This is the third post in the series “Real Estate Property Marketing Plan To Sell Your Oklahoma City Home”
From our comprehensive marketing plan:
2. Setting the stage for staging. We will go though your home with a fine-tooth comb, often taking many photos. We will make lists of repairs, touch-ups and staging suggestions. We operate our personal home as a model home daily, so we do understand this. We also have referrals for professional property stagers available, if desired.
In order to begin marketing your home it must be ‘show-ready’. If it’s not currently show ready, then the time it takes to get it ready is well worth it. You don’t need to rush to get your home on the market, because if it’s not ready then it will only hurt you in the long run. I don’t put a property on the market until it has been photographed and I don’t photograph until the home looks good and is ready to show.
We are there to help you with this step. We will take a hard look throughout the home to find any repairs that might need to be made, touch-ups and so forth. We also look for staging suggestions we can offer. The closer you can make your home look like a builder’s model home, the better. This generally means getting rid of clutter and personal items. Less is more.
An important area not to overlook is your home’s curb appeal. The yard and flower beds need to be manicured. Then entry needs to be clean and the front door repainted if necessary. It’s not too unusual for me, when working with buyers, to pull up in front of a home and have them tell me to go on, they’re not interested. That’s the importance of curb appeal.
Inside, de-cluttering and de-personalizing go a long ways. Cluttered home make the home look too small and is distracting. Minimizing personal items allows potential buyers to picture themselves living in the home. In the case of empty homes, some minor staging by a professional can really improve the looks. We do offer referrals for professional property stagers.
From Tammy Ryan on the Paradigm AdvantEdge blog:
You don’t have to spend a fortune “staging” your house to go on the market. Here are some of my common tips:
*DECLUTTER: Corral the toys out of site, clear the counter tops, take down the magnets & pictures from the refrigerator. Clean those closets. Store excessive furniture. You want to show off your space.
*CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN: Closets, cabinets, counters, bathrooms, tiles, and floors. Make it “Mr. Clean” clean. If people smell or see something dirty they will start critiquing everything more. Paint if needed, make it neutral. New paint gives houses a fresh, clean feel.
*PACK UP YOUR COLLECTIBLES: Remove collectibles, photos, memorabilia. You want people to look at the house, not your personal stuff.
*SET THE STAGE FOR YOUR DINING AND LIVING AREA: Set your dining table as though you are expecting dinner guests. Place your living area furniture around a focal point…like a fireplace. Make sure the furniture placement makes sense.
*FLUFF THE BEDROOMS: Replace tired bedding and pillows with fresh, crisp neutral color bedding. You want the bedroom to feel like an upscale hotel room.
*GARAGE: Don’t forget to declutter and clean the garage. Make sure there is space for a buyer to see you can actually pull a car into there.
*CURB APPEAL: Keep the lawn mowed and the landscape manicured. Hide your trash cans. Add flowers. You want it to be neat and welcoming.
Photo credit: Flickr/Real Estaging
Series Index
Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Pricing
Part 3 – Staging
Part 4 – Pre-inspection
Part 5 – Repair/Paint/Clean
Part 6 – Photography
Part 7 – Room Dimensions
Part 8 – Neighborhood Photos
Part 9 – Video
Part 10 – Single-Property Website
Part 11 – MLS
Part 12 – Listing Syndication
Part 13 – Virtual Tour
Part 14 – Property Flyers
Part 15 – Sign & Lockbox
Part 16 – Online Classifieds
Part 17 – Property Blog Post
Part 18 – Featured Listing Websites
Part 19 – YouTube
Part 20 – Trulia Pro
Part 21 – Facebook
Part 22 – Twitter
Part 23 – Open House
Part 24 – Direct Mail
Part 25 – Market Update
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