Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Home Staging - It's All About Packaging That Product to Sell

Home Staging is all about Presentation and Marketing.

Sellers that understand this are going to be able to benefit from the process of preparing their house for sale.

First, when Selling, it is important to understand that the Home you have been living in is now a House that is coming on the market - and it going to be marketed like a Product - and this Product will be competing against other Products on the market. Much like you go to a grocery store to purchase items, you would not likely grab the crushed box of cereal or the one with a torn edge or label. You would select the one that looks the best. Product Packaging.

We live in our Home, we Sell our House, and we Market the Product.

I first learned this concept under the mentorship of Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging, who incorporated Staging long before it was the "hot trend."

That mental transition has to take place in order for us to truly be able to move out of our home - and present the house for a new Buyer.

The process of Staging involves neutralizing the house - but this does not mean making everything plain and of one color like oatmeal. It DOES mean we need to remove things that are too personal, potentially offensive, or distracting for Buyers. It also means we need to think like a BUYER and ask ourselves, "Would I want to see this in a house I was touring as a Buyer?"

What I have found in my years as a professional ASP Home Stager is that when a Seller resists Staging their house - even in a small part - it is because they either do not understand WHY they need to follow the process, or they are not motivated to sell. My job as their Stager is to help them understand the reasons why we do what we do in Staging - and to help them along the way.

When a House is Staged properly, it can be Marketed right, and Buyers will be able to make an emotional connection to the house - and feel like it could be their HOME. So we go full circle.

Buyers are looking at Products on the internet and screening them out. They tour Houses to see which one is right for them. And they make an offer on a HOME they want.

When that happens, we know the Staging has worked, the Seller is happy, and the Buyer is Home.

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