Today’s buyers are looking for turn-key homes; they want to move straight in without having to do a lot, if any work. Buyers with busy lifestyles pay a premium for properties that are in prime condition. Staging can make the difference between a listing selling or not, the time it takes to sell, and the ultimate sale price.
Vendors who are selling for financial reasons often have a hard time accepting that they’ll need to invest some money to prepare a house for sale even if it means selling for less than they paid. ‘Fix-up’ costs can mount up; We at Rhodes Sotheby’s International Realty can help you prioritize so that you don’t waste money. It’s important to keep your goal in mind, which is to sell your house in a buyer’s market.
It’s a cliché – you only have one chance to make that first impression. Curb appeal is the most important part of a property viewing.
Clean the main entrance door, mow the grass, tidy the garden, pull out all of the weeds and have some bright flowers as you approach the entrance. Then move on to the interior:
Paint the house from top to bottom, make it as light as possible, de-clutter as much as possible, de-personalise the space and use house plants and accessories to add colour.
Listings staged by a good decorator view well and often sell quicker; you don’t need to spend a lot to put your home into shape for marketing. Most homeowners have too many personal possessions in their home from a sale point of view. De-cluttering is something most sellers need to do; this enables a potential buyer to envisage the surroundings with their own possessions – giving a feeling of comfort.
Consider hiring someone to help you sort, pack, donate and recycle items that you no longer want. We are able to recommend someone who can help you clear your house of clutter if you are overwhelmed by the project.
Your agent, or stager, may ask you to put away collections of art, personal photos, etc. This can be difficult for most sellers because, for them, it’s part of the emotional appeal of their home. Your house won’t look like your home after you’ve removed personal possessions and moved what’s left around to display the house to its best advantage.
That’s the point of the preparation process. You don’t want prospective buyers focusing in on your personal property; you want them to focus on the house. Keep in mind that how you live in your home and how it should look when it goes on the market are not the same.
