REMAGINATION Property Staging
by Donia Trethewey-Brown_Certified Staging Professional
It wasn’t until my husband and I decided to immigrate to Australia that I became acutely aware of how much investment is actually tied up in one’s property. With minimal savings I turned to the only financial creative solution at the time – how best could we prepare and present our 2 BED property in order to gain maximum equity.
Not only did it sell very quickly but we also made a significant profit. It was at this point that I understood that staging a property to sell was all that it was cracked up to be as documented through the various TV lifestyle channels.
Hence the birth of my company REMAGINATION Property Staging where my role as a Certified Staging Professional™ is to recommend changes that will help prepare & present properties for sale. I work with homeowners and Real Estate Agents who are determined to secure the maximum equity in the shortest amount of time.
BUYERS KNOW WHAT THEY SEE, NOT THE WAY IT WILL BE
There is nothing more personal than the space in which we live and breathe. We will have adapted it to our personal tastes. When it comes to selling this space (as is) it can present many challenges for the buyer to overcome.
Sellers often expect buyers to love what they have become comfortable living in and surrounded by. In particular it is extremely short-sighted of a seller to turn a blind eye to the wears and tears within the property, because the buyer won’t.
Buyers are time deficient and need an immediate emotional connection to a property to meet their needs and lifestyle. They have a tough time as it is when inspecting properties, to see through your family living space and imagine it as theirs.
It is also short-sighted of a seller to assume that “their presence” (in whatever form) will certainly help sell the property. We are not selling our lifestyle, our furniture, our collection of art of collectables - as beautiful or interesting as they may be.
We are selling space and part of my role as a property stager is to help homeowners identify with what is being sold and what isn’t. Once that has been established we then work together in order to set the scene.
Professionally staging a property can easily demonstrate to the potential buyer how their belongings will suit that space and how the purchase of that property will go hand in hand with their needs and lifestyle.
Having created an immediate emotional connection by getting the property “buyer ready”, we will also get the buyer to value the space they are purchasing.
WHEN IS YOUR HOME NO LONGER YOUR HOME?
The moment you decide to sell it.
It is so important that anyone deciding to sell their property understand that it is no longer their home but a marketing commodity of which property staging is a tool to support just that.
Understanding this concept will help the homeowner detach themselves emotionally from the space they are selling. It will also assist them in viewing any improvements recommended (in order to bring the property up to optimum viewing condition) as nothing more than beneficial to all parties concerned.
ALL FLUFF AND NO ACTION
When I tell people that I am a property stager I often hear in response “oh so you fluff the cushions and put some pretty flowers on the kitchen table”. My response is always … Staging is not decorating but the physical preparation of a property pre-sale that will give your property the competitive edge and showcase the space being sold in the best possible light.
In today’s competitive market we often forget about the competition and view our property for sale in isolation. Staging your property for sale will give you the edge over other properties for sale in your area and within a similar price point.
THE LONGER A PROPERTY SITS ON THE MARKET, THE LESS IT SELLS FOR
Let me ask you this. Would you turn up for a job interview or a client meeting in a stained t-shirt and worn out trackie-dacks? Most probably not and for the simple reason that first impressions count.
Drawing up a must-see list of potential properties to view is a process buyers go through when looking to purchase a property. Editing what not to see is also part of this process. Your marketed property (through whatever medium pitched) has only a few seconds to grab buyer’s attention and convert them into believing that your property must be part of the “must-see” list.
On a more personal note (and as a client of John Hopkins Group), we are currently experiencing this first hand. We have recently purchased our very first investment property and the above paragraph was so prevalent during our editing process.
THE FACTS
Staging your property to sell will get your property on the must-see list and generate immediate buyer interest.
More interest equals more demand. More demand equals more offers; more offers on a space that is valued.
The Real Estate Staging Association stated that¹:
- In 2008 a study demonstrated that occupied homes that were previously on the market for an average of 57 days as un-staged properties, had not sold.
- Those same properties were taken off the market, staged and re-listed.
- All the properties (now staged) sold on average after 6 days on market which is 89% less time on market.
So, if you are thinking of selling and want to secure maximum equity in the shortest amount of time then why not call in an expert?
Donia Trethewey-Brown is a client of the John Hopkins Group. For more information, contact Donia at REMAGINATION Property Staging
¹ Real Estate Staging Association of North America (RESA) staging statistic report March 2009