Tips For Home Staging: a Guide for a Faster Sale

Homes that are staged are selling faster and at a higher price than those that are not in this market. Home staging is not decorating but "de-personalizing" a home.  You live in your home a certain way that is comfortable to you, but when your home actually comes on the market, it now becomes a product on the market. Realtors try to attract a buyer to your home by staging it so it appeals to most buyers. We sell on emotion, and we also buy on emotion.

Here are some pointers:

Focal Point: Many times a home may have too much furniture or furniture that is positioned incorrectly in a room. Every room of a home should have a "Focal Point" therefore your positioning of furniture is key. For example: a bay window or a fireplace may be a focal point of a formal living room or family room. Never block a focal point, so place a sofa facing your bay window or fireplace. Focal points are what draw buyers to a room.

Buyers' Top Requests: Most buyers in our current market are actually seeking out the following features in their dream homes: a staged and pristine showing condition; soft, neutral tones; hardwood and ceramic tile flooring; (very little or no carpeting); stainless steel appliances; granite countertops and something that is move-in ready.

Occasionally I hear that sellers are reluctant to pay the cost for home staging before we list their home. I always advise them: "I'd much rather see you 'invest' in staging your home upfront, before we list your home, than deal with any price changes down the road." Yes, home staging is an investment in your home. A home stager meets with the homeowners, walks through their home and gives his or her advice on whether they need to de-clutter rooms, repaint in neutral tones, remove any existing wallpaper, reposition or even relocate certain furniture to other rooms in the home, add plants or greenery to "bring the outside into your home" and also give an opinion on the exterior of the home as well.

For example: your deck should be an "extension of your home" so add attractive deck furniture and plants especially if your home is being marketed during the months that buyers will be entertaining or relaxing on their new deck.

In today's economy, buyers are much more concerned with their monthly mortgage payment than investing in multiple home improvements once they move into your home, that is why they're searching for move-in ready properties.

What is move-in ready? A few pointers:

Neutral Tones: Most buyers are seeking homes that offer very soft, neutral tones throughout the home, so if you have bright hot pinks or purple bedroom wall colors invest in soft, neutral tones and you'll sell much faster. Buyers do not have time to paint rooms or remove wallpaper once they move into your home since many are working full-time today. You'll find a very high "return on investment" with the minimal cost of freshly painting all rooms in neutral colors before coming on the market.

Curb Appeal: It is extremely important to attract a buyer to your home by offering curb appeal. Many buyers drive through many neighborhoods before they call an agent, and if they find your home and it's not attractive on the exterior ... you can bet they'll keep driving to the next home. Home stagers can also give you great advice on adding flowers or bushes to add appeal to your landscaping, adding a new mailbox or a fresh coat of paint to your front door. Also, a buyer has about 5 to 7 seconds from the time they step inside your door to determine if your home is for them so your foyer or front entryway is also a crucial area of the home that should attract buyers immediately. 

"If they can smell it, we cannot sell it!" This is so true, so if you have house pets, please take all precautions to eliminate any odors from your home before it comes on the market. Also, many buyers have family members who may have allergies, so you can bet that they're very sensitive to any and all odors upon entering your home. Adding room air fresheners can make a huge difference.

Vacant Homes: Vacant houses feel very cold to buyers. It is very difficult to sell a home that is vacant once sellers have moved out. My advice to sellers of vacant homes is to hire a home stager to bring in furniture and/or greenery to help the home feel warm, inviting and lived in, which can make all the difference in the world. Many times, when a home is vacant, the buyer has a very difficult time imagining if their furniture will fit in the home. Many people are visuals, so for them, it's very difficult to see what is not there.

Clutter Eats Equity: another very true statement. I advise my sellers to put excess things away or rent a storage unit early, and remove things that you're not currently using that may be cluttering your home. It's a great way to start your moving process early so it won't be so time consuming later when many other things are going on with your sale. Storing things away early will make your moving process much easier later. We try to sell the size of your rooms and the size and space of your countertops, so removing furniture and taking most things off your kitchen and bath countertops is always very appealing because buyers can see their own appliances, or furniture in your home. If you have too much in your home the buyer feels claustrophobic and is always anxious to leave and move on to another property which means, you've lost a potential buyer!

Remove Most Personal Photos: If you remove all personal photos from your home, the buyers will assume you've already started to move out and that may directly affect your "negotiating power" so leave some photos so your home feels "warm and inviting" not cold to buyers. On the other hand, if you have too many personal photos in your home, buyers will be looking at all of your photos, and will not be looking at your home and all it has to offer them.

I've heard from many buyers that a home feels very empty or cold when sellers have removed too much, thinking they were doing the right thing. This is why hiring an experienced home stager is so important when you're thinking of selling.  They have the expertise to know which items should be removed and which should remain in the home to attract buyers.

Turn on the Lights: buyers love to feel welcome in your home so turn on every light and open every shade or curtain to make your home bright and inviting. You want them to feel as though your home can easily become their home so light and bright is what is selling. Also, baking before Open Houses or showings is also highly recommended, since our sense of smell is one of our strongest senses as you know. Entering a home that has the scent of fresh baked cookies or banana bread is always a wonderful experience, don't you agree?