Lenn and Damon - This One's for YOU!

Lenn and Damon this one's for YOU!  Thank you for commenting on my recent blog post where I discussed good, bad and DIY home staging.  Your insights are greatly appreciated!  Stagers spend a great deal of time trying to figure out why some agents just won't embrace the concept of staging.  All it takes is spending a little time here in the Rain to understand why.  Thank you for your candor and for sharing your opposing views - we have so much to learn from you.

When you say. "....price, access and condition are what sells homes" I couldn't agree with you more!  Properly preparing a home for sale falls under your category of condition.  An appropriately "staged" home, (in my opinion at least) is one that is clean, uncluttered and in good repair. 

I don't believe that its possible to decorate your way to a successful home sale.  Staging is all about highlighting the house and its best architectual features.  You should notice the window with the beautiful view - not the drapes.   Of course a little decorating, done right, can add just the right amount of style and warmth to a listing.  Too much will just be a distraction, regardless of how tasteful it may be.

Preparing a home for sale, is like 'dressing for success'.  We all know better than to show up for a job interview or a listing presentation looking like this .....

 

Why?  The way we look certainly doesn't affect who we are, and how well we do your job, does it?  Of course not!  But most of us know better than to take any chances.  We'd rather improve our chances of getting hired by dressing for success.  Something like this would be MUCH more appropriate, don't you think....?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't understand why some sellers won't put that much thought and effort into how their houses look before putting them on the market.  I know we're all tired of that over-used cliche,  "we only get one chance to make a good first impression" but its so true!

Will staging alone sell a house "without real estate agent input, being listed on the MLS, etc.?"  Absolutely NOT.  Have THAT many stagers tried convincing YOU otherwise?  If your answer is yes, then I can certainly understand your antipathy toward staging!

In my opinion properly "staged" assumes appropriately priced.  An overpriced listing is not going to sell, no matter how pretty it looks.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of sellers and agents who do not realize that staging does not justify a home's inflated price tag.  The reputation of stagers is hurt by this.  I'd venture to guess that the "staged" expired listings you speak of are either over-priced or just not staged well.

There IS a lot of evidence to support the claim that staged homes sell faster.  Go here to view the results of various studies done by the Real Estate Staging Association.  We all know that the longer a house sits on the market the lower the price will be.  When a
home sells faster, it does avoid those inevitable price reductions.  The claim that staged homes sell "faster and for more money" is true based on my own experience and the experiences of many other staging professionals that I know.

 

Karen Bernetti is an Author, Speaker, Real Estate Stager and the Co-Creator  of Ready2Sellin30Days® an innovative, interactive, multi-media educational program designed to teach do-it-yourself homeowners EVERYTHING they need to know about preparing a home for sale during tough economic times! 

Visit www.Ready2Sellin30Days.com to learn more. 

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Karen Bernetti is also the "Resident Stager" and Realtor® at North Star Real Estate, in Southington Connecticut, where every listing comes with a complimentary Home Staging consultation.  Call 860-302-0333 for more information.