Friday, July 11, 2008

Make more money from your home sale by staging it with Jan Magner


Home Sellers can do a lot to help get their homes SOLD


I have always found it mildly astonishing that homeowners who spend thousands of dollars in upgrades and improvements to their homes fail to invest time and effort in a few critical areas to ensure that their homes are perceived well in the eyes of potential buyers. Some homeowners might be surprised to find out how far a little money will go. Particularly when you put $500 against a backdrop of tens of thousands of dollars which are left on the table because a home does not show well, then sells far below the listing price.
Here are just a few Simple Things to Keep in Mind when you are showing your home to ensure it sells quickly!
  • Show It! In a competitive market, there are hundreds of homes vying for a buyer's attention. There are some homes which don't receive even ONE showing request in a 6 month period. When you place your home on the market, be prepared to SHOW IT. If you're not...WAIT, until you are. Yes, it may cost you a little in sleep and inconvenience, but in this market, if a real estate agent calls to show your home when there are 50 others like it...don't count on being given a second chance.
  • Show it....show it......show it!!!

Tip: Save time, money & energy by BEING and STAYING "ready to sell"!

  • Clean It!
  • If you can't clean your home...hire someone else to do it for you. Why deduct Thousands of dollars from you life through a possible sale just because you can't or don't know how to clean a home.
  • Buyers love the smell of 'clean' about as much as they like the smell of 'new.' A good new home cleaning crew will cost about $250...loss of a sale or a discount on a home on the market for over 6 months...may cost you15-20 percent of your initial asking price.

Tip: I am a stager, space clearer, and certified feng shui consultant. I have visited Open Houses for local builders and show rooms of furniture stores . . . to get ideas. I can now send you to a few thrift shops to pick up accessories at rock bottom prices.

  • Clear It!
  • De-Cluttering is probably the single biggest thing that most homeowners can do fairly inexpensively to Show their Home Sold!
  • Hire a storage unit... whatever you have to do...clear your stuff out!

Tip: to clear your home most effectively will require going beyond the basics of clearing out excess furniture and belongings and neutralizing. Sometimes you need to do just a little more to be most effective...so there are moving services which will store your stuff and then move it to your next home for one fee. Ask me about these sort of companies for storing & moving to save you money.

  • Stage It!
  • Hiring the Services of a professional certified stager to primp your home may be the best investment you can make in the home selling process.
  • Staging does not need to be an exorbitant cost. In fact a good staging experience will probably save money by attracting more potential buyers or creating a better response to your home when it is shown.
  • Think about this...Where else could you put in $500 and enjoy living in a nice, clean well arranged environment with the potential of making that investment back with a subtantial Sale?

Tip: Make sure your stager has been trained and certified.

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