Home Staging in the Credit Crunch Why Pay When A Little Common Sense Goes A Long Way
So you’ve put your house on the market and nothing. You’ve dropped the price and again nothing. What do you do now? Remember that this is the worst time of the year to try and sell any property and with the credit crunch in the news constantly confidence in the market is very low.
It has been a sellers’ market for so long now that we forget that a buyers’ market, once established, can stimulate house sales. However, with the economic climate, the real threat of a global recession possibly even depression and the associated job losses, we could have a long way to go before the housing market recovers.
Choosing the estate agent you put you house on the market with is crucial. Have your house valued by more than one estate agent. Don’t just choose the one with the lowest fee or the one who values your house at the highest price. Do some research of your own; check to see if any houses have sold in your area, who sold them and for how much? Make sure you pick up examples of house details from a number of estate agents and check to see whether they are well written with good pictures.
Before you instruct an estate agent take a long hard look at your home. Be ruthless; throw away or sell any items that make your house look cluttered. Buy a large tin of paint in a neutral colour and a large tin of white gloss and redecorate the whole of your home. Fix anything that is broken and buy new curtains and cushions. Invest your cash in things that can move with you.
Paint the outside of the house and fix the gutters and fences. Tidy up your garden and add pots with brightly coloured plants and a seating area. Tidy away any children’s toys, make the outside space seem larger and brighter by painting walls or fencing in a pale light reflecting colour.
If after making all these changes to your house you still want to move then you’ve given yourself a fighting chance. I think the thing to stress is that you shouldn’t spend too much money on kitchens and bathrooms, pass the saving on the the buyer who will now be price conscious. Keep the colour scheme simple and neutral with colourful paintings and soft furnishings. The less clutter the larger the house will appear.
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