Let's face it, Staging is the new buzz word and everyone thinks they can stage. Here was a perfect example of what just happened to me.
About 2 weeks ago I ran into an old neighbor from good ole Staten Island in the supermarket. She started to ask about my life and asked what I am doing now and I began to tell her about my staging business. Her immediate reply was "Oh yeah, I do that, I just did that to my brothers house, he has been having a difficult time selling, so my mom and I went and "staged" his house."
Great, was my reply, what could I say, she was very excited about this. Well, yesterday I received a phone call from this same person asking me if there was anything I could do to help her brother. Would I mind calling him and stopping by to see the house. Of course I will call him, was my reply. I was happy to not only see an old friend, but I always love the opportunity to help another seller.
As soon as I pulled in the driveway I began to make a checklist of obvious things that could be hindering the sale of this home. FOR ONE, YOU COULD NOT SEE IT!! I rang the doorbell and was greeted by an old friend which was lovely, but it seemed as if no time had passed at all, eventhough it has been at least 20 years or more. After the hugs I said okay, let me tell you what I see. I immediately went into staging mode and starting rattling off a list of things that needed to be removed.
He was a riot as he watched me start rolling up red flowered scatter rugs to expose the hardwood flooring, moving large plants that were too large for the corners they were tucked into, folding napkins and tucking them into the glasses for more drama and cleaning off countertops. These were just a few of things I began addressing. Then I mentioned to him that the wallpaper on the dining room wall should be removed.
At that point he began to laugh and said everything you just removed is exactly everything my sister and mom did, including putting up the wallpaper. My response to that....That is why stagers should do the staging and not family members.
So what is it that people think Home Staging is?? I think that consumers are confused between Home Staging and Interior Design. In Home Staging a seller needs to depersonalize the space and show off the homes best assets. In this particular home, the selling feature is definitely the backyard. This yard was a huge, private yard that had a beautiful deck and large inground pool. Unfortunately, the windows on the back of the house were covered with dated 80's style levelors. His mom and sister tried to match that decor and therefore made the rest of the house look as dated.
I had him remove the blinds and all of a sudden you could not help but say WOW when you entered his kitchen. Man, you just got drawn out into that backyard. Buyers were just being turned off by the somewhat dated kitchen and could not see past that.
A professional Home Stager is trained to Stage your property in a way that will make potential buyers fall in love with it. He confessed to me that his mom and sister emptied their attic of their old stuff to help decorate his home. Well, their old stuff made his home look old.
A professional home stager will bring in their "new and fabulous inventory" to enhance your home's selling features. We are really worth the phone call, don't wait any longer ...ReStyled to Sell helping sellers move on.
ReStyled to Sell NJ comes alongside sellers and their agents to assist them in all aspects of preparing and improving their home's marketability. Programs to fit all budgets. A Staged Home sells
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Everyone seems to think we are decorators. It's going to take some time, but eventually all our educational efforts will prevail and the mental shift will occur.
Thanks for a great post.
angel
...ReStyled to Sell helping sellers move on.
Best tag I've ever seen. Well done, Phyllis. Great post.
well said, sister! well said!
cheers,
cindy
Phyllis - Angel is right. 1 client at a time - we make it look easy so everyone thinks they can do it. However, they only see the tip of the ice berg!
That is pretty funny. Hope his sister and Mother see it that way.
Ok, I feel that I have good taste and that I can tell a home owner what hinders a home from being sold. But, I am not a stager. I am fascinated by you stagers. I have a question. The paint, wallpaper, (pale earth color paint) odd but colorful art on tables and all of the furniture in builders models decorating or staging?
Phyllis, You have such a beautiful spirit. How wonderful of you to help out a friend in obvious need. My brother once said to me when I was telling him about some awful things that had been done to a house, "Some people should not be allowed to watch HGTV." Blog anyone?
Randy - both!!
The furniture is arranged just like in staging to create that since of space. The window treatments, wallpaper etc are more decorated, to show a current trend in colors. It's staged because no one lives there and normal things like bookbags, and bills don't pile on corners. It is showing lifestyle rather than reality. The accessories are overdone, again not reality - who sets a dining table when dinner isn't cooking.
So it's a mix! Models are done to sell many more homes, staging is done to sell 1 home quickly! You've heard of faux finishing, (faux means fake), well model homes are just faux living!!! HAHA
Phyllis, Sounds like you now have your old friend on the right path. I agree people don't seem to understand the difference. I sent out before and after photo's to all my friends of my last staging job as they are always hearing me talk about staging but I didn't think they really realized what I did. I think now they a better understanding. Do do you think your friend that staged her brothers home is going to be upset with your suggestions of undoing what she did?
Phyllis, I cant wait to meet you!
Becky - faux living - that is just too much!
Phyllis - your blog should be on the evening news or screamed from the root tops. It simply states what every home stager experiences at one time or another. Is it possible that HGTV has done the "true home stagers" a disservice?
Phyllis, Great post!! So very true. It is amazing that people assume they can do anything someone else does as a profession. It is I think a lack of respect for others. Excellent example. Don't you wish you could have seen the sister and mom's reaction?
Bravo! Everyone agreed!! : ) Staging is simply a lack of understanding and education by those who think they know all the ins and outs of our profession. Anyone can throw a few rugs down....but....can they get the house ready to SELL FASTER? Thanks- Regards-Kathleen
Calie - I have often wondered the same thing about HGTV. On the one hand, the shows are working to make Staging more of a household word, but unfortuntely sometimes I think it becomes four letter word!!! The Stagers on HGTV are usually extremely rude and really put the homeowner through the wringer! Plus, they never show the cost of the labor for the stagers and only show the cost of the accessories. This makes homeonwers believe I can (or will) entirely stage their homes for $500.
I agree amanda. The mother daughter team are very rude and a bit over the top. Phyllis it is so true about the decorator stager mix up. I am constantly educating my clients out here. Thanks for the great post
A perfect example of why STAGERS are meant to do the staging. We know how to look at a home ojectively, through a buyer's eyes. Family members can't do that in a home with which they are familiar. They can look past the flaws and personal objects, unlike stagers. Sorry to hear you had to come in and re-do what the mom and sister had done.
As a Realtor, I wouldn't dream of thinking I could stage someone's home. Sure, I could give them a few suggestions but staging is best left to the professionals. Nice post!
Too funny! Did you end up removing the wallpaper? I would love to see some B & A'S.
I love your post! This is so true, even my own friends are supportive of my business but think it is all about decorating and are always saying "Oh, that sounds so fun, all the shopping and decorating". I'm thinking nevermind the consultation, preparation, inventory of items I must house when it gets destaged, the lifting the moving, de-clutter, basically all the non-fun and back breaking things that nobody ever sees including the client half the time.
My biggest challenge is still people who are like staging what? Still haven't a clue what it is!
Phyllis - I am so addicted to "So you think you can dance" I was sure you were going to have a video of a stager staging to music. But that is OK, you make a great point...most people decorate to get that warm fuzzy feeling that does not sell anything so good job.
Phyllis, great post and so nice of you to help your friend. I think there are two major misconceptions: that staging is EASY (wow, are they off on that) and that it doesn't cost very much at all---they renovate those homes on HGTV and say the total cost of just the items, it's very misleading! Stage on.....
Phyllis, I think your title could become a reality t.v. show. Contestants would all have to stage two or three rooms in a house and then the professional stager (yourself) would enter and show them how staging is actually done. Shall we run it by HGTV? Loved this post, so many people do believe they can stage. Betty
I get that all the time-I just smile and then go the MLS and see the house and get a good 'ole laugh!!!
Kris/All Dolled Up
Hi Randi - Model Homes are a bit more decorated that a staged home. WHile I love the look a model home portrays I feel that there are too many items that may draw your attention away from a selling feature.
Hey Janice, I did not take pics, why bring my camera I thought the place was "STAGED" already, LOL
Betty - WOW What a great TV show that would make, Let's call HGTV..seriously!
Phyllis Pafumi
Phyllis, That issue of having a family member assist in staging/selling a home is still around isn't it ? Having an arm's length perspective is what makes the difference in so many cases.
Phyllis,
Great post! I can't agree with you more about drawing your eye to the backyard. Staging is supposed to be about accentuating the positives of the home and detracting from the negatives.
Phyllis, you make me laugh.
I have come across very similar situations. The mother or mother-in-law, that stages! OMG, it can be so frustrating when you see what they have done! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! If you are going to stage, a least hire a professional!