James Severino with his ERA Justin Team Provides Insight on Staging Your Home 2017
One of the first things to do if you're thinking about selling is to walk through your home and examine it with a critical eye, making mental notes of the possible imperfections overlooked for years. Drapes may be faded from years of sun exposure. If you have children or pets, the interior doors and baseboards may be nicked and need paint. The floors might look worn. It may strike you that the place needs some work.
James Severino with his team of Realtor agents, those staging homes for years suggest, “Painting and floor refurbishing are sometimes good ideas. Painting the interior of your home may be one of the most cost-effective improvements. Buyers typically pay more for homes that are in move-in condition. The main reason being that first impressions play a big part in selling homes. When buyers walk into a home that looks bright, inviting and comfortable, they feel good. When most buyers walk into a vacant home or one needing work, many people have a hard time imagining what it will look like when it's furnished by them. They walk into an empty living room wondering how they'd furnish it.”
He continued, “A strategically furnished house creates a more pleasurable viewing experience and eases the process of buying. Some experienced buyers have moved so many times that they've developed the knack of visualizing their furniture in an empty space. But, you are likely to sell your home for more money if you can appeal to the entire pool of prospective buyers, not just those who have a particular expertise. You can certainly sell your home vacant but as a second choice. The question is how much more could you sell your home for if it was attractively furnished?”
Dian Hymer, author of "House Hunting, The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide, wrote, “A listing in Oakland Hills (Calif.) was put on the market. It had a great view, but was vacant. It did not sell on the market during a time when all well-priced listings in the area were selling. The listing was temporarily withdrawn from the market and staged with furniture and accessories. It was put back on the market at the same price and sold right away.”
James added, "Our talented agents who stage homes, and the cost of staging your home for sale may seem prohibitive, but needn't be. Many sellers who stage their homes for sale use their own furniture after removing extra pieces and rearranging the rest. Some draperies can be removed and often don't need to be replaced, For selling purposes, it's important to let in as much light as possible. Our stager Realtor agents can suggest renting furniture if you decide that's what you need. The living and dining room, kitchen, family room and master bedroom are the most important places to concentrate your staging efforts. We can also suggest area stagers, not associated with real estate firms for a second opinion.
“There is a difference in real estate companies,” James continued, “Our buyers and sellers have put their thoughts in writing. We have on file for viewing, ‘What people are saying’ our report of nearly 900 quotes and reviews. No other area real estate firm can offer that. Are we proud? Absolutely!”
