Realtors tell you that it’s important to price your home correctly at the git-go, versus an extended time on market with subsequent price reductions.
As important as pricing your home correctly is “staging” your home. It’s hard for home Sellers to see their home through a Buyer’s eye. Yes, you’re comfortable with the way your home is arranged — that’s WHY you arranged it that way. But, when the Buyer looks at it, is he/she questioning whether or not their furniture will fit or if your home layout is appropriate for their lifestyle?
Home stagers can play up your home’s assets, mask its flaws and, ideally, make your home easier to sell. And, when I say “mask” its flaws, I’m not talking about covering up a defect — I’m talking about making a room look more inviting, brighter and more appealing. The Buyer must be able to see himself living in your home!
Home staging is hiring a designer or stylist (called a home stager) to suggest ways to make your home more appealing to potential buyers. When selling your home, it often helps to have a professional help highlight your home’s selling points and make it appealing to a wide range of buyers.
Home Staging: Why I recommend it for Tulsa home Sellers
But home staging is not a one-size-fits-all service. Here’s what to consider when deciding whether to hire a home stager.
Many levels of service are available. For a consulting fee, a home stager will walk through your house and offer advice on how to best show it. You may be told to remove clutter, hang mirrors in strategic places, repaint or clean carpets — often assignments your Realtor has already given. Or, for a higher fee, a stager can perform a more hands-on role, such as repositioning furniture and arranging flowers. For those willing to pay in the thousands, there are stagers with warehouses full of furniture and decor items with which they can redecorate your house.
Stagers say the cost is worth it. Some studies show that a house that has been staged is on the market for fewer days and sells for a higher price than comparable homes. Others have found the price increase can be sizable in a hot market or in an area of luxury homes. The National Association of Realtors reports that staged homes sell for 7% more than those not staged.
Check the local market. Then decide whether a home stager is really going to make a difference to you. In a hot seller’s market, houses may not need staging in order to move. As well, if your home is in a modest neighborhood, you may not get the return on an extravagant makeover. A little old-fashioned advice may be enough: clean up and clear out the junk.
Consider your time. For busy people, hiring a home stager may be money well spent. If he or she gets your home into selling shape in about a day, it can save a lot of stress and aggravation. If you need to sell quickly, or if your house has been on the market for some time and received little interest, staging may be the answer.
I personally recommend staging.
The first impression of your home is a LASTING impression, so why not get your home “Buyer ready” before I put the “for sale” sign in your yard?!
For more information about services offered by our Tulsa home selling team, please visit our web site! We include a home staging consultation and professional photography with each listing – at no extra charge to you! 918-852-5036
Content written and published by Lori Cain.
