I Advised My Client NOT To Spend Money On Staging! Not Yet!!!

Great Professional advice Donna!  Glad you got the staging job too. 

Grea job telling the truth is the best policy.  Staging a dirty home is like putting lipstick on a pig.

The client is lucky that at least you were honest with them.  Another stager could have taken their money and deceived them as their agent has been doing. 

You are a true professional!  You kept your client, Realtor and the prospective buyers best interest in mind with this staging!  Way to go Stager Lady Donna!

Donna, Good call to have them clean first.  I cannot imagine what the listing agent was thinking.  You don't want to hurt the sellers feelings but honest, by far, is the best policy.  Glad your client was able to recognize that.

You are right on the mone - literally Donna!  Having it clean is essential - it doesn't matter how nice the window treatment is if they can't see out the window that is dirty!  There are a couple of stagers that I have read posts from that won't stage until it has been thoroughly cleaned.  I like the thought of having "divisions" in  your company - fabulous idea!

I can't believe that it had been left in that condition for 11 months AND that the new listing REA didn't tell hiom herself that this should have been done.  Good for you!

Donna, I believe you will be rewarded many times over by doing the right thing, as you have done in this situation.  love your professionalism!

You did the right thing, Donna!  Thanks for posting the after cleaning photos--what a difference a bit of elbow grease makes.  I can't wait to see this home after you stage it--that will be the ultimate transformation!  This seller is lucky to have found you.

I don't envy you having to tell these sellers or clients in general about the cleanliness of their home but I guess if they want to sell it they better heed the advice!

Ya gotta love it when Seller's have no common sense on what a home should look like when it's for sale.  ICK!

Great advice...it shows you care.

Good for you Donna!  I know agents in this area are so lax about their standards, they will take anything... in any condition, just to get the listing!  They won't say anything to the homeowner that might jeopardize their close.  In the long run, it's not beneficial for anyone, especially the agent.  It always comes back to bite you in the ***!  Best to be honest right out of the box... the owners will have more respect for you, as you have proven in your post!   Way to GO!!

Well, glad you are getting the order right, clean before staging.  Your photos tell a pathetic  before story.  

I have seen where there can be other sides to the story, not in your case but other situations I have seen.   The owner says they will have the house cleaned, but never get around to it!  Then I did have a seller tell me that her last Realtor cleaned up for her.  That's where it is a good idea to stick to your guns and say,  My cleaning lady charges $15 an hour.       

Donna, Great post and even better pictures.  I had a staging project last year that was a foreclosure and I was brought in through another Stager (she had been given 4 houses to stage in less than a week).  The house had been cleaned and painted but it would have been better served if they had spent their money on changing out the badly stained carpet in one of the rooms and replacing the in-need-of-paint and de-rusting front door and a few other light repair items. 

Keep up the good work!

Donna,

Good for you for being ethical and not just grabbing the job!  As many have already have said, what was the realtor thinking or NOT!!????  

The home owner with the Christmas tree in the living room in April was also out of town property owner and had no idea the realtors were not looking out for his best interests, while continuing to persuade him his house was overpriced.

I am currently working on a property that requires renovating, cleaning, gardening etc. before I start the staging process.  Due to their tight budget, I am going to assist them with gardening and painting each room when the renos are completed.  

I am really looking forward to seeing the expression on the listing agent's face when he first sees the property after we have completed the upstaging.  He has seen the "before" property and won't believe the transformation.