One of our wonderful investment companies that we work with ongoing had an urgent request - Stage 3 homes in one day and by the way it's tomorrow.
Crazy, you bet - but we did it in a day and it went off without a hitch. Thank goodness they were small homes.
The Best Part - two of the houses that had been on the market 100 days before we staged it sold the very next day after we staged it!
Does staging work - at this point, it's just a silly question. We actually never get that question any more. There is something to be said for being in the business for a while and having a track record.
Our team is dialed in. We don't even need to speak. We pull, we pack, we drive the truck to the job and we keep moving.
This time of year we stage just about every day of the work week and it's a RUSH.
Our bodies are sore.
Our minds are tired.
Our stress level is a bit high.
Our familes are not seeing us much.
Yes, it's Spring and life is moving fast.
We don't mind, we been doing this a long time and we are very good at making it happen. It's a RUSH!
BUT we would love our wonderful Realtors to understand that when they book the virtual tour/photographer on the same day as a staging it's STRESSFUL!
What we do is not an exact science. Especially when we are staging every day. We need to go to the warehouse early in the morning, unload the truck from the day before, and pack it up again - get to the job and RUN!
We don't sit, we don't stand, we don't eat - heck many times we forget to use the restroom - WE RUN!
When you ask us when we will be done I want to say...what is more important your photos being taken today or us doing a fabulous job that will give you a FANTASTIC PRODUCT!
Just a heads up - please stop asking what time you can have the photographer come by (and of course they need to have the best light) let us do our job, book the photos for another day and let's get this house sold.
This was a project that we could not wait to share with you.
We worked on this project for four months. Before our client purchased the property it was used as a half-way house for recovering addicts. A great cause but its located in the heart of an established neighborhood and maintaining the property was not number one the previous owners priority list.
The new owner was referred to us by another Stager from Active Rain because we offer Full Service Staging and could fill the clients needs. We met with the new owner, assessed the needs to bring it up to current market value and away we went. He agreed to all of the recommended items and we ended up changing every detail of the house except the roof and the foundation! A crew worked six days a week on every detail. Here are just a few of the before and afters:
Turn a Family Room into a Master Bedroom with a new Travertine covered fireplace
MASTER BEDROOM BEFORE
MASTER SUITE AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Turn a tiny bedroom into a Master Suite Bath
MASTER BATH BEFORE
MASTER BATH AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Turn an area that was just dirt under the house into a spectacular laundry room/craft area
No befores available - it was just a dirt mound
Take a Front Door and move it from the side of the house to the front - Curb Appeal!
EXTERIOR BEFORE

EXTERIOR AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Take down three walls to open up the gorgeous view of the San Francisco Bay
GREAT ROOM ENTRANCE BEFORE (lots of walls)
GREAT ROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Gut the entire kitchen and start fresh with new floors, cabinets, appliances and granite counters
KITCHEN BEFORE
KITCHEN AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Update the facade of the fireplace
FIREPLACE BEFORE
FIREPLACE AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Change three outdated, dirty and dingy bathrooms into beautiful spaces
HALL BATHROOM BEFORE
HALL BATHROOM AFTER
GUEST BATHROOM BEFORE
GUEST BATHROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL
KIDS BATHROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Remove outdated and unattractive banister and replace with contemporary bamboo and glass
What were the results of all this work? Sold in 6 days for the highest price ever received in that area - ever. Yes, even in this market.
www.staged-to-sell.com is the East Bay's premier full service staging company. Our services include small and large preparation of homes for market. Whether our clients just need the bare minimum to make their home stand out from the rest or much more we have the resources and team to make it happen. For more information visit website www.staged-to-sell.com.
It doesn't happen often, but when it does it gives me a stomach ache.
We were on a job earlier this week when my Blackberry did the little jingle it does when an email has come through. I stopped hanging the new fixture Danny was just adjusting over the dining table and scanned my in-box where I found an email from a Realtor I had staged a home for a couple of weeks ago.
"Hi Kym, this is Margaret. The sellers have decided to take the home off the market. You did too good of a job, they realize that they love it, can live there for the rest of their lives. How about that!
Oh my...not the goal of any Professional Home Stager and words we don't want to hear. Of course, we are happy that the clients loved our work, but our goal and mission is always to help them love their NEW house even more!
My crew went to pick up the job yesterday, and we all agree that they are one of the nicest families we have ever staged with. The grandparents lived with the young couple to help raise their 8 month old baby girl. They couldn't stop thanking us for our work and were pleased that they had received multiple offers but decided they now loved it too much to sell.
Moral of the story is to CALL A STAGER NOW while you are still living in the home. Don't wait until you need to put it on the market. Let us help you fall in Love with your home now and live in it for years to come. When you are ready to sell down the road you will be ready, and have spent years of enjoyment prior to selling.
OCCUPIED HOME - USING HOMEOWNER'S FURNITURE
LIVING ROOM BEFORE
LIVING ROOM AFTER STAGED
BABY'S ROOM BEFORE
BABY'S ROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL
OFFICE/GUEST ROOM BEFORE
OFFICE/GUEST ROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL
Staged to Sell is the San Francisco East Bay's premier staging company. We offer services for both Occupied and Vacant Homes and Design services for Staging to Live. For more information go to www.staged-to-sell.com. Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Danville, Orinda, Lafayette, Berkeley, Oakland, Albany and the entire Contra Costa County.
This wasn't our client's first Rodeo, as my assistant Maya likes to say. The homeowner has been through the staging process before with another Realtor/Staging team in 2008. He thought he knew what was coming and was prepared when we met for our consultation.
He had cleaned out the clutter, painted a few walls and worked on the garden a bit. He was a bit surprised when we asked for a few additional items in our report, but after lots of discussion and a few photos from our website he did agree to about 80% of recommendations and committed to staging while staying on a strict budget. Wallpaper came down, fireplace was painted and some of the dated furniture went into the garage.
The day of staging arrived and the client left his home expecting to return to a few additional touches and hoping for the best. We could tell he was not really convinced Staged to Sell could possible make that much of a difference from the Staging company who worked on his house in 2008.
When he returned from his day long excursion he was surprised, delighted and completed amazed at what he saw. "It's not the same house and completely different than it was when it went on the market last year." he said. Not only was the homeowner happy but the Realtor almost danced down the sidewalk after seeing the finished product. "The same Realtors will be coming to the Brokers Tour on Thursday that saw it last year...they won't even know its the same house" she said, smiling from ear to ear.
Result - multiple offers.
It's not just about staging, its about hiring the right Staging Company and Realtor to really make the most of the property and the market.
FAMILY ROOM BEFORE
FAMILY ROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL AND A LITTLE PAINT
MOST OF THE FURNISHINGS USED IN THE STAGING WERE THE HOMEOWNER'S
FOYER AND LIVING ROOM BEFORE
FOYER AND LIVING ROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL
DATED DRAPREY AND DARK FURNISHINGS BEFORE
BRIGHT, WARM AND INVITING NOW
COFFEE TABLE FROM FAMILY ROOM REALLY LIGHTEN AND BRIGHTEN THIS SPACE
GUEST BEDROOM BEFORE
USING HOMEOWNER'S FURNISHINGS WITH A DASH OF COLOR
GUEST ROOM AFTER STAGED TO SELL
For more information on Staged to Sell's services go to www.staged-to-sell.com. Staged to Sell services Castro Valley, San Leandro, Walnut Creek, Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Danville and the entire Alameda and Contra Contra Counties
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