Home : Blogs : Jessica Hughes : Home Staging Boulder County: Jessica (aka boulderite)'s Blog

That's why they are called ACCESSORIES

accessories, home staging My daughter illustrates my point perfectly. An accessory is:

ac·ces·so·ry ( k-s s -r )
n. pl. ac·ces·so·ries
1. a. A subordinate or supplementary item; an adjunct.
b. Something nonessential but desirable that contributes to an effect or result. See Synonyms at appendage.
adj.
1. Having a secondary, supplementary, or subordinate function.

The listing I did a bid on today for staging reminded me of one of my pet peeves. I often see vacant listings on the market that the realtor or the home owner has ‘spruced up' with accessories. The wooden watermelon slice on the counter, a few baskets over the fridge, a stuffed animal on the floor of the master bedroom, the abandoned cheap silk plant. I have to tell you: the effect is NOT POSITIVE!!!!!!, That's why they are called accessories; they are intended to compliment the furnishings. On their own it just looks like the owner forgot to take something when they moved. My advise; you are better off leaving the home completely vacant than sparsely furnished or accessorized!

I also often have real estate agents asking me to price them for accessorizing their listing because they/the owner doesn't want to spend the money on fully staging a vacant home. I'm terribly sorry I say, that is not a service that I offer. I even uses to use an analogy. Imagine a lady who is wearing a fancy hat, scarf, jewelry, and boots, but nothing more................................. Well, that is what putting accessories in a vacant home is like. But the glimmer in too many eyes has made me rethink my approach. Additionally, upon further reflection, based on that analogy, homes might sell quite quickly ;)

A funny anecdote: My husband and I viewed a house last year in which the owners had tacky old furnishings and accessories scattered around the house with little ‘price tags' taped to each piece. These were all things that the owners obviously didn't want any more, heck the Salvation Army probably wouldn't take them, so why they thought prospective home buyers would, I shall never understand! The prices were also laughably high.

Posted by Jessica Hughes on 11/30/2006 09:53 PM

Comments (7)

home staging, ambiance staging, accessories, jessica hughes, boulder, colorado

7 Comments on That's why they are called ACCESSORIES

Oh, Jessica - I feel your pain! What IS it with the owners of vacant houses not wanting to invest a single dollar more?!!!

I have unofficially become the "Queen" of vacant house staging! And yet, after all the hopes and dreams that I place lovingly into a proposal, the bottom line (price to rent furnishings) gets them every time!

I am not at that point where I want to stock furniture and deal with the schlepping and cataloging, etc. I loan my accessories 'gratis', but they sellers are just not 'buying' the concept!

11/30/2006 10:31 PM

by Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island)

Oh, and by the way, your daughter is ADORABLE!!!

11/30/2006 10:33 PM

by Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island)

Your daughter is adorable, does she have on 2 different socks? I used to call my daughter the "crinoline kid" she had some of the most bizarre outfits...she dresses well today-she's 24.

I showed a house this past weekend that was unbelievably cluttered, if I go back to show again, I will send you guys pictures, the owner has enough stuff to stage 20 homes in her house. There was a path through the rooms, and one doorway was even blocked by furnishings or whatever you'd call them. Antique shops look sparse compared to this. When we were introduced she said, Hi my name is Louise-I'm eccentric.

I wonder if there is a "meeting" for this somewhere.

11/30/2006 11:34 PM

by Joanne Brown (Keller Williams Hudson Valley Realty)

I just suggested to a builder I'm working with that we consider staging the (almost finished) house. The market here is not what it was a a year or more ago when new construction sold long before it was finished.

His reaction. I don't think it's necessary. Wrong!

11/30/2006 11:46 PM

by Geri Sonkin (RE/MAX Hearthstone)

Thanks for the comments about my daughter. I think she's pretty adorable too :)

She is wearing 2 different socks, she is a very particular dresser. Now she will only wear this one pair of black patent leather shoes, even though we're in 18 inches of snow; she even wears them to bed. In the photo she also has on 2 hats & a shirt balanced on top (all her doing). I actually would loved to have shown the one with her wearing all you see above, but with a purse draped on one arm and a clothes hanger on the other, but in that one she wasn't wearing any underpants.

Joanne, an over-cluttered home is a whole other topic altogether!

12/01/2006 12:42 AM

by Jessica Hughes (Ambiance Staging)

I had a similar consultation appointment. The house was vacant except for a few accessories and a couple of pieces of furniture. The house was on the market for 4 months, price was dropped 50k and still no bites. They wanted me to stage just the downstairs with furniture BUT no accessories. The realtor has brought in her own FAMILY PHOTOS and small knicknacks. I asked if they wanted to sell just the downstairs or the whole house. Long story short...I didn't take the job.

12/01/2006 06:52 PM

by Janice Sutton - Temecula Murrieta Home Stager - Home Staging (1st Stage Property Transformations )

Hey Jessica

I used to teach dance classes to 3 year olds, Your daughter is adorable and her accessory would be a perfect costume dance number to "Pretty Baby".

About only a few accessories in a vacant home, don't everyone kill me on this one, BUT I did get called to consult on a vacant property where only a few well placed accessories were already there and it really did look quite nice. I think anything done correctly, is better than nothing at all. We need to work with all budgets

Phyllis pafumi

12/02/2006 10:31 AM

by Phyllis Pafumi-ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ (ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey)

Leave a response…

Name:

Notify me of new comments:

Comment:

What does the graphic say?