Staging Dad's House To Sell Quickly
Oftentimes when a parent passes on, the child(ren) are left as executors of the estate, and therefore frequently left in charge of clearing out and selling the family home. Knowing where and how to begin is a task unto itself, but ultimately, many children have to prepare the house for sale and wish to do so quickly.
Executing an estate can be wrought with emotions, and delaying a sale can draw out the process for a painful amount of time. However, once the decision has been made to sell the home and sell it quickly, there are steps that can be taken to move the process along smoothly without wasting unnecessary time.
Preparing For A Sale
While it may be appealing to put the family home up as a FSBO (For Sale By Owner) property, statistics have shown time and again that going through a realtor – despite the commission fee – garners higher profits than FSBO sales do. Particularly if time is a concern or the executors of the estate live a distance from the family home, having a real estate profession can be invaluable.
Source: Keeping Current Matters
Staging The Home
While there is a plethora of advice available about how to stage a home for a quick sale, the bottom line is to have the home depersonalized, clean and up to date. While it may cost a bit out of pocket, staged homes sell within an average of 42 days as compared to 200 days for non-staged homes, according to a 2011 Real Estate Staging Association study.
Must Dos:
Professionally clean all carpets
Update window treatments
Re-grout
Touch up paint in neutral tones
Make sure all lights are working
Make sure plumbing is working and pipes are not erosive
Fix any cracks in the walls and ceilings
Other Inexpensive Fixes
Update light fixtures
Update countertops
Update faucets
Update hardware (kitchen cabinet pulls, blinds, doorknobs, bathroom hooks, door stops)
Add crown molding
Traditional Staging
Home staging in the most traditional sense involves making the property look like Mr. Everyman's home. The idea is to depersonalize the home without making it look stark, bare and abandoned.
Professional home stagers will tell you to remove pictures from the walls and "loud" designs so that interested buyers can imagine their personal touches inside the home without visually having to remove anything.
Frequent tips include giving each room a defined purpose with minimal furniture that fulfills a specific function. For example, in the master bedroom, having a bed that fits the space, side tables, area rug and neutral curtains, bedding and throws.
Other suggestions include:
Create a welcoming entrance into the home without making it seem cluttered
Don't use cheap college furniture or decorations
Put plush, white towels in the bathroom
Make sure each bathroom has a trash can, soap, lotion and toilet paper
Deodorize the home
Add fresh flowers to the kitchen table
Have bottles of water in the fridge
Keep the exterior looking pristine as well
Source: Redesign4More.com
It's important to keep in mind that it's the little touches that can make a home stand out and get sellers to take notice. However, it doesn't take a lot of money to make a home presentable. Regardless of the amount of work needed to make the property sellable, you can get the most bang for your buck by emphasizing the home's unique features, making it appear ready to move in, and working with a professional realtor. If you have concerns regarding the financing of home staging, your personal financial advisor can help you determine which steps to take and what remodeling projects should be prioritized for a quick sale.
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