Home Staging Defined

Just what is Home Staging?  Home staging is what happens after you have cleaned out the clutter, painted, and patched holes in the walls. Staging a home for sale is preparing the house with extra decorative touches that entice potential buyers.  Professional home stagers are artists who can accentuate a home’s positive characteristics.  Some common “props” can be:

• Mirrors
• Plants
• Rugs
• Pillows
• Lamps
• Furniture
• Towels tied with ribbons
• Baskets
• Scented Soaps

Home stagers can do just about anything using existing furniture or bringing in rented furniture and arranging it in a more advantageous setting to adding unique decorations to mantels and bookshelves that the buying public would find appealing. Not only do these professionals accentuate the inside of a home, but they can also create outdoor curb appeal for that all important first impression. 

What are the fees for home staging services?   It depends on your home and your needs.  Some home staging companies will offer free estimates. Get several estimates and talk to your real estate agent for references. Some home stagers charge by the hour and others charge a set fee. Fees can range from $500 to $10,000 dollars depending on the extent of services supplied and the area of the country where the staging services are provided.

Is this something that my house needs?  Talk to your real estate agent. Sometimes the return on the home may not be worth the investment of a professional home stager’s expertise. Find out up front what the stager is planning to bring in and at what cost. The specialist cost should balance with the expected benefit of a higher selling price.

Tips to Sell Your Home Faster - Part 2

The following post is from a guest writer, Kathy Wells:

The for sale sign was only in my yard one week when my house sold! In my last post, I shared the first five secrets that can get your home sold fast. Ready for the rest of the home selling tips?  Some of these may really surprise you!

Scented candles
Some scents remind us of home like homemade pie or coffee. Our agent suggested having one of these candle scents in our house to stir this kind of emotional attachment in buyers.

Make your house look like a model home!

• Wash windows
• Pressure-wash the house and driveway
• Sweep porches and sidewalks
• Re-caulk tubs, showers, and sinks
• Vacuum daily
• Dust regularly
• Hang fresh towels
• Replace worn looking rugs and comforters

Closets and drawers
Buyers want lots of storage space, so make sure that every bit of this out of sight space is enticing for buyers -– they will look! Clean out drawers and organize closets.  You may want to rent a storage facility  for unneeded furniture, such as cleaned-out bookshelves, table leafs, etc.

Listen to your real estate agent!   Our agent didn’t advise this, but I am. Each home is unique and your agent can offer their own personal tips from experience that will get your house sold fast.

To keep your move as low stress as possible, check out  this handy “Moving Checklist Generator” with a personalized step-by-step list of moving tasks. This printable list is designed to guide you before, during, and after your move. The move planner also has money-saving coupons and special offers that could save you hundreds in your move.

Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee that these tips will get your home sold in 7 days like mine, but all of these tips are a must when selling your home. These tips combined with your agent's expert knowledge may have a sold sign on your home in no time!

 Kathy is a freelance writer from central Florida.  Kathy’s work can be seen both in print and online publications on topics including human interest articles, biographies, and real estate.

Tips to Sell Your Home Faster - Part 1

The following post is from a guest writer, Kathy Wells:

In this two-part post, I will share with you the secrets to selling a home fast that our Zip Agent shared with us. With a little preparation, your home could be in high demand, too.  Here are the first five tips that sold our house in one week:

Fresh paint inside and out.
This one step made the house look new!  Neutral paint inside is more pleasing to buyers.

Remember Curb Appeal!

• Clean out flower beds
• Trim trees and bushes
• Flowers can add fresh splashes of color
• Keep your yard mowed
• Make sure that your mailbox is in good condition – not leaning, dented, or in need of paint; or better yet, buy a new mailbox!

Get rid of clutter.
It’s amazing how things can pile up! It you have not used it in over a year, get rid of it.  Pack up knick-knacks, and put away personal photos.  Remember, buyers want to visualize their belongings in this house.  Clean off kitchen counters--this will emphasize how much space your kitchen offers.

Have a garage sale or put it on eBay.  Make yourself a few extra dollars by selling your unwanted stuff either locally through a garage sale or have a world-wide audience with eBay. 

When people come to your garage sale, they may find themselves interested in your house, too.  Never let people in your home that you don’t know; make sure that you have your agent's cards available to hand out so that they can make an appointment to view your home.

Make minor repairs

• Replace burned out light bulbs
• Repair damage to walls or ceilings
• Fix drawers and doors that don’t open and close properly
• Oil the door hinges; a squeaky door makes a bad first impression

Real estate agents work with other home professionals that you may need. Our home needed a couple of minor repairs and we had no idea who to contact. Our agent suggested a contractor who came to our house the same day! Now that’s service!  Be sure to check out my next post where I will give you the rest of these priceless tips!

Kathy is a freelance writer from central Florida.  Kathy’s work can be seen both in print and online publications on topics including human interest articles, biographies, and real estate.