You only get one chance to make a first impression.  If you are selling your
 home or will be shortly, you need to take that little saying to heart.  I'm going
 to share with you my top staging mistakes to avoid and hope that you will apply
 what you read here and be on your way to a successful sale.

 STAGING MISTAKE #1 - Bad Internet / MLS Photos

 Did you know that over 87% of buyers are looking on the Internet first to find a
 house to buy?  This has taken the place of a first showing and it is now the
 buyer's first impression.  How do your photos look?  I have been amazed when
 working with sellers who have not bothered to take a look at their pictures on
 line.  Great photos are a critical marketing tool that pulls those buyers in.
 Great photos capture ALL of the room, have good color and clarity and show everything in the room in one shot.  Make sure you have at least 15 pictures advertising your house on the Internet/MLS.  Buyers want to see as much of the house as possible.

STAGING MISTAKE #2 - Disappointing Curb Appeal

Ever get fixed up on a blind date?  I have and I have been disappointed with my first impression.  When selling your home, don't disappoint your buyers!  When they pull up to the front of your house they carry with them their hopes and dreams that this home could be the one.  You need to do whatever you can to impress those buyers so they will want to come inside and see more.  Paint and plants are the cornerstones of curb appeal.  Mow the lawn, add new mulch, switch out the old light fixture and mail box.  And don't forget the two most overlooked items: a new welcome doormat and a new doorbell.

STAGING MISTAKE #3- A Dirty, Cluttered House

The way you live in your home and the way we sell your house are two different things.  When you get ready to place a home on the market for sale it becomes a PRODUCT and just like any product on the shelves at your local store it has features and benefits, pluses and minuses, and there are other products to compete with. You must look better than the competition.  Buyers expect to see an immaculate house with no signs of dirt, dust or hair.  When you sell your home you're going to have to move.  When you move, you're going to have to pack.  De-cluttering means you're going to pack up some of your things early.  Impress buyers with a clean, clutter-free house.

STAGING MISTAKE #4 - Making Your Buyers Feel Like Guests

Buyers only know what they SEE, not the way it's going TO BE.  Pack up all personal collections, family pictures and taste specific decor.  That includes religious items, personal awards and trophies, self-help books, bills and financial information sitting on the desk or kitchen counter, the family portrait on the wall and everything stuck on the fridge. If your family's personality is in every room, buyers can't imagine living there and they will feel like guests. It is vital to de-personalize each room to appeal to the broadest range of buyers.

STAGING MISTAKE #5 - Decor that Fails to Connect with Your Buyers

You've lived in your home for the past 15 years and the last time it was decorated was back in 1995.  Brass fixtures, vertical blinds, faux paint treatments, wallpaper, and builder grade bathroom mirrors all look tired, dated and old, and yet they are all simple and relatively inexpensive to fix or replace. Slipcovers on worn couches, new light fixtures and hardware, paint, a cutting edge product I love that makes builder grade bathroom mirrors look current, new bedding and a few new accessories can transform your house into a space buyers will love and connect to.

STAGE FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE

Of course, the absolute WORST mistake when selling your home is to do nothing at all.  I am committed to providing home staging consultations that leave my clients with a Game Plan for what needs to happen in every room of their house. At the end of the consultation you will know what needs to be done, and then it is completely up to you whether you want me to continue on and do a lot of the work for you, or whether you want to do everything on the list yourself.  You can also choose a combination and do some of the work yourself while having me help with a few things.  The best part is that you can have complete confidence in knowing that you will not be making any costly staging mistakes with me on your team! 

SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG FOR MORE STAGING SECRETS AND TIPS!

http://blog.stagingsouthtampa.com

JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK:  http://facebook.com/stagingsouthtampa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/annalderson