I spent some time yesterday afternoon browsing some open houses just for kicks—a first for me. While some of the homes I looked at were set up quite nicely (this one in particular—sweet retro styling), others left me wondering: What were they thinking?
By “they” I mean both the home seller and the seller’s agent, whose alleged job is to advise the seller on how best to sell their house. You would think that in today’s market, with inventory near peak levels and buyers already in winter hibernation, making your home look the best it can would be a no-brainer, especially if you’re going to put on an open house.
Unfortunately, as you can see below, apparently not all sellers see things that way.
Agent: “Buyers like to see nice kitchen upgrades, like granite countertops.”
Seller: “Granite countertops? No problem!”
Agent: “A fresh coat of paint can go a long way toward making your home shine for buyers.”
Seller: “Paint over everything. Got it.”
Agent: “Buyer’s want to be able to imagine themselves living in the home.”
Seller: “Good, because they’re going to have to use their imaginations if they want to know what the bedroom hiding under all this crap actually looks like.”
Agent: “The unfinished basement is a little dark and uninviting, see what you can do about that before we list.”
Seller: “Lamp: check. Chair: check. That was easy!”
All of the photos in the “Real Actual Home Staging” series were shot by The Tim at real actual open houses around Seattle.