HOME STAGING

Home Staging prepares houses specifically for sale to sell for top dollar in the least amount of time by maximizing cosmetic and emotional appeal to the broadest range of buyers.  Staged homes focus buyers on the house, not the contents in the house.  Starting in 1972 on the west coast, houses there are now routinely staged for sale. The practice slowly has been gaining popularity in the east.

Staging is a proven marketing advantage.  An excerpt from a Denver Post report on July 27, 2004 stated:  In 1999 and 2002, Joy Valentine, a CA broker, surveyed ~3,000 homes in all price ranges. Both times, on average, staged homes sold in about half the time and for more money, often tens of thousands of dollars, as their non-staged counterparts. According to real estate guru Barbara Corcoran, home staging can raise your selling price anywhere from 5 to 20 percent.  It’s an investment that pays for itself and costs far less than a price reduction.

   
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The instant a house goes on the market, it becomes just a commodity for sale -- no longer your home filled with precious memories. Sellers must be detached and objective about how their homes appear to buyers.  Very few can.  If you cannot, it’s important to work with a home stager. Buyers do not want to see how you live in the house; they need to envision how they would live there.  Do not expect them to imagine how it could look.  If the owner's presence is too strong, they can't form that picture.

   
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The way one lives in a home and sells it should be very different. Staged homes are arranged very differently than for everyday living. Unlike interior design, which reflects the owner's style, home staging neutralizes the owner's taste to appeal to the most buyers. First impressions, starting with curb appeal, are critical. Outside, buyers decide in 8 seconds if they like a house. Inside, it’s 10 to 15 minutes. Does your house quickly capture buyers’ hearts and imaginations?

   
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A client relayed one of his house-hunting experiences. Seeing one that he liked from the outside, he went inside for a closer look. Teddy bears were everywhere, even piled along the stairway. He literally and figuratively couldn't get past all the bears.and left...quickly!

   
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About the Process

The process starts with a thorough tour of the house, inside and out.  Seeing through the buyers' eyes, I point out major and minor cosmetic drawbacks that buyers will notice -- and mentally deduct from your asking price. Next, basic recommendations are made which may include things like decluttering, neutralizing and making repairs. Working together, we can make all, many or some of the changes, which simply may involve different placement of your things. Unfortunately too many people mistakenly think that completes the process.  For the best result, staging must go beyond the basics. 

To give your house the WOW! factor to command top dollar, the last critical step is what I call the “final staging touches.” Furniture and accessories are strategically placed to accentuate the home’s look and feel, maximize square footage and focus buyers on what you’re selling -- the house. Emotion-stirring vignettes, created in every room to draw in buyers, will capture their hearts and imaginations.  The result is strong emotional appeal that engages buyers and invokes images of how they would live there. Without the ability to form that picture and feel an emotional connection, buyers walk away and those opportunities are lost.  These vignettes distinguish your house from the competition. Avoiding this step can be a costly mistake!

   
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Fun Fact:

First-impression improvements (e.g., decluttering closets) is one of the smartest ways to sell a house faster and for a better price, according to the New York State Association of Realtors.

   
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Return on Investment

Home staging is an investment in a proven marketing strategy to distinguish a house from comparable properties. If home staging improvements result in a high selling price, the house sells quickly, there is minimal inconvenience to keep it in "show" condition, and/or there are not two mortgages and sets of expenses when a new house is purchased before the current house sold, wouldn't you consider staging a good return on your investment?

Example:  An Organized Approach^SM staged a home that was the last of five listed for sale in a development. Multiple offers quickly were received, the house sold in two weeks at 98% of the full asking price -- in a buyers’ market -- and the buyer had looked at 52 houses! Weeks later the other homes had not sold and some had price reductions. Staging was credited by the seller and Realtor for the quick and profitable result.

Homes in every price range and in any housing marketl benefit from staging -- to sell faster in slow markets and for even more money in hot markets.

Home staging improvements depend on several factors. Maybe just some decluttering and minor cosmetic enhancements are needed.  Sometimes help from a handyman, painter or other trade is necessary. You say how much or little you want to do.  A plan can be designed to fit any budget.

   
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For more information on home staging, see related articles on the Articles page. 

Testimonials

"Thank you for the excellent job you did in staging my house. I [should] have sought out your assistance before I put my house on the market. I lost several potential buyers by waiting. It showed off as a much more spacious house after we made the changes you recommended. Shortly after staging, we received our first offer--by then the house had been on the market for almost 4 months."

Caroline McVitty

"I am thrilled with everything you did to stage my home for sale!  My house looks so much better.  I love the minimalist appearance and plan to keep the same look when I move to my new house!  My Realtor said it shows better than the other homes for sale in the development. I received multiple offers, it sold in 19 days at almost full asking price and the buyers had looked at 52 homes!"  [Note: Hers was the last of five homes to be listed for sale and sold in two weeks for 98% of the full asking price in a buyers' market.  Weeks later the others hadn't sold and some had price reductions. Staging was credited by the seller and Realtor for the quick and profitable result.]

Karen Gibson

"Before putting my $1.3M house on the market, I called An Organized Approach for Home Staging services.  Adriane and I carefully went through each room.  Seeing through a potential buyer's eyes, she noticed every detail. [An Organized Approach's] home-staging services has [sic] improved my house's first impression to attract buyers' attention and ultimately increased my home value. Now I feel confident that my home will be presented in its best possible appearance to potential buyers which will bring the best result in selling my home."

Im Ja Choi
Top-producing Realtor

-- ATTENTION REALTORS --

Unlike you, sellers cannot see the minor flaws and major drawbacks. But you know that buyers see them -- and will make a low offer to compensate or look elsewhere. Ask yourself:

• Can buyers get beyond the clutter?

• Can buyers look past the owner's style to see what you're really selling -- the house?

• Do you spend too much time telling sellers how to get their homes ready to show, time that could be better spent generating income?

• Are your sellers' houses prepared properly before marketing materials, especially photos, are created?

An Organized Approach^SM will partner with you to stage your listings. Using a unique combination of home staging and organizing skills, that all-important first, and lasting, impression will be created. Home staging is a value-added service for you to use or refer to your sellers.

STAGE IT, SELL IT!^SM

No guarantee is made or implied that home staging will sell houses faster or for more money. No one can guarantee a future result, staged home or not.