BEST-SELLING author, entrepreneur and founder of national home staging firm Lemon and Lime Interiors Elaine Penhaul has announced the arrival of her second book ‘How To Sell Your House – The definitive guide to marketing your biggest capital asset’. The book will be available to buy on Amazon from Thursday 30 May – and available on Kindle for a limited-time price of 99p on launch day.
Written with home sellers in mind the book talks about how to create a compelling narrative for a listing so that viewers fall in love with a home before they’ve even walked through the door – while also pitching at the best price to attract the perfect buyer quickly.
Property professional Elaine said: “There are three distinct stages to selling a home: preparation, promotion and progression. This book focuses on the first two phases – good preparation relies heavily on the seller doing the work with strong advice from their chosen agent.
“The second stage, promotion, will largely be done by the agent with support from the seller. The third stage, progression, is usually done by the conveyancer to ensure the transition of sale in a timely manner.
“[In reading the book] Sellers will gain an understanding of basic marketing theory and how it applies to their sale. I explain the role of home staging, why you need professional photography, videography and a social media strategy to sell your home. Readers will also learn how to find the right estate agent to help them and I clarify the seller’s role as a key player on team ‘sell my house’.”
The book has been written to address the ever changing and challenging landscape of property marketing. The ways to sell a house changed dramatically following on from the global pandemic. There are cases where houses have been sold entirely online via videos, virtual tours and social media and, in extreme cases during the crisis, were even purchased without the buyers ever setting foot in the door. The marketing methods that were adapted and enhanced during this period are now being applied by good agents to achieve great sales for their clients.
On the sensitive subject of pricing a home, Elaine continued: “Estate agency, at least in some quarters, has become a ‘race to the bottom’, with agents willing to give a high valuation and offer a low fee just to get business. Agents and sellers are often at odds on the tricky subject of price, each blaming the other for not getting it right. Elaine offers clarity on how to make the decision of price and launch strategy to ensure that the maximum number of potential buyers see the house in the so-called golden window, the first two weeks after the launch onto the portals.
“This book will equip home sellers with the right knowledge to make better marketing choices and ask the right questions of their agent to ensure they receive the best preparation advice, negotiate the best price and secure fantastic promotion for their property. All of this will maximise their asset both in property value and speed to sale.”
With buyers today demanding decluttered, beautifully decorated spaces that are well captured visually it can also be tricky to know the investment needed before going to market, to gain the most return. Elaine helps readers to understand the marketing costs associated with achieving a great sale, discussing upfront costs for professional photos and video content as well as what should be considered a fair fee for a good estate agent.
Throughout the book Elaine unveils her best-kept secrets, including her bespoke ‘ADDRESS’ method to get the presentation right – assess, declutter, decorate, re-imagine, emphasise, stage, sell. This is a proven tactic her team uses to create an emotional connection for prospective buyers upon first viewing. She also highlights the role of digital marketing especially aimed at sellers who last sold before Instagram, TikTok or Facebook became an essential part of the marketing journey.
In 2023, the properties staged and sold by Lemon & Lime averaged just 15 days on the market before achieving a first acceptable offer. On average homes staged by Lemon and Lime sold four times faster and often achieved offers higher than the original asking value. In the UK, The Home Staging Association reports that non-staged properties stay on the market for an average of 99 days, compared to 41 days for staged homes.
Elaine added: “My book fills the gap when it comes to communicating all the things a seller needs in their toolbox to maximise their sale in today’s property market.”
Published by Re:Think Press, ‘How To Sell Your House’ is available to purchase via Amazon from Thursday 30 May. The Kindle edition will be available for just 99p on a limited day-offer.
If you want to learn more about home staging please visit www.lemonandlimeinteriors.co.uk or contact the team on 01332 987 740.