As I write this blog, my family and I are visiting Park City, Utah enjoying the Triple Crown Fast-pitch World Series in which my youngest daughter's team is participating. There are 7 of us crammed into a smallish condo for the week.
In our condo there are only 6 forks, 6 spoons and so on. If you have a large family or came from one you all know it is usually survival of the fittest or..... "you snooze, you lose!". Needless to say, we are traveling on a budget. Eating out is a rare occurrence. While enjoying a cheap and hastily put together spaghetti dinner last evening, mom lost out and had to eat her salad with a spoon.
This got me to thinking of how all of us these days are eating salad with a spoon so to speak. In our current tight economy, small businesses, families and retirees all have to find ways to make do with a spoon.
This is especially the case when it comes to real estate and professional Staging. Many Realtors and Homeowners still have the wrong impression that Staging costs thousands and thousands and that in occuppied homes for sale, everything must be replaced and tres chic.
Not so, at least that is not how our company approaches preparing a home for sale. As repeated by others often, many times all that is needed is paring down and and cleaning up. These two major activities alone can make what is left look fresh, brand new and yes even chic with a little punching up. Improving the flow of space throughout your home and bumping up the lighting can achieve wonders for little to no cash output.
Of course there are the extreme cases where no amount of Staging will help and repairs or replacement must be done. A reputable Stager should tell you if this is so during a consultation. A reputable professional Stager should know what will make a property appealing and what sells in your neighborhood.
Instead of paying rental fees for cookie cutter furniture, it may be wiser to refinish or replace a floor. Instead of putting in granite counter tops it might be wiser to repaint or touch up the paint on the exterior of your home.
A reputable professional Stager should and will assist you in prioritizing what needs to be done. Yes, in many cases our company may lose out in additional service fees but getting your home sold is our priority. We succeed as a business when you succeed in selling your home in less time and for a fair price.
I know many of my Staging peers operate the same way. Your home is a major investment. In many cases, it is your family's only nest egg.
When looking for Staging services always always ask questions and not just about price! Make sure you will not be laying out money on unnecessary fees and gimmicks. Make sure your Stager is a licensed business and not a "stager for fun." If your Realtor claims to be a Staging specialist, ask to see pictures of their "staged" listings. It's your money and time, get a second opinion, it could save you thousands in dollars and weeks or months on the market.
AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging Consultations on site and on line. We are located in Corona and service the Inland Empire area of Southern California. Call 951 833 8529 or email staging@accentpositives.com. Visit www.accentpositives.com and www.accentingspaces.com.
Ana Hitzel is the owner of AccentPositives Home Staging and the host of Your Place Your Space Home & Life Improvement Radio.
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AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging Consultations and services on site and on line. Selected Best of Corona 2012 in the Interior Design category, we are located in Corona and serve the Inland Empire of Southern California, the Palm Springs area and North San Diego County. Call 951 833 8529. Email staging@accentpositives.com. Visit www.accentpositives.com.
Excellent points and very funny!
Anna,
It's easier to eat salad with a spoon than soup with a fork...especially if you want the liquid part of the soup. :)
I love the concept of paring down and cleaning out. Sometimes more is needed but it all starts there.
I'm subscribing.
Hi Wendy, thanks but it's not funny when you are hungry and can't get a finger in LOL!
Hi Judi, you are very right, I keep a special spoon hidden for my soup days:) You are right too that sometimes more is needed and we can do that too! Thanks for stoppin in:)
Ana
Best of luck to your daughter and her team!! How fun! Great post. You are such a wise professional
I hope that your daughters team came out as winners...and I hope that you were able to eat the rest of your meals with a fork...your post was so clever and well written...and very much to the point.
Ana- very cleverly written. First, hope your trip went well and that your daughter and her team enjoyed the event. You are so right about setting priorities for what needs to be done for staging. It doesn't make sense to bring in rented furnishings when money would have been better spent painting or doing badly needed upgrades. Like other professional stagers, I try to keep the seller's budget and time in mind. There's a "must do" list, and then a "wouldn't it be nice if you could do this" list.
What a thoughtful post, Ana! I recently lost a staging bid, but the one piece of advice I gave was: If you can spend only $500, be sure you replace those 80s light fixtures! Julie
I really enjoyed this post. In my staging consultations I always tell my clients that I'll give them the "dream list" but then at the end we prioritize and discuss what is feasible given budgets and time constraints. I always consider the listing price of the home as well. Many suggestions don't even get made if I know it isn't worth it for what they are going to get out of it.I give them all the tips possible to save them money. Excellent post.
Excellent post! I love that the inspiration came from your first hand family experience. It takes some real life experience to make it in real estate! There is no formula or cookie cutter process when it comes to preparing a house for sale...every house is different and has different needs. Having a professional to point out those needs will make it much easier.
Awesome post .... You're right .... Declutting and sprucing up the place CAN go a long way!!!!
Thanks for sharing,
Lori Cofer
Hi Cathy, your good luck wishes have rubbed off, so far my kids team is undefeated in the tournament!
Hi Mary Lou, thanks for the good wishes and the nice comments. I actually got a fork tonight but we ate at a restaurant!!!!
Hi Kathy, you are right about the two lists. I try very hard to get the two as close together as possible:)
Hi Julia, good for you, sometiimes it may just be that one little but important thing that can make the difference on very tight budgets. I cringe from some of the things I have heard from clients when it comes to fees and recommendations. Not every home has to look like a Pottery Barn catalog shot inside to present well.
Hi Shar, smart way to do business and help your clients, that is what makes you a great Stager!
Hi Sharon, absolutely right. Cookie cutter does not get it, that's why a professional is necessary!
Hi Lori, thanks for commenting and yes those two things you mention are always top of the list for everyone! Most people are not objective enough to really do this effectively without that extra help:)
Ana
Yahoo!!!! I've been waiting for an update!!!!! Congrats and tell them my fingers and pinkies are still crossed.
Ana, cute and wise ;). Hope the trip goes well! I'm so glad you pointed out that we Stagers do the best thing for the client and if that means painting over staging so be it.
Thanks Cathy, they won again today, 5 and 0 Yippy! Tomorrow is a big tough one so still keep fingers and pinkies crossed:)
Thanks Janice, I wish more of that fact were pointed out when Staging is being discussed:)
Ana
Good post and I concur. In addition, if home sellers need to spend some money, professional stagers can pass on discounts, they know where to buy things at the best prices and they will guide you as to where you get the most bang for your buck.
Hi Ana,
Great post and a very important message for home sellers! Selling a home does take strategy and teamwork and when hiring a home stager to join the team, it is pertinent to know they are on your side and have your best interest at heart! Home sellers should always check the home stagers previous work and references to know they are hiring the right stager for the job!
Hi Allegra, did you finish up the EBook, still waiting for my copy! Thanks for commenting.
Hi Michelle and thanks for commenting. Doing the homework can save homeowner lots of girief and money.
Ana, good luck to your "cool"14 year old and her team. I totally agree with the paring down and cleaning up...I'm in the middle of one of thoes now...wish me luck.