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Are you serious about selling your home?

By
Home Stager with Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging

Today I saw a post by David Painter of Keller Williams in Spartanburg, SC entitled "Dress Your House Well So It Will Sell." 

In his blog, David points out how the national stats are clear that sellers need to have their homes "priced right and staged right" in order to sell in this highly competitive buyers' market. He goes on to say how buyers are looking for homes in move-in condition and don't want to spend time painting and remodeling after they move in. I couldn't agree more!

Especially in today's market, it is crucial that your home appears well-maintained and move-in ready or buyers will simply move on to the next property on the list. Some buyers even tell their agents they only want to look at Staged homes.

When you properly prepare your home for sale, you are telling the buyer:

1) You're not desperate.

Have you already purchased your new home and moved in, leaving your old house completely empty except for the cobwebs? That is a clear clue to a potential buyer that you are likely paying two mortgages and are desperate to sell. Hiring a professional Home Stager to Stage it with furniture and accessories will create a beautiful lived-in look that has buyers breaking down the door to view your home! It also shows buyers that you're serious enough about getting your home sold that you've invested in Staging to show it in its best possible light.

2) Your home has been well-maintained.

Today's buyers want a home to be move-in ready. So as they walk through your home they are assessing everything they see, trying to determine whether the home has been well-maintained, or whether they will need to do lots of work before they can move their family in. Not to mention that when they see something that hasn't been well-maintained, they often jump to the conclusion that if the paint/carpet/fixtures haven't been kept up, there are probably many other problems that have been left untended in the home.

Today's buyers are also looking for any reason to ask for a credit to lower your asking price. Is the carpet worn? Credit. Is the paint old and peeling or too bright of a bright color? Credit. They may have mentally taken $15,000 off your asking price before they've even gotten to the back door.

A professional Stager will advise you on the necessary updates you need in order to get your home in proper showing condition. If paint and carpet are required, we will select a neutral yet appealing paint color and the proper carpeting to make your home look brand new and ready for any family to move right in. Once the initial updates are complete we can add the extras that make your house show like a model home.

If you're still living in the home and prefer a Do-It-Yourself option, a Staging Consultation will provide you with a comprehensive checklist of what you can do using mostly what you already have in the home to properly Stage the property. If you want a professional to do the work, a Stager can bring in art, plants and accessories to enhance your home's appeal. If you have a vacant property, we can bring in furniture, art, rugs, plants and accessories to create that model-home look that will entice any buyer!

According to the latest Staging statistics, 94% of Staged homes sell in 35 days or less. If you are serious about selling your home, consult a professional Home Stager.

 

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Annie Pinsker-Brown | Stage to Sell
Owner & Principal Designer
310-384-1084
www.stagetosell.biz

"We get you to SOLD so you can get on with your life!"

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Stage to Sell is the premier West Los Angeles Home Staging Company.

Owner & Principal Designer Annie Pinsker-Brown is an ASP Home Stager, a member of IAHSP (International Association of Home Staging Professionals), an affiliate member of the Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors and a member of the Culver City and West LA Chambers of Commerce.

Annie has Staged LA homes for Bravo's hit show "Million Dollar Listing" and TLC's "Property Ladder." She has also been featured in recent articles on Home Staging in Los Angeles Magazine, The New York Times, Costco Connection and Frontiers Magazine.

If you would like to see more of our Home Staging work, visit our website. There is an extensive gallery of before & after photos, as well as a list of our Staged properties currently on the market.

 

 

Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Isaac, you're right. Models are the only way many buyers can envision themselves in a space.

Lise, it's so true. Just a different way of looking at it. Hope these extra arguments help you to convince your sellers to Stage (or at least clean the cobwebs!)

Vickie, vacant is dangerous in today's market as you have seen from experience!

Mar 11, 2009 04:48 PM
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Jason, sometimes it does seem that buyers want unrealistic price reductions. I think that's why we still are seeing inflated list prices on some local listings. The agents feel they have to start high so they have wiggle room.

Mar 11, 2009 04:49 PM
Amy Zender
Bellingham, WA

Congrats on the Feature! I have a hard time making sellers understand that a few dollars up front in the now, could mean thousands more down the road, and sooner! Sometimes, even with the staging training I have had, having a Professional Home Stager tell the seller like it is, is just what they need (kind of like when your husband doesn't like your new haircut, but your friends tell too that it isn't too flattering - it sounds better coming from someone not so close)! =) Cheers!

Mar 11, 2009 04:53 PM
Randall Sandin
Carolina One Real Estate - Charleston, SC
843-209-9667 - Search for Charleston SC Real Estate

great points - we bring in a stager on just about all of our listings for a least a consultation

Mar 11, 2009 10:57 PM
J. Philip Faranda
Howard Hanna Rand Realty - Yorktown Heights, NY
Associate Broker / Office Manager

When a home looks great and still doesn't sell then it is likely a price adjustment is in order.

Mar 11, 2009 11:30 PM
Aron Bailey Bruser
Win-Win Home Staging & Redesign - Huntingdon Valley, PA

Thanks Annie!  It is great to connect with you here on Active Rain as well as in the Home Staging Channel.  Blessings to you.

Mar 12, 2009 04:59 AM
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes

Well maintained homes definitely stand out among the sea of foreclosures that are mostly dirty and not kept well at all.

Mar 12, 2009 05:24 AM
Darren Revell
Keller Williams Realty Temecula Valley - Temecula, CA

Thank you for the post.. Pricing and Staging... Sell the homes...

Mar 12, 2009 05:28 AM
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Amy, LOVE that analogy! :) LOL

Randall, I'm so glad to hear that. I'm sure that makes your listings look better and sell faster than the competition.

Phillip, absolutely true. Pricing is the first factor, Staging is the second. No matter how good it looks, if it's not priced right it will not sell.

Mar 12, 2009 07:34 AM
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Aron, thanks! And thanks for the HSC connection as well.

Bob & Carolin, yes. It's still unbelievable to me that the banks let those REOs sit there in a dilapidated state and think they'll sell for anything more than bargain basement pricing.

Darren, couldn't agree more!

Mar 12, 2009 07:36 AM
Mark MacKenzie
Phoenix, AZ

I think this is an interesting market as there are a lot of buyers simply shopping for value which they will often find in foreclosures.

For the rest of the buyers in the market that are looking for a home, staging is clearly the way to go.

Mar 12, 2009 09:31 AM
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Mark, it's true that foreclosures can provide huge value for buyers. But how much value is determined by the condition of the property and Staging can boost that value in the eyes of the buyer. Thanks for stopping by!

Mar 12, 2009 11:21 AM
Anonymous
Esther (Essie) Cruz

Annie,  What a great post! Lots of valuable information....I agree--make a small investment on staging the property and the home will sell, sell, sell. Congrats on your first featured post....

Mar 12, 2009 03:32 PM
#56
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Essie, thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the post.

Mar 12, 2009 03:38 PM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

The part about not giving buyers the idea that you're desperate to sell is important.  It leaves lots of room for negotiation when a buyer believes the seller is desperate - opening the way for low ball offers or no offers.  Eventually when the house doesn't show well it will be reduced anyway so making the intial investment in getting it show ready is key for selling and saving / making money in the end.

Congrats on your feature Annie!

Mar 13, 2009 12:49 AM
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Karen, thank you so much! I agree that giving that feeling of desperation is only bad news for a seller. And yes, a reduction is usually inevitable, so better to invest in Staging ahead of time to protect your equity!

Mar 13, 2009 05:36 AM
Anne Vigneri
CASA VERO Staging & Redesign - Albuquerque, CA
Serving the Mariposa California

I have staged more than one property AFTER it's been on the market for as long as a YEAR !!!, And of course there have been SEVERAL price reductions during that time.. One Realtor had actually told one of the homeowners that she "didn't believe in staging!".. Fortunately they found another agent who "get's it" and the house is recently back on the market looking like the appealing home that it is.. because it has been STAGED.. ( Now we are holding our breath for the first open house!)

And about "model homes"... Would the developers bother with furnishing them if it didn't work??

 

Mar 13, 2009 09:26 AM
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Anne, Oy! Hard to believe they let the property linger for a year and multiple price reductions before finally Staging. I'm sure it will sell quickly now!

Mar 13, 2009 03:22 PM
Louise Henry
Pair Home Design serving Langley, Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack British Columbia - Chilliwack, BC
Home Stager Pair Home Design Chilliwack

Anne Great post, Buyers do not need to make price concessions on their asking price if they give due diligence to in preparing their home for sale and staging.  

keep posting..

Mar 14, 2009 05:34 AM
Annie Pinsker-Brown
Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging - Los Angeles, CA
Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager

Louise, good point! Thanks for stopping by.

Mar 16, 2009 09:40 AM