When you’re thinking of selling your home, this question might be on your mind, with a chicken-and-egg kind of quandry!

Calling your Realtor first will give you the information you need as far as pricing and comparables are concerned, helping you out with budget considerations. Contacting a Home Stager will help you get on the right track to properly prepare your home for today’s real estate market. Sometimes this can even influence your Realtor’s opinion on the value of your property! (No joke.)

That being said, some Realtors now work with Home Stagers, and even include a Pre-Market Consultation in their listing services. So, why pay for this yourself ahead of time? At GreenApple, we work with those forward thinking Real Estate Professionals, and can recommend one to you in your area.

The biggest mistake home owners make in the area of timing is not starting the process soon enough. Getting your home ready takes longer than most people allow.

So often we are called by home owners who want an appointment today, because they need to get on the market by Friday. Unfortunately, it’s just not possible to get any home prepared in this short of a time frame! Why? Because we don’t live in our homes the same way that we need to sell them.

The standard in selling a home today is to have it look like a “showhome”. Merchandised, like any product for sale. Buyers want move-in ready, and don’t want to do your little fix-ups any more than you do. (Interestingly, more people put more effort into detailing their cars when they sell them, than their homes!) Ideally, getting a pre-market consultation done two months ahead of your projected list date, gives you ample time to get all those little jobs done at a do-able pace.

So who should you call first? Call a Realtor who works with a Home Stager (and professional photographer!) for the best marketing plan . . . or a Home Stager who works with many Realtors. Either way, you’ll get the best of both worlds.