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Home Staging successfully and why you should do it

Have you ever walked into a model home and been memorized by the decor? Did you find yourself  cooking a meal in the gourmet kitchen or relaxing in the wonderful backyard? If so, you have been the successful target of the secret weapon called staging.

As a real estate agent, you know that staging your real estate listings will result in a faster more profitable sale, but who can you trust to manage this important process for you.

You want the best possible price for your home but do not want to pay more than your return to achieve this. You need EXPERT and OBJECTIVE home staging guidance that comes from experience and a highly trained eye in order to compete in a buyers market. By the way did I mention I'm a Accredited Staging Professional™ (ASP™) ? 

Staging can entail simple tasks such as removing clutter, as clutter eats equity. Stagers aren't maids or house-cleaners; they don't do repairs or paint but, rather create a neutral, harmonious, spacious, and beautiful environment.  They often set tables for dinner so Buyers can picture themselves in the property having a Family dinner.

Think of staging like detailing a car. A smart auto seller would detail a car before selling it to add value and that's exactly what staging can do for a house I think staging helps, making the property stand out, and, in turn, determines which properties will sell fast and which won't.

It's no longer a market where staging helps the property sell for more. In today's market, it enables the property to have more potential of selling. The Buyer has so much to choose from that you have to make your Home stand out with a lasting impression.

Even though some sellers may be hesitant to spend more in a down market, this is the winning way to sell your house for more money. The investment in staging a listing is less than the price of a large price reduction.

Professional stagers can see your house as buyers will, and they'll set the scene so that buyers can imagine living there. They're likely to simplify or streamline the furniture in a room for better traffic flow and to enhance its spaciousness. They may neutralize a too-personal color scheme or add touches of color or accessories where needed. In vacant homes that feel of cold and lack of visual landmarks, stagers often bring in rental furniture to create warmth. This helps Buyers mentally move in and feel that when it's time for them to move in, thy will be able to kick back and relax.

You can hire a stager by the hour or the room. Homeowners typically pay from $200 to $3,000 depending on the level of service required. But the pay-off in time saved and higher sales price can be nice.

If  your home looked like a model home, do you think you'd have an easier time selling it? And do you think they might command a higher selling price? Statistics show this to be true.

Buying a house is largely an emotional decision because people are not just purchasing a home; they are buying a dream...a lifestyle. If you can help them with their vision so they don't have to rely completely on their imagination, you positively impact how they feel in the home, which will be reflected in the sales price and number of offers you receive. All human beings want comfort, excitement, prestige and love, and all these are at work in the psychology of the home purchase. Effective staging maximizes those feelings, creating an atmosphere that makes people want to linger and imagine themselves living in the space. Ultimately, staging creates a home the prospective buyer will not be able to live without.

People today have busy lives, they want to walk in and look at a home and say, "This is mine. I can move into this Home without doing anything. "  

This piece was written on special request for my friend CHRISTOPHER HALL REALTOR®; TRC; Cert PFS; F. Inst. Dir. FIABCI; FOPDAC in the UK

                                                                                    By Debra Allen, REALTOR®

Click here to read the full article on Realtytimes.com :

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20080227_homestage.htm