Home staging and Dating Have More In Common Than You Think
It’s February and love is in the air. Did you know that when selling your home, you are essentially courting your buyers? Think about it as the most expensive first date you can imagine. Blow this first impression and you’ll have more than unreturned phone calls to deal with! So, how do you channel that first date anxiety into preparing your home for sale?
Before your date, do a little soul searching
Pull out the proverbial full length mirror and prepare to be honest. You must scrutinize your home with a buyer’s eye. Stand in the doorway of each room and take pictures. This is what buyers will see online, where you have less than 3 seconds to grab their attention. Is there more furniture than open space? Does it look inviting? Your online presence is the first step to curb appeal.
Make it about them - not you.
Just as you would be selective with your fashion accessories, the same idea applies to your home. Pack up the knick-knacks, personal photos and breakables. Your goal is for the buyer to be able to envision themselves in your home, and de-personalizing and de-cluttering is key.
Reveal your strengths, not your weaknesses
When selecting the look for your big night, determine your best feature and highlight it. Do the same in your home by creating a focal point in each room. Create a conversation area around it, or use it as inspiration for what colors or furnishings should remain in the room.
If you find that you’re still not sure where to begin, Professional Home Stager takes on the role of the trusted girlfriend; sharing your goals, being supportive, yet brutally honest when a complete makeover is needed. They can do as much or as little as you like. If it’s your furnishings that could prevent your home from looking it’s best, they offer accessories and furniture for rent, and provide much needed direction for what it will take to sell your home for more money in less time.
The Insiders Guide to Questions You Should Ask When Hiring a Home Stager
Are a home owner or a realtor seeking to find a partnership with a home stager to better market your home? There's a lot of home stagers out there and the industry can be very confusing. Currently there are no regulations as to who can become a home stager. So, what makes a good home stager and what should I ask when hiring one? Take a look at my video for a brief overview of what you should look for when hiring a home stager.
To recap - here's five questions you should review with every home stager when seeking a partnership to better market your home:
1. Is home staging their full time job?
Many do home staging on the side or as a hobby. If they are full time you know their business is serious.
2. What training have they received? Ask about their education.
Many home stagers do not have a degree in interior design. That's because home staging is more about target marketing while interior design is more about the design for a homeowner. With that aside, there are professional certifications to become a home stager. If your home stager has that certification then they have been trained in design to market a home to sell.
3. What are their average days on market? Ask to see previous staged properties.
Reputable home stagers take photos of all their staged properties. By asking to see these photos you are ensuring their style will meet your needs. Also by asking how many days their homes have been on market gives you a clear view of the quality of their work.
4. Are they insured?
This is a very important question for anyone who comes into your home and does work on your home. Home stagers are no exception.
5. Do they partner with movers or have an in-house team?
Home stagers depending on size will either hire an outside mover to help load furniture in/out of the home or have an in-house logistics team that does the heavy lifting. Just nice to know if you will have another company reputation to review before hiring home stager.
If you are in the market for a home stager who will work with you to market your home for top dollar, then give us a call at 703-552-4545 or make an appointment online.
We would love to SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON YOUR HOME!