When people find out that I am a REALTOR and home stager in the Lake Oconee area, one important question they ask ” Is Home Staging Worth the Money?” During my staging education I discovered early on an information source that answers this very question for a home seller, and for future sellers. It is the Home Gain Survey, based on a poll of actual REALTORs in all parts of the country who are actively selling homes, and it is frequently updated. The survey ranks typical home projects according to Price, and ROI (Return on Investment). The Benefit is the estimated amount of dollars the improvement adds to your selling price. Below is this year’s edition of the Home Gain Survey
Some explanation of these points:
Clean and Declutter does not require as much money as it does elbow grease. It includes removing extra items from your home by garage sale or putting them into a storage unit. You may choose to outsource some cleaning jobs such as window washing and carpet cleaning.
Lighten and Brighten means cleaning windows inside and out, removing old, worn window coverings, and keeping the window coverings open! I can’t tell you the number of homes I have shown as a REALTOR that have been dim and gloomy because the sellers insisted on keeping all windows covered. (I realize in normal living we keep windows covered to prevent sun bleaching and the solar heat from accumulating, but when you are selling your house, it looks best with lots of light, and an outdoor view) Brightening also includes simply making sure all light bulbs are working, and you are using the highest wattage possible.
The remaining items on the list are self-explanatory.
Since we believe that Home Staging is Worth the Money to sell a home in the shortest time possible, we offer staging at no cost to the sellers who list with us, Suzie and Jim Hudson, RE/MAX Lake Oconee. If you would like to talk further about Home Staging, please give me a call at 706-347-1115.