It’s often more challenging to get a home market-ready. If your not up to the physical and mental challenges of decluttering, packing up, and renovating your home, several new services and tools may make life a bit easier.
#1 – Innovative Decluttering Services
If you or your family doesn’t have the time, energy, or physical ability to sift through a lifetime
of accumulation, a professional decluttering and downsizing expert may be able to facilitate the process. Some specialize in helping seniors with downsizing or organizing a move. To learn more and identify potential resources, visit the National Association of Senior Move Managers (nasmm.org), Certified Relocation & Transition Specialists (crtscertification.com), and the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (napo.net).
Another option you may want to try is a virtual decluttering services. Some providers now meet with clients via live video chats, using apps like Skype, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts. As a bonus, virtual decluttering services usually cost less than on-site providers.
#2 – New Staging Options
If your house is empty and you want to prep it for sale look online for other alternatives using search terms like “rentals to stage houses for sale.” This will likely return options like Cort (cort.com) and Brook Furniture Rental (bfr.com), which cater to short-term rentals.
If you’re on a budget, partial staging may be an economical option. Consider staging the entrance area for those all-important first impressions on house tours. Then focus on the main living areas of the home: the kitchen, living room, dining area, and master bedroom.
#3 – Virtual Staging Services
According to NAR Research, 93 percent of buyers use an online website to search for homes.3 If your home is vacant or you are unable to clear out some items before the property is put on the market, virtual staging may be a way to help improve first impressions online.
Services like BoxBrownie.com and VirtualStagingSolutions.com can remove clutter from photos, add virtual furniture, enhance lighting, and more.
Also, consider the potential downside of inflating buyers’ expectations of a property. If the online photos look substantially better than the real thing, buyers may experience disappointment and frustration when viewing the home firsthand. To avoid this potential problem, some agents opt to display two photos of each room—one empty and one staged—in their listing photos.
# 4 – Fresh Approaches to Storage
Although not available in all areas, companies like MakeSpace.com and Clutter.com will come and pack up belongings (boxes and packing materials are included in the price), move them into a storage unit, and deliver them back to you (or to the new home) when requested.
The contents are cataloged online or in a phone app, so owners can decide what comes back and when. Consider this option if you’re thinking about renting a storage unit.
#5 – New Renovation Options
If you have most of your assets tied up in your home, it can be challenging to finance renovations that could improve the selling price. A new company, Curbio (curbio.com), calls itself the “Pre-sale Renovation Experts.” It completes updates before a home is put on the market, but doesn’t collect payment until the house is sold.4
Curbio won the Pitch Battle at NAR’s second annual Innovation, Opportunity & Investment (iOi) Summit in Seattle last August, competing against 13 other finalists, all considered among the best new technology startups in the real estate industry. Curbio is growing but still serves a limited market. If Curbio isn’t in your area, be on the lookout for independent, local renovation companies that specialize in making smart upgrades that can maximize your sales price. Or ask for approved contractor list.
To learn more about preparing your home to be sold and home staging contact us and ask for our free Room By Room review home staging booklet. It’s a comprehensive check list for each room of the house.