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Realtors, What do Buyers See when they view your listing??

By
Home Stager with ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey

Okay this time last year I was asked to view this property online via the realtor's website prior to doing my consult. My immediate reaction was, WOW such a small kitchen for the price that they are asking for the house. Do you agree?

Well to my surprise, when I got to the property I noticed that right over the countertop island was a huge room that had only a couch in it and off that room to the right was another 1000 sq. foot room that had a few misplaced pieces of furniture.

Now if I was a buyer and I was looking for a large eat in kitchen/family room type of environment I would have certainly passed up the gem due to the photos on the realtors website.

I immediately went to work by removing the small table the clients had in the "eat in kitchen" area and staged the huge room off the kitchen with their large wrought iron table. This not only made for a large kitchen, but can you imagine how nice it would be having breakfast every morning overlooking that beautiful back yard?? And it really was beautiful.

This house reminded me of a classic Bed and Breakfast. It was fabulous!! What was supposedly being used as their family room/office, I turned into 3 working spaces, as you can see. The front of the room I placed a small writing desk for a woman who could work from home and watch and her children play in the yard. The back of the room I set up as TV viewing and playing and the far back right corner I made a separate office for the husband.

I used all their furniture and accessories which worked with the theme of the house. YES THE HOUSE SOLD AT OPEN HOUSE!!

The funny thing about this job was that the clients left for the weekend and we had full reign of the house. They had no idea what I was going to do. Don't you wish all your jobs were that easy?? When they returned they were quite surprised and wondered why they NEVER had their kitchen table in that room all those years living there. They enjoyed that space by the yard until the house closed!!

Realtors, watch what your pictures are showing buyers!! You could be losing clients and not even knowing it!

Kathy Nielsen
http://atlantahomestaging.net - Marietta, GA
Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

Another great staging job, Phyllis!

And yes, I love being given free reign to do what needs to be done to showcase the home!  That's truly allowing a stager to use their talent and to help separate their home from the others on the market.

Congrats for having the home sell during open house!

Kathy

Apr 17, 2007 01:18 AM
Lori Gilmore
One Savvy Move - Joliet, IL
One Savvy Move Home Staging
Amazing job!  You are soooo right.  I think some really fabulous homes are overlooked because of photos that fall short.  Great lesson.
Apr 17, 2007 02:01 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
Wonderful shots, Phyllis on what can be done with a home---and interesting point about the pictures.  You did an amazing job, congratulations!
Apr 17, 2007 02:46 AM
Yvonne Root
rooms b.y. root - Prescott, AZ
Home Stager - Northern Arizona
Good blog, Phyllis. You are such a good salesperson too. It is great to have a talent for seeing the possiblities and then following through. Too bad the homeowners had not seen your vision before sale time. It seems they felt the same way.
Apr 17, 2007 04:26 AM
Sue Argue
Staged First Impressions - Hampton, NH
NH Home Stager
Phyllis, another wonderful job to benefit your sellers. They must have been some happy when they opened the door!
Apr 17, 2007 07:23 AM
Veronica Harbert
Select Home Staging - Denver, CO
Select Home Staging

That breakfast area looks sumptuous! I love the way you pulled the outdoors in to call attention to the gorgeous yard. 

Congratulations on another fine job!

Veronica

Select Home Staging

Denver, Colorado

www.selecthomestaging.com 

Apr 17, 2007 07:31 AM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY
Phyllis - Congrats on another job well done!
Apr 18, 2007 09:39 AM
Judy Kincaid
Tampa, FL
Phyllis --  The house looks so much better after you worked your magic.  Congratulations on such a speedy sale! 
May 05, 2007 04:46 PM
Lori Kim Polk
Premiere Home Staging : Home Staging Services - Roseville, CA
Home Stager - Roseville, Sacramento
I sure hope that your Realtor appreciates the new pics.  Sometimes they get so busy they forget that we can add to their listing pictures for the Internet.  What a huge difference, great job Phyllis.  I would want to buy it now!
May 06, 2007 03:45 AM
Tina Parker
EXP Realty Canada Inc. - Halifax, NS
Managing Associate Broker
What a gorgeous house, you did a great job and I agree, I would have passed over this house because the kitchen looked too small.
May 06, 2007 06:31 AM
Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals
Nice creative thinking here & what a novel idea - eating with a view.
May 07, 2007 12:44 PM