Property staging is one of the most important steps that a seller can take to improve the speed at which a home is likely to sell. Have you ever watched those home makeover television programs, and been amazed at the final result? Could have you imagined that such drab spaces can become so warm and inviting with just a little work?
Potential buyers can’t imagine themselves living in an empty box in the same way that you couldn’t believe the results of those shows. You may have fond memories of furniture and family pictures hanging on the walls, but your potential buyers will not have those recollections or any idea of how homey those spaces can be. Property staging may be the difference between a quick peek and a serious bid.
Critical First Impressions!
The term “curb-appeal” refers directly to the act of making a valuable first impression. Passing drivers and online listing surfers have only a few seconds to become entranced by your beautiful home, which could be missed for the fact of unpainted fences or untrimmed shrubs.
Of course, interior first impressions are also key: the last thing a potential homebuyer wants to see are half-filled trashcans, cleaning products, newspapers, and other daily artifacts around every corner. They can clearly see that the space they are looking at is your home, but what they should be seeing is their home. Removal of clutter and worn furniture can make a huge difference in initial judgments.
Homeowner Visualization…
There are plenty of ways that professional home stagers can turn one or two pieces of furniture into a very attractive mock living area. While amateurs like to suggest pushing furniture back against the walls to create the illusion of larger rooms, a better property staging technique is to create small and intimate groupings with clear paths of traffic. This way, the potential homebuyer can see what each space is meant for and how they would personally decorate it without being distracted by empty areas or cluttered surfaces.
Highlighting Key Features
What makes your home a better choices than the similarly priced properties on the same local market? Each special feature has the potential to bump up the selling price – but that is assuming the potential homebuyer even notices these distinctions.
The art of property staging often involves highlighting the most minute details to make them noticeable to visitors. Low-key shelves may really “pop” with a vase and a brightly colored flower, while bigger features like a kitchen island could be punctuated by an open cookbook. Do not underestimate the potential buyer’s ability to value even the smallest conveniences they may otherwise miss.
It really is amazing how much home staging professionals can accomplish with just a slight amount of rearrangement or introduction of simple props. Sometimes homeowners become accustomed to the luxuries that set their property apart from the rest of the market leading to neglect of the most important areas. Property staging accomplishes many things – sell property fast is the first and foremost.
