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Can You Afford NOT To Stage?

By
Home Stager with ShowCase Residential Staging

    Closing just a few more sales before the Alaska real estate market goes into hibernation would be a nice thing for the wallet. Staging does pay you back. A faster sale is golden in these times. Professionally staged homes clearly outsell unstaged homes in every market. What are you showing your buyers?

   Whether you're a realtor or owner-seller, having your property professionally staged can still attract buyers to your offering, possibly saving you from a price reduction(s), or worst yet, not selling THIS SEASON. Not many can withstand such poor results. Can you afford NOT to stage? Can you afford a price reduction or two? Can you afford holding costs until spring when the market will, hopefully, pick up? Can you afford one less sale?

   For owner-sellers, costs associated with staging are very minimal, almost seamless, easily recouped at closing, and are tax deductible.  See IRS Publication 523.

   My hubby and I recently sold our staged house 12 miles from Wasilla, outside the core area, and on oil heat. There were 2 offers in 3 weeks. It sold for more than our asking price. Could we afford NOT to stage? No way! Buyers liked what they saw. Will they like what you're showing? If not, call me right away. Let's attract buyers to your showcased home!

   Gale Larson

ShowCase Residential Staging

"the SIZZLE that sells homes"                                                                  

        354-6664

Comments (4)

Duane Hosek
Coldwell Banker - Lewis-Kirkeby-Hall - Rapid City, SD

Gale.............Staging is not such a common event here in South Dakota.  

Didn't know it was tax deductible.............Cool.

Duane Hosek in the Black Hills of South Dakota

Aug 21, 2007 06:24 PM
Patti Ann Kasper
EXIT REALTY NEXUS - Blaine, MN
Blaine & North Metro Minneapolis St Paul Real Esta

Here in Minnesota, we also have a "season".  Even though our winters are not as dark and cold as your's; parents in this area abhore the idea changing schools at any time during the school year.

Staging here is a MUST!  And it is even better if the home has new carpet and paint.  There is a large inventory to choose from and buyers are picking only the homes that show the best.

But some buyers are going overboard and expecting every home to be completely remodeled even though they are 20 or 30 years old.

I had a visitor to an open house - a nice little 1970 rambler with hardwood floors - the visitor complained that the home didn't have an open architecture!  When I explained that homes were just not built that way in 1970, she remarked that the seller would have to remodel to open up the kitchen, dining room, and living room before she would even CONSIDER making an offer!

Talk about gumption! 

Aug 21, 2007 06:57 PM
Anonymous
Anonymous

Gail

Great piece.  I recommend all of my clients use a stager.  Without fail all else being equal a nicely staged home always sells first.

by the way, Do you have an outside blog that I can add to my Blogroll ?

Thanks and look forward to reading your thoughts on the world of real estate.

Jun 10, 2008 06:04 PM
#3
Gale Larson
ShowCase Residential Staging - Palmer, AK

Thanks for the comment. I do not have an outside blog. Where are you located?

Gale in Palmer,Ak

Where it's daylight even at night.

Jun 16, 2008 05:11 PM