What IS real estate staging? It is the art of presenting a property in the best, possible light. Yes, it is decorating, however, the goal of real estate staging is to enhance the home, not the homeowner. Interior decorators, and other talented persons, may decorate beautifully to THEIR OWN TASTES, & think that is good enough. But, it is their tastes, rather than the tastes of the majority of potential buyers. Our goal is to please the largest number of people, and do it within the shortest amount of time. Remember, it's the FIRST 15 seconds that count when a potential purchaser walks through that door. And, once, a seller has made the decision to SELL, the property is no longer THEIR HOME. It now becomes a product, a house, just like any other product, & must be displayed to create an emotional appeal to the greatest number of people.
We all LOVE to visit the builder's model homes, don't we? Well, builder's know that is what is going to help them sell their properties. And, they are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to accomplish that! A stager is a decorator of sorts, however, they don't charge the same high dollars as an interior designer. And, they shop, everywhere! They are not affiliated with just one store, but use many different resources to find the things needed to get the look they want. Obviously, the stager wants to keep costs down, but get the "look", so look for a stager who shares their discounts.
Sometimes, a home stager will have an inventory of furniture, as well as "props" to place in a vacant listing. But, be careful, the cost of renting their furniture can be high. The furniture must be stored, when not in use. There are truck fees, mover's fees involved. And, the BIG question is unknown.... How long will something take to sell? Hopefully, not long, but we have no crystal ball, especially in this market! Those costs can mount up. There are other ways to accomplish those goals.
Space-Lift Staging * Estero, FL * 239-494-8425, & Rochester Hills, MI 248-561-9978 * email: carole.chris@comcast.net
