By Keith Gushard
Meadville Tribune
Parting with a home can be stressful, but it can be less of a trying
time and go quicker if the seller looks at it from the buyer's point
of view, according to Tracy Susick of Saegertown.
Susick, an
accredited staging professional, owns Room Works in Saegertown. Her
job is to make a selleršs home more attractive to buyers. The
concept of home staging began in California a number of years ago
when real estate agent Barb Schwarz had listings that weren't
selling, Susick said.
The trend has started to taken off nationally
with the advent of television shows such as "Sell This House" and
"Designed to Sell." Susick recently was featured with the hosts,
Roger Hazard and Lisa LaPorta, respectively, in an interview with
the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
"It's more about undecorating where to
stop," Susick said, when it comes to items in a house up for sale.
The key is remembering the way a person lives in a home and the way
a house is sold are two different things, according to Susick.
"A
home is where you live and a house is a product (to sell), and you
have to treat it that way," she said.
It's best to do a staging
before a house goes on the market, but it can be done with homes
that are already on the market, Susick said. Vacant and model homes
also need to be staged
To prepare a house for sale means giving it a
thorough review both inside and out because people use many avenues
when looking for a house, including the Web.
"People don't buy homes
on the Internet, they eliminate homes on the Internet," she said.
A
house's appeal from the curb is enhanced by trimming overgrown
shrubs, getting rid of driveway cracks and painting where necessary.
Sellers should also clean the house, remove clutter and
depersonalize it, according to Susick. Personal items such as family
photos, awards and mementos left out are a distraction to potential
buyers.
"It can distract from the architectural features of the home," she
said. "You want to do what makes the house look attractive."
"Everybody has their own taste and own style (of decorating)," she
said. "You want people to remember the huge window in the house not
all the stuff."
More information: Contact
Susick at 763-5215 or at
www.room-works.com.
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