Preparing for a Stager's Visit

Do you clean before the housekeeper comes over? I do. I act like a crazy woman insisting that every tiny thing finds its place. This week was no exception. I gave out the orders and did the inspections. Now you should know that the young woman who cleans my house doesn't speak my language but always finds a way to communicate. She would laugh if she could see all of us running up and down the stairs getting everything just so. She is so important to me (and my sanity) though that I don't want to stress her out by making her "figure out" where things go.

It occurs to me that some of my clients must do this before I come over. In fact, once every couple of weeks someone postpones our meeting for a week or so because the "house isn't ready". When you really think about it

Staged Homes Sell 78% Faster According to RESA

The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) just released the 2009 Staging Statistics Report. RESA found that last year staged homes spent 78% less time on the market. To a seller this means you save thousands for every month your house is not on the market, and it means the stress of living with a house on the market is much shorter. These are just a few of the benefits of staging and they can really add a lot of money to your bottom line.

Here is just some of the information contained in the report.

The study includes 87 vacant homes (not staged) previously on the market an average of 277 days unsold. Those homeowners had their properties staged. Those same homes sold in 63 days on average after staging. This is 78% less time on the market.
The study includes 39 occupied homes (not staged) previously on the market an average of 233 days unsold. Those homeowners had their properties staged. Those same homes sold in 53 days on average after staging. This is 78% less time on the market.The report goes on to talk about just how much money a homeowner actually saves by staging.

Our study shows 126 homeowners had their property on the market on average of 263 days before they decided to stage. 263 days = 9 months!!!
Our study also shows 284 homes that were staged before they went on the market and they sold on average in 40.5 days. This is approximately 223 days less time on the market.
223 days = 7 months
As an example, using this formula you can determine approximately how much money you will continue to spend while your home is on the market un-staged.

If your mortgage is : $1800.00
If your direct expenses are: $300.00                                     
Total carrying cost per month: $2,100.00
Our study shows home owners had their property on the market for an average of 9 months. $2,100.00 X 9 months = $18,900.00 in expenses.Had those homeowners staged first, their time on market would have been cut by 223 days on average (7 months). $2,100.00 x 7 months= $14,700.00
Staging their homes first would have saved them $14,700.00.These numbers are all relative to individual mortgage and expenses. Use this simple formula to determine how much you will save by staging your home or listing before putting it on the market:
Mortgage + expenses (utilities etc.) = Monthly expenses
Monthly expenses X 9 months (avg. time un-staged) = Cost to list house un-staged
Savings: Expenses x 7 months (average time on market reduced) –staging fee =Savings if you stage your house first!
** If you have a price reduction you can also add that into the loss you are taking by listing a property un-staged

The report goes on then to talk about the Homegain study. You can read the full RESA report here.


http://documents.clubexpress.com/documents.ashx?key=C6oaURUx%2brGhWGW3tE37ikHNu7%2fGqODUv0MjnXT9TTfufcNGMndF4x5%2fctNsrrSkpXgU5b16p4CbW1%2fWL%2bt9GFlDkDcUJelPdFoI%2fqlQFOs%3d

Musings of an Open House Junkie: Part One

by Debra Rosser with Staging Matters

I visit Open Houses in Flower Mound, Coppell, Argyle, Highland Village, and other North Texas cities very regularly. I do this for several reasons. I need to be very clear about what my clients’ competition looks like; I need to know which Realtors are consistently presenting properly staged homes and identify those that could use some help, but most honestly I am just addicted to seeing how other people live. Sometimes I see something in pictures that I just feel like I need to see in person.
Recently I was looking at some homes in my area that were for sale in the $700,000 price range. The first house I looked at was obviously staged and I’d have to admit the Stager had done a great job …until I went upstairs.

Musings Continued: Part Two

The second home I looked at was occupied. The homeowners I suspect had followed their Realtor’s advice about decluttering and cleaning. The Realtor showing the house was very professional and sharp. The sellers had made a great decision in hiring her. The problem was that in this price range the competition is most often professionally staged. The competition is steep; the most beautiful and pristine house usually sells first. If this house was staged it wasn’t staged well or the homeowners hadn’t done everything the stager had suggested. Every closet door was ajar to encourage buyers to feel free to look…the problem was every closet was messy and crowded. They had stopped short and I felt the disappointment.

Top Ten Reasons You Should Professionally Stage Your Home

There are some important principles sellers need to understand in order to get the most out of staging. This article from a Philadelphia Real Estate source is right on track. Enjoy!

http://alturl.com/xh4a

please check with a tax professional in your state to see how this would or would not apply to your situation