All the World Is a Stage

Currently, there are 80 homes for sale in Madison, 43 homes in neighboring Chatham Borough plus hundreds more in the surrounding communities (Garden State Multiple Listing Service, May 23).  The competition among home sellers is tremendous. Yes, the competition.  You see, every home is competing for the same few buyers that are out there today. 

So how do you compete against your competition?  It could be price.  It could be the marketing.   The expansion of the pool of buyers.  The real estate company.  The condition of the property.  (I will get to them in future blogs)  Or, it just could be the presentation  of the property. 

The way a home is presented to the public is tantamount to not just getting it sold, but for selling it at its highest price the market will bear.  The term that is used for presentation is “staging”.  This term began in California several years ago and is now used throughout the real estate world.  It refers to the fact that when your home for sale it is “showtime” all the time.  A home must look in its best light when “the buyer” steps into your home or, better yet, their future home.  Staging accomplishes that. 

Actually, staging accomplishes two very important aspects of the merchandising of the home:  moving the buyer in and moving the seller out.  For the buyer, it shows the home at its best and for the seller, it actually gives them the realization that their home is no longer theirs but is now a commodity. 

Professional Stager Angela Gagauf, RESP-PRO, NJ Home Staging and Redesign, LLC., (www.NJHomeStagingandRedesign.com ) recently spoke at a Home Seller Seminar held at my office and discussed the importance of staging.  By adding new colors, moving or replacing furniture, and having the eye for merchandising, the homes that she stages sell quickly and, in many cases, more than similar homes that have not been staged. There is a cost for using a professional stager, however, the benefits and the higher selling price far outweigh the cost.

See the partial presentation:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH8S6axZ8lY

Here are some things you can do to make your home more marketable:

Exterior

First Impressions never get a second chance:  Cut the grass and keep it manicured; add flowers and other colors; paint the front door and change the door knob (not only do buyers want to see, they also want to feel a home); power wash the home and the deck; repave a driveway, and clean windows.

Interior

De-clutter; take out the family pictures throughout the house (it is hard for a buyer to move their family in when yours is still there on every wall); remove the smells; keep closets three-quarters full; clean and tidy up kitchen and baths; make the bed, it can go on and on. 

As a seller, when preparing your home for sale, put on the buyer’s hat and think about what a buyer would be looking for.  If that does not work, get the assistance of a stager or at least the suggestions of a realtor. Selling a home takes work and money, however, when you are competing with every other house in the area, you need that edge.  Best of luck.     

If you have any comments or real estate related questions, I invite you to respond.  Until then,      

  “Happy Sales to You….until I blog again.”