Sharon Tara New Hampshire Home Stager

Selling a house is a stressful process. Preparing a house for sale is a lot of work. Living in a house for sale can be very inconvenient. You may have to rearrange the furniture or even worse, move your favorite recliner to storage.

If you are going to sell your house, here's the first question you need to answer:

What's more important to you - that you be comfortable in your favorite chair or that you sell quickly without having to reduce the price?

I find it quite amusing when sellers take a firm stand, arms crossed, a look of defiance on their face, and refuse to remove the giant TV from the master bedroom because they just can't give up watching TV from their bed. Or, they refuse to move the monster bag of dog food from the kitchen to the garage, because it would be too inconvenient to store it out there.

I actually had a seller look me in the eye and say it would be "disturbing to their routine" to have to remove their personal products from the shower on a daily basis.

If you believe that it's your right to live in your house comfortably and that buyers will just have to see past your stuff, and you have made up your mind that you will give this "staging thing" a try, but only for one month and then you are going back to living "normal" then this message is for you:

It doesn't matter to me how long your house sits on the market. I'm not making the mortgage payment or paying the taxes. I get paid for my consultation and get the same amount regardless if you sell tomorrow or a year from now.

I am here for one reason only, to tell you how you can make your house more appealing to buyers, which will help you sell faster and increase your odds of making more money. You can follow my advice or choose not to.

We are on the same team. We both want the same end result.

I'm not the one who is going to lose or gain depending on the outcome, you are!

Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is more than a wonderful place to live, great place to shop, and fabulous place to dine...it's a seacoast city rich in culture and history...a great place to visit and vacation.

In 2008 Portsmouth was named by Prevention Magazine as one of the Top 100 Walking Cities.  That same year, Portsmouth was added to the list of  "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" by the National Trust For Historic Preservation who called it "one of the most culturally rich destinations in the country with a stimulating mix of historic buildings, sidewalk cafes, great restaurants, art galleries, jazz clubs and distinctive artisans' boutiques."

 For More Information: 

Beaches 

Wentworth Coolidge Mansion

Fort Stark

Fort Constitution

Albacore Museum

Portsmouth Harbor Light

Strawberry Banke Museum

The Music Hall

Portsmouth Harbor Cruises

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

If you are looking for a place to eat on the Seacoast, then Portsmouth is the place to go.  Fine dining or casual...gourmet, organic, or sweet treats...Portsmouth has it all.

For more information on the Portsmouth establishments featured in my video:

Brazo

Canine Cupboard

Ceres Street Bakery

Dolphin Striker

Dos Amigos Burritos

Fat Belly's

Lindt Chocolate

Moe's

Old Ferry Landing

Portsmouth Brewery

Portsmouth Gaslight Co.

The Common Man

The Rusty Hammer

The Meat House

One year ago, I wrote a post entitled, "Premature Listing Syndrome - NH Stager Cautions Home Sellers." I feel a need to revisit this subject.

I understand there are situations where a sale is "needed" in a timely manner. I understand there is a "hot" selling season and a small window of opportunity to take advantage of it. The need for speed - I get it.

What I don't understand is what is to be gained with the decision to list before the house is ready? It seems that getting it on the market is the driving force.

Is bad exposure now, really better than good exposure in a couple of weeks?

So it's on the market sooner...

you don't get as many calls or serious buyers because the photos are not appealing.

The showings you do get, only confirm that buyers want move-in ready.

All you seem to gain is days on market.

If time is such an issue...shouldn't you be making the best of it?

Exposing the house to buyers before it is ready is like showing up for a job interview in pajamas and slippers, brushing your teeth. Why should you expect a positive reaction to the fact you are not prepared?

So, which is it? What's more important when selling your house,

getting it on the market or getting it SOLD?

If you, or a real estate client of yours, are in need of a yard sale to reduce some of that clutter, here are some of my tried and true tips to make your sale a successful one.

First, some advice on writing your ad:

Place an ad in your local paper. You can also advertise on Craig's List.

Highlight items of interest. (collections or collectables, furniture, antiques, appliances, tools, jewelry, baby items and toys, books, records...)

Multi-Family sales or "first time" sales will draw more people. Try to get neighbors to participate...the more families on a street included in the sale, the better.

The phrase "years of accumulation" will attract buyers.

If you plan to have your sale rain or shine...make sure you state that in the ad or list a rain date.

I suggest listing a start time, with no end time. That way you can end when you want to.

If you advertise for a start of 8 am, you could have people there as early as 6:00. If you don't want anyone there before the start time, make sure you state in your ad: No Early Birds. But, understand, some people will still show up early.

I suggest not putting the number of your house in the ad, only the Street name. That way the dealers can't show up the day before and the early birds can't find you. Make sure the house is clearly identified when you do open.

Important Things To Remember:

Get change (ones, fives, and coins) the day before.

Have lots of bags and also old newspaper for wrapping glassware.

It is best to have tables, but plywood over some trash cans or boxes work well. Do what you can to have breakable items up off the ground.

The best case scenario is to set up in the garage, the day before. Have everything in place and prices marked. Have big items by the door, ready to move into the driveway. When you are ready to open for business all you have to do is open the doors, move the big stuff into the driveway, and set out the sign.

Have big, easy-to-read-from-a-distance signs at both ends of the road. Make sure signs are weather resistant. I usually paint on a piece of wood using bright colors. Arrows showing direction are very helpful at intersections.

Always remove your signs when your sale is over.

If you don't want people driving up your driveway, or on your lawn, you need to block the entrance to the driveway.

Clearly mark anything that is not for sale.

Be prepared to bargain. Many people will offer you less than the prices marked.

Have a "FREE" box or area and add to it throughout the sale. It is a guaranteed way of getting rid of stuff.

The better the presentation, the more valuable the items for sale will appear. (organizing stuff into sections...clothing, housewares, holiday, toys, tools, books, etc. is helpful)

Don't keep candles or record albums in direct sun, they melt and warp.

It is best to have items individually marked with a price. Don't group items by price (everything on this table is $1) because the stuff gets moved all around and it gets too hard to keep track of what originated where.

If you have several people working the sale, then only one person should be cashier. People claim to have paid someone else if more than one person is collecting the money.

It is really sad to say, but people steal. Keep small pocketable items in zip lock bags.

If you have a lot of electrical items, have an extension cord available so people can see that they do actually work.

At the end of the sale place leftover items by the street with a big "free" sign and go out to eat. It could all be gone by the time you return home.

Having a yard sale is a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun. Make it a festive atmosphere with music and balloons. Have fun with people and enjoy the experience.

It is amazing how much money you can make with a bunch of stuff you no longer need or want!