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The Effectiveness of Home Staging

The Effectiveness of Home Staging

I read an interesting blog post this morning written by a Broker/Realtor by the name of Loreena Yeo. In it, she describes a home in Texas that would have a much easier time of getting their desired price if they would only seek the advice of a professional home stager and an agent that believes in the value of staging. You can read the entire post here. As a professional home stager in Atlanta, Georgia, I couldn't agree more. I've had the great privilege of working with many home sellers and have not only helped them obtain their desired price but also have helped them sell more quickly.

Case in point, this town home, pictured below, had sat on the market for 2 years. The frustration the homeowners had experienced had reached an all time high. With reason. Two years is an incredibly long time for a home to sit. The agent who had this listing had used us in the past and had recommended that they have the home professionally staged.

In the initial visit, I entered the home using the buyers-eye. My objective is to try and emulate the same experience the potential buyers were experiencing. In this particular home, I simply wasn't connecting with the home on an emotional level. The home was empty; void of anything that would allow me to envision living here.

After we staged the home, I remember locking the door behind me and knowing with all the certainty in the world that we'd be de-staging this home soon. I was right. The home went under contract in less than 8 weeks after we staged it.

Here's how the home looked before and after:

Living Room professionally home staged

Vacant Living Room

This is what the potential buyers were seeing when they toured the home.

Georgia Interior Solutions (GIS), LLC is Atlanta Georgia's Premier Home Staging Provider. Owner and Real Estate Staging Expert, Kathy Nielsen has appeared on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. You can also see one of her staged homes on HGTV's hit show Sleep On It.

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the experience and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers. Contact them today for your free no-obligation appointment: 678 522 8392.

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Atlanta Professional Stager Finalist - RESA

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly. Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392. Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

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Posted by Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager on 09/28/2009 08:50 AM

Comments (22)

Home Selling in the ActiveRain Channel

home staging atlanta, how effective is home staging, home staging before and after pictures

Originally posted at: Atlanta Georgia Home Staging : The Effectiveness of Home Staging

This post has been included in Georgia Information Dekalb County, GA Information Decatur, GA Information
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22 Comments on The Effectiveness of Home Staging

SEP

Yeah Kathy - another prime example of why staging is worth the effort....

Kathy, what an amazing transformation. Yet, the furniture and decor or so simple but offer a dramatic improvement! Thanks for posting.

-Karin :)

Ah what power we have :) Lovely job Kathy. Kym

Great example of the difference good professional staging makes, Kathy!

It makes ALOT of difference, if only would take off their Seller's hat for a while and pretend to be "real" buyers with a ton of inventory to select from.

I offer staging as part of my value of working with me as a Realtor. I also give them a choice of working with a professional stager. In the past, I would take my Seller clients to tour the "competitors" but they also keep coming back to thinking their house is better. The obvious reason is because they never fully remove their Seller's shields.

As a Realtor, I always make recommendations for a home to be staged and poised for more than its worth. For example: My friend who didn't select me as an agent because of prior obligation listed her house at $425K. I made recommendations with color, furnishings and draperies to make the house look like a $499K house. Hence, the house will be a steal at $425K. However, she was going through depression, etc and didn't do the recommendations. They continue to stay on the market for over 6 months and several price drops later, they received a contract for $369K and on short sale.

I'm not saying I could get them out 100% but I knew if staged, it could easily help them get out break even. No credit ruin necessary. I mean this is real.

PS: Thanks for the honor.

Kathy -- this is another great example of how professional staging makes all the difference! I like your statement that "My objective is to try and emulate the same experience the potential buyers were experiencing" and find that I have the same objective when I view a property ... we can then advise our clients how to best showcase the space for a sale.

Kathy - Simple and powerful! I would love to see the rest of the home... Great job!

Kathy, I was glad to see Loreena's post featured, it was a very good one. This is a great follow-up post. Wonderful example!

Kathy, your work and Loreena's post were both great. You don't need to say much more with those types of pictures which tell the whole story.

SEP

Hmm...2 years or 8 weeks which would you choose? It's tough when you get those vanilla boxes without any personality, but you gave it one.

Kathy K - It was a big YEAH! The sellers are thrilled as is the agent.

Karin - It was a simple design that had a great impact.

Thanks, Kym & Diana.

Loreena - You're very welcome. Congratulations on the feature. FYI - It wasn't featured when I began this post. Somewhere during the middle, the AR Gods gave you that lovely coveted yellow star (smile).

Maureen - It's been extremely beneficial for me as a home stager to pretend like I'm a buyer. It brings much more awareness to the sellers when we do that as they begin to see the home differently.

Shelly - I'll have to post some more pictures. I'll do that soon.

Donna - I too was pleased to see her post featured.

Ana - I love sharing my before and after pictures as it's a great way to make a point regarding how big of an impact staging can and does have for a home.

Thanks, Cindy. I'm sure they are thinking that they should have staged it sooner.

Kathy

Hey Kathy! Part of my discussion with a new client revolves around my initial impressions 'as the eye of the buyer' and what I feel needs to be accomplished. So important and it helps the seller really 'get' WHY that impression must work for their benefit. Wish more REAs 'got it' like Loreena!! : )

Beautiful example. It's just so easy for me to see, but for some they still just don't get it! Thanks for sharing your success story!

SEP

Nothing less than perfection, Kathy, as always from you. I can't possibly imagine how Buyers could get any kind of warm, fuzzy or emotional feeling from the "before" picture: hence, no offers ;)

Loreena is a wonderful Realtor locally (who invited me to join AR over 2 years ago) who is truly an advocate for her clients and staging. I wish more Realtors would heed her call Kathy!

OCT

Woo Hoo! Terrific!! This room looks stunning-love the colors and style. Congratulations.

Hi Kathy congrats! always great to hear this good example and the value of Homestaging and making a difference! This Livingspace went from blahh to Ahhh!

OCT

Nice work Kathy.

CONGRATULATIONS, your post is being featured on Staging Before and After!

Oh wait, that's YOUR line. =P

Hi, Kathleen - Using the buyers eye is so critically important. And you're right; it so helps the seller to understand.

Thanks, Connie. That was super sweet of you to say!

Karen - how neat that it was Loreena that invited you to active rain.

Thanks, Cathy!

Barbara - The staging had a tremendous impact on getting this sold (I'm happy to say).

Oh Andrew. That made me laugh (literally out loud). Thanks I needed that!

Kathy

OCT

Excellent staging and results Kathy! Congrats!!

OCT

"The Effectiveness of Home Staging" - Perfect title for this post Kathy....I have no doubt - I want to spend some time in the "after" room please :) Nicely Done as Always!

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