$1,000 Staging. Done Right or Done Wrong?

When a home stager is hired one of their primary responsibilities is to stage the property in a manner that best solves problems or perceived issues sellers may have with it. Unfortunately this may not always happen.

CASE IN POINT: Recently I received an Email  from Adam in Chicago asking for advice over a dispute he was having with his stager regarding the worked she had preformed. Adam wrote…

Hello Craig,

My name is Adam and I am having a disagreement with a stager I hired.

I am trying to sell a 2-bedroom condo in Chicago and recently hired a professional to stage the empty condo. The property is unique in that the living room is very long and narrow, which is why my realtor and I thought it was important to stage it to show its potential. This is the only living area of the property so it has to look like a living room.

We've since (the staging) had ten showings without an offer.

I had two friends over… both of them said is "this room looks like a hallway". They also said that the way it's staged does not show the potential of the living room.

I called the stager… and she maintains that the room is properly staged and that I need to respect her professional opinion. She discounts these opinions because she says she's the professional.

Do you have any tips on how I could deal with my stager?

Thank you very much,
Adam

So that you have a complete picture of all that was done and how Adam's $1,000 was used to stage his property, I have created this short video show.



So... now that you have a more complete picture, I have a few final questions for you to consider.

1. Given the budget, Adam’s instruction, and the style of the home, did the stager stage the home correctly?
2. Did the stager provide a good solution for the problematic living room?
3. If Adam feels the solution provided does not solve the living rooms problem, what should he do?
4. What actions do you suggest the stager take to solve the problem?

Whether you are a seller, stager or realtor... I  am curious to know what you think.

Craig

When Wallpaper Attacks, It Can Kill the Sale

In today’s real estate market more and more home sellers are relying on home staging tips and advice to guide them in ways to best prepare their homes for selling. So last week, when I was hired to tour a seller’s property to give them my “Buyer’s Eye” advice, a monster of a problem reared its ugly head. The wallpaper in my client’s home was so extremely ugly I told them I just had to write a blog about it and use it as an example on how monsters like this will negatively affect a home’s sale.

So for the fun of it, and to drive home my point, I present to you (below) what I saw. So hideous was this wallpaper, I have to admit it almost looks like a cliché. However be wise, while not all wallpaper is as ugly this, it still is a problematic issue that sellers need to pay attention to. Fortunately, my clients were motivated and open to advice and willing to take it down. They know they had to present the most competitively appealing property as possible to sell in today’s market. But when it comes to wallpaper, not all sellers are as accepting of staging advice. I have found that the topic of wallpaper usually results in eye rolling, harrumphing, justification and/or avoidance with sellers. So if you are serious about selling your wallpapered home, you need to look it from a sellers view. Keep in mind, regardless of how “fantastic” you think your home’s wallpaper is, it is a HIGHLY personal expression of taste, so chances are potential buyers will NOT like it. Second, buyers want to buy their dream home ready for today, not yesterday. Wallpaper is trendy and needlessly ages a home.

But most importantly, what sellers need to know is this…. when buyers see wallpaper they don’t like, they see dollar signs. When it comes to spending their hard earned money to buy their dream, buyers will scrutinize and negatively react to your wallpapered home as, hopefully, you reacted to my extreme examples above.

So you need to know that any and all the resistance you have about removing wallpaper will be the EXACT same resistance a buyer will have about it too. Buyers know removing wallpaper is an arduous task that can be costly. Because this is the reality of buying a home with wallpaper, buyers know in this market they can and will move on to the next home that does not have that monster to battle.

Stage It Forward...
Me

A Tale of Two Stages

Does this sound familiar? For home sellers it is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the age of wise choices, it is the age of foolish decisions, it is the age of sales success and the age of missed opportunities.

In short, it is an age where home sellers are beginning to realize that how their own "sales tale" plays out is more in their control then ever before. More and more know that if they want to sell their home they need to assume responsibility and take a proactive role in the sale. How? Well, besides just hiring a realtor, home sellers are beginning to understand that they must do all they can to make their homes look and be as appealing as possible.
In fact this blog tale is about two couple who did just this… they hired experienced professional that knew how to create the right appeal required to get buyers interested in their properties. What makes this tale more interesting is the fact that it took place during the worst real estate market in years and at the slowest time of the year... a cold and snowy Chicago December 2007.

Late last December, we here at Real Estaging received a call from two different Lincoln Park couples. Both wanted to hire a real estate stager to advise them as to what they could do to best prepare/merchandise the homes they were selling, yet still living in.

Each seller had different reasons why they wanted to hire a stager. The first couple (Home #1 -above) had not yet listed their home and they wanted to get it in tip top shape before they formally put it up for sale in the market. The second couple (Home #2 - below) unfortunately had had their home on the market over 6 months and were not getting ANY offers. This couple was tired and weary and really just wanted to get on with their lives.

So we here at Real Estaging stopped by and did what most real estate stagers do. We toured the property and gave the typical and predictable advice and suggestions (i.e. de-clutter, depersonalize, make repairs, clean up, thin out and rearrange the furniture). But while staging consulting advice as this is good and necessary, both homes still need more. It is "MORE" that makes this staging tale a bit different and helped make 2 prospective buyers respond in the favorable ways they did.

You see both these homes needed just a bit MORE in the way of furnishings and accessories (props). While bringing additional props into occupied homes is not a typical service offered by most home stagers, we here at Real Estaging have found that by adding a few key accessories a home can be given the final FINISHED look that influences buyers to make offers. We often find that adding the right props helps to: 1) Add visual appeal, 2) Tie the home together so that it has flow and continuity, and 3) Solves perplexing space issues. The red dots in both sets of pictures above marks the props we add in some of the rooms.

The first set of pictures (Home #1) is from a Lincoln Park real estate staging that got an offer just a few short hours after it had been toured by the very FIRST person to look at it after staging. For this property we loaned the sellers 45 props (furniture and accessories) to give the homes a finished and polished look. In particular we needed to replace a massive coffee table with a smaller one, bring in a kitchen table and 4 chairs (they did not own one) and replace "controversial" wall art with more understated art.

For the second home (Home #2) we added a little bit more. For this home we brought in about 50 items. One problem with the property was the fact that the fireplace had no visual appeal. It needed some accessories to add some visual interest to it. Also the wall, directly to the right of the fireplace had NO art on it. The massive 12 foot high wall was a big, blank and boring! We are proud to say, that after being on the market for 6 months, the sellers of this property finally received an offer just 1 week after we staged it.

So that is our tale of 2 stagings that ends happily for two Lincoln Park couples selling their homes. Both took a long hard look at the real estate age we are in and then did what was necessary to help them market their homes successfully. Each may now be saying... "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better opportunity to move on now that I have staged than I have ever known." (Schmaltzy ending... but you get the point.)

Staging It Forward...

Me

A SPECIAL THANK-YOU GOES OUT TO THE REAL ESTATE TOMATO... for giving this post the coveted "Bon Jovi" award in the 80th Carnival of Real Estate.

Seeing RED... Will Capture the Buyer's Eye

Stagers know that the time spent touring a home by a buyer is relatively short. An experienced home stager relies on techniques and practices that HELP maximize what a buyer sees and experiences in a property in the relatively short time they take to tour it. The strategic use of color AND prop placement is key to getting the most out of staging.

When it comes to color, what home stagers typically talk about is what the best paint and carpet colors to use when preparing your home for its sale. Which is sound advice, but.... it really is OLD NEWS. In fact I actually wrote my post on the subject last October entitled: If Switzerland was a Color what Color it would be?

But what about accent colors? What accent colors can effectively be used to give you an advantage when it comes to staging and selling a home?

I have to admit that red is one of our favorite staging colors for props that we use here at Real Estaging. In fact, it seems as though we never have enough red props in our prop library. We have come to learn that the color red sells homes and therefore we end up placing a lot of red props in the homes that we stage.

Please understand that while red is not used (typically) as the dominant room color when selling a home; the color red, when used strategically in props and accessories, in a staged/model home as "punctuated moments" can capture and then move the buyer's eye across and around a room so that they see all that the property is and has.

The above video was created specifically to make a visually compelling marketing point. To instantly understand the power and effectiveness of the color of red for home staging, watch the very short show we call "RED" (with speakers ON). As you watch the show, featuring actual homes we have staged, notice where and how your eye moves in and around each picture. THIS is the same thing that happens when a buyer tours a staged home that is "punctuated" with red accents.

I will be curious to know if "RED" captures your attention or not.

All in all... as experienced home stagers we have learned that the color red adds just the right snap of life, energy, warmth and excitement to even the most mundane spaces and therefore is a great color to use for home selling and home staging.


Stage It forward...
Me

If you can not see the show above CLICK HERE to find a link that will allow you to share the short "RED" show.

Are Model Homes Dying Design Dinosaurs?

(For a clearer larger version, click on the image above)

Every year large builder/developers all across the country invest millions of dollars to construct, design and install lovely & lush model homes. Why? It is pretty simple… models sell homes. As one would expect, a model is a great tool to help a potential buyer figure out just how to arrange and fit furniture within a prospective home. However, and more importantly, builders know a beautiful model does something else, it connects emotionally with the buyer... inviting them to a new possible "lifestyle" the might enjoyed if they bought the home.

Until recently, only larger builder/developers could justify, afford and benefit from investing significant sums of money required to create a model. But now, because of the unique approach to design that home staging offers, more and more smaller "boutique" builders have learned that experienced Home Stagers can inexpensively design and quickly install beautifully staged models that rival the über-expensive models of their larger counter parts.

However, a good thing will only stay a secret for so long, it was only a matter of time before a savvy larger builder would discover the cost effective model resource smaller builders were using... and that builder is one of the nation's largest builders, Toll Brothers. Recently we here at Real Estaging were contracted to stage a quick delivery spec home within Toll Brother’s upscale community Hawthorn Woods Country Club, located in Chicago’s far northwest suburbs.

What makes this staging story even more extraordinary is the fact that Toll Brothers ALREADY HAD a lovely & lush model for the same home we staged. Pictured above are interior photographs, taken from much the same reference point, of the both the original lovely & lush model and the staged model we designed and installed. (I am not going to tell you which is which quite yet.) While I don't know how much time it took to plan and install or how many thousands and thousands of dollars were spent on the lovely & lush model... I do know we, planned, designed and installed our staged model in ONLY 3 ½ days and all for less than $5,000. (Which also happens to include the rental fee for furniture provided by Brook Furniture Rental.)

Developers need to know that traditional designers often struggle with the staging approach, for they get caught up in trying to make too much of a design statement. The ability to create and deliver a beautiful model in a short amount of time is one of skills that makes a stager different than traditional model designers. How do we know this? We have seen it first hand observing the desingers in our sister design company (Craig Interior Design) attempt to stage. And as we all know... design time is money.

So, how will the use of home staging as an alternative to models play out in the long run? Will developers explore and take advantage of this new approach and allow their lovely & lush models go the way of the dinosaur? Well, that is yet to be determined. However, I applaud both the sales manager, Julie Tarsio, and property manager, Dan Miekina of Toll Brothers for having the foresight and innovative thinking to look at new possibilities and try new approaches, when it comes to using design as marketing tool. In the future, one wonders that if because of creative thinking like this, the vast amount of moneys builders had spent on models will be redirected into staging multiple spec homes that dot their communities, and in doing so give more homes within a development their own unique yet enticing model lifestyle image.

Stage It Forward... with ideas and information
Me

PS: Click on the image above to see a clearer larger version of the images… oh and the image in the lower left is the real-estaged model.

FAKING Your Home's Staging is Fine, Just Don't be CONTRIVED

While home staging does entail some visual creativity, in actuality it also requires a bit of merchandising and a few marketing "tricks" to get the job done. Unlike the practices of interior decorating, re-design, or even traditional interior design, much of what home staging is that it is the creation of an illusion of a possible lifestyle within a particular house so that it appeals to the largest home buying segment possible.

But it is important to note that in order to create REAL appeal, a home stager might have to resort to some "fakeness". One basic known industry practice (like decluttering or depersonalizing) every good stager relies on is to bring the outside in.

However, while some in our industry suggests that bringing the outside in is as a simple stroll out to one’s garden to cut something fresh and green, in reality this option just might be realistic. While, for some, this might SOUND like great advice to bring the outside in, for others the facts that either it’s freaking freezing and everything is dead in the garden or, oh ya you don't HAVE a garden, you live in a high-rise condo quite often IS reality.

So what can one do to bring the outside in? Well, this is where fake plants can help. Today's silk plants are so "perfect" and so widely accepted that they just blend into the background and, even MORE IMPORTANLY, do not draw the attention of a buyer's eye. Fake fruit works well too.

Also, using fake FOOD as props is a BIG No-No! For some reason, fake food captivates people’s attention… for they love to go up to and look and touch fake food to see just how "real" it looks. A good stager knows, and will advise their client, that anything that distracts a buyers so that they are looking at something other than the house steals precious selling attention.

For homes that are vacant, it is quite acceptable to use fake TV's. Because TV watching is a big part of our culture fake flat screens help a buyer understand how a room can be configured.

That with all that being said, I want to stress the importance that while sometimes "Fake" is fine... it is NEVER OK to resort to contrived trickery. Contrived and “cutesy” staging (Upper Picture ) is staging that just tries to hard. Resorting to gimmicks such as laying out silk gloves, with a single red rose (fake); setting a tray on a bed with a tea cup, a book of sonnets and the word "Love" configured with sticks from your garden; or setting out two champagne glasses wrapped with cute raffia bows on a tub’s edge is just NOT real and not the way most people live.

Because this is typically NOT the way people live, it becomes a contrived distraction to home buyers touring the house. So always remember, the best staging allows the HOUSE to be the star, not the stuff in it. The best and most talented stagers know and easily master the principal that "less is more" and their work is always tastefully understated.

The picture (Right >) of a staged property (staged and photographed this week by Marci Toliver of Fresh Eye Designs) is a perfect and pure example of how to apply an understated "less is more" approach to staging. As you can see, it is a beautifully appealing breakfast nook that is not contrived.

Oh ya, and one more thing, Marci just happened to make that floral arrangement herself…. using fake tulips.

Stage It Forward...
Me


PS: THANKS MARCI... for allowing me to feature this picture of your beautiful work. This is STUNNING staging!

PSS: My company, Real Estaging, happens to use proptronics.com as our supplier for these props. I recently spoke with Darlene, the owner of Proptronics… she graciously offered to give a discount to any stager who mentions this post. Please just ask for Darlene or Michael. HOW COOL IS THAT?

3 years Ago TODAY, We First Appeared on "STAGE"

Today, is the third anniversary of my first home I ever staged. So, I thought I would reveal the back-story behind my own first home staging experience and how it proved to ME that home staging really works.

Back in March of 2004, after I had completed my studies in interior design at Harrington College of Design, I was asked by a Realtor to "stage" a high rise condo in Chicago, which actually had a lot working against its potential sale. I can remember thinking... "Staging? What the heck is that?" You see at that time, I really knew NOTHING about home staging. So I researched what I could on the web. However, unfortunately at that time, there was not as much information available as there is today on sits such as in Active Rain's Stage It Forward group. But there was enough that I was able to get the "basics" of what staging is all about… which was to de-clutter and let the HOUSE be the STAR not the STUFF in it.So with this new found LIMITED information I did the next best thing I could do... I blended this new understanding with: 1.) My own life experiences of multiple moves (where my father, an account executive for United Air Lines, always had us get the house "ready for selling" each time we were transferred) 2.) My newly educated creative passion (interior design) and 3.) My professional career experiences spanning the past 20 years (sales, marketing and most importantly and helpful... advertising).

I can recall going out and buying nearly $700 worth of props for this 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo and thinking "what would I do with all these nic-nacs & fake plants when the condo sold?" But, I didn't worry too much... as I figured I could always use the after photos as part of my interior design portfolio. (Odd thing is I DON'T use these photos in either our interior design portfolio OR our staging portfolio.)

Well, anyway, the home staging not only worked... and worked FANTASTICALLY!

The property sold in 10 days, had 3 offers and sold over its original list price! While selling over list is not unheard of, what makes this QUITE unique is the fact that NOTHING had been selling it the ENTIRE high-rise for months as any new owner was going to be hit with a special assessment for new windows. In the case of this particular corner unit the special assessment was going to be an astounding $20,000!

Plus what was also working against the sale was its original kitchen (ugly dated metal cabinets) and there were OTHER units in the same tier of the high-rise with fully renovated kitchens. So you can see why I say much was working against the sale of this condo.

It is no surprise, and rightfully so, that the Listing Realtor still takes great pride in the fact that for over 2 years after it sold this unit held the selling price record for a non-renovated 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit in this condominium high-rise.

This whole experience was AMAZING to me… I learned FIRST HAND just how awesome of a marketing tool home staging can be when it comes to selling real estate.

Needless to say, I was SOLD ON STAGING in Chicago… and on that day I became a home stager and Real Estaging was born.

Stage It Forward...
Me

Did OPRAH'S SHOW Send a Mixed Message to Home Sellers?

It's no secret how much I admire and respect Oprah. So this week when I finally watched Oprah’s show on preparing a home for its sale I have to say I was let down.

I applaud the shows hope to help home sellers who currently find themselves financially and emotionally burdened with a house that won't sell... after watching this segment I felt the show sent a confusing and false message about what it takes to ready a house for its sale… especially in a TOUGH “buyer's market”. In this episode, the efforts of Oprah's design guru Nate Berkus were chronicled as he helped a financially strapped couple, Zigi & Yosef Edmonds, repair and visually prepare their townhouse before being put up for sale. The home located in Redondo Beach, has 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ bath and eventually listed for $609,999.

The show made it quite clear that in a buyers market the buyer can be fussy. Following Nate's Top 10 tips to ready a house for its sale, is sound "staging" advice. Implementing these tips would surly prove to be beneficial to struggling home sellers.

Unfortunately, my first let down with the show has to do with fact that the staging budget for the Edmond's property was a whopping $10,000. This $10k covered furniture, fixtures and finishes. Unfortunately this "Hollywood" budget is totally unrealistic and fear it will end up discouraging the most home sellers who would and could benefit from less costly home staging solutions. So while home looked FANTASTIC... the show NEVER made it clear just WHO was paying the $10k for all the merchandise that was bought in. I do know that in the introductory bio piece produced on the Edmonds the show said they were financially strapped. The bio went on to say the Edmonds had to sell their home because of grave financial problems.

So my first point I want to make to home sellers interested in staging is that real estate staging typically DOES NOT cost what was spent by Nate on this segment of the Oprah Show.

Now with that being said, it is also important to understand just that real estate staging is breaks down to 3 key areas...TIME, TALENT & TREASURE. And while we know the Edmond's staging budget included $10k worth of "treasure"... I believe it is unfair and misleading not to point out the fact that staging also takes TIME and TALENT to achieve an overall merchandising solution. Therefore, with regards to TIME & TALENT required for Edmund's staging, I have 2 questions:

1. Who paid for the TIME to perform the physical labor of painting, planting, installing, building, removing old carpet & flooring, installing new carpet & flooring, and removing the out dated appliances? (Note: Zigi and Yosef were part of the labor force... but NOT the entire force.)
2. Who paid for the creative TALENT (staging know-how) of both Nate (Interior Decor) and Jamie Durie (Deckscaping)?

So my second major let down with the show is the fact that it was NOT made clear that implementing effective and successful staging requires the seller to know what to do, how to do it, and have skill and physical ability to do it. If the seller does not have knowledge, skill and ability... those who do need to be hired and paid for what they provide.

I am happy to say that while the show may have ended up sending a bit of an over simplified message regarding real estate staging... it still exceeded my expectations in a way that only Oprah does so well. (So, NO I am NOT throwing an “Oprah baby” out with its bath water.)

In typical Oprah fashion she found a wonderful family that NEEDED a home staging jumpstart (a prime "Stage it Forward..." cause for sure). Life for the Edmonds has been a very sad course of events. Yosef, who quit his job in hopes to pursue dreams of freedom and success through self employment, has not triumphed. So to help keep his family of 4 financially alive they MUST sell their home and since January 2006 they have been trying. On top of all the financial problems plaguing the Edmonds, Zigi is a also suffering from a brain tumor. So all in all, they see selling their home as a much needed opportunity to escape some their problems.

The good news is as of last Saturday... a sale is pending for the Zigi and Yosef’s home. I pray this is a sign that the Edmonds are finally turning a corner.

Stage it forward...

Craig (Me)

ANNOUNCING: My new book on Real Estate Staging

While there are a few books out there that talk about real estate staging. I still feel there is room for a more comprehensive discussion.

I have been working on my own staging book and am PROUD to début the cover.

For marketing purposes (so that I am better able to connect with my intended audience) I have written this book using my pen-name... Reala Stager.

But shhhhhhh.... that is a secret! My publisher does not want that information released to the general public.

Wadda ya think?

Not bad looking considering I designed it this morning in MS WORD!

Over Done vs. Done Right

Above are Before and After pictures of the livingroom of property we just completed Monday.

Which version of the same room do you think more people will relate to as "their new home"? This happens to be a property on the markete in an ultra HOT gentrifying area on Chicago's north side.

The room on the left has a unique style that will only appeal to a smaller niche population (OK I am really trying to be PC when I pick adjectives to discribe this space), while the room on the right looks put together and appealing with nothing screaming to be noticed.

MORE IMPORTANLY.... a feature of the home, it's beautiful woodwork, can now be seen and appreciated. Also, the living room area rug we used has all the same colors in it that are found in the entry area's slate flooring, thus creating "flow" right from the front door and on into the home.

What professional stagers do is create a more universally accepted look and appeal. Having a prop library allows a stager the flexbility and depth they need to complete a look with out being fussy or over designed.

NO SALE! for Good Morning America

If you didn't catch the conclusion of GMA's "Sell Your House In a Week Challenge"... well it was NOT a happy ending. Real estate expert Barbara Corcoran gave it her all to prepare and market the NJ house and get it sold in 1 week. And while they had 80 people tour with 3 serious buyers at yesterday's open house, they just could not seal the deal.

WHAT LEASONS DID BARBARA LEARN and want to share about selling in the current market?

#1 MOST IMPORTANT THING: "STAGING is not optional it is ESSENTIAL!"
#2 Price is King
#3 There are no "Hollywood Endings" in a buyer's market.

This does NOT mean the home will still not sell quickly. It just didn't sell in 1 week. Which would have made for GREAT TV.

But considering that one property had MORE exposure than any other in the market... this more than proves this is a buyer's market.

Sellers must do everything they can to make the house appealing... because if they don't, the buyer can and WILL easily just go to the next MORE appealing house and buy it.

What should savvy realtors know about real estate staging?

Because staging is still relatively new in the midwest we still get a lot of questions from realtors about our services.

Many realtors say they already "do their own staging"... which I think is great. But in this world were time is money, my question back to realtors often is: "Is staging the BEST use of your time?" Is chasing a dust bunny, scheleping a coffee table, or arraging nic-nacs really what you want to do? Just something to think about...

Anyway to help realors understand and work with our staff better, we actually have a brouchure directed right to the realtor so that they can WORK IT RIGHT.

Staging has become a leading-edge marketing tool for real estate professionals to present sellers for their consideration. Knowledgeable, resourceful, and savvy realtors are suggesting real estate staging to home sellers to more effectively market and sell their homes.

It is important that the realtor keeps in mind that real estate staging is NOT just renting furniture… it is much more. And the stager’s fee is typically the seller’s expense, not the realtors!

When should a seller stage? To get the most out of staging, its best to stage a property BEFORE it is listed. Staging can move the listing price to the top end of the property’s possible price range. But if the property is already listed, INSTEAD of a price reduction, consider staging. Real Estaging can be less costly and have more of an impact.

We have also found that realtors are at times reluctant to suggest staging out of the fear that they think the seller will feel that the realtor is adding ANOTHER FEE on top of what they are already paying. To lessen the fear, let us discuss our services and fees directly with the home seller. This keeps the home seller from feeling as if additional fees are being tacked on by you... but still makes the realtor look cutting edge.

Well that's enough ranting for now...
Craig