Objections to Home Staging Advice
I'm still surprised at how buyers are unable to see a space beyond the paint colors, or old wallpaper. And it's not just first time buyers, it's experienced buyers as well who can't see how their own furniture will fit into a particular space. Staging is almost a "paint-by-numbers" strategy that helps prospective buyers visualize the space in how they will live in it. If you're using your formal dining room as an office or play room, don't; it's a formal dining room and the buyers need to see it furnished that way. Staging doesn't need to be expensive, simply logical in the appeal to buyers.
When there's so much clothes and shoes that you can't see the floor or move anything on the rack, it's time to clean it out. Buyers want to see closet space and if they see an overflowing closet, that means there's not going to be enough space for them. You're going to have to pack anyway, you might as well get a head start!As a Montgomery County PA home stager, I talk to a lot of home sellers. Some sellers I talk to before they put their house on the market and some I talk to after they've been on the market. But no matter who I talk to, there always seems to be some push back about the advice I give. Perhaps they just don't understand my point of view or think I'm criticizing their decorating style. But I'm always coming from a place of the potential buyer and what they'll think when they see your home. So here are some of the objections to home staging advice I've heard and why this home stager is overruling every single one.Objections to Home Staging Advice
1) "I need a lot of furniture because I host a lot of parties"This particular house really did have a lot of furniture. Chairs, couches, even chaises, everywhere you looked. It was jumbled, disorganized and made the rooms look half the size they really were. Buyers need to see how the rooms will be used with the right furniture. Put the hosting duties on hold while your home is on the market. You're only prolonging the sale of your home and the parties that you can host once you move into your new home.2) "They're not looking at my furniture/collectibles/kids toys"
They are. They're not buying your furniture/collectibles/kids toys, but they are looking to buy your home. And when they can't look past all the collectibles, personal photos and bulky furniture, to imagine themselves living there, they move on to the next house where they can.3) "The next person who lives here is going to paint anyway"Maybe that's true. But for the time being, they're having a hard time looking at your house because they can't take their eyes off of the wallpaper/bold paint. Bold colors and patterns can be a distraction and throw off the wrong vibe to potential buyers. When you have a neutral color, they can focus on the room and how their style will work in it.4) "I'm not changing anything, this is still my home"I know how much you love this home. I'm sure it has a lot of great memories and it's really hard to let them go. But realize the longer you hold on to those memories, the longer you'll hold on to the house. And maybe secretly that's what you want. But don't waste your time and your agents time by sitting on the market, not open to any suggestions.
5) "Buyers can see how big the closet is. I don't need to clean it up"
If you have objections to home staging advice, listen to why your home stager is overruling them. We're not criticizing you, we only want to help you sell your home as quickly as possible.If you're serious about selling your home and ready to take the advice of a home staging professional, contact Six Twenty Designs.
Home Staging is a tool every seller should have in their back pocket. Don't lose out on potential buyers by selling your home "as-is".
If you live in the Montgomery, Bucks or Chester County of Pennsylvania and need a home stager, contact Suzanne.
Visit Six Twenty Designs for more information!
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