Selling a vacant house? Home staging is a must

There was a time in the not too distant past when there were far more home buyers than sellers, and sellers had the luxury of not having to beautify their home in order to sell it. Often times, your property was sold before the listing ink was dry. Instead of replacing the awful blue carpet they could offer a credit. If the buyer didn’t like the orange paint, then THEY could repaint after closing. The idea of ​​having the home professionally staged, ready for the market, seemed frivolous and a bit unnecessary, but for those who did, their home often sold above list price with multiple offers.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years, you’re painfully aware that those days are long gone. In the current Orange County real estate market, there are over 17,000 properties on the market, and home sales are well below.

While some people can afford to wait for market conditions to improve, many homeowners are forced to sell their property now, for a variety of reasons. Some have two mortgages and need to pay off one of them, some have moved to Orange County for business, some have overextended themselves during the credit boom and can no longer pay their mortgage, and many homes have been foreclosed on and banks have repossessed them. are downloading.

There are buyers out there. There are always people moving to the area, and there are also locals looking to upgrade and hoping to take advantage of falling prices. It is true that many buyers wait for prices to fall further, and some cannot get the financing they need, and others are ready and able to buy but cannot sell their own home. But the buyers are out there; there is only an imbalance between supply and demand.

With so much competition in home inventory, it’s crucial that your property stand out. It all starts with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). More and more buyers search for new homes online before contacting an agent, so sellers have to grab their attention with great photos just to get them interested. Then when they visit the property, they must be immediately impressed. Just like speed dating, buyers will decide within the first thirty seconds if they are interested in continuing the relationship or if they want to look elsewhere. It is important to make a favorable first impression.

Does staging really work? The statistics say yes. Common sense also says yes. That’s why home builders spend thousands of dollars on professional design services to enhance their models with high-end furnishings and expensive upgrades. It’s an overt marketing strategy to make potential buyers fall in love with your model, see its potential, and imagine themselves enjoying a particular lifestyle. As my husband likes to say, “They’re selling the dream.” That is why the design and decoration are exclusive and impeccable. That is why there is a beautiful pool, fireplace and garden furniture in the backyard. That’s also why there are no piles of bills on the counter, bins in the bathrooms, or magnets on the fridge.

Home staging professionals have applied the same concept and techniques to help real estate agents market their listings and homeowners sell their properties, and their services have become increasingly popular.

Does every house need to be staged? In my experience, every property, no matter the size or value, can benefit from staging, and it works whether you’re selling or renting a property. But let’s be honest; some houses need it more than others. If you have a home that has nice landscaping and curb appeal, and is simply but tastefully decorated, has neutral paint and carpeting and some carefully chosen upgrades, and is completely devoid of clutter, then congratulations! You can get away with minimal staging. Especially if you have a great floor plan, are located in an in-demand area, and are realistically priced.

But what if your property is vacant? There are a lot of vacant properties on the market right now, as many homeowners have simply moved out and left their home empty on the market. Most of the houses I present are empty. In my opinion, if you are trying to sell a vacant property, it is IMPERATIVE that you have it professionally staged, and I will tell you why.

Vacant homes present special problems for the seller and the agent for several reasons:

o Buyers need to use their imagination to see the potential. Because the rooms are empty, they often have a hard time imagining how they would look with the furniture, curtains, and artwork.

o Sometimes it is impossible to figure out the purpose of a particular space. If there is a room or area in your home that is remotely bizarre, unusual in shape or size, or ambiguous in purpose, then buyers will be confused and unsure. Its purpose must be adequately defined, and this is best done visually.

o In vacant properties, buyers tend to focus on every imperfection. Unless your property is new, this will be a problem. And the older your home and the more outdated your fixtures, the bigger this problem becomes. Filling the property with tasteful furnishings will distract buyers and minimize the impact of these imperfections.

o An empty house feels cold and desolate. Remember, first impressions count. You want it to be warm and inviting so that buyers have an emotional response and make a personal connection to the home, just as they do with model homes. Sell ​​the dream.

o And, paradoxically, vacant rooms actually look SMALLER than furnished rooms, leaving buyers wondering if their stuff will even fit. Measuring scale is tricky and you can still be wrong. Adding furniture in the correct proportion solves this immediately.

Vacant home staging solves all of these problems for the buyer and can also make an empty home feel warm, comfortable, and, well, like home, which is the point.

How much does staging cost? It varies a lot from one scenario to another. High-end companies that furnish model homes charge thousands of dollars and spare no expense, but it’s well worth it for builders who typically have a lot of homes to sell.

For the average seller, especially those who may not have a lot of money to invest in a staging, this type of high-end furniture isn’t necessary. There are plenty of staging professionals out there who can do a fantastic and highly effective job for much less. We like to say that the cost of staging is always less than your first price reduction. Think of it as an investment before selling, just like updating countertops or repainting the kitchen.

Most organizers will provide free quotes for their services; their offerings can vary widely, so make sure you understand exactly what’s included in the cost.