In doing my weekly MLS research today I stumbled across a photo of a home that's currently on the market in one of the nicest, most desirable cities in the West Los Angeles area. Now, to be fair, this home is being sold "AS IS" but tell me, what would you think if you were a potential buyer and walked into this bedroom?
Well if it were me, the first thing going through my head would be that I would NEVER be able to sleep in that room! I would have nightmares about this hairy beast, his spirit surely haunting the home of this owner who flaunted his death so callously. Not to mention the fact that the animal's rear end is poised right above where my head would be, making me think of other not-so-pleasant exchanges. Could the feng shui on this be any worse?
I apologize in advance if the homeowner or realtor for this property is reading this post, but even in over four years as a professional home Stager, this is a new one for me! And it brings to mind one of the most important reasons to hire a professional Stager for (at minimum) a consultation prior to listing and photographing a home: We can be the bad guy!
I am sure this realtor was cringing when s/he took this photo, thinking that someone like me would be lambasting it on ActiveRain within moments of it landing on the MLS! But how do you delicately ask an obviously ardent hunter to remove his prize trophy from the master bedroom without losing his favor and possibly his listing? The answer is, you don't! You can maintain your perfect relationship with this seller by saying, "Wow, that animal must have put up quite a fight! You must be so proud. I think it's fine to display its pelt as your headboard, but let's see what the professional Stager has to say." Ok, I exaggerate. I don't think anyone should allow their client to list their home in this way - AS IS or not - because of the high probability that walking into a room like this would disgust a large percentage of potential buyers, especially in the very environmentally aware, anti NRA community where the home is located.
Professional Stagers are trained in ways to speak to your clients respectfully about their belongings and to convince them in a non-confrontational way to do what needs to be done in order to sell their home for the highest price in the shortest amount of time. So take advantage of our knowledge and training and let us help you - you won't be sorry!
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Annie Pinsker-Brown | Stage to Sell
Owner & Principal Designer
310-384-1084
www.stagetosell.biz
"We get you to SOLD so you can get on with your life!"
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Stage to Sell is the premier West Los Angeles Home Staging Company.
Owner & Principal Designer Annie Pinsker-Brown is an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional), a member of IAHSP (International Association of Home Staging Professionals), an affiliate member of the Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors and a member of the Culver City and West LA Chambers of Commerce.
Annie has Staged LA homes for Bravo's hit show "Million Dollar Listing" and TLC's "Property Ladder." She has also been featured in recent articles on Home Staging in Los Angeles Magazine, The New York Times, Costco Connection and Frontiers Magazine.
If you would like to see more of our Home Staging work, visit our website. There is an extensive gallery of before & after photos, as well as a list of our Staged properties currently on the market.
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