Are you making the biggest home selling mistake?
Real estate experts agree that the number one selling mistake is “failing to showcase your home and not making small cosmetic changes.” Like a first date there is only one chance to make a first impression. But unlike a first date the value of what you have to offer goes down over time AND the market interest declines too because there is fresh competition coming on the market all of the time. When you hit the market at the right price and you have positioned your home (product) to stomp the competition in the beginning – you will get the results that other sellers only fantasize about. Trying it out for a month or two to see what happens is a huge mistake that ultimately costs you money – often a lot of money.
See, once you decide to sell your home, it becomes a product. A product that is competing with a lot of other products for a sale. You are in a merchandising competition where the best packaging wins. The houses that look the best AND are priced right will sell while the others languish on the market. Also, it is important to note that you will get the most interest in the beginning – this is when the pool of pre-qualified buyers who are waiting for a home like yours will rush to see the new listing. When you do it right, one or more of this first group will write you an offer. Gary Keller, Chairman of Keller Williams Realty, said in a recent interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, “Price gets you interest. Staging gets you offers.”
Good home staging creates an emotional connection with buyers. It makes your house a “must have.” When buyers fall in love with your home, you sell faster and for more money. This is especially true if you are willing to do some prep work before your home hits the market and you come to terms with its current market value.
From our own data at Rocky Mountain Home Staging we know that sellers who stage from the very beginning get a higher price and sell much faster than homes that stage after being on the market a while. There are numerous homes that we have staged that have ultimately sold to a buyer who saw the house when it was vacant but didn’t think the house was for them because they just couldn’t visualize it. The truth is only about 10% of people can visualize what a home will look like furnished.
Benefits of Staging Your Home
- Sell faster
- Sell for more money
- Look better than the competition
- Look better in photos and ads
- Receive more showings
- Receive more offers
- Be a “must see” a “must consider” and a “must buy”
- Appear well maintained to buyers AND appraisers
- Appraise at a higher value
A lot of agents and homeowners think that only vacant properties or ugly houses need to be staged. Even perfectly decorated homes will benefit from staging because staging has nothing to do with how good of a decorator you are. Sure, staged properties are always clean, clutter free, neutralized, spacious and inviting AND they are strategically designed to create an emotional response in the right buyer. Because staging is marketing not decorating, principles of design and purchase psychology are used to sell your home quickly for the maximum amount of money. Key staging strategies go way beyond nice décor or interior design.
Still not convinced?
Let’s imagine for a moment that you are a buyer looking for a new house. Like other buyers you are purchasing aspirationally, you are thinking about how much better your life will be in your new home. You review your finances and budget, get pre-approved for a loan, and start scouring the on-line listings and visiting open houses. You see dozens of houses and lots of them don’t work for your specific needs, many of them are ok and they could work but you just aren’t excited about them. Maybe the décor is really dated or taste specific and you can’t imagine how your furniture would look. Maybe the carpet all needs to be replaced. Maybe the house looked good on paper but was so full of clutter you really couldn’t see beyond it. Sadly, this is the experience of most buyers. They will look at house after house after house. Most of the houses aren’t bad and they could work, they just aren’t great either. You might buy one of them if you could get it cheap enough but if someone else beats you to the punch you won’t be disappointed. Meanwhile, you wait for THE ONE.
If you are selling your home and want to give yourself the best chance of selling within 30 days and at the highest price call Rocky Mountain Home Staging today at 303-402-5645 email us or review our list of services for more details.