You have made a monumental decision and are putting your home on the market.
This is the home that, perhaps, your children took their first steps… Where you hosted that Christmas party you will never forget… Memories of friends, family, love, and laughter fill the walls of your home. This is what you see when you look around.
Unfortunately, potential buyers may only see your mismatched family room set, tables that have a few scratches, walls with color that were fashionable 10 years ago. They do not have insight into the memories and love that has been a part of the home that you are now ready to pass on to the next family.
This is where a professional home stager can help you gain perspective – and put more money in your pocket.
Even if you have had professional help in designing your home, the process of selling a home is much different than living in a home.
Not all buyers entertain, BUT they ALL envision a lifestyle of entertaining. Just like advertising on TV and magazines, a professional home stager creates a space that people aspire to live in.
For example, when you order a fast food burger, you pull it out of the bag and get ready to take a bite. Does it look like the ad you saw that may have prompted you to pull into the drive-thru? They are the same product, have all the same ingredients, but the way you actually eat is much different than the way a burger is sold.
It’s the same with a home. Once you make the step to sell, it becomes a product. A home stager creates a space your buyer dreams of living in. It may not be to your personal taste, and it may even be a bit uncomfortable for you to live in.
The silver lining is that it is much more likely your home will sell quickly – and for a higher price – than if you did not stage your home.
Statistics show that for every dollar spent in staging, you can potentially reap a 1000% return on the investment. The median price for a home increased more than 4% in 2019. With professional staging, your home could sell for up to 25% more than an un-staged home. So, you could be talking thousands of dollars – tens of thousands in many markets - you leave on the table if you don’t properly prepare your home before presenting it to buyers.
In addition to presenting your home to a buyer who walks through the door, perhaps more important is how it appears online. Over 50% of today’s buyers are Millennials. We know they grew up with a cell phone in their hand – where do you think they start their search for a home? Online, of course. Many will begin an online search before contacting a Real Estate
Agent or qualifying for a loan (which they do online as well).
This means your home must show well in photos as well as in person. You don’t want to be the listing with the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, the toilet seat up, or a laundry basket sitting on the dryer, because your agent was in the neighborhood and swung by to take pictures with their cell phone. There are sites dedicated to bad MLS photos - trust me, that is one place you do NOT want your listing to go viral!
If your Real Estate Agent is not ponying up for a professional photographer, hire one yourself. The cost varies across the country, and by market, but most real estate shoots will cost between $150-$350. Again, this will pay for itself many times over. Your Stager likely has one they work with on a regular basis and can make the arrangements.
Selling your home is a significant event in your life. Select your partners in the process wisely. They will walk you through the process, help you see how small changes make a big difference, and assist you on your way to the next step in life - with a bit more money in your pocket.
Call Raini & Associates with any questions you have on taking this monumental step. We are here to help with all aspects of creating and maintaining beautiful spaces, as well as preparing your home to be more attractive to buyers.
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