Closet Makeover Tips

by Debra Rosser of Staging Matters
It is very likely that serious buyers will look in closets and open cabinet doors. The closets that look organized, clean and spacious make a great impression. Here are 6 things you should do to get a closet ready for viewers.

1. Remove about 1/2 of the clothes. If the closet is packed with clothes a buyer may think there isn't enough storage. Pack up clothes you don't need and get them to out of sight.

2. Clear the floors. The floor of your closet should be empty. Get things off the floor and then vacuum the carpet in the closet.

3. If possible use only one type of hanger. You can pick flocked, plastic, wood or wire but if you only use one kind it will add to the organized feel.
4. Get all dirty clothes out of sight. This isn't the time for people to see your dirty....socks. Get a basket with a lid and keep your hamper covered.
5. Keep the closet smelling fresh. Do laundry more frequently so dirty clothes don't give the closet a "smell". Add a box of baking soda to absorb odors, add some kind of room deodorizer and air out your closets.
6. Use baskets to store things on shelves and remember that the shelves shouldn't look "stuffed". Be sure about 1/3 of the shelves are empty.

Closets can convey to a buyer that a home is well maintained and cared for; that the owners are organized and therefore have probably taken care of the house. Getting the closets in order puts you closer to a sale and will make packing easier in the end.

New Preferred Realtor Program

Staging Matters has a new Realtor Program for preferred Realtors.  To get more information about this program please contact us at 469-322-9113 or by emailing debra@thestagingmatters.com.  Join this list today!  The Staging Matters.

Carpet in the Bathroom???

Question of the Week - answered by Debra from Staging Matters

How do buyers feel about carpet in the bathroom? Does a seller really need to change this out before putting their house on the market?

Old carpet in the bathroom is not going to do you any favors when your home is on the market. Most buyers see a project like this and really overestimate what it will take to fix it. A buyer may deduct $5000 from the asking price just to fix this and you could easily change it out for about $2/square foot. So by spending no more than a few hundred you would essentially make $4800. It is also important to know that in this buyer's market getting your house as close to "move in ready" as possible will speed up the sale of your home. To maximize your profitability research your Realtor and your Home Stager. You won't have to upgrade everything to get the most money for your house but a good Home Stager can really find a lot of hidden money in your property and most of our suggestions won't cost you a thing. The investment in a Home Stager is small and following their suggestions can easily can make you $10,000 or more. Professional Home Staging is always much cheaper than your first price adjustment!!!

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.


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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.