Is your home ready for it's internet debut? Staging is all about getting your home ready to be seen by all the interested buyers on the internet. So your home better be ready for its first photo shoot! We'll talk about how your home is perceived on-line as well as with initial curb appeal.
Most professionals in our business agree that you only have 90 seconds to make a good first impression. That's not much time by anyone's standards. In fact, pictures of your home are so important these days I've decided to incorporate it into my staging consultation.
Move Along - Nothing to See Here
Let's talk about how buyers perceive your house on-line through the photos submitted by the MLS. This is definately 'judging a book by it's cover' but that's how things are done today. In fact, with pictures of your home you have much less time than the 90 seconds mentioned previously. Buyers decide very quickly and whether it's a NO or a GO.
So what can you do to make a good first impression? These are all things in your control. You can help (and you should) how your home is perceived by today's buyers by staging your home to sell and taking great photos of your efforts! Why not put all your hard work and talent on display?
One of the major things I wanted to discuss here is the use of 'color'. There has just been WAY
too much use of it. I actually like color, like paint, and am pretty savvy with today's decorating colors but I do know when the line (in colorful crayon) has been crossed. Let's not make these mistakes. How your home is perceived by buyers in person and on the internet is all up to you.
Updates and Repairs
It's common knowledge that buyers are looking for the home with the least amount of work and the best price. If you have a misconception that buyers want to 'do it their way' you are unfortunately going to be in for a rude awakening 180 days down the road and your home still hasn't sold!
Now that I've burst your bubble what can you do? You can prepare your home to be the most neutral that it can be to appeal to the largest amount of buyers. Make your home as spacious as possible because you are selling space and lifestyle. Be sure that you target your updates and staging efforts towards your most likely buyer.
What I mean by this is if you live in an over 55 community, don't stage your home with childrens rooms. Same might also be said for that 2 bedroom townhome. Another example would be a 4 bedroom colonial with no furniture in what would surely be the kids rooms. With just a little pre-planning and forethought you can easily make rooms as appealing as possible.
Please return all rooms back to what they were originally intended. If your daughter has taken over your formal dining room with her 'Barbie' playhouse, limo and kitchen set - let's get that back to what it was originally used for even if it's only for Christmas. Buyers make comments about this all the time!
Clutter, Clutter Everywhere
This is an agonizing phase for most people because it deals with clutter. It deals with your treasures, your collections. Unless you're a hoarder you know that you possibly have too many trinkets and chotchkie scattered about. These are distractions that buyers do not need to see. Let's show your home with maximum storage potential. After all you are selling space here! Pack away your collections for the new home ready to be displayed again.
Staging and readying your home for sale is not a new marketing fad. This is what the market now expects so I hope you will embrace it and help your home to sell. I personally share my advice with my sellers so they will stand out in a competative market and make a great internet debut!
Help give your home that marketing 'edge'. It will be well worth it.
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