Sheri’s Blog

Staging can make a tremendous difference in how quickly a home sells and how much it sells for. Buying a home is an emotional decision. Ideally, when a buyer previews your house, you want them to be thinking “WOW!”. If we can tap into that emotion, they will likely grab their check book and write an offer.

Staging maximizes a homes appeal by showcasing the homes best features, and should not be confused with decorating, which showcases a persons individual style. Staging involves 1. Using neutral colors on the walls and floors to create a calm, soothing, and welcoming impression 2. De-cluttering 3. Deep cleaning 4. Eliminating and/or rearranging furniture to open up space in every room. 5. Accessorizing. If you can “wow” buyers, and allow them to easily visualize their own things in your beautiful home, you’ve got a sale!

Why stage? In today’s market, where competition is fierce, it’s important to do whatever you can to increase a homes appeal and catch the eye of buyers. Buyers look at many homes, and then choose the best. If your home is not among the top, they will move on quickly. Staging gets your house noticed.

Recently, I listed a home that needed updating. The sellers had already put a tremendous amount of money into the property, and felt that buyers should be able to overlook the flaws; the house was empty. The problem with this logic is that the average buyer has very little imagination. As Barb Schwartz, professional stager says “The average buyer can only see, the way it is, not the way it will be”. If buyers don’t like what they see, they move on quickly, or look for reasons to discount. In three weeks, we had seven showings and no offers. It was time to do something. The sellers finally agreed to paint the dark trim and doors white, and stage the kitchen with a beautifully set table and bakers rack. Above the fireplace, we added a warm painting and plant, making it the focal point of the room. Outside on the covered deck, they placed rocking chairs and hanging baskets of flowers. Now the house, which originally felt dark and cold, felt warm and inviting. Within one week, we received a multiple offer, and sold the house at asking price.

Buyers resist staging because it usually takes a bit of work and some financial investment. However, your original investment is almost always less than your first price reduction. Depending on the condition of the house, the cost of staging can very. But the average cost is somewhere between $1,500 to $3,000.

When it comes to homes, I’ve always loved to fix them up and make them look beautiful, so “staging” quickly became a part of my listing service when I entered the world of Real Estate. The more I read, the more I began implementing staging techniques, and collecting items such as paintings, table cloths, duvet covers, and other things that could help boost the homes appeal. There are so many things that can be purchased at garage sales, consignment stores, and even thrift shops that can add tremendous value to your home, so staging does not have to be costly. You just have to use your imagination, and follow simple guidelines.