All of us would love to place our house on the market and see it receive multiple top offers within a week and be done with the hassle of selling our home. And we all want to believe that we can do this will little or no effort on our part. Funny thing is, rarely, if ever is that the case.
As humans, we surround ourselves with things that we like to look at, sit in, walk on, read, collect,wear, touch and do. This equals clutter, very personalized stuff, pictures, odors from our favorite cooking, odors from our teenagers laundry, hair from our much beloved pets, and the list goes on. When we have lived in a space for a period of time, we lose the ability to see or judge it as a potential buyer would.
Often we have so much stuff that our home appears smaller than it actually is. Perhaps the color orange that our twelve year old daughter "just had to have" on her bedroom walls would be off putting to the general population seeking to "imagine themselves" in our home. Personal pictures remind buyers that they are in someones HOME and can distract them from the process of their "trying the home on to see how it fits". You wouldn't sell your car with all your personal stuff in it if you wanted to get top dollar. To my mind, petrified McDonald's french fries on the floor of the back seat aren't a feature that adds to the value of a vehicle.
Understanding the psyche of the buyer is critical when you begin to merchandise your home for market. Cleaning and de-cluttereing are givens. There are other things that can cost you a great deal of your equity that if addressed properly can curb that loss and maintain your asking price. Things that show as worn and outdated can be a show stopper for many buyers. That includes worn carpet, wood floors that need attention, old vinyl, non-neutral paint colors, old laminate counter-tops, dated finishes and light fixtures. The estimated cost that buyers assign to these things averages about 5-1. Meaning that if it would cost you $100 to fix it, they will reduce their offer by $500 for that item. Providing allowances DOES NOT WORK! First, buyers don't want the hassle of picking out the item and then having to find someone to put it in. They want it done before they buy it and they want it to look good. When they have to do the selecting of materials and trades to install you get a PITA fee on top of reduction for the perceived hassle. PITA stands for Pain In The A**. You get the point.
So yes, it may cost you a bit up front but if you could SPEND no scratch that, invest $5000 to update the look of your home to protect $25000 of your equity would you see that as money well spent? Smart money says you would. There is an old Chinese Proverb that says "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart!" Hopefully, you can take this information and be a little smarter, a little sooner rather than later after months on market with multiple price reductions.
Choose a good Stager to assist you with this effort. They can help you focus on exactly the right things and help you to get your home show ready. With over 90% of buyers searching online before they call and Agent it is critical that those pictures look amazing and getting the updates and Staging done prior to the virtual tour or brochure pictures is a great way to help get your property the very best chance of selling as fast as possible for the highest price possible.
Trish Pachak, ASP Master
Trish@WeStageColorado.com
http://WeStageColorado.com
"Changing the Face of Colorado Real Estate, One Home at a Time!"
When preparing a home for sale, every seller wants to get the biggest value for the least amount of money, to get the greatest return on their investment. We hear this all the time. As Accredited Staging Professionals, we want to help you accomplish this too.
Part of the value that we, as Staging professionals, bring is to help homesellers know and understand that Staging is not a cost but an investment in EQUITY PROTECTION. When a seller is deciding what to invest when updating and Staging their home, they can be sure that a potential buyer will remove FIVE dollars from their offer for every ONE dollar that homesellers choose not to invest. We know that your investment to replace carpeting may be perhaps $2500 but a potential buyer will want to take $10-15 thousand off of a sellers asking price assuming that is what it will take to get the carpet replaced.
Buyers are looking for "turn-key" purchases. Allowances DO NOT work and any seller who thinks that they can sell their home "as is" is asking for buyers to spend their equity. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard a homeseller say that they don't want to paint because they want the new homebuyer to have the opportunity to choose the color they want. Truth is, buyers don't want to HAVE to paint at all. It is not unlike the builder that chooses not to put in any landscaping saying they want the new homeowner to be able to choose what they want. (Really? Is anyone fooled by this logic?)
This does not mean that home sellers need to spend a lot of money. There is a way to prioritize the things that need to be done and choose the most important things to focus on when allocating funds. Together with a professional Stager, homesellers can get the information they need to get their home looking great before it hits the market. Clean and clutter-free is something every homeseller can accomplish. Great visual impact doesn't require big budgets. Using a Staging professional is one of the best investments you can make in protecting your home equity. Note: the key word is "professional". There is method to the madness and watching HGTV does not make someone a "professional" Stager any more than watching Boston Legal makes someone an attorney.
Choose well. Check out the person you are relying on to help you protect your biggest asset. Knowledge is power but you have to trust the validity of the knowledge. Don't just choose on price, because you may find out that you got what you paid for. You can get top dollar for your home with the assistance of a well trained Accredited Staging Professional. It is hard to argue with success.
Case in point: Victorian two-story in Baker neighborhood. With a few minor updates and great Staging. Sold in one week, March 2009. Priced right, Staged beautifully = SOLD (fast, Really Fast!)
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Home Staging Services-Colorado's Premier Home Staging experts - experienced, trusted,insured. Changing the face of Colorado Real Estate One Home at a Time! 303-521-8551or Trish@WeStageColorado.com
Changing the Face of Colorado Real Estate One Home at a Time
Staging Photo Gallery - Click the URL below to view great Staging results!
"Home staging" is not a new term, but for many homeowners and real estate agents the concept of "professional home staging" is shedding new light on how to prepare homes for sale in today's real estate marketplace. Visit our website, Http://www.WeStageColorado.com or email Trish@WeStageColorado.com for more information.
Staging is your VERY BEST marketing tool. No matter what statistics you believe, believe this: HOME STAGING WORKS! Let the pros at We Stage Colorado show you how. There is never a charge to review your property and we will provide you with a proposal for STAGING your home to sell! The Staging Professionals at WE STAGE COLORADO are accredited and insured. Members of the BBB, WCR and local Realtor Boards,
Before Staging
After Staging by We Stage Colorado Pros
Most people have a difficult time envisioning furnishings in an empty space. Staging provides scale and spacial relationship.
Before Staging
Empty rooms don't beckon potential buyers in. By adding warm and inviting furnishings, buyers are enticed to see more. We want them to fall in love with a property so they can mentally begin to move in.
After Staging by We Stage Colorado Pros
It's not always easy to get a home into selling condition in a timely manner without some experienced assistance. The Accredited Professional Stagers at We Stage Colorado are trained in the art of preparing a home for sale. We help you to visualize your property through a "Buyer's Eyes".
With the aid of our experts at We Stage Colorado, your house can make an exceptional first impression on potential homebuyers. Location is important but EMOTIONAL APPEAL is the critical factor in selling your home. The investment you make in Staging is always less than your first price reduction!
Accredited Staging Professionals at We Stage Colorado:
A previously empty room comes to life with color and well appointed furnishings. We want potential buyers to be "WOWED" when they come inside.
Before Staging
After Staging by the Professionals at We Stage Colorado
Our gallery of photos can be seen on the only National Staged Properties website http://www.StagedHomes.com. We Stage Colorado places our Staged Properties on this website to expand the reach of our homesellers and Realtors to include the relocation market. View our properties by searching our names as ASP's at http://www.StagedHomes.com website. Search: Trish Pachak, Denver, Colorado
Let us help you Re-Imagine your home to fit a Buyer's Dream!
Consultations: We review your home, room by room, giving you detailed instructions for Staging your home. We provide a complete step by step verbal explanation of what needs to be done to make your home "SHOW READY".
Home Updates: We will provide complete Design Services and Update Resources you need to address color, style and finishes. Our team of tradespeople provide quality work, quick turn-around and all at a price you can afford. We pass our design discounts right on to you. Project design and implementation followed by great Staging will help you get your home show-ready and SOLD quickly.
Hands-On Staging: Our Accredited Staging Professionals will transform your property, whether it is occupied, vacant or partially vacant into a warm, inviting show-ready property that appeals to your target market. We create a style that is in perfect harmony with the architecture of your home and socio-economics of your neighborhood.
We Stage Colorado carries a full line of high quality home furnishings and accessories to fit any level or style of home.
There is never a charge to visit, evaluate your home and provide you with a proposal for your Staging investment. Creative staging services for occupied homes vary depending on the scopt of each project and services required. Please visit our website at http://www.westagecolorado.com
I have used Stagers in the past with some success. Then I met Trish through a recommendation from a fellow agent. I was not prepared to be blown away but I was amazed. Trish brings more knowledge and expertise to the table than any other Stager I have EVER worked with. She touched on areas that even I, a veteran Realtor had not considered but found very valuable. I will never use anyone but Trish to Stage my listings. She has a way of speaking with my clients that is respectful and yet firm in helping them to see what needs to be done if they want to sell for top dollar. Trish is truly in a class by herself. I cannot recommend her highly enough. She says that choosing the right Stager is as important as choosing the right Realtor and I am a believer. Teresa S., Denver Trish makes selling a home a joyous adventure. She is the perfect combination of business savvy, design expertise and customer service. Our house went under contract in six days in a buyer's market due in large part to Trish's staging. It showed beautifully and realtors and buyers were gushing about how gorgeous it looked. We enjoyed working closely with Trish from start to finish. Trish was prompt, responsive, courteous and extremely knowledgeable. Her professionalism was a constant from the get-go. Whenever we called or emailed, we heard back from her within the same day or within 24 hours, even when she was out of town. She is extremely knowledgeable about real estate and interior design and has a keen eye for space and placement. Her advice was invaluable. She understood the demographic of our prospective buyers and knew to make our home attractive and inviting to them. She truly loves her work, and has her clients' best interest at heart. We learned so much from her and cannot wait to work with her again. Larry and Lori Goldman, Denver, CO
I have used Trish and her team of Staging Professionals for several of my listings. They have the ability to make a vacant home look fabulous, give occupied homes the look of a model home and make homeowners comfortable in the process. Trish is my good luck charm.
Wendy A., Realtor, Westminster, Colorado
Our home had been on the market for over 6 months with over 35 showings and no offers. Trish helped us to make the color and decor changes we needed. We put our home back on the market and within three days had a full price offer and two full price back-up offers. We are convinced, Staging really works!
Jean H., Lakewood, Colorado
Staging our home was the best decision we made when we decided to sell. Trish has a great sense of style and really knows what makes a home sell. She kept us from spending money on the wrong things and helped us to concentrate our efforts in ways that really made sense. Our house sold in less than a week after staging. Thanks Trish for making the process so easy and stress-free.
Katherine S. , Denver, Colorado
Trish and her team of Stagers really know their stuff. I will never list another house without insisting my sellers use We Stage Colorado. They are top notch professionals.
John E., Realtor Denver, Colorado
Thank you We Stage Colorado. Trish and her team of ASP's did a fantastic job staging our home. We were amazed to see how different our home looked with "OUR" things! If we didn't have to move for a job we would be tempted to stay. Everything looks amazing and we couldn't be more pleased with the professionalism and customer service offered to us. Trish, can you come work your magic in our new home?
Steve and Jen, Littleton, Colorado
Thank you, thank you We Stage Colorado! You have made believers of us. After six months on the market, you Staged our home and within one week we received two full price offers. You really are the experts. We will recommend you to anyone looking to sell their home. We will also tell them to get their home staged BEFORE they put it on the market and waste six months!
J and C Middleton, Westminster, CO
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