Are
you getting ready to sell your home in ? Are you fully prepared? Do you
want to move your property fast - and for the highest selling price
possible? Well... you can with these top 7 tips from Nick and Joe
Santoro of Personal Property
Managers, which is part of our best in class services. These easy, affordable staging tricks will help you
sell your home and make your home attractive to the largest pool of
potential buyers. These tips and insights are especially important and true in the environment we are in today, with the global economy turned upside down, massive job losses, and the need for extreme social distancing due to the Corona Virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. Additionally, during this challenging time in the Corona Virus and COVID-19 era, we help families that are unable travel or tend to their property needs by providing a true one-stop resource. We are focused on making life just a little easier for families during often difficult times. With Personal Property Managers, one call does it all.
While the term has become more common over the past few years, home staging still remains a confusing concept for many people. What is it exactly, and how can it help with selling a home? When you sell your home, you want to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers. This will help you get the best possible price, with the least amount of time on the market.
Home staging is how you get your home ready for sale so that it appeals to a large number of people. Most buyers are not able to envision a home's true potential; as sellers or caregivers of elderly loved ones who want to or need to sell their home, we must create this vision for our buyers. Try to think of your house as a product for sale, and look at it objectively. It is now a "house" and not a home.
Staging accentuates the positive aspects of your home, and eliminates or downplays the negative features. Your beautifully staged home is only seven simple steps away.
1. Evaluate... take a good look at your home for the first time:
You need to tour your own home as if you were the buyer. We often become so used to our homes that we don't notice the imperfections anymore. During your tour, take some notes, create and complete checklists of things to look for, and take pictures. These will help you pinpoint areas that need repair or improvement. Often you will see things in pictures that you didn't notice while actually in the space. Another option is to ask for an objective opinion from friends, family members, or your real estate agent.
2. De-Clutter... keep it neat and simple:
This is the simplest and least expensive step, but is the one most frequently overlooked. Buyers don’t want to have the impression that they are buying your clutter and your mess. They want to envision their stuff in your clean and de-cluttered home. In reality, only 10% of buyers can see the potential of a home.
3. Keep your Home Clean:
Once all the clutter is removed, give the house a thorough cleaning. If you absolutely hate cleaning, hire a professional cleaning service. Nothing turns buyers off more than someone else's dirt.
4. Repair & Update... if it's broke... fix it:
In the first step, evaluate and take a fresh look, you were asked
to take notes on areas that might need updating or repair. If you
don't complete the repairs buyers will wonder what else is wrong with
the home. They fear that you didn't take good care of the home and
that there may be deferred maintenance. There are many simple updates
you can do. Most are minor projects, such as replacing outdated cabinet
knobs. This is not the time to take on major renovations.
5. Neutralize... simplify and keep it clean:
You want buyers to be able to envision themselves living in the home. If your home looks too personal (such as family pictures everywhere), buyers feel like they are intruding and won't allow themselves to make an emotional connection with the home. Most of us buy with emotion and then justify with reason. If your home is too specific in taste or style it will not appeal to a wide range of buyers, no matter how beautiful it is.
6. Keep it Bright and Tidy... Accessorize:
Homes need to be clean, bright, airy, and spacious. Traffic should flow easily through and between the rooms. The furniture arrangement needs to make sense. Create a flow that draws your eye to the focal point of each room.
Accessorizing can be compared to putting on jewelry when getting dressed for a special dinner or party; it's the little touches that have a big impact. Keep it simple, such as a vase of fresh flowers on the entry table.
7. Price & List
It is important to get the house in front of as many buyers as possible.
The first ten days a home is on the market are the most critical because
this is when excitement is the highest. Do your research and make
sure you are setting the correct price. The number one reason a property
doesn't sell is because it is overpriced. Once a home is listed too
high, the damage can't be undone, even if the price is later dropped.
Please also understand that todays buyers are not willing to put a
lot of money into updating a home as they once were years ago. So,
if your home needs work or updating, this needs to be reflective in
the selling price and discounted accordingly or the home will simply
not sell.
In addition to pricing a home correctly for a potential buyer, it is very important to consider that the vast majority of buyers will need bank financing / mortgage. Banks will look at comps when evaluating your potential purchase. So, even if you have a meeting of the mind between buyer and seller, the buyers bank or Mortgage Company may not approve the loan if it is priced well above market comps.
These seven steps will give you the best chance of selling success. One of the most compelling statistics on home staging is that the cost of staging is almost always less than the amount of the first price reduction. And how many times have you seen homes get not one, but multiple price reductions? Staging really does sell homes.
More information can be found on who we are and the importance of curb appeal via these brief video links.
We offer 6 primary services to help families or executors. They are:
Additional info can be found on this brief 90 second video or a full array of great tips and insights and video by clicking on our resource page.
For more insights, tips and videos please visit our Resource Page in the About us tab.
For more information on real estate or home downsizing please contact Nick Santoro or Joe Santoro of Personal Property Managers at 215-485-9272 or 908-368-1909. Personal Property Managers specializes in helping home owners transition from their home of many years into a new community. Personal Property Managers services Pennsylvania and New Jersey and offers downsizing services, estate sales services, home staging, discount full service real estate services via its association with EveryHome Realty. Learn more about Personal Property Managers from our recent News Stories.
