Special offer

A new house $350,000...furniture to go in the house $5000.... a professionally staged house (PRICELESS)

By
Home Stager with Ready Set Stage

Literally...You save money when you stage your house. Sometimes, you make money.  How you might ask? 

Say you put your house on the market for $350,000.  After 3 months with no bites you lower the price to $340,000.  Three more months go by and you lower it again to $335,00.  You finally get an offer for $329,000. 

Next scenario.  You hire a stager to stage your home BEFORE it goes on the market.  It costs $1,800.  You list your home for $350,000.  After 9 weeks you get an offer for $345,000.  If you subtract out the $1,800 you spent on staging, you saved $14,200.  

Studies show that staged homes sell in half the time than homes that have not been staged.  They also sell for more money.  This is because when you stage your house, it shows better, which brings more traffic.  More traffic brings more chances for offers.  The less time your home sits on the market, the more money you will get.  The 2007 Home Gains Report shows that Professionally staging your home yields a 343% Return on Investment. 

Hiring a professional home stager will also save you money.  It is hard for homeowners to stage their own homes because it is hard for them to view the spaces objectively.  That is why I truly believe that staging should be left to the experts.  Doctors are experts in their field, Realtors and experts in their field, and stagers are experts in theirs. 

Here is the room vacant

A homeowner trying to stage it on their own might think, "I'll just put some furniture in here, put up a picture and voila, I've staged my house"

Here is the room with furniture

Now one might think, "ok, I'm done, I've staged my house.  I put the furniture in and I'm ready to show my house."

Staging a house is not about just clearing it out, packing it up, depersonalizing, or in this case renting furniture and putting it in a room.  It is about creating a mood, a feeling that will grab the buyer and help them visualize living in your home.  Buyers buy homes based on how the home makes them feel. 

Here is the room staged

After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emotionally connect with the buyer

Michelle Molinari
FEATURE THIS... Real Estate Staging & Interior Decor - Lafayette, LA
Feature This Real, Estate Staging & Curb Appeal Concepts

Nice Work, Chrissie!

I LOVE how you showed the clear difference between "furnishings and accessories" vs. the ART of Professional Staging

Ginormous difference and evidenced here!

Clever way to get your point across.

~Michelle

 

Apr 20, 2009 03:10 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells

Hi Chrissie,

That gorgeous photography doesn't hurt either. Excellent marketing piece!

Apr 20, 2009 05:53 PM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Proof positive about what professional staging can do.  I love the photo comparision of the "furnished" room versus the staged room.  You and Andrew are quite the team!

Apr 21, 2009 01:51 AM
Tessa Skeens
Hampton ReDesign, Home Staging and Redesign - Grand Junction, CO
Staging For Realtors, Builders & Investors

Chrissie - Great point! Staging is NOT just adding furniture to an empty space.

I am reminded of that every time I de-stage a house. Once the accessories are gone, the furniture looks lost!

Apr 21, 2009 02:33 AM
Isabel Gomes
Gomes Design - London, ON
Interior Decorator, Stager - London, Ont

It's all abou the feeeling.  You have achieved it.

Apr 21, 2009 05:15 AM
Debra Valentine
Designing Details ~ Staging & Design, LLC - Bountiful, UT
Utah Home Staging for, Bountiful, Salt Lake & Surrounding Areas

Chrissie: I love how you laid out this post by comparing the scenarios. This type of info is great for a presentation. I may "steal" the concept (not photos) from you if you don't mind?

Apr 21, 2009 06:52 AM
Connie Tebyani
Platinum Home Staging, Inc. : RESA-Pro - Calabasas, CA
Platinum Home Staging, Los Angeles and Ventura County

Excellent way of showing that Staging is NOT just putting furniture on an empty room and calling it "staged". A truly Staged (w/ a cap. "S") invites, connects, enhances, warms, .... =)

Apr 21, 2009 12:26 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Chrissie,

What a great presentation.  You realize we're all going to "borrow" your concept. 

Apr 21, 2009 02:13 PM
Linda D. Pufford
Stage with Divine Style - Home Staging - Novato, CA
ASPM, Marin/Sonoma Home Stager

Chrissie,

As you put it Staging is Priceless!!!  So is your site...it shows your style difined!  Keep up the great work!!!

Apr 21, 2009 03:52 PM
Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals

Oh I have seen some terrible staging lately -worse than ever -blow up air mattresses on the floor with no bedding!!!!

Apr 21, 2009 04:18 PM
SHARON CHARBONEAU
UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES - Sechelt, BC

Chrissie,

You had me goin'.  I looked at before shot, then next one, which is usually the after and thought no, this can't be her idea of staging????  The next shot was a lovely surprise - beautiful, warm and welcoming.

 

Excellent presentation.

Apr 21, 2009 04:21 PM
Kate Hart
Hart & Associates Staging and Design - Radnor, PA

Hi there! You always do great work. I love how you showed the difference between just adding furniture and staging. Great results! KH

Apr 22, 2009 12:19 AM
Kathy Nielsen
http://atlantahomestaging.net - Marietta, GA
Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

This is an awesome post, Chrissie.  Did you mean to make it members only?  This is a great example of how furniture alone won't help with the visual appeal of the home.

Kathy

Apr 22, 2009 02:38 AM
Lori Donegan
Ready 2 Stage - Cleveland, TN

Love this!  Staging is definitely more than just adding some furniture and a picture and your done.  Professional stagers are worth their weight in gold!  Thanks for this great post.

Apr 23, 2009 12:22 PM
David Peterson
Synergy Staging ~ specializing in vacant home staging - Portland, OR
Home Stager Portland OR-Synergy Staging-Portland Oregon

I was nervous at first as I scrolled down and saw the second picture and sort of cringed that this was the staging. =)  What a great way to show the difference between someone staging a home themselves and a professional staging.  Great example.  The pictures really speak for themselves.  Thanks for sharing...

Apr 24, 2009 04:19 AM
Janis Gaines
Staging Sells Eugene Homes - Eugene, OR
Home Stager Eugene OR - The Notably Well-Dressed H

I see your second before picture too often these days, either when the seller thinks they know what staging is, or when the realtor (yes, I know there are some awesome realtor/stagers out there so forgive me) thinks they know what staging is and the room has furniture plopped in it and that's where it ends... no focal point, not coordinated decor, no warmth.

Its obvious you know the difference! Great job!

May 02, 2009 06:31 PM
Michele Hess
Simply Staged Inc. - Rockford, IL
Home Stager Rockford - Simply Staged Inc

Great post Chrissie!  Great illustration of what a professional can accomplish in the same space!

May 19, 2009 01:25 AM