Theresa Anderson, MBA, ASHSR

Staging of vacant properties is a completely different animal than occupied stagings. I just visited a property that is being flipped in Brooklyn Park, MN. It is so easy to view the neutral colors, fresh paint, new tile and carpet and updated fixtures as 'a blank canvas'! This blank canvas allows the creative juices to really start flowing for a stager. We can dream about several themes, colors, looks, and options as the combinations are endless.

This is (in my opinion) the easy stuff. Most anything goes as long as the basic rules of design are incorporated. Let's add in a few additional challenges like really low budget, limited inventory, and time! Now the game changes a bit. As I viewed the blank canvas, my pot of ideas quickly narrowed based on what my inventory included, budget limitations, and the need to stage using as little furniture as possible (due to budget and time) and still reach my target audience and get them to fall in love!

My team and I spent the weekend planning and researching. We settled on a simple Caribbean ocean blue in the bedroom, using lots of soft materials to bring out the soothing tones and to provide contrast to the many hard services. The only furniture is the bed. The rest is done with textiles and creativity! In the family room area, we will incorporate a low table, a rug and floor pillows. We use a lot of floor pillows, creating romantic scenes near the fireplace whenever possible. Add in a few simple, sparse, but well purposed accessories and the look begins to come together.

This is where some think the job ends. However, successful staging requires the sprinkling of emotional connection points throughout. A couple of travel brochures to the Caribbean, a calendar with a January date circled and a personal note left in the bedroom. Tie this into the kitchen with a Caribbean cookbook, and the look comes alive. Finally, we will incorporate a couple of wine glasses in the family room, a couple of Caribbean accessories, and a bottle of wine, and the staging is complete. The buyer now becomes dreamy about the Caribbean vacation they can take once they settle in.

What creative ideas do you have for working within the constraints of budget, inventory and time?

While this has nothing to do with staging, directly, it is sometimes interesting to consider the path my life has taken. While my passion is working on making homes feel warm, comforting, and welcoming as a stager, I am also a Brooklyn Park MN soccer mom. I can say with pride I drive a mini-van, tote kids and equipment everywhere and never seem to have enough time between practices, games and volunteer hours to get my stuff done. There is a certain thrill that accompanies this routine though, and being a home stager definitely has its perks too! When I'm not freezing at a fall game here in the Twin Cities, I am able to balance home life with work life. How lucky am I!? I also have the benefit of being able to bring my decorating magazines along with me as I sit on the sidelines and cheer for whatever color jersey my kids happen to be wearing that day.

Last night I realized the depth of this commitment as a soccer parent. It was cold and raining hard all evening. I worked in the concession stands during the varsity soccer game - (that was the volunteering part) - and watched as cold parents, huddled under their umbrellas, came to support their players. The weather was horrible, and the kids in their jerseys and shorts played their hearts out in the freezing cold rain. Am I insane knowing that in a few years, my son will be required to play in this type of weather? And that I will be one of those poor parents who faithfully attends the game - no matter what?

Reality is yes. My job may in some small way contribute to the feeling of HOME for other sport-supporting parents. Being a soccer mom requires fortitude and endurance. It's got an element of excitement. It is my life - at least for the next 7 years or so. And I guess that's okay. I am, after all, a soccer mom.

I am watching the leaves change quickly and just came to realize that Fall is settling upon us in the Twin Cities of MN. I do love the Fall - with football, crunching leaves, school for the kids, and the return of my favorite sweatshirts. However I also feel a bit of sadness as I watch the process unfold. I love Summer and am always a little sad to see it go. This year is no exception, however I am in a bit of a different mindset. I am trying to stay upbeat as the economy continues its leveling process and feel a sense of compassion for those who are out of work or struggling to sell their home.

I find that the more I read, the harder it is to stay positive. So I am vowing to not get wrapped up in the swarm of concern that is encircling our world, nation, state or even town. I am going to enjoy the changing seasons and work to bring a sense of comfort to others who may be feeling the combined effects of everything this Fall. In Brooklyn Park, MN I am going to be a token of good will and positive energy. Maybe that doesn't sound like much to you ... I think mindset is everything.

Home Staging and Redesign methodologies are very helpful as well. I am incorporating them in my home with the changing season. Many home sellers are hoping to get their property sold before the snow flies and the holidays arrive. In Minnesota, moving in the winter is not easy! I would expect business to pick up a little during the next few months and provide some savvy sellers and agents with an advantage.

Since buying a home is so emotional, tapping into that emotion through innovative staging techniques tends to tug on the heartstrings during this time of year more than ever. Consider incorporating some emotional touch points in the properties you have listed and watch the faces of potential buyers as they stroll through the home. Color also has a powerful impact on people. There are great ways to incorporate color with accessories and decor. Providing a glimpse of a lifestyle they can aspire to gives them a sense of comfort. And I know at this time of year, comfort is a great feeling!

For home sellers, it can reinvigorate their ambition and well-being. Waiting for your home to sell is draining and stressful. Staging can relieve some of the anxiety as home sellers stop trying to just get it sold and instead send out an energy of 'welcome'. Buyers sense this and respond. Sellers are also less anxious because the space makes them feel better. It generates a sense of confidence.

Every home should have it done. . . yet the majority pass it up to save a buck on the front end? . . .

What is Staging!

Before

After - (even without neutral paint - what a difference!)

I can't stand to see homes be put on the market without being staged. My philosophy in life is that if I don't like something - I should do something about it. Therefore, I am a home stager/redesigner in Brooklyn Park, MN. I am also a marketer and the philosophy of staging is so logical and (practically speaking) such a simple ROI calculation that I struggle to understand why it is not always done. Any corporate business would flip over the ROIs typically gained through staging. I can't understand why it is not a prerequisite for every seller before listing their home. A little marketing on the inside goes a long way to help the marketing efforts on the outside! Some of the homes I have seen in Brooklyn Park, MN really could benefit from a professional home stager.

I learned in the business world that the product with the most attractive packaging at the right price point usually sells first and for more (even if another product has more bells and whistles). For years I worked in consumer packaged goods marketing. We labored for hours over our package designs - making sure that every last detail was analyzed and scrutinized. Do buyers even notice? YES! Then, I realized that the product which we sell for the highest price, and for which we stand to see the greatest loss or gain based on the fluctuation in price (our home) - barely gets a once over! Other times, we package our home like it should serve as the 'generic' brand - (you know, the ones where decluttering is taken a bit too far). One home I visited for a staging consultatin in Brooklyn Park, MN had removed all signs of life. The only thing remaining was dated furniture and bad artwork. Where has all the marketing and beauty gone! Image is everything for a home!

I was told there are the three key areas to consider when selling a home - the product, the marketing to get buyers in to see the product, and the price. Staging goes so much further than adding a little fluff to a house - and making it look 'pretty'. It improves the way it sells. That is the product. There are so many homes on the internet with poor pictures - at least in Brooklyn Park, MN! And it is so easy to make a big impact. Truly, a little goes a long, long way. It impacts the perceived value and works hand in hand with the marketing. It creates a unique, desirable product, which buyers can fall in love with and then 'must have'. Marketing, then is less about selling, and more about filling a need. If the home is staged and demonstrates how it can 'fill a need' for a buyer, then the house sells. If the home doesn't feel right, it can't fill the need and the product remains 'on the shelf.' I am anxious to help improve the products out there today. I look forward to the day when all homes are staged (I'm committed to helping my neighborhood and Brooklyn Park, MN!) before listing. It is one way to counter the housing crisis!