If you get a listing and it is a buyers market I believe it is critical that the lister help the seller "stage" their home. As we know staging is the process of evaluating the inside AND outside of the home with a very critical eye and the "preparing" it to show prospective buyers.
I know there are people who specialize in this area and many qualified ones are right here on ActiveRain. However, if the sellers budget doesn't allow for a specialist, as a professional Realtors, we should be able to help give some common sense direction. It has been my experience that the first thing I tell the home owner is that my suggestions aren't personal. Even when you explain the process and what it means to stage and that you need to give "constructive" help, they still take it personally. Make sure they know that this isn't an attack on their decorating acumen. Most homeowners paint and/or wallpaper and decorated their homes with personal touches that reflect their personalities. Many sellers get offended when suggestions are suggested to change the color of walls, de-clutter, or rearrange furniture. Remember to keep telling them, it isn't personal!
Let them know that they need to look at the house from a prospectve buyer's point of view. A most important step in this process is for them to dissociate themselves from the home and say this not "my" home it is a product to be sold like furniture or other items at a garage sale.
Some common sense suggestions might include; trimming the bushes, cutting the grass often, removing the weeds, painting the front door if there are key marks or scuffs that are visible, washing the windows and making sure trash and debris is constantly picked up. Curb appeal is the first look the prospective buyer has at your home and can make or break how they feel about the inside. Perception IS reality, whether we like it or not.
Inside suggestion might include making sure there are no pet odors, de-cluttering an office, closet or laundry area. If light bulbs are burned out, replace them and make certain that everything is dusted and the carpet is vacuumed.
Someone once said you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. This is true with prospective buyers viewing your home. It is critical that curb appeal draw the buyer inside with an outstanding first impression. Staging does not have to be expensive but it can make a big difference in how long your home is on the market and the final purchase price. Give yourself the edge against other homes by staging and making the first impression a positive one.
Any other suggestions?
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