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Home Staging Explained or I Love Aunt Mary, But She Has To Go…
By Tisza Major-Posner | August 13, 2007
Hi All,
I am sure that it is not news to anyone that the real estate market is a much tougher nut to crack now than it has been in the recent past. So, as a seller you need to use every tool available to help ensure your sales success. One of the most important tools is home staging.
I am sure that almost everyone has heard the term Home Staging. But, I am not sure everyone really has had the importance of Home Staging explained to them. So, here goes…
Personally, I love homes that have personality. I like walking in the front door and getting an immediate feel for the folks that live inside. From the pictures on the walls to the books (or lack thereof) on the shelves, everything tells me more about the family that lives there. So, when I come to visit your home, that is something I love to see, but when I come to help you sell your home it’s not.
When you decide to sell your home, you need to stop thinking of your house as a personal possession and start viewing it as an investment. You also need to remember that you are going to be moving, and if I have my way, you will be moving soon.
People’s homes are as much a part of the fabric of their families as anything else is. And I do understand that. But I also understand that if their memories are all on display wherever I look as a buyer it will be very hard for me to imagine mine in their place.
Staging a home does not mean taking every single thing that has personality, flair or interest out, but it does mean looking at a house in a different way. You need to see each room like a movie set, the things that are on view help to tell the story, but shouldn’t be the story themselves.
Case in point: A couple of weeks ago I went into an open house, the house was priced way below market, and almost $35,000 less than the one right next door in fact. The house had been up for sale for quite a while but hadn’t had an offer. It appeared to be in nice condition, and might have fit my client’s needs, but even though they walked through every room they never “saw” that house.
If these owner’s had properly staged their home and removed about half of the furniture they had in every room (store it in the garage or, better still get a storage unit so that the garage remains clutter free), packed up most of their personal effects (they were moving after all), and removed the religious decorations (especially for an open house) things might have been different.
Instead, my clients commented on the cute baby in the large portrait on one wall and in the myriad of smaller ones everywhere else, saw all the furniture and decided the rooms were “small” and because the lights were not all on and the window blinds were closed, felt that the home was too dark.
A great way to get an idea of what a well staged home looks like is to visit some of the brand new housing developments and learn from the pros.
Walk into the townhouses on Foothill right across the border in Upland and I guarantee that you will see bright, airy rooms with thoughtful touches and a nice “pulled together” look and feel.
I can also tell you what you won’t see… crowded spaces filled with furniture against every wall, knick-knacks on every surface and clutter around every bend.
When I look at a home in preparation for listing it, I am looking not just at the floor plan and the condition of the home; I am looking at the “stuff” inside it as well.
I am evaluating everything from the placement of the couch and the pictures on the walls to the knick-knacks on the shelves and the light bulbs in the bathroom. And I am critical. That is part of what you are paying me for. I am looking at your home in a way you may not be able to, as an asset. So, while I may love Aunt Mary, I am still going to want her taken down and packed away.
I don’t want to list your home, I want to sell it. And, I want to sell it quickly. I will be looking for every single thing that will help me to do just that.
So, when I, or any other Realtor, suggest that staging your home may be necessary, remember that it is not a personal indictment of your taste or your lifestyle, but merely a business decision.
By properly staging your home for sale everyone wins… I get a property that I can show off in its best light; the buyer’s can now see the house and not the contents so they won’t miss out if your property is the home of their dreams. You get some of your packing done ahead of time while you are not yet in a rush and most of all, you get a successful sale that will allow you to move ahead with your plans.
Take care,
Topics: Seller Must Read's |
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August 13th, 2007 at 7:54 am
Tisza,
Well written and very informative. I’ve been through many homes like this myself. It still surprises me that with all the staging to sell home shows on TV some homeowners still don’t get it. The most successful home sellers are those willing to look at their home through a buyers eyes.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Great article. I agree with everything you said about staging. Well said! Rarely does anyone mention the religious items on their staging blogs. I’m glad you did. You never know who the potential buyer may be. Make a home an item anyone will love enough to purchase!
www.stagedmakeovers.com
www.mystagedlife.com
August 18th, 2007 at 12:10 am
T-
I don’t want to list your home, I want to sell it. And, I want to sell it quickly. I will be looking for every single thing that will help me to do just that.
Great focus, Tisza! I’ve learned something.