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Lightened, Brightened, Sold!
By Beth Fowler   
Rated "G" by the Author.
Last edited: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Posted: Monday, October 19, 2009

Lightening and brightening a house is one of the cheapest yet most powerful ways to enhance marketability and spark buyers' interest.

Can raising blinds and flicking switches in your listings strengthen your selling position?

You bet.

Researchers at www.HomeGain.com surveyed approximately 2,000 real estate agents in 46 states. Eighty-four per cent agreed on the positive impact of lightening and brightening.

Real estate can turn over quickly in Southern York County, thanks to its rural setting and easy commutes to destinations above and below the Mason-Dixon Line.

One house, though, lingered on the market longer than normal. Much longer. House hunters toured the property, but kept searching for a place to call home. Seasons changed; the listing expired.

Debbie McLaughlin (Keller Williams, York PA), picked up the listing and immediately called us to Stage the house.

One doesn't have to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to know that gloomy, dark rooms can drag a person's mood down. Who wants to buy a house that gives them the blues? Have you ever heard house hunters say, "We'd like a cramped, dingy house. Can you find us a house like that?"

Buyers look for space, light and comfort. A Stager can suggest simple changes that create noticeable results. Or have the Stager carry out the low-cost enhancements for you before showings and before shooting photographs to be splashed out to the Internet and in marketing documents.

While lightening and brightening wasn't the only Staging technique we used on Debbie's listing, it created the most noticeable impact.

"Staging is about perfecting the art of creating moods," says Elizabeth Weintraub, a real estate expert with more than 30 years' experience.

"Staging makes your house look bigger, brighter, cleaner, warmer, more loving and, best of all, it makes home buyers want to buy it."

We Staged. The house sold. The sellers were shocked that their house sold before their new Realtorฎ had time to plunk a "For Sale" sign in the front yard.

Debbie did the serious legwork of getting prospective buyers to visit this property. I'm proud the house hunters became home buyers shortly after they toured the listing.