"You had me at hello"--Will Your Home Get the 8.2 Second Look?

Did you know that according to a recent study when a man gazes at a woman for 8.2 seconds or more the first time he sees her, he rates that woman as highly attractive--raising the odds of love at first sight? And on the other end of the spectrum, if the man's gaze lasts for 4.5 seconds or less, it means that the man is not interested in that woman and indicates he did not consider her good-looking enough.

Think a similar theory holds true for prospective buyers checking out your house? Absolutely! Whether it's 10 seconds, 13 seconds or 22 seconds, real estate experts agree you have a very short time to captivate potential buyers and entice them to keep looking. Before the rise of the internet as the primary first search avenue for home buyers, you could focus on your curb appeal to get a prospective buyer in the door. But now that more than 85% of prospective buyers start their home search online, curb appeal is only one part of the complete package you need to sell your house for best price and in the shortest time possible.

The "attractiveness" of your home must be clearly evident in the photos and virtual tour that constitute most buyers' first look at your home if you want to make sure it isn't their last. In a matter of less than 30 seconds, a prospective buyer can view each room of your home and decide whether your home makes the cut or not. If the buyer is looking at your listing, it most likely already meets their basic criteria (location, price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, etc.). But those characteristics alone will not be enough to ensure your property makes their "must see!" list. Your home will need to make an emotional connection with your prospective buyer, allowing them to see how they can live comfortably and happily in your home.

So what's the most effective way to ensure you're making the most of your home's potential appeal? Investing in professional staging will help you significantly increase the "attractiveness" factor of your property. By helping you highlight your home's best features, maximize the flow through the space, depict each area's function clearly, and evoke a good connection emotionally, a professional stager's assistance will turn your home into a showplace that will captivate your potential buyers both online and in person.

So will your home rate the "8.2 second look"? Make the most of your home's brief opportunity to make that first impression--love at first sight. And that will give you the best chance for a lasting relationship--an accepted offer from a buyer thrilled to be making your house their home. Stage your home to its best potential and your buyer will be thrilled to say, "Oh, yes, you had me at hello!"

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Mary Fasnacht of Feels Like Home Interiors helps home sellers in Washington County, PA and the surrounding Pittsburgh area prepare their homes to make the best possible impression in today's challenging market. Please visit her website or call her at (724) 884-7148 to find out more about how she can make a difference for your home or listings .

To read more about this new male/female attractiveness study go to the March 25, 2009 article by Elena Gorgan, Life and Style editor for Softpedia.

Feels Like Home Interiors ~ Our Staging Portfolio

Feels Like Home Interiors is a Pittsburgh-based company offering a variety of customized home staging and redesign services to meet the widely varying needs of our clients. Based on your specific situation, we will tailor a solution that works best with your goals and budget.

Here are a few before and after photos of our staging showing how we use Stage to Sell! Strategies to focus on a home's best features and to help create an emotional connection with the widest range of buyers getting you from "for sale" to "SOLD!"

Master Bedroom Magic

This empty bedroom makes it difficult for a buyer

to picture how the space would function for them.

Appropriate furnishings, luxury bedding, simple decor, and

good lighting turn this bedroom into a master suite a buyer will love.

Dream Deck

An average backyard deck.

A dream deck effectively staged so buyers will easily picture themselves relaxing on summer afternoons or inviting friends over for a cookout.

Delectable Dining Room

This dining room feels a bit crowded and outdated.

Updating the lighting and simplifying the decor make this room feel more spacious and current.

Lovely Living Room

Too many collectibles and outdated window treatments distract the potential buyer.

Updated window treatments and decor show off this living room.

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Here's what some of our clients are saying:

Stage to Sell!

"Thanks to Feels Like Home Interiors' staging assistance we sold our home quickly and easily. Mary saw our house with fresh eyes-something I was simply unable to do living there-and saw so many things I would never have noticed or thought of. She did a fantastic job of looking at our home from the buyer's perspective and making clear, specific recommendations that highlighted our home's selling features. Working with what we already owned, she helped us depersonalize our décor, improve the flow and feeling of spaciousness in the rooms, and appear move-in ready to our prospective buyers.

"If you are looking for help in staging your home to sell, I highly recommend Mary Fasnacht and Feels Like Home Interiors."

~~ Rachel Dalbo

"Mary Fasnacht is the reason my house sold within two (2) weeks! I lived in an older home that was OK but she made it look fantastic. Using mainly items I already owned, Mary turned my house into a warm and inviting HOME. I couldn’t believe the difference! Neither could my realtor – she came out & re-photographed the transformed rooms.

"Mary has a unique gift. She is able to balance home décor with lifestyle. My home looked terrific but was still user friendly for us and our young children. The rooms which were redecorated reflected our personal taste but didn’t appear too stuffy or “over-done”. Her refreshing style made our older items look current but not trendy.

"I highly recommend Mary Fasnacht. Her attention to detail is outstanding. All of her customers are sure to be pleased. My only regret is not using Mary’s skills earlier!"

~Crystal Aucoin

Stage to Stay!

"Mary’s assistance in creating our living room was fabulous! She was able to come into the space and see elements and opportunities that we had not considered. Her patient, kind and diplomatic communication style was a pleasure to work with. She was able to guide and assist in the decision making process without ever “stepping on our toes”. She brought creative and unique ideas to the space, while always being aware of our budget. Mary was marvelous at finding items from other areas of our house to complete the space. She has a wonderful talent for bringing “fresh eyes” into a home and graciously and diplomatically communicating improvements. I look forward to the time when I can have Mary’s help again!!"

~Erin Springman

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To find out more about how Feels Like Home Interiors can help you easily transform your home into one that will appeal to the most buyers and get you from "for sale" to "SOLD!" please visit us at http://www.feelslikehomeinteriors.com/ .