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Staging in Estate Situations...consider this, Oakhurst CA residents & families

By
Home Stager with Certified Staging Professional

Staging in Estate Situations...consider this, Oakhurst CA residents & families

A year ago I staged a home for a woman whose mother had just passed away.  Letting go of this house was going to be very difficult for her. 

Mom had lived in this home for almost twenty years and they had already put most of her personal items into the garage.  When I arrived for the consultation I had to tell them that they also needed to update,  and remove wallpaper.  It took weeks to get ready for staging because the daughter couldn't bear to spend extended hours in the house.  The whole process was very emotional. 

Grandma was being "removed" from the house because these clients understood the need for proper home staging, but they were very reluctant to let go. 

The changes were simple because the budget was extremely tight.  Here's just one set of photos:

BEFORE with grandma's decorative items and living arrangement.

before photo by Dream Interior Redesign and Home Staging Oakhurst CA 

AFTER with my items replacing grandma's decor, but her furnishings. after by Dream Interior Redesign and Home Staging Oakhurst CA                                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm happy to report that this house sold very quickly and at the time we were all thrilled.  BUT HERE is what really touched me.  A year later when I saw the daughter at a local function she approached me with a BIG HUG and gracious thank you.  What's up, I thought...it had been a year and she was thankful from the get-go. 

She said, "selling the house quickly was a great relief to them BUT THE BIGGEST and best part of the process for her was when I started rearranging things, adding my accessories, artwork and bedding. Her mother was then truly REMOVED from the house."  Grandma's home was now a product, A HOUSE FOR SALE and the daughter was able to let it go.  At the time she hadn't even realized it.   

Lesson learned: For the next estate situation I am going to let the family know that I can help them move forward and let go.  Isn't it great that we can do this!

Comments (27)

Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Thank you Karen.  Appreciative clients are THE BEST!  Aren't we all fortunate to be in a the business of giving. 

Apr 10, 2009 01:25 PM
Ray & Elaine Fischer
(828) Home-Stager.com & (828) Custom-Cabinets.com - Asheville, NC

after reading your blog it brings back memories. i went through the exact same thing when my parents passed away. first my mom, my dad moved in with me and my oldest son moved in his house, but when my dad past away now i had to deal with the exact same feelings. i couldn't stand being there but i didn't want to get rid of the beautiful memories in the house. my husband and i are the ones that made the changes since we are in the business. i had to depersonalize my parents house with my memories there. could it get any worse. well we finally sold the house to the next door neighbor that kept asking me to sell it to him after we updated it but that took a yr after that. healing is good but make that first step is the worst ever. I am happy now because the neighbors are people my parents adored and my dad always said "if something happens to me Brian wants the house you sell it to him". he said that to me for yrs way b4 my mom even past away. so today i know i did the right thing but it wasn't easy. i share that girls feelings. been there done that.

you did a nice job staging it and depersonalizing it and its great that the house sold so quickly. good job especially how you handled the emotional part of it that was more important under these circumstances.

Apr 10, 2009 02:04 PM
Virginia Tatseos
Stage-Show-Sell - Bloomfield Township, MI

90% of my business is Estates.  It's amazing what we can do with little money.  The home owners don't have to be millionaires to have their homes staged.

We can make a difference

Apr 10, 2009 02:23 PM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Elaine, I can feel the pain that you're sharing.  I know that some day I will also have to do this for my mom and I can't imagine how difficult it will be.  Being able to sell it to someone that your dad felt "needed" his house, should bring you solice and peace.  Thanks so much for sharing your experience here. 

Apr 10, 2009 02:31 PM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Virginia, I know that you're the "estate expert" and I'm sure that you've had similar experiences.  I am soon to start directly marketing to the 55+ market, so I think that I will deal with these sensitive issues more frequently.  Thanks for commenting. 

 

Apr 10, 2009 02:34 PM
Cathy Lee
CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA
ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

Very nice story Ginger!! Love reading these success!!!!!!  Thanks for sharing.

Apr 10, 2009 05:06 PM
Patsy Overton
Patsy Overton Interiors, Atlanta, Georgia - Duluth, GA

Ginger - Great transformation with only a few changes!  And I love your "lesson learned."  I will use that.  Thanks.

Apr 11, 2009 12:50 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Cathy thanks for your thoughtful comments. 

Patsy whenever I can add to my "why stage" spiel I'm happy.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope this is useful. 

Apr 11, 2009 01:53 AM
Wendy Timmons
Move Home Realty - Temecula, CA
Temecula Realtor

Ginger~ It looks great, and I am glad it sold quickly. But the real prize is that you helped a family let go and did a wonderful job with that, all while doing what you were hired to do. It takes a special person to be able to help others when feelings/ emotions are running high. Congrats on being that special person for them, and lucky are those who you will help next. :)

Apr 11, 2009 01:57 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Thanks Wendy, you are right about what the real prize was.  If I was in this just for the $$ then I would have been gone long ago. 

Apr 11, 2009 02:01 AM
Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL

Ginger, I had to do the same thing when my mother passed.  My solution was to take all the things that reminded me of her and bring them to my house.  It made it easier to reconcile she no longer lived in her home, when a part of that home stayed with me.  You're right, once the house has been transformed from "Mom's" house to a house ready for sale, its easier to let go.

Apr 11, 2009 02:34 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Terry I've missed seeing and hearing from you.  For the next estate I think I'll take a special "parent's things" box to the family so that they can do that right away.  Another selling technique with heart!  THANKS! 

Apr 11, 2009 02:37 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Great story...the before and after are truly amazing.  Very good job.

Apr 11, 2009 07:30 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Thank you Rebecca.  I hope you use a professional stager with your listings.  The listing agent paid for the entire project and I'm thinking it was right around $100 a month plus the initial set up which took just 4 hours. Since the house sold in under 60 days (and it's a cookie cutter house for our community with many of this model available), her investment really paid off. 

I am flattered by your comments.     

Apr 11, 2009 10:42 AM
Michele Reneau
Certified Staging Professional (CSP) Elite Instructor - Summerville, SC
Realtor, GRI ~ Charleston, SC Relocation Experts Team

I'm getting ready to do an estate sale but dealing only with the attorney who is the trustor of the estate.  I hope it will be easier to advise him on it.  The difference is really amazing.

Apr 12, 2009 11:20 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Michele, bring in your stager and let that person help you out.  I will blog about another estate situation that I'm helping with now.  The trustor (a friend of the desceased, not an attorney) kept telling the agents..sorry no money for anything and after a year on the market my staging report is what convinced the attorney that they HAD to spend some $$ to make updates or it might sit for another year.  NO ONE wins when a house just sits. Thanks for commenting.   

Apr 12, 2009 11:40 AM
Cindy Bryant
Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX
"Houston Home Staging Pros"

It doesn't look like an elderly person lived there before...great redo!

Apr 12, 2009 04:44 PM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Cindy, I didn't put up the BEFORE photos of rooms with the floral wallpapers and 1980's prints.  Here's just one of the guest bedrooms.  Also those are poofy balloon valances on the windows in the original post before photos. They were very floral but they just don't show in the photo.  Plus there was a lot of brass and old lighting fixtures that were updated. 

before photo by Dream Interior Redesign and Home Staging Oakhurst CA

Others, my age, recognize this print.  (-:

Thanks for the comment and compliment. 

 

Apr 12, 2009 07:01 PM
c m
Colorado Springs, CO

What a testament to your service, and that's not just your staging service! I have not had this experience yet, and I hear it will change me greatly.  I am almost 55 with both of my parents still with me, I think I am a rarity...

Apr 14, 2009 03:50 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Cheryl, thank you for your find words.  The loss of a parent can be mind and life altering, in my experience.  Have a great week!

Apr 14, 2009 05:18 AM