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Before Staging Your Lacey Home, Do Some “Pre-Staging”

By
Real Estate Agent with Elite Properties 117547

 

There is a useful new way to approach preparing your home for sale—one that few Lacey homeowners would have found practical just a few years ago.

To start with, the rate at which consumer technology is changing can be maddening— even if most of the changes improve how things work. At this point, most Lacey residents accept the fact that every new laptop or smartphone upgrade will mean that, sooner or later, we’ll have to sit down and learn how the new features work (or how the old ones don’t).

Some of the devices we now use regularly have changed how we approach many everyday tasks. One device that does that in spades is the smartphone—which has changed much about how people communicate. It also changed a large part of how events are recorded. Slowly but surely, the phones began to include not just cameras, but superior ones. Digital photographs are now so much easier to use and distribute than the 20th century version that our Lacey neighbors are texting and posting and emailing photos without giving it a second thought.

Of course, the phenomenon has a large and often-noted (here, at least) impact on Lacey real estate, most obviously on the efficiency by which we Realtors® can stay in touch with clients, prospective buyers, our office, etc.

For homeowners who are in the opening stages of getting a Lacey property ready for sale, the ease with which smartphone snapshots can be taken means that everyone has access to a terrific new tool. One of the most significant early jobs involves performing an assessment of what needs to be done to prepare a home for listing. Which areas needing repair or replacement? Which will benefit most from a décor makeover?

In practice, it’s hard for anyone to do a good job prioritizing improvements for their own home because they tend not to see things the way outsiders do. That’s where the smartphones can come in handy: call it “pre-staging.” Instead of just walking through the house, scribbling notes about what needs to be done, it’s now easy to record a series of photos of your walk-through, and then sit down and make those judgements based on how the rooms look through a lens. For the most part, because those will be snapshots rather than professionally lit glamor shots, the details will look less than gorgeous. But that’s actually useful, because it makes it easier to spot real decorating weak points. It also emphasizes to any eye the importance of the tried-and-true staging verities—such as the necessity for clearing clutter and letting in as much light as possible.

Smartphones can be a truly useful new tool, allowing pre-staging visualization to channel early efforts into the right areas. This can be the first pass at preparing your Lacey home for listing…along with that early first call to my office!

Posted by

 

Adam Crocker
Real Estate Broker
Elite Properties
360-561-1013
email: Adam@OlympiaDreamHomes.com
www.OlympiaDreamHomes.com





 

                                                                                                                               

Comments (11)

Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Adam- I use my iPhone all of the time when I'm out on a staging consultation.  It helps me show my sellers what I'm talking about, and it helps me as well. 

May 14, 2016 11:44 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

 

               Thank you Adam Crocker for my ah-ha moment. 

May 14, 2016 12:10 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I love the advice to prepare for staging by taking photos on our smart phone and checking them.

May 14, 2016 09:51 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Adam Crocker,

So glad I caught your post of Kathy Streib 's "Ah-ha" moments for the week. I do snap photos on my iPhone when walking through a potential listing (to help me remember things). You brought up an excellent points to take it another step further in pre-staging..thanks for your contributions. Welcome to Active Rain..I just subscribed to your blog.

May 14, 2016 10:52 PM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

Great post!  I can see Kathy chose to feature it this week!

May 14, 2016 11:57 PM
Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Excellent tips.  It is amazing what you can do with technology now a days. 

May 15, 2016 12:03 AM
Sam Shueh
(408) 425-1601 - San Jose, CA
mba, cdpe, reopro, pe

smart phone = camera = supra = eMail = phone = compass = light = flash = where are you =thermometer = fitbit = .........

May 15, 2016 01:20 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Adam, this is a smart use of  a smart phone.  But when it comes time for the virtual tour, it's time to put this handy tool back into your pocket!

May 15, 2016 03:44 AM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Adam Crocker smart phones are good for sure, may be for pre-staging. However, professional camera should be the tool for staging... 

May 15, 2016 03:02 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Great advice. I usually tell my staging clients to take pics if they want to see what potential buyers will see.

May 16, 2016 03:06 AM
Adam Crocker
Elite Properties - Olympia, WA

Thank you everyone for the kind comments!!  I pray you all have an awesome and blessed year in every area of your life! To a great year in Real Estate!
God Loves You

May 16, 2016 11:11 AM