Selling a home in today’s real estate market is not for the faint of heart. Between the glut of homes on the market, plunging sale prices, foreclosures, tougher mortgage requirements and regulations, and homeowners who don’t understand that the value of their homes have taken the same hits as their neighbors’, representing sellers is a daunting prospect, for sure.
I’m a home stager, and it’s been no picnic for us either. There are still lots of skeptics out there who don’t believe in staging, even though they’ve seen the positive influence staging can have on buyers. But between the misleading impressions left by one too many TV staging shows, and the misconception that staging is only for high-end vacant homes, convincing some people that staging is a worthwhile activity is often an exercise in futility.
We all know that a well-priced staged home has a much better shot of attracting offers than a similar home that is not updated and well-maintained. Still, many realtors are reluctant to consult with a professional stager to help prepare the home for sale. Why?
Stagers, realtors and homesellers all have the same goal – to sell the home.
I know what you are thinking, “if we bring in a home stager, she’ll want to replace the countertops, rip out all of the carpet, paint the interior from top to bottom, and rent expensive furniture!” While that may be the ideal situation, home staging doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” proposition. Today, many homesellers aren’t willing or financially able to make such radical changes. People are not necessarily selling homes because they want to, but because they have to. Their homes may have already been on the market for months, they’ve reduced the price a few times, and they don’t want to “lose” any more money. They don’t want to spend money to sell something that’s worth much less than they thought it would be. I get it. I do.
But, there are a bunch of other things I can do to help a home show better without spending thousands of dollars.
This living room was in pretty good shape before, but staging made the room look even more inviting by opening the curtains, neutralizing a bit more, and removing a few accents.
The master bedroom staging was the most extensive, with new paint, linens, and wall decor. But the homeowner did the painting herself, which kept costs within her staging budget.
An extra bedroom before and after staging. The wall color was unchanged: the bed and nightstand were brought up from the homeowner's garage. The linens, lamp, throw and prints were purchased for about $125.
This kitchen was staged simply by de-cluttering, removing the wallpaper border, replacing the dated cabinet pulls and drawer nobs, and adding bolder accents.
Do you just want me to re-arrange the living room furniture so it doesn’t block the picture window and the great fireplace? Certainly. Do you just want me to de-clutter two rooms so they look more spacious? No problem. Do you just need me to bring in accessories that take the emphasis off the dated bathroom fixtures? Sure. Do you need a third party to help convince the homeowner that the changes you suggested need to be made? Consider it done. Do you just need updated accessories so you can take nicer pictures to post on the MLS? I can do that.
I’m ready, willing and able. How can I help?
Happily Better After typically works with homeowners and realtors selling properties valued between $150K and $750K who struggle with attracting offers after 30 days or more on the market (mainly due to the home's appearance) and are anxious to get their homes sold. We offer a variety of effective staging options that most homeowners can easily afford. By working with us, sellers are quickly freed from the financial burden of sustaining their current property so they can move on to their next home.
Copyright 2011 Happily Better After Room Redesign & Home Staging
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