Home staging expert shares selling secrets in new book

Home staging expert Elaine Penhaul has used her expertise to pen a new book on how to present a home for sale.

Penhaul,  founder of home staging firm Lemon and Lime Interiors has published ‘How To Sell Your House – The definitive guide to marketing your biggest capital asset’. 

It is her second book and addresses 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.

She 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.”
The hope is sellers will gain an understanding of basic marketing theory and how it applies to their sale.

Penhaul added: “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’.”

On the sensitive subject of pricing a home, Penhaul added: “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.”

Penhaul aims to offer 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.

She added: “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. Penhaul 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 she reveals her best-kept secrets, including her bespoke ‘ADDRESS’ method to get the presentation right – assess, declutter, decorate, re-imagine, emphasise, stage, sell. 

In 2023, the properties staged and sold by Lemon & Lime averaged just 15 days on the market before achieving a first acceptable offer, the brand said.

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.

Penhaul 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.”

The recommended retail price is £16.99 for paperback and £5.99 for a Kindle version.

The book is already on the Amazon bestseller list for real estate:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Sellers-Real-Estate/zgbs/digital-text/362210031