The Gazette Lanzarote Jan 2014 | Page 92

n The Lure of Staging 1. Sight This one is pretty obvious! Rooms should be tidy and uncluttered. Photos, trophies, and kids' artwork should be replaced with simple, classic decor. A buyer needs to be able to imagine their own life in your home. If your budget allows, you may want to temporarily store outdated and oversized furniture. Rent new, modern pieces to create a simple and clean design. 2. Smell Be sure that each room is not only tidy, but that it smells clean. However, avoid harsh chemical smells, such as bleach. Many buyers may be sensitive to these smells and will want to make a quick exit. 3. Touch Broken and chipped, missing or loose tiles, are all off putting to a would-be buyer. Be sure that you do any minor repairs before showing your home. 4. Hearing An open house can be an event for selling your home, just be sure that barking dogs are taken care of. Have any noisy equipment switched off and don't leave the television on. Soft background music can work but even peace and quiet is a sound. 5. Taste staged properties sell faster than those that aren’t. Research in the US suggests that staging could reduce the time a property is on the market by between a third to a half, and staged properties can command up to 15 per cent higher prices. The time aspect is worth bearing in mind, as the longer a property is on the market the more likely it is to be marked down. At no point does the price go up when a house is sitting on the market, and the reality is that the price usually drops and drops further as time goes by. For this reason, staging is not about spending your money but about making an investment. And if the investment of staging your home works out at less than a price reduction of your home, then it’s a decision that makes sound financial sense. A professional stager has been trained to look at a property and suggest improvements that will help it appeal to the highest number of buyers. Okay, this can be a hard one, depending on who is coming, but a glass of wine or freshly-made coffee for your guests can work. Or you can play up the sense of taste by having freshly baked bread or other enticing foods filling the air. The bottom line? Staging is intended to create an atmosphere for the prospective buyer where they can envision themselves in your home. You create a generic, rather than individual lifestyle with your staging, and through how you stimulate the senses. C.C. San Marcial del Rubicón Valverde 38 – Playa Blanca (Yaiza) Tel: (0034) 928 517 019 or 0034) 928 519 307 Mobile: (0034) 609 913 781 Bar located in C.C. Punta Limones with fitted bar, fridges and 2 bathrooms 800€/month 92 | January 2015 | The Gazette RENTALS OF THE MONTH Separate Villa with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, shower room, BBQ/exterior kitchen, large swimming pool and terrace Price & visit on request 3 bedroomed Duplex with 2 bathrooms, separate kitchen, dining/living room, terrace and private swimming pool 980€/month