In today’s market, staging is so essential that I include a two-hour consultation with a professional stager for every property I represent as part of my services.
Clients often say “but my home is a mess, it’s not ready for someone to come and look at it.” No worries, you don’t have to straighten and clean your house for the staging consult. That’s the point… getting advice on what to do to make it showing ready. It doesn’t matter whether your home is large or small… in fact, staging can be even more important in a small space.
What a staging consult is not…
- It is not about what you are doing wrong in your house… staging a home for sale is not the same as arranging and decorating your home for you and your lifestyle
- It is not about buying expensive new furniture
What a staging consult with Shar of Rooms with Style is… in Shar’s own words…
“One of the first things I tell clients when I meet with them for a Home Staging Consultation is “don’t take it personally.” I am there to get your house in top selling condition, to assist in getting it sold quickly and for top dollar. I am there to help you, not attack you.”
She typically says that she will tell the home owner everything they need to do to get the home ready for selling. She will give her perfect world, and if the seller knows they won’t do something to let her know and she will give them another option.
Be prepared to go through your entire home with paper in hand to write down specific recommendations for each room. Common recommendations may include…
- Paint colors… nothing too dark or too taste specific
- Updates… get rid of brass and other outdated finishes; update lighting, drawer pulls, flooring
- Repairs… she sees everything, as will your potential buyers!
- Cleaning… what has to be cleaned, how it needs to be cleaned (tooth brush clean), and maybe some items that she thinks will help solve the cleaning issues
- Furniture placement (THIS IS KEY AND SO IMPORTANT!)… Shar says she has never left a house where she hasn’t suggested moving things around; traffic flow and utilizing the space appropriately for showings and photos is a big deal; rooms need to look cozy but not crowded, with an easy traffic flow throughout; I have had many clients tell me they wish they would have had the stager’s advice on furniture placement years before, they couldn’t believe what a difference it made!
- Staging do’s and don’ts… what things need to be taken out and packed away, as well as what needs to be brought in
- Help prioritizing the list… advice on what is most important and what can be let go if needed can save on sleepless nights
- Giving a bid for bringing in all furnishings… sometimes a seller decides that the best way to go is to do painting, updates and cleaning, then remove everything from the home and have stagers bring in all furnishings and stage it for photos and showings
That is what the sellers of the home below decided… they had 32 good offers in 3 days!!
Don’t be afraid of a staging consult… it can be just the help you need to sell your home for the most money in the shortest amount of time!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
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