Sunday, November 25, 2007

Staging your House for Sale

So, I'm wrapping up the work on my flip property (hence, the scarcity of posts lately). I'm planning on staging the property because it's hitting the market at a really bad time - right smack in the dead holiday season. Hey, "It is what it is." (That's my absolute favorite saying for real estate)

I'll be posting some before and after pictures in the next two weeks to show you the difference and what an impact staging can have.

Here are some of my quick staging tips:

1. Stick a red plant next to something you want to call out to the Buyer. I don't know why, but it draws the eye right to it. I read a study where red flowers brought more Buyers into a home than any other color (no source, sorry).

2. Walk through the house and take one piece of furniture out of each room. It'll make the house seem bigger, and you really won't miss it for the one day the house is on the market (Aim high, Grasshopper. Aim high.)

3. Stage the room how it's being marketed. If you're using the living room as a dining room, or a dining room as an office - you need to switch it back. Re-working rooms is fine for living (I do it in my own home) but when you're marketing the home, it leaves the Buyer thinking you don't have enough room. ("This dining room is SO SMALL! You can't even fit dining room furniture in here!")

4. Glade plug-ins or candles.

5. De-clutter. You're going to have to get rid of it or pack it up before you move anyway. Just do it now, because I can guarantee that some Buyer is going to walk through the house and pompously declare, "Wow! Look at all this stuff they've got crammed in here!" Others in the group will nod derisively. Then they'll all go back to their own junk riddled houses not even noticing how great your home is!

Want more suggestions? Shoot me an email and I'll send you a "Pre-list checklist"...

**And check for those pictures coming soon...

"Wow, these internets are cool!"

Do you know not everyone checks their email regularly? Seriously. My pet peeve is when email is listed under contact info, you should be able to contact someone that way!

If you are reading this blog, you're obviously somewhat internet savvy. I'm here to tell you that not all Realtors (or service professionals for that matter) are.

Act accordingly!

Ask your Realtor (or anyone involved in your transaction - mortgage broker, insurance agent, etc) how often they check their email. Ask them if they can send documents electronically. Ask them how they will communicate with you.

For Sellers: Ask them the following:

1. How many pictures of the home do you post?
2. Do you post a virtual tour?
3. How many/what websites do you post my home to?
4. How often will you update me with website activity?

For Buyers: Ask them the following:
1. How often will you email me new listings?
2. How often do you check TREND?

Want to know my answers? Shoot me an email and I'll fill you in...

**One caveat on this - there are many, many people in this world who are NOT internet savvy. The non-internet savvy Realtors are a GREAT fit for them. I'm not knocking them, I'm just advising you that you need a Realtor who works for your needs.