David Peterson ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Synergy Staging ~ Portland Oregon

We recently had the opportunity to stage an occupied house in Portland two times and thought we'd pass along some interesting things we experienced.

Last year we were asked to do a consult and staging at a small occupied home in NE Portland. Here are a few before and after pics from the first staging.

Bedroom used as a dining room

Second bedroom used an office

The main level had a living room, two bedrooms (see above), a bathroom and kitchen. The lower level was a fully remodled daylight basement that was the master suite and bath. The problem was there was no actual dining room, only a tiny nook in the kitchen.

After much debate, the owners decided that keeping the dining room (in the bedroom) as they had it was how it would be staged. While this layout worked great for the couple who lived there, the floorplan was a challenge for potential buyers. We added a lounger in the office since the owner worked at home and needed to keep the office space as is.

The home was on the market for five months with no offers. Granted, the asking price was too high according to the owners, but nonetheless, not even an offer.

They finally decided to stay put and take the home off the market. Fade to black...

... or so we thought.

Three months later we got a call from the owners saying they'd bought a house in Lake Oswego and needed to sell as quickly as possible. This time it was decided to stage what had been the dining room as a bedroom. And the asking price was more realistic with the current market.

A full price offer was accepted in one week!

So was it the bedroom or the price? We'll never know for certain - but it was an interesting experience being able to stage the same space twice with vastly different end results.

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This occupied home was professionally staged by Synergy Staging. Join the Realtors, Investors, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company. For more tips or to see our latest home staging projects, read our Portland Home Staging Blog and visit us on Facebook. Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster in 2010.

Every year in Portland the Home Builders Association presents the Ultimate Open House New Home Tour designed for homeowners interested in new construction. This year our staging company staged one of the featured homes on the tour. A small percentage of homes on the tour are staged, but more were staged this year than in previous years which is an encouraging sign. Making a new home look it's absolute best by helping buyers visualize how they can live in the home helps a property stand apart from others on the market.

Here was the challenge -- the home looked like this ten days before we were scheduled to stage it! No flooring, counters, lights, tile, and the list went on!

Everything had to go exactly as scheduled in order to pull it off. We had confidence in our clients as they are wonderful builders and guaranteed it would be ready. The cleaners were coming in on Thursday and Friday. We were given access on Friday at 2:00 p.m. and the Open House Tour started Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. There was no room for error!

Here are some before and after photos:

Needless to say, everything went perfect and was finished on time. Now we are hoping for a quick sale! For additional before and after photos please see our Staging Portfolio.

Here are a few more larger photos of the finished staging:

For more information about this property please contact
Candy Wright of Meadows Group, Inc. Realtors at 503-313-2794

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This new single family home was professionally staged by Synergy Staging. Join the Realtors, Investors, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company. For more tips or to see our latest home staging projects, read our Portland Home Staging Blog and visit us on Facebook. Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster in 2010.

Some Realtors and Sellers view home staging as a luxury item for high end properties. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Staging a property in this market is proving to be successful time and time again. Home stagers can work with the budgets of most owners and enhance a property so it shows its absolute best. Whether you have a property in the 5 figures or 7 figures, home staging is an investment that will help your home sell quicker and for more money.

This condo unit in the Sunset Meadows neighborhood of Portland that Synergy Staging recently staged is listed at only $139,000.00. Staging this unit helped it stand out from the rest of the competition in the same complex.

For more information about this property please contact
Diana Hinrichs of Oregon First at 503-475-7892

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This condo unit was professionally staged by Synergy Staging. Join the Realtors, Investors, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company. For more tips or to see our latest home staging projects, read our Portland Home Staging Blog and visit us on Facebook. Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster in 2010.

These are actual photos from the RMLS!

It's hard to believe, but these are two examples of how some properties in Oregon are being marketed. What about these pictures would make anyone want to come see these houses in person? It's hard to believe that a Realtor would put these blurry, unappealing photos on line when they are supposed to be experts at marketing a property. I don't even know what the picture on the right is supposed to be!

A home is typically seen as our most expensive asset, yet time and time again when sellers put their houses on the market, we see poor quality photos of empty rooms or cluttered spaces. What benefit is it to anyone if the home doesn't look its best?

When selling a car we get it detailed and make it shine, but then don't treat our homes the same way? When grocery shopping we look for the most appealing fruits and vegetables in the produce section, yet expect home buyers to have lower expectations?

Investing in professional staging guarantees your house will look its best and give it the competitive edge necessary in the real estate market.

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Below are photos of a single family home in Portland, Oregon that Synergy Staging recently staged. The Master Bedroom particularly stood out to us when it was empty due to its cold feel and lack of any emotional connection. White walls never help a space feel warm and inviting, and the dark brown curtains became the focus of the room with nothing else to draw the eye.

Fortunately this seller understood the importance of having a home show its very best before putting it on the market. By staging the room with warm colors and helping buyers envision how they could live in the space, the room came to life and in turn, increased the value of the property. Listing the property after it was staged, with professional photos, resulted in a positive outcome. The home had an accepted offer only two weeks after it was listed.

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This home was professionally staged by Synergy Staging. Join the Realtors, Investors, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company. For more tips or to see our latest home staging projects, read our Portland Home Staging Blog and visit us on Facebook. Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster in 2010.

Every house that we stage has its own unique character and feel that inspires our staging design. Home staging can help a property look its best in many ways.

This single family home in Portland that Synergy Staging recently staged was a fairly large house, but many of the rooms were quite small. Had this house been left vacant, potential buyers would have been left guessing how to arrange their furniture. Worse yet, some would just give up and not even consider the house as an option.

The picture below left is the view from the front door and the picture on the right is the reverse angle. A very narrow living room / dining room combination. Not only is the space small, but the fireplace and mantle are very color specific.

The same views after staging the home shows buyers how they can have the feel of two separate rooms in this small space.

No matter what style, condition, price range, or location your home is in - a professional home stager will help your home show in the best possible way and appeal to the broadest range of potential buyers.

We'll be posting more pictures of this property very soon, including another look at some of Nik's original artwork.

For more information about this property please contact
Diana Hinrichs of Oregon First at 503-475-7892

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This home was professionally staged by Synergy Staging. Join the Realtors, Investors, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company. For more tips or to see our latest home staging projects, read our Portland Home Staging Blog and visit us on Facebook. Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster in 2010.