As the media and press has determined this to be a down time to be selling your home,  I find more and more homeowners are wanting to place their home on the market, but are doubting the timing for it. In my 4 1/2 years of owning a staging company, it has been my experience that many people have to sell their home regardless of what the market it is doing. Some sellers have received a promotion and job transfer.  Others have health issues and need to downsize. Whatever the case may be, homeowners can be assured that there is a positive note to the selling aspect of today’s market. Interest rates are at a low, and your asking price may be lower than you want, but you’ll make it up on the buying side. There is no time better than the present to get a great deal on your purchase. So, if life changes are allowing you to sell your home today, investigate the benefits of “home staging.  Staging will give you the edge you need in today’s market, and in every market. Why does staging work?  “Because buyer’s only know what they see and not the way it is going to be.” Have your home “showcase” ready and you’ll be sure to get top dollar and sell quickly. 

log onto www.stagedhomes.com for the history of home staging. For more information about me, check out www.mghomehighlights.com   I can do as much or as little to help you sell your home.

On Thursday, our staging project was in Chicago, IL. To describe the property, it was an up-to-date, move-in condition townhome on Damen Ave. The property has been on the market for about 5 weeks.
The homeowners have moved out and the property is vacant. As you may have or have not heard me say before, a vacant home has no soul and a buyer needs to emotionally “fall in love” in order to want to purchase a home. Without any furnishings, a vacant home cannot show the buyers the necessary visual that allows themselves to imagine living there. The reason I chose to write about this particular staging project, is because of the unique layout and the difficulty buyers have had because it was empty of furniture, etc. You see, as gorgeous as this townhome is, there is no designated area for an eat-in-kitchen, and there is no other dining room. The service area of the kitchen and the beautifiul counter which provided an eating area, are connected to a small sitting room, as you enter into the unit. So extreme strategic planning of just the “right” pieces and the placement of the furniture are key elements in the sale of this property.
Identifying space and showing as much of a purpose to any room is very important, but even more so in a space just decribed. Attached, are some photos that will display “effective staging” that allows all potential buyers to visualize themselves living there.
Ask yourself these questions, when you examine your For Sale property.
Does the space cleary show what the room is used for?
Is the room welcoming, neutral, and inviting, to a wide variety of people?
Is the furniture placed in a position that “highlights” the best selling features of the home?
Does the room show as much space as possible?
Keep in mind that each room has to tell a story about what the buyers life will be like living there. Will the buyers know that you’ve enjoyed a “lifetime” of memories in the home, and they will too?
Make your home (product) stand out into today’s market. Increase the value of your home by hiring an ASP Stager. You’ll sell you home faster and for more money, whether you are living in your home, or whether it is vacant. Happy House Selling!

So often, I hear so many different reasons from realtors and homeowners, as to why they don’t use an ASP, Accredited Staging Professional. To mention a few, one realtor told me that the townhouse she was listing was probably going to be a “short sale”, so they didn’t need a home stager. You see, it’s all in how you look at things.  First of all, my immediate response is that of a sympathetic one. How difficult an economy, that your largest investment (your home) is not even worth what you owe the mortgage lender. Then, knowing that my staging company has provided hundreds of homeowners to earn more money at their closing, I was amazed that the realtor wouldn’t see that it was absolutely necessary to have the townhome in the best light possible. I shared that since I had even more of an interest in this property selling, because this home is on the next block from  where I live, that I would offer a half off price for a Detailed Consultation Report. Well, there has been no response, and after over a year, the townhome is still sitting on the market, becoming a bigger and bigger “short sale”. 

Now I know that there may be many reasons why I was not hired to stage the home or give a written or verbal report (for the price of$200.00) but I would like to know if the realtor even suggested to stage the property. 

Especially in today’s market, why wouldn’t a realtor want to offer every opportunity to sell their homes quickly and for more money?  So, if you know anyone who is going to lose their home if they don’t sell it soon, please inform them of this valuable investment in home staging.  

So I’ll ask you,….. is staging for every home?    It’s only for homes who’s homeowners want to sell their property for “top dollar”.  

Thanks for reading this blog.

  

Are you thinking about selling your home?  Have you wondered if now is the right time?  What steps should you take, if you are planning to sell your home? 

As I begin my 5th year as an ASPM, Accredited Staging Profesisonal Master, I can share with you that most sellers are unaware that there is necessary preparation. As our television networking shows display varieties of “makeover and staging” shows, I would like to think that many more sellers have been aware that we need to look at our home through the buyers eyes. It also means that we have to take our emotions about how we feel about our home, out of the equation and allow our thoughts to focus on getting our home SOLD. When you are committed to selling your home, and know that it is a must to get it ready for the market, the next step would be to call in an ASP, Stager . A trained professiosnal can give you advice on the condition of the home, as well as the asthetics of the home. Recently, I had a client who had been trying to sell his vacant home for 2 months.  Unfortuntaely, they had just painted the foyer, stairwell, & kitchen.  I say “unfortunately, because they needed to paint these rooms over. The paint color was not “turn-key” move in ready.  It was “yellow” .  Yellow is considered a decorative color and will not work as an earth-tone color used for selling. In fact, I so believe that painting is so important, that I actually would have refused to stage the home without it being painted.

Your return on your investment for painting, is an incredible 200%.  Buyers are looking for a home with nothing or very little to do and some things are a must to change if you want “top dollar” for your home.

In regards to knowing if the time is “right” to sell.  This is a great time for the interest rates.  Theses summer months, you will have more of a chance to sell your property, than any other time of the year. And just think of what great bargains you will have on the “buying” end.  So, why not give staging a try?  “The invesemtnet of staging in your home, is less than a price reduction on your home and the market time is cut in half.”