Nashville Tennessee Living

Selling your house in Nashville TN - When do you hire a stager?

When it's time to sell your house there is a list of things that need to be done. I'm a professional Realtor and have put together a very complete list. I can walk through your house and point out the many odds and ends of things that you can do to make it show better. Read Selling your Home in Nashville TN.

But, at what point do we need to bring in the big guns?? Hire a Stager???

This weekend I had the opportunity to have a stager come to my listing. She had recently gotten her Real Estate License and was going to do an open house for me. I gave her a mini lesson on how to do an open house and then she and I went to look at the competition for this home.

 

 

 

This exercise would give her the opportunity to be knowledgeable about the area and what other homes were available. It also gave me the opportunity to see how we were positioned in the market. We had already dropped the price several times and the showings still were not coming.

 

 

 

 

 

When we got to my listing she was very pleased with how it was positioned price wise, but said that the pictures just didn't do it justice. We agreed to return on Saturday morning to "work on it".

 

 

 

 

 

And work we did, she moved things eliminated things and what a difference it made!I've scattered the before and after pictures throughout the post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you starting to see the improvements she made? The homeowner was thrilled  - Though they couldn't find several things. LOL

 

 

 It's truly the little things that really make a difference.

 

Selling your home in Nashville TN - A little Preparation in advance may save weeks of frustration!

When preparing your home for sale you need to start somewhere. I suggest you start outside. Go out to the street and walk up and down looking at the front and sides of the house. What kind of curb appeal do you have. Many homes are sold by people driving by and calling the number on the sign.

Does the exterior inspire a phone call? Do the trees need trimming? If not, start with mulch. Lots of fresh mulch and trim the landscaping. Depending on the time of year, you may need to rake leaves, or just plant seasonal flowers.

Plant a nice pot of in-season flowers for the front porch.While on the front porch give it a good look over does it need to be hosed down?

Then head inside for the real work.

Selling your home is serious business. You only get one chance to make the first impression so you want to make sure the home is ready when you put the sign in the yard.

1. Declutter - go room by room and eliminate the piles. You know, the magazines you're going to read someday? If you can't bear to part with them, put them in a box and get them out of sight.

2. Clean, clean, clean - Get your duster out and start at the highest point in the house. Look up and work from the ceiling down. Dust bunnies in the corner of the ceiling must be gone. Wash the glass in the light fixtures and that means the clear bulbs too. Sparkling glass speaks loudly of a well cared for home.

3. Check the caulk in the bathrooms, kitchen and anywhere you have it. Caulk is cheap and can really make an area pop. This goes for the outside around windows and doors too.

4. Paint. Like caulk, paint is relatively inexpensive and can really change the look of a home or just a room.

5. Kitchen - this is one of the most important rooms of the house. You live here, and we understand that, but the Buyer needs to see themselves here. You want to show as much counter space as humanly possible. Put away all the things that you don't use on a daily basis.

6. Master Suite - The other most important area of the house.

     Part A - Bedroom and closet. You want to show that there is plenty of space. If you can barely walk around the furniture, you might need to eliminate a piece. If your clothing is fighting itself for space, you need to thin it out. You're not wearing all those things so box them up and get them out of the closet.

     Part B - Master Bath. This is where it gets tough. This is your most private place and you need it to look like no one lives here. Get a couple of baskets that can fit underneath the counters. ALL personal items need to fit into these baskets and fit under the sink. Pull them out as you need them and return them to their hiding places.

7. Windows. It would be nice if you had the windows clean. People buy space and light. If the windows are clean, you won't mind pulling those blinds all the way up letting in all the natural light!

Remember, you're Selling Your Home and you want it as close to perfect as possible. After you think the inside is ready, we'll do a walk through and see what else might need to be done.

What if it just isn't enough? Maybe we need to consider consulting a Stager.