Staging: Does it work??

You get my vote! (But then again, I'm kind of a staging fan.)

What a great price!  Hopefully you're heading into a full-price bidding war!

Staging is a key piece to selling in today's market, given the choice that a buyer has. It's critical to interest a buyer as soon as they walk in the door!

This is not a frill...it's an essential!   Your photos prove this....

Very nice Vanessa.  Unfortunately in our market most of the sellers we work with are short sellers who don't have the funds to afford staging, nor do they particularly care how the home looks since they're not netting any money from the sale.  But I would agree that staging in general, for a seller who has the means, is a great idea.  And you do a wonderful job of it.  Good post and best of luck to you.

Okay...  staging does work.  I recently had to transform a vacant property that had tried to go into a short sale, and ended up in foreclosure.  

Here's what I noticed,..the property had a sought-after den with built ins,..but they were made out of horrible rough knotty pine.  They were ghastly, and more of an eye sore, than a plus.  I truly think it was the reason the house didn't sell in the first place. 

Secondly, the former owners had eliminated eating space, and put in an eye sore of a window seat in what was suppose to be a Bay window in the kitchen..  

I came in, and we removed that "enhancement", and refinished the entire den of built-ins with a $150 Rustoleum Cabinet Kit, and  did staging in a number of rooms. 

The result was, it sold in a week with multiple offers!!   Come on, a little creativity, which is what stagers are known for,  can generate $1000s in a bottom line.  I had visited the property, and I noticed that alot of realtors cards were lyilng around.   I saw magazines moved, and chairs had been left out.  Right away, I knew that was a good sign.  People were actually sitting in the house and "living" in it.  (who cares if they mess it up)

The cost for this staging project was less than $1500 including furniture rentals.   Considering the costs of HOA fees, pool service, utilities, and carrying costs,...this was a great investment. 

Vanessa, thank you.   I recall a best seller years ago, ..and I think it was said by Robert Schueller.  Tough times don't last, but tough people do.  Stagers should remember that we really have to be honest with our clients or we will never gain their respect.  There are so many scam artists out there today, and I believe in having a decent legacy.    I insisted that we refinish the cabinets and pull out the "enhancements", because my reputation was on the line.   And I didn't want a property sitting on the market for months because I wasn't sure how delicate I had to be with an investor.  I just told them the truth,..and it was unvarnished (no pun intended)  The night I started staging, the realtor gave me a thumbs up for the things I changed, and he told the investor that the house would sell in a week. 

Considering the housing market is a virtual surplus, the fact a house sold in a week for the price they wanted, and with multiple offers.// should indicate that even in a rotten market like Arizona, there are tools you can use to market a house.  Staging is definitely one.  Realtors who want a listing that will just sit are not doing themselves, or their clients any favors if they don't put them on the market correctly. 

  I took about 30 pictures, too!  I gave them to the owner to give to the realtor.     He was elated.