Have you ever been on the buyer’s side of a real estate transaction? Have you looked at the internet listings lately? I was perusing the Orlando Florida real estate listings and, oh my, those vacant interiors. I had no way to make a connection to the space. It was, well, ghostly! I thought of the echo sounds a house makes when it’s empty. I didn’t know what the space was for, how the sequence of the photos related to the rooms in the home. I was so confused….next listing please. I just wanted to make a connection, to feel something, to feel like I wanted to put it on my must-see list.

If you’re a homeowner and you’re trying to sell your house, wouldn’t you want to do everything possible to market the most expensive asset you will ever own? You say you can’t afford it? How can you not? When your home lists on the market, the longer it takes to sell, the more expensive it becomes. There are month-to-month carrying costs such as electric, water, pool maintenance, taxes, homeowner’s association fees, insurance, mortgage payments. In addition to your monthly costs adding up, your house will continue to go into disrepair – especially vacant and empty. Also, take into consideration the price reductions that will occur from your original asking price. Add these up and, well, you could have staged your home and then some for the monetary decreases you suffer.

Staging a home prior to listing sells on average in 23 days (RESA 2013 study). House staging is simply the best method to merchandise and market your home to get it sold quickly. Best of all it helps lure the most potential buyers.

Once staged:

• A buyer can make an emotional connection and envision themselves living there;
• They will know how to use the spaces because it shows in the listing photos;
• Your home will stand out from other homes on the market that are unstaged;
• Your home will be viewed as well maintained;
• Buyers will be less likely to ask for concessions which drive down the asking price.

Which of these before and after photos would make you want to put the house on the “must see” list?  To which photo can you make the emotional connection?

Thanks for dropping by and reading  “Oh My – Those Ghostly Vacant Home Interiors”. To learn more about Foxy Interiors’ real estate staging services, please contact us or click here.