Is Your Home Ready For Its Close-up?

Posted at 7:26 PM, Jan. 18, 2007

When you make that exciting decision to sell your home, suddenly there are dozens of things on your  "To-Do" list. Your Realtor® will talk you through what to expect from listing to settlement, and one of the topics will surely be how to show your home to best advantage.

There are tips galore on getting your home ready to show and you probably know the logical and obvious ones:

·        Look at your home through the eyes of a buyer – inside and out

·        De-clutter and when you think you've done enough, de-clutter some more (think of it as packing sooner rather than later)

·        Make sure everything works – appliances, faucets, light switches, etc.

·        Make everything look fresh and clean – paint, replace carpet, clean the windows

·        Make your home welcoming when buyers are coming – soft music, scent of cinnamon

In recent years, "Staging" has become a popular means of getting your home ready for its close-up.  Staging includes all the things above, and more. A professional stager is able to look at your home from a fresh and unemotional perspective. Using a combination of your furniture and new or rented furniture and accessories, a stager can turn your house into a model home.

We know that first impressions count, and that potential buyers have formed an opinion about each house they see within seconds of approaching the door and going inside. Staging a home is like designing a movie set. You create an environment in which the buyers can visualize themselves living happily ever after. For this reason, staging is especially valuable if you have already moved and the house is empty.

Home staging has been shown to be a good investment - a staged home usually sells faster and at a higher price, regardless of the state of the real estate market in your area. Make the effort to stage, and your home will be ready for its close-up!