Admin

Staging Your Home

By
Real Estate Agent with Commonwealth LLC Realtors

Preparing Your House For Sale
One of the first things we will do before putting your house on the market is prepare your house for sale. We want to show your house off in its best light to maximize your earning potential. Your agent will tour your house with the eye of a buyer - what works, what doesn't work.

Curb Appeal........Do You Have it?
Does your house have curb appeal? Can you give it a little more pizzazz to draw the buyer in? Would a bit of touch-up paint add dollars to the sale? What about the garden? Is the lawn in order and neatly edged? Are trees and bushes neatly pruned? Are flowers in bloom? If not, it may be time for a garden upgrade. Adding colorful annuals to the front garden will make a big difference. Remember, creating curb appeal will add dollars to your house's final selling price.

Welcome Home
As they walk in the door of your house, your agent  will ask themselves, "Will this house say, 'Welcome home' to a buyer?" Looking through the eyes of a buyer, your agent will recommend changes that will enhance sales appeal.

An agent will help you eliminate anything that gives the appearance of clutter. Countertops should be free and clear. Knickknacks, souvenirs, family photos, refrigerator artwork - it's gone. You need to "de-personalize" the house so buyers can imagine it as their home.

Closets and cupboards should appear large and roomy. It's time to make a donation to a local charity or store belongings at a friend's or family member's home.

Reviewing your home room-by-room, your agent will make recommendations that impact the sale. They will point out the pieces of furniture that should be removed, rooms that need new paint, carpet that needs to be changed, fixtures that need polishing, windows that need cleaning, and any other improvement that can easily be made to promote the sale.

Setting the Stage
Before the first buyer walks in your door, your agent will  show you how to set the stage. We want to engage the buyer's senses. Lighting is critical. We'll draw back curtains, open blinds, change light bulbs and add lighting where needed to welcome the buyer. We'll enhance the ambiance with music playing lightly in the background and insure a pleasing aroma emanates from every room.

Teri Isner
Keller Williams Realty at the Lakes - Orlando, FL
GRI, CRS, CIPS
Another take on this is a cd called what you should know before selling your home.  Great marketing piece we have that covers these ideas of your blog both on a cd and there is a web version available.  We send this in a pre-list packet.
Jul 23, 2006 09:29 AM
Lisa Kester
Commonwealth LLC Realtors - Collinsville, VA
I've recently seen advertisements for the designation ASP, Accredited Staging Professional.  I think it is becoming more apparent to Realtors that staging really does work. In my rural little area, alot of agents are not even aware of what the term staging refers to.  I also have several other articles regarding staging that I provide to sellers, but I am thinking more and more about the ASP designation also and would be interested in here from someone who has this designation.
Jul 23, 2006 09:35 AM