In addressing the question, 'Why isn't my home selling?', condition and staging can play a very important role. People are more aware than ever of the importance of condition and staging of homes...largely due to HDTV...but it often involves an investment in both time and money, something every seller is not willing to do.
It is true that not every home needs to be beautifully staged to sell depending on your property, motivation and target market. For example, foreclosure properties are typically not in good condition...and are priced aggressively low to appeal to their target market. But most 'traditional' homes...homes with no bank involvement that don't want to be sold at fire sale prices...sell more quickly when they are in good condition and staged to sell.
Once your home is staged and listed for sale for sale it ceases to become 'your' home...it becomes a commodity. Staging your home to sell is different from decorating your home to live...although it often happens that once a property is staged to sell, sellers discover a new-found appreciation for their home!
Here is a great example of the difference investing in staging can make...
Believe it or not, the two photos above are of the same property...same corner! The homeowner contacted me because her home had been on the market a year with very few showings...it wasn't selling...and she wanted it sold!
We talked about how factors outside a seller's control...market, location, structure...affect the sale of a property. Then we talked about things a seller can do to get a property sold.
The first step is staging and condition. This property was in good condition, it just needed some updating. After a consultation with my stager, Jeri of Tender Heart Transitions, they decided to do a major transformation... including fresh paint, updating light fixtures and installing a new countertop. This seller was lucky to have family members ready, willing and able to pitch in and do the work (if they wouldn't have been able to do it Jeri has a crew ready to help).
When they were done updating, Jeri came in to complete the staging with furniture and accessories... bringing in some new and using some of the homeowner's things. What a stunning transformation!
The photo on the left is of the 'old' listing which had been on the market a year with hardly any showings... the one on the right was my listing... which had tons of showings and an accepted offer in about a month!
Other factors were at play in getting this home sold as well, including...
- The market - foreclosure listings dragging down prices
- A location near a freeway - which the seller loved because of its convenience but many buyers didn't like
- Pricing - price both for market conditions and to overcome objections
- Marketing presence at 52maple.com - it doesn't help if it looks great if it isn't showcased properly and no one sees it!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - HomesMSP.com
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