‘Tis the season…to stage with smarts. When a winter listing comes in it usually means the clients are driven by serious urgency. Unfortunately that urgency doesn’t always translate into the best staging decisions. Here are five all-too-common winter staging decisions that can crush a late-year sale and a few suggestions for cutting them off at the pass:
1. Over-Holidaying
Yes, we’ve reached one of the jolliest seasons of them all and that comes with the urge to get in the spirit. For sellers there is a dangerous line between spirited and off-putting holiday decor. Remember that you can never know the preferences of prospective buyers. So, gently guide sellers to decorate in a way that won’t deter anyone and make sure the tinsel doesn’t outshine the home.
2. De-Heating
Remember a showing is about both look and feel. If your sellers are the habit of having the heat off when they’re not home, make sure you call or text to remind them to heat it up before home tours. Prospects won’t hang around an unheated home long and this little distraction could cause them to miss a listing’s best features.
3. Pet Pandering
It’s cold outside and that means cats, pups, and other family friends are more likely to be inside with their belongings and “gifts.” When working with winter sellers, come up with a plan early on for what happens to pets during a showing and special checklist to make sure the toys, hair, and other accessories are stored in a way that doesn’t ruin the showing.
4. The Missing Doormat
It seems simple, but this can be big. Whether your clients go all out or not on staging, the doormat is essential for the winter season. They don’t want to return home to traces of their prospects in every room or end up with a showing stain they can’t overcome.
5. Under-Renovating
Winter repairs take more effort than in any other season in most areas. Make sure the cold or changing weather doesn’t deter your prospects from securing a sale. Just as only serious sellers list during the winter, only serious buyers are on the market. Those buyers have plenty of choices and your staging and listing have to be enough to move them off of a very cold fence.
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