Contemporary Downtown remodel-flip Staged for Sale - Sensational Home Staging - Denver Region's Premier Home Staging Resource

My House SOLD for TOO MUCH MONEY

My House SOLD for TOO MUCH MONEY

 

Jennie Norris, ASP, ASPM, IAHSP- Premiere, BTS, REO, SRS

Owner, Sensational Home Staging - Denver Region's Premier Home Staging Resource

 

 

Have you ever heard those words come from a Seller? Neither have I. And yet there are Realtors and Sellers that believe they don’t have to Stage – the market is HOT and the houses will sell anyway. . . so why bother?

Think about it.
 
Staging helps houses sell at the very BEST price and that means in a HOT market the house can sell for well above list price.
 
Is that a bad thing? Why do some Realtors decide to not encourage Sellers to Stage their houses and just put it on the market knowing it WILL sell . . . and leave money on the table for their client?

Is it up to the agent to LIMIT how much the house will sell for and not allow the seller to get the MOST from the sale?
 
What about the Fiduciary Responsibility part of the Realtor code of ethics?

I had an agent tell me recently that he did not need to Stage properties in a certain price range because they sell fast and get multiple offers – and (here is the kicker) by NOT Staging these in-demand properties, he was helping control the real estate market from going out of control. 
 
Huh?

To that Realtor I would say, “You are not doing your job.” A Realtor’s role is to get the MOST for the sale of the house. It is not up to the Realtor to decide FOR their seller that they don’t have to prepare the house for sale and limit the potential sale price. To me that is a lazy Realtor that does not want to put the time and effort into properly presenting a house for sale because it does take time and effort to Stage. They advise Sellers they don’t have to do a thing because the house will sell – and it does. But not at the best price. Just because a house “will sell anyway” does not mean it does not need Staging. 
 
And to top it off – these types of Realtors are limiting their OWN INCOME! Since they are paid commission on the final sale price of the house, an agent that does not include Staging to help their seller net the MOST from the sale, is also limiting the amount of commission earned from the sale.
 
Is any of this smart business? NO.

Staging helps houses sell for more in any market – Hot, Slow, Appreciating, Depreciating. It is a proven fact. It makes me scratch my head when I still hear agents with limited thinking and beliefs about Staging.

In this day and age where many buyers are cash buyers, appraisals and loans are not needed so when a house is bid up it is not subject to appraisal value discrepancies or loan approvals. If a buyer does get an appraisal and the house does not appraise at the higher price, the buyers come to the table with cash. It is happening all over with low inventory and high demand for houses. Eventually the market will normalize and bidding wars will not be happening. Agents that are used to incorporating Staging as a standard listing tool will be poised to capture even more business.

Thankfully there are plenty of Realtors that understand the marketing strategy of Staging a house to ensure it does get the very best offer. I just had a house we Staged sell at over 10% MORE than list price – and the list price was at the top to start off. Should that Realtor have kept the added $45K from her sellers and not make the added $1,200 in commission? Smart Agent. Happy Sellers.

The bottom line is Stage it before you List it – and get the very BEST price for the sale.  

Beautiful Boulder Remodel - Table Mesa area - Staged and show ready - won't last long!

This Table Mesa area house was completely remodeled and square footage added to maximize the potential for this property. Top notch materials and attention to detail make this remodel a must for anyone searching for a home in that area. We Staged the house for the target buyer with color to add that "pop" for visual appeal.

New Construction property - Staged and for sale - Denver - Sheridan area

This new construction property is in an up and coming area of Denver near lake Sheridan. Nice amenities and features but felt cold to buyers. Now the property is appropriately Staged and will appeal to the perfect buyer in the desired price range.

Cute remodeled house near Stapleton - Updated and Staged to define size and use for buyers - Sensational Home Staging Succeess!

This house was updated nicely but buyers were having a hard time picturing how to place furniture. With limited space and open design the Staging helped to clear up the visual challenges and add some visual appeal for buyers.

Staging is deductible as an Advertising Expense for Sellers - get the info from your ASP-ASPM Stagers that attended the IAHSP 2014 Educational Conference

DEDUCT STAGING AS AN ADVERTISING EXPENSE

 

Don't drop your price which is a total loss -

 invest in Staging and be able to deduct the investment

off the proceeds of the sale!

Having just attended our International Association of Home Staging Professionals(R) (IAHSP) Educational Conference one of the key things I brought back for my clients is the following information on Home Staging and tax benefits:


According to CPA Rob Unger of Judelson, Giordano & Siegel, P.C., “Home sellers can benefit from Home Staging, as the fees for Staging services can be considered as advertising costs, according to the IRS guidelines. Since a home Stager prepares your house for potential homebuyers, the IRS considers the service as an advertising expense as long as the home Stager has been hired for the sole purpose of selling your home. The costs of Staging are subtracted from the proceeds of the sale of the home and decrease the total realized profit. In summary, the IRS’ position is that Staging costs are a legitimate selling expense for both primary and secondary homes and are therefore tax deductible.

However, it is important to note that if a house is Staged and then taken off the market, the Staging expenses are not tax deductible.”

** Always check with your own CPA concerning all tax write offs, tax information and the above information as well.