I’ve noticed that I’m getting more and more calls lately to Stage vacant homes.  Although I’m adamant that a vacant house needs Staging, don’t wait until the owners have moved out to bring in the services of a professional Home Stager.   Those days, weeks, and months on the market for a house that hasn’t been Staged are money down the drain.

There’s hardly a house on the market that couldn’t use some level of Staging to really help it look its best.  Most homeowners over time have overlooked the build up of clutter in their home, or have put off updating rooms, and don’t realize the competition they are up against in this current real estate market.  By not dealing with these issues before the property is even listed you’re taking a chance on missing out on an early sale.  Buyers see the way things are, not the potential of a space, and clutter eats equity.

Realtors know that the most activity on a listing usually occurs when the house first hits the MLS.  Why waste all those early potential buyers on a home that looks “well-used” versus a house that’s been Staged?  Before you post that listing have an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) do a walk through and assessment of the house.  Get it in tip top showing condition before that first buyer walks through the door.

Some may argue that they’ll wait to see if the house will sell on it’s own without the assistance of Staging, not wanting to put any extra money into the marketing of the property, but statistics show that the investment in Staging is always less than your first price reduction.  With all the different levels and price points of Staging an ASP can offer, there’s something to fit every budget, and therefore no excuse to delay until the house becomes vacant.  A vacant house feels cold, abandoned, echoes, and leads many buyers to think the seller is desperate and willing to sell for a low ball offer.

 Don’t wait until the house is an empty shell.  Delaying is a disservice both to the sellers and the Realtor.  Each month of an additional mortgage payment, keeping the house ready to show at all times, and the uncertainty of wondering if the house will sell in a timely fashion are stresses that can very likely be mitigated by calling in a ASP before putting the house on the market.  Call an Accredited Home Stager today!

I’m honored to have just been installed as President for the Nashville Regional Chapter of International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) and as Secretary for the Middle Tennessee Chapter of Women’s Council of Realtors.  I enjoy working with these other professionals, not only in promoting Staging and the Real Estate Profession, but because of the opportunity to share ideas, network, and make great friends.  Through both professional organizations we will be providing continuing education, community service, and informing the public about what we have to offer.  Keep checking under my events section to see what’s coming up!

The $8,000 First Time Homebuyer credit has been extended a few months so sellers need to take advantage of these new home buyers in the market by Staging their houses to attract these “first-timers”.  I’ve already done a blog about targeting this market so I hope it gave you some good information.

The real estate market has begun to turn for the better in our area, and Home Staging can and will serve as a means to improve market conditions and the economy as a whole.  As the public is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of Home Staging through television programs and articles, Realtors and sellers alike should realize how Home Staging is a vital component in any real estate marketing plan.  Just as Realtors have a responsibility to help their clients get the most out of their listing, home owners are looking to maximize their equity.

Remember - Allow buyers to see the great qualities of your house, not how you’ve filled up your home.  STAGE IT!

Bring in an Accredited Staging Professional to help update the space and make it more attractive to these younger buyers.  As a Home Stager working both here in Murfreesboro, TN and throughout middle Tennessee (including Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Smyrna to name a few) I can help sellers make their house a more attractive product on the market.  Re-arranging the furniture, removing the clutter, and updating accessories is part of what I do, but I can also help you pick out neutral paint colors and/or carpeting to bring that sense of clean and new to the space.  I have affiliations with carpet and paint stores who can give excellent service and prices to fit all budgets.

If the property is vacant I can bring in accessories to warm up the space and help buyers get a sense of the potential of each room.  Rental furniture is also an option and I can help select those items to best accentuate the positives of any house.  And of course curb appeal is so important as that’s the first thing buyers see when they pull up.  Don’t loose them before they even get out of the car.

Don’t wait, because under the tax credit extension rules, to qualify for the credit the property has to be under contract by the end of April.  Call or e-mail me to schedule a time for me to come for a no-obligation visit where I can explain what Staging can do for your house and the multiple options of services and pricing.  Stage it to Sell it!

You also have made this house your home through the years.  You’ve added your personality through colors, furnishings, accessories, collections, photos, and personal touches to make it your home.  The furniture pieces and arrangement worked for you and your family.  Some items may be antiques from family members, and some may be old but so comfortable you can’t bear to part with them.  Some may be items you’ve thought about getting rid of but just haven’t followed through on yet.  You’ve made memories here and you’ve enjoyed displaying those memories.  It may be your child’s trophies, family photographs, special collections you add to every year.   You’ve got your favorite colors on the walls, or you may still have that wall paper up that you loved 15 years ago.

Now though, you are moving your home (which includes your furniture, accessories, collections, photos, and personal touches) and need to sell your house.   You want to sell quickly and for as much money as possible.  There’s talk of having a Home Stager come in to help prepare the house for sale, but you are afraid they might criticize or make changes you don’t want.  Who are they to tell you the furniture needs to be re-arranged or that you have to remove those family treasures?

Remember a Home Stager is a professional who is there to work with you the Seller to make that house the best product in a very competitive market.  They are trained and have experience in using Staging as a marketing tool, and like you, want you to sell quickly and for maximum profit.  They have the objectivity to be able to see the property the way a buyer sees it, and therefore know how to accentuate all the positive assets of the house and help it appeal to the most number of potential buyers.

Remember, the moment you put your house on the market, it is no longer your home - it’s the future home of one of those potential buyers.  One of the first things a Stager will probably do is remove things.  We all tend to accumulate clutter.  We all also have lots of personal things out.  It’s not that those things the Stager removes are ugly or tacky (although we all have some things like that too), but rather they are distracting from the house itself.   The chair removed may be in great shape, but it’s taking up too much space.  The art work may be pricey, but also too distracting.  Leaving up those family photos cause a buyer feel like they are invading your personal space and make it difficult for them to envision themselves living in the space.  Don’t have Buyers get bogged down in looking at your tea cup collection instead of the beautiful fireplace and mantle.  Buyers need to see that there is plenty of space for their things.  Removal of furniture and other items on the floor literally shows that square footage mentioned in the listing, and having lots of light brightens up the whole room.  Remember that you are moving anyway, so just use the opportunity to do some packing ahead of time.

Because many home buyers are also looking at model homes, full of new carpet, furniture and accessories, you need to able to compete against that.  The Stager may suggest you purchase new towel sets or a new comforter for the bedroom.  These are things will update the look of your house and will move with you.  Even simply replacing those flat pillows makes a difference.

Toning down color schemes or removing wall paper might also be part of the Staging plan.  Remember that buyers will be moving in with their own things that might not work with your strong colors or that wall paper.  A buyer doesn’t want to look at a room and immediately think “I don’t want to have to pay to repaint this room or take the time to remove that wall paper”.  You could lose a sale from that simple thought.  Taking down wall paper, as time consuming and messy as it can be, is always worth it, partly because most wall paper looks dated, is often not in the best shape, and can be too busy a pattern.  Repainting strong or unique colors with neutral tones helps make the color scheme work for more buyers, as most furniture will work with neutral tones as a background color.  Also, lightening up colors make a room appear larger.

We all get used to things around our house and put off some simple chores or delay updating things.  Once you get ready to market your house you can’t put those things off anymore.  When a Home Stager comes in and starts changing things, remember they are there to help you sell that house.  Instead taking offense at their Staging plan, realize it is to benefit you.  Take advantage of their professional expertise and you’ll find they know what they are talking about!

A vacant house is cold, it’s hard, it echos, and it feels abandoned.  It can also make the buyer feel like no one is taking care of the place and therefore there must be issues with it.  It’s difficult for a potential buyer to walk into it and think “This is the one for me!”, and we all know much of the home buying decision is an emotional.  You want a buyer to walk in and immediately say “This is nice - I really like this”.

Staging can provide that emotional connection.  Setting up furniture and accessories in the primary rooms (living room, master bedroom, bathrooms, kitchen, dining room) sets the scene for buyers to envision the space as their own.  In a vacant you obviously don’t have to deal with pre-existing clutter or personal items and it provides the perfect opportunity to make it a welcoming setting.  If buget permits, there are several furniture rental options out there that provide high quality merchandise at reasonable prices, and then the Stager can bring in the accessories (bedding, towels, art work, plants, etc.) to give a model home feel.  Now the buyer enters and sees a living room, not four bare walls.

If the budget is limited and doesn’t allow for full furniture rental, I do “Vignette Staging”.  I concentrate on the bathrooms (towels, countertop accessories, art work, shower curtain as needed) by giving them a spa retreat feel, and in the kitchen I bring in attractive countertop accessories that will invite viewers to imagine themselves enjoying the space.  By bringing art work and accessories into the living room and master bedroom I can still give the welcoming feel without full furnishings.  Strategically placing art work helps point out where furniture could be placed (Oh look, the bed would go right there!), and sometimes I will bring in an arm chair or small kitchen table and chairs to emphasize the potential.

An empty house doesn’t have to feel that way, and because Home Staging will help it show better, it will also help it sell quicker and for a better price.  Imagine two house, exactly the same floor plan, side by side.  One is Staged, one isn’t.  Which one will go first and best?

You can’t control what your neighbors house sold for, or how many potential buyers are out there, but you can control what kind of impression buyers walk away with after looking at your house.  Because competition is tougher out there, you’ve got to step up and make the effort to make your house the best product out there.  It’s more important than ever now to help buyers fall in love with your house and Staging will help that happen.
Staging will accent all the good qualities and potential of your house, by clearing out space and providing a neutral backdrop for buyers to be able visualize your house as their new home.   Having a professional working with you and with the same goal as you (quick sale for the most money) makes for a team that will turn your house into a product that will command buyers and Realtors attention and bring in better sales price offers.  Statistics consistently show that Staged homes seller quicker and for more money.  The investment in Staging is always less than your first price reduction!
Because at Staging Dreams we have multiple levels of service for multiple price levels we can always work within your budget.  With options ranging from less than $100 Staging your home is affordable and well worth the cost.  We can work with the house your are still living in or the house you have already vacated.  We understand your desire to move on and concerns about getting your house sold and will put our professional training and experience to work for you.

We always give free quotes on costs and options once we see your house, and want to work with you to make your home sales dreams come true.  Your success is our success!  Call today at (615) 898-8208 or (615) 585-3189!

The investment in grass seed and weed killer is so minor compared to the difference it will make.  Whether a homeowner does it them self, or hires a lawn service, it should be done.  And even though it is early in the season here, large pots of pansies flanking the front door or planted along a walkway greatly enhance the look of the property.  As warmer weather arrives adding additional blooming plants will keep the great look going.

Keep the lawn neatly mowed and trimmed too!  Mow on the diagonal and use either a mulching mower or bag your clippings to maintain the manicured look.  Regular weeding of flower beds is also important.  If needed, hire a professional or even the kid next door to sustain the whole look.

By having the exterior look great, more buyers will be interested in seeing the rest of the house, and you’re more likely to increase the sales price.   St. Patrick’s Day may be over, but now is the time to “Put on the Green” in your yard and put the green in your wallet!

If there are ten listings at the same price point in the same area, which one is going to sell first?  The one that looks the best!  It’s imperative in these competitive times that sellers and listing agents realize the importance of Staging their houses.  The decluttered, depersonalized, and spacious property will grab the attention of the prospective buyer when they first walk in the door.  They want to see properties that allow them to visualize themselves living there and making it their personal space, so the sellers’ personality needs to be minimized in the home.

A Home Stager has the training and experience to know how to make this all happen, and here at Staging Dreams we have multiple levels of service to work with all budgets.  Let us come see your home and give you a free estimate and explain what we can do to help you win that beauty contest.  In this sellers market, can really afford not to Stage?