staging: 48 Hours... to a home sale - 03/14/10 03:15 PM
We stagers all like to tout that staging helps a house to sell faster. Me too.  Last month, TWEAK set a new personal record.  This vacant property had been on the market since Nov. 2007. The fourth agent, who is a TWEAK fan for sure, called me in.  She also had them inspect the home. A few repairs were made. I changed out some lighting, suggested some landscaping and staged. Then the house was photographed by a great photographer who specializes in real estate. The house was under contract within
 
48 Hours
of going on the market.  The sellers' only … (6 comments)

staging: Can you really pack a whole housefull of staging in a Camry? - 09/14/09 03:34 PM
Yes you can. I just destaged a 1200 SF house and put everything in my Camry Solara and actually had some room left over. It just shows that effective staging doesn't require a lot of STUFF, just well placed appropriate stuff. This was a flip house that I also advised on the design issues.The house had been on the market 125 days before improvements. They increased the price to cover most of the work and it sold about 30 days after staging.
Intersting challenges:
Floors - Hardwood in terrible condition. Fix - We painted instead of refinishing (less time, lots less … (0 comments)

staging: Falling Waters of Greenville - Flip - 06/02/09 04:59 AM

 
 This house off Laurens road in Greenville was in terrible shape, but had wonderful traits. I consulted with owner/investor and contractor to bring this unique house back on the market.
It's the coolest house. Has a creek UNDER it, INSIDE atrium with planting beds and spiral staircase to loft, rock accents and very open floor plan with tons of natural light. We made changes to add even more light.            To see more pics, it's MLS # 1181009 in Greenville SC.


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staging: TWEAK Your House Before you List - 03/20/09 05:31 AM
As an active home stager and marketing consultant, I am often asked when is the best time to stage or prep a home for sale. I am also asked "Do I really need to go to that much trouble?"  I do find that many more homesellers are understanding the importance of careful staging. And the best time to do it is way before you list. Normal scenario is "Homeowner decides to sell. Gets agent. Agent recommends they change a few things or get a staging consultation. Agent is anxious to list. Seller is anxious to sell. Time to prep house is … (1 comments)

staging: How do you sell Grandma's house to the Grandchildren? - 03/15/09 08:01 PM
This was the family home for 40 years. While well maintained, it was very personalized and somewhat dated. The target audience was the 30 something market. TWEAK was brought in right after grandma moved out. I consulted on paint, lighting, what to leave, what to keep. I used mostly the owner's items. I brought in some art, rug and plants. I finished staging on a thursday. Open house on Sunday. Under contract on THursday. I hope to have more pics on my site this week.
So the answer to the question is.....you stage it!!
 





 
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staging: Greenville's version of a famous landmark - 01/18/09 05:40 AM
Some of my favorite work is with investors who flip houses. I just love to take something that's been neglected and add new life to it. I am currently working on a flip that I'm so excited about.  It's an unusual property and the owner is very open to implementing most of my ideas for the property. I like to think of it as "Falling Waters" of Greenville. "Falling Waters" was Frank Lloyd Wright's famous design over a river. This one is over a creek and it does have a modern design feel. So far I've provided design assistance for structural … (1 comments)

staging: So many deals. So little room. - 12/27/08 06:28 AM
As a home stager, I am always meeting folks in transition. I also have to shop alot. And I am the queen of bargain finders. All this brings alot of "deals" into my path. Especially deals on furniture. All these deals allow me to get good buys on my staging items, however, it also creates drama in my life...and my family's lives.
For example, I don't own a truck. My daughter does however. It's amazing what I have had to barter for to get my daughter out to pick up the latest bargain that I have purchased. Sometimes it cost me … (1 comments)

staging: So agents...what does it take for you to get converted???? - 12/07/08 07:13 AM
I am addressing this blog to agents. I also happen to be an agent, however, I put most of my energy into staging now. I would like to know from agents who are not using a staging service now, what would it take for you to use one?
It's hard to imagine an agent who would not like to have well designed, well photographed listings. Why do I get resistance or reluctance to at least offer staging to their  clients as an option, even if the owner pays for it all? When I work with an agent on a single … (4 comments)

staging: Days On Market Shrinking - 11/21/08 04:26 AM
TWEAK Home Staging has the numbers that agents are looking for.
I ran the numbers again this week for days on market for my homes that I stage. I computed the Days on Market for how many days it was on market after I staged and until it went under contract.
All homes were in the Greenville SC market and were priced from $112,00 to $529,000. 
Some were new to the market. Some had been on the market for months.
Average Days on Market: 18
Selling Price to List Price: 98.6%
The avg. DOM for the Greenville market is around 100.
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staging: Cuckoo clock staging story gets even better!!! - 11/20/08 03:37 PM
If you have read a few of my blogs, you know that I recently staged a house that has had some great stories emerge. Well, it gets better. The agent on the house told me today that he has a verbal contract and the paper is on the way. YEAH!!! Less than 20 days on Market after staging. The house had been on the market for 6 months prior with another agent.  And guess who the agent for the buyer is????
Yep. the ex real estate agent who didn't stage. And then it gets even better.The buyer is someone who saw … (1 comments)

staging: Forget the Cuckoo clock, Where's Grandma???? - 11/15/08 08:55 AM
I mentioned in a previous blog on my page about the homeseller who said to "do whatever you need to do to sell this house, only don't touch the cuckoo clock", and left town. I staged and immediately started getting showings. (After 6 months on the market with no interest)
Now I get am email from the agent asking if I remember moving a box in the Living room. Well, there were tons of stuff in every room and I moved everything (except the cuckoo clock of course). It seems the seller forgot to mention that Grandma's ashes were in a … (1 comments)

staging: It's November. What does that mean for Staging? - 11/10/08 03:34 AM
November usually signals the beginning of the "slow season" for real estate. And of course the numbers bear that out.  However, if it's YOUR house that needs to be sold right now, you don't want to hear about the "slow season" or any other excuse for your house not selling.
There are always buyers out there. You just need to offer more to get their attention. That's where staging can help tremendously. My staging offers Product Improvement that every property needs.  Also,  when it's November and  close to the holidays, I usually add a few touches to allow buyers to make … (2 comments)

staging: You have to check this out - 11/06/08 08:07 AM
 A couple of blogs ago, I mentioned a staging project that was going to be dramatic. It is. It's an occupied property that had too much personalization. The owner left town and said "Do whatever you need to do to sell. Only don't touch the cuckoo clock."  I've posted the first round of Before and AFter pictures on my website under Portfolio page 3. www.TweakYourHouse.com
We accomplished much in 4 days. The seller came to the ususal conclusion after this process." I have too much crap in my life."
 
 
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staging: A true staging day today - Hard Core REal Estate - 11/01/08 12:15 PM
Spent almost all day at a property near Cherrydale in Greenville. The property has been on the market for  6 months with no interest. New agent brought me in right away for a staging consultation. This is going to be one of the most dramatic make overs I've done. I can see why the house had no interest.  The agent is very hands on and the owner is very hands off. I'll have the before and afters on my site next week.  www.tweakyourhouse.com
This should be a great story.
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staging: Looking for a few savvy agents in Greenville SC Who Value Staging - 10/30/08 06:24 AM
I've worked on my business model (trial and error) and have decided that what works best for everyone is a relationship with a good agent or team that understands the value that staging brings and offers a staging consultation as part of his or her marketing services. I have room for about 2 more agents/teams. If you are an agent in the Greenville-Spartanburg area and would like to be considered for a TWEAK partnership, please contact me soon. You can visit my website www.TweakYourHouse.com to see services and read some success stories (Portfolio pages)
M.Lisa Harrison
864-506-5939
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staging: The Numbers are Looking Great! - 10/27/08 12:34 AM
It's been a while since I've added here. Been busy helping houses sell in Greenville.  As agents have witnessed the staging process and experienced the quicker sales, they are deciding to stage all of their listings. I have never met a house that didn't need staging to some degreee.  I have done some tracking to get some stats. For one of Keller Williams top agents, TWEAK is staging all of his team's listings. He decided to stage them all after having great experiences with the ones he was staging. Of the listings staged and sold, the average Days On Market was … (0 comments)