DigitalBuddyEveryone knows that how a house is staged can have a big impact on if it sells, but did you know that even the seasons can determine a successful home sale?
Here are some simple staging tips that will work in any season and with any type of belongings:
1. High End Furniture is not a must. Most people do not have expensive furniture but rather have decent pieces that match their needs and their lifestyle. Don’t fall into the trap of renting expensive furniture to stage your house unless you have a very high end property. For the average homeowner, you can use what you already have. If it is the summer, you may want to consider staging any outside area that is inviting such as a porch, patio, deck, or even a play set. Make it as nice as you can without going overboard on your budget. By just cleaning, painting, power washing, or even putting some new mulch down, you can create an oasis. During the summer months this is especially important.
2. Temperature control within the house is crucial. If your potential buyers walk into the home and it doesn’t feel inviting, temperature wise, they may not think the house is up to their standards. For example, when it’s hot outside, lower the temperature of the house to cold, not just cool, but cold. This will help them realize the air conditioning works and will be able to keep up with their summer demands. In the winter, the house should be toasty and cozy feeling if the weather outside is cold and damp. You should feel a definite difference from the outside to the inside and that can encourage home buyers that your house is up to par.
3. Beware of keeping expensive items in plain site. This can be true during the winter seasons as many people will buy presents and get out their more expensive décor for the holidays. When you are having showings during the month, put those things away and don’t have a tree or other holiday item with a large amount of presents surrounding it. It is wise to be cautious of everyone that comes through your house because they are not always properly qualified or vetted to be safe visitors.
4. Maintain the exterior regardless of the season. You may not use your front door all that often in the winter because you pull into the garage but your visitors will. Be sure that your walkway is cleared from ice and snow and that it is safe. Even if a buyer loves your house, they may not be as eager to make an offer if they fall while walking up to the front door and the house has a bad memory for them. As silly as that may sound, many home buyers feel that their first impression of a house is the best one to go with, their gut feeling.
If the exterior feels dangerous people not want to even consider coming in to look at the rest of the home. The same can be said of summer things like bugs and insects. Make sure that there are not any wasp or hornet nests around the exterior of the house. It can take time to do all of this but in the end it will be worth while if you get an offer because of the positive feeling you helped to create.
5. Knowing the best time to sell a house trumps all the staging in the world. You can do all the proper staging but if there is no activity in your area, it won’t matter. By doing some simple research, you can figure out the best times that houses sell in your area. Some places that are very hot in the summer don’t see a lot of visitors while others who have extreme visitors are more successful in the summer. It all depends on your area and your type of house. These are things that sell a house regardless of the price, location, and even features.