Let's Show & Sell

When a home is put on the market it becomes a “product” and like any other product it will have “competition”. The competition is every other similar home that is for sale. Homes sell based on location, price and presentation. And only the presentation is 100% under YOUR control.

It happens all the time. A house sits on the market for longer than it should because there’s something about it that’s not appealing to buyers. Often the décor, while appropriate for the homeowner, may turn off a prospective buyer. Once a professional home stager makes some adjustments, the same home sells within the first week at near the asking price.

Preparing one’s home for sale is nothing new. Realtors urge sellers to clear out clutter, plant, and make necessary repairs. But it’s only in the last five years that the concept of professional staging has taken hold, more aggressively in upscale west coast markets. “How you show a home isn’t the same thing as how you live in it," says Mary McDonald, owner of Re-Creating Interiors, Staging Professional and Broker on the Mary Opfer team at REMAX Unlimited Northwest in Cary, Illinois. In many markets there is new construction that sellers are competing against. Homes for resale need to look as good as the model homes buyers tour.

As buyers walk into a new construction model home, they are greeted with colors, furniture and décor that are designed to appeal to a wider audience. Furniture is strategically placed to show off the architectural aspects of the home and to improve traffic flow. It is easier for buyers to envision themselves living there. Compare that experience to when buyers tour a home for resale. Often they see colors they don’t particularly care for, personal items that draw attention to the lifestyle of the current owners or furniture placed for living rather than highlighting the structure of the room. Many buyers can’t see past what is in front of them so it can be difficult for them to imagine themselves living there.

That is where Mary’s team steps in.

As Realtors and Home Stagers, they arrange, accessorize and light the home in a way that gives buyers a sense of the possibilities. Preferring to work with what homeowners already have, many of their clients are amazed at how their homes are transformed for showing using items in fresh new ways. Depending on the home, McDonald’s team may offer to fund staging as part of the marketing plan for their sellers.

The result is that the staged home will make a great and very important first impression, will appeal to a wider audience and will likely sell faster and at a higher price. Staging should take place before realtors tour the home since their confidence in showing your home to buyers is crucial.

Staging your home may be the most economical way to increase its value. A HomeGain survey of 2,000 real estate agents nationwide showed that moderately priced home improvements ranging from $80 to $2,800 actually yield the highest returns. For more information on staging your home to sell, please call Mary McDonald at 847-989-2462.