Staging a Home in the Gilbert Market

If you are serious about selling your home in today’s market, you need to think hard about what you are willing to do to stage the home to make it more attractive to buyers. In Gilbert, Arizona we are currently going into a market where sellers have the advantage. Buyers are plentiful and well-priced homes that are easy to get into (not short sales) are in low supply. However, high demand for homes should not make sellers feel like they don’t need to do any work to sell their home. In any market, staged homes sell faster and for a higher price than non-staged homes. Staging doesn’t necessarily need to even cost money. You should always start with the basics listed below:

Essentials of Staging

1. Keep it clean. You may not get a lot of notice that someone wants to see your home, so keep it clean at all times.
2. Declutter. Think model home. If you need to, go tour some model homes in your area. Clutter is a distraction to buyers.
3. Rearrange. You want to rearrange your furniture so that rooms seem open and airy. Traffic flow should be optimized.
4. Storage. If you can possibly live without it for a few weeks or months, put all things that make your house not look like a model home into storage.

Optional Staging Procedures

1. Home repairs. You will ultimately have to disclose all the repairs that are needed, and what you miss will likely be found out by the buyer during the inspection period. Any needed repairs become negotiating points to bargain the price down, and if they come up during the inspection period, the price can be negotiated even after you have a signed, accepted agreement. Much of the time, it is in your best interest to go ahead and do needed repairs.
2. New paint. If your walls are looking worn and scuffed up, or if your paint is a little too much on the creative side, it may be a good investment to paint.
3. New flooring. Stained, worn carpet and damaged linoleum don’t give your house the model home feel. You may want to think about addressing these issues before putting your house on the market.

Don’t Forget:

Don’t overdo staging. The object is to maximize the sale price in the shortest amount of time with the least effort and outlay of cash on your part. If you go too far with it, you will not get your money back.