Home Staging for Top Dollar – Equity vs. Ego

by Larry Hann

It really makes no difference if you call it home staging or home fluffing; the goal is the same - to get your home sold quickly and for the greatest amount of money. There’s an abundance of articles and information which will tell you how to go about staging your home. But these often forget the basic premise that will make the difference between leaving money on the table and maximizing the equity in your home.

That basic premise does not involve cleaning, painting, repairing, or moving; it’s a change in perspective. You stop seeing your house as your home and see it as a product. To do this effectively you must put aside your ego and view the home selling process without emotion.

So what does this mean? First off, it means you realize you aren’t selling your home – you’re selling someone else's dream. But it doesn’t stop there; once you understand that your home is a commodity and you’re marketing a dream, that’s when the real shift has to take place and your ego needs to move aside.

The way you decorate and live in your home is probably not the best way to market your home. Ouch! Even if you clean until the whole house sparkles and you declutter and depersonalize, it’s likely that your personality and the way you relate to the rooms in your home will shine through. It’s a safe bet that your home is decorated to suit your individual tastes, not the broad market. Too often this is the point where the homeseller draws the line, “That’s it, no further! I think this house looks great! I’d buy it, and if I’d buy it, other people will buy it.”

What a shame! It’s likely you just turned your back on cash. The truth is, if your house is priced correctly for the market, somebody will buy it. But in terms of maximizing your selling price, numbers count. The more people who fall in love with your house, the better the chance you’ll maximize your equity. However it’s more than just getting the “right” number of people or the right price. Ask any marketing professional – price and packaging go hand in hand. The better the packaging is at selling the dream, the higher the price a consumer is willing to pay.

That’s where a professional home stager comes into the picture. Home Stagers understand the art and science of marketing homes. Since they have no attachment to the contents or decorating style of your home they can view your home objectively and make the changes that will maximize your sales price.

Professional home stagers specialize in marketing dreams, they do it everyday.

Larry Hann is a St. John's, Newfoundland based realtor who believes professionally staged homes sell quicker and for more money. Home staging is one of the many marketing tools he uses when selling St. John’s real estate.