Part II - Staging a home has become the buzzword in preparing a home for sale. Homeowners face stiff competition today and can use the staging concept to help sell their home. What have surveys uncovered about the benefits of staging a home? Staged homes sold almost twice as fast as the competition. Homeowners received about 6% more than the asking price on staged homes.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness: This axiom applies to preparing your home for sale. Enter each area/room and inspect each space closely. Roll up your sleeves and apply elbow grease to the problems you have identified. The homeowner should thoroughly vacuum the room/area paying extra attention to ceilings, light fixtures, fans, and spaces under furniture. The seller has a plethora of cleaning products to choose from to help remove stains on furniture, walls and carpeting. Your goal is to have the buyer focus on the positive attributes of your home.
Next focus on the windows, mirrors, cabinets, counter tops, ovens, stovetops, light fixtures, and ceiling fans. Polish and scrub these items until they glisten. Homes that sparkle and glisten sell quickly. Open the windows and air out the house. Homeowners with pets need to pay extra attention to litter box odor and pet hair.
As the homebuyer, you realize that a dirty home is less marketable than the competition. If you are attracted to the home but are turned off by the messy condition, remember most of the mess leaves when the current owner moves out. You can always hire a cleaning service to clean up what remains. . Figure in that cost when making an offer on the property.
Declutter the house and garage. I know how difficult this part of the assignment is. My suggestion, for the short haul, rent a storage unit and park all the stuff in it. You therefore will not have to part with anything. Do not stuff the treasures in your closets. Prospective buyers always look in the closets to gauge how much storage space the home has. Stuffed closets communicate the wrong message. Remove most of the family pictures and paraphernalia. Put the personal items in that storage unit. A room with less stuff appears larger than one that is crowded. Conversely, a house with less stuff appears larger.
The buyer who views a home that is cluttered is at an advantage if he does not react to the condition of the house. Try to get past the appearance. Visualize your personal belongings in the rooms. If you decide to make an offer, adjust your offer to reflect how much work you will have to do to get the home in pristine condition.
The owner needs to perform a thorough inspection of the house. You need to fix leaking faucets, patch any cracks or holes, caulk and grout the bathroom fixtures, and paint areas that need it. You can remove a small wall chip from an unobtrusive area and take it to the local paint store or hardware store e.g. Home Depot or Lowe if you do not have any paint left from the last time the area was painted. These stores can match the paint on the chip; voila, you now have correct shade of paint to freshen the area. While in the paint department, look at some of the literature published by the paint manufactures explaining the various painting techniques available to spruce up a room. Faux finishes add glamour and style to any area for much less money than wallpaper.
Do your own walk through. We all have a friend who is a real fuddy duddy. They notice every imperfection. This is the time to use them as a second pair of eyes to help you identify problems that you overlooked.
Apply paint to freshen a room and improve its appearance. Use neutral colors that include sage, taupe, honey, and tan besides the unbelievable variety of shades of white.
The homebuyer needs to note the problem areas and estimate the cost of making the necessary modifications. Use this information to your advantage when making an offer on the house. Communicate your negative impressions to your real estate agent. The agent can use that information during the negotiation process.
The homeowner can create a soothing atmosphere. You can use plug-ins to infuse the air with the smell of baked apple pie. You can play soft background music. While the prospective buyer is viewing the house temporarily find a safe place to house your pet. Small dogs and cats can be contained in a playpen. Put a net over the top to prevent the pet from exiting the pen. You can put water, food and even a litter box in the playpen with your pet.
Organize the garage. Sort your belongings by usage. Throw out the junk. Store the rest in the storage unit. Create zones in the garage. Use the wall and ceiling space for storage.
A home that has not been staged faces an uphill battle in today’s
The seller who makes the effort to stage his home usually attracts more buyers and usually receives a higher price for his home. Please contact me when you decide you want to put your home on the market. I will be happy to do a walk through and help you identify how to prepare your home for today’s real estate market.
I also work with buyers who are trying to locate property that meets their set of criteria. I have an extensive knowledge of homes that are currently on the market. Please contact me James Angelo Realtor – Jacksonville Florida Realtor so that we can review the homes on the market that meet your needs.
