Planning on adding your house to the current real estate market? Consider this:
Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder! Your perception of your home's worth, condition, and appeal to buyers could work against you.
It's not what you think that matters most. How the house is perceived by others is what's important.
What is attractive, appealing, or comfortable to you may not be so appealing to the masses.
One man's idea of valuable collectables is another man's idea of clutter.
One man's idea of neutral can be another man's idea of cold.
You may think your gold hardware looks rich, but to potential buyers it's dated and will cost them money to replace.
As the beholder of this valuable product, your eyes cannot be trusted. Your eyes have been clouded by your emotional attachment, and could be responsible for keeping that "Sold" sign off your lawn.
Professional preparation of your home is the best way to guarantee that your product for sale will strike a chord in the hearts of buyers. Whether it's your real estate agent or a home stager you choose to help you prepare your house, not all professionals are created equal.
Do your homework...choose your professionals wisely!
The best way to know if a professional is right for you is to look at pictures of their work. Don't hire a home stager without seeing their portfolio. Don't choose a Realtor without checking their current listings. The best indication of the quality of their future work is the pictures of their past work.
Beauty is not in the eye of the seller...it's in the eye of the buyer!
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Who the beholder is the key there - you want the new beholder to see beauty.
A buyer needs to be able to see himself living in the home... that's difficult with the seller's family photos, children's toys, and dog's food bowls in clear view!
Good points, Sharon. All too often, sellers think that buyers will "like" the same things they do ... and most of the time, they're wrong!
So, true. Depersonalization is a very important part of the selling process. Maureen is right, most sellers think everyone will like their stuff, which can be quite problematic (especially when pets are concerned). Great points about seeing a stagers portfolio, any decent home stager should have one and be ready, willing, and able to share it with any potential client(s). If they do not, this is a huge RED flag.
Sharon
A home that's professionally staged has a wide appeal to the buyers.
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
No truer words have been spoken. Great post, Sharon.
Kathy
Heath: The new beholder will become the new beholder in a much shorter time period if the old beholder takes the time to properly prepare the home for sale!
Margo: That's right, it is very difficult to imagine the house as mine when everywhere I look I see you!
Maureen: Especially when the things you like are from 10 years ago!
Kate: I always tell sellers who are looking for a realtor to check MLS listings and see what the picture quality is. If a realtor has bad photos...I would not hire them.
Lou: Well said, thanks!
Kathy: Thank you!
Hi Sharon -- wise words, shared well -- Staging for the market not decorating for the seller
Karen: Thank you! Thinking that staging is decorating is the mistake many sellers make!
Sharon, you are dead right on this one. I wrote a Mooseheads in the House post eons ago and Mr. Hunter's taste was not common. Also the beauty of your house is in competiton with the beauty of other houses in the neighborhood. Why do I feel like I am a bunch of women in a restaurant checking out each other's hairstyles and evening gowns? Excellent advice from the SUPERSTAR you already are in your field. Happy New Year.
Gary: I've been in the "heads on the wall" homes, Gary, and it is usually the first thing I tell them has to go. Funny how reluctant they can be about removing them. It is a competition, and the seller that doesn't realize it, won't do too well! I'm hardly a superstar but I sure appreciate you calling me one! Thanks so much! Happy New Year to you and your family!
Now, Sharon, at the risk of repeating myself...how soon can you get here?! I have a few sellers who could benefit from your advice!
Super post, Sharon. All of the points you make are right on the mark. Part of the fun and excitement of our profession is meeting with homeowners for the first time and witnessing their eyes being opened to looking at their homes from a buyer's point-of-view. Once they accept this and "let go" of their emotional ties to their homes, our job REALLY gets fun!
Sharon, I'm booking marking and flagging for a feature. Wish that I could come up with great post like yours.
So true, it's hard to drive this point home sometimes when sellers are attached to their items.
Sharon,
Very well worded and on-point! How many times as stagers do we say, "It's not for you, it's intended to appeal to potential buyers..."!
Happy New Year!!!
Leslie: Wouldn't that be awesome! If only...
Nancy: Helping sellers to transform their home and seeing their reaction is the best part!
Ginger: Thank you! I guess you don't realize how great a job you do on your posts! Writing does not come naturally or easily to me, and it is difficult for me to come up with ideas and to then put those ideas into a post. I appreciate your support!
Cindy: A seller's emotional attachment can make them their own worst enemy!
Sharon: And we have to keep saying it! Nice to see your face back on your profile!
FABULOUS!! It is never about them-it is about selling their home!! Happy New Year Sharon!
Cathy: Thanks! Happy New Year to you too!
Sharon, great post. Getting people to realize what Staging does is as hard as telling someone their collection isn't viewed as such by potential buyers. Keep spreading the word! Happy New Year.
Ana
Ana: Hopefully 2010 will see more acceptance and understanding and we can spend more time doing what we do best and less time promoting it. Happy New Year!
Sharon, Great Blog. Happy New Year's!
Leslie: Thank you, I appreciate it. Happy New Year!
Sharon-Happy New Year. Another so true post. And, it's probably the hardest point to make when encouraging someone to have their home professionally staged. Good job!
Kathy: Happy New Year! May 2010 be a very successful year for home staging!
If only more people realized the value of home staging and prelisting inspections, their houses would move so much faster with so fewer complications in the middle of the deal.
Ah well, educate, educate, educate.
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This is wonderful Sharon. I am guilty lately of assuming everyone already knows things like what this post is about, but they don't. You keep hammering the important points home and it reminds me to continue this in my community as well. Thank you for being so articulate - you always say it so well. Happy New Year!
Erby: Well said! Getting their ducks in a row....no surprises!
Sheila: I'm guilty of assuming people naturally know this stuff too! We are so aware and immersed in this topic constantly, it is easy to forget that sellers don't hear it and don't discuss it 24/7. They may only sell one or two houses in their lifetime and this is all news to most of them.
Sharon....it's so true....many sellers do think they have it all figured out. Working with the seller to let the stager (that they are paying for) make the decisions on how to best present the home to buyers is key. Living in your home is so different from....presenting it to the market! THANKS for the thoughtful post!
Many years ago, when the market was superb, I did a home inspection on a beautiful house that had been sitting on the market for nine months. It didn't seem to be overpriced or anything, and since it was newer construction, I couldn't imagine what might be wrong with the house.
When I got to the house, there were pictures of naked men on all the walls. Not hard core porn. Soft core, I guess, but there were also many pictures and statues of famous naked men throughout history, such as the Statue of David. But when people walked into the house and saw nothing but naked men, how can you get that image out of your mind? There's the reason it sat on the market for so long.
And the reason why it finally sold? My Clients were a gay male couple.
Moral of the story: If you're willing to wait, someone will come along.
Second moral of the story: Know where your target audience of buyers are if you're not going to make your house marketable to the masses.
Kathy: Right, decorated to live and staged to sell are very different! Thanks for joining in!
Russell: That is one crazy example! It certainly proves the point! Who knows how long it will take for your Prince Charming to arrive!
Appealing to the masses is generally the best option when preparing a home for sale. I think you stated it perfectly with this sentence:
"As the beholder of this valuable product, your eyes cannot be trusted. Your eyes have been clouded by your emotional attachment, and could be responsible for keeping that "Sold" sign off your lawn."
Well done!
Judy: Thank you! That is a good line, if I do say so myself!
You're right, beauty isn't in the eye of the beholder, unless the beholder is the BUYER! It's so hard for sellers to be objective about the home they love...
Janna: It's getting sellers to understand this concept that is the hard part. Thanks!
Sharon
An outstanding post.
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
Lou: Thank you!
Sharon, the same can be said for the prcie of the home. What a home is worth is what other homes in the neighborhood are selling for. Many times all those upgrades just don't make that much difference. Sad but true!!
"It's not what you think that matters most. How the house is perceived by others is what's important."
Amen !!!!
... this is so spot on Sharon, I have been pushing harder than ever for almost all my new sellers to consider reliable stagers in my area !
Happy New Year to you ! I hope it's a great one !!!!!
Cheers !
Sheldon :o)
Beauty is clearly in the eye of the buyer. Sellers set list prices. Buyers set sale prices.
Marchel: True, it is important to know the neighborhood values when considering major upgrades. Some money you just can't get back.
Sheldon: Thank you! And thank you for promoting our business! I have no doubt your clients are getting every possible resource when they sign on with you!
Jim: Well said! Thank you.
Well done, Sharon! And so true. It's hard for the seller to get past their own perceptions, and posts like this help them to understand that.
Debi
Debi: Thanks! Those darn perceptions will get ya every time!
Sharon you are spot on as usual! This is usually one of our toughest battles with sellers.
Debra: We gotta just keep fighting the battle!
I wish all sellers could read this post! Well said!
Irene: That would be awesome! Thanks!