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Got the Touch?

The process of engaging in professional Home Staging for your occupied home and the process of engaging in a professional massage for your aches and pains have some similarities.

Some people just melt into a ball of butter at the very thought of relaxing in the soothing expertise that pours from the hands of the trained massage therapist.

Others, well, not so much.

They tighten up just at the thought of a strangers hands kneading and knuckling their muscles under bare exposure!

A home seller inviting a professional home stager into their domain reacts in two different ways as well.

Most are excited about their move and filled with anticipation and curious fever as to what amazing features the home stager will bring to light as well as how the home stager will renew the look of their precious collections and sphere of comfort.

And others, well, not so much.

This home seller is aghast that a complete stranger will be entering that door way with the intentions of touching and stirring all their stuff; rearranging the disorder that rules the comfort zone and consoles with familiarity.

Every time I step into a home to perform home staging, my goal is to assure my clients that staging can and should be fun. Home staging is not decorating and has nothing to do with personal taste or the convenience of day to day living. Home staging has everything to do with marketing features of the home to attract potential buyers. Home staging is a tool to help the Realtor® and the home seller advertise the home in a way that produces interested buyers from the internet and from the homes agent showings.

I don't think the results of massage therapy have anything to do with marketing something for sale, as the service of home staging does. But I do know both offer the opportunity to calm your nerves, while producing results!

The way one lives in a home is their business.

The way one presents their home for sale is Peachtree Home Staging's business!

Here's some after photo's from the Internet listing of an occupied home I recently staged using primarily the home owner belongings. This home staged Atlanta area listing went under contract in less than one week:

80% or more of today's home buyers begin their home search by viewing "marketing" listings of homes on the internet. 61% who buy, first saw the home they purchased on the Internet -- Realtor.org

For tips on how to prepare your home for sale and information on staging a home in Atlanta, visit the web site of PEACHTREE HOME STAGING or call us at 770 595-8809. If you would like to e-mail us specific questions our address is: Karen@PeachtreeHomeStaging.com

Peachtree Home Staging is a proud APPROVED Business Member of the Greater Atlanta Better Business Bureau.

Peachtree Home Staging Serves all of Metro Atlanta: Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton and Gwinnett counties in Georgia, including, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Brooks, Chamblee, Decatur, Douglasville, Duluth, Dunwoody, Fairburn, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, McDonough, Newnan, Norcross, Peachtree City, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Senoia, Sharpsburg, Stockbridge, Tucker, and Tyrone

Posted by Karen Dembsky, Atlanta Home Staging on 04/16/2008 01:49 PM

Comments (25)

home, staging, stager, atlanta, newnan, fayetteville, occupied, real estate, marketing

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25 Comments on Got the Touch?

APR

2008

Another great analogy Karen. Linda has been on a few consultations where she would attempt to give the home owner a physical example of how moving something would change the look and feel of the space and she could immediately see that the home owner was about to have a stroke when she touched their belongings. Not sure what you call that phobia but it definitely exists.

Interesting analogy! I enjoyed the connection.

Good thoughts Karen. Give us something to think about when bringing in a stager or attempting to help a client ourselves . . . even though we are well meaning, some may still "bristle" at the idea. Thanks!

It's all in the delivery...a professional stager can ease the worries and build a relationship of trust where the homeowner's understand it's a team effort with the final goal being a quick sale. Karen is a whiz at this...heck Karen...come on over...you can move my things with your keen eye and make my home come alive in a whole new way!

Excellent post and as always...great food for thought!

Cheers and Hugs!

Hi Gary -- It's true! It can be VERY concerning to some. As we enter each room when staging, I always ask, "is it okay if I touch things," I have found it to be respectful and appreciated, particularly if it's a teen room or an office.

That being said, I'm sure the massage therapist doesn't continually need to ask, "is it okay if I touch here?" :-)

well, Find a Notary Public, what can I say but -- thx! glad you stopped by!

Great analogy Karen. Love it love it love it. LOL "touch me and my stuff again" Too funny.

Hi Tracy-- it is something to consider -- sometimes the homeowners thinks a stager is there to decorate and critique there life style -- NOT AT ALL! It's really just bringing someone (a stager) in to prep the home for Internet marketing and showings -- nothing more and nothing less! I am so glad you took the time to comment!

Karen ~ I'm going to remember this from your post:

"my goal is to assure my clients that staging can and should be fun. Home staging is not decorating and has nothing to do with personal taste or the convenience of day to day living."

You're so right -- staging in an occupied should be fun -- and it's not going to be easy to live in once we're done.....

P.S. My "word" is farkleberry -- I had some on my cereal this morning .... yummy :-)

Hi Gina, my radio girlfriend, ! I want a re-tape since I missed the Martini! Thx for stopping by and all the kind words. Yes, I have been told (over and over again) that diplomacy is one of my attributes. Regarding food for thought . . . well, I love food! (thought, sometimes not too much -- depends on the subject) LOL!

Where's Yvonne? She should be commenting by now? Maybe she's out getting a massage!

Hey local buddy, Abby! Thx for sharing that I made you chuckle!

Karen - Your work is marvelous, darling. And... what a great analogy and great blog.

Good point about Yvonne. She's been MIA lately.

Kathy

Excellent post Karen and as usual another great analogy from the creative queen. I especially like your statement:

The way one lives in a home is their business.

The way one presents their home for sale is Peachtree Home Staging's business!

I'm going to remember this one. Thanks.

APR

2008

Karen; My radio co-host...you know where I head every Friday post show...come join me and the drink is on me. ( ;

Cheers!

Our motto which we resounding repeat:

How you live in your home, and how you sell it are two completely different things!

Great analogy & a very fun read.

Hey there Karen,

These words you wrote are gems to remember;

"Home staging is not decorating and has nothing to do with personal taste or the convenience of day to day living. Home staging has everything to do with marketing features of the home to attract potential buyers. Home staging is a tool to help the Realtor® and the home seller advertise the home in a way that produces interested buyers from the internet and from the homes agent showings."

I always, always, always ask is it OK to touch/pick this up? I try to put myself in their shoes and be respectful!

Another great post, thanks.

What a great post Karen. It's so true that some home owners really do get nervous when you come into their home. I think a lot of times they are afraid of being judged by us on our opinion of their home, which of course is not what we are doing. I can understand why they feel that way though. A good stager has to be aware of that and be respectful of them and their possessions which you are. Great staging job too by the way!

hey, my pal Maureen! No more farkleberry for you! LOL. Thx for the comment -- I am adding that whole paragraph to my web site as well as my new tag line regarding "their business and what's my business"

Hey Kathy; well I am humbled to be so completmented by the B&A QUEEN! You know you're one of my hero's. So just where is Yvonne, anyways? I be missin' her classiy comments!

Hi Ginger! wow! another pro and someone I completely admire stopping by! Whoo Hoo! Thanks for the kind words!

Gina -- one of these Fridays I will make it work!

Hi Connie-- thx for stopping by and I agree that the message needs to be constantly repeated. thx for the nice compliment as well!

Hey girl! How goes it Cynthia? Hope you are busy up there on the north end! You are also so complimentary to me! Thx for that. I plan to share those words with some Realtors here . . . thinking it may help them in selling the concept of staging occupied w/o feeling like they are offending.

Hi Charlene -- thx for the comment -- it is so rewarding to spend time on a post and then have it acknowledge as worthy and meaningful by your peers -- Again -- thx for the comment.

APR

2008

Karen [she said in a conspiratorial voice] this post is way too good to hide under a bushel! This brings light to the staging world. [she said with glee] You have (as always) found such a great technique to tell the truth in a gentle way. Like others have said, Home staging is not decorating and has nothing to do with personal taste or the convenience of day to day living. Home staging has everything to do with marketing features of the home to attract potential buyers, rings so true! Keep on cooking Karen!

APR

2008

Great blog! Selling is a very emotional time for them, especially when they have to live in a staged home and go through numerous tidying up for open houses. You are right on the point about assuring them. Sometimes listening is the best remedy to client objections. We need to REALLY find out what they are concerned about and work with them on those things ;)

Cheers,

Cindy

I do mostly occupied homes and the clients wait in anticpation for the reveal. They always are excited and feel like they are on HGTV. It IS FUN!

Phyllis Pafumi

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