One question I am often asked when I talk about staging a property for sale is “how much does it cost?”. People worry that it is expensive and they may also query the benefit when they are leaving the property and may therefore not get to enjoy the results themselves.
Firstly, you should regard any expenditure as an investment rather than a cost, whether that investment is reflected in the speed of sale or the sale price. What the cost will be in any particular case will depend on what needs doing and your budget. Secondly, the cost is likely to be less than the amount of your first price reduction. Remember too, any furniture or accessories you invest in can be chosen with your new property in mind so that you will take them with you and enjoy them in your new home. Yes, if even if your budget is restricted it is definitely worth staging, this blog is the first of two on the subject of staging on a budget.
What Are The Most Important Things To Do?
Here are my top four tips which are very effective and need cost very little.
1. Clean – it may seem obvious, but to impress viewers your house needs to be spotless (even though theirs might not be!) It requires little other than some elbow grease and a collection of cleaning products from the local supermarket. Focus on the kitchen and bathroom. If you are not a fan of housework I recommend employing a professional cleaning company to give your property a deep clean, including carpets. You can then have them come in at weekly intervals say or introduce your own cleaning routine. Having undertaken the initial deep clean it makes it easier to keep on top of cleaning thereafter, have a rota.
2. Clutter – after cleanliness I think clutter is the second most important element. Clutter makes a room appear smaller than it is and it can be distracting. Buyers often can’t visualise so they may dismiss your home as being too small. Clutter also sends the message that you do not have enough storage. It can be off putting if your buyers don’t share the same taste as you, it makes it more difficult for buyers to picture themselves living in your property. There are more tips on decluttering in the E Book which you can download from the website.
3. Maintenance – When you have lived in a property for a while it becomes easy to overlook the things that need doing – the dripping tap, the kitchen cupboard door that doesn’t shut etc. The point is that even though these may be very small items of disrepair which can be fixed in a very short period of time it gives an overall impression that the property is neglected. Buyers will worry what else needs doing and that there are bigger issues. Go round your home with a fine tooth comb and make a list of all the repairs and maintenance items that need doing and do them!
4. Decorate – Sellers often make the mistake of thinking that because buyers are likely to decorate then there is no point doing it themselves. Yes buyers will very likely want to put their own stamp on a property and do their own decorating but they may not want to do it straight away A property that is freshly decorated in a neutral shade will appeal to buyers.
In the next blog I will offer tips on where to go for any furniture, accessories that you might need.
There is always a reason for moving and staging helps you achieve your goal.
Contact me now via e mail at info@homestyle4u.com, call us on 07745 876182 or complete the enquiry form below. I cover Cheshire and the North West
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