The Staging Life: Staging while sheltering at home

By Nan Johnston, The Staging Life

These are serious days and no matter if you had your home on the market already or were planning to get it on the market before school was release for the summer, you still have a home to sell.

How do you prepare a home to sell while sheltering in place?

There is good news! Governor Kemp and The City of Newnan, has deemed Real Estate Services, essential!  You are still able to have showings if you were already on the market.  Agents are wearing protective mask, gloves and shoe coverings during showings in order to keep your home germ free as well as themselves.  You can still obtain a contract.  Mortgages are still available and closing attorneys are able to close without meeting at their offices.   

If you were preparing to go on market and feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you, you can still go ahead and list, just be prepared to be flexible about how this is going to happen. Some realtors are listing properties via video meetings, some are actually going to the houses. It’s all about being flexible.

I have started having video staging consultations with agents and sellers and although it’s totally different than how we are used to conducting our business, it is working.  Sellers still have a plan of action once the video conference is over, they know they can reach out to us with questions, photos, whatever they need and if it’s possible for us to help them without endangering them, ourselves or our loved ones, we do it!

While you are sheltering at home it’s a great time to de-clutter, touch up areas that needed work, or repaint, pressure wash, all types of task that need to be done when preparing a home to sell,  If you need someone to do the work for you, some contractors are ready to come help you.

We are all in this together!  It can still work with flexibility!

Wash your hands, stay home and thank your health care workers, first responders, store clerks, restaurant biz and whoever else is risking their safety for our comfort.

For video staging consultations during the Shelter In Place phase, contact Nan at [email protected].

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Nan Johnston is a professional home staging consultant from Newnan with over 30 years experience in the real estate industry. Check out her website for some interesting before and after photos at www.southern-staging.com.