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Crisp and Clean First Impression

Let’s recap…home staging is simply presenting your house in a way that appeals to the largest possible audience, to ensure a quick sale for the best possible price.

So where do we begin? What is going to give me the biggest bang for my buck? Many people automatically think it is INSIDE the home; perhaps the kitchen or even the master bath. Well, actually think OUTSIDE your home first! It is all about curb appeal. It is like love at first sight, the first impression… you get the idea. Curb appeal is exactly what we are looking for, so when potential buyers pull up to the curb in front of your home, you want the home to appeal to them as much as possible.

Staging Your Exterior – Do It Yourself Cost Saving Tips

• Start by creating a list of items needing attention. Go out to the curb in front of your house with a notepad and pen. Jot down anything that jumps out at you. If you are not sure, just as a neighbor to help you or drive around your own neighborhood and take note of what is appealing compared to your home.
• If the home’s paint is chipped or faded, give it a fresh coat. Pay particular attention to shutters, doors, and trim. If the entire house is a light color and looks okay, think about only painting the trim if you are on a tight budget.
• Keep the lawn mowed and neatly edged. A nicely mowed lawn does wonders for curb appeal. If your lawn is in bad shape, you might have to lay down fresh sod or simply put in fertilizer… whatever it takes to make your lawn green.
• Mulch is your best friend when trying to boost your curb appeal. Adding fresh mulch to your existing flower / plant beds can make a big difference in appearance. This low cost fix certainly adds appeal.
• Plant or pot some fresh flowers outside the front door. For simplicity, you might want to stick to potted plants. This will allow you to place them wherever you need them, and with less effort. Bright plants or flowers do a lot to enhance the entry.
• Think “yellow” when adding accent plants to your home’s entry. Yellow is a great color for this purpose. It draws the eye and makes people feel at ease, which is exactly how you want them to feel when entering your home.
• Check your flowerbeds and driveway pavers every day while your house is on the market. Remove any weeds you find. It is important to check daily, because weeds can literally sprout up overnight.
• Trim bushes and trees as needed to give a tidy appearance. Also, make sure they are not blocking windows or doors.
• If you have vinyl railings outside your home’s entrance, give them a good washing. All you need is a bucket, a hose, and some concentrated car wash liquid.
• You might want to rent a power washer if you have a lot of dirt and grime. It’s an easy way to clean everything at once — the siding, sidewalks, doors and shutters, patios, entry way, etc.
• If you have wood railings, consider giving them a fresh coat of paint.
• Do you have a large porch that’s ideal for sitting? Add a nice bench, or a pair of chairs, to help people see themselves relaxing on the porch.

Remember, people will see the outside of your house before they see the inside. If the home’s exterior makes a bad first impression on potential buyers, they will carry that negativity inside the house with them.

Before and After Home Staging

Why bother staging my home?

 You need every possible advantage in order to sell your home for a decent sale price, so it is extra important to stage your home effectively. Don’t you want a quick sale for maximum sale price?

Home Staging Benefits

• Staging forces you to think like a buyer. When you set out to stage your home for the market, you will be looking at the home as if you were a buyer. Adopting this perspective early on will help you in many ways when preparing your home for the market.
• Staging forces you to organize and de-clutter. Clearing away shelves, closets and cabinets is a big part of the home staging process. It also helps with moving, because you’ll have to pack things away at some point anyway. So when you stage your home, you will also get a head start on packing to move.
• Staging increases likelihood of a sale. When selling your home, you must do everything within your power to increase your chances of selling — and I mean everything. These techniques can give you an extra edge in selling the home quickly.
• Staging reduces the home’s time on market. When you put in the extra effort to stage your home effectively, you will move closer to a quick sale. Anyone who has sold a home before can attest to the fact that the least time the home is on the market, the better. This is especially important if you will be paying two mortgages until the home sells (as is the case when you buy a new home before selling the old one).
• Staging helps justify the asking price. If you are in a seller’s market and you price your home correctly, you probably won’t have to haggle over the asking price. But in a market that leans toward the buyer, you need everything in your favor to justify the asking price. Proper home staging can help you justify the asking price by positioning the home more favorably in the buyer’s mind.
• Staging can be fun! It may sound like all work and no play at first. Granted, you will certainly be putting some elbow grease into the process. But staging a home can be a creative process as well, and many people find they enjoy it once they’ve begun.

 My next blog is going to share where you need to start. Is it the bathroom? Kitchen? Master bedroom? Curb appeal? Stay tuned…

Now that we have an idea of what professional staging can cost from my previous blog entry and the CBS News clip (3% of your sale price), we agree that there are some things we can do ourselves to stage a home. Within the next thirty days, we will provide you with plenty of ideas and helpful tips.

If you have already listed no problem, make the changes you need and simply ask your realtor to come back out and reshoot your pictures. It is worth the sale and the effort!”

Before we jump right into home staging tips for that quick sale, we first need to define staging. Home staging is the process of preparing a home inside and out that appeal to a broad population for sale. The keys to a properly staged home are presentation and appearance. Your goal is to want your buyers to see themselves already thinking they can move right in easily.

There is a distinction between preparing a home for sale and staging a home. These two acts are not always the same thing. For example, as part of your pre-sale preparations, you might go through the home to make small repairs where needed. This is an essential step in preparing your home for the market, but it’s not the same as home staging.

Staging a home for sale normally involves things of an aesthetic nature, such as organization, design, and overall appearance. First fix all the mechanical and functional improvements, then move on to the presentation and appearance.

Remember: Home staging as presenting your house in the best possible and affordable way that appeals to the broadest possible audience, to ensure a quick sale for the best price.

How long has your home been sitting on the market? Has it been over 3 months? If your home is priced right, then why is it not selling? Maybe you need to consider staging your home.

The market is flooded with so many homes that buyers truly have their “pick of the litter” so to speak. As the seller, what can you do to make your house stand out from the rest? Keep in mind that you need to market your home to the broadest amount of clients and what may appeal to you and your personal touches, may not appeal to the majority.

So what is staging? Check out this quick video from CBS News.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366894n
Staging: Home Seller’s Secret Weapon CBS News Video

Over the course of the new couple of weeks, I will share ideas for making your home sell and certainly not for the price of hiring a Staging Service – 3% of the selling price is a bit much for some simple steps you can take on your own that can make a world of difference.

That IS the question….
According CNBC
The National Association of Realtors July home sales resulted in a nearly 30% decrease. That is a far greater decrease in sales than expected after experiencing locally an increase the past couple of months.
Why are homebuyers shying away? Could it be the forecast of losing tax credits aka free money from the feds? Or are we on the brink of something greater?
What are your thoughts?