Patsy Overton

What is Home Staging? Home staging is the process of preparing a home for the market in such a way that it appeals to the widest possible audience. This is accomplished by depersonalizing, updating and neutralizing the space. It also encompasses minimizing the negative and emphasizing the positive elements of the house. Home staging transitions a dwelling from a home to a house to a product.

Home staging involves, in varying degrees, the following:

• decluttering
• removing personalized items
• neutralizing and color coordinating rooms
• rearranging furniture, rugs and accessories
• eliminating offensive odors
• ensuring that the home is clean

Shown below are a couple of before & after photos of a recently staged master bedroom:

These homeowners were dream clients. They knew the value of staging and did everything I requested. While clutter was not an issue, they did need to tear down the water bed and replace the furnishings with a nice bed and dresser from the back bedroom. They neutralized the paint color and updated the light fixture; then I brought in new bedding and accessories to complete the look. These photos illustrate the basics of home staging.

What is Redesign? Redesign is the process of decluttering, rearranging, and revitalizing the furnishings already in the home to make the best possible use of the space, streamline traffic flow, and showcase the home in the way that best suits the homeowner. Many times homeowners have beautiful furniture and accessories but simply don't know how to position or group them so that they work together to form a cohesive unit and are reminiscent of having the "designer" look.

The process of redesign is similar, in many ways, to home staging. The main difference in the two is that home staging neutralizes while redesign customizes.

Shown below are the steps used in redesign:

• Assess each room's purpose, problems and desired presentation
• Declutter
• Remove accessories
• Rearrange furniture and rugs to direct traffic patterns and give proper balance to the rooms
• Add accessories piece by piece, being careful not to "over dress"
• If necessary, bring in additional furnishings to complete the desired look

Here are before and after shots of a redesigned space:

This is a very spacious upstairs hallway which constitutes the children's wing of the home. Little girls' bedrooms, bathrooms and playroom all flow from this space; hence, the fluffy pink rug and hanging ballet costume. In the "before" photo to the left, there was not enough walking space. The two matching chairs were removed to the master bedroom and the bench was repositioned. The antique chest with mirror was taken from a bedroom and placed at the end of the hall to give that space a focal point. The ballet costume helped lighten the feel of the heavy antique piece and added a bit of whimsey. The blue and pink victorian paintings were found in a closet downstairs and appropriately hung. For the finishing touches, I added a plant and brought in the pink rug. This space was totally personalized; not so much to the individuals but to the hallway's surroundings.

In addition to simply wanting that "designer" look, there is another purpose for redesign. It involves people who are experiencing life's transitions.

Consider the following situations:

• Setting up a household in a new home
• Downsizing due to an empty nest
• Melding two family units together
• Downsizing for the elderly moving into assisted living quarters
• Adding furniture or antiques which were recently inherited
• Removing childhood furniture to repurpose living space

Whether you are moving or staying, upsizing or downsizing, Stage, Show & Sell Home Staging Company is here to serve you with all of your staging and redesign needs.

10. You've applied for a makeover on Clean House, but they won't touch it.

9. You want to sell your home quickly and for top dollar!

8. You have money to burn and can't think of any other way to spend it.

7. You tried to flip you house, but it flopped.

6. It's been 15 years since you've seen your countertops.

5. Your neighbor's home was Staged and sold for the Staged list price!

4. You lost an expensive piece of jewelry and need someone to help you find it.

3. You've seen all the Staging shows on TV but still can't do it yourself.

2. You want to get back at the decorator who brought all this stuff into your home to begin with.

1. You know that Staging doesn't cost... it pays!!!

Let Stage, Show & SELL prepare your home for opening night.

770-843-2307

A couple of weeks ago I blogged Part I of "Is That the Before or After Shot?" To refresh your memory, here it is again. I'm now blogging Part II because many of you asked to see the "after" shot. If you remember the text, just scroll on down to the photos. Stage, Show & Sell continues to clobber the clutter, one room at a time.

In the summer of 2007 my friend, Sam, and I had just become accredited home stagers. Through a friend of hers, we procured a "freebie" staging job and were ready to set the Atlanta home staging market on fire! We went in to the home, staged all the rooms we could in the 3 hours we had that morning, took a few photos, and left. Now we had our own pictures to start a staging portfolio!

Shortly after that, she was sitting down with another couple, anxious to flip through our portfolio to show them our beautiful work, when she turned to the first "after" picture and the husband asked, "Is that the before or after shot?" She is no longer staging with me. The last time I saw her she was selling boiled peanuts on the side of the road.

I was just blogging with a new friend from California when I was reminded of this story. It seems she just completed a staging job where they have BEAUTIFUL sculptured blue carpet in the family room. She posted the photo and asked, "Does this room look staged to you?" What a hoot!

What about the shot below? Is that the before or after picture? And the next one???

I had a call from an agent a few weeks ago requesting a bid to stage the townhome he had recently listed. The homeowner's budget was limited (as usual) and there were few options. I mentioned that vignette staging seemed to be the only way to go, but that I was, in principle, opposed to it. The reason is that I have seen too many "tacky" vignette stagings gone wild and I think the work is seen as "less than" staging. That is certainly how I viewed it.

In order to clarify, my definition of "vignette staging" is using only lightweight pieces of furniture (nothing that would have to be rented), a blow-up camper bed (which, in the past, I have said I would NEVER use), and light accessories. You may have a different definition, but that's mine.

Back to the matter at hand... In this particular situation, I really thought vignette staging would work; mainly because this was a small townhome and there was no question the home would show better with even light furnishings Therefore, I tossed my preconceived notions about vignette staging out the window and plunged ahead. Here are the results:

Although this home has not yet gone under contract, it's only a matter of time, as it has had a good level of activity.

I still think vignette staging will only work in certain situations, but for this homeowner, it will definitely help him get to the closing table.

Okay, there it is. I've put it out there. The burning question that's on every stager's mind. First, let me explain my position and where I'm coming from.

Two years ago I became a licensed agent. I immediately signed up with a local RE office and began my work as a Realtor. In the meantime, I realized quickly that what I REALLY wanted to do was to stage homes. So once I settled into the RE routine, I set out to become an accredited stager. I've been working as such ever since and have never looked back. RE is not my calling; staging is. The point I'm making is that I know the business from both sides.

I don't know that I've ever run across an agent who doesn't "get" staging, although I hear that comment from time to time. They typically know all the benefits - that their listings will show better, the homes will sell quicker and for more money, the agent will become known in the area as being the one whose listings ALWAYS look great, etc. - so with all that being the case, why do you not partner with a stager on all your listings?

Based on your comments and answers, I would like to compile a list of the top 10 reasons agents DO and DO NOT use stagers for their listings. In doing so, hopefully we will be able to bridge the gap between the two services - selling and staging - and work together more frequently in such a way as to benefit not only agents and stagers, but also the homeowners! After all, it's all about getting the home sold, right?

In closing, I'm leaving you with a couple of before and after shots of a recent staging project. Thanks in advance for your input!