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Vacant Kitchens Are Just Too Doggone Empty!

By
Home Stager with Staged First Impressions

The problem with a vacant kitchen is that it's too doggone empty looking. What's more depressing than an empty frig and no food? Everybody likes to hang out in the kitchen, unless it's completely naked!

 

Who wants to linger when there's nothing but cold, empty appliances staring at you? What do you do in an empty space with a Realtor that you don't know well? Hmmm, stare at the walls for a few seconds, and move on to the next room. But we want buyers to linger in a home and fall in love with it.

Now staging a kitchen is not that expensive. Do NH home stagers do small jobs such as this? Oh yes, they do! Staging one room is feasible. And I'll give a secret...staging before your listing photos are snapped is essential! Don't do it after the house has been on the market for a year as a "last resort".

The most activity occurs on a house in the first 30 days, so stage BEFORE you list it.

Check out this kitchen before & after staging. It'll convince you that vacant kitchens are too doggone empty!!

Don't leave the knife out during showings, just for the photo. Be safe :)

vacant kitchen



staged kitchen


Staged First Impressions, a NH home staging company. We'll help you get a kitchen staged to warm it up and tempt buyers to linger for a while until they fall in love with the home.  Give us a call today @ 603-926-2676.

Comments (22)

David L. Britt
Platinum Realty, LLC - Olathe, KS
MBA
Sue, I like your comments and ideas! Thanks for the tips!
Aug 13, 2007 04:14 PM
Andrew Trevino
ADT Real Estate - Wilkes Barre, PA
Wilkes-Barre Homes For Sale

Thanks for the tips Sue. I think I'll take a shot at this in my next listing.

Aug 13, 2007 04:20 PM
Betty Haney
Haney Consulting - Calgary, AB
Sue, as usual another great staging job and article.  Those apples and muffins look very real.  Won't they go bad in a vacant?  Is someone looking after them or do you have excellent faux props?  Remember the lemons that molded in a vacant Margo and I staged? LOL  Betty 
Aug 13, 2007 06:18 PM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Valarie, right on, cozy up the place!
Aug 14, 2007 01:24 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Jon, I think it makes a huge difference, and people want to hang out in the kitchen longer!
Aug 14, 2007 01:25 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
David, you're welcome. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment today.
Aug 14, 2007 01:25 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Andrew, don't eat the merchandise, ok? Just kidding. Actually one of the jars on the counter has little candy bars in it so the agents have a snack at the model Open House's and something to offer buyers coming thru.

A bag of candy bars is cheap, each one is wrapped, and they don't make a mess. 

Aug 14, 2007 01:27 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Betty, the food is real. One of the services I offer is staged photography. I staged this model vacant, but I also staged the photographs.

Don't worry, they won't rot. I ate them!! 

Aug 14, 2007 01:30 AM
Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL
Oh yeah Sue.  The beauty of staging kitchens is it doesn't take much to dress it up.
Aug 14, 2007 03:43 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Sue, Staged photography...I love it.  Maybe that's another avenue with these realtors.  Do you ever photograph and mini stage a home that you will not be doing a full room staging?  What type of pricing do you offer.  You're photos are great, what camera do you use? 

Thanks for the post and information!

Aug 14, 2007 04:53 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Terry, that's right. Small project with huge benefit.
Aug 14, 2007 10:44 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Ginger, I have written 2 blogs on Staged Photography, and blogs on my camera, zoom shots, and photographing a view. Please refer to those for specifics.

Thanks for reading today. 

Aug 14, 2007 10:46 AM
Kathy Nielsen
http://atlantahomestaging.net - Marietta, GA
Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

Looks great, Sue.  You should add this to the group "staging before and after pictures" as I'd love to feature it.

Kathy

Aug 14, 2007 11:58 AM
Karen Dembsky
Peachtree Home Staging LLC, Home Staging in Atlanta, GA - Peachtree City, GA
Atlanta Home Staging
Thx for posting this -- I have been trying to convince a friend  to do this, or something similar in his kitchen -- he's an investor and won't pay for staging.  adament about it and his house has been on the market for 9 months.  go figure.  I refuse to do it for free for him, 'cause I know that's what he's hoping for and I have already done him enough freebies (staging that is!)! 
Aug 14, 2007 01:07 PM
Juliet Johnson
Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL
Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing
Karen, do it as a video, with you talking about how to dress up a kitchen, and put it on your website.   You take everything with you at the end of the shoot and then send him a copy of the video.  Include a few realtor comments and that should do the trick!
Aug 14, 2007 01:18 PM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY
Sue, I think you need to put a clause in your contract that protects you in case any of your inventory is consumed during a showing. ;)
Aug 14, 2007 03:18 PM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Kathy,

I can only choose 5 groups to post in I believe, and I like to keep my blogs in the NH groups. What to do? Thanks so much for featuring it here!

Aug 15, 2007 12:39 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Karen,

Email him a link to this page?

Aug 15, 2007 12:40 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Maureen, the staged photographer ate most of it before the potential buyers even had a shot at it :)
Aug 15, 2007 12:42 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager

Juliet,

Excellent idea. Karen, you on board with Real Estate Shows? 

Aug 15, 2007 12:43 AM