The magic of Preparation, Pricing and Promotion.
Every house has strengths and weaknesses, and these have to be emphasized and downplayed, to get the best possible result for the seller.
Recently I listed a house that had gone unsold for 500+ days with another broker. The other broker, who is a respected friend, said “hopefully you will get it to a price that will sell it.” The broker and the seller had come to believe it was the flood insurance and exotic architecture hanging up the sale.
Instead of a price reduction, I worked with seller and stager for a charm augmentation. I hooked him up with contractors to take out yicky carpet and polish the wood floors, update the room colors from the 50’s to current fashion, restore the scarred and chipped trim, replace 1930’s ceiling lights with $12 satin nickel flush mounts, power wash, window wash and perk up the landscaping. The stager replaced the air mattresses and hand me down furniture around the house with chic, forward looking pieces that showed how the rooms could be enjoyed by the buyer.
The whole effect gave the buyer the feeling the house was move-in ready and could accommodate a happy life. Within 6 days, an accepted offer was on the table.
The whole prep, including furniture rental, cost the seller $8,500. A logical 1st price reduction would have been $25,000. So by my accounting he made at least 300% on his investment, and his life can finally progress.
Moral of story, I invest in staging advice—so you can invest wisely in market preparation.
Click below for the market update of interest to you:
Cranford Fanwood/Scotch Plains Mountainside Summit Warren/Watchung
Westfield by Grade School:
Franklin Jefferson McKinley Tamaques Washington Wilson
Scott Gleason
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