It's a big decision to sell your home, and that's not even the hard part...next come the preparations! Finding a good realtor is a crucial piece of your success, but don't forget a good photographer and a good stager. In fact, most great realtors have photogs and stagers on their speed dial, and some even include it for free to all of their clients!
"But why do I need a stager if I'm living in the house while we sell it? It won't be empty." We know, but even so, consulting with a stager is so helpful. It's their job to make sure 100 people are arm wrestling to buy your house instead of one measly couple throwing you a low-ball offer. As if that's not enough, staging also gives the photos a massive boost, and these days photos determine who even shows up to see the house in person!
We have done hundreds of staging consultations here at The Layered Home, and in so doing we have come across many folks who didn't even know that was a thing. So let us walk you through what a staging consultation might look like, because we all know that the way you live in your house and the way you show it are two different things!
A good home consultation begins before you even open the front door. We inspect the condition of your mailbox, the driveway, the gutters/siding/front porch area; and, once we have worried the neighbors enough from poking around your windows to see if there is any wood rot around the trim, we finally ring the doorbell. Once inside, we walk room-by-room through your house to make sure furniture is placed in the best layout; suggest possible updated paint colors or carpet selections; walk you through preparations for photo day and showings, and the difference between the two events; and identify needed repairs that you may not think about or remember. After that, we walk to the rear outdoor spaces together to make sure the outside looks as good as the inside. Need a good recommendation for a handyman to pressure wash the siding? Yep, we can give you those, too! And finally, (and possibly the best part?) we email you with a room-by-room document created just for you so that you don't have to worry about remembering anything we talked about. Between us: that's something not every stager offers, so make sure to ask your stager at the start whether that is something they provide, or if you should plan on taking your own notes!
Preparing to list your home for sale is a big job but with a good team behind you, the experience can be a positive one! The market is ripe for selling, so carpe diem and all that jazz! And just because we love you, here are some freebies as we go:
-Make sure every light bulb is working (and bright!)
-Select 2-3 items to sit on kitchen counters, side tables, dressers, etc
-Give the carpet a professional cleaning even if it's in great shape
-Inspect your gutters/siding/door trim on the exterior
-Remove pets for showing days and hide their accessories
-Have a friend come over to do a "smell test." Funky smells= bad news
-Make sure the front door has a bright wreath, fresh pots of flowers, and a "welcome" mat
-Lock up your prescription meds and valuables
-Remove all personal photos and documents like diplomas, etc.
-Less is always better...less furniture/less chotchkies/less clutter
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And if you want some help, call us. Because you've got this and we've got you.