Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah's Blog

Do Realtors like the idea of virtual / conceptual staging?

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:05:55 -0800

I've heard a lot of opinions about virtual / conceptual home staging from home stagers. But I am curious what realtors think about it. Virtual / conceptual home staging is basically taking a photo of a vacant room and photoshopping in furniture and accessories to give an idea of what it could look like staged.

Would you, the Realtor, suggest this type service to your seller?

Do you think it is decieving?

Just curious of the thoughts from fellow Realtors out there!

Free virtual staged room!

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:41:13 -0800

So what's the deal with all this controversy about "virtual/conceptual" staging? What is virtual staging, you might ask? It is taking pictures of vacant homes and using photoshop or some other software to add photos of furnishings in the home to make it appear staged.

Is it ethical? I believe it is ethical and not deceiving as long as the person looking at the photo knows, one way or another, that it has been virtually staged. It's all about disclosure. And as long as nothing has been changed to the home like wall colors, counter-tops, or light fixtures etc.

Benefits:

1. It's very inexpensive.

2. It gives a visual that is needed when selling a vacant home,

3. It's a great way to talk a seller into going forward with actual staging, since they can actually see what it might look like before hand.

So what do you think? Are you willing to accept the new, and embrace the future or would you rather try and stop it from becoming mainstream, if it isn't too late?

For the people who are embracing the future, please e-mail a picture of one vacant room in your current listing and I will be selecting 10 photos to give away free virtual/conceptual staged photo! bellastager@gmail.com

www.bellastaginganddesign.com

Is the obnoxious neighbor keeping your listing from selling?

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:51:58 -0800

So what's a sellers agent to do?

I kept wondering why my listing that had been completely remodeled and was priced below market value wasn't getting any offers in spite of many showings! Come to find out, that the obnoxious neighbor, of my listing, is telling every agent and potential buyer that the can catch showing it, lies about the home and previous owners, trying to talk them out of wanting to buy!!! He works the graveyard shift and has enjoyed a few months of no kids playing in the back yard during his sleeping hours since my sellers have already moved out.

Has this type situation happened to anyone else? As an agent do I have any recourse against this neighbor who is affecting my business because he wants the home to stay vacant and free of children playing during the day?

Any ideas or thoughts would be helpful! Thanks!

Defining spaces

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:30:28 -0800

This condo was already darling, but it was one great room with no defined areas, so we brought in smaller scale furniture and layed out a dining area and seating area for the family room! We also added some extra lighting, because even though there was great natural light in the day, the nighttime needed to show just as well! I now have a new camera so my future pics should be better than these!

Hiring others to help you sell

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:59:29 -0700

I have come across Realtors who feel "inadequate" if they can't tell their sellers everything a stager should know. My personal opinion is that way of thinking is harming you and your business. As a licensed Realtor you are not necessarily a home stager. Your job is to list the home and come up with effective marketing to sale the home. There is nothing wrong with getting advice and opinions from others who are professionals in their area. Don't be afraid to bring on other professionals, such as home stager's or photographers to help you do your job to the highest caliber. Take pride in knowing you have time to focus on what your job is and you can delegate the rest to others. Besides isn't it nice knowing you have a professional photographer to do your photos so you know they will turn out great! The same goes for staging. There are tricks of the trade and a good professional stager has the time and the resources to get the job done and get it done right! Also, when you build relationships with other proffesionals in your area a lot of times you can get discounts on these services to pass on to your clients making you look even better and your client that much happier!

Why should I hire a professional home stager?

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:40:26 -0700

The article below is written by Debra Gould who I was trained by and look up to as a mentor in the staging business. If you or a client has considered staging but need a few more reasons to finally decide to take that crucial step to sell your home, keep on reading and I think you'll understand the importance! If you need a stager in Utah contact Bethany Poole with Bella Staging and Design, bethany@bellsatginganddesign.com (801) 688-7026 www.bellastaginganddesign.com

"Why Hire a Professional Home Stager?

There are lots of simple things homeowners can do on their own to decorate their

homes to sell. They can get rid of clutter, repaint, clean or put out fresh flowers. So why

hire a home stager?

Many homeowners are unsure of what paint colors to choose or where to move the

clutter. The process of selling a home can be completely overwhelming. They often lack

real estate knowledge about their local markets and how homes in their price range

should look.

A home stager has the ability to look at a home with a fresh pair of eyes. They view the

home as a highly critical buyer would see it. Home staging expert Debra Gould provides

five examples of how a professional home stager can benefit you:

1. A home stager knows what's needed to create the right environment quickly and

at the lowest cost.

2. A home stager knows what homes in different price ranges look like and what's

selling. They will give homeowners suggestions that their real estate agent may

be afraid to offer because the agent does not want to risk losing the listing.

3. A home stager is not emotionally attached to any of the home's contents, which

means that they can see the home in a way that someone who has been living

there for years simply cannot. Using their fresh vision, they recommend the

optimal way to rearrange existing furniture, art and accessories.

4. A home stager can quickly choose new paint colors, flooring, tiles, countertops or

any number of finishes. They have a ready source of painters, cleaners,

handymen, off-site storage and a myriad of other services that may be needed

on short notice.

5. A home stager can bring in replacement furniture, accessories and art if what is

there isn't appropriate for the home's target market or the home is empty.

Home staging is not just for multimillion dollar homes. Even for modest homes, staging

can have a dramatic effect on the selling price and the number of days spent on the

market. For example, one of the homes Gould staged had previously been on the

market for months with the best offer being $350,000. She spent 90 minutes with the

owner rearranging the furniture, putting items in storage and telling him what needed to

be cleaned. He sold the house the following week for $361,000!

How many other (legal) ways can you think of to invest $600 and get an $11,000 return

on your investment the following week?"

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and

creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has staged

hundreds of homes and uses her expertise to train others worldwide. Visit her at

www.stagingdiva.com and www.sixelements.com

Written by internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®,

Clear the clutter!

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:23:04 -0700

I've been studying the basics of Feng Shui (fungshway) to see how it might impact the sell of your home or listing. In the little bit I know about it so far, there are some things that could have a huge affect, for example cutter. Clearing clutter is one of the basic rules of staging and makes a world of difference not only to the seller living in the home, but for potential buyers. Have you ever noticed a difference in your thinking abilities when your office is cluttered compared to when it's clean? Have you ever noticed a more restfull sleep when your bedroom is clean? Well the same types pf feelings are there when a stranger enters your home for the first time. Do you want them to feel welcome thinking they can picture themselves living happy there? Or a first impression of chaos, thinking only about the sellers and their cluttered living habits, or about the changes they will need to make to the home before they could live happy there. Some people may even think the house has been poorly maintained. Not the thoughts you want from a potential buyer, especially if you are hoping for top dollar. So do yourself a favor and start clearing the clutter! Don't let it be a factor on how much someone is willing to pay for your home or listing!Make them want to live there now and be willing to pay top dollar to get it!

TIPS: you can find all sorts of de-cluttering and organizing tips on websites like HGTV.com or take it one step further and hire a pro-organizer or home stager in your area.

Staged homes sell fast!

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:03:34 -0700

So this home was staged and it sold after 30 days on the market! Just look at the before and after difference in the photos and you can see for yourself why staging really works!

The walls were painted a more nuetral color, the counters were re-done with granite tiles and the large cabinet was removed over the island to give the kitchen a more open feeling. They also replaced the appliances with stainless steel.

The family room had a nice color on the walls, but not appealing to the masses, so we toned it down again to a more neutral color, cleared out the clutter and staged it with rental furniture to give it a calming feeling.

Again by toning down the paint color, adding the same black granite tiles like in the kitchen, cleaning up clutter and adding inviting accessories this bathroom looks new and nice!

Is it time to update your office?

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:03:22 -0700

Above is the before picture of the re-design of this apartment complex rental office. Below is the after. Quite a difference, and on a pretty small budget! It will be completley finished when the vertical blinds are replaced with 2"wood blinds the rug for the seating area arrives, and the decorative molding below the the chair rail is installed. When your office looks good, you feel good in it and your clients enjoy it too! Which office would you be more relaxed in and ready to write up that offer?

How to get your seller to stage...

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:46:19 -0800

Is it just me or do occupied home owners have a hard time doing what they need to do in order to sell their home? It boggles my mind that after spending an hour or two in a paid staging consultation, going over in detail what needs to be done in order to sell their home and they just don't do it. I am bothered for many reasons on this issue because...

1. The home usually doesn't sell if they don't prepare it.

2. The consultation is a waste of everyones time and money. Don't get me wrong I love getting paid for a consultation, but I'd rather not do it if the owner won't follow through on the action plan.

3. It makes me as a stager look bad as well as the Realtor who couldn't sell the house.

So here are a few positive solutions that have been working...

1. Have the seller pay for the staging and/or consultation. When the agent pays for it the seller doesn't appreciate the value.

2. If you have the seller pay for it, you the agent can opt to reimburse your client at closing rather than cutting your commission a percentage and paying for it out of your pocket.

3. Don't just do a consultation, do a working consultation. It costs more, but instead of just leaving the seller with an action plan they have to execute themselves, the stager spends at least 4 hours going from room to room actually staging. We do things like furniture re-arranging, packing items that need to go in storage and knowing the seller is relieved to have these things done!

Any other good ideas out there?...or I am I the only one dealing with this issue?

Be grateful in 2009

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:36:26 -0800

So I am a big fan of "the secret". There are several levels to "the secret" , but today I was thinking alot about the gratitude part. "The secret" suggests you be grateful for all that you now have and the things you know that you will have. The more gratitude you feel the more things you will attract to feel grateful for. What better time than now to be grateful for our thriving businesses in this down market and for our talents, or current and future jobs, just to name a few things to be grateful for in our lives! So if you feel you are struggling or just having a bad day, sit down and take a moment to find things that you are grateful to have now! I promise you will feel better in general, and whether or not you believe in "the secret" at least you can change your focus to something positive and feel good about it!

Just a little side note, I have heard a lot of people who watched the movie "the secret" and didn't like it. I personally prefer the book over the movie. So if you saw the movie and weren't quite sure, I recommend getting the book. I love being able to open it where ever I am and find that inspiration or that little reminder to get me thinking good thoughts!

Staging in 2009

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:18:19 -0800

Happy New Year!

It's always so exciting to start a new year! New things to look forward to, new goals to achieve, new life experiences to go through. I have decided that this year is going to be wonderful! The current market conditions are inspiring me to get out there and educate more people on the benefits of staging. Staging works. It helps to sell homes faster! We all know it doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars to benefit from home staging. Not selling your home or your listing WILL cost you thousands of dollars though. Lets help educate homeowners so they will choose to stage in 2009!~

Staging in 2009

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:22:16 -0800

Happy New Year!

It's always so exciting to start a new year! New things to look forward to, new goals to achieve, new life experiences to go through. I have decided that this year is going to be wonderful! The current market conditions are inspiring me to get out there and educate more people on the benefits of staging. Staging works. It helps to sell homes faster! I challenge you to try staging on one of your listings, or maybe your own home. You will be amazed too! Find a stager who will work with your budget. It doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars to benefit from home staging. Not selling your home or your listing WILL cost you thousands of dollars though. Become educated and help yourself and your sellers out, choose to stage in 2009!~

"the secret" challenge

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:06:26 -0800

So I first heard about "the secret" over a year ago on Oprah. It is a sort of self help way of living and a belief that what you think creates an energy and in turn becomes your life. So if you can learn to control your thoughts and keep them positive you can achieve anything, partially because your thoughts often times turn into your actions as well as the positive energy you put out attracting those things you desire to yourself. On Oprah they talked about vision boards. A vision board is basically like a visual goal board of pictures and words expressing your desires and helping to create positive energy so you can have those desires become real. The guest said he had made a board, ended up packing it away and several years later after moving into a new home he unpacked the vision board only to notice that he had achieved all these things on his board including owning the exact home he had the picture of on his board! So I am pretty open minded and thought I'd try it out. During this time I was in an on and off relationship with a man I was very much in love with so on my board all I put was a picture of a wedding ring, a check I wrote out to myself using this mans last name as my own, and a picture of hotel in a tropical place. Well I put this away and completely forgot about it until tonight when a friend of mine and I were talking about "the secret" again. I immediately got the board out and chills hit me as I noticed the picture of the wedding ring on my vision board is the exact ring my now husband, who's last name I chose to use on the check, gave me and the fact that we got married in Hawaii, of course a tropical place.

So need less to say I am a believer in the laws of attraction and I felt I should share this with the business community and challenge you to create your own vision board. What better time to be able to inspire some hope in yourself and your business than now, We are living in troubling tough times especially being in the real estate industry. So I challenge you to make your own vision board and make some goals! Maybe this new year might end up being better than you originally imagined!

BTW you can watch "the secret" on www.thesecret.tv.com

I DARE YOU TO STAGE!

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:36:32 -0800

Another home SOLD! I staged this fellow Realtors listing about 30 days ago and it's under contract now! Time and time again staging proves to work. If you have a listing you just can't sell and you know it's priced right I challenge you to just try staging! Research your local home stagers and check out there work. Then once you find one you like, go for it! I dare you! I dare you to finally sell your listing! Don't let it go so far that your seller goes to short sale or foreclosure. Give them another option! A much better option! Find them a stager! I DARE YOU!

before and after staging photos

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:13:30 -0800

One of my favorite home staging projects

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:23:20 -0700

How much should staging cost?

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:26:34 -0700

How much should staging cost?

I find it interesting that some agents and home sellers think that staging is too expensive!

It typically costs anywhere from $450-$2000 to stage a median priced home in the state of Utah. The big price variance is due to how much work needs to be done and whether or not rental furniture is involved.

So tell me, would you rather spend $2000 up front to sell your house faster and for your asking price or do a price reduction of $5000-$10000 after 45 days because your home has not sold?

If you think staging is too expensive, then what do you think staging should cost?

How much does staging cost?

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:51:05 -0700

How much will it cost me to stage my home?

Typically in Utah, you will first do a consultation. A basic consult will cost you anywhere from $50-$75 per hour. (depending on location) Usually only consisting of some basic staging ideas. Remember we can't give away all our ideas in just one hour!

The most common consultation is the working consultation. This typically consists of 2 hours of beginning the staging work, and typically start at $200 for the first 2 hours and around $75 each additional. We start to re-arrange furniture, choose the items that need to be packed away as well as suggest paint colors etc. As well as leaving you with a detailed action plan to finish the staging.

Next is vacant staging. Costs for the vacant staging fee alone (furniture rentals extra) start at $450+up depending on the size of the home, how many rooms to be staged as well as location of the home etc.

Then you need to add furniture rental on top of that. A basic example in Utah for a 1200 sq ft condo staging the family room, dining room, master bedroom and 2 bathrooms would run you right around $1200 up front and anywhere from $600-$800 each month for furniture and accessory rentals.

Every staging company varies a little on price. But remember that usually, you get what you pay for. Make sure you see photos of past work so you know that your stager has experience. You might even ask to see current staged projects from the stager you are considering hiring!

A thought on Warren Buffett...

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:44:43 -0700

So I got an e-mail today about someone who is reading Warren Buffetts autobiography and I thought they made some great points. They said that Buffett talked about investing in companies that have a "margin of saftey". A margin of safety means a company has cushion when times get bad. This in turn would protect investers as well as the company itself.

How many of us, as business owners, have a "margin of safety"? What long term goals as well as exit strategies do we have to ensure our financial future?

Something to think about as we approach a new year in another crazy market!

more photos

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:27:53 -0700

Check out bellastaging.blogspot.com to see before and after photos

Staging

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:57:02 -0700

You need to stage!

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:12:43 -0700

Wow! Today's real estate market is so crazy!!! If you want to sell fast or even in some cases at all you need to stage! I just did a consultation and the home was SO outdated. The seller is still very much attached to the home and I could tell she was of the mind set that someone else will love her home as much as she does in it's current condition. NOT TRUE! I like to use the hotel room analogy. If you get to your hotel room and it hasn't been cleaned very good doesn't it totally gross you out? It's the same with selling your home. Even though your has been lived in buyers don't want to be reminded that you've actually used your toilet! Anyway, long story short, hire a stager, and be prepared to spend a little money to prepare your home for sale. A good stager will not steer you wrong and suggest the minimum upgrades for the maximum results! If you want top dollar for your home be prepared to make some changes and do some updating!

Great furniture and accessory rentals in Utah!

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 23:14:25 -0700

For all those fellow stagers in Utah wondering if there is another furniture rental option besides Cort, well it's your lucky day! There is a local (Utah) company called Paisley Home Staging. They offer a great selection of furniture at affordable rates! I've rented their furniture several times and been extremely impressed with not only there professionalism but the quality of furniture and their flexibilty to help me pull off the last minute staging jobs!

Home Staging questions and answers

Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah (Ski Utah Real Estate) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:15:21 -0700

I wanted to answer some of the questions I've been hearing a lot of lately. I think they they are all great and valid questions. I hope after reading this that you feel excited about home staging and understand that staging a home for sale in any market is a MUST!

What is home staging?

Well to put it simply, it is decorating a home for sale to appeal to a broad range of buyers. As quoted by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, "the guiding principle of staging is deciding which efforts make the most significant difference in the sale of your home".

Why would I hire a home stager when my house looks great and I can decorate it myself?

It's extremely difficult to view your own home objectively. Even if your house seems perfect to you, there may be something you've missed because you are used to your surroundings. When you bring in a new point of view, especialy a professional, you have a higher chance of finding the things you need to change to make a bigger profit, or in some cases get your home sold period!

What are the benifits of home staging?

There are many benifits. The main benifits and motivation behind most staged homes is the fact that because more people are likely to feel emotionaly connected to a staged home they do sell faster, and for top dollar. So not only is the seller happy, but the buyer is moving into the home that they really love!

Is home staging expensive?

NO! In a lot of cases home staging is one of the least expensive investments with the highest return you can make to prepare a home for sale. Home stagers vary on their pricing, but typicaly most sellers plan on spending at least somewhere between $500-$1000 to prepare their home for sale anyway. So why not hire a professional home stager and spend that money were you will see the highest return!