The common issues in most houses going on the real estate market
are: decluttering, cleaning, neutralizing and depersonalizing. The
extend required varies house to house.
In Home Staging, there are no general rules of thumb that can be used
for all houses. No two houses will ever be the same. There are a wide
variety of variables and circumstances that can come into play.
The budget the seller has available or does not have available to prepare
the house for sale. Some sellers have done regular maintenance and
updating to the house on a regular basis and less work if any is required.
Some sellers have lived in the same house for 10 years and have not
done any work on the house. There are repairs that need to be made,
items needing to be fixed, replaced or updated.
There is the time factor. Is the house going on the real estate market in
a week or are there several months to prepare it for sale. More time to
prepare allows for more improvements to get done. Again, depending
on the state the house is in. Can the seller do the work themselves?
Does the seller need to hire a contractor or trades person?
The type, style and color of furniture and accessories the seller has or in
some cases does not have. Is the color and décor of the house neutral and
updated, including window dressings, floor coverings, bedding and linens.
Another factor is the price point of the house. A potential buyer does not
have the same expectations from a low end priced townhouse as they would
from a million dollar mansion. For example a $30.00 light fixture might look
great in the townhouse, but would not be appropriate or suitable in a 2 million
dollar luxury mansion.
What target market is the house most likely to appeal to? A condominium in
the downtown core would appeal to one buyer and a 4 bedroom house in
suburbia would appeal to very different potential buyers. Each house should
be staged accordingly. When a house is Staged for sale it should appeal to
widest range of potential buyers in the target market for the house.
