Seller: Can't I stage My Own Home

Yes, you absolutely can!

#1      The “Self Stager” Seller

The “self stager” has an eye for staging.  They see what needs to be done and take action.  This seller stops looking at the house as their “home” and start seeing it as a “house for sale”.   They pack up the clutter, clear out the closets, organize the pantries, make repairs, clean everything, and do all the things a stager would recommend.

#2     The “Lead Me In the Right Direction” Seller

The “lead me in the right direction” seller knows that staging their home is essential to a fast sell.  This is the seller I work with the most.  They want to stage the home but aren’t sure where to start or how much they need to do.  They contact me for a consultation.  I go to the sellers home and we go through the entire home, room by room.  We spend time on curb appeal and never forget the back yard.   A staging plan is then organized and provided to the seller.  At this point my job is done.  I’m off to my next consultation and the seller completes the staging process and sells their home.

#3     The “I Don’t Have Time” Seller

The “I don’t have time” seller is like most of us.  Working 40 hours a week, taking the kids to soccer, cleaning, cooking, attending church and everything that comes with a busy life.  This seller knows Home Staging is their best chance of selling the home quickly.  They make the wise choice and contact me.  I provide a consultation and explain to the seller the suggested changes to stage their home.  Working with seller we come up with a plan to stage the home.  I can stage the entire home or just a few rooms. 

Every client I encounter is different and has different needs.  This is my favorite thing about being a Home Stager.  No job is exactly like the last job.  I pride myself in being able to work with any client in any situation that comes up. 

No matter what type of seller you are, know that Home Staging is inexpensive and a good Home Stager will work with you to make sure you have what you need to get your home sold fast.

Contact a Home Stager.  You’ll be glad you did.

It's hard for some realtors to bring up Home Staging with their clients.  If seems to be harder to discuss the more the seller needs help.

Make it easy on yourself.

Contact your favorite Home Stager and get a nice supply of their business cards and flyers.
Add the stagers business card and flyer to the material you give your client.  Let them find it on their own, read the material and show some interest.  This makes it easier to start the discussion.

It may be that the seller didn't realize their home needed staging until they see the flyer.  They may then take another look at their house and ask you if you think they need to stage their home.

This takes the pressure off you and gives the seller the information they need to sell their home fast.

Good luck!

Jenny A. Loos

Open House - Missed Opportunity

As a Home Stager I'm always curious about how people stage their homes for Open Houses. I try to show up for as many Open House as I can in my target areas. I could only make it to 4 this weekend and what I found went from exceptional to awful!

The exceptional house was spotless. No clutter, no dust on the furtniture, lots of room to walk around and the house was well lit and very inviting. The owner had fresh flowers in almost every room. They gave off a sweet scent that was pleasant and not overpowering. The windows were so clean you could hardly tell there were panes of glass in them. They even had pitchers of ice water which was great because it was a very hot day. As a Home Stager I look for things that I would do differently and in this house there was nothing. I loved it and if I was a buyer I would have scooped it up.

Now for the awful. This house started off bad and went downhill after I walked through the front door. The outside of the door itself was dirty, the flowers in the planter were fading from the heat and there were cob webs around the porch light. Upon entering the house the first thing I see is a huge fireplace with 2 deer heads mounted on it. Now, I have nothing against hunting or displaying your trophies, unless you are having an open house. They distracted from the fireplace and I honestly don't remember much about it. The kitcen was actually dirty. The countertops were loaded with toasters, coffee pots, cooking utensils, and much more. I opened the refridgerator it was even dirty. Packed with leftovers and I think I actually said Yuck to myself! Next were the bedrooms. One was a craft room with so much stuff in it you literally could not walk around. I couldn't open the closet door because of the piles of fabric blocking the door. I could go on but you get the point.

I like to listen to other buyers who are walking the house to see what their comments are. Two separate couples never made it past the kitchen. They took one look at the family room and the deer heads, peaked in the kitchen and left.

I spoke with the realtor when there were no buyers within ear shot and asked if the seller had thought about staging the house. He said he had tried to politely suggest it but they sellers would have nothing to do with it and didn't see why a buyer couldn't see how great their house was. We've all heard that before.

I left my business card on the table and with the agent. Maybe if the seller doesn't get an offer soon they may think about staging and give me a call.

Home Staging - It DOES Work

As a home seller your objective is to get a nice, big offer.  Getting multiple offers above the asking price is even better!  Hoping, crossing your fingers and relying on your agent to bring in those big offers will prove to be less than effective.

As the seller it is up to you to take charge of your home.  You are the only one that can make the difference between getting an offer and getting a big offer and possibly multiple offers. 

Do you want your home to sell fast?  Do you want that big offer?  Then as the home seller you must take charge and make it happen.

 

Home Staging is not a fad or a whim or something for people with lots of money. Home Staging is getting big because it works. And you can make it work for you too.

Things a professional Home Stager will tell you as you prepare to stage your home:

-        Never assume

The buyer may have seen a dozen homes in a few days. Never assume the buyers will see how great your home is.  If your home doesn't show off its potential, a tired buyer will breeze through with nothing memorable to take away.

-        Size Matters

Home buyers are paying for space and a room crowded with furniture or clutter shows as small and cramped. When the buyer thinks back to the homes they saw that day, your home will be the one they remember as the one where the rooms felt small. 

-         Repairs

If you tell yourself there are a few repairs that are needed but they are minor and the new owner can fix those things, you are in trouble.  A home that needs repairs, even minor, does not show to the buyer as a well maintained home.  A house is a huge investment and a buyer sees a well maintained home as a good investment. 

-         Paint Colors

This is another area where sellers make a huge mistake in thinking that if the new owner doesn’t like the color of a room they can paint it.  If there are two homes with almost the exact same floor plans and pricing, which one do you think a buyer will select?  The one where they have to paint before they move in or the one where the walls are neutral and they don’t have to do anything before they move in. 

As a professional Home Stager I know what a huge difference home staging can make.   Home staging is not a fad or something only for million $ homes.  Home staging is critical for every seller.  It does matter, it does make a difference and it does get homes sold faster and, typically, for more money. 

 

JenJen's Home Staging - Spring Fever

JenJen's Home Staging knows that spring is a great time to put your home on the market.  The weather is great, the flowers are blowing, the trees are in full bloom and the buyers are out there.

Get spring fever and get your home sold fast.  A home staging consultation is inexpensive and can yield fantastic results.

Before you ever put your home on the market it should be staged.  Want to stage your home but not sure what you need to do? 

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Did you know that 80% of home buyers start their search on the internet.  80%!  That's an audience you can't afford to ignore.

See for yourself.  Go to your agents web site and look at your home.

• Does the home look warm and inviting from the outside?  Is there good curb appeal?

• Do the rooms inside look large and spacious?

• Does the home show as clutter free and clean?

• Do the rooms look bright in the pictures?

• If you were a buyer would this be a house you would like to see more of?

Now look at some other homes in your area and price range?  How do the pictures of your home compare? 

If you answered No to any of the questions above or are discouraged that other homes in the area look better in pictures, it is time to stage your home.

Home Stagers are experts in making sure homes show well not just in person, but in print and online ads. 

Contact a Home Stager today and see how easy and inexpensive it is stage your home and get it sold fast.

Serving north Dallas and surrounding areas