Saturday, November 15, 2008

Boost your listing idea #4: Consult with a home stager

We've covered how professional photos and professional virtual tours can aid your listing. Your photos and your tour will be most effective if you've consulted with an interior designer - or real estate stager - well before you put your home on the market.

Here are 5 basic home staging concepts, courtesy of Kathleen Quade from House to Home Interiors:

  1. Enhance your curb appeal by adding some allure to your front entrance. Potted plants and seasonal decorations can help. In many cases a well-chosen color for the front door can create the allure that makes buyers want to see more.
  2. Pack away the items that you do not use on a daily basis. Give your home a "clutter-free" look.
  3. Wash your windows and keep your home clean. Every buyer expects a clean house.
  4. Maintain the original identity of your rooms. If your dining room serves as your office, or your living room serves as your childrens' play room, you'll want to restore these rooms back to their original identity.
  5. Turn negatives into positives. For example, if you have extra storage cabinets lining your kitchen walls, buyers will perceive that your kitchen cabinets do not offer enough storage space. In this example the extra storage units should be removed from the kitchen and the kitchen items that are not used on a regular basis should be packed away.

Consulting with an interior designer is one of the smartest things you can do to enhance your listing. Your stager will help you attract more online interest and get more buyers through your door. And she'll work with you to make sure you home looks its best for all of your showings. Ask your Realtor about using the services of a real estate stager for your listing. We, like many other Realtors, include professional home staging services as part of our basic plan.

For more practical home staging advice, check out these 3 articles from Kathleen. You'll find all of them on the selling real estate page at DaneCountyMarket.com.

For related blog articles, check out these posts:

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