The Most Important Seller’s Decision

I know what you are
thinking! You think this blog is going to be all about persuading homeowners to
choose to use a professional stager; or convincing your seller to use one if
you are a real estate agent. Well, while I do believe that having the advice
and help of a qualified stager is incredibly important and downright vital, I
don’t believe it is the most important thing that needs to happen when it is deciding to sell a home!

So what is this most
important decision? After all, isn’t it enough to have decided to sell? Isn’t
that the biggest obstacle to overcome? “To List or Not To List,” that
is the question, right? Well, no, in fact, the most important decision is to do
what many sellers can’t quite do and that is to DISCONNECT EMOTIONALLY.

What does it mean to
disconnect from a home emotionally? One’s home is not just a house; it is an
emotional place, a place of comfort and respite, a place where memories have been
made, and life takes place. It represents our investment, in not only the
purchase, but also in the moments there where we have exchanged joys and
sorrows, conversation, meals, and the many experiences that we treasure. Home
should be emotional, but when the time comes to put your home on the market,
that switch must not just be turned off, but truly unplugged! In your mind and
heart, the home has to become just a house again.

For some people, the
mere thought of taking that emotional value away is unfathomable. I’ve run into
this so many times as I have consulted with homeowners. They believe that even
after they move, the new owners will somehow honor their decorating, their memories,
and their investment. They want to believe that even after the home is sold,
they will still be a part of it. Holding onto this belief clouds their judgment
and makes the home sale process difficult. This includes making decisions about
home updates, staging, and in the negotiation when a buyer does make an offer.

By choosing to
emotionally disconnect and to consciously decide to do what is necessary to
sell the home, they make way for prospective buyers to see the house as their
own home. Put simply, the emotional attachment that magnetizes you to your
home, will de-magnetize potential buyers to the property. It is important to do
everything necessary to rip the band-aid off of your psychological connection.

What does emotional
disconnection look like in actionable items?

 – Removing
photos and pictures, diplomas and other personal items from the home.

 – Painting over
strong personal paint selections to colors that neutralize a house.

 – Removing
collections, quirky belongings, and other items that distract buyers.

 – Choosing not
to take the recommendations of your real estate agent and their staging

professional
personally.

Looking ahead to your
next home and focusing on the memories and moments you will have there is the
best way to redirect your feelings. I do understand that in some cases, the reasons
for selling are not always good ones, but a healthy sales transaction best
takes place when emotional attachment to the home has been released, regardless
of the reasons for selling. You and your seller’s agent will be able to make
the sales process smoother and perhaps faster, as a result.

Laura Landesman, Certified Professional Real Estate Stager, is the
Owner of Showhomes of The Woodlands in The Woodlands, TX.  She is a Real
Estate Staging Association-PRO member and is passionate about the power
of home staging and updates to maximize a home’s sales price and get fast
offers. Thanks to Lorelie Brown, owner of Showhomes Charleston, for her
contributions to this article.

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