  Your first question is SO important.  I think people get so caught up in how great they think their property is, they forget who will be looking at it.  Neighborhoods change and people need to keep up with the trends to effectively market their homes.

Ana

Dec 09, 2009 01:50 PM
Cathy Lee
CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA
ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

Great post-I flagged it. Market accordingly and appealing to right buyer is our job-the pros do it so well when teamed with the good Realtors and wise homeowners.

Dec 09, 2009 04:50 PM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

Very important to understand demographics Sharon! It's a basic marketing principle, know who your market is.

Dec 09, 2009 11:11 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Ana:  That is so true about neighborhoods changing.  Most sellers don't give that a thought!

Cathy:  Good realtor, wise homeowner, and professional stager:  a winning team!

Karen:  It all boils down to marketing!  Thanks!

Dec 10, 2009 01:50 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Sharon- very good post.  The seller can use the knowledge of the Realtor to learn who's buying in their area and what the hot buttons are.  Then they can use the basics of Home Staging (marketing) or better yet, call one of us, to get the job done.

Dec 10, 2009 02:13 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Kathy:  It takes a village to sell a house!

Dec 10, 2009 02:25 AM
Anthea Click
Fresh Perspectives - www.InsideNashvilleHomes.com - Franklin, TN
Nashville Home Stager - Selling Nashville, TN homes quickly!

Sharon,

You are right on with this post! As a seller their emotions need to be taken out so it makes room for the buyer to develop their own in the space. And know who you buyer is is so important.

Dec 10, 2009 03:32 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Anthea:  Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it!

Dec 10, 2009 09:03 AM
Donna Ross
Room Remedy Interiors, Sydney, Australia - Salton City, CA
Home Decorating, House Staging, Sydney

Great advice Sharon,

Knowing the home's target buyer seems to be an often overlooked aspect of selling, yet it's critical to a successful sale.

Your 'step back' tips are spot on.

Congratulations on the feature!

Donna

Dec 10, 2009 10:36 AM
Leslie Helm
Tennessee Recreational Properties - Jamestown, TN
Real Estate For Trail Riders

Hi, Sharon. I would have flagged this post, too, if I'd seen it yesterday. Can you get a gold star posthumously? Probably not.

Anyway...what a good post. And, as usual, great graphic. It reallys says it all.

Dec 11, 2009 02:30 AM
Virginia Tatseos
Stage-Show-Sell - Bloomfield Township, MI

Great post with simple logic.  Show the rooms for what they are supposed to be.  Let the buyers decide if they want to use them that way or another way.

Dec 12, 2009 03:33 AM
Cindy Bryant
Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX
"Houston Home Staging Pros"

Great topic, I'll bet sellers don't think about all of these points that must be done before putting the house on the market.

Dec 12, 2009 06:49 PM
C. Bartch
Newark, OH

 Great concise post Sharon. I use those exact words when talking to my clients!!!

Dec 14, 2009 12:09 AM
Karen Dembsky
Peachtree Home Staging LLC, Home Staging in Atlanta, GA - Peachtree City, GA
Atlanta Home Staging

Staging is a marketing tool -- what a great post this is to spell it all out clearly!

Dec 15, 2009 12:25 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Donna:  Thank you, I appreciate it!

Leslie:  Thanks, but let's not make me sound dead! 

Virginia:  Simple logic is best!  Hopefully the information will help some sellers who weren't aware.  Thanks.

Cindy:  And even those who do put a lot of thought into their preparation, just don't fully understand how to best prepare the house.

Cynthia:  I would expect no less from you!  lol!

Karen:  Thank you! I do consider myself a marketing tool!

Dec 15, 2009 01:34 AM
Suzanne Metz
Design to Appeal - Medicine Hat, AB

Selling a house is like selling any other product, you want to make it appealing to attract potential buyers! Unfortunately, some sellers and realtors don't have the creative eye that it takes to market a home properly.

Dec 22, 2009 08:51 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Suzanne:  Agreed!  Thanks for commenting.

Dec 22, 2009 10:57 AM