Remember, if you are moving up in price, you are getting a deal on the more expensive side of the transaction, so it is a net gain. 

Make peace or put off the sales transaction...for people with extreme heartburn over selling their house, I ask them why they are?  Not that I would turn a client away, but if there isn't a good reason, like a job transfer or a divorce, I recommend they hold off until they have to...

Hi Sue...haven't seen you in a while Great advice!

Now...I need to know how did you make that box for your old posts?

Sue, This is excellent advice. I agree that if one need not sell at this time -- THEN DON'T! But if you must, then follow the list, in this order.

Sue, Thanks for this great reminder. I do hope realtors in New England see this and give it serious thought!

Sue, another great post.  I especially like your point about pricing.  Listen to the expert - you must trust them because you hired them.  Betty

Sage advice..now can I copy this and give it to all of my prospects?  Do you have any magic fairy dust that I could sprinkle on them to get them to follow said advice?

Great advice Sue.  Unfortunately, here in my area of Florida we are in a 5 year low for home sales.  Even staged homes, priced below comp, are sitting on the market.  Staging does give a seller the edge, but if there are no buyers.........well then what?

Sue,

This is great! I have seen so many homeowneers blame their agent because their home has not sold, when it was completely out of the agent's control.

Lane- good point that you added here.

Rondel- there are times when a seller needs to sell. But then they benefit on the buying side, yes?

Joan-I knew there would be a request for making a box! Have you seen Colleen's latest blog with the pink box?

Yvonne-thanks for reading and leaving a comment my friend :)

Rhonda-I hope this helps New England home sellers too.

Betty-price is so important to the sale. It's hard to let go, but you've gotta have faith.

James-home sellers don't need fairy dust. They need to accept the amount of control and responsibility they have for their own outcome! 

Terry, "Staging does give a seller the edge, but if there are no buyers.........well then what?"

Great comment, thank you. 

It is a difficult market right now. For people that need to sell for whatever reason, they need to just do what they can, and then let go. Sellers must take responsibility for their part, and release the outcome. It is what it is!

Anthea, thanks for commenting. As long as everyone (INCLUDING the sellers) has done their job, the blame-game is a waste of time and needlessly hurts people's feelings.

The market is the uncontrollable piece of the puzzle . . . best to recognize that and do what is within our power.  Great post.

Thanks, Sue...good solid advice for those of us who are selling our home staging services to stressed out homeowners. In these times, staging is even more important to get that maixmum market price.

Wendy Casey

Vancouver, BC

Lori, thanks for your comment. You're absolutely right!

Wendy from BC, thanks for stopping by. There is a lot of competition right now in our area, many homes available.

Sue,

I am in that zen mode now also, the market is the way it is and we all have to ride that wave.

Maria from Idaho! George tells me you are crazy busy with staging the Boise area. Fantastic that you've connected with referring agents that believe in the power of staging.

Sue Argue the calming voice in the real estate storm. I feel relaxed already. Great advice from the fabulous NH Home Stager!

Sue,

Now that it is a buyer's market, the seller really has to listen to the pros on how to go about selling the property. Personal feelings should be shelved. If the home is priced right and presented properly, it will sell in any market. Otherwise it's going to languish there for a long time and the blame game will begin and guess who is the target. Good post.

Esko from Las Vegas, I like your comment here..."priced right and presented properly".  It sounds so simple, but sellers need to embrace it more. It's essential for a good outcome.

I think that one of the biggest mistakes people make when selling their home is pricing themselves outside of the market.  One of my favorite shows on HGTV is Buy Me. All selling need to watch this show!

Ann, thanks for commenting. Price is such a sensitive issue!

The show you're speaking of, "Buy Me" is a little too over the top for me (the drama!) but it does portray the high emotions that are part of the real estate transaction.

Hi Sue:  I really liked this article.  I think you gave a lot of good advice and I hope that sellers and their agents will learn from what you had to say.

Joan, thanks so much for reading tonight. I hope this helps sellers to have a successful experience.