Friday, October 29, 2010

Home Staging: Who cares, right? WRONG!

  • Before I divulge any more of my priceless home staging tips, let me take a step back and talk about why home staging is so crucial to selling a home.
Home staging is the prep-work to your home’s job interview.  Think of each new showing as a job interview with the CEO of a company interviewing you.   Staging is like doing the preparation before a job interview.  You want to be prepared before you set up the appointment to meet with the big-wigs (i.e., the folks that want to put money in your pocket)! 
Make sure that you have, at minimum, the same qualifications as the competition.  In a job interview, the competition is all of the other job candidates, and in a showing the competition is all of the other houses in your market.  On top of that, you want to make sure that you have one or two outstanding features that set you apart to stand above the competition.  Further, be prepared to showcase all of your home’s stand-apart features multiple times before you land that perfect buyer!
Bottom line:  in yesterday’s market you might fly by the seat of your pants and rely on your quick wit to get the job – in today’s market you must do the home staging to prove that your home, above all the others, is worth the investment!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Home Staging Tip . . . the number ONE thing to keep in mind when putting your home on the market!

The number one thing to keep in mind when putting your home on the market is to take the YOU out of your home.  I added this tip to my recent Central LA Quarterly Newsletter (see post below) because it is the first and most crucial aspect when preparing your home for sale. 

When you put your home on the market, you are setting the stage for an audience of potential buyers.  How you stage your home makes all the difference in captivating that audience and getting the standing ovation your house deserves!  Staging your home to sell is one of the easiest ways to increase the perceived value of your home.  Taking the YOU out of your home is the first step in clearing your personal items and personal style out of your home. 

Read the article here:


Home Staging Tip for Sellers:
Tip:  Take the YOU out of your home. 
For most sellers, the toughest part to staging the home for sale is taking all personal items out of the space.  View your home as a valuable market commodity . . . Property . . . Real Estate.  The idea is to get others to see your property as their home, not yours.  If you do not consciously make this decision, you can inadvertently create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.
How to take the YOU out of your home:
·         Remove all photos and portraits
·         Remove all personal items that may be controversial or   show possible affiliations
·         Remove all items that are too “themed” in main rooms like the kitchen and bath
Check point:  Does your home create an atmosphere where the buyer walks in and says, “wow, this home-owner likes ______” or does your home create an atmosphere where the buyer walks in and says, “wow, I could see my ______ in this home.”