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Staging - Newest of Fads in Real Estate Sales?

By Ed DeChristopher

Real Estate Agent with Fredericksburg Realty, Inc.

May 17, 2007 11:31 PM

Have read several of the postings here on Active Rain regarding staging a home for sale.

Also heard discussions about the subject while at a meeting of the CyberProfessionals® in Albuquerque earlier this month. Came back home to Fredericksburg VA ready to implement some of the ideas I had learned amongst some from some of the industry's best and brighest.

Suggested to my associate (and daughter) that she look into attending a class on "staging" homes. She asked "What more is there to it than telling someone to get rid of some of their "junk", cleaning out their closets, and rearranging their furniture to make the room look larger?" She added "I know how to do that."

OK you "Stagers of the World." Help me out. What do I tell her? Honestly, I think it would do her good to attend the class; however, unlike her father she is hardheaded!

What do I tell her? Come on RainDears, the ball's in your court:

Give Me An Answer

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Laurie Mindnich

Centennial, CO

Ed, don't suggest that she take the classes if it's not of interest to her. Rather, pay a stager to come in and give you a consultation on a home (small fee). You'll find that getting rid of the junk is only a small part of the visit- stagers rearrange furniture to provide much more livable flow, utilize their design backgrounds to balance color in the house, etc. They pick up on what, in hindsight, is obvious. I'm not sure that I'd want to tackle the staging myself, anyway, unless I had a design background! Good luck!

May 17, 2007 11:46 PM

Anonymous

Stefani Barnett

Good Morning Ed,

Professional staging is about intention with a purpose. Selling and Moving, as you know can be extremely stressful and emotional for the homeowner. With all the resposibilities that a broker has to deal partnering with a professional Home Stager is a service that gives them one less thing to think about. No offense intended, but not all realtors can homestage and not all home stagers can sell houses. They are two seperate and very important jobs. Its more than showing how large a room is...Its about keeping it simple. Essentially, Stagers show the seller how to transform their home to a house that "feels like home" to the buyer. The payoffs? For one, during the process of decluttering the seller is getting anywhere from 50-80% of the packing done eliminating a "rushed" move... and for minimal investment they get a larger return.

May 18, 2007 12:45 AM

Kristal Kraft

Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO

Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022

Oh Boy Ed, you are in for it now, or rather your daughter is! The stagers of the world will explain how important their job is. Like everything else some are talented some are not.

May 18, 2007 01:09 AM

Ed DeChristopher

Fredericksburg Realty, Inc. - Fredericksburg, VA

CRS Fredericksburg VA

Laurie - She already thinks she knows how to do what stagers do. That is my take. She thinks she does not need the training to do what stagers will offer.

Stefani - What are we talking about as far as fees are concerned? Do the stagers put furniture in the homes? Do they bring pictures and/or other accessories?

Kristal - Just like your experience with Flat Jonathan, do you think I am afraid to make a fool of myself? On second thought, that is a rhetorical question!

May 18, 2007 05:51 AM

Jim Crawford

Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA

Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

We do our own staging, and have done so for years! We are ver successful with it. If your daugheter says she is good, she probably is. You may have to pay to find out if someone elses is good or not.

It is like asking are all Realtors as talented as one another? The answer is no! Otherwise 80% of Realtors would not leave the industry every two years. I suspect the same is true of home stagers.

May 18, 2007 08:49 AM

Jim - I do not have that talent but think she does. Perhaps I should encourage her to give me a hand with it. Nothing ventured nothing gained!

May 19, 2007 01:45 AM

Kay Van Kampen

RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO

Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Ed, I've always recommended cleaning out a house, redecorating, but never called it staging until now. I've never taken it upon myself to stage the home - good idea though. I bet your daughter will do a great job.

May 20, 2007 02:13 AM

Tell her to go for it Ed! It is all gut impressions, too small, too large, closed in...remove clutter, neutralize, update fixtures when possible, storage for excess items, paint garage floors, air out an neurtal odors.

May 20, 2007 02:27 AM

Kay - Think she will but have to decide if it is worth the money (sending her to school that is). Since she has that knack I wonder!

Jim - See comment above to Kay. She knows what to do right now but . . .

May 20, 2007 02:37 AM

kjd3

I think she should go to the class. If there is just one thing she learns, it is worth the class. You dont have to be a professional. It may help if you just volunteer one day to the seller to help them pack up some extra clutter in their home. I have watched many shows on tv that show how far something little can go. What is also very important is a clean house. Offer a free cleaning with each listing. The cleaning should be left to a professional!!

May 21, 2007 09:34 PM

#10

KJD3 - Leaving the cleaning to the professionals is good advice. Difficult to keep a home "ready for prime time" when both parents are working and there are youngsters living in the home. We were lucky in that regard since our children were always good about keeping their rooms clean when our homes were on the market for sale.

May 21, 2007 10:03 PM

Danny Smith

DISCOVER TEXAS HOMES - Round Rock, TX

Ed, just give her a few homes to stage and see how it goes. I think what it takes is just and artful eye or view of things with a little imagination or creativity. If she has those things she will manage fine.

May 21, 2007 10:10 PM

Danny - She gets all of those attributes from her mother! Thank goodness. BTW, it is her daughter who is graduating from HS this year; she is a wonderful artist.

May 21, 2007 10:27 PM

Staging - Newest of Fads in Real Estate Sales?

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