Vacant Staging Success Story ~ New View Home Staging

Most realtors agree that it's easier to sell a furnished home than a vacant home, and RESA numbers from February 2009 fully support this. Unfortunately, not all home sellers can deal with the upfront cost of staging, particularly if there are rentals involved, and opt for a lower listing price. Either that, or they list for a few months, and eventually take a price reduction. The price reduction is probably still far more than the cost that staging would have been.

This spring I've had the pleasure of dealing with some great clients, but one story stands out as a true success for everyone involved.

When I initially viewed the home, I found it to be really outdated. It required wallpaper stripping, new vinyl flooring, carpeting, paint throughout, and had dark wood paneling from the 70's. It was also in slight disrepair, with plaster issues in the bathroom, stained bathroom vanities, and old boards on the deck.

These clients were a home stagers dream though and were prepared to tackle everything on my list. Together we selected paint and trim colours for the entire home, and flooring for the kitchen, foyer and bathrooms, we decided on a budget for staging and I left them to their work.

Three weeks later I returned with my staging crew and the changes were extraordinary. We furnished and accessorized the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, family room, 2 smaller bedrooms and 2 baths.

Before and after shots of of the living room and family room are posted below.

The end result was a list price $12,000 more than originally planned, and an accepted offer of 101% of ask within 48 hours. $3000 spent on upgrades and staging, and 3 weeks of work reaped HUGE rewards for the sellers, not to mention the realtor who avoided the expense of advertising and didn't host a single open house.

It's been said before, but I'll say it again... STAGING WORKS!

My name is Christine Bird, and my company is New View Home Staging located in Kitchener-Waterloo. We're here to help.

www.newviewhomestaging.ca