Points North recently ran an article on their cover page about selling your home. In goes on to have Ryan Ward explain what a buyer's market is (Simply an over supply of homes). Then goes right into the secret.
What's the secret you ask?
STAGING
Staging in layman's terms or for those who do not watch HGTV, is taking your home and turning into a model home or as close as can be.
It's what skilled agents have been doing for years to get a home sold. Whether it's helping a seller declutter their kitchen or simply putting up shower curtains. Staging affects that first impression rule.
According to Points North, you have 30 seconds to win over a buyer. I contend that the time is more like what it is in REAL life.
SIX SECONDS
That's right, it takes six seconds or less for a buyer to form an opinion. You're either fighting uphill or downhill from that point forward.
So why is called staging? Two Reasons in my opinion.
- It's not real. It's rare that you would find anyone who lives in their home like a model home is decorated. So it's staged, almost like a furniture store to entice you into the home.
- It's not decorating. Most interior designers and decorator make suggestions that require changes to wall coverings, window treatments, and furniture. Staging mostly involes using what you have and on a very small budget, trying to maximize the appeal or at least minimize the damage.
On average, staging can help you sell for more, but I'm a bit skeptical of the 6% number that is thrown out there.
This Atlanta Real Estate agent believes in staging though and I pay for every home to have a free staging consultation as long as they agree to do the things the stager asks for.
I am missing something here. You PAY for a FREE staging consultation.
Free for my clients... as in I pay for it. Thanks for reading. If I bought you dinner, it would be a free dinner for you. LOL