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Someone Once Said Staging Doesn't Cost A Penny!

Do sellers really understand and know the phenomenal impact of professional home staging? Or even the two-fold objective of home staging to sell faster and for more money? I don't think they really realize how much more money they could make on the sell of their home simply due to a small investment in staging.

According to the 2007 Home Gain Survey of over 2,000 realtors, if the seller invested only $500 on staging, they could recoup over 343% of the cost in the sale of the home (Source: Home Staging Resouce).

The Proof is in Staging! I staged our rental property that was valued at $90,000. I staged it! It sold for $121,000. A $31,000 profit and 256% recovered. This is my one big success story and how staging really does boost the sale.

Here's what I propose - post your success story relative to the return on investment (ROI) after staging to help heighten awareness about stagers, benefits of staging, and what's in it for the realtor and seller.

Posted by Dale Staggers - Dramatic Home Staging on 02/25/2009 08:30 AM

Comments (35)

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35 Comments on Someone Once Said Staging Doesn't Cost A Penny!

FEB

2009

Hi Dale,

I'm sure you've heard this before, but I just noticed your last name ... if you drop a "g" it becomes "stagers". How appropriate !

Sorry, that's not at all relevant to your blog post here. Good info. Thanks :)

LOL I have heard it before. When selecting a name for my business, I thought of Staggers' Home Staging...lol- uh-uh. Thanks for the laugh. And I would love to hear how your staging projects boosted the sale price of a client.

"I staged our rental property that was valued at $90,000. I staged it! It sold for $121,000. A $31,000 profit and 256% recovered. This is my one big success story and how staging really does boost the sale."

Valued at 90K for taxes?

Or by an appraisal done b4 you sold?

Its tough out there at we all need quality leads to make a sale or get a new listing.

Why not become a property reporter at Property News Today and tell the world your local property news by posting a blog, video or plain old news in the section of site.

Buyers and Sellers trust agents who know what is going on in there local community. Help our website visitors learn about the latest information in your area and in turn gain there trust to use you to move.

It takes a few minutes to become a reporter and post your first blog, news or video and get on our home page to drive traffic to your site.

When listing a property last fall, in a lackluster and overstocked market, I took a nice, but blah home at a higher end price point and made it a real standout. It took two weeks to purchase and bring in the props, get some painting done, replace a carpet and install some new fixtures. The outcome -- astounding. We had eight offers in two weeks while other homes in the area took six months to a year (or more) to sell. Our highest offer was well over the asking price. In this case, the seller chose a lower (closer to asking) offer because it was a clean deal, with no other home to sell.

For an investment of about $6,000, his return was at least $25,000 (though the top offer would have put it at $70,000. However, the greater return was an easy and comfortable experience. If you asked him if we were in a difficult market, the answer would be a resounding "no."

Geri, that's awesome. So what I understand is that eventhough the general consensus was that the real estate market had been difficult, staging your property can out compete the competition even during difficult times an sell with a great profit, too. Great Success Story, Thanks

Hi Dale,

I am a certified staging professional and totally agree about the value in staging a property. It is truly amazing what moving a few pieces of furniture around and cleaning up a property can do for it. My biggest pet peeve is when the front yard and front entry are messy. First impressions are so important!

Hi Maureen, this was the appraised value before selling. Thanks for responding and would love to here your success stories as well.

We've had lots of great experiences! One example was a home that was on the market for $189,900 -- had been on the market for 8 months and had reduced price twice to $179,900. We staged the home for the owners and when the realtor came to see our work, she increased the price by $5,000 -- more than twice what was paid for staging! New photos were put on the MLS and an offer was received within 2 weeks! Not only did they recoup more than the expense of staging, but it sold while others in the neighborhood are still languishing! We love our work!

Whenever I get a listing the big question is always "to stage" or "not to stage". I think if a home is already furnished sellers feel that it's already decorated so why bother? Truth be told- 9 times out of 10 the sellers taste is vastly different from the potential buyers taste so staging still plays a key role. More times than not you have to declutter and rearrange the sellers furniture so that it is more appealing to the masses. Also, it helps to do this so that a room appears more spacious and the overall flow of the home is pleasing. A fresh coat of neutrel paint, buying new sofa covers or decorative pillows, or updating accessories such as window treatments, door knobs or lighting puts an entirely new spin on things. Let's not forget curb appeal- this should at least get people over the threshold to see what's inside.

One of my best marketing tools is creating flyers with the exact kind of thing you are talking about. When you get down to dollars and cents they start to really understand that staging is not only free but it makes you money - much better than ROI than watching your stocks these days...

Great information and one more idea to share with all my Realtor friends. Great success stories.

staging is one of the few tools that is working to separate similar homes for buyers to make offers, and it is well worth it

I have been pushing staging for weeks now. I have several empty houses and I think it would make a tremendous difference. Sellers are fighting it. I have one client that agreed to spend up to $300.00. Not much, but it did make a nice change on mantle and kitchen. Thanks

Great story Dale. I have done "mini" staging a few times and can't track a difference in price. I did a vacant house - nice but vanilla boring and cold. But after I did, people - both agents and prospective buyers, lingered longer. I robbed my house of a few things, the seller chipped in for others. The house sold in a week and I sure looked good to the seller!

Thank you for sharing your great staging success story! At the very least, I always ask my clients to let me stage their homes for photographs that I post online. First impressions are important and a home that looks good online, will definitely get more buyers through the door.

Dale, I haven't had good luck convincing sellers to make an investment in staging. I have even offered to pay for it upfront and be reimbursed at closing, but so many sellers are pinched for cash that they just can't justify it.

I'll keep working on them though because we all know that builders "stage' the models because they know that's why buyers fall in love with 'em. If model homes were not decorated, they'd sell for significantly less - guaranteed.

Nikki: You are so right about 1st Impressions. In fact, buyers form an impression (positive or negative) in the first 10-15 seconds of entering the property. Curb appeal being the first thing noticed.

Margaret: I love staging, too! And you've encouraged me by saying you had "lots of great experiences".

Adell: Many sellers do think the house is ready for listing "as is" with the purple-painted bedroom (and I love purple but its taste specific), oversized furniture, family photos and other collectibles (yesterday I attended an open house with an altar and porcelain dolls - lots of them!)

Melissa: Thanks for the flyer idea. And testimonies can be added on postcards, too. I love postcards -smll and oversized ones.

David: On behalf of every Stager I thank you and appreciate you for spreading the news!

James: I agree that staging is worth it even during the down seasons.

Cindy: Sellers are fighting the concept but even the small changes make a difference. Good for you!

Eileen: I love your story and you know, that should be a stagers goal - to make the realtor look good in the sellers eyes - that's what its all about.

Julie: I agree with you and when the pictures "WOW" them online you know buyers will be enticed to see the property in person.

Thanks everyone for sharing! Dale

Anthony, you are so right about model homes and the impact staging has on the sell. I do know that if the seller de-clutter, de-personalize, and allow a stager to do some redesigning, then the only investment needed is time and that won't be alot. Thanks for sharing!

In a market that's been declining for a few years now, I don't know how much more we can squeeze out in value with all the appraisers and lenders walking on eggshells.

HOWEVER, I absolutely believe in staging! Even though the few and far between "regular listings" have to price themselves alongside the short pays and REOs, they will get snapped up much sooner and for a few more $$'s if they stand out from the crowd. And after all, time is money. Here in Ventura my favorite store for staging items is Ross and Tuesday Mornings. Fun stuff for very little money. There are a few of us at my office that trade our staging items back and forth.

Staging is even more important in a highly competitive market. It is something I recommend to many clients. It's worth its weight in gold in terms of reduced marketing time and more opportunities to capture a potential sale.

Hii Lynn, I find wonderful accessories at Ross, Marshall's, and some thrift stores. I like Pier 1 and I do find some nice things at Tuesday Mornings. and like Eileen said, sometimes you may have to use some personal inventory. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Lola, thanks for your post. How do you clients in Grand Rapids respond when you recommend staging and budgets are tight?

You make a great point. Anything that increases perceived value certainly has no cost.

Those are some pretty dramatic figures. It makes it hard to discount the value of staging when presented this way.

I'm just getting starting on staging so thanks for the post and comments. I appriciate having the opprotunity to learn from you.

Most homes are not staged which leads me to believe that most agents don't see the vaule in staging. I always let my clients know having a professional stager come in will make their home more palatable to a wider audience.

Hi Vicky, good point. And just as staging increases the perceived value of a property, and unstaged home can also decrease the perceived value resulting longer listing and price reduction. Thats a scary thought!

Brenda and Simon make a good point, too. Its unfortunate for the realtor and seller that don't recognized the value of staging. Hopefully, more real estate professionals will see the "dramatic figures" and realize how staging can increase their commission while making them look good in the seller's eyes, as Eileen stated earlier.

Sarah, I'm still fairly new to the business and still learning, everyday. Good luck to you and hang in their.

Thanks everyone for your comments!

Never do I have a listing where I do not hire a professional stager. Post NAR stats about sales without stagers......

FEB

2009

I've been afraid of staging since I am not good at decorating. Thanks for the comment, I will check to see if we have professional stager in my area. It sounds like from all the comments that it is worth a try.

Dale, great information; and good work on the staging of your home that sold for so much! We really are a "visual" society, and the bar has been raised by the model homes, Street of Dream types of local home shows by builders, and there is no reason that a homeowner should be left in the dust (no pun intended!) If they step up and hire a qualified professional stager, they are only helping themselves. That is priceless!

And for all of you savvy Realtors who promote staging: you already know it helps YOUR business, too! Thanks for your input.

Dale,

Great experience! Thanks for sharing. What a boost to hear so much positive feedback from Real Estate Agents! Staging works, just have to keep educating!!

Sincerely,

Holly

Great post, Dale. I've staged hundreds of homes in and around Atlanta and have had great success in helping sellers sell their home more quickly.

Kathy

FEB

2009

Look at you blogaholic...you go girl!!

MAR

2009

Tim - Thanks for "supporting your local Stager" and for the NAR tip. Glad you commented.

Rhonda - Hi and thanks for the comment. I'm not sure where you are located but I suggest locating a home stager using the RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) search engine. From the home page click on "Find a Stager". Another option is to have a stager that offers "virtual staging" who can analyze the photos and provide professional consultation via emails, faxes, or telephone. My company, Dramatic Home Staging offers this service - Virtual Staging - and would be happy to assist you and your clients.

Peg - It is priceless and I, too, commend those realtors who support stagers and appreciate the benefits of this valuable service. Home St6agers are skilled at up-staging the competition and turning the property into a Model home. Thanks for commenting.

Holly - Hey there! Thanks for the reponse. If, we, stagers, continue promoting and educating a whole lot of homes could be sold at top dollar.

Kathy - I want to be just like you when I grow up! Staging hundreds of home! I'm not there yet, but trying really hard. Thanks for reponding.

Cindy - Cindy, Cindy, Cindy - We need to talk, soon. Thankds for the comment. I will call you soon.

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Dale Staggers - Dramatic Home Staging

Houston, TX

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Dramatic Home Staging

Address: P.O. Box 280507, Houston, TX, 77228-0507

Office Phone: (281) 627-0269

Cell Phone: (281) 627-0269

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The purpose of this blog is to promote the Home Staging and Redesign industry and the benefits of Home Staging for real estate professionals and home sellers. All staging professionals, real estate professionals, and home sellers are welcome to comment, share tips and ideas, post success stories. and to seek responses to staging dilemmas. Anyone seeking to promote the benefits of staging are invited to participate on this blog.

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