on Mar 15th, 2010Home Staging a Necessity in Indianapolis Real Estate Market
As the weather heats up (please, oh please), so too (again, please!) should the Indianapolis real estate market. Sellers will face serious competition, which is why serious sellers should pay close attention to…
Setting the stage. Sellers who take advantage of professional Indianapolis home staging services can expect to have more showings and a higher list-to-sell percentage than those who elect to do without staging. Staging doesn’t have to be super expensive. According to a Keller Williams Realty study, the average cost of home staging including the stager’s fee and any items rented or purchased is less than $600. That’s a minimal price to pay if it means your home will beat out the competition and attract the interest of buyers.
If you simply can’t pay a professional, don’t panic. You can reap the benefits of home staging yourself by heeding the following:
Keep it clean—Nothing turns away buyers more quickly than dust and grime. Give your home a deep cleaning BEFORE you put it on the market, and then maintain the spotlessness with routine cleanings as often as needed until it sells. A pain? Absolutely, but no one said it would be easy. If cleaning isn’t your thing, consider hiring a professional to do the dirty work!
Keep it neutral – Chili Pepper Red may be the latest and greatest in color trends, but it doesn’t appeal to everyone. And when you’re selling a home, you want to attract as varied an audience as possible. Terrific Taupe may sound like dullsville to you, but neutral colors help buyers envision their own belongings in a home and make them think there is less work to be done when they move in! Check out potterybarn.com for popular paint colors that everyone will love!
Keep it appealing – Statistics show that buyers make up their mind about a home within the first few minutes. That means every second counts, including the time it takes buyers to get from the curb to the front door. Weeds and sloppy landscaping (or no landscaping at all) do not a good first impression make. Cultivate curb appeal by mowing the lawn, edging the walkway, trimming the bushes, sweeping the porch, setting out flower pots and doing anything else you can think of to create a welcoming entry! Visit HGTV.com for tips on curb appeal!
Keep it simple—Never is less more than when your house is on the market. Buyers don’t want to know how many pieces of furniture you can artfully wedge into one room. They want an unobstructed view of exactly how much space is in that room. Of course, we all have belongings that are too precious to part with. That’s what storage units are for!
Keep it up—Does that dripping faucet you’ve learned to live with annoy you? Rest assured, buyers will be doubly annoyed. Putting off minor repairs will only cost you in the end when buyers demand that they be fixed prior to the purchase. And in some cases, those repairs may deter buyers from making an offer to begin with. After all, if you haven’t taken the time to address the small things, what larger repairs might be lurking? If you’re not sure exactly what needs to be done, consider having a home inspection BEFORE you put your house on the market. That way there are no surprises when the right buyer comes along.
Keep the price right –According to statistics provided by Keller Williams Realty, sellers who list their home at the price originally suggested by their real estate agent sell the property 38 percent faster, for 2.25 percent more and with one less price reduction than sellers who don’t follow their agent’s recommendation. There’s no point wasting your time trying to guess what’s behind door #3! Before deciding on a list price for your home, ask your agent for a comparative market analysis (CMA), which will give you information about comparable homes for sale in your area. Get a CMA!