Home Stager's Stuff -- Get it Out Prior to Closing

Carla, sure sounds like that agent dropped the ball, big time, and they should know what possession time is and work around that.   

If they didn't get it out before closing the buyer can do whatever they'd like with it.  Shouldn't have to put it in the contract but you're in a better spot if you do. 

I have a client that stages her homes and it is always down to the wire to remove the items. It makes it difficult to do the final walk-thourgh and to make sure all touch up painting is completed.

Hello Carla ... love your post, congrats on the feature and I agree with you 

   The listing agent dropped the staging ball on this one...hope it gets picked up before closing !

LA didn't stay on top of things!  Items must be out by Close..period!  However, because we know this happens, probably best to mark your own calender and fire off a reminder??

There's nothing mysterious here. The stager didn't hear from the Listing Agent in time. It's as simple as that. The fact that she's playing dumb and acting like it's okay to pull you into the blame speaks more of her ignorance than anything else.

The stager probably doesn't know what the contract says but common sense says get your stuff out of someone's new house! LA is playing stupid here.

Yes, the staged things need to be out of the home PRIOR to closing! That SHOULD be a given.

Wow sounds like a pickle to me!  I recently had a newbie agent who forgot to bring the key to closing.  Seller says no problem, let the buyer get it out of the lock box.  Buyer goes to get it, and it is gone.  The newbie agent went after closing and tookt he key out of the lock box to get his signs out of the inside (condo)  and then proceeded to lock the key inside the home.  The agent needed to realize that after closing the home no longer belonged to his seller, so he could not just go in any time he wanted to. 

Carla Muss-Jacobs, Principal Broker/Owner -All staging items shall be removed prior to the close of escrow. If I have submit an offer on a staged home,I might just state that in an addendum-Lol.

Good evening Carla Muss-Jacobs, Principal Broker/Owner , I can see a big headache coming on with this one.  Lesson learned here.

Carla Muss-Jacobs, Principal Broker/Owner , what happened? In my mind, the listing agent needs to make this problem go away by hiring someone herself to get the furniture out of the house and store in a truck overnight until the stager can take delivery. It's a costly mistake he/she won't make again, and this is the ethical thing to do. This discussion could have been had before the appraisal came in if moving the furniture was an issue with appraisal coming in close to closing. It's just a ploy to shift blame. 

Now, see, I never deal with the home stagers really because I don't sign the home staging contract. That contract is between the sellers and the home stager. It is the seller's responsibility to cancel the home staging contract, and it is also the home stager's respnsibility to find out when the contract is expected to close. This is not the listing agent's responsbility, not in Sacramento. I tell the sellers to make sure the home is empty at closing, but I am not liable if they don't.

Congratulations on this being featured here in ActiveRain. This is good information!

Like badges, we don't need excuses. Say it loud, I knew you could. Great post Carla. Glad you got a gold star feature!

Carla, well the seller and stager sign the contract...but the LA should have made sure that the furniture and everything else is out of the house on closing day.

Congrats on Feature.  I only do consults so I don't run into this problem, but I know that most stagers that bring in inventory will have it stated in their contract exactly how much time they require for removal of their stuff. If the agent hired the stager, they are responsible and if the seller hired then I would say they are responsible.  Either way, it's not the buyers issue and I would agree with the others that said the contents belong to the buyer at closing.

Hi Carla: Congrats on the gold star. Moreover, you and your buyers know better that keeping that staging items after conveyance of the title or legal transfer of the property becomes the liability of the new owners.

The listing agent should better get that out. Pronto.