The School of Real Estate Staging - Part 2

For Sale by Owner or to list with a Real Estate agent?
To Stage the home to show better or just sell "as is"?

These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself when you want to sell your home.
Now, as I work in two countries, I first need to explain the differences in selling your home in the USA or UK.

In the USA a Realtor will sell your home for around 6.5% commission....I can hear the sharp intakes of breath from across the Atlantic as I type this. In the UK Estate Agents will charge from 1.50% to .50% commission ( Depending on how good you are at negotiating AND how easily the agents think they can sell your home.) The better presented the easier to sell, another incentive to stage your home prior to selling!

In the USA Realtors, Brokers or Real Estate Agents work with something called a MLS or Multiple Listing Service which means your home is listed for all realtors in the area to review. Many areas also hold a "caravan" of Realtors who visit all the new listings in the area or neighborhood they specialize in. How cool is that, all these professionals knowing your home is for sale. I don't know about you but that would be a HUGE incentive for me to get my home looking the best it possible can. How does that help, I hear my UK readers ask...well that large commission is split between the Agents who sell and the office they work from and also the agent who introduces the buyer and their office. So all those Uk Estate Agents who are packing a suitcase...STOP. The Realtors over here will probably end up with the same commission rate as you after all the splits. The grass is not always greener.

Lets get back on track, during the caravan tour your home will be looked at by many of the real estate professionals that your potential buyers will be using to find their new home. Don't you want to make a great impression on them and have them remembering your home over all the others that they saw on that tour of the neighborhood?

One of the other differences between the two countries is that Realtors over here usually show the home without the owners present. In the UK the Agents generally make the appointment for you and you show the home yourself. Now that I've seen both systems at work, I prefer the USA system.

The potential buyers seem to be more relaxed and give much more honest feedback to the showing agent. Lets face it, if you are being shown a house by the owner you are not really going to tell them it's an ugly or dirty home that you wouldn't touch with a barge pole are you! It is a shame that we are not so honest as maybe then sellers would realize that they need to step up to the plate and go through all the staging processes that would help their home show better.

Which kitchen would you rather see when looking for a new home?
This one is not inspiring me to cook up a storm.
It needs some repair to baseboards or skirting boards as they are called in the UK.
The cabinet doors are tired and not in keeping with the expected price of the home. A de-clutter is also needed.

This renewed kitchen would now get me wanting to cook.
Repairs are completed, new color added.
Some new cabinet doors and some additional wall cabinets update the look. The dryer has been moved and note the change looking through the dining room towards the front entry.
A new sink, de-cluttering and creating a small dining area complete the look.

The owners asked us to stage their home before placing it on the market and it sold quickly and for more money.

One of the items on my to do list when I am getting ready to sell a home is research.
I want to know who my competition is, what houses are also for sale in my neighborhood, how are they priced and how well are they presented.
In the USA your Realtor will pull the "comps" which will tell you what sold when and for how much.
This is useful for working out the listing price for your home, in the UK your Estate Agent will have good knowledge of what is selling in your neighborhood.

There are many web sites to help you estimate the value of your home. For the USA there is, amongst many zillowwhich seems to be one of the easiest to use and in the UK I use Up My Streetand if I really want to be depressed I look at Property Snake which is the source for house price reductions across the UK. Remember not to rely solely on the web for pricing your home, use your realtors experience and comps.

Some of the sites require you to register and some are easier to navigate than others. Have fun researching your area and neighborhood. While you are looking at these sites for price comps spend some time looking at the pictures and seeing how well the homes show. Why not spend time viewing open homes in the area.
Remember, many prospective buyers now use the internet to evaluate available properties. Current research shows that they use the net to ELIMINATE houses from their viewing list to save wasting time. How will your home look on the web?

So, although it is possible to sell your own home and there are various companies that will help you, I believe that a Real Estate professional is the best solution in helping you sell or buy your home.

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Fay is heading towards this part of Florida and I need to pack up this computer and move to spend the next few hours or even days with my daughter.

Have you ever learnt anything interesting from attending an Open House?
Have you ever been shocked by how cluttered and cramped a neighboring house was when you visited, yet it looked great from the outside?
I would love to hear your selling stories. Post any comments or questions you have on Real Estate Staging or anything else for that matter and I will gladly do my best to help you.

Bye for now

Comments

[Annie Doherty]

Thanks DesAnn

I didn't realise how different the process was until I moved here.

Using an agent purely for buying a house is VERY rare in the UK. The home buyer usually does all the work themselves, visiting agents offices and collecting details of available houses. We usually have a Main Street (often called a High Street) in each town and there are many Estate Agent stores in every town.

These homes are normally only listed with one office and so you spend quite a bit of time visiting them all. Obviously the web is also used as a source.

Then, when you have made your selection of homes to visit you then have to ring all the different offices to make your viewing appointments.

Can you see why I prefer the process of buying a home over here?

It's funny, with the economic downturn especially in housing in the UK, we are now working much more with Estate Agents/Realtors.

I believe they are seeing the advantages of providing an added service to their clients to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

I still see our role as Educators though, both to the public and the Real estate profession as to the benefits of using good, well trained, staging professionals.

Regards

Annie

[DesAnn]

Annie, Well said! Although Staging works and has been in some states for 10 years, there is still a vast population that really doesn't understand the "power" of it yet. I have the privledge of working with some forward thinking agents and they are reaping the rewards of what a Staging professional brings to the table.
I am enjoying the education in the "Worldly" affairs. I had not realized how different the world of Real Estate could be with us and the UK. Thanks for the insight!
Best,
DesAnn
Design By DesAnn Ohio

[Kenny]

UNITED KINGDOM

Emigrating? - Worried about repossession, a property chain breaking down or hidden costs involved with traditional selling methods? Maybe estate agents and countless strangers wandering through your property is something you really don't want, sell your house now with Watson Howse Developments click on http://www.fast-house-salenow.co.uk

[Annie Doherty]

Thanks for your input Matt

Matt runs Real Estate courses guiding you through the steps needed to profit from Real Estate foreclosures etc.

Annie

[Real Estate Guru]

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