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Your Home Is Worth What A Buyer Believes It Is Worth

By
Home Stager with Sharon Tara Transformations

If you are considering selling your home, or currently preparing your home for sale, here's something you should know about price.

What your home is worth depends on who you ask.

Not everyone looks at your house and sees what you see.  The thing about "worth" is that the answer will be different depending on who you ask...

For example:

How YOU see your house:

house

How your LENDER sees your house:

house

 

How your APPRAISER sees your house:

shack

 

How the PROPERTY TAX APPRAISER sees your house:

house 

 

Ok, so a bit of an exaggeration, but it's a fun way to make an important point.

 

As a Home Stager, I believe the most important perception on the worth of your house is the perception of potential buyers.

How do potential buyers see your house?

Potential buyers see what you show them, and 90% of people are incapable of imagining your house any other way than how it's presented. It's up to you, the seller, to prepare your home so it appeals to buyers both visually and emotionally. You have a great deal of control over buyer perception.

 

Hire an experienced real estate agent who knows your local market and trust their professional advice on listing price.

 

Hire an experienced Home Stager and trust their professional advice on appearance and condition.

 

The market controls price, but sellers control condition.

Your house is worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it....whatever a buyer believes it is worth. 

 

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Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

It is interesting how many ways a home can be seen.  What does count is the gleam it puts into the eyes of the prospective buyer

Mar 28, 2016 11:09 AM
Mimi Foster
Falcon Property Company - Colorado Springs, CO
Voted Colorado Springs Best Realtor

Great post, and you are so right. In the final analysis, it's the Buyer who determines the price.

Mar 28, 2016 12:55 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Sharon- love this and how you illustrated it.  Larry always says that a home is worth what a buyer will pay for it.  

Mar 28, 2016 01:19 PM
Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, CRS
Fathom Realty Washington LLC - Tacoma, WA
South Puget Sound Washington Agent/Broker!

 I'm always trying to get my head around this concept but your point is very well taken Sharon Tara 

Mar 28, 2016 03:48 PM
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

Good morning Sharon. I've seen this scenario several times.  I'm sure I'll see it again

Mar 28, 2016 07:09 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Good morning sharon. I love the post and the photos. Thank you for sharing.

Mar 28, 2016 09:20 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Ed Silva  Creating that gleam is what home staging is all about!

Mimi Foster  Thank you.  Buyer perception is something many sellers don't take seriously enough.

Kathy Streib  Whether it's the market or the home's condition that influence them....buyers' perception of worth is what determines the price they are willing to pay.

Mar 28, 2016 11:33 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington  Hopefully I've helped sellers grasp the concept a little better.

James Dray  As long as you are in the real estate industry, you will see this!

Gita Bantwal  Thank you!

Mar 28, 2016 11:34 PM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Clear message here, Sharon Tara!  

"Potential buyers see what you show them".  Hire a professional Stager and help to improve their "vision" ...

Gene     

Mar 29, 2016 04:00 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi   I like that....improve their vision!  Could be a post there. Thanks for the idea!

Mar 29, 2016 07:04 AM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

I have a friend that worked in the mortgage business and had a cartoon on her wall similar to this. We would always get a big laugh out of it.

Mar 29, 2016 11:23 AM
Conrad Allen
Re/Max Professional Associates - Webster, MA
Webster, Ma, Realtor

Happy Birthday Sharon.  Your sister from Florida alerted me.

Mar 29, 2016 09:04 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Debbie Reynolds  I got the idea from something I saw online years ago. Could be the very same cartoon!  LOL

Conrad Allen   Thank you!  Kathy is so sweet for having that "party" for me.

Mar 29, 2016 10:42 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hi Sharon --- your post reminds me of conversations with prospective sellers who believe buyers will look beyond --- beyond the clutter, beyond the old or ugly carpeting, beyond the wallpaper ----- real estate is all about perception.   And price.   And availability.  And location.   Well, perception matters.   

Mar 30, 2016 02:03 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Michael Jacobs  There are still many of those sellers out there. Hard to believe with all the information telling them otherwise. Some people must learn the hard way.

Mar 31, 2016 12:37 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

If the consensuses is way different then your own assessment. It's time to look in the mirror and assess yourself

Apr 01, 2016 04:51 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

I can't believe people don't use more common sense and this post is proving your point in that way. I see what Michael was saying as well.

Apr 01, 2016 04:52 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

I agree. Perception is reality for so many people that the lines get blurred that way. It's kind of simple.

Apr 01, 2016 04:52 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

That response was for the group idea overall. I wasn't sure whom to tag in the comments

Apr 01, 2016 04:53 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Laura Cerrano  Wow....four comments!  Thanks for your participation in the conversation!  A look in the mirror is always a good thing now and then. 

As for perception being reality....that's the basis of the home staging profession!

Apr 02, 2016 04:18 AM
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Author Bio: Sharon Tara is a retired professional Home Stager who served the greater Seacoast New Hampshire area. Sharon specialized in owner-occupied home staging consults to help sellers prepare and present their home for sale.

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