I was at a property yesterday and chatting with a Realtor about the value of staging. He started to chuckle when I said "It's hard to believe anyone in their right mind would put a house on the market without staging."  Of course, it helped that we were standing in a listing that my crew and I had recently staged and put on the market so the evidence was right in his face.

He told me that some people really are just simply not using both sides of their brain when they put a house on the market. He told me I simply must got to http://www.lovelylisting.com/ to see for myself how many people aren't staging!

I took a moment this morning to do just that and checked out the listings on the California part of the website http://www.lovelylisting.com/search/label/California

These are actual shots from the MLS.

Yes, they are simply unbelievable but check out the sixth set of photos. Yes, that is a crime scene folks. Evidence markers and all.

There is staging and then there is staging. Staging a crime scene will not help you sell your home.

Dead animals and Guns on the wall. Plastic high chairs in a messy kitchen. Carpet in the fireplace. These are May 2009 Photos from the MLS! Look for yourself. Yes, they are good for a laugh, but very sad at the same time. 

Yes, statiscs show that 20 or more photos on the internet will help you sell your home twice as fast BUT that is only if that house is prepared for market and the photos reflect a beautiful listing that will attract buyers.

For more information on Staging Your Home to actually sell go to www.Staged-to-Sell.com

Kym Hough's Staged to Sell is the Premier Home Staging company in the San Francisco East Bay.  Staged to Sell provides excellent Home Staging and Design to Live services to the Berkeley, El Cerrito, Orinda, Lafayette, Danville and the entire East Bay. For more information go to www.staged-to-sell.com