Special offer

Books - Even If They're Just A Staging Tool

By
Real Estate Agent with RLAH@properties AB95346

 On a recent Tuesday tour, we went through the home of a Famous American.  This person has advised presidents and has to be one of the more influential people in the country.  And one thing about this house that was a little bit off.

There was not a single book in his lovely upper brackets house.  Nothing on history or politics.  Nothing about economics.  Not even any murder mysteries or travelogues.  There were some decorating magazines, but not a copy of any journals or even a GQ, Vanity Fair, Newsweek or Time Magazine.

There were some bookcases, although they would be more accurately described as shelving – there were knick knacks staging them, but no books.

So, did this guy read?  Maybe he did but just kept all of his reading material in his office downtown.  I sure hoped so.

A lot of my buyers are big readers.  They are attracted to homes with walls where they can build bookcases, and better yet to homes where these walls already have built-in bookcases.  And they like to check out what the sellers read. My buyers, even if they didn't know who lived there, would wonder where the books were.  And on the Tuesday I was there, a number of my colleagues also wondered aloud.

Oddly, a week after seeing this house, we did a pricing party at a new listing one of my office's agents was going for.  She got it, and one of the reasons was that the other agent and her stager had recommended that they lose the books in the impressive, custom-built wall of bookcases in the family room.  We suggested that they tidy it up.  The  house, of course, sold to book people.

Go figure! 

Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
Pat, this is a fabulous staging idea!  I've encountered more than a few buyers who wanted built-in bookcases.  I see this more in the upper-bracket market, but I think books and bookshelves attract buyers.
Oct 27, 2007 01:53 AM
Jan Evett
The Premier Property Group LLC - Rosemary Beach, FL
Broker Associate, 20 years+ in real estate

 

You can never have enough books... certainly not too many!  And it's really nice if you actually read them occasionally.  Now that I've met you on AR, I would love to read your real estate book!

Would you please tell me more about the pricing party at the new listing that you referenced in this blog?  Sounds interesting... please elaborate.

Thank you!

Oct 27, 2007 02:00 AM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County
Maybe he rad "E-books"? Just kidding. You are right. Some books strategically placed would make the space show a little better.
Oct 27, 2007 02:09 AM
Jeff R. Geoghan
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA
REALTOR, Marketing Manager
What's a "pricing party" Patricia?  Not familiar with that idea...
Oct 27, 2007 03:31 AM
Faina Sechzer
Henderson-Sotheby's International Realty - Princeton, NJ
Real Estate Expert - Princeton, Montgomery ,Hopewell, NJ
Patricia -me too -what is "Pricing Party" -do you celebrate the Right price. The books have impact, that's why the home builders use them in their model home - the fake ones apparently work too.
Oct 27, 2007 03:55 AM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor
Books - some of my best friends are books!!!! I can't imagine life without them! And yes, they do belong in a home!!!
Oct 27, 2007 06:41 AM
Marchel Peterson
Results Realty - Spring, TX
Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro
I had a client who staged their flip home and she chose the books she used by their color.  It does look very nice!  I'm amazed at a prominent figures home with NO BOOKS.  I'm a huge book reader and I can't imagine a home with no books.  I have always said you can never have too many books and my daughter took me literally.  After helping her move all those books I am reconsidering my statement.
Oct 27, 2007 02:53 PM
Katerina Gasset
The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT
Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!
Patricia- I am shocked that he had no books. Books are a sign of success. There was a survey done on the most successful people and one thing they all had in common was reading books. The higher the income level, the more books they read! Katerina
Oct 29, 2007 05:47 PM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Patricia -- Now that you mention it books make sense.  Most homes I tend to visit lately have few books, but a lot of electronics.  I have to rethink this.. you raise some important points here.

Nov 25, 2011 01:49 PM
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

I don't know that books are necessarily a sign of success, but the presence of a library (I mean a real library, not a selection of books with color-coordinated spines used as decor) in a home suggests that the owner has achieved some level of culture and education.  I've seen homes without a single book, only magazines.  And a some homes where there are only a few books..and someone has colored in all of them (grin).

Nov 25, 2011 02:08 PM
Suzanne McLaughlin
Sabinske & Associates, Inc. (Albertville, St. Michael) - Saint Michael, MN
Sabinske & Associates, Realtor

I think the comments above echo my sentiments pretty well.  Have a great weekend.

Nov 26, 2011 01:11 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Wow!  I wrote this post four years ago and it's getting comments now!  That is pretty cool!  And nothing has really changed since then. 

Nov 26, 2011 01:26 AM