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Health & Fitness

Is Your Listing the Leftover Turkey?

Anything more cliched this time of year than leftover turkey that no one wants to see? Oh. Right. Old listings with little interest, and no offers. And sellers and agents who sit, and twist their hands, bemoaning their state of affairs. 

Channeling Cher, in Moonstuck, "Snap out of it!"

There are buyers and sellers out there, 24/7. Bidding wars are not urban myths, but you have to have the house buyers want

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Two things entice a buyer to act: Price, and condition. I'm not an agent, and will not discuss your pricing except to say if it's not in line with the rest of the market, you're out. But condition....and conditions are two things this Westchester County Home Stager is an expert on. Here are three conditions that guarantee buyers will pick over, but ultimately pass on your leftover turkey listing.

Accompanied tours

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If I were an agent, sellers being out of the house for Open Houses and showings would be addressed in the first meeting, and a non-negotiable part of my contracts, period. A buyer's time in a house is all about THEM. It's when their dreams come out and play; showing agents are there to listen, and answer any questions the buyers actually pose.

NOTHING makes buyers shut down and lose interest quicker than having to edit their thoughts, or listen to what the current owner thinks is important about the property. Sellers who stubbornly argue this point will probably never sell their house. Or it will drag on-grimly, grittily, and at considerable expense to the seller (price reductions and carrying costs) MORAL: If you really want to sell, let your agent do their job. Get. Out. Of. The. House.

Listing photos

We've all heard the stats, online searches are the very first things 90% of buyers do. If your listing photos are not the best they can be, guess what! CLICK! In seconds, they're gone, on to the next listing. Photographic quality is important, but subject matter comes first, and agent and seller are equally responsible.

Photos of under-lit, messy rooms, say volumes about how the agents run the rest of their business, and make me question how ready the seller really is to sell. It costs NOTHING to turn on a light, straighten a shade, clear off the counter, make the bed, or lower the toilet seat. Think about it. Better yet, do it.

Bad first dates

Ever have a first date where the other person obviously cared a lot less than you did? Maybe they looked or smelled like they got dressed out of the hamper, or their personal grooming was minimal. Perhaps they were late, or spent the entire time talking about themselves.

Whatever it was, it was clear the other person cared about themselves and their needs/interests more than they did about connecting with you. It didn't feel good, and chances are there was no second date. It's the same way with houses. When a seller doesn't put a house's best foot forward, doesn't keep it neat, or make every effort to accommodate reasonable showing requests-buyers get the message. They will move ON, not IN.

Sellers and agents: Have faith. You can do more than you might think you can, you've just got to start the conversation.

Marie Graham is an Interior Decorator, an Accredited Home Stager, and owner of The Refreshed Home. Passionate about helping others make changes, to get on with their life; she works collaboratively, specializing in do-able and effective solutions. Contact her directly marie@therefreshedhome.com

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