A nicely staged living room
To Stage a House or Not…That is the Question…and the answer might not be what you think. It may depend on your situation. How much do you owe on the house? What can you expect to get out of it, and what does your realtor think about pricing your home.
I’ve staged many houses in the lower price ranges, and most have sold very quickly – usually in 4 weeks or less. But, some have not sold for one reason or another. One was because of location. It was in an area that is slated to be renovated and rejuvenated, but right now it was not a good neighborhood. There were people sleeping on the street (or sidewalk), men pushing shopping carts and carrying signs during the day – need I say more?
An empty living room - hmmmm
Another one was a really cute place, but the owner just couldn’t relent on the price. They felt it was worth so much more than the going price, and they could just wait for the right buyer. So, instead of selling, it’s still sitting on the market. Imagine the holding costs to keep a house. Wouldn’t it better to sell and move on?
So, the old real estate and home staging adage still holds true: location, location, location! If it’s a bad location, it might never sell! Or if it’s over-priced, it’s going to sit for along time! How long can you wait to get the right price?
If you’ve put too much money into the house and you’re really “underwater” as they say, you might be tempted not to spend the money on home staging. After all, it could run up quite a bill. But – what if it was perfectly staged so it showed very well? Chances are, then it would sell in a short amount of time.
So, don’t base your decision on price alone. You might find yourself holding the bag – or house!
Ready to stage your house? Give me a call and let’s discuss it. Whether you’re in Denver or somewhere else, we can work with you over the phone and by computer. You owe it to yourself to at least check it out!!