BY ANNIE SCHWARZ
No matter what’s happening to the real estate
market, when it comes time to sell your home or
commercial property, there are two simple rules
to follow to assure a quick sale. Price it well with
the assistance of a good real estate agent, and
make it look amazing with the assistance of a
professional home stager.
One of the costliest mistakes made by home
sellers, and also inexperienced real estate agents,
is to ignore the visual psychology involved in
gaining a buyer’s immediate attention. Staging
is all about creating a space that makes buyers
connect emotionally to it.
Just like a product in the store, the better it’s
packaged the more desirable it becomes and
the more people are willing to pay for it. When
someone sees a beautifully staged home, they
immediately equate that with higher value. New
home builders learned a long time ago that model
homes sell their houses.
Home Stagers market the house from the inside
and real estate agents market the house form the
outside. Both services are essential to a seller that
wants to sell at the highest price possible.
Homeowners are not able to be impartial
about their belongings. Homeowners get used to
their furniture and accessories being laid out in
a particular way and often it takes a fresh pair of
eyes to see how it could be rearranged to create a
more inviting, light and airy space.
A home stager will be that neutral party who
can make the most effective decisions to bring
out the best features of your home. They are not
emotionally attached to your personal belongings
so this enables them to work quickly. They do not
get bogged down with the trip down memory lane,
a hurdle which often paralyzes homeowners when
sorting out their belongings.
Staging can be a deal maker and sell a property
for the best price in the shortest amount of time.
National statistics say a staged home usually sells
within a month and a half and will dramatically
increase the opportunity to sell at a much higher
profit.
Trying to wait and see how it sells on its own is
one of the worst mistakes a seller can make. Home
staging can certainly be done months into it if it
doesn’t sell, but doing it from the beginning is
always the best rule of thumb. Having a property
on the market for an extended period of time is
never a good selling feature.
A home stager attends to what needs to be
rearranged, repaired, removed, and repainted.
Dated can sometimes equate as neglect. If you’ve
chosen to overlook torn carpeting or damaged
walls, now is the time to set things right – buyers
won’t be attracted to a poorly maintained home,
and will doubt that it’s only on the surface. They
think, if the tile is cracked, maybe the roof leaks.
If you’re selling a dated home, it’s well worth the
expense to make some updates to sell it at the
highest price.
Maybe you’re moving because your family
has outgrown the house. Fine, but if there’s but if
evidence in every room like closets jammed to the
max, and vanities piled with extra clothes, then
you’re immediately telling buyers ‘this house is too
small, and doesn’t offer enough storage.
Realize that buyers respond to clean, well
laid out spaces. And, the added touches of fresh
cut flowers, pretty throw pillows, fresh towels in the
bathrooms, nice bedding and soft music playing in
the background are pleasant additions that convey
the message that someone prepared for your visit.
Also, because a potential buyer wants to
envision it as their home not your home, it’s
very important to remove all personal pictures,
religious items or moody artwork. The more you
can appeal to all buyers, the better. Hotel rooms
have been doing this for years.
The best way to think of it is you have to pack
anyway, so start packing before the first showing.
Less is more when it comes to staging a house.
People want to see the house not the stuff. And,
when they do see your stuff, they want it to be
nice or they’ll devalue the house in their mind.
However, selling a vacant house is the kiss of
death. A stager will help you do a partial staging
you so people can still see familiar items in the
rooms to help them realize their furniture will fit
and the space will function well for their family.
It’s best to contact a stager before you move so
you can leave key pieces and accessories behind
to avoid additional expenses of renting furniture.
In order for a buyer to even consider looking
at the inside of your home, they must first be
impressed by the exterior’s condition or what’s
commonly known as curb appeal. Make sure that
the lawn is neatly mowed and unsightly branches
removed and bushes are trimmed. Weather
appropriate plants added for color and beauty
are a huge plus.
If you have a dog, make sure there is no evidence
of your buddy on your lawn or in your house.
Although we love our pets, don’t expect a potential
buyer to feel the same way, it’s best to remove them
and their toys for all showings.
Using a home stager is not expensive. Most
homes can be staged between $350-$800. Compare
spending that up front and having it show well
from the beginning, to having to drop the price
by tens of thousands of dollars if the home is not
selling several months in to the process. There is just no comparison. You can’t afford not to stage it.
Similar staging principals are recommended
for selling a commercial property. You want the
building to convey a positive impression as soon
as people enter the building. Potential buyers
want a building that is move-in ready, and are
likely to be turned off if they feel a great deal of
cleanup or repairs are needed before they can
begin operations.
Unique architectural features of your
commercial building should not be overlooked.
These special features could be what sets your
property apart from others, and could mean a
much higher rental or sale price. Fine woodwork or
flooring is very desirable and good lighting is also
an important benefit when people are searching
for commercial spaces.
Just like in the home, by staging office furniture
in the right way, potential buyers will be able
to envision themselves setting up shop in your space rather than looking at a vast open area and
wondering what they would do with it. It also
adds to the notion that your building is move-in
ready, making it more likely they’ll consider your
property for their needs over others.
For showing large commercial spaces, using
a free online architectural program can show
the potential of a space by presenting a couple
3D models to a perspective buyer or renter on
how the space may suit their needs. This can go
a long way to help them envision their business
in a large open space. Going this extra mile to sell
a commercial property can be very profitable in
the long run.
The bottom line, is people don’t want to work
so hard to buy a property and they want to feel
that the person before them took care of what
they are about to purchase with their life savings.
Schwarz is a Saratoga Springs-based interior
designer and home stager.
Photo Courtesy Interior Harmony