David ~ Like you, we love staging these old Portland classics!  See you soon!

Johnathan ~ So ture, there is a delicate balance.  That's why professional stagers are the best choice because we know how to tactfully convince sellers to store all the excess before selling.

Michele ~ If the room's purpose isn't obvious, buyers just get confused and won't remember the house as one they want to see again.  Thanks for your feedback.

Terrylynn ~ "as intended" is so important, you're right!  Even as you say, those secondary rooms too.

Rhonda ~ In this home, there were 3 bedrooms, but one was shown as a TV room so this one HAD to be staged as a bedroom.  Buyers just can't always see the potential, can they?

Val ~ Thanks for your positive feedback. I love viewing others' Before & Afters!

Ginger ~ Remembering photos of some of the homes you've staged .... those clients definitely benefitted from your expert assistance.  (You won't see photos of my own house here, however -- it's too cluttered at the moment with overflow staging accessories that didn't fit into my warehouse space!)

Fernando ~ No kidding about the faux painting ... the sellers would not agree to my recommendation to paint this room ... but the house SOLD in spite of it, so perhaps the buyers painted it ... you think?

Carole ~ Those original floors, even though they needed refinishing, are something that buyers here put a premium value on. Exposing them made a lot of sense.

Pangaea ~ That's funny you mentioned it, because the other parlor was suitable as a TV room in this house. These old pre-1900 homes are full of charm, aren't they?

Kathy ~ That room was just too full of other "stuff" for most buyers to be able to envision it as a bedroom.  Once it was cleared out it felt like you could walk in and breathe!

Pat ~ Thanks for stopping by ... hope your weather improves.  At least our snow is gone for now and hopefully not as much flooding. Have a wonderful 2009!

Margaret ~ We believe that every room show be showcased while a home is on the market. We need to keep educating sellers so that they understand the importance of showing the "space" instead of their "stuff."  Thanks for your feedback.

Mike ~ Thanks, this home sold in a tough market and the sellers believe that the staging helped quite a bit.

Sonny ~ We first visited the home and gave the sellers a "to do" list that included moving out the major pieces that we identifed as excess.  They had an unfinished basement with lots of storage area so that was a godsend in this case. Then when we did the staging we brought additional items down to the storage area and the home ended up looking much larger than before.

Cindy ~ We love PODS and think they do a great job for sellers!  Almost everyone has too much "stuff" when they're selling their home and taking it away in a POD is such a good idea.  Thanks for your input.

Kristi ~ Thanks for joining into the discussion with a great question! It's not so much a certain % of items that we recommend removing ... it's more geared towards identifying the ones that don't contribute to the room's focal points, or highlight the room's best features, or that block the best traffic flow throughout the space.  In some rooms, that could mean 10% and in others, up to 70%!  The other side of the coin is that sellers sometimes hear "declutter" and remove even the pieces that are needed to add warmth to the space ... and that leaves the room cold.  This is why a consultation from a professional stager is a good idea, as the cost is very reasonable and prevents sellers from making a mistake.

Charles ~ thanks for the nice compliment!  It's true that a picture tells a thousand words.

Morgan ~ These sellers were cooperative and motivated clients ... that makes a huge difference.

Rebecca ~ Thanks -- our goal is to make the home appealing to the target buyer.

Margaret ~ Many thanks for your kind comment. I've learned so much here on A/R and the points kind of snuck up on me -- you'll be there soon as well!

Caron ~ Yes it can be challenging to get sellers to buy into the idea -- but if they're really serious about selling, it's usually necessary to live in the home a bit differently while it's on the market.  In the end, it will help them reach their goal much sooner!

Russ ~ I agree, most people want to see a room and know it's being used for it's original purpose.

Carole ~ How sweet of you to take the time ~ Thank you!

Kathleen ~ As stagers it's our mantra .... put the excess in storage please!!  Yes we must be sure the room shows as spacious so that buyers don't have to try to imagine it.

Jim ~ That's a great point, thanks for mentioning it!  Naturally a tidy house would make your job easier!

Karen ~ That's right Karen, I like your saying "Make your home the one they want to remember!"

Chris ~ Thanks for your encouragement and the positive feedback ... best wishes for a very successful 2009!

Bob & Carolin ~ that is indeed sad when sellers don't realize that the way they live in their home is very different than the way it needs to be prepared for selling.  Let's continue to work together to educate those sellers!

David ~ I know that as an agent you are a firm believer in staging since you know that it really works!  Thanks for your positive support.

Janice ~ By showing sellers the difference we hope it encourages them to follow suit.

Anthony ~ Thanks for your encouragement.  This house sold!  :-)

Andrea ~ All it takes is time, while keeping the goal in mind.  Thanks for stopping by.