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Home Staging - Still A Relevant Tactic in Lots of Places
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All of you in those much talked about real estate bubble markets can just skip
this article. Go read the local paper (which will probably carry at least one
article about housing bubble markets) or watch The Apprentice. Even reading about
staging a home is a waste of your time. By all accounts, all
you have to do to sell your home is open the door and stand there holding a bushel
basket to collect the purchase offers.
But only a small part of the nation really has housing bubble status. There
are large parts of the country where home prices have not appreciated much at
all during this frantic time (notably in the Midwest and parts of Texas) and
other areas where prices have been rising at a measured pace but homes still
average several months to find a buyer.
In areas where slower real estate sales equal a large inventory of homes in
every price range it is still critical to put the best face on a house. Sometimes
that is called making the beds, but real estate agents generally refer to it
as "staging."
Many agents specialize in staging. Some professional stagers keep
their basement or garage filled with props - everything from antique furniture
to art to silk flowers. Others have that gift that allows them to walk into
a room, look around and transform it with a few deft steps - moving furniture,
clearing off the coffee table, rearranging the potted plants. Still others will
ask for a budget and free range to hire a professional home decorator, painter,
or landscaper. At the very least an agent should be able to give a seller advice
as to how to show off a home's best features. If an agent is decorator-impaired,
they should still be able to call in a couple of more talented agents from their
office for home staging tips.
And don't think that this is a girly thing. One male broker knows every
antiques and Oriental rug dealer in his market area and calls on them to haul
in the goods in return for prominent mention in his ads and a place for their
business card on (their) dining room table.
But, if your agent seems unwilling or unable to assist you in staging your
home or if you plan to sell your own house, FSBO (for sale by owner),
here are some tips and suggestions, starting with the cheapest and least labor
intensive and working up to what might be prohibitive on either or both counts.
But then, if you are clever, you might find a way to do even the most spectacular
staging on the cheap. Tips on how to fix your house up to sell.
- Open the drapes and blinds. Sunshine is the world's best
decorator and nothing is more depressing than walking into a home where shades,
curtains and drapes are closed. The buyer is likely not a character out of
Wind in the Willows and will leave with the impression of a dark and claustrophobic
property.
- Wash the windows - inside and out. For the same reasons
as above, no other small improvement will give you more bang than this.
- Clean up the yard. You've heard of curb appeal? How about
unseen from the curb? Cut back overgrown shrubs, particularly those that obscure
windows or make it difficult to get to the front door. Mow the grass. Rake
or pick up downed leaves and branches. Put away lawn tools, kids' toys and
discard or store any outdoor furniture that is rusty or ragged. If season
and funds permit, put down some colorful annuals or put a few nicely planted
containers on or near the front porch.
- Clutter Control. You have heard this a thousand times,
but de-cluttering and organizing a home is very important and not just to
make the place look neat. A cluttered home looks smaller and less airy. All
of the pictures, knick-knacks, even an exquisite art collection are distracting
to many buyers. The agent is trying to point out the gas log in the fireplace
and the customer is studying your collection of old ink wells on the mantle.
Also, you want to make room for the buyers own things. If the living room
is jammed with furniture the buyer might not be able to figure out where his
own stuff will go. It does no good to explain that your stuff won't be there
when he moves in. Some people just can't visualize. If you can't get rid of
some of your home clutter- house plants for example - round them
up and make a single display rather than have them in dribs and drabs through
a room or the whole house. The rule of thumb: count every item in each room
- furniture, books, vases, old birthday cards propped up on the shelf - and
pack up or eliminate 50% of them. Then, if there is time and energy, get rid
of 50% of the remainder.
- Clean your kitchen and bathrooms - Scrub like crazy, particularly
the kitchen and bath(s). The kitchen may be old but it can still sparkle.
Clean the stovetop with a good degreaser and all countertops with whatever
it takes to remove stains and discoloration. Wash the front of all cupboards
and appliances and keep the floor swept and scrubbed for the life of the listing.
De-clutter here too, especially the refrigerator door (death by a thousand
knives for the inventor of the refrigerator magnet). Ditch countertop appliances,
canisters, etc and keep cupboard doors and drawers closed if your hand is
not actually in them. It is critical that the bathrooms sparkle. Old bathrooms
can be charming and a new shower curtain or fresh flowers on the counter may
be all you need. Put out your best towels and, if you have young children,
please enforce the flush rule. Clean bathrooms are a must.
Now we are getting into the more expensive staging suggestions, but the next
few things will really help you prepare your house to sell if they are needed
and you can afford to do them.
- Refinish hardwood floors. These are a major selling point
when selling your home and sometimes a home's most compelling feature. Often
they don't need complete refinishing, just to be roughed up and polyurethaned
to obtain that killer shine. If yours are looking tough give a couple of pros
a call and check out the price. In some markets several rooms can be extensively
refinished for less than $1,000.00.
- Paint / Repaint Your Home. If your taste in decorating
is a bit, shall we say strong, it may pay you to hire a professional to tone
down some of the more dramatic color rooms. Many people love dark red dining
rooms, but none of them may be looking at your house. Neutral colors are best
for marketing your home for sale. There was a house, a very
expensive house, in a "bubbly" Boston suburb that was on the market for a
year and with a total of four agents. The house was in a wonderful neighborhood,
had a traditional floor plan and a beautiful yard, but every room and every
ceiling was papered in a different black and white pattern. Moving from one
room to the next induced vertigo. Agent after agent tried to convince the
seller to invest four or five thousand dollars in a professional redo (two
of them got fired for suggesting it) but the owner would not budge. A sharp-eyed
investor finally picked it up well below its original listing price, did the
remodel and sold it three months later for a substantial profit.
- Buy, borrow or rent what you need. If your furniture shows
the effect of raising five kids or if pets have ruined the rugs and upholstery
think about storing or getting rid of your existing furniture and finding
just enough more attractive stuff to get by. If your nest is empty and the
kids' rooms are beaten up, throw out the furniture, give the walls a quick
wash coat of paint and put one or two small flea market pieces - a hobby horse,
a bean-bag chair, the old bassinette from the attic - in the room to merely
"suggest" its use. A rocker, table lamp and a pile or books in an otherwise
bare room gives it the feel of a cozy study and so forth. If you want to go
all out there are dozens of companies, some of them national, that will rent
a roomful or a houseful of furniture on short term contracts. Not cheap, but
maybe worth looking into.
If your house has a lot of competition in the market you need to measure up.
Think of it as show biz.
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|
Comments (18)
| The cost of home staging is always less than your first price reduction. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Akanke
| Tue, 2 Oct 2007 17:07:49 EST |
| Thanks for the article. If there is ever a time to consider having your home staged, it is now! With the increase of homes on the market and the buyer's advantage of picking and bargaining for a price reduction you really need to have a bargaining tool of your own that works. Any resistance to staging may only mean that your seller needs to be educated about staging and that they will gain monetarily. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Cathy
| Mon, 3 Sep 2007 16:41:20 EST |
| These comments are highly useful. We have 70's paneling in the living room, which is now out of style. We don't want to tear it down or paint over it. Is there a paint color to minimize its impact? Also, the fireplace has some soot stains around the opening. Should we worry about this? Last question - we have an attached garage. Suggestions about this? Thank you! |
|
| Above Posted By:
Anonymous
| Thu, 22 Mar 2007 21:28:34 EST |
| An empty home is NOT better than a staged home!!! Anything is better than nothing. Borrow furniture, live without some in your new home. Whatever you have to do. Empty homes look creepy and, well, not lived in. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Abby
| Sat, 17 Mar 2007 07:07:29 EST |
| Well I for one thoroughly believe in Home Staging. AS I should since I am a Home Stager based in Montreal. HGTV shows have really helped promote the idea and how benficial it is to both the real estate agent and the homeowner. It is hard to be objective about your own home. Once you deide to sell, the house becomes a product that you must make marketable. The other side of the coin is that because of all these decorating shows, even home buyers know what is worthy or not. Staging works! |
|
| Above Posted By:
Mary Seferian
| Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:56:22 EST |
| Great article - as long as people keep reading beyond the first paragraph. Unfortunately, in the Mid-Atlantic area we enjoyed a feeding frenzy where homes were hardly on the market before being sold. That was then and this is now. With a surplus of homes and an increase in new construction, buyers have too many choices. That makes it critical for sellers to make the best first impression and make their home stand out from the rest. Staging is definitely the single most important thing to do |
|
| Above Posted By:
Kimberly Cash
| Sat, 3 Feb 2007 19:54:07 EST |
| Many homeowners are not ready for constructive criticism. Real estate agents are in the business of adding listings to their inventory. This can result in homeowners not receiving meaningful advice until after comments are made at the broker open. You have only one opportunity to make a good 1st impressional with buyers agents and that's who the listing agent and you are counting on to deliver a motivated buyer. www.StrategicHomeStaging.com |
|
| Above Posted By:
Greg Z
| Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:06:45 EST |
| I definintely will try these staging tips. I believe buyers must have some emotional attachment to make an offer on a home. Staging sets the environment in this increasing tough California market. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Teresa Micka
| Sat, 16 Dec 2006 01:21:00 EST |
| Your listing photo is likely to be the first thing buyers have to judge your home. They expect the inside will be a continuation of the image you project from the street. Make yours the right one because buyers start eliminating homes right here. They may never see all the good things you offer inside. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Bree Z.
| Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:40:01 EST |
| I am an ASP stager in Dallas, TX , the tips you provided work! So glad to see that this is becoming known in the industry as a way to sell your home faster and for more money in ANY market (We are not in a bubble here as you mentioned) Staging sets you apart from the competition and is always cheaper than your first price reduction! |
|
| Above Posted By:
Karen
| Thu, 7 Sep 2006 15:20:48 EST |
| I would like to know if there are any scams tied to "home staging" or what legal things a person should know before doing it.
Contractors are involved in fixing the homes for home staging then what legal issues should the home stagers understand before trying to sell the home?
The contractor and real estate business obviously needs to work together but what should the home stagers do to make sure contractors are doing their job in making the home good as advertised?
|
|
| Above Posted By:
Edward
| Wed, 3 May 2006 21:07:30 EST |
| Staged homes today is a Sellers dream. With 28 years of real estate selling I can see buyers have evolved into sophisticated/savy buyers. Sellers that have had their homes Staged, have received more $$$. No doubt. Yes, even conserative Minnesota & Wisconsin are Staging homes. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Carol Erks
| Sat, 8 Apr 2006 13:14:05 EST |
| Do It Yourself Home Staging
Staging a home for the market is a must in getting a home sold fast and for the highest return on your investment. Home Stages now offers educational ebooks to assist the homeowner in each step of preparing their home for showing. For those that wish to start up a Home Staging Business we are now offering a Complete Business Kit and Training Course at a low start up price. Our goal is to educate as well as assist the homeowner with a great sell. See us today! |
|
| Above Posted By:
Teri
| Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:35:55 EST |
| Good points on staging the home. In our experience, clutter control is critical. Also, staging patio sets with plates and wine glasses to make the yard more inviting is usefull as well. Pick your home's most attractive feature and emphasize it. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Randall Williams
| Mon, 6 Feb 2006 00:39:14 EST |
| Does an open unfurnished home show better than a staged home? |
|
| Above Posted By:
Roni
| Mon, 12 Dec 2005 17:11:13 EST |
| Do stick built modulars have a lower resale value? |
|
| Above Posted By:
Real estate
| Sat, 10 Sep 2005 18:35:02 EST |
| Landscaping the yard is always #1 to me because people usually have their own ideas about what they want to do on the interior. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Scott Wiles
| Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:15:24 EST |
| Thats good advice about grouping houseplants even if youre not moving. I see many photos of houseplants on web forums that look like theyre part of a yard sale. |
|
| Above Posted By:
Bob Hyland
| Wed, 1 Jun 2005 17:34:43 EST |
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