Which home would you want to buy?
These are Before and After photos of the living room of one of my listings. The listing was a high end luxury listing, but it was vacant. I knew that it wouldn't show well vacant, but the owner did not want to pay for staging. I also knew that listings at the top range of the market can take longer to sell and didn't want the property to be vacant. I decided to use a home manager service called Show to Sell in Westport, Connecticut. http://www.show-sell.com
What is a home manager?
From a New York Times article on January 2, 2009...
"A home manager is essentially a live-in stager, as well as a caretaker and cleaner extraordinaire. The service is marketed as a tool to sell a vacant property more quickly. Prospective buyers will be less enticed by an empty, stale-smelling house, the theory goes, than by a meticulously kept home decorated with high-quality furnishings.
Home managers are required to accommodate real estate agents who want to show the house any day of the week. They pay a reduced rent and their own utility costs and have to keep up the grounds.
What they get in return is the privilege of living in what are usually large, expensive homes for a fraction of what it would cost to rent such a property. And in instances where they have to leave a house because it sold, staging companies usually try to place them in another house as soon as possible."
My client couldn't be more pleased. Her utility costs are taken care of as well as lawn care, pool care, and plowing. The home looks inviting and is always in show condition. It's a win-win for all involved.
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