When preparing a home for sale, every seller wants to get the biggest value for the least amount of money, to get the greatest return on their investment. We hear this all the time. As Accredited Staging Professionals, we want to help you accomplish this too.

Part of the value that we, as Staging professionals, bring is to help homesellers know and understand that Staging is not a cost but an investment in EQUITY PROTECTION. When a seller is deciding what to invest when updating and Staging their home, they can be sure that a potential buyer will remove FIVE dollars from their offer for every ONE dollar that homesellers choose not to invest. We know that your investment to replace carpeting may be perhaps $2500 but a potential buyer will want to take $10-15 thousand off of a sellers asking price assuming that is what it will take to get the carpet replaced.

Buyers are looking for "turn-key" purchases. Allowances DO NOT work and any seller who thinks that they can sell their home "as is" is asking for buyers to spend their equity. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard a homeseller say that they don't want to paint because they want the new homebuyer to have the opportunity to choose the color they want. Truth is, buyers don't want to HAVE to paint at all. It is not unlike the builder that chooses not to put in any landscaping saying they want the new homeowner to be able to choose what they want. (Really? Is anyone fooled by this logic?)

This does not mean that home sellers need to spend a lot of money. There is a way to prioritize the things that need to be done and choose the most important things to focus on when allocating funds. Together with a professional Stager, homesellers can get the information they need to get their home looking great before it hits the market. Clean and clutter-free is something every homeseller can accomplish. Great visual impact doesn't require big budgets. Using a Staging professional is one of the best investments you can make in protecting your home equity. Note: the key word is "professional". There is method to the madness and watching HGTV does not make someone a "professional" Stager any more than watching Boston Legal makes someone an attorney.

Choose well. Check out the person you are relying on to help you protect your biggest asset. Knowledge is power but you have to trust the validity of the knowledge. Don't just choose on price, because you may find out that you got what you paid for. You can get top dollar for your home with the assistance of a well trained Accredited Staging Professional. It is hard to argue with success.

Case in point: Victorian two-story in Baker neighborhood. With a few minor updates and great Staging. Sold in one week, March 2009. Priced right, Staged beautifully = SOLD (fast, Really Fast!)