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Is the House You Are Selling Considered Average? Staging Takes it Up a Notch. Before & Afters - Vacant Former Rental in Vancouver WA

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Home Stager with GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign

This is a home that we were contacted to stage by an out of town investor. As a rental property, it had never been given much attention and had never been upgraded from the day it was built. As a result, when it was first marketed it failed to make much of an impression with buyers. Their feedback consistantly ranked it as "average" and the backyard earned negative ratings as being uninviting and a maintenance problem. To make matters worse, the home right next door is also on the market and has had numerous upgrades. We assessed the home and made suggestions for some modest changes and the result has been very well received. In the past two days since staging, the home has received "exceptional" ratings and the yard is now listed as a positive feature of the home. Improvements and repairs totaled less than $500. Add in staging and this house was taken up to the next level.

 

 

                                                                                                                       
   
         
   
   
   
   
      
   
   
   
   
      
   
      
   
   
   
      
   
  
                                                                             

                                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathy Alexander and GreatStages offer professional staging and redesign services to clients in Southwest Washington, including Clark, Skamania and Cowlitz counties. We offer a wide range of services and options that work with all budgets.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments(25)

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Elaine Manes Gage
Home Staging Online Services - Denver, CO
Staging done ONLINE!

I NEVER get tired of "before and afters", and these are great! LOVE the throw and the screen in the bedroom! SUPER JOB...thanks for sharing!

Elaine Manes- A Wonderful Space Home Staging & Redesign

Dec 01, 2007 04:09 AM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Jo - I just wish we could get all the buyers who viewed this house over the past two months to come back in and give it another chance. More reason to stage first, then list!

Elaine - Thanks! I love checking out the 'before and afters" too. Transformations are such fun, aren't they?

Maureen - The screen was a find that I stumbled upon. It was a clearance item that had been shoved behind a huge dresser. Finding things like that give me a kick. The backyard had two huge firs and a yard full of moss and debris. Nothing but mud under the trees. The yard was cleaned up, moss killer applied, lawn fertilized and then beds were created around the trees and barkdusted. I have before pictures, but the weather hasn't cooperated to get good afters. Thanks for your comments!

Dec 01, 2007 05:00 AM
Fernando Rosado
West Palm Beach, FL
561-906-0050 or 561-840-8950
Hi Kathy. I, like Elaine, love before and afters too. You did great work
Dec 01, 2007 08:37 AM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA
Fernando - Thanks for the comments. Since we pros here on AR still enjoy "before and afters" so much, the  impact these photos make upon clients is obviously huge. I love to see their reactions when I show my portfolio.
Dec 02, 2007 02:20 AM
Kristina Leone
Lionheart Home Staging, LLC - Minneapolis, MN
Amazing before and after photos.  You have taken a cold, barren room and made it feel so warm and homey!
Dec 04, 2007 08:09 AM
Kathy Nielsen
http://atlantahomestaging.net - Marietta, GA
Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

Kathy - Wow!!  I love the bedroom!  You did a fantastic job.

Congratulations.  Your post is being featured within the group Staging Before & After Pictures.

Kathy

Dec 06, 2007 11:02 AM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Kristina - That room really did feel cold before staging. The paint color wasn't a very warm beige and the lighting was terrible. Thanks for your comments!

Connie - Thank you! Vacants just shouldn't be marketed without staging, should they?

Kathy - Wow! Thank you so much for the compliments and the feature!

Dec 06, 2007 04:18 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells

Hi Kathy,

This looks so much warmer. Where did you get those leather cubes?

Dec 06, 2007 06:22 PM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA
Susan - The leather cubes came from Linens&Things. They are actually part of a set. There is a larger leather ottoman that the cube nests inside of. Also, the top of the ottoman can be flipped as it is also a tray. Pretty clever and only $69.99 each (of course, be sure to use a 20% coupon!)
Dec 07, 2007 02:13 AM
Mary Lou Teague
HOME STYLE AND STAGING LLC - Knoxville, TN
Home Style and Staging Knoxville. TN
Kathy, Well I will have to agree with everyone else...very warm and inviting. I also use throws ( make everyone feel warm and fuzzy ) and I put a tray on the bed with a tea cup and saucer...and a book..you did a great job.
Dec 11, 2007 06:19 AM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Thanks, Mary Lou. I love the look of throws, too. I think they really help to soften a room.

 

Dec 11, 2007 03:57 PM
Cindy Bryant
Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX
"Houston Home Staging Pros"
This looks sooo much better than the vacant version!
Dec 29, 2007 04:49 PM
Kathleen Garvey
HomeSmart Cherry Creek - Denver - Denver, CO
Denver's Neighborhood Expert - Listings & Sales
Kathy A- Nice work on the Fireplace mantle...two large items is often a better choice than 5 small ones!  Great job!  Regards-Kathleen G
Jan 01, 2008 01:41 AM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA
Jackie - I am glad you had a good experience with staging and selling your property. You may not be aware of this, but, my company GreatStages is located in VANCOUVER, USA, not BC. Any ads or recommendations to a BC company won't be of much use around here. Also, I must say that I find it a bit rude that you go onto a blog and then proceed to promote a certain company. The more appropriate way to do that would be to write your own blog and give the appropriate recommendation in that.
Jan 14, 2008 04:25 PM
Phyllis Pafumi
ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey - Old Bridge, NJ
ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ

Your staging helped cover up or make sense of the odd angles in the room. Especially in the LR, the angled fireplace is always a tough thing to show buyers how to arrange their furniture. Great job

Phyllis Pafumi

Jan 15, 2008 01:37 PM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Maureen - You don't know how hard it was not to let loose! I decided to let it run a few days to see if "Jackie" has the intelligence to come back to apologize and/or explain.

Phyllis - It seems like many builders of the smaller homes around here think that creating strange niches or angles adds to the drama of a room. It can, but it can also make it a nightmare to live with. Thanks for your kind comments.

Jan 15, 2008 02:51 PM
Melissa Turpin
Refined By Design - Englewood, FL
Refined By Design Home Staging
Thank you for showing how good a vacant home CAN look!!! Most homesellers think that homebuyers like to see alot of space and picture"their own furnishings" in the space....of course your pictures show what really looks good and sells a house! Great Job!
Jan 18, 2008 12:00 PM
Kathy Alexander
GreatStages Home Staging and Redesign - Vancouver, WA
Home Stager Camas WA, Home Staging Southwest WA

Melissa - It doesn't even take a lot of furniture and/or accessories to just give a house that extra punch, right? This project was done on the tightest of budgets. Thanks for your comments.

 

BTW - The house has sold in less that two months! With a 12.7 month supply of inventory homes for sale around here, the owner, agent and I are thrilled! 

Jan 18, 2008 05:47 PM
Holly Klaus
Room Revisions - Fredericksburg, VA
Room Revisions
I like how minimal the staging is... it's very effective.  You did a beautiful job!
Jan 19, 2008 02:21 AM
Trisha Lane
Simple Inspiration Home Staging - Portland, OR
Simple Inspiration Portland Oregon

Kathy,

Great job with this property.  I am also in agreement with Maureen, I think you handled the rude comments of the unidentified person in BC very well.  Staging is not rocket science, but it is definately more than decorating and a stager with talent is BORN not Made.

Jan 19, 2008 05:14 AM