When Staging Will Not Help Your Home Sell

I recently received a phone call from a homeowner who had her home on the market for 6 months with very little traffic. She had moved out of state and left her vacant home, thinking it would sell quickly. She called Fresh Perspectives to provide a bid to stage her home, hoping that staging would make the difference in selling the home.

As I pulled up to her home I was intrigued by the adorable historic home I was about to view. Most homes in this part of town are built in the early 1900's and have been completely renovated with hip, modern amenities or restored back to their original beauty. These homes have beautiful mill-work, tall ceilings, and original fireplaces in bedrooms, dining rooms, and sitting rooms. The only negatives are the chopped up rooms and the lack of the open, flowing floor-plans like the ones that are so popular today.

As I entered I began to see the challenges this home was facing. It certainly had all the beautiful mill-work, pocket doors, tall ceilings, and fireplaces that make these homes so appealing, but it also had a mix of contemporary (80's) fixtures and some bright, funky colors. It was very confusing for today's buyer. If the buyer wanted an originally restored home - they would be disappointed with all the bright colors and updated (but outdated) renovations. If the buyer wanted an older home with a modern touch - they were disappointed with the outdated fixtures and lack of flow. One room was true to the original time period - the next was not.

What to do? There were issues I knew any buyer would not be able to get past: some of the paint colors and the dated fixtures. We provided an honest assessment. Sure we could stage the home, but let's deal with the issues any buyer wouldn't get past, first! Neutralize the bright colors, update the dated 80's fixtures, and let's get this house scrubbed from top to bottom!

No matter how good a staging job we do, buyers still won't get past the bright lime green walls and the 80's Hollywood light fixtures - making this home a huge turn-off.

It's much better to have a neutral, clean vacant home then a staged home that is confusing and outdated.

Fresh Perspectives is a home staging company specializing in vacant home staging, model home staging, and property redesign for the Greater Nashville real estate community. For an honest assessment of your home contact us 615-465-8086 or www.fresh-perspectives.com.