This is great list of small things to do that make a huge difference - thanks for putting it together.

How does staging effect the appraisal situation though, many homes are having trouble with the appraiser coming in low due to short sale comps etc.

I do believe staging will aid to procure an offer but I'm not so sure a better price will be achieved under current market conditions for many people..

Don't get me wrong though, in this competitive market, sellers need all the help they can get. Your services are essential for many. looking at the total picture, your fees  are minimal  to achieve  the goal  of  a  sale.

Hey Karl

I hope the following answer will shed some light on the very sensitive topic.

I appreciate your comment and yes this could be an issue. But let's look at a couple of things here. First staging will not inflate the price out of the CMA (Comparative Market Analysis). The realtor needs to price the house accordingly. That is very important.

As a former real estate paralegal and loan processor I know for a fact that the appraiser will take 3 comps in the area that have previously sold and base his appraisal on that, right?

So take this scenario, the seller up the street has not done ANYTHING and just wants to unload the house. So he sells as is and does not care about the $50K decrease. YET the house up the street has DONE SOMETHING and apparently it shows. The two really are not the same homes within, so technically that seller that took the decrease and did nothing pretty much has ruined it for other homes in the area. The house selling price WILL AFFECT the other appraisals.

In this market if a client wants top dollar for their home, then they need to be willing to put some elbow grease into getting it ready for the market.

When a home underappraises your clients better have a great real estate paralegal and mortgage company  that will review all these factors and fight  for the  buyers. I have won many such battles!

Good Luck, Phyllis Pafumi

I never thought about sellers listening to friends and family regarding staging.  They certainly listen to friends and family many time rather than listening to their realtor.  Again, I would love to see stagers offer some sort of 'money-back' guarantee.  It would certainly make it easier for me to convince my clients to try a stager's services!

Phyllis, You made excellent points, each and every one of them.  I've seen homes that are staged here sell faster simply because they look much better!  People don't want to pull up to a home that looks neglected or outdated.

Hi Pat, I would like to address your comment with regard to a money back guarantee.

I guess you have not worked with a home stager as yet. Giving sellers a money back guarantee is crazy since it is not our job to sell their home, but simply give the realtor a better product to sell.

When the realtor, stager and client work together as a team the house will sell. I have found from past experience that when the stager does her job and the seller lets go and lets us do our job, the house is totally transformed.

The realtor then needs to price the home competitively and then be aggressive in the marketing of that listing and the seller needs to be willing to keep up on the upkeep and then willing to negotiate fairly.

I don't think that you fully understand the value of staging and you need to because then you can sell the service to your clients. When you meet with a potential client you should be able to recommend the services of a professional home stager that can come into the property and do a complete walk thru. Most times the realtors pay for the consult fee. At that point the stager is to educate the clients and then show them the value in what they can do for their property. I hope that in the future you will find a stager that you can team up with. Interview them carefully because you need someone who has experience behind them. You also need to know the costs involved as too many companies charge excessive fees. Every staging company should be able to do SOMETHING in your clients budget

Good Luck, Phyllis Pafumi

I actually did a consultation where I was received by the homeowner AND her friend.  The homeowner was open to my suggestions and the friend was very intrusive to the consult, interfering with her opinions, particularly concerning color.  Thankfully, the homeowner took all my advice and the house looks great, especially curb appeal where her friend didn't agree. 

I have to voice my opinion on how home staging affects the price of a home.  Staging is most effective before the market analysis is complete.  Agents can obtain a more accurate price of a home instead of making "allowances" for upgrades, repairs, appeal.  There is no guessing when everything is ready and appealing.  More times than not, a homeowner can make the necessary changes with much less money than allowing $1,000 or $5,000 for a repair or upgrade.

People get lazy when it's not their money don't they?  It was a gift of sorts...wow.  I have had a senior citizen realize enough more in the sale to equal an extra year in assisted living costs.  Who are they or me to decide we shouldn't try everything that we know to work (staging.)  Some people just get so arrogant in my opinion about it.  What a shame. 

Phyllis ~ Very good points here.  It's such a shame when "friends" of the seller tell them everything looks great and they don't need to do much of anything in order to sell.  True friends would be honest, but I've found from experience that people just get used to how something looks and can't see the home's shortcomings as a potential buyer would.  You've made an excellent case for staging!

I couldn't agree with you more Phyllis. The worst thing to do is NOTHING. As painful as it seems to have to make changes to beloved personal touches and decorating choices (or time consuming - but the return on investment is worth it!), we really need to remind our clients to disconnect their emotional attachment to their home and merchandise it as a product.  Nicely put.

These estate sales can be so tricky when there are several siblings involved.  They usually won't all agree as some do not want to put one cent into the house-just want their inheritance out.  If only they could take a wider view of how much more they could make on the sale if they would invest a little to make the house appealing.

Great advice Phyllis. It is hard to make people understand, that is the challenge.

I completely agree!  When you go out for a job interview, you take the time to make sure you are prepared to put your best self forward to sell yourself.  Same goes for your house!