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If I had just read your posts .... I could have done this myself!

By
Education & Training with J29 Project

Occasionally someone says something that stops you in your tracks.  This happened to me the other day when I was with a client who had recently had a staging to sell consultation.  I was back at her house dropping off a few items for her to use to stage her home and she said something that really made me stop and think for a while.

 

She told me that she had been on my Active Rain blog and had been reading some of my posts.  She said that if she had just read those before I came, she could have probably done it herself.  Three points immediately came to mind.

 

First of all she is absolutely right - she could have staged her own house.  In fact she had already been cleaning and decluttering and had done a fabulous job.  I just provided a plan for the remaining things that needed to be done.  This is the case for probably 90% of the people who hire a stager.  They need direction because selling a home is an overwhelming process if you don't prioritize what needs to be done.  Putting things into perspective is a valuable tool and a stager can provide that service.

 

Secondly, one of the benefits of hiring a stager, even though you think you can do it all on your own, is that someone who is objective is looking at your house.  I know this from first hand experience.  I sold my house this summer and it was very difficult to stage it.  Not because I don't know how, but keeping an objective eye is difficult when you have managed to live with it day after day.  So even though the majority of the work can be done by homeowners, it pays to have someone (can be a friend or realtor too) go through your home before you put the for sale sign out.  It will really be worth it!

 

Lastly, I thought about the value of education and I am not necessarily talking about a being in a school building.  I was taught principles of staging and I share those principles during every consultation.  When you equip yourself with knowledge then you can accomplish all kinds of things - just like my client said.  Knowing what to do and how to do it can only set you up for success. 

 

Often times education doesn't even need to cost you anything.  There have been several occasions when I have offered free classes about staging in this area.  Articles found in this column can also be a great tool to learn more about staging.  Reading blogs is another great way to bring you up to speed about staging, not to mention the books that can be purchased.  The possibilities are endless if you are interested, it is pretty easy to find a way to get educated!

 

As seen in The News Enterprise in Staged SO Right's monthly column in October, 2010.

Posted by

Sheila Kennedy

Owner of Staged SO Right

Creator of J29 Project, Draw the Line, Eye on the Prize and Hear My Voice Programs

www.j29project.com

Staging you AMAZING!

Comments (14)

Ken's Home Team LLC. | 360.609.0226 | Portland, OR & Vancouver, WA Real Estate Team
Ken's Home Team LLC. - Vancouver, WA
- SOLD IS OUR FAVORITE 4 LETTER WORD -

very cool, I am going to keep up with your blog now, thank  you for your help!!!

Nov 28, 2010 03:04 PM
Chandler Real Estate Liz Harris, MBA
Liz Harris Realty - Chandler, AZ
#ChandlerRealEstateAgent

Knowledge is Power!  Excellent post!

Nov 28, 2010 03:09 PM
Deborah Byron Leffler BzyBee Real Estate Lady!
Keller Williams Realty Boise - Nampa, ID

Great tips...I think some times we make it seem really easy when it is a matter of experience and skill so it is easy for us!   But some probably could stage it themselves...others....well not so much!   LOL

Nov 28, 2010 03:10 PM
Linda D. Pufford
Stage with Divine Style - Home Staging - Novato, CA
ASPM, Marin/Sonoma Home Stager

Sheila,

With 10% of the population being able to see things the way they could be leaves 90% that don't have that same vision.  You can read a book and gain the knowledge but being able to apply it is another thing.  Don't you find that now after years of staging (experience) that you are a lot better today then when you did your first staging?  I know I am.  When I do a staging consultation (detailed report) I offer to come back to fine tune what my clients have done.  In five years of staging only a couple of clients did everything to perfection and I didn't have to do a thing.  You are a valuable asset to any home for sale as a professional home stager.

Nov 28, 2010 03:55 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Sheila- First... isn't it wonderful that she was reading your AR blog!  And, yes, I've only been in a handful of homes that really didn't need any staging.  Every home is different and what we learn from HGTV and reading magazines and blogs is an excellent starting point.  However, bringing in an objective eye, hopefully a professional Stager, takes it from just being clean and uncluttered to the "WOW" factor.

Nov 29, 2010 06:53 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Maybe she could have done it herself, maybe not...important thing here is that she got your professional advice and I would be willing to bet that the outcome will be better having had the consultation.

Nov 29, 2010 09:33 AM
Erby Crofutt
B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY
The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

Yeah, she could have "done it herself" but as you said, it's the objective overall view and familiarity with the market that she's paying for.  Advice well taken.

Nov 29, 2010 11:29 AM
Sheila Kennedy
J29 Project - Rochester, NY

Ken - thanks - looking forward to blogging again!

Liz - Thank you!

Deborah - You are right - experience helps and there will always be some who can do it without help!

Linda - Very valid points.  I would like to think I get better as time goes by, but I also come at this industry different than most.  I really do have a consultation only business and have sold off all of my inventory.  My days of being really hands on are pretty much gone.  I love what I do and the advice I offer has helped every single house I have been in show better than if I had never come by!  I think it would be interesting to see what I could do if I did get my hands "dirty" a little more.  Thank you so much for your insight!

Valerie - Love the idea of them getting the decluttering done before I get there - I might be out of a job though!  Thanks!

Kathy - You are so right!  It is a starting point, but shouldn't end there!  Thank you!

Sharon - thank you my friend! 

Erby - I forget about the last item - market familiarity.  That is very valuable information to offer indeed and most definitely one reason why I get hired.  Thanks!

Nov 29, 2010 02:33 PM
Heather Cook
Beyond the Stage Homes - Kitchener, ON
Delivering beautifully staged spaces

I really agree with Sheila and Valerie - yes she could have read your blog/article and figured out a few things for herself. Anyone can do that. What not everyone can do is implement the instructions and get the desired effect. You need to have the 'eye', the design talent and the instincts to stage or design a space.

I have seen homes where they have been 'staged' and its nothing like what it should look like. I have also seen homes where home owners have referred to a manual on de-cluttering and either been completely stumped or gone way too far so that the home has virtually nothing left in it. Knowledge is all well and good but without talent and expertise to implement it .. its only really good for reading!

Nov 29, 2010 02:47 PM
Michelle Finnamore
Toronto GTA, Alliston, Newmarket - Vaughan, ON
Preparing your property for sale

Hi Sheila, I also offer a service to return to tweak what the client has done to stage if the their budget only allows for a minimal investment budget. 

It is the objectivity that the home owner lacks. I call in another stager for another opinion when I want to sell my home. It's a difficult thing to do to seperate yourself from the emotions you feel when you are in your space.

It is also the emotional triggers that you have to hit with the buyers to get them to connect with your property over all the others on the market. As I always say, it is the "one thing" I do when staging that tips the scale in the sellers favour. (If you remember the movie City Slickers, life always comes down to "one thing".

It may be a mirror or piece of artwork that markets the lifestyle of living in a home. Recently a client remarked that she had a really difficult time finding the right artwork for a room. She just couldn't find anything suitable and left the focal wall blank ( not a good decision as the room was really lacking at that point). I let her know that is why I have over 300 pieces of artwork. So that I always have the right piece for that particular home.

Another way of looking at it is..... I don't do what they do for a living all day and probably could get the job done but not with the expertise and successful results that they would. Same goes for our skills.   I look back at the birthday cakes I iced for my girls. Loved them all when I did them and thought they looked just like the magazine pictures that I had been inspired by. Looking back now,,,, all I can say is...I must have had stars in  my eyes.  They sure tasted good though!!

Nov 30, 2010 11:50 PM
Shanna Perino
A Sense of Order - Organizing for the Home and Office - Nashville, TN
Certified Professional Organizer/Licensed Realtor

The same thing happens in my line of work.  The problem is that people think they will do it themselves - they have every good intention and probably could do it themselves if they really applied some effort.  But most often, people start in on it and then get overwhelmed or discouraged by not making as much progress as they would like.  I can't count how many times I've gone into a clients house and, while going through their things, found several books on organizing!  It definitely pays to call in a professional!

Dec 01, 2010 04:57 AM
Erby Crofutt
B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY
The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

I could decorate my yard (see my blog on that) but I've learned over the years that I'm much better off letting my creative wife handle the what goes where and looks good here stuff.  I just put it where she tells me.  I just don't have the "touch"!

I thought her Halloween decorations were kinda silly, but the kids AND the parents loved it enough they wanted to crawl into the design and have pictures taken.  Here I was, wrong again.

Dec 11, 2010 04:22 PM
Sheila Kennedy
J29 Project - Rochester, NY

Heather - great points!  Thank you for stopping by!

Michelle - Your lucky daughters - what a great mom you are!  I appreciate your input - thanks!

Shanna - I know exactly what you are saying.  It does pay to call in a professional when you ready to quit messing with just "trying" and finally accomplish something.  Thanks for sharing!

Erby - I would love to see pictures of the Halloween decor - it sounds like it was a great display!  Thanks for stopping by! 

Dec 15, 2010 12:46 PM