Real Estate Investing:Staging Your Home for a Better Sale Price

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Lights, action, bring on the buyers. I don’t really mean put them on stage. Staging is a term used for decorating a house. It’s actually turned into a whole profession. People go around dressing up other peoples’ houses. You can even rent furniture to do it. It’s really neat.

This is wild. In the old days people would get an agent or put out their own sign, clean up their houses the best they knew how, and start showing it. Some folks still do that. New knowledge can’t hurt and even if you don’t think it makes sense right now, it actually works so give it some thought.

You’ve lived in your house for a while. You may be very hip. Very fashion conscious. Very creative. Up on all the new trends. Aware of all the classic home features and architecture. Whatever. Unfortunately, I’d be willing to bet you are not capable of being completely objective. Right? Come on. You are probably emotionally attached and if not then rationally attached to what you have done with your home. Oh I did this because of this and that reason. Or. I did that because it really felt good to me.

Great. Unfortunately, you may be the only one who appreciates seeing that eight foot tall paper mache dinosaur you made in an art class, right in the middle of your living room. Yep the first thing a buyer sees when they walk into your home. Umm. What are you thinking? Let me back up. If you are considering hiring a realtor who makes no comments or recommendations as to how to improve the appearance of your house in order to facilitate the sale find someone else. If they don’t have any comments either they aren’t telling the truth, they have no idea what they are looking at, or you are a walking miracle and just have the golden touch (or you are a professional home stager).

Everyone is in love with their own ideas; a quote from an old friend. Just cause you have a thought or idea doesn’t make it right or a universally acceptable act. If you can agree with that then we are on to something. If you think everyone of your thoughts is a pearl to be honored then I’m amazed that you’ve read this far. Still reading? Good.

Now after having discussed the finer points of self awareness, home decor and objective analysis I am really trying to get to staging your home for sale. Get a recommendation from your agent. These folks stage new model homes, as well as lived in homes. If they tell you to get the dinosaur out of the living room do it. Here’s the hard part. If they tell you the grand piano is too big for the room, or grandma’s dining set is a bit dated. LISTEN. Don’t take it personally. Have the kids keep their rooms clean (I know.), pack up everything you aren’t using now and get it put in storage or somewhere.

You need to take this very seriously. Staging can be a major factor in selling your home instead of your neighbor’s. This along with the yard, fence, paint, kitchen and all of those other things. But staging (from personal and professional experience) is the job of an object professional who knows what neutral palatable and tasteful home decor is about. I don’t care what you paid that fancy designer to do. Now you need to appeal to the masses. Not you and the fancy designer.

So. If this has made sense to you then fabulous. I realize it may be a bit of a reality check. We all have reasons or emotions as to why we do things and the way we live. That doesn’t mean it’s a good way to present your home. I like the way I live. It doesn’t mean I’d leave it this way to sell my house. Then again. Maybe I should hire someone to stage my house and see how it feels? What do you think?

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