St. Louis Real Estate - Home Staging - BLING

Home Staging…It’s NOT Just About Vacant Houses!

Home Staging is the process of preparing a home for sale, regardless of price, location, or condition (Barb Schwarz, Creator of the Staging Concept).

From my experience as an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP), I continually receive inquiries for Home Staging Services, predominantly for vacant homes. I love staging vacant homes! It provides me with a “blank palate” to be creative in using my professional staging skills to define space and function of rooms and areas, as well as accentuating the special features of a house for sale.

BUT…there is so much MORE that Home Staging Services can offer Realtors and Home Sellers at affordable costs which can really impact the overall appearance of the house.

My favorite Home Staging Service to provide to Realtors and their Home Sellers is a Verbal Staging Consultation. Within my business, the dollar investment for this Home Staging Service typically ranges from $75-$150 and the time investment for the Home Seller is typically 1-2 hours. As an ASP Stager, when I meet motivated Home Sellers who are receptive to making changes in their home to present it in the Best Possible Showing Appearance, this type of consultation is all they need!

A Verbal Home Staging Consultation begins by sharing the general concepts of Home Staging. Then, the Home Seller is encouraged to grab a pen and paper and we are off! Looking at each room and/or area of the house, general and specific staging recommendations are shared and the reasons for the recommendations…furniture re-arrangement, de-cluttering, defining space and function, accentuating special features…ideas are quickly shared with the Home Sellers to changes that will appeal to a wide range of potential buyers.

What I have overwhelmingly found after these Verbal Staging Consultations is that this affordable, 1-2 hour consultation really helps Home Sellers to look at their home in a different way….through the eyes of potential buyers. I find that the majority of my clients understand why I made recommendations and after I leave they make the changes. The results…on a revisit that I make (at no extra charge), my clients have typically made dramatic changes through their own staging that I feel, as a professional, presents their home in a much better showing appearance. Some of my clients’ staging work looks as if a professional stager had completed the project!

As a Realtor or Home Seller, have you considered contacting an ASP Stager for a Verbal Staging Consultation? If so, did it help, did it make a difference in the overall appearance of the house? If not, WHY NOT? It’s affordable, it’s valuable information, and a consultation such as this is just another step to getting your house in the Best Possible Showing Appearance!

Bling The pictures on the MLS will look their best as well, drawing potential buyers to make that appointment to view the house in person.

Home owners, if you are considering placing your home on the market, consider a Staging Consultation from an ASP Stager. If you already have your home on the market and it is has not sold…it is never to late to stage your home, consider a Staging Consultation as well.

Realtors…consider using an ASP Stager to offer additional value services to your clients, whether you pay for the Staging Consultation yourself or refer your clients to an ASP Stager.

Your staging professional, Sue. Remember New Conventional Wisdom: What sells a house?…
Price, Location, Condition, Best Possible Showing Appearance, and Great Internet Marketing!

Need to find an Accredited Staging Professional in your area? Want to find out more consumer-related information regarding Home Staging? I encourage you to visit www.stagedhomes.com, www.westagestlouis.com, or feel free to contact our staging team at homestaging@stlouisrealestatevoice.com.

Tags: St.+Louis+Real+Estate, Home+Staging, Vacant+homes, ASP+Stager

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 at 7:29 am and is filed under For Sellers, Home Staging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Home staging can be very important for those homes where the home owner does not have a concept of what is generally appealing to people. This becomes even more important in a highly competitive market where you need every edge you can get.

Comment by Hopkinton MA Realtor — March 23, 2008 #