- Some sellers are reluctant to spend money on staging because it can be a significant upfront cost if your home needs significant staging to look marketable. Staging makes a huge difference in the buyer’s perception of your home. If your home sells for just twenty thousand dollars more when staged and you spent $2000 on staging, that’s easily ten times the return on investing in staging! When vacant, a one million dollar home can look strikingly similar to a five hundred thousand dollar home, so you don’t want to overlook this investment. In many cases, I can help sellers with my existing staging tools free of charge.
- Some sellers think they need to renovate their homes before putting them on the market, but whether renovating before selling pays off depends on the kind of property and the kind of renovations. Some property types are best sold in an “as is” condition. Others would benefit from some simple cosmetic fixes or upgrades to maximize the profits and minimize certain legal risks.
Another misconception some sellers have is that the higher the list price, the higher the sale price. Depending on the type of home and how high the list price is, some homes that are priced too high can lead to low buyer traffic because the buyers perceive the home as out of reach for them. This in turn leads to the home staying on the market for a long time, which puts downward pressure on the sale price. Every home should have a unique sales strategy that is tailored to the market condition and home type.