- Name
- Michael Fontana
- Company
- The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!
- E-mail
- Contact Michael Fontana (The Stage Coach - Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!)
- Website
- http://www.stagecoachtexas.com
- Office Phone
- (512) 670-8279
- Cell Phone
- (512) 934-1407
- Fax
- (512) 218-1921
- Address
- 2411 E Martin Luther King Jr., Austin, TX, 78702
- Description
- The Stage Coach provides Coaching for Home Owners and REALTORS in the Austin Metro Area who need help preparing their home or listing for sale. Austin's Home Staging HandyMan!
About Us:
The Stage Coach provides Coaching for Home Owners and REALTORS in the Austin Metro Area who need help preparing their home or listing for sale. When it comes time for a family to sell their largest asset, it only makes sense to get the most out of the sale of the home. Our Home Staging approach will help prepare the home to compete with the other homes available in the local Real Estate Market by:
- Removing concerns
- Addressing Cleanliness & Clutter
- Increasing Appeal
For The Stage Coach, Home Staging is more about Preparation than it is about Decoration - that's why we do not offer "Lipstick on a Pig" types of services. First and foremost, a home must be in good repair and, barring any major incidents, all home repairs should be completed. Next, comes the cleaning and decluttering - you want buyers to see the home, not your stuff! After these are accomplished, we can then dress the home up to increase the appeal.
Don't be fooled by the shows on cable television! Using "behind the scenes" crews, teams of professional contractors, and phony budget numbers, these programs paint the wrong picture when it comes to preparing your home for sale. Many break common rules of Home Staging, including the use of non-neutral color schemes.
At The Stage Coach. we have the resources and means needed to convert existing homes into a house that is desirable and marketable to a greater number of buyers. Many times, homeowners are not capable of separating their Home (think: stuff) from their House (think: property). We aim to shift the focus from the owners' "stuff" to the "property" and permit the architectural features of the house to be more noticeable than the contents. And by taking what homeowners have, mixing in some of what we have, and adding a little sweat equity, the result you see is a finished product: a more marketable home. This is what Home Staging is all about.
In the 2009 Austin Real Estate Market, Home Staging is more important than ever! More inventory, fewer buyers, and tighter credit means competition for Home Sellers. More and more home searches are beginning on the internet. If you use online tools to check your competition before you list, you can see how your home will stand up to your competitors. Then ask yourself, are you ready to compete? If not, call in a professional Home Stager right away! There is no time to 'List and see what happens..." You may never have more traffic at your house than the first two weeks your home is listed. It should be Staged and in Show Condition before the interior pictures are taken.
Try to imagine a visit to your home from the other side: finding a new home can be tiresome and stressful, so when a potential buyer walks through your front door, it is vital they feel comfortable in the surroundings and not feel like they just walked into a stranger's home. Most home purchasing decisions are emotional, so our goal is to have each Staged Home immediately draw emotions out of prospects. You have no idea if your home is the first the buyers have seen, or the thirteenth, so it is imperative that showing the house grabs them and makes them feel at home. That's where we come in!
The Stage Coach provides Home Staging Services for Homeowners, Realtors, and Builders in the Austin area for Vacant and Occupied homes. Whether your issue is with color or clutter, too much empty space or cramped quarters, having your home Staged by an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP™) can help give your home that extra edge, inside and out, needed in the Austin/Round Rock Metro Area Real Estate market.
Our Home Staging Philosophy is based our belief that there are two primary factors that affect the sale of every home: Price & Condition. This is simple economics: any REALTOR could find a price so low that your house will sell tomorrow. But would you be willing to accept this price? We feel that homes that are in Good Repair, Clean & Clutter Free, then Professionally Staged to maximize appeal, and, finally, Priced according to market conditions will spend less time on market than the competition. The less time the home is on the market:
- The less stressful selling the house will be on your family.
- The more likely you will receive list price.
- The less likely a price drop will be recommended.
- The sooner you can move on and stop arranging showings. As no two homes are the ever the same, The Stage Coach offers customized Home Staging packages designed to fit the needs of the client or house.
As no two homes are the ever the same, The Stage Coach offers customized Home Staging packages designed to fit the needs of the client or house. For more information on Austin Home Staging Services offered by The Stage Coach, Contact us, or see our Services page.
Areas of Expertise
At the Stage Coach, we have the resources and means needed to help you convert your home into a house that is desirable and marketable to a greater number of buyers. Our approach is to first provide owners with prioritized tasks and direction and secondly, to offer as much help as needed. We would describe our service offering as "Top to Bottom Home Staging Services." Ranging from conquering clutter and small home repairs to providing furniture and/or accents for vacant homes. And every thing in between!
We have helped owners clean, declutter, move belongings to storage, make trips to Goodwill, paint, replace fixtures, and so on. If you do not see a particular service listed that you are interested in, please feel free to Contact us, and we will do what we can to help you.
Our entry level service is the Basic Stage Coaching. This service begins with The Stage Coach coming out to the home and going room to room with the owners and/or REALTOR discussing each room and what attention is required. Discussion covers a broad range of Home Staging information, so reports are encouraged, but optional.
The Advanced Stage Coaching begins with a short visit from The Stage Coach where pictures and notes are taken and then used to create a written report detailing, room by room, the suggestions for preparing the home for sale. Think of it as a visual to-do list using pictures of the home from the perspective of the photos home buyers will see online.
Our Featured Services are the unique services provided by The Stage Coach. These are services that have been performed for owners or REALTORs on a particular property or simply ideas for services that are being test marketed.
Lastly, we offer Vacant Home Staging Services. In many cases, some homes are sitting vacant waiting for the right buyer. Whether a Builder has constructed a house on speculation, a contract falls through, or your rental property has come available, Vacant homes can sit empty for months. As most home buying decisions are emotional, empty properties do little to move the emotions of buyers. That is where The Stage Coach comes in...
At The Stage Coach, we strive to forge relationships with REALTORs and become an fixture to your Team. We can work with you to customize services to be included as part of your marketing package, or work directly with your sellers in preparing their home. Our services can be tailored to the property's needs or the owners' budget. Take a look at the Featured Services Page, and if you don't find what you are looking for, Contact us!
Testimonials
There are many stagers in the Austin area but very few with as polished and professional an approach as The Stage Coach... which is pretty important when it comes to hiring someone to give a home a finished look. Their works speaks for itself - virtual portfolio. The Stage Coach does everything including painting and minor landscaping. Plus they are easy to reach and very responsive - an all too rare but important quality. Check them out at http://www.stagecoachtexas.com/
Jill M. Crecelius Solis/ Real Living, Lifestyles Realty / m 512-567-5998 / f 512-218-4849 / jill@mysolis.com
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Re: Setting the Stage Service
"I met with a homeowner who's listing was about to expire. I viewed his home and realized that the reason why it wasn't selling is that it was very plain Jane. It had no color on the walls, basic builder carpet and no upgrades. The home had been on the market for over 6 months with two different agents. When I reviewed the photos online the home did not stand out at all. I had The Stage Coach come out and do a vignette staging on the home. He added life to the kitchen and baths with accessories and towels. He had strategically place some art and plants to warm up the family room and fireplace. We took new photos and put it back on the market in just a few days. The home got a lot of activity because the home buyers saw it on the internet and asked their agent to show it to them. We ended up with multiple offers and sold the home for full price in just over a week. Not bad results for a home that wouldn't sell!"
- Jaymes Willoughby of Keller Williams Realty
512-347-9599
http://www.jaymeswilloughby.com/
In reference to this home
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The Advanced Stage Coaching Written Report and Setting the Stage Service
"We didn't have a CLUE as to how to prepare our home for the real estate market. Michael was referred to us by our realtor, and couldn't have been happier! His pricing is very affordable. We will use him again in the future and refer family and friends to The Stage Coach. Because of his help, we expect to receive top dollar on our home. Many thanks!"
Timothy and Becky - former owners
"This home was 28 days to an offer and 33 to a pending status, and received Two back up offers!"
- Dani Lynn - Elk Realty Group
In reference to this home
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"Yeah! We actually got 4 offers on the 2nd listing day.... we had a contract by day 3 (well those buyers did back out during the option period for some reason but the second offerors are now under contract - and get this - for $6000 more)! Well done, sir."
- Elizabeth B - former owner
In reference to this home
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The Basic Stage Coaching w/ Report Card
"Michael did a wonderful job staging our house to sell. We had a contract on our house within a week. Event though we had prior real estate experience, I highly recommend having your house staged to sell faster."
- B.M. - Former Owner
In reference to this home
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The Advanced Stage Coaching with Furnishings and Accessories
"I know that this house was a challenge ...however, with the cooperation...words like 'phenomenal', 'I can not believe it'..etc. are being used by various people...even the husband was in awe of this transformation. One showing & they stated it looked great and smelled good (we have come a long way, baby!!:-))) I have sent your name out to several people..."
- Paulette Bostur Listing REALTOR
Prudential Texas Realty
(512) 255-3727
"I showed my husband the After pictures when we were in [new city] to look for the new home... He said, 'This is the home I want... the one in these pictures'..."
- Denise K. former owner
In reference to this home
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"I believe that my house would have taken a lot longer to sell if I had not worked with The Stage Coach. During our initial visit, Michael's honest & straightforward approach guided me to rethink how to display my home in such a way to appeal to a wider audience of homebuyers. I believe this is why we sold so quickly: in less than 48hrs, we had multiple offers."
- Melanie M - former owner
In reference to this home
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"Michael is a gem! If you find the task of getting your house in tip-top shape to get to market daunting, this is the guy who can get you to the finish line with a smile! Michael will help you figure out what needs to get done-- and how to get it done! I could not have sold my house in 24 hours in multiple offers (yes, in this down market!) if Michael had not helped me prepare it! Thank you, The Stage Coach, for a fantastic job."
- Anna G. - Former Owner
In reference to this home
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"Michael- I have been meaning to tell you that when you gave my clients staging advice for their home on Bevin Cove, it was amazingly successful. The place looked fabulous once the staging was done... And best of all--we had an offer in 5 days and were under contract 2 days later. 7 days between listing and contract! Pretty awesome in any market and even more so in this one. Thank you for all your advice! I may need it again soon; I am talking with some folks about a potential listing..."
- Beth A. REALTOR - Erard & Associates
listing was in December 2008
