Why Looks Are Everything In Real Estate

We are in the middle of the spring selling season, and we have some great advice for those of you thinking about selling. As a seller you should be looking for ways to maximize and highlight the best features of your property. It's called home staging, and the Sold in Paradise Team includes home staging as one of our listing services. 

Over thirty years ago Barb Schwarz coined the phrase "home staging." Her web site: www.StagedHomes.com says that staged homes sell about 7% higher than unstaged homes and in a shorter amount of time. 

The concept is simple: Think of the property as a product. 

What can be done to make it the best possible property/product? 

First, depersonalize. We want the buyers to see themselves in the home, to mentally move in. The point is for buyers to focus on the best features of the property and not the sellers' personal effects. 

Second, declutter. Start packing! Throw away, give away, and store away. We need to create a spacious feel for all rooms. 

These two principles of staging are just the beginning of preparing for the sale. Other recommendations could follow: clean up, spiff up, paint it, and neutralize it! At this point, your home is no longer about you, but about appealing to potential buyers. 

Finally, you only have one time to make a first impression. One NAR survey shows that buyers create an opinion of a property within 90 seconds and that an average showing is only 6 minutes. With these stats in mind, preparing your home to "wow" buyers immediately and at first visit is essential. 

Home staging is a vital component in our marketing strategy – just another way to get the job done quicker and net the seller more money.