THE RIGHT TIME TO STAGE

If you're planning to sell and want to protect every penny of equity you have, get your home staged before the MLS photos are taken and before anyone sees it.

THE RIGHT TIME TO STAGE

I'm often called to help when a property has sat on the market for a long time with no offers. Of course staging can help sell a home at any time, but staging is most effective when it's done at the right time.

What is the right time to stage? The right time is before the home goes on the market. The right time is before any pictures are taken for the MLS listing or for any print advertising. In short, the right time for staging a home is before anybody sees it, including the REALTOR®! Why is that? To sell for top dollar the home should look its best before the REALTOR® prepares a comparative market analysis and recommends a listing price.

I even tell REALTORS® that they shouldn't let even their best friend at the next desk see one of their listings before it's staged. Why? The reason is simple: you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and if a prospective buyer sees a home before it's looking its best, their offer (if there is one) is going to be a lot lower than if the home were staged. A REALTOR® who sees a home when it looks less than its best may not even show it to a client, or may recommend a very low offer. And even if the home is staged later, it's difficult to get a buyer or REALTOR® to go back for a second look. If they do go back, they'll still remember how the house looked before. Staging a home before it's listed means that the seller gets maximum benefit from a favorable listing price during the crucial first 30 days on the market when it's a new property and interest is at its peak.

If you're planning to sell and want to protect every penny of equity you have, get your home staged before the MLS photos are taken and before anyone sees it. Don't rush it on to the market and waste a single opportunity to impress a prospective buyer. Remember that on average a staged home will sell much faster and for more than one that isn't staged. Remember that staging works and it will work for you, especially when it's done at the right time.