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What a little paint can do...

I've never understood why some homesellers are so put off by the idea of painting. Today we finished a tremendous makeover on a home in an older part of town. The homeowner was GREAT! They had started the makeover themselves and decided they were overwhelmed and needed an expert.

This particular home was listed for $324,900 in January 2007. After 4 price reductions it was listed at $274,900 when they called me.

Here's what their best MLS photos looked like....

Here's what it looked like when I got there...

Here's what it looks like now...

So many times homeowners & agents believe that they understand staging. Professional staging is a full time job! Sometimes it is best to pay the professionals for what they do best....

Oh.. the home goes back on the market tomorrow.... $299,900. I have no doubt they will get it. For the record, the price of the staging.... less than $4000. Do you think it was worth it?

Posted by Melissa Marro www.StagingAndRedesign.com www.RedesigningCharleston.com on 07/13/2007 10:50 PM

Comments (18)

Originally posted at: Staging And Redesign - My View of the Industry: What a little paint can do...

Post is included in group: Staging "Before" & "After" Pictures

18 Comments on What a little paint can do...

JUL

2007

I'm a firm beleiver that people are just lazy and do not care. I think in another 5 or 10 years 99% of homeowners will be living in the dark, because they will not know how to change a light bulb. I agree with you that paint makes a great change and it takes very little effort. Please keep posting items like this to help other people realize what they can accomplish with a little elbow grease.

This is a great transformation. It looks modern, pulled together and very warm and inviting.

Again Melissa....Great job... and thats more than a little paint..thats some great work as well!

JUL

2007

Wow! I'm always so impressed with your work, Melissa. This is an awesome representation of the benefits of staging. You've defined the "living spaces" and have provided the prospective buyers with a great vision.

Congratulations, your post is being featured within the group.

Kathy

Your work looks great, I am a bit conused though. It seems that Staging is becoming more like renovating???? Not just your BLOG but several others I have seen have had extensive work to improve the property. Is this the way Staging is Growing??? What do the Industry Leaders think?

Great work.

Paul Moye

Thanks Kathy!

Paul - There really wasn't any renovating here. We painted the walls and the cabinets, scraped the popcorn ceilings, and added furniture. The job of a stager is to make the home more marketable on a minimal budget (doing just the things that will add value that will actually come back in the final sale price). This is why most agents & homeowners THINK they can stage themselves, when in reality they are only doing the bare minimum - decluttering, cleaning & rearranging furniture. Those are part of staging, but not the whole picture. I will say that most of the time I don't find homes need this much help - but sometimes they do.

Great staging...and excellent response to Paul's inquiry. You are absolutely right, Melissa. I think that there is a general misconception out there on the capacity of a stager's responsibility and expertise.

thanks for clarifying this.

Julia

Wow!! What a difference staging makes!! The $4000 investment will be well worth it when the house sell!

JUL

2007

Melissa, I really like your style. Clean and simple lines and the update look!!!

Melissa ~ I love the "less is more" look and find it so appealing! Great transformation and definitely worth the investment.

JUL

2007

Thank you very much for sharing, this really made a big difference

I don't understand the resistance to paint either. It is the most dramatic difference you can make for the least amount of money. And what a return on investment! Good job!

Kim Dillon

Not only does the paint color add warmth, but it also makes the home appear sparkley clean! I've painted ooodles of rooms (for myself) and I'm surprised that more homeowners (if budget shy) don't opt to do the painting themselves. Anyway, great job and thanks for sharing! (Love your photos too...what kind of camera do you use?).

Susan - I couldn't agree more about the home feeling & looking more clean as a result of paint. It just makes everything better! My camera is a Kodak z740 with an added wide angle lense. I just recently purchased the wide angle lense and I lOVE it! Even without it though, the photos come out amazingly clear. It has a 10x zoom, which is great for personal photos as well - particularly for catching activities with the family where you don't want to interrupt or let them know you are taking the photo.

Melissa, great job! You spent less than $4,000 on staging and the asking price has gone up $25,000. I'd say staging is worth it! Keep us posted on how it goes.

Melissa,

Nice staging, great furniture. Worth it? Percieved value increased with your work though I cannot see so much in the photos...the condition of the house or the exterior or the neighborhood, but I have to say it is HIGHLY doubtful the final selling price will not cover the costs in the end.

Just curious, would kindly you talk about how the staging price of $4000.00 breaks out? How much for the rental furnishings and for how long? Is the paint and labor included in the $4000.00? If so, did your company subcontract the paint work? If not, do you know the amount for the paint project? I would also be curious about the cost to do the kitchen cabinets alone.

oooohhhh Ahhhhhhhh! Love these beautiful transformations Melissa! You've got the magic touch with a neutral palette as well I see!

JUL

2007

Melissa, you have made the living room look twice as large and certainly more inviting. You are a huge credit to this industry and your work is always a pleasure to view.

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