2011 Home Gain Survey Results and a Home Stagers Viewpoint!

Good one Stager Star Kathy. I'm going to check out the survey too. I can't imagine people not recognizing the importance of staging their home. Blows me away that people spend money detailing  car prior to a sale, but don't get that the same principle applies to their home.

Lightening and brightening is great advice for any homeowner.  Thanks for the great links, Kathy.  Bookmarked.

Well said Kathy! The Home Gain stats can come in handy, but you are right we cover most of the items on the list every consult.

Congrats on another feature!

In this housing market, staging is more important than ever! It's the only way to make a home really stand out against the competition!

Gretchen

Congrats on the feature! Home staging and de-cluttering is one of the best (and least expensive) ways of preparing your home for sale. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend.

Hi Kathy--great feature.  I do wish Home Gain would rename this survey "The Benefits of Home Staging", since, as you point out, we touch on every one of these subjects.  So much competition on the market these days, so it takes some work to make a home memorable. 

I remember when I first heard of staging and I was like, WHAT? PUH-LEASE! Now I am SUCH a big fan that it isn't even funny! WE SO need a stager in our little neck of the woods!

Hello Kathy, I love hearing about preparing a home from a staggers' point of view.  It helps me to notice things I'm sure I would've overlooked.  Thank You!

Home stagers are so helpful, especially with rooms that are tough to get the feel for in. I love the photos that you post, they really do help a consumer visualize possibilities!

Love the difference a stager can make in a home.  In our rural area, few people will work with a stager, but I took a staging for Realtors class, and I can at least do some minor things to make the home show better.

If this post hadn't been featured I would have been crabby! LOL. This is so true. I hadn't seen the survey yet so thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Dear Kathy - I too, like Shar, am glad it was featured!  Congratulations :).  Very interesting isn't it....  Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!

Dear Kathy,

Good stagers can do a lot with what the owners already have. Sometimes, the independent eye sees things, that our brains edit right out because we live there. Unless you are diligent about cleaning every Friday and putting everything in its place all the time, there will be stuff, that was left sitting somewhere or chairs that were not moved back in place or dead flowers that could be snipped off that would just make the home more appealing to someone, who does not know and love it as well as you do.

Good stagers are important because most people get swayed by appearances rather what is really important.   It is almost lke they are buying the polish on the apple rather then the apple itself.  Keep doing your good work.

I think home staging is very important.  However, with most of the sales being REO or Short Sales no one really wants to put the money into it.

How true Kathy~  MLS photos are critical for enticing  buyers to look closer at a home. 

Hi Kathy, I agree.  But I hope we get out of the price rules market and into a market where staging matters.  Right now it is price, no matter condition.