Steffanie Danby

Several years back, during the high of the real estate market, "home staging" was not a term that most realtors and home owners were aware of. Now that the real estate market has hit an all time low, sellers and their agents are desperate to make their property stand out in the sea of competition. Sure, everyone knows to clean up the clutter, put the family photos away, and add some fresh flowers, but there is much more to home staging, especially when staging a vacant home.

Developers and builders have known the staging secret for years. The secret? A staged home will absolutely sell faster and for more money than a vacant home. Buyers who walk through a staged home envision themselves having dinner parties in the formal dining room, watching the big game in the media room, and cooking family dinners in the kitchen, all thanks to strategically placed furniture and accessories. I often say that this business is a bit like psychology. As a stager, it's my job to know what a buyer wants, and not just that one specific buyer, but ALL buyers. The furniture and accessories that I place into a vacant home need to appeal to the widest range of buyers possible. Cast the biggest net, and you'll catch the most fish!

When staging a vacant home, my goal is not to showcase the furniture and accessories that I bring into the home. My goal is to showcase the architectural details of the home. By adding the proper scale furniture to a room, that room can appear much larger than when the room is vacant. Using accessories atop larger pieces of furniture can move a buyer's eye up to notice a vaulted ceiling or detailed crown molding. Adding small accessories in a kitchen or bathroom can warm a naturally cold space, and keep a buyers attention long enough to notice the details that often times take hours to choose.

When I first began my career as a home stager (many years ago!), I met with a luxury custom home builder in the high-end suburb of Lake Forest, IL. His company had just finished building a $3 million, truly magnificent, spec home. He was VERY skeptical about staging and gave me a thousand and one reasons why staging was not right for his home...it would distract from the millwork, it would make the rooms appear smaller, it would scratch the floors, it would make the home feel cluttered, on and on.

I convinced him to take a chance, and let me stage the home. If he wasn't happy, or thought that any of his reasons held true, I would remove everything. I knew that the true test of this project was not just making him happy, but convincing him that staging was just as important as any other element in the building and selling process. Sure enough, the end result was fabulous, and resulted in multiple offers and a signed contract just days later. The best testimonial came from the family who purchased the home..."we had looked at over 40 homes in this area, and from the moment we walked in the door of this home, we immediately knew that this was the one our family was going to live in!" As for the skeptical builder, I not only gained his trust, but managed to sell him completely on the staging process, and we have gone on to work on over 10 projects together. He even claims that "he will never sell another house without first having it staged" and that, is the ultimate compliment!

I gave this presentation to the Wilmette, IL, Chamber of Commerce at the beginning of the Summer and have had several retailers ask for in-store consultations. Just proves that "staging" is not only beneficial to your home, but any place where you hope to attract "buyers!" Enjoy!

Create a Warm, Inviting and Profitable Retail Space: A Presentation for the Wilmette, IL, Chamber of Commerce

Think slow sales at your retail store are due to the recession? THINK AGAIN! It's true that most retailers are seeing slower sales in this tough economy, however, knowing how to increase your appeal, could be just the secret to coming out ahead. Understanding the psychology behind a buyer's thoughts is the key to drawing customers in, keeping them engaged, and making sure they return.

Step One: The Evaluation

In order to meet your customers' needs, it is important to conduct regular retail store evaluations. An objective assessment of your store can help you measure whether or not you are fulfilling your customers' expectations. Viewing your own store objectively might be difficult, so it's a great idea to bring in a fresh set of eyes by asking a friend or neighboring retailer to help you assess your space. Evaluate your store's exterior appearance, interior appearance, customer service, product offering, and traffic flow. Include questions about adequate lighting, overall store appearance, accessibility to products, ease of movement throughout the store, cleanliness, range of products, etc.

Step Two: Visual Merchandising

Creating an attractive product display can draw the customer in, promote a slow-moving item, announce a sale, or welcome a season. If your store front is fortunate enough to feature one or more windows, then you have one of the most proven (and least expensive) forms of advertising at your disposal. Knowing a few basics about visual merchandising (and a little trial and error) can help you to create effective visual displays. A few points to keep in mind: Use asymmetrical balance, rather than symmetrical, place largest objects in the display first, add color to help set the mood and feeling, create a focal point by using products, props/signage and background, use lighting to accent focal points. Most important, less is always more. By highlighting one or two products, instead of your whole store, you'll guide a buyer towards your products, instead of overwhelming them with your whole store. Be sure to photograph each display and keep them logged in a binder. If you are able, track sales of the feature product, so you'll know what will be successful in the future.

Step Three: Customer Friendly Displays

Win customers by using retail display systems that are customer friendly: In other words, harness the powerful psychology of shopping. Retail display systems should attract buyers and keep their attention as they wander through your store. By using interchangeable store fixtures, you can keep your store fresh, interesting and appealing. Be sure to choose fixtures that target your market and gear your layout and design around your clientele. For example, if your business sells children's goods, be sure that strollers can move throughout your store with ease. If you cater to petite customers, keep your displays lower to allow customers to easily reach all products. Lastly, don't overwhelm the customer with too much product. Add space between items, and create demand by replenishing items throughout the day, rather than placing everything out at one time.

Step Four: Loss Prevention and Recovery

The easiest way for retailers to discourage theft in a store is by taking away opportunities to steal. A little thought into the store's layout and design can prevent theft before a loss occurs. Not only is a tidy store more appealing to buyers, but it's a deterrent to thieves. By keeping your store neat and orderly, employees will notice missing items immediately, and shoplifters will be unable to discreetly hide packing and cluttered spaces. Mirrors can help to eliminate blind spots and by maintaining adequate lighting in all areas of the store, theft is sure to go unnoticed. Design your layout so that customers must pass the register and staff before exiting, and be sure not to display merchandise near store exits.

Step Five: Don't Turn Off Customers

As a retailer, you can't afford to turn off a single customer and image is everything. Keeping your store neat and clean is not only easy to do; it is generally an inexpensive way to attract customers and create a pleasant store atmosphere. Dirty bathrooms, messy dressing rooms, loud and offensive music, handwritten signs, stained floor or ceiling tiles, offensive odors, poor lighting, crowded isles, disorganized check-out counters and lack of shopping baskets or carts are all items that are sure to turn customers away from your store.

Just a few simple changes can bring in new customers, impress seasoned buyers, and give your store the fresh update necessary to stay ahead in this competitive market. For additional information, or to schedule a consultation in your store, please contact us!

For more information, or to schedule a retail consultation, contact Steffanie Dakis Danby at steffanie@thehomestagechicago.com or 847-251-9634

Yes, we all know the real estate market is in a slump...afterall, we hear it from the media on a daily basis! What we don't hear about are the great staging success stories that continue to help developers, builders, and the average joe sell their properties in a timely fashion.

Last June, I received a call from a large Chicago developer inquiring about staging a condo in a new hi-rise development on the Museum Park campus. This developer was used to spending tens of thousands of dollars on 'professionally designed' models, complete with built-ins, wallpaper, and tons of over the top features that most buyers had a hard time relating to (or wanting to pay for!). After an initial meeting, design boards, and a few more meetings, I was hired to create four models, each with a different look, for his new hi-rise development.

Just 2 weeks after the models were up and running, I received a call that one of the models had sold, and needed to be moved to another unit in the same tier. A week later, 2 more models had sold...and it continued from there. With each sold model, my assistant (aka: my Mom) and I would move the contents of the model (with the help of Brook Furniture Rental) to a new unit, and recreate the model for that floorplan. Unlike the 'professionally designed' models, the staged models were easy to move, easy for buyers to relate to, and easy to sell!

Cut to the chase...four models, and 365 days later, all 400 units - 1,2, and 3 bedrooms ranging in price from $350k - $950k - had SOLD!! In a sea of new developments, it became clear that this was a true success story! Check out some pictures below!!

"Contemporary Black and White"

"Asian Neutral"

"Nautical"

"Traditional"

For more information, or to view more before and after photos of these properties, and many more, visit my website at www.TheHomeStageChicago.com

If you think the real estate market is bad, you haven't been around a good stager!! This week alone, 3 of the 4 properties I staged in July, in the Chicagoland area, have gone under contract!!

The first, a $358K, 2 bedroom condo on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive, went under contract just 23 days after staging. The unit was fairly updated, and the owner had left a few random pieces of furniture to work with. By chosing more neutral paint colors and bringing in furniture and accessories to round out what the owner had left behind, the condo went from bland to SOLD!

The second property, a $2.5M new construction home in Northfield,IL, has been on the market for 3 years...yes, I said 3 years!! Ironically, the home was staged by another company, but the intrest level was low (probably because they used royal blue throughout the whole house!!). I staged the house in July, with a completely different perspective to the furniture placement and staging colors. Last week I received a call that the house was under contract!!

The third property, a villa in the Classic Residences by Hyatt, Glenview, IL, was staged in late July to help boost sales on the many villas available in this senior community. Today, I received a call that the model villa had sold, and a new model needed to be set.

Yes, this market is not ideal for most, but with proper staging, your property (like 3 of mine!) could have been under contract this month, as well!!

3200 N. Lake Shore Drive #1908 - Staged to Sold in 23 Days!

2271 Bracken Lane, Northfield - Days on Market prior to Staging=990, Days on Market after Staging=62