Buyers Don’t Want to Buy a Project:
According to a recent survey conducted by Coldwell Banker Real Estate, 87 percent of consumers who purchased their first home in the last year said finding a home that was move in ready was important to them. Considering that according to the National Association of Realtors ® , first time buyers accounted for half of the market in 2010, that statistic provides an insight into how sellers should be preparing their properties to sell in 2011.
“There’s a real ‘a-ha’ moment for sellers revealed by this survey, that the condition and quality of their home matters a great deal to first-time homebuyers,” said Diann Patton, consumer real estate specialist, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
LifeStyle and Lifestyle Choices Are Important Factors:
In addition to move-in conditions, first-time buyer results revealed the old adage “location, location, location” still rings true:
78 percent of respondents said the home had to be in an area convenient to shops and services
75 percent of buyers said it was important to be close to their place of work
Nearly 66 percent said it was important to be near “highly-rated” schools
Home Staging Can Help Seal the Deal:
The insight that this survey provides makes a compelling case for home sellers to prepare their home for sale before putting it on the market. Making necessary repairs and cosmetic changes to the property will go a long towards attracting a buyer. It may also include the services of a qualified professional home stager. This survey also suggests that home buyers are seeking to buy a Lifestyle and a professional stager can create a design plan to target the buyer by portraying the lifestyle.
About the Author: Gary Sefferman is President and Creative Director of Nickian Home Staging, a boutique style home staging company serving the New York City Metro area, including Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, Northern New Jersey and Fairfield County Connecticut. Nickian’s focus is working with home sellers and their real estate agents to prepare their property to appeal to the most likely buyers. As Certified Advanced StagersNickian Home Staging transforms a property into a buyer’s must-have through the use of targeted lifestyle marketing techniques.
-Gary Sefferman