Staging offers edge for sellers

Angela Blankinchip took a vacant house that had been on the market for nine months and turned it into an attractive, furnished home that brought an offer three days later.

The house sold for list price two weeks later, said Blankinchip, owner of the franchise Showhomes-Mobile/Baldwin County.

Staging homes to help them sell has become a hot ticket for builders, real estate agents and their clients, especially in the current market slowdown.

Homes staged by Showhomes in Mobile, AL

Homeowners and Realtors are asking how they can we get an edge in the market, according to Jane Ann Lance, owner of Staged Homes of Mobile, who noticed an uptick in activity six months ago.

"It's had a lot to do with the media and people's perception of the economy," Lance said. "They said they needed to do something more since homes weren't selling."

Staging is all about making a house look its showcase-best to attract buyers. There are several staging franchises in the area that will send in a crew to rearrange a homeowner's furniture, or pull from their warehouse of furniture and accessories to redo a vacant home.

Almost 95 percent of the staged homes sell within 35 days or less, according to stagedhomes.com, a national Web site for home staging professionals.

Showhomes also offers a home manager service, Blankinchip said. For a fee, typically 1 percent of the listing price at closing, a home manager will live in your furnished home and keep it in showing condition seven days a week, according to Blankinchip.

The fees vary for staging services, but furnishing a home averages just under $2 per square foot, according to staging experts.

"A lot of people don't have any vision," said Shawn Cushing, vice president of FLC Living in Mobile. "It's intimidating to walk into a big room and wonder, 'Will my stuff work in here?"'

Cushing's company will provide the furniture and accessories for 22 homes for builders in the Parade of Homes in Mobile, to be held Oct. 18-19 and 25-26.

"Staging is a big part of our business," Cushing said. FLC provides furniture for apartments in Alabama and Mississippi, model homes in large subdivisions, corporate houses and builder's custom homes.

Staging homes is a good selling tool, according to Becky Miller of Dauphin Realty, who completed an Accredited Staging Professional course a year ago. "It's an extra service to provide for listings," she said. She does it free of charge, she said.

"I suggest what they need to do and use their things," Miller said. "A lot of times it's de-cluttering the home. They can't see it if they have lived there a long time. It takes a fresh eye."

Not every staged home sells in a week, Lance said, adding that her goal is to sell it within 90 says. There are several factors needed for a quick sale: Location, price, condition of the house and the presentation of the house, she said.

"The main thing is price and if the price is not reflec tive of all those factors, you've got a longer time on the market," she said. The staging concept is the same for a high-priced or less costly house, she said. "You have to know how you can best present the house to your target market."

Adding furniture to a vacant house adds value, according to Blankinchip. "Some people see a vacant house and think the seller is desperate and will make a low-ball offer," she said. "We want to help the homeowner get the most for his house."