Editorial
Front Page - Monday, January 04, 2010
Using decorative staging to attract buyers and increase appeal
Ethan C. Nobles
Special to the Daily Record ecnobles@att.net
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), some of the most important steps a homeowner can take when putting his home on the market are cleaning and decluttering.
Cleaning and decluttering fall under the general heading of “staging.” The NAR, quoting staging expert Barb Schwartz of StagedHomes.com, said staged homes sell about 50 percent quicker and for about 7 percent more than nonstaged homes. Those are national figures and may or may not apply to Arkansas, but Danielle Newton of Stage Coaches Inc. in Cabot said she has some research showing that staging does bring results – a definite plus in current markets where sellers are looking to add that little extra something to attract buyers.
The job of a stager, Newton said, is to assist real estate agents with their new and current listings by preparing homes convey the best first impressions possible. Stagers, simply put, come into a home and add those “little touches” that make it as appealing to potential buyers. She said research shows potential home buyers form their decision to buy – or not – within the first three minutes of entering a home.
First impressions, in other words, count for a lot. In a market where sellers are being pressured to drop their listing prices, Newton said staging can help a homeowner sell his or her home for at least close to the asking price. In booming markets, a seller may get a bit more than the asking price if an appealing home attracts a number of potential buyers.
She said stagers don’t work for free, but sellers have discovered that paying a stager costs less than competing for buyers by dropping list prices.
Newton has a few staging tips for sellers looking to increase the appeal of their homes:
• Have a freshly painted front door
• A well cared for front and backyard lets the buyer know that you take care of the property
• Box up all personal photos.The prospective home buyer needs to be able to visualize living in the home and depersonalizing it helps make that possible.
• Wipe down and clean all cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms as well as baseboards. The house should be very clean. This gives the house a newer, maintained look
• Clean shower doors-you can use one part muriatic acid and about 10 parts water. Scrub with steel wool.
• Clean out closets and have the hangers all facing the same way, as well as organizing clothing items together. Such as, hang all pants together, all blouses together, all skirts together. Use containers for shoes and other miscellaneous items to declutter.
• Neutralize the paint colors throughout the house. Paint is one of the cheapest ways to give an updated look to your home. Have the bedroom paint colors gender neutral and in the master bedroom have gender neutral bedding and decor to match. This will help the room to appeal to both sexes.
• Update any brass or outdated hardware throughout the house by simply purchasing a can of spray paint made for metal and using it as necessary.
• Take down any outdated curtains, and purchase new ones. Make sure to include them when you sell the house. If the room does not have enough natural light coming through the windows, it is best to just have blinds or shades without decorative window treatments.
• If you don’t already have them, purchase new decorative towels to hang in the bathrooms.
To visit Newton's company on the Internet, point your browser to StageCoaches Cabot.com.
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