By this time, most of us know what home-staging means. However, to this day, I still find that some home sellers give little thought to staging when they want to put their house on the market, and how it might impact the sale. The truth is, in my experience, staging has an immense impact on the price a home sells for as wells as the time it takes to sell.
Simply put, the goal of home-staging is literally to "set the stage" of the home to appeal to as many buyers as possible! Here's an analogy...Imagine if you went to see the same broadway show two nights in a row. The first night was a pre-rehearsal, where actors sat around a table in their civilian clothes and read the script, while the second night, the actors came in costume and acted out their parts in between spectacular scene changes. Which performance would you prefer? I'm assuming the second performance! The same goes with staging. However, in real estate, buyers are our audience and the house is our stage. When selling, we literally need to set that stage where buyers are impressed with everything about the home or performance.
Here are the five steps to Staging:
Step 1. Make a Great First Impression with Curb Appeal
What is the thing a buyers sees when they drive up to your house. Is the paint peeling? Are bushes and trees overgrown and covering windows? Are pathways power washed? Are the gutters clean? Is paint flaking off on doors and windows? Is your lawn manicured and are flowerbeds weeded? Curb appeal is key in staging, it is literally the first thing a buyer see about your home. I always tell my sellers to stand at the street and look at your house as though you are seeing it for the very first time. What can be done to improve its appearance and make buyers fell excited and welcomed?
Step 2. Declutter, Clean and Depersonalize
The goal here is to create a more clean and spacious feeling. So now is the time to pack away your items. Furthermore, we want to allow a buyer to be able to envision themselves in your home, to feel as if they own it. Therefore, I recommend packing away personal photos and religious items that may serve as distractions, causing buyers to focus on your “stuff” rather than your home. In bathrooms, remove toiletries from showers, vanities and toilet tops. You should present the buyer with a clean and sanitized feeling when they enter that bathroom. And in regard to cleaning, I have never had a buyer complain that a house is too clean! Try and get rid of scuff marks, stains in carpet and soap scum on shower doors. Go through each and every room and CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!
Step 3: Update and Modernize:
Every room of your home entered should feel welcoming, warm and bright! One of the best investments you could make is new paint and carpet. But please make sure they are neutral colors. A good place to look for ideas is on Houzz.com, where you can see many photos of every type of room and get some great ideas.
Step 4: Get Rid of Odors In The House
One of the number one turn-offs for buyers is odor. Whether from pets, or mold under the house, nothing causes a buyer to turn around and head out the front door faster than bad odors in the home. Though you may have become immune to those smells, the buyers are not nor are their Realtors. And trust me, you do not want to be known amongst agents as the "Cat Pee House" or "The Moth Ball Home". My recommendation is to talk candidly to your Realtor about amy smells in your home, and lean heavily upon their advise to help remediate. Do not ask friends or relatives, as they may be afraid of hurting your feelings.
Step 5: Photo Time!
Having a strong online presence is absolutely key in selling a home, as 99% of buyers will see your house for the first time online. Make sure your Realtor is a master of marketing, capturing the unique essence of your home in photos. And unless they are professional photographers, I would make sure the professional services of photographers are utilized. A great photographer will know what angles will showcase a home, and a great videography can do the same from the sky. If the house is vacant, speak with your Realtor about "Virtual Staging". Remember, you only have one change to make a great first impression!
