ReCreative Appeal

This past year I had the privilege of assisting several families as they each contemplated purchasing their new home. We began the process, like many buyers today, by surfing the Internet for various online listings and other real estate websites. Of course the direction of reputable real estate agents also came in handy as we made our way to a chosen few properties. And, I say few with great emphasis.

What a shock to see the state of many of the properties on sale! I was extremely surprised to see mediocre and even worse, filthy homes that were being shown to potential buyers, despite the increased awareness about home staging services. This was not even at the Open House, where the excuse may be that it came up last minute so there was no time to clean up, but even supposedly alluring website listing photos showed the house “As Is”.

I just don’t understand it.  Despite my many conversations with real estate professionals who agree that home staging is extremely important and necessary, clients are still being allowed to sell their homes in “As Is”. But it’s “Move-in Ready” properties that are being sought after by most, if not all, buyers.

Here are three main reasons this seems to be happening:

Firstly, many real estate professionals and homeowners believe that cleanliness is good enough to sell. Unfortunately, it will likely only keep the buyer in the house long enough to see the entire property, but it won’t guarantee a sale. The key is to go one step further and fulfill the potential buyer’s hopes and dreams in the space by creating a lifestyle they desire.

Secondly, many real estate professionals are worried it will offend their client to tell them that their place needs to be staged. I can’t stress enough that choosing to stage a property has nothing to do with whether a home owner has kept their house stylish or not. Rather, it has everything to do with taking the best features that house to offer and emphasizing it appropriately so that the buyer can’t help but notice and want it for themselves!

And finally, many people are convinced that it’s too much money to hire a stager, so they attempt to do it themselves or not at all. Realize this is the largest asset most people will ever sell in their lifetime. Staging is not just about throwing out junk and putting pretty decorations in the house. There is a science behind this art and generally 1-2% of the sale price is more than enough to get a property ready for the market. And, in most cases, the money spent is well below the most often chosen solution which is to reduce the sale price.

So, to all those real estate professionals and home owners who are still choosing to turn a blind eye to home staging, I urge you to rethink that decision and call a certified home stager well before you let anyone see your property. It may open up a world of opportunities, or better yet offers!

Wishing you all the luck with the sale of your property!!!