Case 1: Older Single Person
Mary Moore is 82 years young and lives alone in the same house she has owned for 42 years. Her husband passed away 10 years ago and she has two sons. One son lives in a neighboring state and the other son lives across the country. She has numerous doll collections and they are displayed in every main room of the house. The front deck is in bad condition and the entire house is badly in need of paint on the outside. Mary suffers from arthritis and worries how she will stage her home. Newspapers and magazines are piled in every corner of the house along with 42 years of memorabilia. The garage and a garden shed are also filled to overflowing.
It is my mission to help as many people as I can through quality Home Staging. Realtors work hard to develop relationships with clients. It is my job to discuss the potential challenges that “collections” sellers hold dear, may pose when trying to sell a house. The Home Staging Source will pack, declutter and rearrange what's left, by working side-by-side with clients or independently. I will honor the clients possessions and ensure that the transition of living spaces is timely and smooth.
Case 2: Family with 3 Children
House:
2 Story, 4 Bedroom, 1 Den, 3 Bathroom, 2900 sq. ft. view, 25 years old.
Owners:
Married couple with children ages 10, 14, and 15.
Staging Challenge:
This home is lived in. Carpets are worn and outdated. Foil wallpaper abounds in all 3 bathrooms. Each child’s bedroom is decorated with wall-to-wall posters. Orange Formica graces the kitchen counters. The husband’s hobby is woodcarving and his work is displayed throughout the house. The wife has painted over 30 pictures, which adorn the walls in almost every room. The children do not want to move; yet Mom & Dad do.
It is so rewarding when a family gets involved and excited about staging. I've done my job when homeowners say “after it was staged, we didn’t want to move” and when children feel proud that they are able to keep their rooms clean and enjoy living in a clutter free zone.
Case 3: Tenant
This property has been rented for years. The owner lives in the same town. The tenant has more furniture and possessions than will fit comfortably in the house (every room is filled to the brim). The walls need to be painted and the carpeting is worn.
Working as a team and supporting the tenant while offering incentives that will pay off in the end will get this property Staged!
Case 4: Single Business Person - Works 7 days a week, 12 hours a day
A beautiful contemporary high-end home with an owner who works in the high tech industry. The house is furnished in gorgeous antiques, paintings, statues, large ivory carvings, and photographs signed by celebrities. Although the home is spacious, it is very hard to appreciate the house with all the many possessions on display. The owner believes in staging, but says he doesn’t have time to do it.
The feeling to convey is de-personalized and de-cluttered, sophisticated, charming and warm, so the potential buyer can focus on the house and its features, not the current homeowners’ “stuff”. Staging may include packing for the Seller.
Case 5: Long Distance Owners
The owner lives in another country. The house is vacant and cold with dated drapes, floors and colors. The owner has never heard of staging a house.
The public is becoming more and more aware of the staging industry and calls the ASP Stager directly. Consider this: Two similar homes in the same neighborhood are listed at the same time for about the same price. One of the homes is staged and one is not. Statistics say that the staged home will sell faster and for more money. The savvy Realtor will educate the public on the benefits of Home Staging and why it is so important in todays market. Agents often add a staging consultation to their clients listing package as a special value incentive that is a benefit to all parties involved.
Case 6: Young Family with Baby
The owners are a young working couple with a 10 month-old baby who goes to day care every day. This two-story home in the suburbs has baby toys and equipment all over the house. The owners admit they have not kept the house as well as they should have since the baby was born. They also have a large dog named Ralph that stays in the house when the owners are away. Ralph enjoys stuffed animals and he carries them all over the house.
With the proper organizational tools you can live in a staged home that’s on the market and continue to live your life. Never underestimate the power of a properly executed ad campaign for your house. Capturing sharp, clean snapshots of your rooms will entice buyers to want to see more.
