Selling a Lifestyle, Not Just a House

As a seller you may think that the new roof you just had installed and your energy-efficient furnace will help sell your home. While those updated items certainly do help, there is a certain psychology to getting buyers to place an offer.  Studies show you need to invest a little in some staging items that set the tone for the lifestyle that your house will provide—items you should not skimp on.

In a 2007 study, researchers found that people’s enjoyment of wine increased in relation to what they were told the wine cost, even when it wasn’t actually expensive. People like to connect with a level of luxury style and quality. It makes them love something more, be it wine, or your home.

The research is in and the facts say that you are actually selling a lifestyle, not just a house. Think of your home as the luxury, brand-name product, and all of the other houses on a buyer’s list as the generic version.  You might all offer the same basic features; three bedrooms, walk in closets, large master bath and large deck that overlooks the back yard. However, by adding feelings of luxury to the home here and there, you create desire in the buyers’ mind to obtain it for themselves.

Now you are probably wonder what are these little finishing touches you can add that take your home to the next level?

Here are few staging suggestions:

• Luxury candles, bath salts and super fluffy towels in your master bathroom will help recreate the feeling of a spa.
• Bedspreads and fluffy throw pillows that look like you are staying at a luxury inn can transform an average looking bedroom into a place where buyers want to kick off their shoes and stay.
• A fancy wine decanter on the kitchen island with a couple of beautiful wine glasses make it feel like this is home where the owners relax over a fine wine and great conversation.
• A few comfortable, luxurious chairs or a quality porch swing on the outdoor deck create the feeling of an outdoor oasis. Buyers love outdoor living spaces and the more luxurious it feels, the better.

There are several discount stores like HomeGoods or Marshalls that offer fancy, brand-name items like those bath salts or top-of-the-line bed linen sets at a reasonable price.  Shop around and search for sales but some well-placed luxury items can completely change the image your home projects to buyers.

In an article in Psychology Today, decision making and emotions are inescapably intertwined. Buying a home is as much an emotional decision as a logic-based choice. When you make you home trigger that positive, desired emotional response in a buyer, they are more likely to place an offer to buy.