Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a question about selling your house?
If I don't have an answer, I will try to find someone who does.
Staging is just for expensive, upscale houses, isn't it?
No.
Stagers all over the country discuss staging on numerous online forums. And, everywhere, at every price point, they report staged houses sell faster and closer to the asking price than unstaged houses. As one stager put it, "I have staged $99K mobile homes and I have staged multimillion dollar houses. Price does not matter. What matters is successfully merchandising the property."
How much does
staging cost?
Good stagers work within their client's budget.
How long does staging take?
Again, that depends on how much staging work needs to be done. In an occupied house, significant improvements can be made in a day by simplifying, packing, and cleaning. If more work, like painting, is needed, then the staging will take longer. In general, if you are planning to stage before your house is listed, it is a good idea to allow a few weeks to complete the work. In fact, many people get a staging plan and begin working it if they know they are going to list their house in the next year or two.
My house has been on the market a long time. People are looking at it, but no one seems to want to buy it. My agent says I have to lower the price. Is this the only thing I can do to sell my house?
In this situation, I recommend you take these steps.
Validate The Asking Price.
This is a very dynamic time in the Real Estate market. Potential selling prices are changing constantly. So it is a good idea, every few months, to check your price against the comparables that have sold. Ask your agent to run a new CMA for you. Find out what is selling, then sit down and really think about it. Given the selling prices of comparable houses neat by does your price make sense?
If the asking price makes sense (and even if you decide you should adjust the price) go on to the steps below.
Review Your Feedback.
Potential buyers make comments when they look at your house. Ask your agent to gather all of the comments that have been reported to her/him. Review the comments. Organize them into patterns. Look for themes - are different people saying the same kind of thing? If so, give serious thought to what you can do to correct the issue.
These are two common issues:
Condition
If buyers feedback says something on the
property appears to be broken, or worn out, or in need of replacement;
you may have a condition issue.
Grab a pen and notepad. Take a walk all around your house. Start at the front curb, check the front lawn, go through every room, and walk the back yard. Make a list. Is there any deferred maintenance you have not addressed? Is anything broken? Does anything look old, tired, worn, as if it might break at any moment? As you walk, keep that feedback in mind - is there a relationship between condition and what buyer say about the house?
This is difficult for someone who lives in the house to do. When we live there, we tend to get used to things. I suggest you ask a friend to take the walk and make the notes. Or, many stagers include condition issues when they examine the house.
Any condition issue leaves you with a few choices:
- Address the condition issue. Fix it, paint it, replace it. Make the change at the lowest cost that will provide a lasting and complete repair.
- Reduce the price. Sadly, don't just cover the cost of making the repair. Buyers tend to over estimate when they consider taking on projects. Maybe, subconsciously, they want to be compensated for their time. If you cannot address the condition issue, talk to your agent about the price reduction amount.
- Leave the price where it is and wait for someone who can afford it to fall in love with your house. Unless you really don't have to sell, this is not a good choice. The next buyer who walks in your door may be the one. But, that is unlikely. You may have to continue paying the mortgage and the utilities for many months while you wait. And, while you wait, the selling prices of comparables may rise or they may drop. If they drop, it becomes increasingly unlikely that someone is going to fall in love with your house.
Presentation
If buyers feedback says the house feels crowded, or the rooms are small (when you know they are not), or they don't know how they can move their furniture into the house; you may have a presentation issue.
Any presentation issue leaves you with the same three choices: fix it or reduce the price enough to appeal to a buyer, or wait.
When a client contacts me to do a home staging consultation, I ask them to read my Science And Art Of Staging web page before I arrive. I do this because it will help them understand what I am talking about during the consultation, and not because it covers everything I do. I encourage you to read this page, then interview local stagers. Find someone who will look for both condition and presentation issues, someone who has experience and past successes. Choose a stager and get their advice. Depending on your circumstances, consider hiring them to stage your house. Or, have them provide you with a staging plan so you can correct the presentation yourself.
I am going to sell my house by myself. Can my house be staged?
Of course your house can and should be staged. Staging is key part of marketing. And, whether the product is a house or a car or cereal, marketing sells.
Stagers are in business to help home owners sell their houses.
Stagers do not care how you plan to list your house. We care about the condition and the presentation of your house when you list it.
And, we celebrate when it sells.
Creating First
Impressions That Last
