Before Posting Sign on the Lawn

By Catherine E. Brown

One of the most common objections to staging is sellers mistakenly thinking that buyers will put their “stamp of individuality” on the house, so there’s no need to update, decorate, or repair before selling. Other sellers misguidedly believe the house has “been good enough for us all these years” and there’s no point to change it – after all, it should be good enough for the new homeowners, too.

The goal of home staging is to neutralize the property, making it appeal to many buyers so they can envision themselves living there, thereby encouraging them to make an offer.

Sellers who have lived in their home for a long time get used to a missing piece of baseboard, a drywall repair that was never finished, or other incomplete “do-it-yourself” projects – all red flags that tell prospects the sellers have lost interest in their home. And buyers will also wonder what else has been neglected.

You can make a clear choice early on. Spend money on advertising fees for a home not ready to sell – or hire a staging professional to sell your home quicker and for more money. And don’t forget to consider the money sellers will spend on additional taxes, utilities, and mortgage payments waiting for the sale.

Some Realtors eager to sign the deal want to avoid uncomfortable conversations with their clients about odours, clutter, or dated decorating decisions; so the property may go on the market before it’s ready. However, an unsold property that becomes stale piques the interest of would-be buyers for all the wrong reasons – they’re wondering what’s wrong with it and open houses may draw neighbours who are curious to see why it hasn’t sold.

The Realtor who partners with a staging professional not only stands out from the competition as offering a value-added service to their clients, they experience better offers, faster sales, and more repeat and referral business.

Catherine E. Brown is an Accredited Staging Professional and owner of Staged to Move. Catherine is committed to helping clients sell their home for the best price in the least amount of time. She can be contacted at (519) 868-7171 or by email at catherine@stagedtomove.ca. Visit her Web site at www.stagedtomove.ca.

Published in Networking Today, October 2007