This week Steve Tetzner and I had Suzie Symonds, from
Susan Symonds Interior Design to give us her unique perspective on home staging. Many people are under the misconception that staging a house is expensive, but it is more about creativity than money. People don't realize that when they sell their house "as is" it can actually cost them money. Like a hundred little red flags, numerous small maintenance details and repair concerns will influence a buyers perception of condition. Often a coat of paint and a little elbow grease is all that is needed to alleviate many of these concerns. Suzie had so many good ideas, here are some of the highlights:
- Depersonalizing the space: remove family photos, take everything off the refrigerator, and strip the kids rooms of posters and trophies.
- Clear high-traffic areas of excess furnishings to maximize feelings of space and comfort.
- Highlight the key features in every room--such as fireplaces or French doors--by making sure theyre not obscured by plants or furnishings.
- If you can smell it, the Realtor can't sell it-refrain from doing much cooking (baking sweets is a good idea, however) and put good-smelling soaps in all the bathrooms.
- Turn on all the lights, replace bulbs with the highest watttage possible, buyers like bright and cheeful.
This Week's Real Estate Insight: Sellers shouldn't look at staging in terms of how much it will cost but how much it could make. Staging differentiates a house and creates the emotional response that translates into more money and a faster sale.
Listen to the Podcast: Listen to the entire show with Sally, Steve and Suzie Symonds
