Category: Overland Park Home Staging

Reasons Why Your House Isn’t Selling

There may be many reasons why your house isn’t selling but I will share with you the only 3 that matter.

Years ago, Fortune Magazine stated that a house will sell for 3 reasons: the price, the way it was or wasn’t staged and the Realtor you choose. As a lifelong Realtor and Home Stager, nothing else matters. Let’s look at each of those 3 factors in depth.

  1. Price: One of the most significant factors affecting the sale of a house is the price. If your house is overpriced compared to similar properties in the area, it may discourage potential buyers from showing interest in your home. Many sellers want to start high to leave room for negotiation. Why? Start at the right price and drive the price up rather than negotiate it down. Even if your home is in a lousy location or next door to a hoarder, price fixes everything. It always has and always will.
  2. Staging a home and preparing it for the market is crucial for a fast sale and oftentimes with multiple offers. Within 10 seconds of opening the front door, buyers will make a decision about your house. If your house doesn’t grab them emotionally from the start, you probably won’t sell your home anytime soon. Buyers make their decision about your house emotionally and justify their decision later rationally. Going hand-in-hand with home staging is the condition of your home. Selling your home is show time. Now is your time to shine.  Do what it takes to prepare your home for the market and you’ll be singing all the way to the bank. This is an emotional sale. Take advantage of it!!!

The last of the reasons why your house isn’t selling!

3. The Realtor you choose has everything to do with your transaction. From pricing, to staging, to marketing your home, if your Realtor isn’t on point, your home may not sell. When choosing a Realtor to sell your largest investment, talk to 3 agents before making a decision. I talk to sellers all the time that tell me home staging was never brought up when they talked to the Realtor they listed their home with. Then after a couple of weeks of the house not selling, home staging keeps coming up in the feedback.

Agents say things like:

  • It just didn’t wow my buyers
  • Don’t know exactly what it was but they just didn’t connect with the house
  • Might need some home staging to give it more appeal because it didn’t appeal to my buyers

Recent Home Staging Case Study

I recently received a text message from a lady whose house was on the market in Leawood. She told me her son said she needed to have her home staged after being on the market for over 2 weeks and not selling. There again, she thought home staging meant bringing furniture to a vacant house. That’s not what home staging is at all.  He told her there were people who worked with what you had to give your home a better home selling look. She googled home staging in Overland Park and found me. She sent me 3 messages in a short time frame (I was on an appointment) and finally told me what she wanted. After asking her a few questions via text, I looked her house up on MLS and determined it just didn’t do much for me. I responded that I could meet for a consultation the next morning and do whatever I could while I was there.

Your Home’s Photos Tell the Story

When I entered the house, it was exactly as I expected…it didn’t wow me at all. After seeing the photos online, I knew it probably had potential but most of the furniture was poorly arranged. Remember, the way you live in your home and the way you sell your house are two different ways!

What Was the Solution to a Home that Didn’t Show Well?

After thinking things through, I had a discussion with her of my opinion and vision. The kitchen and hearth room area was huge and had nothing to bring them together. Little did I know, she had a free-standing kitchen island that was stashed in the garage. We brought it in the house and I went to work searching for things that could be used in the staging of it. Between the island and changing the furniture in the hearth room, it brought the space closer together rather than having what seemed like a basketball court between them.

Clearing countertops and furniture tops is never anything I recommend because that’s not what home staging is. Agents will tell you to do that because they aren’t home stagers and it’s less expensive than hiring a stager. But at the end of the day, buyers want to see themselves living in your home and when it’s cleared of all of its personality, they don’t connect with it.

Since this seller had put all of her accessories away, I got them out to stage her kitchen. I ended up creating a coffee station, lemonade area, as well as a meal prep space on the island. Unfortunately in preparing her home for sale, she had stripped it of its personality. But it had a huge personality by the time I left. I was there for 2 hours and got the job done. Needless to say, we were both thrilled with the end result and she hugged me as I left:).

Happy Client Testimonial

Here’s what she had to say after we rearranged the furniture in her living room and hearth room/kitchen area and accessorized her house.

“Melinda did an outstanding job of giving my home a whole new look in just 2 hours. Amazing what she could accomplish by rearranging my furniture and using just what was in my cupboards. She responded quickly, communicated often and was easy to work with. I highly recommend her services.”

One happy seller name withheld since it wasn’t my listing

There may be many reasons why your house isn’t selling but these are the only 3 that matter. Figure out your situation and address it now. Days on the market are a killer for anybody selling a house. Buyers are wondering why no one has bought it!!!

In Conclusion

Don’t waste time sitting around wondering about the reasons why your house isn’t selling. It may need a little furniture rearranging or personality boost. Please text (913) 515-3250 and tell me you need some home staging and I’ll respond immediately or you can contact me here. We stage occupied homes and have been for the last 17 years! In as little as 2 hours, your home could have a whole new look.

Are you wondering if your home is priced correctly? Here’s an easy way to find out what’s going with prices in your neighborhood. Click here and enter your address and a report from the local Heartland Multiple Listing Service will be sent directly to your email!

Check out today’s new listings either below or in the sidebar. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 to see inside one of these homes. I AM NEVER TOO BUSY to show you a house. Real estate is my main hustle after 35 years! Everything else I do is bells and whistles to enhance your experience!

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Home Staging Services for Realtors

Home staging services for Realtors vary with the company or home stager you hire. Since 2006, Overland Park Home Staging has been staging occupied homes. We work with what your clients have to create our signature Model Home Look. This is the look we strive for so your listing looks better than the competition. Even if your clients don’t have great stuff, their house will look amazing when we are finished with it.

Hiring a professional home stager for your upcoming listing will make you look more professional to your clients. It sends the message that you are committed to getting their home sold fast and for top dollar. Let them know you work with an award-winning home stager. That can also eliminate any home staging questions your clients may ask. You can just tell your clients that you rely on and trust the advice of your home stager. If they need more information, refer them to OverlandParkHomeStaging.com.

Perhaps you aren’t in a position to pay for these services. Whether you pay or you let your client know that would be one of their expenses in preparing their home for the market, home staging shouldn’t be overlooked.

Home staging is one of the only 3 reasons a house is going to sell especially in a changing market. If you aren’t offering home staging services, or at least having a conversation about it, your competition is.

You have two options to choose from:

Home Staging Consultation

We walk through and around the house and create a punch list of to-dos for your clients of what should be done before the house comes on the market. This includes decluttering, depersonalizing, and rearranging their things.

This typically takes about one hour. Your clients will receive a follow-up email so they have a list to work from. The cost for this Home Staging Consultation is $75.

If rearrangement of furniture is necessary, it would be done in the next follow-up appointment.

Now to Wow Styling Session

After your clients complete their list of to-dos, we will come back and fine-tune things and put the finishing touches on their home. This is to prepare the home for the Photo Shoot. We always recommend professional photos as part of the Home Selling Process.

A Styling Session also prepares your clients for how their home needs to look for showings. They will realize that the way they live in their home and the way they sell their house are two different ways.

This session also takes about one hour. They can contact us directly when they are ready or you can schedule. This appointment should be booked a day or two before their Photo Shoot. The cost is $75.

Sometimes clients need complete room rearranging of their furniture which would happen at this appointment. Should this be necessary, most agents have their clients pay us directly for anything over our one-hour Styling Session. That fee is $75 per hour.

Why us?

Overland Park Home Staging offers home staging services for Realtors based on our real estate experience.

Melinda Bartling, Queen of Staging, and owner of Overland Park Home Staging is an award-winning home stager and one of the first stagers in the Kansas City area. She was formally trained in Chicago in 2006 by the lady that created the concept of Home Staging in 1973. By following the proven 10 Home Staging Guidelines for every home she stages, Melinda transforms homes from “Now to WOW!” She created her 7 little best-kept Home Staging Secrets that she uses on every house and other stagers only wish they knew.

She credits her success to understanding what buyers want in the house they buy. When you give the buyers what they want, they will buy the house faster and pay more money for it every time. That concept begins with the home staging and the way buyers feel when they enter a home. She knows buyers will make a decision about buying within 10 seconds of entering a home.

Melinda is considered to be a home staging expert and is often contacted for professional advice. She was regularly highlighted in The Kansas City Star and recently featured in an article in The New York Times, Dressing Your Home for Success. As a Realtor since 1987, she is also a 15-year recipient of The Five Star Professional Realtor Award in Kansas City.

How to schedule home staging services for Realtors

Either you or your clients can schedule.

To schedule your Home Staging Consultation ($75), Styling Session ($75), or both ($150), call or text Melinda at (913) 515-3250 or contact her here. Your payment verifies your appointment. Once payment is received, your appointment will be scheduled. Our Venmo is @MelindaBartling.

home staging services for realtors

We know you may need to reschedule your appointment for various reasons. Just let us know. We work on a very tight schedule. Should you cancel your appointment, no refund will be issued but a credit will be extended. This is the only way to keep our schedule full and allow us to get to everyone as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

10430 Garnett Street – SOLD!

LIVE MAINTENANCE FREE IN POPULAR MONTRACHET! You’ll love your private courtyard as you enter this 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath townhome that has it all & then some. From the cozy living room & throughout, it’s lightly lived in with loads of space and updates. Need extra storage? Walk up to huge floored 17×17 attic. Enjoy your morning coffee on cute balcony. Beautiful finishes, wood floors, roomy kitchen with granite, stainless appliances and breakfast bar. Finished lower level with 2nd fireplace, 3rd bath, plus lots of room for work and play. Walk out to patio! One year home warranty is provided by seller. Priced at $255,000! Call (913) 515-3250 to schedule a private showing or contact me here.

See the photo gallery here!

The Model Home Look

Every home buyer wants The Model Home Look in the house they are going to buy. If you are selling your home in Overland Park, it’s important for you to understand the concept and then know what to do to create it.

Why is The Model Home Look Important?

It’s important for you to adopt The Model Home Look because it draws more buyers to your home, so they fight over it and pay you more money for it. But in order to make more money, everything has to be just right. We call it The Goldilocks Effect.

In the residential resale real estate market, it’s the best way to drive your price up and secure multiple offers. Consequently, multiple offers mean more money to you. You do want more money don’t you?

Without The Model Home Look, you are taking your chances when listing your home for sale. You have one chance to make a first impression and if you get it wrong, it ultimately affects your home selling outcome. Furthermore, it affects how much money you will net when everything is said and done. You can bet the Model Home Look will make you a few thousand dollars extra. For that reason alone, it’s imperative you understand the process so you don’t miss out on that opportunity!

6 Ways to Get the Model Home Look

1. Walk across the street

2. Fix what’s wrong

3. Declutter

4. Depersonalize

5. Rearrange

6. Clean

6 Ways to Get the Model Home Look in Detail

First of all, grab a notebook and pen and walk across the street. Take a long hard look at your house. Put on your buyers’ hat and begin thinking like a home buyer. What do you see? Because you need to look closely and determine what you like, don’t like and what needs to change before your house comes on the market. Start your list of things to do. You will add to this list daily.

Fix what’s wrong…this includes updating, upgrading, painting, changing the carpet, etc. Whatever it takes is worth spending the money to be able to drive the price up with multiple offers. As a result, when you hire us, we will advise you what to spend money on that will be a great return on your investment.

Decluttering is the hardest of the 6 steps. First of all, rent a storage space close to your house. Get all of that “extra stuff” out of there. Now is the time to get rid of the things you don’t want to move to your next home. Throw it away, donate it, put it on the curb, sell it on Facebook Marketplace or move it to storage if you just can’t live without it. Knowing what to keep and what to get rid of is sometimes the hardest part. Remember the end goal is to create The Model Home Look. For that reason, we will help you specifically with what should stay and what should go for the perfect staging and styling of your home.

Depersonalizing is the second hardest step. You want to remove all family photos, sports memorabilia, hunting items, political things, collections, etc. Let your potential buyers see their things in your home. If Mrs. Buyer doesn’t like the moose head over the fireplace, you can bet, she won’t buy your home. Buyers only see what they see, not the way it’s going to be. As a result, you are creating a space for the buyers to call home and that means removing yourself from that scenario as much as possible. People love The Model Home Look because it is fresh, stylish and lacking when it comes to personal things.

And the Biggest Two…

Rearranging is your final step to prepare for your glamour shots and the one step that should be left to the professionals. Certainly, it’s the most important step there is in preparing your home for sale. The final rearrange and Staging and Styling Session is what will draw buyers into your home. You can do the rest of the steps on your own, but if you fail in this step, you can ruin your entire game plan. Consequently, you want to create the right flow of furniture and accessories that will allow your potential buyers to see themselves living in your home. The placement, as well as the angling of your things and the right flow is crucial in this final step before your professional photo shoot. Do not leave this step to chance.

Finally, clean everything thoroughly by hiring a professional cleaning crew to perform a deep clean including the interior and exterior of your home. This includes windows, carpet, floors, baseboards, switchplates, ceiling fans, appliances (inside and out), bathrooms, cob webs, front porch, walkway, driveway, patios and decks. Today’s buyers want clean. Above all else, a q-tip clean home will show better and sell faster every single time.

In Conclusion

If you do these 6 things, you will definitely be on your way to The Model Home Look. Consequently, homes that don’t sell right away, obviously lack these 6 steps.

At Melinda Bartling Real Estate and Home Staging, we provide you with a personalized written game plan of what you need to do to complete your Model Home Look. Even more, once you complete your tasks, we come back and create your best Now to WOW! Home Staging and Styling Session. Whether it takes us a couple of hours or a couple of days, our services are always complimentary when you list your home with us.

Remember, our average staged home sells in 3 days or less and most often for thousands of dollars over asking price. In addition, the industry average is well over 30 days from list date to contract date and the average home sells for less than asking price. The results you get will be determined by the Realtor you choose…so choose carefully.

Getting Started

If you want to create The Model Home Look, we would love to help you. Please call us at (913) 515-3250 or contact us here to schedule your FREE Home Selling Consultation.

Search the MLS

Download our new app and tap into our local Heartland MLS system just like the Realtors do. It’s free for you with up to the minute accuracy. You’ll know about a house as soon as it comes on the market! Download the app here.

Overland Park Latest Listings of Homes for Sale

Be sure to check out the newest, hottest new listings of homes for sale in Overland Park below. Call or text me at (913) 515-3250 when you see one you love! I’ll meet you there and we’ll take a look inside.

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(all data current as of 11/29/2023)

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

 
 

Real Estate and the Goldilocks Effect

What do real estate and the Goldilocks Effect have in common when selling your home in Overland Park? I always say, selling your home is simple – it’s just not easy. Everything has to be “just right.”

Another Happy Seller

As my Happy Seller, Gayle Krieger said, “selling your home is a mindset.”

“We were looking for a Realtor that had experience and also did home staging. Our daughter found Melinda online. I contacted Melinda initially to visit with us and look at our house to see what improvements to do for selling our home.

From our first visit we knew Melinda was the Realtor for us. She gave us some recommendations of improvements to do. The first thing was to get a mindset that we are selling a house not our home. When we were ready to list our home for sale, we called Melinda. She staged our home and told us she would sell it the first weekend. My husband was not a believer in being able to accomplish that but that’s exactly what happened! He is now a believer!”

Melinda was very prompt in answering emails, texts and phone calls. We were moving out of state and needed assistance with that portion of our move. Melinda called Realtors in our new location and interviewed them by asking all the right questions. She found us a great Realtor to work with to help us buy our next home. Needless to say, we really appreciated that and highly recommend Melinda.”

J and G Krieger

Is Your House for Sale Just Right?

Gayle and Jerry’s house definitely had the Goldilocks effect. When their house came on the market for sale, everything was “just right.” While I didn’t have to do much, I did bring in a few accessories to freshen up their look by staging and styling their home so it would appeal to the largest number of buyers. I stopped by the garden center on the way to their house and picked out a perfect arrangement that was “just right” to dress up their front porch.

Real Estate and the Goldilocks Effect

People always tell me I’m very stylish. My reply is, “if I can’t style myself, how can I style your home?” After all, home staging is all in the presentation – arranging and accessorizing your home until it’s “just right.” By focusing on your home, getting it “just right” and having a Home Selling Marketing Plan that works, I’m able to sell my homes within 3 days of coming on the market. That creates very Happy Sellers!

While I wish I could help everyone, the sellers I have helped have had great success. It starts with their mindset and my ability to create their Goldilocks Effect – making sure everything is “just right.” Remember, you have one chance to make a first impression when selling your home in Overland Park. Is your house “just right?”

If you are ready to create your Goldilocks Effect when selling your home in Overland Park, call (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.