It’s no secret staging has become synonymous with selling a home. A staged home can boost perceived value by as much as 10 percent, according to listing agents surveyed in the National Association of REALTORS® 2015 Profile of Home Staging. Staging is so effective, in fact, it may influence a buyer to bid above asking price.
It can be challenging keep up appearances once staging is complete, but when your home is for sale, it’s important to be prepared for a parade of discerning buyers.
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Here are five telling signs that now just might be the
 time to finally put your home on the market.1. You’ve outgrown your space – really. This is usually the number-one reason that gets me thinking about moving up to a bigger home. I get anxious trying to find sleep spaces for overnight guests or frustrated by my overcrowded closet. But truly needing more space is about more than that. Do you have kids outgrowing shared bedrooms? An in-law moving in? A new virtual work opportunity that requires a home office? These are the life events that really necessitate a bigger home – not the inability to curb one’s shoe-buying habit. (But if the shoe fits… haha!) |
Retirement goals have shifted for many since the recession,  with one major asset hanging in the balance – housing. Though some boomers plan to “age in place” in their current homes, more than half will look to downsize, either by purchasing a smaller home or purchasing a home of equal size with reduced expenses, according to the Demand Institute’s recent Housing & Community Survey. |
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A little color adds a lot of punch! Create a feature wall with a contrasting or complementary color. A nook, a window bay, or the wall behind your headboard are all great candidates for feature walls. Inspired by the vibrant colors of a favorite photo? Use ColorSnap® and ColorSnap Studio® to capture those colors and match them to any of Sherwin-Williams’ 1,500 paint colors. Or, virtually paint your rooms with Color Visualizer or ColorSnap Studio®. |
| So it’s time to Sell Your Past. You’ve decided to sell your home and embark on a new adventure. Well, the timing couldn’t be more perfect with interest rates below 4%, new loan programs allowing lower down payments and more credit flexibility, and correctly-priced inventory at extremely low levels. Unfortunately, potential buyers don’t care about how long you have obsessed over choosing the perfect bathroom tiles or the “one-of-a-kind” built-in bookcase. To the buyer, those items have no bearing on the value of the home, even if you think they should. When it’s time to sell, you have to price your home right, using tangible factors. |
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Remember one of the top staging guidelines as your stage your home: How you live in your home is different from how you sell your home. Many of us have more accessories and wall art than we need when staging. These are great for when we are living in the space because they show our personality and tell the story of us, the people who live in the home. When selling, we want to do almost the opposite. When we think of the process as a series of steps, we can approach this task with a positive attitude and minimal stress. Click here for some great ideas for preparing your home to sell or for sprucing up for your own enjoyment. |
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