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Lancaster Long & Foster Agents Stage A Home

Today, a number of agents from Long & Foster's Lancaster Office took a couple of hours to learn how to transform a "humdrum home" into a home that "pops". One of our resident staging experts taught a hands-on refresher on home staging basics, using a new listing as a test case.

Lancaster home staging

We were broken up into groups and assigned floors of the house to re-invent. I was on the team that redid the second floor, 3 bedrooms and a bath that was badly in need of a decluttering! We had to move furniture everywhere to get the desired effect of emptiness. The homeowner was a big collector, so there was no shortage of knicknacks to rearrange!

Lancaster home staging

At the end of the time everyone regathered and went through the house again - the results were incredible!

Lancaster home staging

Everyone was pretty impressed with themselves, and the listing agent was even more impressed...and grateful. It was a great time of fellowship and learning. If you decided to list with me I can promise to gather the "Long & Foster Stagers" to work YOUR house over! Just one more advantage to working with Long & Foster, whether you are an agent or a customer.

Lancaster home staging

I think everyone is looking forward to the next staging event, so watch for more posts to come...

Posted by Jeff Geoghan MBA - Lancaster PA Real Estate Expert on 02/05/2008 04:19 PM

Comments (16)

lancaster home staging, long foster

Originally posted at: Lancaster PA Real Estate Blog: Lancaster Long & Foster Agents Stage A Home

16 Comments on Lancaster Long & Foster Agents Stage A Home

FEB

2008

That was interesting. We had something like that here although they started with a vacant home.

Great post Jeff! This looks like a fun project to be involved in! I hope all the hard work pays off and the home sells quickly. Update us on results!

Jeff, Sounds like a good "second career" for newer agents. I'm passing on the idea.

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman (RA) Century 21 Liberty Homes *Hawaii*

Hi Sally! Did you have a lot of fun with your event! We had a blast - it was quite a hoot, trying to decide what constituted good taste and what should "go in the closet right now!"

Mary Bigelow, Renewing Your Life!

Mary - It will be interesting to see how long it takes - I've done staging for clients where the home has really perked up and sold.

Gary Smith, Realtor®

Gary, I think they'res something to be said for the ASP designation. I'm not a big designation fan but this is highly practical and relevant these days...

Check out Kiplinger's take on the topic:

http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2007/03/homestaging.html

All the best,

Audrey

www.simplystage.com

Audrey Hoffman, SimplyStage

Hi Audrey - that link didn't work (or my computer is telling me to go to bed now!)...

FEB

2008

Jeff, looks like you all were having a great time! I'm thinking about taking the course. I did some spot staging for a place I listed last month, and it flew off the shelf.

Patricia Kennedy

I agree, Patricia - I'm thinking about making it official as well.

FEB

2008

HI Jeff

I see you all had a good time Staging the home. The furniture arrangement was definitely more inviting. I have to ask what the budget was for this home? If it was $0 then you worked with what you had. However was there money for painting or a couch slipcover, and some fabric for window treatments? Was there a place to store some of the outdated furniture and refurbish the furniture that would stay in the room. I could honestly tell you if I was hired to do the home a lot more could have been done to make the house look as though it was more modern for less than $500. A staging course is great for Realtors to take to inform their Sellers of quick fixes, but I highly recommend that a Stager who does this for a living be hired to actually give a property a 100% makeover. Of course I am not just saying that because I am one of those "full time" Stagers, but because you can click on so many Stagers profiles here on ActiveRain and see the results. IT is more than rearranging and cleaning up, most people can do that. But it takes a very creative, budget wise and talented stager to make a house have POP! Because my business is fresh I like to take some time and continue to educate people on Staging. I do not mean to offend in any way. I just have such a passion about Staging and my business I cant help but make some suggestions. Good luck on the listing and if you find that you have some money left in the budget, give me a call I travel! = ) Best of luck.

Elise Sharpless