Classic 1940's 2 bedroom, 1 bath bungalow on an extra large lot with room to possibly build a second unit. This charming home is ready to move right in. It features a living room with fireplace, formal dining room, cozy country eat-in kitchen, hardwood floors, partial basement or wine cellar, and wonderful vineyard views. Lots of possibilities for this adorable wine country home. Right in the heart of Geyserville. Contact Cheryl Gordon, CPS, 707-484-9009. MLS #20914078.

 

I am considering getting my real estate license. I am the owner of a staging company and really do not want to sell real estate but thought it would be a good idea to have my license just so I can keep up on trends in the industry, be able to access the homes I stage and also get referral fees for referring cients to realtors, which I have done in the past. My question is how much does it cost to keep your license current in CA on a yearly basis? I know there are MLS fees, etc. so I am trying to weigh the pros and cons.

Any feedback from CA real estate agents would be greatly appreciated!

 

I recently was called by a Realtor friend who's house has been on the market for about 3 months. She has great taste so she didn't think it was necessary for me to help her stage her house. She had mostly good comments about the house but recently received one that said it felt cold and sterile. Here are the before and after pictures. It really was a minimal staging, just a few items, but it really did go a long way to make the space more welcoming.

I am in the process of working on my website and was recently introduced to a cool tool that will scan your website and let you know how it ranks. You can also put in the websites of your competitors and see how theirs rank. We all know that today you have to have a web presence and this is a great place to start. You can check it out here. So how did you do?

Are you one of those people who don't believe? Do you think staging is trickery? Do you think it is too expensive and not worth it? Well, it looks like I have some myths to dispell.

#1. Staging is trickery. I can tell you, there are no magic tricks with staging. Staging is not an illusion meant to trick buyers.  What staging does is shows the best use of space by proper placement of furniture and proper scale. Staging is meant to create a warm inviting environment through careful use of accessories, art and color. Staging shows a buyer how they can actually live in the home. Basically, we figure it out for them.

#2. Staging is Too Expensive. Let me ask you this. How much is it costing you each month to have your home sit on the market? Statistics show that staged homes sell 50% faster than unstaged homes. So if you spend around $1,500-$2,500* to have your home staged and it sells within 60 days, as opposed to having it sit for 4 months, that is a great return on your investment. Besides, the longer your home sits on the market the lower the offers will be.  One mistake sellers make is to list without staging to see how it goes. A few months go by then they decide to take a price reduction. If they had invested in staging in the beginning they probably would have avoided this. Can you afford not to stage?

#3. Homes Show Better Vacant. Truth is, vacant homes take longer to sell than furnished homes. Buyers have a hard time visualizing an empty space. How will they place their furniture, is the room big enough? Empty rooms actually appear smaller without furniture and the house just feels cold. We have experienced this over and over again. Homes sat vacant for months, we staged and they sold right away. The lesson here is to stage first! Don't wait.

So to all you non-believers, I say give staging a try. It's a great investment!

*prices are ballpark staging costs for 2-months on average vacant homes (occupied's would be less)

 

This beautiful custom built residence is situated on 5 acres within a gated community. Beautiful vineyard views abound. Quality exudes from every angle of this 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 3,200 s.f. home. Including a 600 s.f. guest suite with private bath. Fully equipped with a gourmet kitchen, central vacuum system, oversized rooms, and a magnificent master suite. The property also includes motion detecting lights and two spacious garages all surrounded by beautiful redwoods. Listed at $1,195,000.00 MLS #20802676. Contact Tom Larson, Full Spectrum Properties, at 707-462-1600. Staged by Star Staging, 707-578-3508.

According to what I've been reading in the local newspaper and from local websites, about 10% of homes are selling in Sonoma County right now. Average days on the market are around 140. http://www.rereport.com/index.html These are sobering statistics!

I just finished calculating my stats for homes that I staged and would like to share my findings. Of all the homes I've staged since starting my business in 2005, 68% of the homes sold. Of the homes that sold, 50% sold in less than 30 days, 80% sold within 60 days, and all were off the market within four months; days-on-the-market for 2007 averaged 37 days for vacants and 64 days for occupied homes.

Now, we all know there are other factors besides the staging that add up to a sale. Some we can change and some we can't, like location. But one thing we can control is price, and in this market with so many properties to choose from, it has to be priced right.

Lets talk about return on investment. You think staging is a good idea but are sure that it costs too much. Let's look at this scenario:

Say you have a vacant house that you decide to list for $500,000 without staging to see what happens. Well, it sits for a few months with little traffic and no offers. Now you are looking at a price reduction. Most price reductions are at least $10,000. How much did it cost you to sit there for two months? Were you paying a mortgage payment? Cleaners? Landscapers? Is it safe to say on a $500,000 house that you probably spent at least $2,000? And now you are listing the house at $490,000 and still waiting.

Better scenario:

You stage it before listing.  Now you have great pictures to attract buyers.  Once they're there they're going to love what they see.  More traffic, more interest, more offers; this is what we've accomplished for our clients for a staging fee typically equal to one month's mortgage payment.

We not only do vacant house staging, but also provide staging for occupied homes. Of course your investment will be less than on a vacant. Limited budget?  Then let us provide a staging report which details how to do it yourself for about the cost of an appraisal or home inspection. 

Either way, to get a home sold in today's market, price it right and stage it before listing!  

Here is an example of a house that sat vacant for five months. We staged it and an offer was accepted the next week.

 

I just left a client's house after doing a color consult on her new home. When I walked in to the house I thought a crayon box exploded. I'm not kidding, there was a different color on every wall. My client told me that when she initially went through this house they turned around and walked out because they couldn't see beyond all the paint. She went through another house around the corner that was on the market for $100,000 more and it was the same floorplan as the crayon house only it was painted in neutral colors. Once she could see how it could look she bought the other house for $100,000 less. So if your client's don't think they need to paint, maybe you should share this story with them. My client got a great deal on a great house and all it took was a little paint.

This is just to emphasize the point that staging really does work, especially when it comes to vacants. I have had 3 vacant listings that have sold in 10 days or less in the last 2 months.  Two of them had been sitting on the market vacant for months! We staged and they got offers right away. Here is just one of them. Another one sold in 25 days with multiple offers!

I have seen a lot written about what all the designations mean behind a stager's name. Basically it means that they have had some training in staging. However, this does not mean they are effective stagers. So here are some questions you should ask your stager before hiring them:

1. How long have you been staging?

2. Can I see your portfolio of stagings that you have done? (make sure these pictures are actually pictures of the stager's work. Many stagers use photos in their marketing that aren't theirs).

3. Ask about their current staged listings and go check them out in person.

4. Ask them for their personal stats (how many houses have sold and in what time frame?) National statistics may be much different than their personal record.

5. Ask for references. Talk to other Realtors that they have worked with to find out how satisfied they were with the service and how the stager interacted with the homeowner.

6. Do they carry liability insurance? If not, run!

It should become clear to you if the stager is qualified if you ask these simple questions.