A recent article about how to merchandise products in a retail store prompted me to apply the writer's five home selling tips to merchandising a for-sale home. In the article, the writer discussed merchandising basics that all merchandisers, or in our case, home sellers, should adhere to. Like merchandise, a for-sale home should at least be clean, well lit and appropriately arranged. But true visual merchandising goes deeper. Good merchandisers, the writer suggested, will entice, impact, inspire, identify and add-on.
In retail, enticing means creating attractive window displays that entice people to walk into the store. For home sellers, enticing equates to creating curb appeal that makes buyers excited about walking into the home.
Making an impact in retail means showing the merchandise in a way that prevents potential customers from walking into a store and then leaving soon after they arrive without buying anything. Making an impact in home selling means making home buyers feel comfortable. This goal is accomplished by creating an experience that makes buyers want to stay a while and remember the home. Create an impact by using appropriate lighting, smells that remind home buyers of home-cooked meals, organization that makes buyers think they could be as well organized if only they owned this house, a comfortable temperature, music to create a mood and anything else that relaxes buyers and makes them want to live in the home.
Inspiring someone in retail means making potential buyers feel like the product being sold will fit into their everyday life. Inspiring home buyers means making them feel like they can't wait to live in the home. Staging a home to make it attractive to buyers is perhaps the best way to inspire buyers. That means grouping furniture appropriately, putting place settings on the table, making bathrooms feel like spas and so much more.
Making products identifiable means giving buyers all the information they need to make an informed decision about the product and buying process. In retail, it is crucial to satisfy the needs of a fast-paced buying market. In home selling, sellers should organize the house in a logical way, present a pre-inspection report, leave out appliance manuals, write a narrative about the neighbors, local shops and neighborhood, and do whatever else is necessary to help buyers quickly feel comfortable about their decision to buy the home.
In retail, finding appropriate add-ons means figuring out what else could be sold with each product to generate extra revenue. In home selling, add-ons could be extra shelving, new carpet or repairs that already have been made, so the home buyers needn't think about all the chores they will have to do once they move into the home. These add-ons help home sellers get the highest price possible for their home.
Home sellers can learn a lot from the way retailers merchandise their products. To turn inventory as quickly and for as high a price as possible, it is crucial to make a positive impression, demonstrate how smoothly the buying process will be and make buyers feel good about their buying decision.
