Stage it to sell in soft real estate market

Selling your home can be a challenge that may seem especially daunting in a softer real estate market. If you decide now is the time to sell, there are several aspects that can make your home more attractive to potential buyers. Following this advice may help justify your asking price and attract buyers.

Setting Stage

There is a science to selling your home and in tight economic times, you want the exact elements to combine for successful selling opportunities. Dozens of online resources help guide you in staging your home to appeal to potential buyers. One of the more popular sites, Home and Garden Television (HGTV) offers these ideas:

What an Entrance!

The outside of your home is the all-important first impression. Glossy paint in a bold, cheerful color for the front door, new hardware, a doormat and seasonal potted plants on the porch will dramatically brighten and refresh your home’s entry and make a welcoming statement.

Create Spaces

Part of what stagers do is create fantasy spaces: an exercise room, a meditation space, an art studio or a family game room. If a room currently only gathers junk, repurpose it into something that will add to the value — and enjoyment — of the home. Adding an armchair, a small table, and a lamp in a stairwell nook will transform an area into a cozy reading spot.

Brilliant Natural Light

Take off old, heavy drapery and put up something light and airy. This allows natural light and makes a previously closed-in space seem larger. Simple sheers on a tension rod are great for screening an unattractive view and providing some privacy while letting in light and visually enlarging a room.

Brand Name Upgrades

In today’s competitive market, buyers look for brand names everywhere in a home. While a name brand range or a countertop are influencers in the kitchen, so are quality name brand windows and entry doors throughout the home.

Know Your Audience

Women directly purchase or influence the purchase of 91 percent of all new homes, according to the Business Women’s Network. In today’s market, single women homebuyers are an especially powerful consumer segment — 51 percent of American women live without a spouse according to the New York Times. Make sure your home is designed to sell and direct your efforts to the highly influential female market as buyers, decision-makers and passionate decorators.

For more information on home improvement featuring windows and doors, contact a local Pella Window & Door Showroom expert by calling (888) 84-PELLA or logging on to www.pella.com.

Source for tips: HGTV “Secrets of Stagers, 13 Ways to Make Your Home Look Like a Million Bucks”