Creating A Positive First Impression - Burden Of Proof Falls On Sellers
On many occasions buyers will make that decision to buy just from that first impression when they drive up to the home and open the front door. Optimizing this experience will make the sale go quicker and for a greater value:
One aspect of Home Staging that many sellers don't fully understand is "first impression".
You have heard it and read it time and time again....You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. It's been said millions of times, so often that it's become background noise. It's like "declutter and depersonalize", you hear the words but it's such a generalization that it has lost its power.
Stagers say it and real estate agents say it. Sellers hear it, but they don't really fully understand the full impact of the statement.
- When sellers make the decision to list first and see how it goes before making needed improvements....
- When sellers make the decision to offer an allowance for new appliances or new carpeting rather than replace....
- When sellers see getting the house listed as the priority over getting the house show ready....
- When sellers won't remove old wallpaper because it's too much work...
- When sellers don't apply fresh paint because they think buyers want to choose the paint colors themselves...
- When sellers think of improvements as an expense rather than an investment....
these sellers don't fully understand the financial value of creating a positive first impression. They certainly don't realize how much money they are leaving on the table.
In a recent post, Serious Home Sellers Are Serious About Marketing, I wrote about the importance of taking the necessary time to prepare and present a house for sale. I received a comment from New York real estate agent Brenda Mayette:
" Just last week I visited a home with the buyers and found a note left by the seller 'the painter will be here tomorrow; the carpets will be cleaned when he's done.' WHAT?! There is NOTHING that can't wait a few days to get it done right! We left less than impressed. "
Of course they left less than impressed.
They saw behind the curtain!
You remember the great line from The Wizard of Oz....Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain?
Buyers
should never
see behind
the
sellers' curtain.
Making all necessary improvements and updates PRIOR to listing the house creates VALUE. Not making those necessary improvements creates DOUBT in the minds of buyers.
Don't expect buyers who are looking for a well maintained home to be interested in a house with old appliances or torn wallpaper or stained carpeting. These are things that leave buyers wondering what else was neglected in the house.
When it comes to convincing buyers that a house has been well maintained,
the burden of proof falls on the sellers.
Home Staging is all about first impression.
It's about increasing perceived value.... making a house feel valuable....creating the impression of being well maintained and cared for.
Read more:
Houses Don't Kill Deals - Sellers Do!
Another Perfect Example of Seller Sabotage
You Don't Want To Remove Wallpaper? News Flash: Buyers Don't Either
One Of The Best Investments You Can Make If You Want To Sell Your Home
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