Why you MUST Stage Your Vacant House or Condo Before Listing

To a lot of people, Staging may seem frivolous. Many people think it is an unnecessary expense right before a potentially expensive move. But, Staging usually means a quicker sale for your home. And it might also mean that you avoid a price reduction – which could knock your list price down by $10k or more. But there are some other powerful reasons to hire a Home Stager, like….

1) No knick-knacks, no furniture, no style. Your buyers cannot emotionally connect with an empty property. Home Staging® can give an empty property enough of a soul to create a desire in buyers to make an offer.

2) Not all of us are gifted with the best sense of space. Rooms can look bigger, or SMALLER, without furniture. Some of your potential buyers won’t be able to properly imagine what the property will look like once it is furnished and decorated. Staging® sets the scene and gives the homebuyer an idea of whether that bedroom is capable of handling a queen or a king bed.

3) Realtors will tell you one little secret. At showings and open houses, buyers truly cannot see the full potential of an empty property. Vacant property generally does not sell for as high a price as an occupied and/or staged one. You can expect to recoup the cost of your Staging – and then some – in the offer price you receive on your home.

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

OUTSIDE! Don’t Forget Exterior Home Staging

BEFORE

AFTER

While we all desperately try to not “Judge a book by its cover,” often times we are victims of habit. The outside of your home is going to get scrutinized, no matter what you think. It’s the first thing your potential buyers will see – so remember that and make sure the shell shines! The inside of a house can look like a grand museum, but if the outside looks to rough around the edges – your potential buyer may not even get out of the car! (It’s true, my Realtor friends have told many stories of this happening.) Too often, shoddy exteriors make buyers keep on driving – right down the road to someone else’s property.

Some things to think about when Staging your front yard:

Power washing – Give the old homestead a nice bath! Everyone likes a clean house, inside and OUT!

Paint – A fresh coat of paint can add several thousand dollars to your asking price? Is that incentive enough?

Landscaping & Yard Care – Trim the trees and shape the hedges, keep your lawn mowed and presentable, plant seasonal flowers to spruce up your yard. An inviting entrance to your home starts with flora, so make sure your lawn really pops. And if you need the help of a professional landscaper, call them!

How about your backyard?
If you’re selling a 4-bedroom, 2.5 bath home in a coveted school district, it’s safe to assume your likely buyer will be a family. Consider a covered sand box or a swing set (in good shape, of course) and a sitting area from where you can watch the children. Adding child friendly items to a home is a simple way of letting a potential buyer know that this place is perfect for their family.

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

Home Staging on Steroids

Trying to sell a luxury home or perhaps just a neglected home? The bigger the home and the more neglected it has been, the more depressing it can seem if it is empty of furniture and in need of basic updates and human touches. If you are trying to sell a million dollar-plus property, or a property that has not been maintained well, you not only need Home Staging® – you need some Home Staging® on steroids!

These type of Staging® projects will nearly always require you to employ a professional to help with the project. It isn’t something I recommend doing on your own. Why? Funny you should ask, here are the top reasons that Home Staging® “on steroids” requires a master’s touch…

Project Management
You will need someone who can pull it all together. Some Home Staging® projects for large properties can be incredibly taxing undertakings. Managing the project – especially a big project – is a time intensive and labor-intensive task. The best Home Stagers have compiled their own teams of quality vendors to make such projects go smoothly for the homeowner including painters, electricians, countertop specialists, flooring experts, handymen, house cleaners and more.

Painting
What needs to be done to show off your incredible home? Maybe removing the 1984 wallpaper is a good start. How about the exterior, does it need some work? A professional Home Stager® will be able to suggest appropriate color schemes for your home.

Countertops
Don’t forget the countertops! Never forget the countertops! High-end, luxury homebuyers expect to see some fabulous surfaces in these kitchens.

Appliances
New appliances can increase your resale value IMMENSELY. Making sure they are the right appliances is a task left up to the experts. A good Home Staging® professional can help you navigate through the mire and find what will appeal to your potential buyers. That being said, your budget should always be top of mind with your Stager and will play a determining role in any appliance selections.

Flooring
From vinyl to carpeting to hardwoods, flooring issues can be a major squabbling point when dealing with potential buyers. Don’t let this happen to you. Call a professional carpet and rug cleaning company. Update the flooring or refinish the hardwoods if necessary. Again, your Stager should be able to help you find these service providers.

Fixtures
The devil is indeed in the details, and fixtures are the kind of details people notice. If your home is in a high-end area of town and/or listed for a high dollar value, you simply cannot show a home full of cheap fixtures. Take a strong critical eye – take a buyer’s eye -- to what you have in your home, and make sure that they are up to par. A professional Home Stager® can make sure the fixtures sing – and give your house the perfect finish.

Basic Repairs
Everything from making sure the faucet doesn’t drip to ensuring your door stops do their jobs; a good home Stager® will make sure all the little repairs are done around the house. When we live in a home every day, we sometimes forget the little dings, scrapes and scratches that have popped up from wear-n-tear. Your home Stager® can make sure everything is running smoothly and looking great.

Furniture Arrangement & Accessories
This is what we expect a Home Stager® to take care of when we put our home up for sale. Furniture can show off a space, giving a sense of the home, and really sell the spirit of any place. Accessories shouldn’t be forgotten either. The right artwork, rugs and accent pieces will help show your home’s character and turn a massive empty house into something that every buyer can imagine as theirs.

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

Tight budget? Staging is still possible

Even when operating on a small budget, you can still Stage® your home. You and your professional Stager have several options available to make a thrifty transformation happen to your property. Here are a few creative ideas that can help keep costs down.

Your junk is another person’s treasure – so sell it! Use your move as an opportunity to get rid of the clutter in your life. Take stock of your possessions and have a yard/garage sale. You will get rid of some unwanted merchandise, and make a little income to help with your Staging!

Perhaps some of your current pieces can work in your Staging process. Consider repurposing some old furniture or existing pieces you have in your home to work with your Staging set-up. For instance, take that old buffet to the extra bedroom and use it as a dresser. It might even be possible to borrow some pieces from a friend or relative. Consider cleaning old upholstery or using slipcovers to hide worn and damaged pieces. You’d wash your car before you tried selling it, wouldn’t you?

BEFORE

AFTER

Inexpensive accessories can add the right accent to your home without blowing your budget. Trust us, tablecloths are a girl’s best friend! A tablecloth over that beat up old table you thought was such a good buy on an overly optimistic day of garage-sale-ing during your college years gives the piece an up-to-date look for next to no expense. Tablecloths can also be used to recover Aunt Nancy’s faded brown corduroy chair. A few stick pins in the right place and voila – you have yourself a beautiful chair! Simple sheers on your windows will complete a room’s look; no need to go into debt purchasing expensive draperies. In your bathroom, it can be as simple as hanging a fresh, new, mildew-free shower curtain.

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

How Much Does it Cost to Stage My Home?

What does it cost? What is it going to cost me? How much?
These are the first three questions people ask when they have to consider any possible work action. It’s no different with home Staging. Once you have realized it is the smartest thing to do in your quest to sell your home – you might start to wonder what the cost will be…Here are a few considerations that you should maul over when you start to think of the budget.

1. Is your home occupied or vacant? This is a major factor…and will affect the cost either way. Empty homes are easier to stage, but nearly always require more heavy lifting, more furniture, more artwork and more accessories than occupied homes.


2. How large is the house? Bigger isn’t always better, but it is safe to assume that a larger home will require a proportionally larger investment in Staging. The more spaces to stage, the more time and effort required to properly complete the job, the more the Staging fee will be.


3. How much work is there to be done? This question goes hand-in-hand with the above issues. Home Staging can be incredibly labor intensive, and labor (and sweat) do deserve to be acknowledged and compensated.


4. How much furniture is needed? Again, this is a labor-intensive issue. Using items from the Stager’s inventory will result in a monthly fee that is dependent upon how much you need to use as well as the size, style and quality of pieces required.

Don’t let this post put you into a panic. The cost for home Staging always pays for itself – in a better sale price and a quicker sale. A good home Stager will absolutely work with you on your budget, and find a way to make your home shine. You won’t regret your decision. I’m just giving you these details as something to think about…something to remember when you are making the best decision of your home sale!

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

Some Tips When Choosing A Home Stager

Carol Schulenberg ASP, IAHSP
Ballantyne Home Staging
980.322.5825
carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

It is going to come as no shock to you if I tell you that today, it’s a buyer’s market. Not only is it one of the best market for buyers in years, they KNOW it is…Today’s home buyers are savvy, and the current economic condition has given them a lot of inventory.

If you are a seller, it is time to reach deep into your bag of tricks to find some magic to sweeten the sale of your property. Real estate experts all agree that the presentation of a home is just as important as choosing the right Realtor. It’s just not about repainting the kitchen any more; it’s much deeper than that…It is all about Home Staging®.

Whether the home needs just some small changes or perhaps a serious overhaul, Home Staging® can provide serious pack to your punch. In the hands of a smart Stager, you should be able to move your property much more quickly than your competition. But, all home Stagers are not created equal. So picking the right home Stager for you is critical.

While there are plenty of training programs, courses, and professional certifications offered to people interested in working in the Home Staging® field - there is no industry regulation. That means that whomever you choose could be a talented novice, expensive and awful, or gifted professional. With so much riding on the line, you have got to make SURE you pick the latter. Here are our tips to help select the right Home Stager:


1) The Price Is Right
Don’t think of the cost of Staging® as an expense, think of it as an investment. The cost of the Home Stager’s work should be reflected in your eventual sale price. Like anything in life, you generally get what you pay for- so choosing an experienced and efficient Stager®--who has successfully Staged® homes in your area and price range, will mean a higher cost then a novice. Remember that Home Staging® is a negligible expense compared to a price reduction.

2) Pro Versus Amateur
While it might be nice to go with your neighbor’s daughter or the unproven rookie, you might want to consider selecting a talented professional with a solid track record. Does the Home Stager® you picked have extensive practical experience? How many homes have they Staged®? You ideally want someone who has worked in your region with area Realtors, is capable of handling the entire Staging process, carries their own inventory and is insured. An experienced Home Stager® will have client testimonials and will gladly provide references.


3) Check out Their Stuff
Check out their website. If they don’t have a web presence, consider this a red flag. Does their website specifically detail the services they offer? Does the website provide you with customer testimonials? Do they have images and photographs of their own work? If their online presence is slim, make sure to check their physical portfolio and confirm that the work being shown is actually theirs.

4) Sign on the Dotted Line
Make sure that this process doesn’t end up a calamity; your Stager® should have a business license, carry business insurance, and provide you with a solid contract. If they do not, you may be held liable for any damage or injury that may occur during the Staging process. Your contract should detail all the work that will be done, both inside and outside of the house, and include a time frame.

5) Connection, Connection, Connection…
Take the time to meet with your possible candidate, and gauge the interaction. Often times this first step is the Staging Consultation. You want to make sure you hire someone you feel is honest and open with you and, naturally, you want someone you feel you can trust. We don’t have to be your future best friend, but the Stager should be a true professional, who will tactfully address any concerns a buyer will have with your home.

Carol Schulenberg ASP, IAHSP  | Ballantyne Home Staging | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com