Help, I think I have STAGE fright!

If you have some Realtors that you work with on a regular basis, I would suggest that you host a broker open house. Have a sheet prepared with basic questions about the interior, exterior, smell, clutter, etc that they can fill out as they view the home.  That way you get an objective view of your home from the people who will be trying to sell it. It will also give you a competitive edge because those Realtors will have seen your house already by the time it hits the market.  Good luck! I had the same problem when I put my house on the market!

Tina - Hey remember the golden rule of staging - it is hard to view your home impersonally.  Do you know any stagers in the area that might take a walk through for you?  If not I would take a bunch of photos and let someone on AR help you review them.  You've got the best minds in the country at your disposal.

Hi Tina - Wow! I had the same thing happen to me.  I had my home on the market this past year.  (it is a very long story, but in the end the move fell apart, the house is off the market, and I am staying put in NY for now).  Anyway, I have a four bedroom 2 bath expanded cape.  I always recieved compliments on what a nice house i have and what good taste, etc., etc.  Well when my house was for sale I started to doubt my "good taste". 

I put my home for sale at a very bad time, (slow market, time of year, etc)  My realtor was the realtor from hell.  She did nothing to market the house and brought very few people to view it.  (she priced it too high, went on a months vacation during the listing time)  The longer my house was on the market, the more critical my eye became.  I realized that my kitchen light fixture was a little dated (I bought a nice new one from lowe's)  Also, I painted my kitchen (amazing how paint helps everything).  During the whole stressful process, I wished I knew of a stager or someone, anyone who could give me an honest, blunt assessment of my home. 

I am excellent at going into someone elses house and seeing it for what it is (or isn't).  I am great at redecorating pictures of interiors on the internet.  However, with my own home, it was very difficult.  When there is a personal attachment to a property, it can be very difficult to see what is really there. 

Maybe you could get some feedback from a blunt friend or family member, also I think the comment sheet for the brokers is a good idea.  I hope you get your home sold soon! (Think of all the fun you'll have decorating the new one).

Maureen Graziano

Of course it's difficult to stage your own home.  If it were easy, we would get a lot less work.  Give yourself credit for noticing that you're having trouble and ask a trusted realtor to take an objective look.

I haven't tried to stage my own home, but I think about giving advice. When it comes to my friends' problems, well, of course I know ALL the answers! But when it comes to my own.....seems that I lack a certain clarity of mind necessary to solve them!

I suspect it is the same thing with staging your own home.

Not to mention that you are sure the entire real estate world is watching to see if it REALLY does work! 

I know that feeling that you are experiencing, but what I would suggest is that you actually take your own consulatation worksheet and go room to room like you do in other peoples homes and fill out the form like you were not standing in your own home.  Maybe putting your thoughts down on paper will help you see the areas that need to be addressed.  Just be open and honest with yourself.  Hopefully this helps.

 Reece

Simplicity Home Design

I've already told my staging partner SHE will have to do my house if I ever go to sell and it's something I even tell my clients and it's true - it's so hard to be objective when it deals with me and my things - it takes someone else to be objective - even though we have an "eye for things" when it comes to staging, we have no personal attachments to the contents of someone else's home but we do in our own dwelling.  Our client's can relate to that as well, and it puts them at ease that even the "stager needs staging at her house!"

I feel your pain and would suggest if you truly are feeling overwhelmed - ask a fellow stager or an objective friend - I'm SURE you've done a perfect job but I truly know what you're talking about- Best of luck with the sale of your home!