For over four years, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of providing homeowners, sellers, investors, & builders with effective home staging services. Each time that I meet with a prospective client, I am privileged to view their property and to discuss my staging services with them. In most cases, the owner of the home has in some way, heard about staging a home for sale. Yet, sometimes homeowners are calling me because their realtor recommended staging and this is the first time they’ve ever heard of it. Which ever the case may be, there is always an explanation about the benefits of home staging, that needs to be shared at these first time meetings. Education of what staging is and what it isn’t is a necessary process for all my prospective clients.
Some people think that staging is taking down family photos. Others think that staging is getting rid of furniture, or packing away nic-nacs. In other words, removing clutter. Many think that to stage a home is to clean it. I’d like to share that all of the above are necessary when it comes to selling your home. Notice I said all of the above. Doing one or two things, is not going to sell your home quickly and for more money. I can’t tell you enough how important it is to do everything that is recommended from your ASP, Accredited Staging Professional. You see, staging a home for sale, is not a “do-it-yourself” industry. Staging is not a “cookie-cutter” plan that works the same in every home. Why? Each home is unique in it’s own way, and needs special attention that only a trained professional can do.
Staging is not covering up a structural flaw in the home, and it’s not “tricking” someone into liking the home. Since we only want to negotiate once with our potential buyers, it is absolutely imperative that a seller makes every unrepaired flaw in the home noticeable at the showing. When a buyer finds out about imperfections at the “walk through”, in most cases it’s back to the drawing board and pricing is adjusted, along with having to accommodate the buyers by paying for the repair. Make sure that any repairs are cared for prior to listing on the mls. You’re either going to pay now or pay later, and again, in most cases it is going to cost you more to wait until your buyers asks you to fix something.
With 84% of the buyers looking for “turn-key, move-in- ready conditions”, I like to recommend that you get it inspected, so that you won’t get surprised. Give yourself peace of mind, knowing that your home measures up to the expectation of your buyer and their inspector.
In conclusion, Staging is the process of preparing a home for sale, using proven techniques to “highlight” the best selling features of the home, and down-play the least favorite features.
Everyone falls in love with a house for a reason. Make your home stand out above all the rest.
” The Investment of Staging in your home, is LESS than a price reduction on your home, and the market time is cut in half”.

Some of the most frequent questions that I get asked about selling a home at this time of year are: Should we take our house off the market during the Holiday time? Is it ok to put up a Christmas tree or decorate on the outside of the house? These are valid concerns to homeowners and I would like to address the “real buzz” about selling your home during this time of year.

Homeowners are selling for a reason. Maybe they are being transferred out of town. Another could be downsizing because of health reasons, or someone has built a home and it’s ready to be moved into. Whatever the reason, people HAVE to sell their home. If we allow the time of year or the economy to dictate our decisions, we miss out on opportunity. For instance, the potential buyers during November and January, are VERY serious buyers. They aren’t just browsing to see what is out there. Also, during this time period, there are less houses for sale because many homeowners DO take it off the market now. Less saturated markets, gives you a greater chance to sell.

When we are selling, we know we have to de-clutter to make space and to have less distractions. What we also want to provide for our viewers is a visual that your house is also a home. By putting up our Christmas tree, we reveal the warm and cozy lived- in feeling that will tell our potential buyers, we enjoy living here. So, go ahead and “decorate for the holidays. Keep in mind a rule of thumb is to remove one accent for another. If you are putting a Christmas wreath above the mantel, then remove what is up there now, and do so throughout the house. Just don’t add the decorations, replace them. This will limit the accent items, keeping down the amount of distractions.

We know that “curb appeal” is our one chance to make a great “first impression.” So with color and balance to your plan to decorate the outside, light up the front of the house. Place a holiday door mat and a wreath to the front porch. Light up the largest tree in the front lawn. Use the clear little Italian lights. Just make sure that it is easy on the eyes, and not over done.
When you enjoy your home, it shows. That’s what buyers are looking for at this time of year. They want to know that their future holds many wonderful memories of their holidays. Buyers need to see it happening as they search for their new dream home.
Have fun with it! Best wishes for a speedy and profitable sale and Happy Holidays.

Margie Gregori ASPM
MG HomeHighlights

In this installment of 10 Questions for . . . , Associate Editor Kimberly Janeway interviews Barb Schwarz, staging guru and CEO of Stagedhomes.com. Schwarz explains staging and how it helps to sell houses.

Who coined the phrase “home staging”? I invented the industry 36 years ago. I had an interior design business and then went into real estate in the early ‘70s and was shocked at the way the houses looked. I started thinking about decorating houses to sell them. I used my theatre experience to set the scene. Staging is preparing your home so that the buyers can imagine living there with their own things. But most people have too much stuff and they don’t think to put it away. I’ve taught more than one million realtors and decorators about staging via my seminars.

But don’t potential buyers like a house that’s neat but lived in? Just because you lived in a home one way isn’t the way you sell it. A home becomes a house, then a product to get top dollar. That’s why you do the staging-so the buyer doesn’t look at the stuff, but looks at the space. What does a stager actually do? First, I chat on phone with the potential client and then visit the home. I bring my credentials and pictures of my work. I take notes and photos and then I’ll write a proposal. I work on full homes, vacant homes. I have inventory for rent. Usually in lived-in homes you don’t have to buy or rent anything. Staging includes cleaning, packing up stuff, rearranging and moving furniture from one room to another, displaying art, and maybe even painting rooms.

Packing up stuff? What happens to the stuff?
	The homeowners might have to get portable storage or box it up and put it in storage and get rid of it for now. Or they can have a garage sale or give things to charity.

Tell me more about staging. What are the steps?

How long does staging take? I work with a team of six to eight people and we’re done in a day. A vacant house also takes a day; a condo, half a day. Painting would be done before we stage.

How much does staging cost? A consultation fee is about $350 to $500 for a detailed written plan for the customer to do. But if the stager is doing the work, the average cost is $2,800, not including renting or buying inventory. Staging is about investing in your investment. Based on a survey we did, 94 percent of staged homes are selling on average in a month or less, while non-staged homes are on the market for an average of 165 days.

Kitchens are a focal point of most homes today. Should old, unattractive appliances be replaced when trying to sell a home in a down market?

Old working appliances aren’t the problem, the problem is when they’re filthy or the color is wrong. If they’re in working order but the color is wrong, have them painted professionally. If the appliance is really grungy, get a new one.

What’s the biggest mistake homeowners make when trying to sell their home?

Not putting the stuff away. Take the bulletin board down with the bills on it. Get all of those photos off the refrigerator. Go through the house and divorce yourself from being a seller and become the buyer.

How do I find a terrific home stager? Look for a person who tells you how they work. The stager should share their portfolio, have insurance and references for you to call, take credit cards, and give you a legal agreement for the work that’s to be done. Go to the International Association of Home Staging Professionals and type in your zip code to find a home stager. An ASP is an Accredited Staging Professional. An ASPM has a master designation. Look for those, they have more education.

Essential information: Learn what our experts have to say about buying or selling a home in a rocky real-estate market.

I would like to share my latest staging story. It all started, when my friend Renee, shared with her client, all that she knew about my staging company. Well, she did a great job, because the gentlemen called me to inquire about my services, and after our conversation he hired me to stage his condominium. The seller had never heard of staging, but was very open to the concept. I explained how important the price, condition and the location was for the sale of his property and that besides my staging services, there were recommendations that must be carried out in order to sell the condo. I suggested to paint, replace the carpet, and a few more things, which he gladly carried out. He was truly the ideal client, as he appreciated my professional opinion, and allowed me to creatively stage the condo. The result….. a showing 24 hrs. after it was listed on the multiple listing service. Keep in mind that 85%of the buyers look on the internet first, so it’s a must to have great photos. Not only did they get a showing the next day…they received and offer. I can’t express enough, how important it is to invest in some updating if it is necessary. People want turn key. They want to walk in and start unpacking.

Buyers’ don’t want to replace carpet, or paint, or do any fixing up. The market is saturated with properties for sale that are in “move in” condition. If the buyer doesn’t feel he can move in, he will move on. So, if you are thinking about putting your home on the market, be sure to hire a professional stager to get all the important do’s and don’ts to prepare your home for its’ debut. Why? Because, “staged homes sell”.