We often get this question from homeowners: “Why should we hire a home stylist? Won’t our house sell anyway without the advantage styling?” The answer to this question depends on whether or not you want to get more money or less money from your investment.
Most shrewd homeowners already know that investing in “dirt” is a good way to make your money grow. First of all, there is only so much land to be had. Secondly, as long as people continue to procreate, there will be a market for homes. Best of all, your investment in property almost always appreciates. The only downside to investing in real estate might be that when it’s time to turn your house investment into cash, property is not as easy to sell as shares of stock. There are some hoops to jump through.
Living in a vibrant and exciting place like Sydney is a blessing and a curse to real estate investors. On one hand, the housing prices are ‘through the roof’. On the other hand, since the market dictates such lofty prices, the buyer are looking for all the bells and whistles they can possibly get for their money.
In other words, you can’t just expect to have your property snapped up instantly at top dollar without preparing it for sale properly. If you want the highest price possible for your home, you need to invest in advantage styling.
Investors who have put many thousands of dollars into their homes by way of mortgage payments over the years can certainly get their investment back, and much more, but they must approach the sale with an eye toward the competition.
With all the properties for sale on the market today, that competition is extraordinarily keen. It would seem that every investor is looking for a huge return, but buyers are more particular than they have been in years past. They expect that each house will be professionally staged and ready to be moved into at the drop of a hat. They don’t want to have to paint or make repairs before they can call the moving vans. They want it all and they want it now.
So, the question of why hiring a stylist is important is more about how much money you hope to realise from the sale of your house and the amount of time you’re willing to wait for that sale.
Homes that are professionally staged sell like popcorn. They last on the market, on average, 11 days. Houses that are not professionally prepared don’t usually sell for about three months. Here’s how it happens.
Buyers begin their home searches on the internet. They pore over the new listings and sometimes don’t even call a selling agent for weeks. By the time they do call an agent, they will have narrowed down the search to just a few properties they want to physically look at. Those properties will have “wowed” them.
In the world of real estate, WOW is the new normal. If your house isn’t WOW material, buyers will pass right over it. Eventually, your unstaged property will gather an offer or two. It’s likely when your property is evaluated by the buyers, there will be downward adjustments in the offers you see. Why? It isn’t because your property is bad; it’s because the competition is so good.
All of this spells out why your real estate selling agent will urge you to spend a few dollars more and have your property professionally prepared before it is listed. Not only do professionally staged homes sell more quickly, they sell for more money – sometimes as much as 12.5 percent more than the asking price.
The advantage styling is that it will bring your home into “WOW” territory. It’s the same reason daughters want the wow factor dress for the school formal – they want to stand out from all the rest. Your home, when it’s properly staged and professionally dressed for success, can do the same. If you choose not to take this final step, your house will probably sell in time but the returns you see on your real estate investment may be disappointing. Why settle for less?
