101 Reasons To Use Home Staging

great reasons why you should consider this very smart real estate investment? You may be surprised to learn some of these reasons really do make practical sense.

Statistically, home staging has been proven by a survey conducted by RESA to sell homes faster.
Statistically, property staging has resulted in a higher selling price because the home sold faster.
A home stager can provide an unbiased opinion of the home that the homeowner can not give since he can become partial and so familiar to his own home.
Property Staging gives a competitive edge over other homes on the market.
The cost of real estate staging is always less than the cost of your first price reduction.
Real estate staging creates an emotional response from the potential home buyers that can result in an offer made in the moment of emotional attachment to the home.
Home staging adds color to a home that can act like “eye candy” making the home more desirable.
Real estate staging is essential in a buyer’s market. There are too many homes on the market to choose from.
Property staging can increase the number of showings you have.
Realtors prefer and will choose to show listings that have been staged over listings that have not. Thus, home staging increases showings.
Real estate staging can take a “stale property” that has been on the market for too long and make it a “hot property” once more within the real estate community.
A listing that is staged will show better in online photos and web media than a listing that is not staged.
Real estate staging can increase the perceived value of a property.
Home staging highlights the home’s greatest architectural features.
Staging shows the homes greatest functionality.
It gives potential buyer’s a visual as to how much furniture can actually comfortably fit into a space.
Home staging adds curb appeal, which in turn can help draw prospective buyers in. If the curb appeal is not good, many times the buyers will not even get out of the car to tour the home.
Stagers will help sellers reduce clutter in the home and make it appear larger.
It will make a space feel more organized which can create a peaceful serene feeling for a potential buyer.
It gives the entry or foyer a “WOW” factor when buyers come through the door.
Because home staging recommends to the seller to put away keepsakes and valuables for staging purposes, they are kept safe from anyone touring the home.
It draws the eye away from the small flaws in a home and draw attention to the positive features of a home.
It is the art of decorating a home to appeal to all tastes and therefore will appeal to a broader range of potential buyers.
A quality stager continues to stay educated with the latest design trends and real estate marketing techniques and will implement these techniques when staging.
It can make a space appear larger.
It helps real estate agents do their job more effectively when the home is neat, organized and properly staged
Because there is less “stuff” in the home, staging helps the homeowner keep the home neat for showings.
It helps to clear the air in the home of any odors and helps keep the home smelling fresh.
Staging creates focal points that draw attention to special features in the home.
It will brighten a space as much as possible.
Home staging can integrate certain design elements to a particular room style which can help to sell the home. For ex: A rustic styled room can be staged as such, a country style, a contemporary style, etc.
It depersonalizes a home which will remove the current home owner’s personality and make the potential buyer feel more at home.
It gives a space a harmonized and unified feel that will appeal to more buyers.
A staged home will not be over-powering which can tend to “alienate” prospective buyers.
Home stagers utilize certain staging techniques in a staged home that implements a design plan cohesively through out the home.
Home stagers can identify a home’s style and determine a design plan reflective to that particular style without over powering the design.
It presents a home in a “model home” appeal much the same that the builders use in their model homes.
Home stagers have working relationships with sub contractors and handymen in which they are aware of the quality of their work prior to bringing them to your home.
Using a home stager prior to beginning a home flip can be very beneficial since a home stager is trained to look for the cosmetic details in a property that need the most attention.
A stager can be very helpful in prioritizing the need for certain cosmetic updates which is great when you are working on a limited budget.
A stager can save a home seller the unnecessary expense of buying furniture to stage a home and in some cases also rent furniture and accessories to the homeowner for less money and more flexible rental contracts.
It can make an older home feel more modernized.
Potential buyers will think your in a hurry to sell your home if you leave it vacant.
You only get one chance to make to make a great first impression.
It creates ambiance in a room and gives it a “homey” feeling.
It helps promote multiple offers. Often when there are competitive bids, a bidding war can take place provoking a selling price above the asking price.
It adds charm to an old home that creates a feeling of restored beauty.
It can bring the outdoors in with pops of small palm planters and floral arrangements.
Stagers pay very close attention to the small details of marketing a home that a homeowner may have not have noticed or has grown used to seeing and doesn’t realize any potential problem.
Stagers are very resourceful and can take certain elements of the home and re-purpose and reuse to help the home owner save money.
Home stagers are usually very creative by nature and can creatively arrange certain pieces of furnishings or artwork to create a fresh new look in a home.
Stagers shop for accessories frequently and can often use designer discounts to provide the home owner with lower cost accessories and other services.
A good home stager usually knows what updates and changes will yield the highest return on investment.
Stagers make great overseers for an open house when they have staged the home.
More than 80% of Real Estate Agents are now recommending home staging to their clients. If you are not staging your property, someone else in your neighborhood probably is!
Stagers will assist you in packing, and everyone one knows, nobody likes to pack.
Stagers will help you to stay organized when you pack which will help tremendously when unpacking in the new home.
It eliminates the need for a buyer to have a big imagination.
It makes a cold and sterile empty house become vibrant with color and life through proper accessorizing.
When a buyer walks into a staged property they are looking at how a home is livable instead of trying pick apart the flaws or other small details.
Home staging with a bed in a master bedroom will make a the room more desirable much the same as a bed fluffed and on display in a department store.
Staging a master bath will give the space a “spa-like” feel to it and make it very warm and inviting. It should have the same appeal as an 5 Star hotel has with fresh, towels, soaps, etc.
Because closets are very important to many buyers, clearing the space to stage it and make it appear larger is extremely important and can make or break a deal.
It’s most important to stage a master bedroom (and bathroom) since the person who will buy the home is most likely going to live in that room.
A quality stager will research the demographics in the sellers market and stage a secondary room to appeal to that particular market. For example: young professionals, families with children, etc.
In real life, it is difficult to keep that “new home” look. Staging will help restore and revive your home to it’s “new home ” originality.
It helps to captivate and romance a buyer to make an offer.
It communicates to a potential buyer that the home has been well maintained and cared for.
Staging tells a home’s “story” and gives it character.
It updates the lighting fixtures in an outdated home. Many people live in very dimly lit homes and they are not even aware of how dark it is.
It gives a seller the opportunity to clear out and cash in. Taking a fresh look at what you want to move to the new home and what you don’t need will be the beginnings of a profitable yard sale.
Even the most elegant and high end luxury homes can have too much personality in the home. If a house looks over decorated, buyers will resist the property feeling too uncomfortable in the home.
Stagers are the creative minds realtors depend on to help market their clients home for most money possible.
Often, property staging can increase the selling price of a home.
A real estate stager will recommend neutral wall colors that will appeal to a broader range of buyers.
Stagers can provide quick-fix lost cost solutions to many wear and tear problems through out the home.
House staging coordinates design style with functionality.
Home staging arranges furnishings so they “talk to each other” making the space have a cohesive feel much the same as a model home.
Staging a room can help to define an area that may not necessarily define itself.
Property staging will encourage sellers to stage a room only for it’s intended purpose which will help potential buyers see their furnishings in the space as well.
A staged home will always show better when compared to an un-staged home and will present the home in it’s best possible light
A staged house appears “move-in’ ready.
A staged property will look better on printed listing flyers.
According to a study conducted by RESA in 2009, a staged home will spend 78% less time on the market that an un-staged vacant home.
According to the same study by RESA, a staged property sold on average in 40.5 days.
A staged property that sells quickly will benefit the buyer, the seller, the realtor as well as the stager involved in the sell. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
According to a study conducted by HomeGain home staging will have at least a 286% – 1067% ROI depending on your regional location.
Staging will help to ease the process of your home sale experience since potential problems can be identified and solved before they are spotted by potential buyer.
Working with a home stager can make the home sale process less stressful.
Staging is not decorating-decorating is optional. Staging is more of a necessity if you want to sell your home for the most money possible in the shortest amount of time.
Once you put your home on the market, it is important to remember that your home is no longer your home, but a product you are selling. Staging will help “package” your product more effectively.
Staging a home can eliminate profiling or stereotyping in the mind of a potential buyer.
Buyers want to fall in love with a home. This is much less likely to happen in a cold and sterile, white-walled vacant home.
A stager will help a seller determine what personalized decor in the home should be packed and stored away for the move.
A home stager will help to ensure that a potential buyer does not feel as if he/she is intruding on someone’s private space.
When a property is not staged with furniture it will make every crack in the wall, scuff on the floor, and any other cosmetic defect much more noticeable and turn buyers off.
Real estate staging is quickly becoming an essential piece of the real estate puzzle.
Staging is not just another out of pocket expense. It is a smart real estate investment that yields a high return on investment.
Staging maximizes a home’s selling potential and power.
Home staging can be very affordable. Some companies such as can offer various staging packages for most any budget.
Home staging maintains a professional client-realtor relationship and helps save on marketing costs for realtors.
Staging really works!
Rhonda Conchola, Design Consultant

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Five Common Costly Mistakes Made by Untrained Home Staging Consultants

Selling a home is never easy. However, the challenges today seem overwhelming to most sellers. The main criteria for selling real estate have always been location, size, and price but never before have presentation and condition been as important as they are today. 95% of buyers are shopping first on the Internet and “driving-by” properties in a “click.” Without a doubt, appealing website photos are the key to attracting buyer traffic. Visiting the property, buyers form first and lasting impressions within seconds. 90% of the population cannot visualize and base their judgments solely on what they see and how they feel, and research is proving that emotions play a much larger part of the decision making process than previously assumed.

In this tough market, buyers are also demanding and getting best value, so properties that are in good condition sell faster and for money. According to Barbara Corcoran, for every $1 a home seller does not invest in condition work, a buyer will deduct at least $3. Most buyers today are putting their full investment into the purchase price of the home and don’t have extra money for any major work. In addition, the majority of buyers do not have the time or the desire for renovation.

As professional home stagers, we cannot influence location, size and price factors. Our role is to collaborate with agents and home sellers to prepare properties for the marketplace to sell for top dollar as quickly as possible. This is impossible without thorough attention to condition issues and enhanced presentation. A successful home staging process begins with a professional analytical consultation that includes specific recommendations for the homeowner. It is our responsibility not only to tell the seller what they need to do but also to make sure they understand the importance of staging and to motivate them to follow through with the recommendations. Otherwise, they will not achieve their objectives of selling quickly and for top dollar. In fact they may not be able to sell at all.

With so much at stake for home sellers, the staging consultation is critical to the preparation and marketing of the property. The expert advice trained staging consultants provide has significant financial importance. That is why real estate agents and home sellers should invest in trained professional home staging consultants. Unfortunately, many “stagers” are not trained and make serious mistakes that can be extremely costly to the home sellers. When the staging process is ineffective this can lead to longer time on the market, increased carrying costs for the seller, reduced selling price and increased stress. These are all extremely costly consequences for a home seller.

Here are five common costly mistakes made by untrained staging consultants:

1) They give away free consultations:

My view of this is “you get what you pay for.” Trained professional home stagers understand the critical importance of the consultation as the first step in the staging process. They provide comprehensive room-by-room assessments and thorough, prioritized recommendations. They counsel, explain and motivate homeowners to invest in what needs to be done. The consultation should be value-rich. Free consultations are generally “meet and greet” with some general information about the benefits of staging. They are superficial and fail to capitalize on this opportunity to address all the important staging issues of the property. In many cases the lack of attention to detail and other omissions can lead to ineffective staging, longer time on the market and reduced selling prices.

2) They provide decorating advice versus marketing strategy:

Trained professional home stagers know that staging is not decorating – it’s marketing. A room can be beautifully decorated, but fail from a staging perspective. Our focus is on showcasing the best features of the property, making rooms look as bright and spacious as possible and creating buyer appeal and wow impact. Our work is strategic, always considering the buyers’ preferences and the camera’s eye. Even if someone is a talented decorator, they may not be qualified to give you professional home staging advice.

3) They perform check-list style assessments but don’t analyze and prioritize recommendations.

This really demonstrates the level of expertise of your consultant. The room-by-room assessment is just the beginning – it is simply information gathering. Identifying the key strengths of the property, and analyzing and prioritizing recommendations in respect to market trends, buyers’ wish lists, and budget issues provides the homeowner with a clear understanding of not only what has to be done but why these actions are so important. This expert consulting advice helps sellers make the best financial decisions.

4) They don’t know how to handle sensitive issues so avoid them.

Mastering the art of difficult conversations with home sellers is a key skill for professional home stagers. We are trained to address sensitive issues with home sellers and understand that it is imperative for us to do so. One strong negative impression can override a list of positive factors and prevent a sale. These sensitive issues can include odors, cleanliness problems, unattractive and dated decor, clutter, an abundance of religious items, provocative art, etc. A lack of understanding and or skill in handling these issues is not an excuse and avoiding them can be a very costly mistake.

5) They fail to motivate the client with an action plan.

Professional home stagers know that it is not enough just to tell home sellers what they need to do. The true test of an effective consultation is that the consultant has been able to motivate the sellers to follow through with the recommendations. Trained home staging consultants understand that the staging recommendations may seem overwhelming to their clients, but by outlining a feasible action plan, they will inspire confidence and demonstrate their ability to help with some or all of the process. Trained professional home stagers are serious business owners who are experts at consulting, design planning, problem solving, project management and showcasing. A home seller is far more likely to get the best advice, follow through with the necessary staging process and succeed at selling faster for top dollar if they invest in a consultation with a trained staging professional.

Nairn Friemann, MBA, is a Certified Staging Professional and Instructor. As president of Ingenuity & Pizzazz, Inc., one of New York City’s leading home staging companies, she has collaborated with agents and home sellers on the staging and marketing of over $600 million in real estate. A nominee for the Real Estate Staging Association’s 2010 Pro Stager of the Year Award, Nairn has received exceptional media attention including the CBS Early Show, CNN, Dow Jones Market Watch, Business Week,

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