Effective Home Staging Tip Series #3: How to Create Your Plan of Attack During the Pre-Staging Process
Now that you know what really sells a house, let's talk about How to Create Your Plan of Attack During the Pre-Staging process. I can't begin to stress the importance of having a game plan. I see sellers and real estate professionals either waste money and time or leave thousands of dollars behind by not having their act together in this arena.These are the things to do that, in general, I find most important:1) Having a clear schedule2) An objective and thorough assessment of your property Let's elaborate a little...1) Having a clear schedule - If you are going to have a successful home sale, you must have a clearly defined schedule of all the activities that need to take place prior to your home actually being on the market. Start with the target market date and work backwards to fill in dates when significant activities need to be completed. This exercise will save you the stress and reduce the overwhelm that would otherwise be inevitable.The goal is to fit the "necessary" tasks in to properly prepare your home for sale. DO NOT skip this crucial step, you will live to regret it.Here's a sample list of things to calendar:
- date of first open house
- date of broker's tour
- date of virtual tour
- date of professional photo shoot
- date of home inspection
- date of scheduled cleanings, i.e. house, window, carpet, etc.
- date of scheduled repairs or renovation work
In my self-guided program, "The Do It Yourself Home Buyer Attraction System," I will provide you with an outline of what a typical Staging timeline is so that you schedule activities accordingly.There were many times that I received calls requesting my staging services and when asked when they were planning on putting the house on the market, the answer was "this weekend" or "next weekend" or "as soon as possible". With further qualification, the inquiring party realized that the timeframe was not realistic to accomplish everything they had in mind or was later shown was needed.2) An objective assessment of your property - get a notepad and walk around the perimeter of your home and jot down anything that you see that needs to repaired, changed or replaced. Better yet, to assess your curb appeal, stand across the street and see it from that perspective. Walk through the entire property, room-by-room and do the same. If you don't see anything wrong, enlist the help of an objective friend who will tell you like it is, not just what you want to hear. Really evaluate the condition of everything from the carpet, walls, lighting, even the scent of the home. Decide if you need help eliminating any food or pet odors. Make notes about all the deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed now.Remember, buyers are particularly choosey in today's market. They need turnkey, not a fixer upper. Anything that needs work, however minor, conjures up dollar signs in the buyer's minds. Don't give them any ammunition against you. Squash any concerns before they arise.In my self-guided program, "The Do It Yourself Home Buyer Attraction System," I include my indepth Pre-Sale Assessment form. This form is an expanded version of everything I looked for and pointed out during my one-on-one custom staging consultations with clients. I guarantee there will be things on the form that you are well aware of and many others that you haven't even thought of. This pre-staging process will be the foundation for your home selling success.Stay tuned for #4 in our Effective Home Staging Tips series where you will learn what upgrades are expected in your neighborhood and price range.INVITATION: Visit us at http://HomeBuyerAttractionSystem.com and get on our VIP Priority Notification List to receive updates about the Do-It-Yourself Home Buyer Attraction System and receive behind-the-scenes information to help you get your house SOLD!
