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Staging versus price reduction

Home Staging is the process of preparing a home for sale, regardless of price, location or condition. Staging is home merchandising and today, isn't everything merchandised?? When we put on makeup or do what we do to make ourselves more appealing, that's merchandising. When we buy clothes, they are set out on mannequins, or neatly and colorfully placed on shelves, that's merchandising. When we buy food at a restaurant, they show us how nice it looks on the pictures in the menu, that's merchandising.

So why is there a commotion when it is discovered that a home was Staged for sale?? When we sell what is often our largest asset, shouldn't it look its best and appeal to the greatest group of potential buyers?? Home Staging will show-off the focal point of each room or draw the eye to features that make the house stand out from the competition and show potential buyers how they could live in the house.

As a home Stager, I will not cover-up or hide a condition in a house. For example, the hole in the shower surround that I was asked to hide by pulling the curtain shut. No way. On the other hand, if a carpet is stained from pets, is suggesting it be replaced covering-up a condition? I don't think so. My goal is to help the homeowner and realtor have a faster sale for the most money.

I don't understand the realtor and/or homeowner not willing to invest a small amount in Staging, but willing to take a price reduction.

Your thoughts?

Posted by Carol Rumak, ASP on 10/16/2006 01:28 PM

Comments (12)

asp, chicago, home staging, staging, home merchandising, price reduction, iahsp, illinois, chicagoland stager

12 Comments on Staging versus price reduction

OCT

2006

Hello Carol? You should read my blog!

Carol,

I feel your pain and I know, first-hand, how frustrating it can be to offer a service only to be defeated by a monetary figure! How foolish to reduce a property for sale and not look to what can be done to improve it in order to compete with the competition?

I'm afraid that we're still in the "Gold Rush" stage and as 'pioneers' are not being taken seriously. WE KNOW what the answer is and how to compete in this market, but no one is listening.....

Buyers appreciate a well staged home. Hang on Carol, if the market gets a little tighter the world will beat a path...

Moo

OCT

2006

Val, thanks for your kind words.

Isn't it silly that people who are not willing to invest money to Stage their home will continue to spend money on mortgage interest, realty taxes and utilities for months and months, with these costs far outweighing their investment in Staging which would probably result in a faster sale?? So then they take a price reduction on top!!

I think perhaps, by the time a decision is made to take a drastic price reduction, the homeowners (and realtor) are just so mentally fatigued by the whole ordeal that they want to take what they perceive is the easiest and most direct route to get on with their lives and don't realize that staging the home could indeed be the better solution....it would definitely be the most cost effective. That's why we need to increase our efforts to inform and educate them.

OCT

2006

Carol... This blog "tickled my brain" and got me thinking about what ended up being my blog this morning.

As I blogged about Home Repairs I kept thinking how we need to include a powerful “message” about repairs when our Services Specialist (Sales Consultants) first go out to meet with potential clients.

THEN look at that AWESOME first comment by Tricia… pure GOLD. It gives me MORE information as to how to speak about this with even more insight and ultimately authority.

MY POINT IS… this is the power of the sharing in this community all of our ideas, thoughts, insights, concerns, challenges, hopes, issues, needs, successes, failures…

THANKS for the inspiration.

OCT

2006

I think that as staging becomes more accepted this will change but it will take time. I also get frustrated when people call a stager after their home has been on the market for 6 months as a last ditch effort to sell the home. I thin they expect a miracle.

I try to get Realtors on my team and have the home staged before the first open house. That way it is ready from the beginning. There is no way to get back that initial "New Listing Buzz".

NOV

2006

Hey Carol

I totally feel your pain. I don't get it. I remember pulling up to a sellers house one Sunday (they were having an Open House). She questioned me over and over again to make sure that I was not a realtor and when I finally convinced her otherwise and began to explain my services, she waived her finger and said Oh, no, no I will just reduce the price of my house $10K before I do that. Are they NUTS? We all have a lot of educating to do

Keep Staging it Forward

Phyllis pafumi

FEB

2007

.. it is VERY tough to be in the position of feeling like and instructor.. we KNOW that if a house is unstaged and looks a bit too lived in it will always be passed over for the one that may be the same price, but has been "polished" by staging.. so, how do we not sound like we are TSK TSKing ,, " you know, this house looks lousy,, you need to get a grip , and spend the money to stage it ! " hrumph ..

Anne Vigneri CASA VERO Placitas NM

FEB

2007

I hate to butt in but how does a regular person find a home stager? I live in Montgomery Alabama and would give my right arm for one right now. I called one lady and she never called me back and that was months ago. The real estate agents here have all had "courses" - my house has been on the market for 8 months with like one showing every month or two. Their solution is to lower the price even though it is already below the comps for the area. I want to find a real stager - but internet searches come up with nothing. And the lady I called earlier seemed too busy - it took me a week to get her on the phone and she was going to a "meeting" our of town and never called back.

Is there a national registry or association somewhere?

Sorry for interrupting.

FEB

2007

In my blog this week I talk about educating. When I staged the condo for free, I did it to show what I could do. I gave them a taste now I have to see if they bite. Good luck to all of us in this position. WE are ahead of our times, the times will catch up, they always do. We must stick it out and as a group prove our value.

Hi Carol - I don't know if the relationship between staging and price reductions means much anymore because staged houses are having to take some price deductions as well in the current market. Most homes have been overpriced and until there is a leveling off and prices come down, it may not be the best tag line to use. The agent and seller could look at you to blame for the house not selling instead pricing the house right. Do I make sense?

I just spent most of the day ( Sunday), checking out listings , virtual tours, etc, online , some of them I KNOW have been on the market for over 9 months ! Some of them are vacant, and some have very outdated decor.. Some are so cluttered you only see the stuff.. One home, in the $600,000 range had bare matresses in two of the bedrooms and two sad little kitchen chairs next to the fireplace and that was the "staging" ! Yet another home, a gorgeous place listed at $885,000 , was totally empty !

So, I posted the agents of some of these poor neglected listings and suggested that they might consider staging as opposed to MORE price reductiions that would likely be in the thousands of dollara. That the investment in staging is far more cost effective than they might think when they look at it this way..

No promises about faster sales, or bigger prices,, but jeepers.. why not try it ???

I'll wait to hear back, and you'll be the first to know what the reaction was,,, if any.. : /

Anne Vigneri www.casavero.com Placitas NM

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