To Stage or Not to Stage?

Southern Star Realty's 4 P’s to making homes shine:

• Presentation
• Preparation
• Promotion
• Production

We know that selling a home can feel very stressful and often a little overwhelming. It’s not uncommon to see several homes come to market at the same time, with similar content. Too often, we see homes brought to market in a way that doesn’t meet the expectations of many discerning buyers. Prices are still rising, and as they do, so do the expectations of buyers, banks, and conveyancers. We understand that not all sellers have the capacity or time to get homes to an acceptable standard before selling, so our advice varies depending on each client’s unique circumstances.

Southern Star Realty New Zealand is committed to ensuring that homes are presented in a way that makes them shine ahead of the competition. We understand that the presentation of a home (to best match the specific target audience) is always important, and we provide advice and assistance to ensure you don’t undersell your home. We’ve proven time and again that homes that are clean, tidy, and free of unsightly odours sell faster and for better prices than comparable homes on the market at the same time. We even go as far as providing staging for clients (T&Cs apply) because we know how much of an influence it has on buyers. Homes that look loved and are staged to highlight the different living spaces will always be more positively viewed by buyers. This also influences their preference when choosing which homes they wish to make offers on first.

Simple things, such as removing personal family photos (depersonalising) from a home, can have a very positive effect on how a home is viewed. The two main reasons for this are that buyers feel uncomfortable viewing a property when the owner’s personal pictures are present, and potential purchasers often feel like they’re invading the homeowner’s personal space. This makes them less likely to look in storage spaces, which are often an important part of the buying decision. The second, more subtle reason is that the purchaser may know the owner but didn’t know where they lived, and they start to worry that their offer may be offensive (even when it’s perceived to be a good offer by the agent), and so they don’t proceed with submitting an offer.

There are always those few homes that get good money even when they’ve been poorly presented. Like a gambler who wins big at the races, you only hear about the wins, not the multitude of losses. Homeowners should always look to stack the odds in their favour when bringing a home to market, as it’s usually their biggest asset. There’s nothing worse for an agent who cares than seeing a seller struggle to get back into the market after selling a home, only to find they didn’t fully understand what they needed to do to realise the true value of their property. As a result, they have less equity to buy their next property. We urge clients not to take the gamble of cutting corners.

For more information and expert advice on getting your home ready for market, check out our Seller's Guide or call us today to arrange a zero-pressure, no-obligation chat over a coffee or a cup of tea. You can come to our offices, or we can come to you. Call 027 737 8587 to find out more.