senior home sales: is staging important?
With these tips, you will make buyers fall in love (and buy) your home!
Great staging is no guarantee a seniors home will sell right away, but, it will make your home more attractive to buyers. Staging presents your home at it's best and helps buyers to see themselves in that space. It's a valuable marketing tool because the reality is most buyers start their search on-line by looking at pictures. Staging can remove the clutter and highlight assets which leads to those eye-catching photos that convince buyers to take an in-person look.
Staging Helps A Lot
According to a resent survey by the National Association of Realtors:
- 77% of buyers' agents said staging made it easier for the buyer to visualize themselves in the property.
- 39% of sellers' agents said staging decreases the time on market.
- 21% of sellers' agents said staging increases the offer between 6% to 10%.
Staging Costs
Cost to stage a senior home for sale can depend on whether you are hiring a professional stager or listening to the advice of your real estate professional. Some agents, especially those with experience, know what buyers are looking for and can help with some preliminary staging advice. Professional stagers can come in and do an initial consultation, some as low as $150, for some do-it-yourself advice. For a fresh look or if the property is vacant, stagers will pull together an attractive look using their own furniture and accessories. Costs depend on the number of rooms, size and where the home is located - ask for a quote!
Best results usually require decluttering
Nothing is a bigger turn-off for potential buyers then clutter. It makes it imposible for them to thoroughly examine the property and imagine themselves in it. You're moving anyway, so start packing all the items that aren't necessary for everyday life. Here's an article to get you started: https://margieyohn.com/articles-2/5waystodeclutterforseniors/
Depersonalize
Along with decluttering, depersonalize your home. Seniors selling their home generally have a lot of photos of loved ones, family portraits, mementos, souvenirs from trips, and all manner of stuff that is of a personal nature and holds personal meaning. It's not that buyers would be offended or put off by your stuff, it's that you want to neutralize your home to allow buyers to imagine themselves in the space and where their stuff would fit. Also, while you're at it, consider emptying out closets and storage spaces. It will make those normally cramped spaces look larger.
Focus on the main rooms
It's not necessary to stage every room to perfection. Choose the key places to stage where buyers would spend the most time such as the living room, kitchen and master bedroom. Then concentrate on decluttering the other spaces.
Clean, like spring cleaning clean
If necessary, hire a company to come in and do a deep clean. Buyers LOVE to walk into a home that smells and looks clean. It's one way they feel like you take care of your home. If you have pets, do all you can to get rid of any lingering pet odors. Clean windows add sparkle and shine.
Freshen up the yard
Clean dead vegetation from the beds, keep the lawn mowed, lay down some fresh mulch and, if possible, put in some colorful flowers. Fresh landscaping can have a sales advantage from 5.5% to 12.7%. A buyers first impression comes from the curb appeal. Even a house with older siding will look brighter with fresh landscaping. Other easy things to do would be power wash the siding and walkways, fix any peeling paint or faded stain, wash the front door and freshen up the door mat. These are adding a polish that says to a buyer, "You think this looks good -- Wait until you see the inside!"
Ask the professional
Depending on the situation, some seniors selling their home may not be in the position either financially or health-wise to handle all the things that a good staging requires. Don't stress! When the real estate market is great, some buyers are willing to overlook some areas of concern in order to get into a house with potential. Just realize, you may be asked to make concessions on price based on condition. A realtor that specializes in senior moves, such as Margie Yohn SRES, would be able to give you advice on how to prepare your home to net an optimal sales price. That advice might include connecting with some of the vetted professionals at her disposal for your benefit.
You can count on Margie Yohn, Realtor® & Seniors Real Estate Specialist®, to guide you through seniors issues --either yours or on behalf of an elderly loved one -- with the goal to inform, educate and advocate for transitions that are less stressful and more successful. For Seniors On The Move!