Staging for Online Property Listings and Flyers

A certain member of my family has expressed great interest in moving to our city over the past few years. She has made a hobby of searching the online real estate listings for existing homes in our area, sending me the houses she is most interested in at first glance. Now, I am not one to turn down an opportunity to browse photos of other homes, so peruse her favorites and try to provide constructive input on the geographic location and the actual house itself. It never ceases to amaze me how many homeowners don't bother to stage their home before their agent takes pictures to put on flyer's and include with their online property listing. What amazes me even more is that their agent will take the pictures with the home "as is" and not recommend the seller stage the home prior to photographing it. I immediately move on to the next listing if the home is dirty, cluttered or outdated, which is what I am sure most potential buyers do as well.

Staging your home for listing photographs and showings is the most important thing you can do when selling your home in the current real estate market. There are more sellers than buyers these days so it is imperative you do something that sets your home apart from the others to get it sold. It can be as simple as removing family photographs and extra furniture to help potential buyers to see their families living in the house rather than your family. Or, as easy as properly furnishing a room or rearranging furniture to give each room a specific purpose. For example, many of us use an empty bedroom in our home as an office. Some potential buyers may not be able to see the past the way each room is purposed for your particular lifestyle. Exchanging office furniture in a bedroom with an inviting bed with fresh linens will help potential buyers determine the true number of bedrooms in your home.

If your home is outdated, you may need to do a few extra things such as remove old wallpaper, update knobs and pulls on cabinets and replace old light fixtures and flooring if necessary. If you have brightly painted walls you should consider repainting those walls in a neutral color that appeals to a wider audience. That pink, purple and green bedroom may be adorable to you and your 10 year old daughter, but you may have singles, younger couples with no children or older folks choosing between your home and others on the market. Just imagine how a fresh coat of paint on the walls looks to the eyes of potential home buyers. Less work for them means a quicker sell for you!

Now we all know home staging is not a big industry secret or you would not have found this blog. Which is the reason I can't figure out why so many of the listings my relative sends me still have photos of dirty, cluttered or outdated homes! When your home is on the market you need to look at it through the eyes of my relative and other potential buyers. This may mean you need to live differently for a while -- less furniture, no home office, no photos of Tommy and Sally in every nook & cranny and what may seem like boring, neutral-colored walls. But getting your home staged will get your house sold while your dirty, cluttered, outdated neighbor sits on the market with little or no activity month after month. And you will have long since moved in to your new home or on to your next adventure.