There is something to be said about a neat
and tidy house when you are sorting through house after house looking
for the perfect home for you and your family. This is something that
should be kept in mind when selling either a personal home or an investment
property.
There are several statistical facts you should
keep in mind when it comes to selling real estate. One of those facts
is that staging sells homes! Seriously, there is something cold about
an empty house. It could be painted impeccably and meet every possible
standard a family has, yet feel cold and anything but homey when walking
through the home for a real estate tour or inspection.
This can be easily overcome by contacting a
local furniture rental store and picking out furniture that will match
at least the primary rooms of the home in order to make the home appear
leaved in and homelike, or hiring a staging company that will do it
all for you at a nominal price when the home sells.
The primary rooms that you will want to appear
'lived in' are the living room, dining room, master bedroom, and all
bathrooms. These are the rooms that essentially sell homes and it
is important to make them appear neat, orderly, and well cared for.
If you have the funds for every room in the
home then by all means do so. It is a huge selling point, particularly
for those who are trying to sell homes quickly. If the home doesn't
sell after the first two weeks or month (you decide the time limit)
then you may want to remove the 'staging' furniture in order to eliminate
the expense. I would strongly encourage you to keep this furniture
as long as the home is being shown fairly regularly though.
You will want to do so much more than simply
putting furniture in the property you are trying to sell. You want
to create an atmosphere or warmth and comfort. This means you want
to have prints on the walls, mirrors, plants, and pillows. You do
not have to purchase items particularly for this process. You can
use things from your own home in order to establish this atmosphere
of homelike comfort. Be sure not to use sentimental favorites or very
valuable pieces, as not all people who will view the property being
sold are honest.
It's a sad reality but something to consider
all the same. Other things that may help an empty home sell are scents.
There is nothing quite like the smell of cookies in the oven or flowers
in bloom to make a home feel 'homey'.
These scents can be easily accomplished with
well placed scented candles, potpourri warmers, dry potpourri, fresh-cut
flowers, and electric room air fresheners. There are few things that
will turn off potential buyers more quickly than an overpowering fragrance
however so keep this in mind when selecting the method of fragrance.
Having some fragrance in the home also eliminates
the problem of an empty house taking on the 'empty house' scent that
so many do over time. In other words, this is yet another part of
the staging process that works for many trying to sell homes.
The short answer to the question of whether
or not staging sells real estate is "yes". Staging a home
can absolutely lead to a higher offer and a quicker sell, even in
today's sluggish market.
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