By Julia Robertson, January 2, 2020
Perceived Value.
A homebuyer determines the value of a home before they even enter your home. The NAR reported 55% of buyers find their home on the internet. First impression is everything. A photo can speak a thousand words… but don’t take my word for it, see for yourself and review the research below. Forbes, the National Association of REALTORS®, and HGTV agree that staging your home will earn you a positive return.
The photos shown here are from actual listings in Oregon & Washington, that I sold, and either personally staged or hired a professional stager. Some of these listings were full of clutter or located in a logistically difficult location. One listing was on a very busy road with almost no driveway or garage and several unfinished construction projects. Another had little natural light and a slight pet odor. The last home was the most expensive house in the neighborhood, surrounded by homes that did not maintain their yard(or not attractive from the exterior), and did not have a garage. The point is- there may be other factors that make a home more difficult to sell. First impression is everything. If you can WOW potential buyers regarding the interior and exterior, the other factors are minimal in the end. A common rule of thumb for a home on a busy road, is to reduce the price 10%. If there are factors that already reduce the value of your home, wouldn’t you want to make up for it in some way? And if you could add 10%+ value to the true value of your home by re-arranging furniture or staging it- why wouldn’t you?
Forbes reported, “According to the National Association of REALTORS®, for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is $400 . Compare that to the average sale price, which is a reduction of 10-20% from asking. So an average home with a $400,000 asking price will be reduced by $40,000 to $80,000.”
A great quote right out of an HGTV article, “I see many home sellers confuse staging with decorating and consequently resisting the process and the recommendations of the staging professional. But the reality is that the moment you commit to marketing your home for sale, you need to commit to transforming your home into a place that potential buyers can easily picture as their home.”
Staging is not only about furniture or de-cluttering. Staging a home for sale is a process that starts by preparing a “listing-prep” plan. After I meet with a client and sign a listing contract, we do a walk through together and make this plan. It can include a calendar of timelines to get household projects completed, packing, storing furniture, and touching up paint. As you can see from all of the above “before” photos, lighting makes a HUGE difference. Lighting, furniture placement, and professional photography create the WOW. Once we have all those elements, the perceived value of your home is at its highest and best. When your home is presented at its highest and best value- you sell for the highest price! Actual value depends on your location and condition of home. To find out what your home value is and what staging can do to improve the value of your home- contact me.
If you’re curious what it’ll take to sell your home, call me! I’d love to discuss future real estate opportunities with you. Call, email or text anytime.
Julia Robertson | Broker Licensed in Oregon & Washington
541-505-1111 | julia@rebyjulia.com
Living Room Realty
Julia Robertson
Broker OR, WA, UT | Earth Advantage
She/Her
During a two-plus decade career in real estate, Julia has approached her job with one overarching goal in mind: to help people get from where they are, to where they want to be. Julia moved to the Pacific Northwest 18 years ago and genuinely loves showing the city to clients who are considering whether to relocate. Julia constantly explores neighborhoods so that she can accurately match clients with a part of Portland Metro or Vancouver that is perfect them. She believes that everyone deserves the chance to own a home in an area or neighborhood that they love.
Since a real estate purchase is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, Julia works tirelessly with her clients to build a trusting relationship and help them find not just a house, but a home. She has experience working with a broad range of clients to fulfill their diverse and unique needs. Whether it be a downtown condo, home in the suburbs, or a property with acreage, Julia can help you come up with a plan that meets your timeline, your budget and your needs. If you’d like to meet for coffee or lunch to discuss potential real estate opportunities, Julia would love to hear from you.
From an early age, Julia loved everything related to homemaking. Her childhood spent moving from town to town and always having to be “the new kid” gave her the personal confidence to meet new people and boldly operate in the high stakes world of real estate. Julia has lived in every state across the West - Arizona, California, Utah, Montana, Oregon and Washington. In 2006, Julia rented a uhaul and drove to Eugene where she proceeded to fall in love with the beautiful state of Oregon. She spent six years as a marketing specialist for a global furniture company, until she settled down to start a family. Now with 12 years in her real estate career, Julia has honed in on Southeast Portland and Vancouver as an area specialist. She provides full service listings for sellers, including professional staging, professional photography, drone footage, social media marketing, and networking with agents across the United States. Julia is a licensed Realtor in Oregon, Washington, and Utah as a Seller Representative Specialist(SRS) and Earth Advantage-certified broker. She served on the Living Room Realty broker advisory board(2015-2017) and attended the Portland B corporation meetings.
When Julia represents a client in the sale or purchase of a home, Julia goes above and beyond to serve her clients. She considers the client’s budget, bottom line, area preferences, and future plans. While Julia doesn’t consider herself a “sales person,” she does have over twenty years of experience in the field of sales and knows how to conduct herself in negotiations and details. Your business is Julia’s top priority, and she always makes herself available.
Along with her husband, son and dog, Waffles, she and her family love traveling, taking trips to their favorite beach in Encinitas, California, and searching out new adventures—usually with an eye toward finding new and unique places to eat.- T: 541-505-1111
- julia@rebyjulia.com