When you are part of the Industry that sells houses you tend to deal with the same issues over and over again. They become very obvious and common place to us.
The thing we have to remember is that to each client it is very new ... especially if they have not sold a house for many years, if ever.
Yes, to the seller it is anything but business as usual. They are selling their home and that means a lot of upheaval for them. Their home and lifestyle must change for a successful sale.
Clients come to us with expectations and dollar signs in their eyes.
To the seller their home is wonderful and should get just as much as the house down the street brought in.
As Professionals we know this is not always the reality.
Realtors do a Comparative Market Analysis to find a List Price for each home. They are comparing apples with apples not oranges. Realtors know how the market has changed recently and factor it into their calculations. The answer may not be what the seller wants to hear but it is the current reality.
Stagers deal with Condition. We come into the home and look at it with the eyes of a Buyer. Our job is to get the home into Selling Mode which is very different from Living Mode. HGTV makes it look like everything is perfect after 48hrs no matter what the issues with the home. In reality, it may take days or weeks to get that home into show condition:
- the home may need painting. This could be due to normal wear and tear or dated colors.
- the home may have flooring issues. Stained and worn carpeting should be replaced with either new carpeting or hardwood. At the very least the carpeting must be shampooed.
- the lighting in the home may need updating. The fixtures could be out of style or builder basics that will not impress buyers.
- editing the sellers 'stuff' is necessary. Buyers have to be able to see past it. Editing means the best pieces for selling are used to highlight the features of the home.
- furniture placement may be changed. This opens up the spaces making them feel bigger and aids traffic flow.
The list goes on depending on the home and can become overwhelming to a Seller. That's why we Professionals make a plan specific to that home. By creating an action plan the Seller can find the light at the end of the tunnel.
It is our job to guide our Client through the process of selling.
We are there to introduce the realities of selling to our Client. The steps of selling a home may be common place to us but not our Clients.
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