"All the house can be a stage" is the title of an article the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) published in their weekend "HOME FINDER" section a week ago.
The author, Mary Booth Thomas, did not interview home stagers for input, nor did she interview REALTORS for validation of Atlanta home staging expertise.
Her validation as to the value of home staging came straight from the house's horse's mouth!
Ms. Thomas interviewed home sellers regarding their take on home staging in the Atlanta market. She asked questions about the value of their home staging experience for an occupied home.
I was fortunate enough to have 3 of my recent past clients interviewed/referenced for the article. The testimonies they gave supporting the experience of home staging their occupied home was fabulous! Here's some excepts from the article that involves their comments:
~~~~~
When Maj. Toby Moore and his wife, Susan, put their house in Peachtree City up for sale in May, they expected it to be on the market for quite a while."
Instead, they sold their home in a week-and-a-half and got full price.
Their secret: At the suggestion of their Realtor, Leigh Steele of Prudential Georgia Realty, they hired Karen Dembsky of Peachtree Home Staging to make their home more appealing to prospective buyers.
"Home staging is part of our Realtor's selling plan," Susan Moore said. "There never had been a house in our neighborhood that sold for that much. It definitely works."
Professional home stagers move furniture and minimize accessories to highlight a home's positive features and play down the negative.
Upon Dembsky's advice, Moore packed up family photos and her children's artwork and removed the shower curtain in one bathroom to show off the tile. "She rearranged things to make the house flow better and removed a lot of personal things to make it show better," Moore said.
Moore was so impressed she recommended Dembsky to her mother, Barbara Lovejoy, who sold her home in Alpharetta in less than a month.
. . . Shelly Peacock was initially apprehensive when her Realtor suggested bringing in someone to stage her home in the Maple Shade community in Tyrone, where several other homes in the $650,000 range are also on the market.
"My vision was that someone was going to come home and criticize my style. That wasn't the case at all," she said. "Once I got over it, it's fabulous."
In the living room, Dembsky rearranged the furniture to open up the space and make it more interesting, Peacock said. Dembsky worked with the Peacocks to pack up 15 boxes of personal items and memorabilia, in addition to what Peacock had packed before Dembsky arrived.
"It frees up your life. Now, when the house is going to be shown, I don't have to run around and straighten up all the stuff I had before," Peacock said.
________________________________________________
BEFORE AFTER
How folks live in a home is their business, how folks present the home for sale is my business!
For tips on how to prepare your home for sale and information on staging a home in Atlanta, visit the web site of PEACHTREE HOME STAGING or call us at 770 595-8809.
We do occupied and vacant home staging with professional perfection!
If you would like to e-mail us specific questions our address is: Karen@PeachtreeHomeStaging.com
Peachtree Home Staging is a proud APPROVED AND ACCREDITED Business of the Greater Atlanta Better Business Bureau. 
Peachtree Home Staging Serves all of Metro Atlanta: Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton and Gwinnett counties in Georgia, including, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Brooks, Chamblee, Decatur, Douglasville, Duluth, Dunwoody, Fairburn, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, McDonough, Newnan, Norcross, Peachtree City, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Senoia, Sharpsburg, Stockbridge, Tucker, and Tyrone
WOW! It's dark in there. Can you help me find a light switch?
Sometimes it is so difficult to get the light bulb to flip on bright enough when the light bulb you desire to shine is residing in someone else's head!
Here's the gloomy story that I need Realtors and Home Stagers help with. I want to create a light bulb that will flicker on with glowing "NIKE - Just Do It" results.
A home seller's house sits vacant on the Atlanta market for approximately 6 months. It is a FSBO; the seller moves out of state and leaves a key with a local friend. It became close to impossible to show . . . my understanding is that many Realtors saw the home as they would drive by the scraggily "for sale by owner" sign in the yard and patiently book an appointment, often having to wait a week or more for the out of state homeowner to coordinate a time the "friend" could let them in to preview the home.
So, okay, I need to say, some light bulbs since that point and time have switched on with this home seller. The home is now listed with an excellent Realtor who really gives a flip about, not just selling her listings quickly, but also her client's well-being and their sales success.
Now we can all agree that the situation has gone from doom to potential gloom; but getting brighter. This Realtor hired Peachtree Home Staging to stage the property. (As always, thank you, thank you! I am honored and appreciate the business!)
It's just that, at this point, the sellers do not have enough bulbs on to light the path to success, as of yet.
Now you must be thinking, what's the problem? We have a converted FSBO seller, we have a great agent, and we have accomplished our vacant staging goals! The property looks great. The paint colors that had previously been criticized while the home was vacant are now being applauded with the home staging that has occurred!
I know, it seems all the lights are on, but they are not. Let me explain why the seller's brain is still quite dim and dingy. There is more story I still must share!
The home has been staged for 4 weeks come this Saturday. In this time the agent has received 2 offers to rent (not the objective). One offer that was low ($30,000 off asking price for a home priced at $250,000, but the asking price is a little high - close, but high, in my opinion . . .oh, remember, I am a Realtor, too!) And another offer, (this makes 4) but the buyer did not qualify for the loan. That one hurt, but just the same, that's 4 potential opportunities since the home has come to market staged and represented with a Realtor. I think that is more than the number of showings the home had for the previous 6 months!
One of the offers wanted to buy the entire staged inventory of my accessories separate from the home offer. One of the other offers was from someone who had previously discarded the home due to the unusual paint colors, but now that it was staged they took a second look and could see how well those paint colors really worked!
But, almost 4 weeks after staging, the total scenario is about to get dimmer and go back to gloom.
Unless the Realtor can convince the home seller to pay for another months rent of furnishings and accessories, I will be de-staging this property on Friday. Normally, I have a 2 month minimum on my staging furniture and accessories, but because the realtor was paying for it from her own pocket, hoping to convince the home owner of the value, I agreed to do a month to month. I do a tremendous amount of staging for this Realtor, so I worked out this exception.
What can I do to help this Realtor help this home seller recognize the value of keeping this home staged?
Take a peak, please . . .
These pictures are some before and after photos of a vacant home I recently home staged in a small, prominent Peachtree City neighborhood. Peachtree City is located South of Atlanta in Fayette County, that neighbors Fulton County in Georgia. Fayette County public schools are touted among the highest ranked in the State of Georgia.
Peachtree City's claim to fame is its exceptional 90 miles of recreational multi-use pathways designed for golf carts, bikers, walkers and runners. The path system is the largest in the U.S. and leads to most every home, restaurants, schools, churches, shopping and businesses.
Printable Street and Recreational Path map
Ya' all come visit sometime!
I just came from home stager's heaven . . . well, actually I was in Atlanta, but it must have resembled home stager's heaven, because I had the opportunity to exercise my talents to create a lovely atmosphere in this already charming home! I'm not sure what seemed so magical to me . . . I staged it in a day. It was just me; no one to share company with; but it was pure pleasure. My enthusiasm was at a high; I was totally at peace and enjoying the tasks at hand!
I always am quite enthusiastic about my work, whether it is staging an occupied home for the home seller or tackling a vacant for a seller, investor, or builder. I love home staging for Atlanta Realtors. I love doing it all.
Which, when you think about it, how absolutely lucky is it to be free in America to do what you want for a living; to make your own choices; to focus on a talent you have to share? Making money is of course, the thrust behind my home staging business -- but how lucky am I to love what I do?
VERY LUCKY , , , AND BLESSED! National Anthem, anyone?
I am signing off now to go call my son and thank him for being a U.S. Marine!
How folks live in a home is their business, how folks present the home for sale is my business!
For tips on how to prepare your home for sale and information on staging a home in Atlanta, visit the web site of PEACHTREE HOME STAGING or call us at 770 595-8809. If you would like to e-mail us specific questions our address is: Karen@PeachtreeHomeStaging.com
Peachtree Home Staging is a proud APPROVED Business of the Greater Atlanta Better Business Bureau.
Peachtree Home Staging Serves all of Metro Atlanta: Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton and Gwinnett counties in Georgia, including, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Brooks, Chamblee, Decatur, Douglasville, Duluth, Dunwoody, Fairburn, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, McDonough, Newnan, Norcross, Peachtree City, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Senoia, Sharpsburg, Stockbridge, Tucker, and Tyrone
 |
|
|
Home Stager staging in Atlanta, Atlanta Metro, Alpharetta, Douglasville, Dunwoody, Fayetteville, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Marietta, McDonough, Newnan, Norcross, Peachtree City, Roswell, Sandy Spring
Peachtree Home Staging in Atlanta is a member of the Greater Atlanta Better Business Bureau and BB on-line PeachtreeHomeStaging.com and proudly serves all of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area
Peachtree Home Staging is dedicated to making your home sale a triumphant affair!
Peachtree Home Staging, LLC was founded by Karen Dembsky, a metro Atlanta resident for the past 27 years. Karen started her career teaching home economics, including interior design. After five years in education, Karen enjoyed a successful career in corporate sales and marketing.
During this time Karen bought different homes for her own living use, decorated them, and sold them. Two of them sold during the first month on the market for asking price and two of them sold the first day on the market above asking price!
When it was time to seek a new challenge, Karen became a Georgia licensed Realtor and has since served many clients both selling and buying properties. Through this experience, and feedback she continually receives from clients, Karen recognized the benefits her keen artistic eye provided to those she represented.
Karen uses her real estate expertise and artistic talent as a home stager to evaluate each room in detail for its general appeal and "WOW" factors.
Karen explains, "You only have one opportunity to make that first impression. Buyers only come back for a second round when the home appealed to them during the first visit. Buyers form their opinions quickly and your home is either in the running or forgotten. Buyers need to see what they like right off the bat, and then you need to keep that momentum going from room to room."
Karen's vast experience in real estate has taught her the importance of conscientiously determining each home's negatives and positives.
Since that time Karen has now successfully staged hundreds of homes in the metro Atlanta areaincluding Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Dunwoody, Decatur, Midtown, Atlantic Station, Peachtree City, Alpharetta, Vinings Fayetteville, McDonough, Riverside . . . and the list goes on.
"We all have different needs in a home, and frequently it is overwhelming for the home buyer to recognize the perfect fit for them when a home is cluttered, dated, too personalized or displayed in a way that does not reflect its potential to be inviting and functional." Karen further states, "By accentuating the positives, buyers can better recognize how the home may work for them.
Karen assisted a homeowner in staging their home for sale and then provided after photos for the Internet. They received a great offer the very next day! The buyers saw the photos on the Internet and made their offer prior to ever physically viewing the home!
"Remember,you are selling a HOUSE, a property; space. Disassociate yourself. When you buy a computer, you buy a shell that has the space to hold the items you want and need, software that makes it functional, and tutorials that demonstrate how it is best used. A potential home buyer is shopping for a house; functional space that they can make their home. Peachtree Home Staging creates the demo. That's what the buyer needs to see."
Benefits of Having Your Home Staged
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2009 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
