NOW ON STAGE: YOUR HOME!

by Douglas Nan

Tina Miller is busy at work in the kitchen of her New Jersey condominium, wrapping dishes in paper. Just outside, several large boxes stand near the front door, and in the living room, Miller's two sons are packing video games. "We've been here for almost ten years," she says looking around. "I never realized how much stuff we had."

Two months ago, Tina's husband Evan accepted a job in another state, and now the family is getting ready to move. "There's a lot of work to do, but the hardest part seems to be selling this condo," she explains. "We've had it on the market2 for over a month and several people have come to see it. But so far, no offers."

In theory, the Miller's home should have sold quickly. It is in a modern building on a quiet street; shops and restaurants are within walking distance. The couple has even reduced the sale price by $10,000. Connie Tran, the real estate agent3 working with the Millers, believes she knows what the problem is. "This is a nice condo. The rooms are large and there's lots of light, but the feel of the place is all wrong. The living room is full of boxes; the kitchen and bathroom are cluttered4; the paint on the walls is too dark. It doesn't make a great first impression on potential buyers."

To help sell their condo, Tran has suggested that the Millers hire someone to stage it. What exactly does this mean? The main goal, professional stagers would say, is to prepare a house to sell by making it as attractive as possible. For most people, this simply involves fixing things that are broken or cleaning a place thoroughly. But even though these things are important, real estate agent Elizabeth Weintraub says that staging goes "beyond decorating and cleaning, it's about creating [a] mood5. Staging makes your house look bigger, brighter, cleaner, warmer, and best of all, it makes home buyers want to buy it."

The Millers have agreed to have their home staged. So what will a professional home stager suggest doing to help sell their condo?

1. Minimize the clutter. The Miller family has lived in their home for ten years, and though they are preparing to move, many of the rooms are still full of furniture, books, electronics, and other things that people collect over time. These things can make the place look crowded and smaller than it is. Packing and moving most of the unnecessary items out of the condo will make it look much larger-which will appeal to buyers.

2. Store personal items. The Millers also have to be are of the small stuff: photos and magazines in the living room, a child's drawings on the refrigerator, and slippers in the bathroom. Not only do these things make the condo appear more cluttered, they also make it look like the Miller's home-and that's a problem. A buyer doesn't want to tour the place and see someone else's stuff. Professional home stager Barb Schwartz advises sellers to "clear all unnecessary objects throughout the house." Doing this will help a potential buyer to "mentally 'move in' with their own things" and to visualize themselves in the home.

3. Organize what's left. Once each room is down to a few essential items, a professional stager will make sure these things are positioned in an attractive way that makes the rooms 5 mood: a feeling look good. Sandra Rinomato, the host of a popular TV show about selling houses, offers these suggestions:

• "Feature only a few pieces of furniture [in each room] and pull pieces away from walls to make rooms look bigger."

• "Bedrooms are difficult to stage because they are in daily use." To make these rooms appear spacious6 and neat, Rinomato recommends using white sheets on the bed and "clearing everything off nightstands."

• "Open the drapes 7 or remove them completely. Light, bright rooms give the impression of a happy place-and everyone wants to move into a happy place."

4. Repaint if necessary. Four years ago, the Millers painted the walls in the living room a warm reddish color. They love it but a potential home buyer might not, for a couple of reasons. The color was a personal choice made by the Millers-which makes the condo still seem as if it is theirs. Dark colors can also make a room appear smaller. Repainting the walls a lighter, more neutral color will make the room look more spacious.

What if the Millers don't sell the condo before they move? Should they still have it staged if it is empty? Sveta Melchuk, of Home Staging Montreal, and many other real estate professionals say yes. Melchuk notes on her website that "most people have a hard time imagining [a] space as a potential home if it contains no furniture. The rooms will look too big or too small" and may invite buyers to "notice the negatives" (such as a scratch on the floor or old windows). For these reasons, many real estate agents will recommend furnishing some of the n1ain rooms in a vacant home.

In son1e cases, staging a home can cost as much as $4,000, which has many sellers wondering if it's worth it. Barb Schwartz, who has staged thousands of residences, believes it is. According to her, the average home can take up to 212 days to sell, while a professionally staged one usually takes just 37. Schwartz and others in her field8 also note that homes they prepare for viewing tend to sell for more money-often thousands of dollars more.

Ultimately, staging seems to be a good investment, especially if an owner is having difficulty selling a home. The Millers agree. "I hardly recognize this place anymore," laughs Tina. "It looks wonderful-like something you'd see in a magazine. And last week, we had two offers to buy. The trouble is, I like it here so much now that I don't want to move!"

Q: Skills for Success 4.Reading and Writing. SB pp.40-42 OXFORD,2011

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14