Series -- Post 4 of 7 -- Our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -- Staging Transformation of an Expired University Heights Ohio Home
The first post in this series focused on performing an extreme makover by performing major renovation, redesign and home staging of a home in Cleveland Heights Ohio that we did for a seller client in both a cost-effective manner and quick turn-around time frame.
The second post in this series focused on home staging on a shoestring budget. This seller said the total they had to invest in preparing their home for sale was $1,000. The actual total was $500 and was primarily spent on obtaining a POD filled to the brim and stored off-site.
The third post in this series focused on another extreme makeover of an architecturally significant home in Shaker Heights Ohio. This stately home on one of Shaker's finest streets was on the market previously for six months with another top Realtor affiliated with a large real estate brokerage. The owner approached us and asked for a second opinion on why this home hadn't sold, nor had any offers in the previous six months. After touring the home, it quickly became apparent that there were many issues to address.
This fourth post in this series will focus minimizing the negative effects of selling a vacant home and also bringing some very tired, dated and worn elements up to date in a cost-effective manner. This 1920s, tudor-style home was vacant. The outside was well-maintained, but on the inside, the hardwood floors were well worn, the paint was dated and tired, and some fixtures needed replacing. Vacant houses are cold and uninviting and don't allow most buyers to emotionally connect with them.
Feel free to check out our other posts in our USP series:
- Post 5 of 7 -- Our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -- Our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -- Staging Transformation of an Westlake Ohio Home
- Post 6 of 7 -- Our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -- Our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -- Extreme Makeover of a 1920s Cleveland Heights Ohio Home
- Post 7 of 7 -- Our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -- Our Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -- Another Fabulous Makeover of a 1920s Shaker Heights Ohio Home
I partnered with a staging professional who owns an inventory of furniture. She came in and furnished the home to add visual interest, create warmth, and allow a buyer to envision how the home could look. I also brought in the most cost-effective painter and hardwood floor refinisher.
The owners had to borrow the staging/renovation money in order to make the changes, which added to the stress of already having double payments. Moreover, this home was competing with 78 other homes in a narrow 20K price band and only 3 were under contract; one of the three was a foreclosure. We were also up against the Fall season, which is a slower time of the year, in a very, very strong buyer's market.
However, it sold for 97% of list price in 101 days.
Without renovations, staging and competitive pricing from Day 1, this home would have sold for at least three times less than the investment in preparing it for sale, plus it would have been on the market for an indeterminate amount of time, and the owners would have continued with double payments.
Sellers' testimonial:
February 2007 -- "Chris has restored my faith in real estate agents!" -- Tom B.
February 2007 -- "I've already recommended you to 3 friends who are in the process of contacting you to sell their homes. Not an easy task, so they are quite impressed with the results you produced for our family!
That you sold our house in just a few months in the current economic climate (i.e., 2-4 percent houses under contract in our town) is nothing short of miraculous. Your advice on how to remodel and stage our home to increase our standing among our competition was right on the mark. It was a pleasure to work with you and you made the experience a lot less stressful than I ever imagined.
As for your interpersonal skills and customer service, they are impeccable. You are a genuinely nice guy - probably not common enough in your profession. You are also compassionate, hardworking, organized, fair, honest, and appropriately assertive on behalf of your buyers and sellers (we've been both!). You also provide sound advice and are good at listening when clients need a counselor during such a stressful life event - most important, you are almost always available and easy to reach. And if you want, you can mention that I do personality assessments for a living! :-)" -- Dana B., Ph.D
Staging Statistics --
Before and after photos of this transformed University Heights Ohio home...
University Heights, Ohio has aarchitecturally diverse homes with most homes selling between 125-300K and is right next to the cultural treasure of University Circle. Feel free to view all the homes currently for sale in University Heights Ohio here: University Heights Ohio Homes for Sale
Olsen Ziegler Realty -- A $marter Way to buy and sell your University Heights Ohio Home
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