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Taking Home Staging to the Next Level: Lifestyle Merchandising

By
Home Stager with Designed to Appeal, LLC

Did you know that home staging is all about "lifestyle merchandising"? Yes, when you are selling your home, you are actually merchandising a lifestyle to potential buyers.

Recently I graduated from an advanced staging course given by Staging and Redesign and Matthew Finlason, host of HGTV's "The Stagers". It was an intense, two-day course attended by only a handful of New York City area home stagers. 

What I learned will be put to good use and will differentiate me from most of the other stagers out there: 

  • Casting a "wide net" with staging in order to attract the broad range of buyers is a thing of the past. 

  • Crafting a "perfect lure" to attract the right buyer with staging represents a paradigm shift.
  • While it's fine to neutralize a home of its occupant's personality, don't sterilize it.
  • Home staging is now known as Target Staging.
  • Before you stage, it's important to first learn the demographics of the potential buyer (age, income, marital status, etc.).
  • It's also important to focus on the psychographics of the buyer (the industry they're in, their leisure time activities and interests, the profile of retailers in the area which will be an indicator of  the profile of the residents).
  • Stage this buyer's dream house with colors, shapes, textures, objects and artwork that will make them emotionally connect with the space.

  • Stage in order to "tell stories" based upon the buyer's profile.

  • Staging is "lifestyle merchandising" and "dialing in the buyer".
  • Stage to create a life that buyers can aspire to and relate to.
  • Stage so that your company aesthetic shines through, but that every staging doesn't look like every other staging you do or others do.

© Copyright 2011 Designed to Appeal, LLC.  All Rights Reserved. 

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About the AuthorDonna Dazzo is president and owner of Designed to Appeal, a home staging company serving New York City and the Hamptons.  Designed to Appeal helps homeowners and real estate agents sell homes quickly and profitably, by expertly creating an environment that buyers want to live in. Designed to Appeal also helps homeowners not looking to sell with interior redesign, which involves using mostly what the homeowner already has.  Donna writes frequently on home staging and interior decorating and design topics.

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Comments(8)

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Peg Barcelo
Fluff My House! Home Staging Inc. 250.486.6369 - Summerland, BC
The FlufftasticStager from Summerland, BC

Donna, that sounds like it was a great course! Some of those points I already incorporate, but I'll be sure to think more along these lines! Thanx for sharing!

Apr 04, 2011 02:50 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Targeting helps you hit the bullseye and sell the home Donna. I love your images to support your points.

Apr 04, 2011 03:21 AM
Sally Weatherley
EXIT STAGE RIGHT - Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Home Staging, Home Stager Vancouver, B.C

Donna - Matthew's course sounds amazing.  Good for you for using what you've learned and making it your own.  Often we take courses, then but the course binder back on the shelf.  I love the last photo - it really does tell a story of who might live there.  What fun!

Apr 04, 2011 03:45 AM
TERI LINDSAY
Reno, NV
STAGELIGHT HOME STAGING CO.

I like the term: "Lifestyle Merchandising" over "home staging"...... points well- taken... thanks for the FYI and sharing what you learned at your course!

Apr 04, 2011 05:45 PM
Janet Jones
Just Your Style Interiors, LLC - Kihei, HI
Home Staging, Interior Redesign Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

I agree with Teri that I prefer the term "Lifestyle Merchandising", and you make the point about the differences.  It's not like we don't consider who the prospective buyer is when staging, but you are taking this up one whole level.  That's great. 

Apr 04, 2011 07:32 PM
Kathy Nielsen
http://atlantahomestaging.net - Marietta, GA
Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

Sounds like a great class, Donna.

I'm so into the "lifestyle merchandising" as it further evokes emotions from the buyer. And I love Matthew! What a win/win scenario that combination is.

Kathy

Apr 05, 2011 06:55 AM
Melissa Marro
Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL
Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Donna - I've loved watching your "shift" as you've changed your shopping habits, etc and shared them with all of us here and on facebook.  I particularly love that James Bond poster you shared the other day... what a find!  Thanks for sharing some of what you've learned!

Matthew is giving new dates this weekend for the next round of courses.... I'm sure this will inspire others to "up the ante".

Apr 05, 2011 02:49 PM
Tori Toth
Tori Toth, International - Howard Beach, NY
888.667.6643 NYC & Beyond, HSR, SAR, RESA, LIBOR

it was definately worth taking the class!

Jan 04, 2012 04:19 AM