Home Staging Helps Real Estate Investors and Builders Maximize Profits
Debra Gould
January 31, 2008
When selling your investment property, are you tempted to leave a room or the entire house empty? Decorating your house to sell, also called Home Staging or Real Estate Staging, will help you sell your investment in record time and get top dollar for your home.
If you have gone through the expensive and time-consuming job of renovating, don't decide to save money when it comes to furnishings and accessories.
When you've gone through expensive renovations, suffered with delays or extended beyond your budget, it's difficult to stay motivated to the bitter end. It can be tempting to say, "It's good enough. The paint's dry; let's put it on the market as is!"
This is short sighted and can cost you a bundle!
It's relatively inexpensive to rent anything you need, and these finishing touches help ensure you make the profit you deserve for all those costly repairs.
Imagine it's the Academy Awards. A big star is wearing a fabulous designer gown so she decides she doesn't need to get her hair done. Does everyone talk about the fabulous gown? Of course not, all they can remember is the terrible hair!
Or imagine a fine painting stuck in a dollar store frame. Does the painting have the same appeal as it would if it had been framed by a professional? Conversely, have you ever taken one of your child's paintings and had it framed? What a difference it makes compared to how it looked when it was stuck on the fridge with a magnet.
5 REASONS IT'S A BAD IDEA TO LEAVE ROOMS EMPTY WHEN SHOWING YOUR HOUSE:
1. People don't buy houses, they buy homes.
2. It is difficult to understand how large a room is when there's nothing in it as a reference point.
3. People can't visualize how furniture will fit in an empty space, and if they're unsure, they don't buy.
4. When a room is empty prospective buyers focus on negative details instead of falling in love with the overall space.
Instead of looking at the flow of one room to another, prospective buyers get bogged down in questions like: Is the drywall smooth? Will those bumps in the carpet come out? Why doesn't the closet have a hanging bar? Why doesn't that molding fit perfectly? Why is the light switch in the middle of the wall?
5. When a house or even a few rooms are empty prospective buyers can get distracted from paying attention to the house and shift their focus to the home owners.
Instead of focusing on whether this is the home for them, they may be busy wondering: Is this a divorce? Have they left town? Are they selling because they have money problems? This train of thought can then prompt buyers to starting thinking, "maybe I can put in a low ball offer since the seller might be desperate." Definitely not the picture you are trying to paint.
Home staging is about packaging a home to show off its best features and downplay the flaws. You romance the buyer and entice them into making an emotional connection with your house. So, bring in some furnishings and accessories to add character and warmth to the home. Taking the time to do these final details will ultimately translate into a higher return on your investment.
If you have gone through the expensive and time-consuming job of renovating, don't decide to save money when it comes to furnishings and accessories.
When you've gone through expensive renovations, suffered with delays or extended beyond your budget, it's difficult to stay motivated to the bitter end. It can be tempting to say, "It's good enough. The paint's dry; let's put it on the market as is!"
This is short sighted and can cost you a bundle!
It's relatively inexpensive to rent anything you need, and these finishing touches help ensure you make the profit you deserve for all those costly repairs.
Imagine it's the Academy Awards. A big star is wearing a fabulous designer gown so she decides she doesn't need to get her hair done. Does everyone talk about the fabulous gown? Of course not, all they can remember is the terrible hair!
Or imagine a fine painting stuck in a dollar store frame. Does the painting have the same appeal as it would if it had been framed by a professional? Conversely, have you ever taken one of your child's paintings and had it framed? What a difference it makes compared to how it looked when it was stuck on the fridge with a magnet.
5 REASONS IT'S A BAD IDEA TO LEAVE ROOMS EMPTY WHEN SHOWING YOUR HOUSE:
1. People don't buy houses, they buy homes.
2. It is difficult to understand how large a room is when there's nothing in it as a reference point.
3. People can't visualize how furniture will fit in an empty space, and if they're unsure, they don't buy.
4. When a room is empty prospective buyers focus on negative details instead of falling in love with the overall space.
Instead of looking at the flow of one room to another, prospective buyers get bogged down in questions like: Is the drywall smooth? Will those bumps in the carpet come out? Why doesn't the closet have a hanging bar? Why doesn't that molding fit perfectly? Why is the light switch in the middle of the wall?
5. When a house or even a few rooms are empty prospective buyers can get distracted from paying attention to the house and shift their focus to the home owners.
Instead of focusing on whether this is the home for them, they may be busy wondering: Is this a divorce? Have they left town? Are they selling because they have money problems? This train of thought can then prompt buyers to starting thinking, "maybe I can put in a low ball offer since the seller might be desperate." Definitely not the picture you are trying to paint.
Home staging is about packaging a home to show off its best features and downplay the flaws. You romance the buyer and entice them into making an emotional connection with your house. So, bring in some furnishings and accessories to add character and warmth to the home. Taking the time to do these final details will ultimately translate into a higher return on your investment.
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