Online, in another state, far, far away, I saw this listing for a house for sale. It is the perfect example of how not to sell your house!  If you don’t want to sell fast or for more, follow this advice!

1. Make sure every room is so cluttered with objects and décor that buyers are totally distracted with your stuff and can’t see past it to the house!

2. Make sure it does not appeal to the greatest number of buyers by making the colors and décor so personal that it only appeals to people with taste just like you.

3. Overwhelm buyers with colors and patterns.

4. Put too much furniture in every room so the house feels small, regardless of how big it is.

5, Add as many personal photos as possible so buyers are distracted by who lives in the house now rather than envisioning it as their house.

6.  Keep the decor dark and heavy, rather than light and airy, clean and modern.

7.  Increase your price to 60 times more than the estimated value of similar homes.

While “Zestimates” are often wrong and can be off quite a bit, they are usually not off by 29 million dollars!

Zestimate:  $613,051

Price / Tax History

For more information on why your house may not sell, see my recent article “Why Your House Won’t Sell”.

To have a quick and profitable sale, make sure your house is easy for buyers to fall in love with and visualize themselves living there. To make that happen, make sure it is clean, move in ready, well maintained, light, airy, modern, decluttered, inviting and warm yet not too personal, priced right, and marketed well. Don’t forget curb appeal. Grab buyer’s attention with great photos and a reasonable price, get them to the front door with great curb appeal, and get them to fall in love with it once they are inside.

A professional home stager can help you make it all happen and increase your sales price with professional staging.

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Mary Ann Benoit of Northern Lights Home Staging and Design shares tips on how you can spend a little but make a lot with home staging when selling your home on Seward Public Radio’s “Market Minute” with Nicole Lawrence.

Nicole and Mary Ann discussed how home staging can be used as a marketing tool for your home sale.

They discussed some of Mary Ann’s home staging projects, the cost of home staging, why home staging works even in a seller’s market, how a seller can make more on their sales price with staging than without.

They discussed some of the various report and statistics about how home staging affects the sales price and time on the market.

They discussed some of the details on how spending a certain amount on home staging can reap the benefit of selling your house for up to 20% more.

Nicole Lawrence of Seward Properties “Market Minute” show is a wealth of information for home buyers or sellers on the Seward Real Estate Market. You can hear her show every Thursday on Seward Public Radio on 91.7 KIBH-FM, Seward, Alaska.

To learn more about home staging and how it can help you market your property, give Mary Ann a call at 907-362-0065.

Call 907-362-0065 today

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What is Home Staging? Wondering if there is a magic wand that you could wave at your house to make it sell fast and for more? Well, there is! It is called home staging. Find out “What is home staging”  in this video on FAQ’s for Home Sellers on Home Staging.

What is home staging?

Home Staging is a marketing tool that uses decorating to show off a home’s best features while downplaying its flaws. Done right, staging creates an emotional connection between home and buyer, leading to a faster sale at maximum value.

My report, FAQ’s for Home Sellers on Home Staging has tons of useful information on every question you may have had on home staging. Whether it is, what is home staging, how much does it cost, what is the process, who pays, why it works or for how much more your house may sell for if you try staging, it’s in here!

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One of my favorite home staging jobs was when I staged another home stagers house. What???  Yes, even home stagers can benefit from home staging when selling their house! Why? Two reasons:

1. One of the most valuable aspects of home staging is getting that objective view of your for-sale home that a home stager can give you. When you live in a house every day, it is easy to no longer see that pile of stuff in the corner, notice the smell of cat litter or notice that squeaky door. Even home stagers become blind to these things in our own homes.

A home stager can see your house for the first time as the buyer will see it. They will notice all those things you no longer see and can give you great advice on changing those things, not just to look nicer, but to also appeal to your target market.

Target market? Whether you realize it or not, your house, based on its location, price, neighborhood, local schools, and other data will appeal to some buyers more than others.

A lower priced home near good schools may appeal more to first time home buyers with children. A professional home stager will know your market conditions, who your target market is, and will stage the house to appeal to those buyers.

2. A home stager is also a member of your home selling team, along with your Realtor and photographer. As part of your team, your home stager is there to support you, offer you advice, serve as a coach and provide support. Selling your home can be very stressful and having a good support team can make all the difference in making the process as smooth and stress free as possible.

In this home staging project, I helped another home stager by providing that objective view, by staging her home and serving as part of her support team. I also developed the social media advertising for her home sale, and provided support when times were stressful! Check out the before and afters in this video.

So how did it go? Here is what the seller had to say about the process.

Mary Ann deserves a “stellar” rating for her home staging services, talent, experience and knowledge as a Professional Home Stager. A home stager myself, my husband & I enlisted Mary Ann to take on the oversight of staging our home when a new job and relocation required us to sell our $575,000+ home in a lagging real estate market, & a very busy time in our lives!

Her perspective helped us make decisions that were hard to make but that were in the best interest of our home sale. When the home staging was competed and a professional real estate photographer captured the essence of our property for an excellent Internet presence, Mary Ann also created a fantastic Face Book Page & a video to help boost our online marketing and show the property in a way that real estate listings could not. We had immediate requests for home showings, and fantastic feedback from home buyers and real estate folks during the entire listing period.

In addition to Mary Ann’s staging talent & knowledge, she provided us with constant professionalism and personal service by staying in regular communication with us during our home listing; by being on time and meeting deadlines; by reducing our stress because of ongoing support and her experience; by completing all work, then following up with our additional requests; by reducing our staging costs by using furniture & decor we already had; by updating, & increasing our Face Book Page presence & audience; by ensuring that we were satisfied with her staging, costs & marketing services; and by being part of the team that successfully got our home sold in a bleak real estate slump .

Because our home was staged to show all of it’s features and to attract home buyers, our home sale was solid, and profitable. Had we not staged, or had we poorly staged our property that was in competition with other homes, it is safe to say we would have been forced to drop our sales price, significantly, and received less profit for a future home purchase.

Mary Ann was not only a home staging contractor, she was, for us, a coach, a mentor and a great support in a very stressful and high anxiety time in life! Home staging is worth every dollar, but hiring Mary Ann Benoit, of Northern Light Home Staging & Design, was more than worth every dollar and lead us to success, and a new future. Stacy Goade- President of Alaska Premier Home Staging

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There are many reasons why your house won’t sell. Common reasons include condition, buyer appeal, price, marketing, market conditions and you!

To sell a home fast and for the price you want, it has to appeal to buyers!  Buyers want a move in ready property that is clean, modern, well maintained and that they make a connection with and can visualize themselves living in. It has to be at a price they can afford, and they have to know it is for sale!

Condition-Does the house appeal to buyers?

Is it move-in ready?

• Does the home need repairs?
• Does your house smell due to old carpeting or pet odors?
• Are your appliances ancient and barely working?
• Is your lighting out of the 70’s?
• Is your flooring cracked and chipped?

Don’t try to hide issues from buyers like covering odors with freshly baked cookies or other silly tricks. If your house won’t sell, fix the problems and be honest and disclose any issues with the home.

Is it clean?

• No-one wants to buy your dirt. Get it professionally cleaned.

Is it professionally staged?

• Do your paint colors appeal only to a limited number of people? A professional stager can make recommendations on paint colors that can actually increase your selling price.
• Is your space so cluttered it is hard for buyers to see the space? If so, your house won’t sell. A stager can help you determine what is important to keep and what should go. Homeowners that do their own staging often take out too much, making the house feel cold and uninviting.
• Are Buyers making an emotional connection and able to visualize living there? Home stagers are professionals at seeing your house objectively; highlighting the homes best features to make that connection with your target buyer.
• Is your house vacant? Vacant houses do not connect with buyers, appear smaller than they are and buyers have a hard time visualizing how their stuff will fit in the space. A stager can take an empty house and make it look like a home.
• Are you living in the house while selling? A stager can work with what you already have, making sure the house does not retain enough personal items to distract buyers
• Do you have good curb appeal?
• Was the house staged by a trained and experienced professional stager? Staging done by home owners, realtors or friends often fails to connect with buyers. Non-professionals often stage with too little or too much furniture which is distracting to buyers, or does not appeal to the right target market. Silly staging tricks are often used which makes it look staged and un-natural or it is decorated to their personal taste rather than to appeal to the greatest number of buyers. A professional stager may be a greater investment up front but will more than pay for itself in your final sales price. Professional staging always costs less than your first price reduction.

Price- Is it too high?

• Is your price too high? Listen to your realtor.
• Is your house in the upper price range for homes? More expensive houses usually take longer to sell because the pool of buyers that can afford it is smaller.
• Have buyers viewed the property, made positive comments, but no offers?  Your price may be too high.
• Have you made the mistake of pricing it based on what you need to get from it rather than market value?
• Are you worried about pricing it too low? If the price is too low, and the house looks great, buyers will bid up the price to market value or beyond with multiple offers.

Marketing

• Do you have professional photos? Great photos of a properly staged home online are the first step to attracting buyers to visit your for-sale property.
• Has Your Realtor done sufficient and effective marketing? Not all Realtors are created equally. If your Realtor can not find the time or money to properly market your home, find another Realtor.
• If you are FSBO, have you done sufficient and effective marketing?
• Has it been on the market too long? If you have made some of the mistakes listed above and the house has been on the market a while, buyers will wonder what is wrong with the house and will no longer consider looking at it. It may be worth taking it off the market, fixing the problems, taking professional photos and re-listing so it appears as a new listing.

Market Conditions

• Is it a Buyer’s Market?- Regardless if it is a buyer’s market, if your house provides what buyers want, you can sell it fast and for a good price. If your house is outshining the competition and has a reasonable price, buyers who usually take more time to make a decision in a buyer’s market will realize they need to get an offer in fast.
• Is there an economic recession?-Sometimes economic conditions can make buyers reluctant to spend money on a home. In this situation, the only options are to make sure your property outshines the competition, wait it out, lower your price or offer other incentives to buyers.

You

If your house won’t sell you also need to consider your role in the problem.

• Have you been willing and available to show your home when buyers have been interested in seeing it?
• Have you kept your for sale home clean, de-cluttered and looking at its best for showings?
• Are you hanging around and making buyers uncomfortable during showings?
• Have you been honest and disclosed any issues with the home?

Here is an example of a home staging project I did that had many of the problems listed above, had been on the market for many months and was not selling or generating interest.

1. The house had some repairs and updates that were needed.
2. The house was not professionally staged.
3. The price was too high compared to similar houses in the same location.
4. The market conditions were poor, and it was a buyer’s market
5. The house was in a higher price range.
6. There was an economic recession in the area.

After the house was taken off the market, repaired, properly staged, new photos taken and the price was lowered to meet prices more in line with the location, the house sold within a few months.

Need Help Getting Your House Ready for Market?

Why not get things right before you list and save yourself time, money and stress. Get a home staging consultation to learn everything you need to know and the you can stage it yourself or have it professionally staged.

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Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

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Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Interested in becoming a home stager? I recommend the Staging Diva Home Staging Training program!

Can home staging help me sell my listing faster and for more money?

Various reports publish statistics on the benefits and value of home staging. A 2017 report by the National Association of Realtors states that at least 50% of Realtors think staging increases the dollar amount buyers will offer to pay by between 1 and 10%. Also, homes that are staged first before listing spend 90% less time on the market. See the summary of some of the 2017 findings from the National Association of Realtors.

What should I tell a client that wants to list first and stage later if their home does not sell?

The same thing you tell a client who wants to “test” the market with an unrealistic listing price, to inevitably reduce the price later. The longer a home is on the market, the less desirable it is. Just like food, a listing becomes stale in a very short time. You can also add that the Real Estate Staging Association Home Staging National Statistics Report found that homes that were staged first before listing, rather than after listing, spent 90% less time on the market. See the article, the “Big Bang Theory of Home Staging”.

Why should I invest in home staging in a seller’s market?

Home staging works in every type of market. Even in a seller’s market, there will always be listings that do not sell quickly. Staged homes generate more interest on the web and in person, by creating move-in ready homes that feel fresh, spacious, and up-to-date. All these conditions lead to higher offers, potential bidding wars, and greater profits for you and your clients.

Can home staging get me more listings?

YES! Would you like to tip the scales in your favor when competing for a listing? Want to know what top producing real estate agents do? Offer your sellers an affordable home staging consultation. Position yourself as a forward thinking agent that:

• Gives extra value.
• Goes the extra mile.
• Is a savvy marketer.
• Is known for having the best listings.

What should I look for when selecting a home stager?

Even though there is no legal licensing or training requirement to become a home stager, do your homework and look for a professional with training, experience, and good reviews.

An accomplished stager will have both training and proven natural talent to get you great results. See the article on tips to hiring a great stager.

For more information on the value, time, cost  and process of home staging, get your free report,  FAQs for Realtors on Home Staging.

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Resources

An Inconvenient Truth about Selling your Home.

Answers to questions commonly asked by real estate agents considering
Home Staging for their clients

Helpful Tips on Finding a Great Home Stager

Home Staging Consultation: Should Realtors Attend?

Home Staging Proof: Solid Science Proves Staged Homes Sell Faster.

National Association of Realtors 2015 Profile of Home Staging

National Association of Realtors 2017 Profile of Home Staging

Consumers Guide to Real Estate Staging

Six Tips to Maximize Your Home Staging Consultation Dollar

Summary of 2017 Home Staging Statistics

What is the Cheapest Way to Successfully Stage Your House? Get a Home Staging Consultation.

Who Pays for Home Staging

Why Hire a Professional Home Stager?

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A PICTURE’S WORTH A MILLION WORDS…& HOME BUYERS LOVE IT!

There’s a lot of hype these days about the value of Social Media in promoting an event, an idea and; how about this – a home sale! And why not; social media reaches a larger and younger audience of home buyers.  Its smart selling!

If you are planning on selling a home, you are smart to use social media to capture the attention of potential home buyers. Include social media in your marketing arsenal for a faster home sale. And for sellers who will use the For-Sale-By-Owner strategy; social media is a must.

If social media is not your thing, find someone who is skilled in using Facebook. As the seller, you can provide the other key elements of packaging your home sale and see that it is part of your social media marketing. Doing this will positively shape home buyer perceptions and emotions; those psychological triggers that prompt buyers to make you on offer on their future home!

MARKETING TOOLS FOR HOME SELLERS

• Professional home staging by an expert home stager with real estate knowledge
• Professional photos of the inside and outside of a property for use on the Internet, in social media & on marketing flyers
• A real estate “listing” (agent’s advertisement) which accurately describes the home’s features
• A “Facebook Page” that home sellers can capitalize on to do the following;
• Capture the “essence” of your home through photos, video and messages
• Promote your home sale through Face Book “Ads” so a larger audience is aware of your sale. Target your home buyers using location, age, income, demographics, and more.
• Send “invitations” or advertise your home sale “events,” such as an Open House
• Create and post videos or virtual tours of the interior and exterior of your home that highlights property features. A video helps make the home come alive for home buyers.

Facebook Pages, ads & videos offer powerful marketing photos, messages and information to home buyers that they won’t see in a typical real estate agent property listing (the Multiple Listing Service, or the MLS).

Together, these additional photos, videos and messages can portray the “essence” of what makes your property stand out from other properties (your competitors) with authentic marketing highlighting the best your house has to offer….something you as the owner know more about than anyone else!

Use links to these Facebook Pages, Ads, Events and videos in real estate listings, For-Sale-By-Owner websites, yard signs & flyers, marketing brochures, online Pay-Per-Click ads (PPC), newspaper ads and emails. Link them to other social media sites such as Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus to expand your advertising even more.

Call 907-362-0065 to launch your home sale with my social media tools and services. I can create a great Facebook page and video that captures the ‘essence” of your home for sale and do social media marketing of your page. Combine this with my home staging services and you will have a winning combination to sell your home fast and for more!

 

Purchase an Online Home Staging Service

Click on the pictures below to learn more or purchase a service. Feel free if you have questions and would like to discuss what would be best for you.

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