Home Improvement Blog: April 2012

I am going to now be less than nice or maybe even downright rude but I need to say it. It seems that homeowners get what so many Realtors and flippers don't and that is the fact that staging is an investment. It's not an expense that will never be recouped or money that gets the flush like government spending.  It is an integral part of marketing property....like it or not.  You can define staging any way you want but in the end it isa marketing investment with a ROI.

Noun

the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income or appreciation in value.

The majority of my clients are homewowners who understand that in today's market you must invest to sell because condition and presentation are second only to correct pricing. They get it and their agents don't. As with all investments, there are varying levels of what anyone thinks is worth the risk but in staging there really is not a risk as statistics bear over and over as related to sale price and days on the market.... unless you have a total incompetent as a stager and an agent.  Do your homework on both.

Now here is where unrealistic expectations come in.  There are those who expect to effectively stage something for nothing. I make every effort to be fairly priced and budget concious for clients.  I have to be in order to get business.  However, you cannot effectively stage a 3000+ square foot property for the same price as a 1500 square foot property.  What you will get, even with a good stager, is an incomplete picture.  I don't care what you say that is a fact.  The only way this does not happen is if a stager is in to losing money and has no clue about running a successful business.  Bottom line is we are a business and the end game is profit and I won't apologize for it.

There is a huge graveyard of stagers who have gone out of business in my neck of the woods.  I compete with do it for nothing types a lot who are still limping along and unfortunately I have been dragged down to that level more than once just because I hate turning away potential business down the road. Big mistake!

I do have pride. I don't want my work to present poorly.  Yes I love what I do but bottom line....I'm not into dipping into my own pocket for every job in the hopes of gaining future business.  It doesn't work and only makes me look bad as a stager if I am putting together an incomplete portrait. If you can get a stager to stage your 4000 square foot listing for $2500 HAVE AT IT!  I don't need it...go back to watching HGTV and don't call me because I want to work with serious clients who are not into wasting time and money.

I admit it! I am no good at working with nothing.  I can shoestring with the best of them but I can't and won't do all the extra you want for the next to nothing price.  Do agents work on cut commission all the time?  Do flippers like to pay more for a property than it's worth?  I think not.

There, now I feel better. I am sure this blog will either get crickets or I will get ripped either way...whatever!

Sincerely yours,

Ana