We all know "staging" has been around for quite a while, but it has become more mainstream and popular thanks to TV shows, news reports, articles, books, websites and courses. Staging has proved to be a valuable tool when selling homes but homeowners are still afraid to hire a stager or have a consultation. Is it fear of the unknown? (What are they going to say? How much will this cost me? Is it going to be worth it?) Is it a control issue? (I can do it myself!) I don't know.
Well this morning at my Entrepreneur's meeting, one of the members told me her friend was selling her home and she (the member) was trying to convince her friend to have me stage it. The friend said she didn't need me because she could stage it herself. I said she could absolutely stage her own home but it's harder than she might think. I handed her one of my new brochures with pictures of homes I have staged.
The home above had been on the market six weeks with an Open House every Saturday. The homeowners said their agent told them to make sure the home was clean and "looked good" which they did. The homeowners didn't understand why they were having problems selling and they were frustrated.
The homeowner's husband overheard me talking about staging and asked me some questions. He said his wife was nervous about having me consult because she wasn't sure what I would say or do. I offered him a free one room restyle so they could see how I work. Well the picture above is the result. All I did was advise them on what to clean, declutter and simple changes to make so the kitchen looks its best. The total money put in this room was less than $15 for a new window treatment and a can of spray paint for the cabinet pulls. (The home is older and they didn't want to repaint the cabinets)
They were so thrilled with the results yet so embarrassed at how they were marketing their home to buyers. They asked me to consult on the rest of their home, which I did. Once the home was prepared (per my consultation they updated some light fixtures and painted a couple rooms in addition to cleaning and decluttering), I came in rearranged the funiture and decor, giving the home some style. The house looked 10 times better. I advised them to have their agent take new pictures for the website and flyers.
I also explained that their home may still not sell immediately because their area is saturated with inventory, their location is next to a home that looks like a junk yard and they originally placed their home on the market during holiday time.
By educating the homeowner on simple changes, explaining the reasons why they should do this or that and explaining the market, they are not panicked and wondering why their house isn't selling. I use their kitchen photos in all my marketing material and the homeowner is my best testimonial. She tells everyone about me. In fact when I present my staging seminar next month, the homeowners will be there to give testimony and answer questions.
I'll let you know if the members friend decides to have me consult her.
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