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I would get the house 200 percent clean, and
consider putting a few decorator items, maybe a vase with flowers in the kitchen etc. -- or go with clean, Especially the bathrooms.
Clean sells. And myself, I'd rather see a totally empty house any day!
.
I have helped many sellers with staging...but, simply like the post above.
Flowers, bottle of (empty) corked wine with glasses and French bread on a tray
on a counter in the kitchen.
Always red towels in the bathroom,(something about red!) always toilet paper, flowers, soap.
And, sorry, but it is true, bake some cookies...lay them out.
Have bottles of water right there.
If you don't want to bother with cookies...buy an expensive sugar cookie,
banana bread candle, then,
like from Yankee Candle...there really is some comfort/memory/ good feeling created by these smells.
(No floral scents, no spices)
See, how simple is that?
May you have great success.
Already gave advice above -- first, clean up the place, then when pared down fo as close to "magazine perfect" take the nicest pictures possible. Get those online. Then move EVERYTHING out into new place. Also a good idea to include floor plans with listing.
If the OP thinks things through, they might realize that it does make sense to actually hire a staging professional to help utilize the OP's furniture and a few accents to help highlight the best features of the home/ maximize layout for best online presentation. Ideally the OP could actually live with the home like this for at least of few weeks to get anixous buyers to see the home at its best in person. If they must take all their things with them to their new house at least use stager to get place ready for "photo shoot" and then get those images online.
If the OP does not have experience successfully selling real estate it is unlikely that a FSBO will get enough to make up for lack of real estate professional -- the majority of sellers utilize agents becuase even after commission the net is higher. Sure there are exceptions and if the OP is facing a situation where even in the best case scenario there is little chance that they won't have to bring cash to closing becuase they are upside-down -- perhaps a skilled real estate professional could negoiate a short sale that would leave the seller's credit less damaged or suggest other strategies...
Already gave advice above -- first, clean up the place, then when pared down fo as close to "magazine perfect" take the nicest pictures possible. Get those online. Then move EVERYTHING out into new place. Also a good idea to include floor plans with listing.
If the OP thinks things through, they might realize that it does make sense to actually hire a staging professional to help utilize the OP's furniture and a few accents to help highlight the best features of the home/ maximize layout for best online presentation. Ideally the OP could actually live with the home like this for at least of few weeks to get anixous buyers to see the home at its best in person. If they must take all their things with them to their new house at least use stager to get place ready for "photo shoot" and then get those images online.
If the OP does not have experience successfully selling real estate it is unlikely that a FSBO will get enough to make up for lack of real estate professional -- the majority of sellers utilize agents becuase even after commission the net is higher. Sure there are exceptions and if the OP is facing a situation where even in the best case scenario there is little chance that they won't have to bring cash to closing becuase they are upside-down -- perhaps a skilled real estate professional could negoiate a short sale that would leave the seller's credit less damaged or suggest other strategies...
Thank you for the first paragraph.
The second two, once again are very off topic.
This is a small 2 bed, 2 bath house in a small town, not a hot big city market.
We are absolutely not upside down and we have excellent credit scores and frankly your opinion on that matter is NOT what OP (I) asked for. You can take your advice elsewhere.
OP (I) assumes you are an agent and that is why you're taking such a defense to us wanting to sell by owner.
As for everyone else, great advice, I really appreciate it!
Vase, flowers, cookies, and basic furniture we can do.
We sold a relatives house as part of an estate that was 500 miles away from us. I didn't think of it as actual staging but after the estate sale we left the couch, two chairs and the picture over the fireplace in the living room. We moved the unsold dresser into the room with the unsold bed, and had the kitchen table and chairs left. That was all, except we also bought $8.00 floor lamps at Target so there was lighting in every room (no ceiling lights in bedrooms). I think it did help it show. At the time other furniture was stored by the estate people in the garage, waiting for pickup at an action. That was known to the real estate agent. What happened? Sold the first day with the only contingency was to include the 1950's yellow breadbox that the buyer found in the garage! They were buying a late '50's home with a retro kitchen for their 80 yo mother and knew she would love the matching breadbox! You never know what is of interest.
Geeze, OP, this is a forum and people wander off a little from the exact topic.
You don't have to act like an Eng Lit professor at Vassar grading a paper!
Completely empty. I'm totally with previous poster Convextech. I wouldn't even consider looking at a house that was "staged." I need to clearly see where I would put my own things without anything else in the way.
Unless you are prepared to REALLY "make up" the bed with nice linens and fluffy pillows, don't bother. Just leave the bed out and empty the room entirely. Nothing more tired and sad than a bed with a cheap bedspread that doesn't cover the bed frame and lumpy pillows. Same with a single piece of furniture in a living room -- unless it's a lovely chair with perhaps a colorful pillow to attract the eye, don't bother putting your grandmother's old wing chair with the worn corners in there and call it "staging".
Completely empty. I'm totally with previous poster Convextech. I wouldn't even consider looking at a house that was "staged." I need to clearly see where I would put my own things without anything else in the way.
Let me guess, you also refuse to shop at stores tht have clothes displayed on mannequins, won't buy food that comes in a package with a "serving suggestion" on the front, and only take vacations to places that don't have have color brochures to illulstrate the accomodations...
Gimme a break!
Advertising works to help people envision what the possibilities of ANY product are! Really the smart marketers understand how to tie into the psychological / emotional triggers that help people say "this is for me". If you wanna beleive you are immune from these things I happily accept a picture of closet that includes 100% unbranded clothing, another of your "gray box screwdriver shop computer" and finally one of your completely generic personal vehicle...
The smugness of some people is just too much to accept!
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Advice only
