Today, on the 3rd anniversary of my first home staging... I thought I would share the backstory behind my first staging experience and how it convinced ME that home staging works.

In March of 2004, a little after I had completed my studies in Interior Design, I was asked to stage a condo (that had a lot going against it) in Chicago.

I can remember thinking... "Staging? What's that?" You see, I really knew NOTHING about staging.  So I went about researching what I could on the web. But unfortunately, at that time, there was not much information to be found, as there is today, but there was enough information that I got the "basics" of what staging is all about.  The "basics" I remember getting was to de-clutter and let the HOUSE be the STAR not the STUFF in it.

So with the information I could find, and did the next best thing I could do... I took and blended this new understanding with: 1.) My life expierence with moving (my father, an account executive for United Air Lines, always had us get the house "ready for selling" each time we were transfered) 2.) My newly educated passion (interior design) and 3.) My professional careers spanning the past 20 years (advertising, marketing & sales).

I can remember going out and spending about $700 on props for this 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo and thinking "what would I do with all these fake plants & nic-nacs when the house sold?" BUT I didn't fret too much... as I figured I could always use the PICTURES I took for my interior design portfolio. (Funny thing is I DON'T use these pictures for either my staging portfolio or my interior design portfolio.)

Well, anyway, the staging worked... and worked GREAT!

This home sold in 10 days, had 3 offers and sold over list price. WHICH is not that odd, EXCEPT for the fact that NOTHING had been selling it the ENTIRE high-rise for months as any new owner was going to be hit with a special assessment for new windows. In the case of this particular unit the assessment was going to be a whopping $20,000! 

Also working against the sale, in this particular home, was the original kitchen (ugly dated metal cabinets) and there were OTHER units in the same tier of the high-rise with fully renovated kitchens. Needless to say much was going against the sale of this condo. 

It is no surprise that the Listing Agent still takes pride in the fact that for over 2 years this unit held the sales price record for non-renovated 2 bedroom 2 bathroom units in this high-rise.

I experienced FIRST hand just how awesome of a tool staging can be to help sell real estate.

Needless to say, I was SOLD ON STAGING and Real Estaging was born.

Stage It Forward...

Me