Yes, if you're in the business of showing houses to eager buyers, you've definitely come across many homes that don't quite live up to their gorgeous pictures. It wasn't that long ago that I saw a commercial on TV about a cream that you could put on your face...and your wrinkles disappear for 8 hours...add onto that a pair of Spanx...and you can transform yourself into a modern day Cinderella...looking 10 years younger and 15 lbs slimmer for that special date or event....but...alas...in the morning, reality sets in and those wrinkles have reappeared and the pounds are still there. 

The same holds true for your home. Your house is a reflection of who you really are, but when it comes time to sell, it's important to note that we live in the "HGTV" era...and buyers have spent countless hours in front of the TV watstaged livingroomching professional designers decorate, stage and morph the ordinary home with that "lived in" look to a show stopping, perfect home. When they're finished watching "Love It or List It"...they head over to "Holmes on Homes" for their home inspection education. Combine it all..and you've got very high expectations and information overload at it's best.

"Over the next couple months I will be featuring Guest Bloggers' from the Staging and Inspection industries to shed more light on both of these subjects. At this time I'd like to introduce Rachel Vanderveen of Centre Staging in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Rachel is both a licensed Realtor and a Home Stager and I know you'll find her approach to home staging refreshing, livable and affordable! Vist Centre Staging"

The pressure to display the perfect home ends up falling on the shoulders of the Listing Agent, who as a representative for the Seller, wants to generate as many potential buyers as possible and ultimately produce a "Sold" sign. Just like the personal makeover shows...where the woman goes in looking 50...gets her face dipped in "smooth it out" and her body crammed into a narrow band of lycra...shaving 15 years off of her appearance, spot cleaning and staging for pictures can have the same deceptive affect.  It's great for the moment...but it just never lasts!

In this day and age, pictures are key to marketing a home, but they can actually be detrimental if they do not portray the real goods. The pressure is on the Buyer's Agent to show his or her clients the perfect home. Enticed by a series of glorious photo's, the Agent and Clients race to the house only to be met with shear disappointment. As an Agent, all you can say is "Gee...it sure looks better in the pictures!" The house may be in the perfect location for the Buyers and it may have all the amenities they need, but it's certainly not the home portrayed online...the house the Buyers thought they were coming to see.

So, how do you prevent this?

Sparkling Laundry Room1) The necessity of cleanliness. This is the most important aspect for all people selling. Your house must sparkle for every showing...not just the pictures. Do whatever necessary to make this easy for yourself. Make a cleaning schedule, hire a cleaning lady for a short time, only allow showings at certain times, pack up stuff so you don't have to clean it...do whatever it takes. After almost 3 decades of showing houses I can tell you that Buyers have a keen eye for your dirt and grime and if they find it, they may strike your house off their list, or discount the price! Under the range hood, in the oven, on the ceiling fans, around the toilet, the side of the bathtub, under your sinks, up against your baseboards, beside your appliances and on your doors and the walls going up the side of your stairs.

2) Realistic pictures. Get your house ready for it's photo shoot...and keep it looking that way. There's always favorable angles for taking pictures, but make sure those pictures properly reflect your home.  

3) Work with what you have. Most people have more than enough "stuff" in their home to stage it effectively....the problem is it's just not displayed in the most flattering manner.

There are very few homes that are "List" ready...meaning that they could be evaluated, listed, photographed and shown all in the same day, primarily because there are people living there! The trick is to make your home picture perfect and still livable!. A good Agent knows this and will work with their clients every step of the way. It may take a day, a week or a month to get the "For Sale" sign up. With a keen eye, they will tell you what's good, bad...and or ugly. Even though many Sellers think that Buyers will be able to "see past" things, the truth is they don't.

Take your time to give your house a complete and thorough cleaning, set it up so you can keep it looking like the pictures and you'll be well on your way to getting the most money...in the shortest length of time...with the least amount of stress!