This should be required reading for sellers who may be unmotivated to do whatever is necessary in today's challenging market. Thanks to Sharon Tara for stating it so clearly! Find a professional home stager for top tips on preparing your property for sale.
Selling a house is a stressful process. Preparing a house for sale is a lot of work. Living in a house for sale can be very inconvenient. You may have to rearrange the furniture or even worse, move your favorite recliner to storage.
If you are going to sell your house, here's the first question you need to answer:
What's more important to you - that you be comfortable in your favorite chair or that you sell quickly without having to reduce the price?
I find it quite amusing when sellers take a firm stand, arms crossed, a look of defiance on their face, and refuse to remove the giant TV from the master bedroom because they just can't give up watching TV from their bed. Or, they refuse to move the monster bag of dog food from the kitchen to the garage, because it would be too inconvenient to store it out there.
I actually had a seller look me in the eye and say it would be "disturbing to their routine" to have to remove their personal products from the shower on a daily basis.
If you believe that it's your right to live in your house comfortably and that buyers will just have to see past your stuff, and you have made up your mind that you will give this "staging thing" a try, but only for one month and then you are going back to living "normal" then this message is for you:
It doesn't matter to me how long your house sits on the market. I'm not making the mortgage payment or paying the taxes. I get paid for my consultation and get the same amount regardless if you sell tomorrow or a year from now.
I am here for one reason only, to tell you how you can make your house more appealing to buyers, which will help you sell faster and increase your odds of making more money. You can follow my advice or choose not to.
We are on the same team. We both want the same end result.
I'm not the one who is going to lose or gain depending on the outcome, you are!
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Hi Maureen,
Yes, people can be stubborn. I was once told "once you put your house on the market, it's not yours anymore." That kind of hit home. It's really a great time to start packing for your move and get rid of the clutter. People who don't want to do this aren't motivated.
Excellent points! Not sure why some sellers still think that staging isn't relevant!
Some sellers want staging . . . but they don't want anything to change.
M: I wish I saw this about... say........ 4 years ago. WE have all come across this listing. Oh.. if I could produce a thought bubble at many of these appointments. I am more than happy to take their money...
Marcy -- you're so right. Either you want to sell -- or not really! Wouldn't it be great if all your clients were motivated?
Sea to Sky ~ I met a client today who doesn't think staging can help sell her home. Her agent paid for a consultation but she was very resistant. Her house is much too overcrowded with dated furnishings and literally hundreds (if not thousands) of family photos on every surface. Oh well!
Wendy ~ Change will help get them to their new home faster!
Todd ~ Yes, it happens more often when the realtor hires the stager for the consultation, doesn't it? As nice as we are and as gently as we deliver the "news" -- sellers can be resistant to whatever we say. Such a shame!
It's an emotional thing. Once the seller crosses over into the idea that "the house has to sell," then they will usually get on board. I guess it is human nature to want it both ways.
Thanks so much for the reblog, I appreciate it!
Preach it Sister Maureen! Selling may be a bit uncomfortable for a little while, but languishing on the market is uncomfortable for a long time! Thanks for this post.
Maureen: Thanks for reblogging this for all of us. The last two occupied stagings I did were just like this. One would NOT move his huge TV that was BLOCKING the door to the deck (because there was another door to the deck in the kitchen) and the other would NOT move one nightstand and a chest out of their very small master bedroom "because it would be too inconvenient".
It would probably be too unprofessional to send this to all of my occupied clients BEFORE I meet with them huh? (smile)
Debra -- LOL we all have a few stories like that, don't we (unfortunately!!) I LOVE your idea of sending this to sellers first! But I doubt they would take it the right way :-)
Hi Maureen - I'm finally getting back in the groove here of blogging and commenting. This was a good article. We can all relate. I am so fortunate that my occupied home clients have generally been pretty positive and cooperative. I have yet to encounter the firmly crossed arms ...LOL ... but I'm sure that just means I haven't done enough occupieds yet.
Hi Pangaea -- yes I've just recently experienced the crossed arms and other resistance from a client but for the most part my clients are motivated to do whatever is necessary to get their home SOLD! It can be quite difficult especially for elderly sellers who have a lot of memories and emotions tied up in the home. Until they can let that go, they just won't be able to move on.