Home is more than four walls and roof. Home is a door opening to you, your family, your pets, your lifestyle, your neighborhood, your community, your city. It’s all encompassing on so many levels.
All the House is a Stage
To stage or not to stage, that is the question…
To stage or not to stage, that is the question.
I get asked all the time on listing appointments whether it is a good idea to stage. In the past, I have always been adamant about not staging a home. Why? Well, in my humble opinion, I like to let buyers use the blank canvas to work out what they see their home to be. I also like them to see how much space they are getting. What have I learned in recent experience? People lack vision.
Sometimes buyers have a hard time imagining what the home is going to look like with their artwork on the walls and their furniture placed about. I went on a listing appointment recently where i did bring a staging consultant in and I was impressed to say the least. I think for me I get tired of seeing the same layouts and themes, and so me, as an individual don’t see it as “homey” or “lived in”. Finding a stager who brings personality, warmth and charm is important because lots of people are still actually living in their homes while listing, but also need to have their homes look attractive for showings.
Having a stager also nudges sellers to start organizing and prompts them to get rid of things they no longer need within the home. I always tell my clients, “less is more”. When buyers come in or I’m working with them, I want them to have their line of site clear of obstructions. I like for them to see that placing a chair from this wall to a corner, will create space. I want them to utilize their unique furnishings and decor without making it look to personalized. And yes, I know how difficult is for someone to come into your home that you’ve loved and lived in comfortably and directly tell you all the things that should go. But then again, it’s getting you used to the idea that, this is a chapter that is ending and you have a new one to look forward to and trust me, your home is going to look like the beauty siren it needs to be to ensure a quick sale.
“Staging can get your home sold faster, too. According to HomeAdvisor, homes that have been staged spend between 33% and 50% less time on the market. That not only means getting the proceeds of a home sale faster but also spending less money on added expenses such as a rental or storage unit while you wait for the sale to happen.”
Here are a few tips when considering staging:
Purge. Organize. Declutter. - I cannot stress this enough, if you want your house to look attractive, get rid of overflowing tchotchke shelves, filled to the brim closets, overcrowded bathroom vanities (nobody wants to see your gnarled haired razors or makeup infested counters). This also makes it a lot easier and more efficient for if you do hire a stager.
Hire a Professional Consult - Some agents use a preferred stager (myself included), but getting an expert to walk through the house to see what they are working with and making notes for you to do the staging yourself or having them do it, can be incredibly valuable. Some agents even include this in their services and pay the few hundred dollars themselves.
Buy it Cheap - baskets, glass vases, fruit, artwork, etc are all things that can highlight your home when listing. Check out the dollar store or a thrift store to purchase these items.
Include Landscaping - Yes, even the exterior of your house should be staged. Fresh mulch, colorful flowers, a bistro set on the porch are all things you can do to increase curb appeal.
Consider the Olfactory - smell is important when staging a home, especially if you have pets! Coffee, boiled lavender or cinnamon, simple scented candles (ex. fresh linen, apple pie, pumpkin spice or vanilla)
Change out Your Air Filters - people always forget about these but changing them out and also opening windows to let air circulate is a good rule of thumb
Professional Cleaners - I swear by them before listing. They will get rid of dust, odors, and gook on the windows and mirrors. If you have carpets, get them steam cleaned right before listing. I cannot tell you how many houses I’ve shown and the carpets are disgusting and smell bad.
Cost - to stage a whole home can be expensive. It can be from $600 to upwards of $2,000+ which may or may not include setup and breakdown fees. Some stagers will allow for payment at closing, but most are upfront fees. Also, consider if you are using a storage unit to house your “clutter”, that’s an additional monthly fee.
I always wonder how many moms, dads, aunts, and real estate agents go through staged homes and say, “Oh, that’s a nice design feature.” or “My house is similar to this and I just love how they arranged this room.” I do it all the time. So, as much as I want you to list your house, you may just want a redesign of the one you have. Feel free to contact me and I can get you a consult scheduled with my preferred organizer/designer/stager.
So, You're Getting a Divorce...
It’s an ugly word, but it doesn’t have to be an ugly process…
Yeah, it’s not words we want to speak of, unless you’re super happy about going your separate ways. Covid has definitely put a magnifying glass on many marriages and the result has been revealing. Nobody likes divorce. It’s hard and it’s emotionally draining, no matter if it’s amicable or a knock down dragged out fight. One thing is for sure the last thing you want to think about in all of it is selling your home and you might not have to, but you may definitely want to.
Divorce is quite a common motivation for a listing, and because it is so common, Agents see a lot of the same things. For example, more than likely one person is chomping at the bit to sell and the other is less motivated. Why even get rid of the property? Simply put, a lot of couples want a fresh start or don’t want to be reminded of the life they built there. In the end, you’ll both have to work together to see it through. The ultimate goal is for you both to close one chapter so you can start another.
“Your dreams don’t have an expiration date.”
An Agent. Picking the right agent to sell your home during this time can be an obstacle. You might not want to use Sally Doolittle who helped you both buy the current residence. You may want to use someone totally neutral and unknown to make things fair and straightforward. You might want to use one agent to sell and another to buy. Whoever you both decide on, make sure they are clear on the climate they are walking into. That agent should also be empathetic and patient, sometimes they will need to have two separate meetings. They should be communicative and also thick skinned to deal with runaway emotions not intentionally sent in their direction. If they are a good agent, they will be intuitive, willing to listen, and help mediate.
“You cannot start the next chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last one.”
Listing Prep. This is the hard part. Nobody wants to do it—the cleaning, the packing, the purging, the rummaging through lost memories. It’s hard, especially if you’ve been there for a significant amount of time. Allow yourself to work through the process. Make sure to give yourself some time to take a break and a breath when you need to. Chances are, one of you has already moved out, which will make things slightly easier, but if not, maybe delegate some tasks so you aren’t in each others faces if it’s awkward or hostile. Also, your agent should be able to help you schedule things like cleanings, landscaping, and repairs.
Time. The sooner the better right? Not always. In this market it wouldn’t be too difficult to get a sooner closing date. Most closings happen in 45 days but these days it can be sooner depending on your loan process. You might have a situation where you need to work on selling one property to be able to buy/move into another. There are also the pros and cons of selling before and after you’re divorced that could potentially delay the divorce itself. You’ll have to decide on what’s going to suit your situation, and also be the most cost effective, efficient, and amiable.
Children. This is also something to consider when you decide to sell your home during a divorce. Sometimes it’s less painful to sell a home to maintain normalcy for the kids, but other times it’s better to have everyone just start anew. Also, moving with kids (depending on age) can be tumultuous when deciding on school district changes and maybe needing assistance if it’s a sole move, so you can have time to go through things without any distractions.
In the End comes a New Beginning. Take it from someone who is a divorcée, it is hard no matter what and adding the loss of a home is another piece that’ll rip you apart sometimes. You may not want to buy a new home, you may want to get yourself that new single person rental in the city you’ve been dreaming about or maybe you want to test out some new neighborhoods you’ve been curious about until you feel you can commit again. Getting the biggest buyout would be an ideal way for you to get the home you’ve always wanted, shoe closets and all! You now have some options and that’s the positive part —the blank canvas.
“Divorce is a declaration of independence with only two signers.”
No matter what the end entails, including collecting the half proceeds from the sale of your “marital home”, you get to start over. You get to have the basement bar you’ve always wanted, or the art studio free of storage items you’ve dreamed about. You get your own space with new paint, new art, new furniture and all while blasting that record they hated you listening to for the past 15 years. Sure, all wounds take time to heal, but it doesn’t have to be all painful. The most important thing to remember is to be communicative, be willing to work together one last time, and keep the end goal in mind —a new beginning.