When a buyer comes to view your property for sale, you will want them to be moved emotionally to the point where they decide, “Yes, I want to buy this house.” Whether you want to admit it or not, properly staging your home can play a subconscious role in a buyer’s mind to give them the ammunition they need in order to pull the trigger and make an offer.
Good home staging accentuates the home’s positive attributes and minimizes any negatives to increase the chances of an offer from visiting buyers. AND, a well staged home will net you, on average, 1% more at closing.
Watch the following video to better understand why you should consider allowing The Connie Carlson team of professional’s stage your home. Then READ ON to find out how a buyer will experience your home when they come to visit.
A good way to keep you on track with home staging is to remember to cater to all five senses:
Make it easy on the eyes. (sight)
Clear out all of the clutter, give the place a good scrub, remove any evidence of ownership (family photos, heirlooms, etc), and open all of the blinds to allow the natural light to filter in. The idea is to provide a fresh clean slate so that the buyers can see the home’s potential and imagine the place after they move in with their belongings.
What’s that sound? (hearing)
Have you ever taken a moment to sit and listen to the sounds of your home? People want to be able to relax inside their home to escape the hustle and bustle of the world, so make sure they are soothed the moment they set foot inside. Click off the television in exchange for a radio playing soft jazz or classical music. Have a water fountain? Turn it on. Not only will this drown out any traffic noise, but provide a calming effect.
Something smells great! (smell)
Be careful when tending to the sense of smell as you will never know what potential buyers are allergic to. Turn off automatic air fresheners, avoid spraying anything to the air, and stay away from candles. Instead, try the natural route and open all of the windows to allow the house to air out. If you want to bring in some flowers, be sure to do a little homework and look into what flowers are least likely to bother buyers with allergies.
Don’t leave a bitter taste in the buyer’s mouth. (taste)
Who doesn’t enjoy a nice snack? Place a bowl of candy or tray of juice out in the open with a little note for buyers to help themselves. It will be a nice treat as they bask in all of your home staging efforts. For those who want to go all out, consider catering in finger foods. You can kill two birds with one stone by hitting the sense of taste and smell at the same time by baking a fresh batch of cookies or whipping up a pot of coffee. Just be sure to lay out some cups, cream, and sugar for the buyers to help themselves.
What a nice feeling. (touch)
At the very least, buyers will be opening and closing doors and touching counter-tops, so be sure that the place is cleaned from top to bottom. You will also want to make sure that the house is at a decent temperature; if it’s a hot day consider turning on the a/c or placing some fans. Snowing outside? Turn the heater on and set it at a reasonable temperature.
By paying close attention to the five senses in your home staging endeavors, potential buyers are likely to have a positive experience visiting your home. It is important that a potential buyer feels comfortable when viewing the property; they may want to come back on a more permanent basis. Remember that your home will not get a second chance to make a good impression. Be sure to make it last by printing out some four-color flyers with several photos and home details the buyers can take with them when they leave.
Of course, every grand performer (in this case, your home) loves a review. To make sure that your home is appealing to buyers, The Connie Carlson team will call every agent that shows your home to get feedback. We will also send three emails if we don’t get a response. If there is something scaring off buyers you’ll need to know so adjustments can be made.
