East Bay Home Staging & Design Blog-Sensational Home Staging: January 2011

Via Kristine Ginsberg (Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC):

First, we stagers have to thank HGTV for getting the word out on the benefits of staging! Most of us love watching thier shows on home Staging, myself included.

That said, the reality is leave it to the trained professionals, like the stagers on these respective shows when preparing a home for sale! Below are some reasons why you might want to consider calling a pro instead of tackling staging all on your own: 

                  

1. HGTV is somewhat unrealistic when it comes to staging your own home: Why, they bring in a team of professionals with an unlimited budget and try to convince the average homeowner they can stage their home just by watching their shows or reading their articles. Not true - I can watch an electrician all day long and still not have a clue how to do electrical work - it's not my area of expertise!

2. Their "simple, inexpensive fixes" are done by professional craftsmen, contractors, carpenters, landscapers, lighting technicians and outside consultants.  Do they really think the average Joe is all that rolled into one?!  Not only are their projects unrealistic for the average homeowner, who has the funds to hire all these professionals?

3. The products they use when staging or redesigning a space are donated because of the free advertising they receive, so it doesn't cost them a penny.  Moreover, they send out a team of professionals to "find" great pieces of art, furniture, rugs and that perfect chandelier at auctions and flea markets. Who has time to search out all these "off the beaten path" places for hidden treasures that would fit perfectly into their home - not me or anyone else I know!

4. When staging a home, HGTV use sewing professionals who whip up cheap, inexpensive pillows, curtains and window seat cushions using a bevy of fabrics to choose from. How many of us have sewing and design professionals at our disposal with remnants of fabric on hand let alone the funds to hire them.

5. When they unveil their staging transformations, they don't factor in the price of labor for contractors,  painters, clean-up crew and paid staff to get the job done, thus their claim that they "staged" a home for under "$2000." isn't realistic at all!

6. HGTV Staging shows recommend adding box trim and crown molding - great in theory, but unless you're a professional craftsman, it will more than likely look like shoddy workmanship and detract from the home. In addition, this is a big investment and not realistic for the average homeowner when staging to sell.

7. Unless you own a florist, who can afford to keep up 20 vases of expensive, fresh flowers while their home is on the market?! Again, great in theory, but unrealistic.

8. They tell you to "create better flow using furniture placement."  Don't you think the homeowner would have already done this if they had they knew how? This is where a professional home stager is invaluable - they are trained on how to accomplish this.

So that's my take on HGTV's home staging shows - love them, but there really is more to it then what is depicted. When staging your home hire a professional stager who will work within your budget, give you a realistic idea of what needs to be done, highlight your home's best architectural features for the biggest return on your investment.  Watching a couple episodes of HGTV's "staging" shows (while they do have some useful information) isn't realistic for the average seller! 

 

Home Staging Morris County - Kristine Ginsberg - (201)602-2562

When you're looking to sell quickly and for top dollar, Elite Staging and Redesign of Morris County knows how to get the job done right. We will use proven techniques to create warm, inviting, updated spaces that will appeal to the masses. In today's competitive market, every home can use an edge and that's what Elite Staging is all about.

Home Staging Website: Elite Staging and Redesign

Staging Before/After pictures: Portfolio

Email: Kris@elitestagingandredesign.com

           

Via Mark Organek - Las Sendas Homes for Sale REALTOR (Solutions Real Estate):

I Believed in Home Staging Before but never Thought of it This Way...Hopefully, this can help the hard working and very valuable stagers in this community have another way of presenting the value they bring to the table when they do a consultation.

I'm so confident that home staging can increase the value of a home I usually make a deal with my sellers.  They hire me to sell the home and I will do so for 7% more than market value based on comparables and if I don't, the commission they pay me is up to them but a minimum of 4%.  I just require that they have the home staged.

 

Today, I was talking to a home stager and I said something that I never thought of before.  When it comes down to it, "THERE IS NO BETTER INVESTMENT THAT A HOME SELLER CAN MAKE THAT WILL PROVIDE A BETTER ROI THAN STAGING!"  Period!

 

 

 

 

 

Think about it...

You remodel a kitchen for $5,000.00...Will it get you a $50,000.00 higher sales price?

You remodel a bathroom for $4,000.00...Will it get you a $40,000.00 higher sales price? 

You pay a stager $500.00 to $1,000.00 to rearrage furniture, bring out selling points, pull eyes in the right direction, soften bold colors, brighten dark rooms, change spatial dimensions, make bathrooms more attractive, kitchens more appealing...YOU WILL GET WAY MORE THAN 10 TIMES YOUR INVESTMENT BACK and sell it quicker.

 

 

 

 

 

I had a home that wasn't staged on the market.  I wanted it to sell very badly so I sprung for the staging.  Prior to the staging, the home was valued at around $185,000.00 based on feedback from showings and the comparable sales.  After staging, it went under contract after 1 weekend at full price in a multiple offer situation.  I spent $500.00 getting it staged.  It sold for $15,000.00 more than expected.  That's a multiple of 30.

 

Don't be cheap and foolish, be wiser and richer through a home stager and get that home sold. It is your best ROI opportunity.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.  We hope that we have the opportunity to help you with your next real estate need.

 

Mark Organek

Solutions Real Estate

www.lassendashomesforsale.info

www.facebook.com/lassendas

 

 

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Via Tessa Skeens - Hampton Redesign (Hampton ReDesign, Home Staging and Redesign in Fort Worth TX):

If you haven't seen the new 2011 Home Gain survey here are the results:

 

Out of the Top 10 recommended improvements, STAGING is the No. 3 improvement home sellers should make when selling their home according to the national Home Gain Survey. The recommendations are based on ROI or return on investment for each improvement.

Staging returns almost 300% of a sellers investment. How is this return calculated? Increased sales price!

#1 Improvement is cleaning and de-cluttering

#2 Improvement is lightening and brightening

#3 Improvement is Staging

Actually most home staging incorporates those #1 and #2 improvements as well!

1. Whether or not you're living in your home, staging it for sale always includes cleaning and de-cluttering as the first important step.

2. When we stage a home, recommendations are made to lighten and brighten by re-painting, removing furniture and changing light fixtures and window treatments.

Hiring a professional home stager to help you with cleaning, lightening and staging will net you a whopping combined 1200% return on investment. Now that's a smart move!

 

 

Hampton Redesign   817-891-9563   www.hamptonredesign.com

Tessa Skeens | Owner & Lead Staging Designer

Professional Home Staging and Redesign Services Serving Greater Fort Worth TX Including Aledo, Willow Park, Benbrook, Keller, Arlington, Southlake, Colleyville, Hurst, Mansfield, Burleson and Tarrant County