The Value of Successful Home Staging

The Value of Successful Home Staging
by Debra Allen
Have you ever walked into a beautifully decorated model home and been captivated by it? Did you find yourself dreaming of bathing in that spa-like bathroom, cooking meals in the gourmet kitchen or curling up with a book in that luxurious reading nook? If so, then you have been the successful target of the secret weapon called staging.

As a real estate agent, you know that staging your real estate listings will result in a faster and more profitable sale, but who can you trust to manage this important process for you.
You want the best possible price for your home, but do not want to pay more than your return to achieve this. You need expert and objective home staging guidance that comes from experience and a highly trained eye in order to compete in a buyers market. What you seek is the experience of an Accredited Staging ProfessionalTM (ASPTM).
Staging can entail simple tasks like removing clutter. Clutter eats equity. Stagers aren't maids or house-cleaners; they don't do repairs or paint. Rather they create a neutral, harmonious, spacious, and beautiful environment. They often set tables for dinner so that a prospective buyer can envision themselves in the property having a family dinner.
Think of staging like detailing a car. A smart auto seller would detail a car before selling it to add value. That's precisely what staging can do for a house. As a REALTOR®, I think that staging helps; it makes the property stand out. In turn, good staging can determine which properties sell fast and which do not. It is no longer a market where staging helps the property sell for more. In today's market, it enables the property to have more potential of selling at all. It's a buyer's market, so make your home stand out by creating a sophisticated ambiance.
While some sellers may be hesitant to spend more money on staging in a down market, this is the winning way to get a property sold; and often for a higher asking price.
Professional stagers can see your house as buyers will, and they'll set the scene so that buyers can imagine living there. They're likely to simplify or streamline the furniture in a room for better traffic flow and to enhance its spaciousness. They may neutralize a too-personal color scheme or add touches of color or accessories where needed. In vacant homes that feel cold and lack visual landmarks, stagers often bring in rental furniture to create warmth. This helps Buyers mentally move in and feel that when it's time for them to move in, thy will be able to kick back and relax.
REALTORS® and sellers can hire stagers by the hour or the room. Homeowners typically pay from $200 to $3,000 depending on the level of service required. But the pay-off in time saved and higher sales price can be nice. If all your listings looked like model homes, do you think you'd have an easier time selling them? And do you think they might command a higher selling price? Statistics show this to be true.
Buying a house is largely an emotional decision because people are not just purchasing a home; they are buying a dream ... a lifestyle. If you can help them with their vision so they don't have to rely completely on their imagination, you positively impact how they feel in the home, which will be reflected in the sales price and number of offers you receive. All human beings want comfort, excitement, prestige and love, and all these are at work in the psychology of the home purchase. Effective staging maximizes those feelings, creating an atmosphere that makes people want to linger and imagine themselves living in the space. Ultimately, staging creates a home the prospective buyer will not be able to live without.
People today have busy lives, they want to walk in and look at a home and say, "This is mine. I can move into this home without doing anything."
Published: February 27, 2008

Born in Bremen, Germany, Debra Allen brings a unique international perspective to the Arizona real estate market.
In just three years with Prudential Arizona Properties, one of the fastest growing real estate firms in the U.S., Debra has distinguished herself from the pack. An outstanding professional, Debra is committed to attaining the highest levels of education and real estate specific training. Her industry designations include the following: ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), GRI (Graduate, Real Estate Institute), ASP (Accredited Staging Professional), Relocation Specialist, and the e-Pro (Internet Real Estate Professional) designation awarded by the National Association of Realtors®.
Her access to professionals around the world has led Debra to be a Multi Million Dollar Producer since 2004, averaging $3.8 million in sales annually and anticipating lucrative business opportunities in a shifting market. Prudential Arizona Properties recognizes that it has a "winner" in Debra. As such, the company recently awarded Debra for her sales performance and client service in 2006.