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UPDATED! Made a List, Checked it Twice - Result? SOLD in 2 Days!

By
Home Stager with GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign

In this tough selling environment, the importance of thoroughly preparing for the market cannot be stressed enough. Sellers need a professional stager on their team to help them evaluate their home's strong points and negatives, then develop an action plan that will give them great results.

 

This beautiful home was coming on the market. The sellers knew that the home had lots of bells and whistles that would appeal to many buyers, however, they also realized that to sell quickly they needed to do everything possible to make it sizzle. They also knew that selling a vacant home was not a good strategy.

                                                 

 

GreatStages came in and developed a complete action plan that even included 9 pages of notes on preparing the landscaping. It took a few weeks and the work of a painter, handyman, flooring installers, window washer, landscaper, tree-trimmer and cleaning crew. Staging was the final piece of the puzzle before hitting the market with a bang!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The result? Listed on Monday,  full price offer and SOLD on Tuesday! 

 

 

UPDATE! Here is a little RES I put together. It was never used for the listing since there was a virtual tour done, too, but it gives you a little more taste of what the home was all about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cindy Bryant
Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX
"Houston Home Staging Pros"
This is a beauty!  But I guess you can tell by all of your comments you did a great job!!
Jan 30, 2008 02:56 PM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Phyllis - I believe the owner said that there was $50,000 worth of stonework alone in the yard. While I worked in the home I left the windows open to hear the sound of the waterfall. So relaxing!

Cindy - Thank you! I hope I get to work on another home of this quality soon. It really gets the creative juices flowing!

Jan 31, 2008 02:20 AM
Elise Sharpless
Rooms Like New, LLC - Shamong Township, NJ
Home Staging,South Jersey,NJ
looks GREAT! Good job!
Jan 31, 2008 02:37 AM
Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals
I will disagree with the first comment by Paul "staging isn't always necessary" - it is if you want the best product to present to the market  Even those professionally  decorated immaculate homes  need some things removed, some things moved, the architectural details highlighted, and the  traffic flow pattern is usually not conducive to showings.  He is right on the "setting you apart" statement.
Feb 02, 2008 03:43 AM
Teresa Berry
Seattle, WA
Thanks for sharing Kathy what a great inspiration - you're fabulous! Cheers Teresa
Mar 12, 2008 11:31 AM
Barbara Cluck-Miksits
BCM Home Staging LLC - Ridgewood, NJ
Home Staging - New Jersey

Kathy - You did a great job on this home. BRAVO!

I have to agree with Kathleen Lordbock. I do not care if you live in a home that is 5 million dollars, with the best of everything, you still need a professional's eye to edit out items and create a flow to the home.

I know I have seen them. People have to much stuff.

 

Mar 17, 2008 12:24 AM
Tanya Venable
Orlando, FL
SEO, Mobile SEO, and Internet Marketing Consultant
I know this is late but Congratulations. It looks awesome. GREAT RES!
Mar 18, 2008 01:17 AM
Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals
Had to come back and take another peek.
Apr 19, 2008 03:45 PM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Elise - Thanks for the compliment and stopping by!

Kathleen - I agree and I have never been in a home that couldn't benefit from staging. Even if the furniture and accessories are designer pieces, placement is very important and condition is of utmost importance in a down market. (thanks for the second look, too!)

Barbara - yes, editing and flow are part of the stager's mantra. Thanks for your comments.

Tanya - I am late in getting back to everyone with their kind comments, too! Thanks for stopping by.

 

It is funny how this house just keeps giving back to me. First, I was asked to do several jobs just from those who either saw the house or this blog. Then, recently I was at a dinner party and introduced to a couple. She is a Realtor and he is a custom home builder. My host introduced me as "a stager". At first they had a wary look, like I might hit them up for business (never entered my mind). Later someone at the party mentioned THIS HOUSE, since it was just down the street. Suddenly the Realtor came to life and said, "YOU were the one who did that house?". She ran to her husband, told him and then they both became friendly and animated and couldn't quit heaping on the compliments about my work there.

 

May 16, 2008 10:53 AM
Patty Hill, Broker Associate
Local Homes and Land, Inc - Summerville, SC
Local Homes and Land, Inc

Beautiful staging.  Congratulations!

May 17, 2008 02:10 PM
Shobha Vyavahare
stagewithme, Greenville, South Carolina - Greenville, SC

sometimes I have hard time believing that it sold in such short time, it is like a fairy tale, but you proved it, great job in staging, it looks clean, and sharp and very upscale.

Shobha

Jun 13, 2008 12:54 AM
Paula Springer
Key Elements Inc. Home Staging & Interiors - Portland, OR
A.S.P.

Kathy - I join the crowd in applauding your masterful presentation of this property. Sometimes the harder job is the one where you have to enhance the sellers stuff....everything blended so well in a tasteful way with wide appeal. The woodwork in the DR really pops with the accent on the wall. Love that color...can you share what that is?

 

Sep 21, 2008 05:20 AM
B Lucas-Thrower
Staging - Interior Redesign & Home Staging - Franklin, TN
Interior Redesign and Home Staging

What a wonderful success story. Congratulations. Beautiful

Dec 22, 2008 12:48 AM
Anonymous
Chico P.

I can see how the homes properly staged will sell faster, but we have a totally different method of getting hundreds of lookers through a house. We conduct estate liquidation sales for heirs, executors, attorneys and individuals. We discovered that a house contents sale puts hundreds more people through the house than a traditional open house. We ask the brokers to attend the sale and take names. Almost every person coming to the sale, either wants to buy the house or knows someone who is looking. See our website: http://www.RhodeIslandEstateSales.com At the end of each sale we have the property cleaned out and swept by a local clean up crew of veterans who do the dump run and donate any leftover usable stuff to furnish new living quarters for homeless veterans. See their website: http://www.TrashCleanouts.com  We have expanded on this very successful method for flooding the house with people and now fill up empty homes with stuff and run a staged sale. Consider this messy but worthwhile concept!

Dec 22, 2008 11:28 PM
#48
Nancy Maurer
Whitehall Interiors & Home Staging LLC - Sparta, NJ
Home Stager - Serving No. NJ

Kathy - What an all-around great story:  A great job of advance preparation, super staging, incredible fast sale and, to top it all off, you get follow up jobs and recognition for all of your hard work!!  Congratulations!  I, too, love that dining room color.  Please tell us what it is!

Dec 09, 2009 06:18 AM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Chico - I am working with an estate sale person right now on a project similar to what you describe. After the sale, I will be coming in to stage the home. While the sale is going on people will be told that the house is on the market and how to get in touch with the Realtor.

 

Nancy - the color used was Devine Victoire. Thank you for commenting.

Dec 09, 2009 10:05 AM
Liz Gallagher
LG Home Harmony - Home Stagers & Organizers - Montreal, QC
Montreal Quebec RESA member

This house has CURB APPEAL! ... what a beautiful home ... love the Koi pond too!

Jan 19, 2010 10:59 AM
Beth Lester
Beth Lester Designs - Torrance, CA
Home Staging & Interior Decorating

I too LOVE that dining room color.  What brand is Devine Victoire (I'm too lazy to get up and look through all my fan decks - of course it is 3:00 in the morning!)?

Mar 14, 2010 09:59 PM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Beth - Devine is the brand name. It is a line of paint that was developed here in the Portland area. I know that it is available in other areas, but I am not sure about your area. It can also be purchased online and I believe that shipping is free.

Mar 15, 2010 03:12 PM
Rebecca McArdle
Stunning Staging & Redesign, LLC - Fort Wayne, IN

Kathy, that is a beautiful home by itself but you gave it the "umph" it needed!  Nice job!

Mar 05, 2012 02:10 AM