Yes, Stage Your Home to Sell

Confused about Staging?

To Stage or not To Stage is a controversial question that sellers ask in the current real estate market at Lake Oconee. Many sellers resist changing any detail of their home as they get ready to list it for sale. I interpret this stubborn attitude as an emotional reluctance to let go of the private haven that they have created. The best analogy that I learned in my staging training is to compare selling a home to selling a car. What is the first thing you do in preparing to sell your car? You remove your parking, carpool, and bumper stickers, (even the rearview mirror tree-shaped deodorizers) and have the car detailed, inside and out! To get the best price for your car, you make your car appealing to the most buyers. Yet, many sellers balk at removing their beer mug or doll collection, and refuse to have the outside windows professionally cleaned.

Yes, when a home is perfectly staged, it seems impersonal and neutral, and is move-in ready.

Some motivating remarks I direct to the potential sellers are:

“Just think, when you pack up your personal and collectible items, you are getting a head start on the inevitable chore of packing !”
“The more unused items you donate or sell now, the less you will have to pay later to move or store them.”
“You have to stop thinking of your home as your personal showplace, and think of it as a product you want to sell.”

Some people worry that staging will cost them a lot of money, but staging does not need to cost you anything! We learn about staging from watching television programs, but one does not have to spend several thousand dollars like the television stylists do to effectively stage a home. Basic staging is arranging furniture to show off the selling features of the home. Download a list of staging suggestions from the internet, and get busy. If you feel that you don’t have the “eye” for arranging furniture, ask a friend who does have that instinct to come over and give advice. Call a professional stager for an estimate, the price is less than you think. My husband and I offer free staging to all our listings at RE/MAX Lake Oconee. The time and expense required is worth it, as it helps the home sell faster, and for more money. I often perk up a home with new towels, area rugs, and accessories that I buy at discount stores for little money. The point is for buyers to look at the home features, not at the present owner’s expensive art, accessories, or furniture.

To sell your home faster and for more money, follow this staging advice;

Clean your home thoroughly, inside and out.
Complete all repairs and unfinished projects.
Remove excess clutter and personal items that may distract buyers.
Manicure the yard and outdoor areas
Repaint neutral colors over “taste-specific” bright wall colors

If you prepare to sell, prepare to call the movers soon!

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