Sellers: Learn the Crucial Compromise Between As-Is and Move-In-Ready

What sellers need to know about the importance of condition and staging.

The No. 1 thing I hear when I talk to sellers is that they want to sell their home as-is, but the No. 1 thing I hear from buyers is that they want to buy a home that is completely ready. Clearly, these expectations are conflicting! Most people are looking for an easy move, which makes sense, but there needs to be compromise. This is especially true when there’s more inventory on the market, and homes are selling at a slower pace.

When you sell your home, you’re entering a beauty contest and a price war. When buyers have choices in the market, the homes that win are always the ones that win the beauty contest. You need to win both, but know that the beautiful, turn-key, move-in-ready home is the one that will get attention.

This being said, know that the condition of your home matters. You need to get someone to fall in love with your home! 70% of negotiations happen before you put your home on the market, so work to win them. If you would fix the hole in the wall or replace the stained carpet if a buyer asked, do it before they get the chance. A lot of times, buyers won’t even get to the point of asking for things because they’ll look at the photos and determine that they don’t love the house.

"When you sell your home, you’re entering a beauty contest and a price war."

As sellers prepare their homes for buyers to see, I tell them to “remove the bowling trophies.” By this, I mean to take down anything that you want to keep but won’t enhance the photos of your home. Take down your clutter and box it up in preparation for your move.

The next step is to meet with the stager that I provide for you. Once you’ve taken care of the things you know need to be fixed, a stager will help you fine-tune the rest. After that, a photographer will come in to capture the perfection. Photography is my No. 1 tool, so know that 99% of the time, homes with great photos will sell over those that don’t.

As you prepare your home for the market, don’t hesitate to call me. I’m here to answer any of your questions, and if you’re wondering about the value of your home, you can click here to access a tool on my website. I look forward to hearing from you soon!