I've been noticing a realtor's flyer posted in a local business. The home has been for sale for at least seven months now, and the price has recently been reduced $5,000. It especially interests me because I am a professional home stager, and boy, do I have ideas of ways I could help it shine!
One room in particular looks to me like a college dorm room. The furniture consists of several mismatched wooden chairs, a country hutch, and a small TV on a metal TV stand. It cries out to me for a coherent plan, for a sofa, and at least one chair without visible legs. It is absolutely clear to me that it has not been staged.
When I spoke with the realtor about it, though, he said that he thought the owner had done a great job staging it! I was stunned. That's when I realized that we were speaking different dialects. I felt like I was on another continent!
The house is neat and clean. The owner has plainly followed instructions to clear out clutter, put away family pictures, and keep it tidy, so the realtor considers it "staged." In his dialect, "staged" must mean "meeting the basic requirements to be shown to buyers." And he's right that those things are absolutely necessary.
In my dialect, however, "staged" means more than that. It means the home has been transformed into a product that will appeal to its potential buyers. It is not only neat and clean. The stage is set for the buyers to picture themselves in the home. There is just the right amount of drama to engage the buyers' imagination and create excitement. That means it is really ready to show!
So, what do you think it means when you hear that a home is "staged"? What does it take for a home to be ready to show to buyers?
Comments(13)