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Can I get an exorcism?

By
Home Stager with The Dovian Group, LLC

This week I received a contact form via my website, in the comment section it read: We need your help! I immediately called the client and listened to her lament of how she and her husband transferred from Ohio to Maryland. Just to have his job transfer them back in a year.  They put their home on the market and were ready to settle, unfortunately, two days prior to settlement the buyers financing fell through.  Now, they are living with her in-laws because they cannot afford to buy another property until they sell the property in Maryland.

Here's the rub, she asked me approximately how much it would cost to Stage their property.  I said,   "To Stage your master bedroom, dining room, baths and kitchen it will cost around $2000.  I will include the first thirty days of rental. If you go under contract within that time you owe me nothing further."  I also shared that my last two Staging clients went under contract in twelve days (Washington D.C.) and seven days (Silver Spring, MD). Expressing how I would love to help them do the same.

She said she needed to speak to her husband and the Realtor and get back with me.  The next day I got an e-mail from her saying, "Thanks for your help, instead of Staging we're going to reduce the price."  This piqued my curiosity, so I looked out on the system to see how much of a price reduction. Lo and behold, $10,000.  Hmmm, let's see subtract 2 from 10 and how much does that leave you?  Eigt thousand, that's right $8000!

Oh well, maybe I'm the only one who finds this perplexing.  After my head spun around like Linda Blair's in the Exorcist, I composed myself and sent a return e-mail, wishing her the best with her endeavors selling the property!

Silver Spring, MD

 

 

 

 

 

Before                                                                                          After - Under contract in 7 days!

Comments(9)

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Virginia Tatseos
Stage-Show-Sell - Bloomfield Township, MI

I've experienced this myself...$750 to stage and they say no and reduce the price $10K

The only thing that I can think of is that they don't have the $750 to do it.  Did they ask me if I take credit cards?   Nope.

Your case they may get a bonus if they sell it themselves before relocation takes it over.

The whole thing drives me crazy

 

Love the before and after

Sep 11, 2008 02:39 PM
Anita Carrington
The Dovian Group, LLC - Laurel, MD
Dovian Group LLC, ASP, IAHSP

Virginia,

I have to laugh to keep from crying!

Sep 11, 2008 02:43 PM
Sandra Hughes
Redesigned Spaces - Northern Virginia - Fairfax, VA
Redesigned Spaces - Fairfax County, Virginia

Anita - It is so frustrating I know.  I am not sure how in the mind of the seller how they get price reduction trumps staging - unless like Virginia stated they just don't have the money up front.

Sep 11, 2008 09:54 PM
Marianne Sweet
Home Sweet Home Staging - Rochester Hills, MI
Home Sweet Home Staging, LLC Rochester Hills, MI

This happens more often than not.  It boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Sep 12, 2008 12:16 AM
Fernando Rosado
West Palm Beach, FL
561-906-0050 or 561-840-8950

its so weird how people just dont get the staging . P.T. Barnum said it best when he said "There's a sucker born every minute" Boy, was he right

Sep 12, 2008 06:23 AM
Tanya Venable
Orlando, FL
SEO, Mobile SEO, and Internet Marketing Consultant

Anita, it happens all the time. Sellers can rationalize a price reduction better because they chalk it off to money they just won't get rather than staging and spending what money they have. It is unfortunate in the long run because they take a bigger loss.

Sep 12, 2008 09:13 AM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating

I think Tanya is right, because it certainly isn't a complicated math equation to figure it out!

Sep 12, 2008 09:17 AM
Tracy Soussi
Charlotte, NC
NC & SC Broker - Large Bank Foreclosures

Gave me a good laugh

Sep 13, 2008 01:33 PM
Barbara Cluck-Miksits
BCM Home Staging LLC - Ridgewood, NJ
Home Staging - New Jersey

Anita ~ Had the experience, but with bigger numbers. Went to see a client's home, gave them a price to stage 6 rooms and 2 baths $5,800.00 for a 3 month rental. Client said no. It is 2 years later and this beautiful new home is still on the market. The starting price was 1.8 million it is now been reduced by $200,000.00, and it is still not staged. It blows my mind every time I see it on the MLS.

Sep 13, 2008 02:36 PM