SELLING
How to Sell Your Property
Staging an empty home
S
LIESA JOSSEL
Liesa Jossel is the owner of Home Stagers Cape Town
taging your home to sell has become the norm in the United States , where 38 % of realtors say they stage all homes before sale . It ’ s also hugely popular in Australia . In South Africa , it ’ s still a new concept . While it may take a some time to get South African sellers used to the idea of staging , real estate agents are already sold on it . When you look at the figures , it ’ s not surprising to see why .
How buyers buy homes
When buyers set out to buy a home , they are looking for much more than four walls . In addition to area , schools , transport and cost , they are looking for something that says “ hello !” the moment they walk in . In other words , an emotional connection from the get go .
It ’ s difficult for empty houses to achieve that , as estate agents know only too well . Empty homes – even if immaculately painted in the current popular shades of grey and white – lack soul . They don ’ t look like a place you can live and love , do homework in , or invite friends to . It requires a lot of imagination to envisage that , and many buyers simply aren ’ t able to do it .
Dressing your property to get that buy
That ’ s where home staging works wonders . Home stagers provide temporary décor for homes while they are on sale or for rent . They target the market that the agent is aiming for : from new families to more established ones , a retired couple or an investment property .
Homes are “ dressed ” with sofas , chairs , carpets , beds , flowers , art and greenery that show buyers the purpose of each room . Staging helps buyers identify with the space and fall in love with it . Nothing an estate agent says about the potential of a property can compete with a tangible rendition of a property , where buyers can walk around and see how everything fits and flows .
Staging – an investment or a cost ?
Agents know that empty properties take longer to sell because they have less online visual appeal and it ’ s harder to attract buyers . Once on the property , potential buyers tend to walk through the property quickly and leave . In staged homes , buyers tend to linger .
The longer a property stays on the market , the more it suffers from overexposure . After three months , sellers typically drop their price by 10 %. On a R3 million home , that ’ s R300 000 lost ! Apart from price reductions , sellers should also factor in the additional costs of the bond , rates and taxes or levies , insurance , and day-to-day maintenance to keep the property clean and in good shape .
Typically , staging is an investment of less than 1 % of the selling price . When you look at the costs involved in the alternative , it truly becomes a no-brainer .
Staging empty homes brings benefits for both agents and sellers , as these figures from the USA show :
29 % of agents said that staging increases the dollar value of the home by 1-5 %, while 21 percent reported an increase of 6-10 %.
39 % reported that staging greatly decreases the time spent on the market .
81 % of buyers say home staging makes it easier to visualize the property as their future home .
34 JUNE / JULY 2018 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine