Does Your House Need A Fairy Godmother?

Would the prince have given Cinderella a second look if he had met her tending the hearth in her step-mother's home? Would her worn-out dress or the cinders on her cheeks have appealed to him? Doubtful. What would have happened if Cinderella never made it to the ball that night? The prince would have selected another wife. I'm not even going to wonder about the "happily ever after" part.

Is your house languishing on the market?


Could it be like Cinderella--not even getting a second look? Drab interiors, dated kitchens and baths, rooms that don't evoke "wow's". Is it overlooked in the sea of other houses on the market vying for buyers? Are other homes selling, but yours is not getting any offers?

In the fable, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother appears and, with the simple waves of her magic wand, transforms Cinderella from a cinder-covered lass into a beautiful fair maiden. Let's face it, the Fairy Godmother was astute at marketing--the right dress, hair, make-up, and let's not forget those glass slippers. No detail was left to chance--she even saw to the carriage, horses and footmen. And it worked. Cinderella walked into the ball, the prince was mesmerized by her stunning beauty and imagined . . well, her being his wife and the mother of all the future princes. He fell head over heels in love at that moment.

Isn't this what you want prospective buyers to do when they see your house--fall head over heels in love with it? Do you need a Fairy Godmother to help get your home sold in this market? While we all know that they don't exist, the next best thing is a professional home stager.

Astute at marketing, a professional home stager understands who is most likely to buy your home and "packages" it accordingly. Just like a Fairy Godmother, no detail is left to chance. They select the right wall colors, arrange furniture to showcase the space, add accessories to make rooms more inviting, and consult with you on other changes that will transform your house into a home fit for a prince!

It's your choice--cinders or the prince. If you are interested in "happily ever after", consult with a professional home stager in your area today.

Sell Higher | Sell Faster | Sell Smarter

Ballantyne Home Staging

Charlotte, NC

NOTE: This article is reposted with the permission of Janet Jones, Just Your Style Interiors, LLC, Kihea, Hawaii.

www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

CBS News Today --- Staging: Home sellers' secret weapon

This Sunday's video on Home Staging has people talking, and I can see why.  First off, I've never known any Stager who was paid $30,000 to Stage a house.  Not to say homeowners don't some times need to make improvements to their home that can add up -- but the Stager does not get paid for this work, the contractors do.  More about this below.

Although I don't agree with everything that was said, I do agree with this:  Home Staging is a home seller's not-so-secret-weapon for getting their home sold faster and for a higher price.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366894n

I wonder if it is geographical differences because my friends in the business in other markets, including Chicago, can certainly charge more for their service than we can here in Charlotte.  For this reason, I wasn't too thrilled with the over generalized statement that "home staging costs about 3% of the listing price."  The cost to Stage can vary wildly.  My guess is that when this statement was made, they were including all  the expenses of getting a home ready for the market, including painting, flooring, repairs and upgrades.

Although I've seen statistics stating that Home Staging costs can range from .5% to 3% of listing price, I honestly don't know any Home Stager who bids their jobs based upon a percentage of the listing price. It's more about where the house is located, whether it is a vacant home staging or an occupied home staging, the houses's condition, the style of the house, and and how many rooms are to be staged that factor into the cost of real estate Staging.

What I LOVE about this broadcast segment is the Chicago real estate agent, Ian Schwartz, who said, "You have 2 choices, either stage it or not. And if the answer's "not", I'm not working with you". He states that he cannot waste time on ugly houses and doesn't want to have to apologize for any of his listings. So, "Bravo" Ian Schwartz! Ian is one of the top real estate agents in the Chicago area, and now we know why.

So thank you, CBS Sunday Morning for informing home sellers of the importance and benefits of having your home professionally staged. Yes, hiring a professional home stager and hiring the right real estate agent are definitely a home seller's not-so-secret weapons when selling a home!



www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com