Don't show your home until it is freshly painted and staged!

Countless articles and blogs have been published to persuade you that painting and staging go a long way when you are selling a home. You only have one chance to make a good first impression, both online and in person.

I get it; you don't want a bunch of contractors in your house. Its messy, an invasion of privacy and inconvenient, not to mention expensive and the house will smell from paint.

You think: "Let the buyers do what they want after they move in." Its not our problem if they do not like our paint or wallpaper. Actually, it is your problem, even in a sellers' market,

We offer a program called the Towne Realty Group Listing Prep Advantage, and we can cover all the up-front costs for painting and staging. You do not pay until closing!

Perhaps you don't believe you'll get your money back. Why spend that money if it does not make the house MUCH more valuable? Let them choose their own colors after they move in.

You don't mind the way it looks. You are sure you will find someone who does not mind the worn carpet, the old furniture, the dated and peeling wallpaper, the mess in the basement, the piles of stuff in every corner and the cracks in the ceiling and walls.

You want to list the house now and get it sold fast. Dealing with all of this work will take too much time, money and energy.

WELL GUESS WHAT? Buyers will have the identical thoughts and if they can find a house where the painting and freshening is already done, they will probably pay more for that property. Mortgage money is cheap and they can borrow $40,000 more at a low interest rate and then they won't have the hassle of lining up contractors before moving in. Getting settled in a new home is hard enough without the extra layer of hiring workers, long distance or living through it while you are trying to unpack.

Since they look at EVERY HOUSE ON THE MARKET, often in more than one town, they are likely to see homes that have been painted, cleaned, staged and much more inviting. They may not have many choices, but you have only one house to sell.

You are only as good as your competition. Many of these buyers would rather spend money on furniture and personalized updates than take care of the basic old stuff you are too lazy to address. Sellers have the advantage in most markets but the buyers have control when your house is not ready for PRIME TIME.

Bad photos = less showings and low or no offers. YES, many homes are languishing on the market for over 60 days without offers, because the buyers do not want to spend the time, money and energy, fixing up your old house.

There are also many families who are home-schooling their kids and working from home and they want to MOVE RIGHT IN. Some of the same chores that you want to avoid, may be the reasons your house could sit on the market, receiving low offers or NO offers.

As many foreign buyers flock to suburbs, they do not have a list of contractors who can come over and speak Mandarin, Hindi or Russian for example, so its harder for them to communicate and get the work done due to a lack of understanding.

If you are serious about selling for a higher price and in a short period of time, GET YOUR HOUSE ready for Prime Time or expect a longer wait and low-ball offers. We can help get it done and you will maximize your investment.