Purchasing a house is usually the largest purchase most people make. Yet it puzzles me on how many "little things" sellers ask the buyers to overlook. Don't worry about the broken door, worn carpet, or unattended shrubs. Look around the furniture and see the house for what it is worth. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news sellers - but your selling yourself short!....Or at least minimizing the home's maximum sale price.
Buyers look for move-in ready homes, anything less flat out means they expect to pay less. They mentally calculate the price reduction as they walk through the home.
Cracked paint - Deduct -$950
Refinish floors - Deduct -$2500
Repave driveway - Deduct - $3500
**Offer price - Next to Nada.
On the contrary, buyers will mentally ADD value for all the work that complete on the house. They want to turnkey properties. Weeding out which repairs actually help the bottom line of a sale can be tough. Professional home stagers are trained and ready to guide homeowners through the process.
Top Ten Details that Sell
- Curb Appeal - If you can get the buyer to come in you lost the sale. Weed, mow the lawn, trim the hedges, clean up the exterior, and add ompf.
- Clean House - The home must be spotless; no one wants to buy another person's dust bunnies.
- Clutter Free - Show the buyers the house not collectibles or your furniture. The goal is to get them to look at the elements that stay with the home.
- Good Repair - The missing outlet covers, broken hinges, worn carpets, etc, all distract the buyer from the property. Put their minds at ease to know the house was well cared for over the years.
- Neutralize - Though red, orange or purple may be your favorite color not all buyers will be able to appreciate your color choice. Make the home buyer-friendly.
- Bright & Airy - Let there be light! They have to see the house to appreciate it. Evoke feeling of space and abundance.
- Depersonalize - Buyers do not want to feel like they are touring someone's home, they are looking for a home to call their own - help them out.
- Update - Take note of the updates that will make a home valuable. Unless your selling a historic home make certain the home is up-to-date. (This doesn't have to be expensive.)
- Fresh Air - If it smells it cannot sell. Pet odors, cooking odors, mildew all send buyers running the opposite way.
- Buyer Friendly - Remember the potential buyers may have pet allergies, odor sensitivities (easy on the fragrance), children that will view with them (put the away fragile and valuable items), the list goes on.
Professional Home Stagers know what details to add value in to the bottom line or time on the market. The investment in staging is invaluable. Stagers often are able to reach out to homeowners in a way that Realtors simply can not. We are the experts in real estate marketing and can deliver a ready-for-market to do list to sellers while maintaining professional relationships for all parties.
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