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Auto Detailing vs Home Staging a NO BRAINER for Sellers

I talked about this as a small part in a larger commentary on my Video Blog at www.homebuysblog.com and really thought about it more and thought this would be a great topic of it's own for Active Rain.

Consider that when people decide to sell their used car they will have no qualms in spending $200 on an auto detailing job. If the car they are selling has a $10,000.00 asking price, that is 2% of the asking price. Even digging down deeper, these same sellers will remove any personal affects from the car and make it look like it just rolled off the lot.

These very same people suddenly have a heart attack when you explain the benefits of having their home staged on the listing appointment. Consider a very basic staging for $650 on a home with a asking price of $650,000. Let's see..........that's one tenth of a percent of the aksing price of the home. What gives? Tonight I saw the tail end of Get it Sold on HGTV and here is a great example of the little things that can be done for very few dollars. Sabrina Soto is not coming over to my client's and potential client's home anytime soon, but there are stagers in my area that can accomplish the same affordable miracles that are seen on this program.

A home is probably the largest investment a family has. Thinking of that investment compared to the depreciating asset of a car they have, I am still scratching my head trying to figure out why there is such a disconnect when it comes time to prepare a home for sale..........especially in the market conditions we are experiencing now

Posted by Ted Mackel Simi Valley Homes For Sale Simi Valley Real Estate Agent on 06/05/2008 11:19 AM

Comments (21)

staging, home, get it sold, hgtv, sabrina soto, auto detailing, video blog

Originally posted at: Simi Valley - Moorpark Homes & Real Estate: Auto Detailing vs Home Staging a NO BRAINER for Sellers

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21 Comments on Auto Detailing vs Home Staging a NO BRAINER for Sellers

JUN

2008

Ted, it amazes me that some people cannot see the value in hiring a stager. I sometimes wonder if they're really serious about selling.

Linda,

I guess the idea behind this blog post in really how absurd this is. That is what got me thinking of how people treat the sale of their used car when they go to buy a replacement.

Ted, What a good analogy. Maybe if we call it "home detailing" the impact would be stronger. Thanks for sharing this point of view.

Margaret You are BRILLIANT!!!! But I guess we can't hang little trees around the house for those homes that are challenged by the family pet.

I think everyone in the home staging community will agree with you...It works!

JUN

2008

You don't have to convince me, Ted! Done right, I have seen awesome things happen when a listing gets staged!

I love Sabrina Soto's show. The thing is, it's so fast and super-cheap, it throws people off the fact that their is an entire team of assistants working for her, the design and shopping has all been taken care of in advance of their arrival, and there is a lot of editing out of the actual labor involved. It makes people thinks staging is FAST and CHEAP, too.

Stagers in real life have to do most all of those tasks themselves. It is design time, shopping, bargain-hunting, manufacturing, removing furniture, moving furniture in, and such. Also, the $1000 budget she uses is for materials only, and don't think she doesn't get some serious deals just by saying, I'm Sabrina Soto of HGTV fame, and we are in town to stage a house...what kind of deal can you give me...?

She doesn't include her consult or design fee or the labor of her fleet of shoppers, carpenters, electricians, seamstresses, and what all. Nor is there any consideration of her overhead for insurance, marketing, office space, or vehicles she uses and maintains to get the staging done.

What is the cost of staging materials? $1000 on her show. That is a fair enough budget for the full staging of a room or two, possibly three. They don't show the rest of the house! They don't charge for their time! It's not exactly fair to the stager who has to give a fair bid to pay for their overhead and staff.

Absolutely positively STAGING WORKS! But it's not as fast and cheap as HGTV makes it out to be. The price of staging on the level HGTV shows is gonna cost more than a grand, and FAR less than a price reduction. It helps to have staging seen so prominently, but as far as perception goes, it is rather distorting.

To choose not to stage is a risky proposition, not the other way around. Like your analogy reflects, no one would try to tell you NOT to detail your car, because it is a sound strategy to sell your car. And your home is worth so very much more. Staging will become a Real Estate industry norm. It's Realtors like you who are proponents of this proven marketing strategy who will make it so.

Thank you!

~Michelle Molinari

www.featurethisdotdotdot.com

I use that analogy alot, it makes so much sense and hits every person's experience...Everyone has had a car at some point in life, right. It is amazing how the logic evades us, but we get too close to our "stuff" and used to where it is, we can't be objective anymore, that's why it's guys like you and me that have to educate them. Good post.

I love your analogy, and intend to start using it in my own sales pitches. How true it is!

Ted, Brilliant, I like that! Sure we can "hang trees". Would they leave Fido and his mess in the car when they were selling?! Uh uh..... See another great analogy, thanks to you.

Great post, Ted! This exact analogy is one I often use in my marketing the benefits of Staging to Home Owners, when used properly, it usually sinks in! ;-)

JUL

2008

I loved this post as I also use the car detailing analogy with my clients and it really seems to simplify the reasoning behind staging (especially to the men!). I usually use it to explain the reasons for WHY to stage but now I will incorportate the cost factor into it as well. Who wouldn't invest a couple of hundred bucks into the car to get more money? Hmmmm...home worth far more money...good point!

JUL

2008

Great post! Please contribute to my post on No Cost Home Staging.

Thanks,

Christina

The "Detail your house like you detail your Car" analogy was coined by Barb Schwarz and is taught in her seminars dating back to the 80's. It is a great way to get the idea into the thick heads of resistant sellers who may not understand the WHY behind Staging.

A car depreciates in value - while a house should increase (ideally) - and a house is our largest investment. People understand fixing the car up, shining the tires, etc. - and applying that same logic to a house brings what we call an "AH-HA" moment for sellers.

- Jennie

JUL

2008

very interesting post you have...

____________________________________

http://www.canddmobiledetailing.com

That is a great idea and a great way to present it to sellers who usually don't get the home staging idea. I guess it depends on how badly the seller wants to sell. Usually, the idea of spending money to get the listing sold comes a little to late for a lot of sellers, in my area anyway.

Hi Ted,

I am 100% with you on this one. Staging makes sense. The sooner the better.

Catherine

You have obviously seen the results that come from properly preparing/merchandising a property! Sellers need to think of their house as a piece of merchandise that they are selling on an open market and in competition with other similar pieces of merchandise (much like the car analogy). What would make someone want to buy their property over another? Sometimes it really does come down to how it is presented. The problem is, sellers often have a greater emotional attachment to their homes than their cars.

keep singing - the choir is behind you!

Karen,

Thanks, even though I'm not a stager you'll let me in the chior?

This is a great analogy. I plan one mentioning this at my next office meeting. This will give all the agents something to talk about with their sellers

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