In an internet dominated world, onscreen images matter more than ever before. As inconvenient a truth as it may be for a homeowner who is trying to sell, buyers use internet images to eliminate properties more often than they do to choose them. If a room appears cluttered, dark or worse yet dirty, the buyer moves on to another property. If the grounds seem overgrown or too shaded, the buyer goes “NEXT.” The truth may hurt sellers’ feelings; evasions are more damaging in the long run.

Properties do fall into general price categories and standards for one level may be very different than for another. So, what is it besides an attractive price that will compel a buyer pick up the phone and say, “I’d like to see THAT one?”

Some rules apply everywhere; we all love our things; they can mean so much to us, enough so that we lose perspective on how they appear to others. Often these things can distract from or call attention to important aspects of a property. It’s important to understand the distinction.

Here’s where a fresh eye can make a difference and that’s why, when I meet with my highly valued clientele, I review the importance of staging their property and most often ask Joanna Cohlan of Fresh Eyes For Your Home to take a look as well. For what is often a small investment of time and sometimes money, homeowners can make their home into a place that no one else can resist!

Of course, “reality” TV shows about staging make it look like a snap even though those projects almost always require the assistance of a whole myriad of professionals and never seem to incur labor costs. It rarely needs to be that complicated. How different might a home on the market look if, in an hour or two, someone removed some photos, painted one wall, changed a light fixture and rearranged the furniture? Staging need not be intimidating, for homeowner or agent!