Staging a Home to Sell Without Spending Much Money

I am always fascinated to hear how much money desperate Sellers are willing to spend "Staging" their homes. It can run into the thousands of dollars, but for some reason, they are almost anxious to try it. These are the same Sellers who won't consider any kind of price reduction, but will throw away thousands of dollars, and hope their Realtor has good taste. If you are determined to go in that direction, I would encourage you, no, beg you, to visit your Realtor's own home before you make that commitment. Keep in mind that just because Realtors are supposed to know good homes from not-so-good-homes doesn't imbue us with decorating expertise. AND, even if a reasonably good result is achieved, I can assure you it won't be ever Buyer's taste, and that they would much rather have the money (reduction in price) so they can prioritize what they think the home needs.

Staging is great for the company doing the job, but it will never bring you a return on your investment. It's why so many people/companies who were in the staging business, five years ago, are long gone.

Don't wait to talk about these things until your home has been sitting for months on the market --- talk to the Realtors you interview before you sign a listing agreement. Among the important things to ask her/him is how and where they see your home among the homes in the price range their suggesting. Trust me --- pretty sells, and Buyers will talk themselves into living on a busy street if they fall in love with the house. But, you don't need a professional stager to accomplish that. As your Realtor how she feels about the way your home currently looks, and if she has any suggestions to inprove the first impression Buyers will have when they see it.

Fresh flowers, beautiful bowls of fruit (please don't put it in an old plastic bowl), hide all the clutter (only keep out the best of what you own), sinks and counters sparkling clean, kids' rooms and basement free of clutter (go to IKEA and get some colorful storage bins --- very cheap and pretty). Wash the windows, even the basement, scrub the front door and all the siding --- as Buyers wait to get it, their eyes are scanning the door and porch, and you want it to look great.

If you need some ideas, email me at lkate@kateconover.com, and I'll send you some info.