realtors“Staging Is No Longer a Luxury… It is An Essential”
Grand Tour Magazine
March 5, 2007
Deborah Fabricant
In today’s market, the name of the game is who can make the best impression the fastest to get that sale. Last year, when we were riding the crest of the wave in the real estate market, homes were selling like hot-cakes, sometimes within hours of being listed: an over-inflated market where those in search of a home thought if they didn’t get it NOW, they would lose out. Well, folks, those days are gone, gone, gone. The market today is a “normal” market, where homes may be on the market for 30-90 days, and often longer. So, what is everyone doing to capture the attention of the homebuyer? Everything from offering new cars, flat-screen T.V’s and trips, to the all-important and essential staging.
First of all, take a look at an empty home. It looks lonely, distressed, giving off the impression the owners just want to dump it ….fast! Empty homes have no soul, emotion or feeling and worst of all, the prospective buyer may not be able to visualize what their new house might look like. That, my friends, is where the expert stager becomes your friend. The average homebuyer doesn’t have the imagination to see how a house could look.
When a stager comes in they might do a “full-service” staging complete with paint, new fixtures, landscaping, window treatments and refinishers to scrape off the cottage cheese ceilings as well as installing rugs, furniture, mirrors, gallery-style artwork, luxury linens and soaps. Transforming a home in 2-3 days can reap huge financial benefits.
The Art of Home Staging has tackled homes that have been on the market for as long as a year, re-decorating interiors, adding exterior beauty, and watching the property sell within days of the transformation.
Proper staging isn’t just about installing furniture, the belief of most sellers and agents, but rather the complete transformation of a property. One mistake many sellers and agents make is taking the less expensive staging bid, often from a “B” staging company. Let’s take a look at the difference between an “A” stager and a “B” stager.
A “B” stager is less expensive, often trying to get away with the bare essentials in staging a property. They often use less expensive furniture, poor-quality linens and towels, plastic food on the table and a design that might look thrown together, in other words, no finesse or finish. They might drive the price down to compete with other stagers, often cutting corners in the process. They may only spruce things up or just re-arrange the furniture. The owner might look at the less expensive bid and think they are getting a good deal, but Buyer Beware! With “B” stagers you will most likely get what you paid for.
An “A” stager will give you personal service, beautiful fabrics, luxury linens and towels, gorgeous arrangements, gourmet vinegar jars on marble trays in the kitchen, fresh fruit on the counter, music, candles and even a complete wine-cellar, if called for. They will hold your hand through the process of “editing” you home. They will go the extra mile by installing potted specimen plants, flowers in the patio, outdoor dining rooms, fountains, wine cellars or home theaters. An “A” stager is a full-service stager, who will not leave a job half-finished or poorly executed. They will stay until it is perfect.
Low-end or “B” stagers charge between $500 and $8000, depending on the extent of the job and the size of the home. High-end or “A” stagers however, can easily charge from $10,000 to $50,000 (including the rental of their private furniture inventory), a design fee and may sell the furniture placed in a home for upwards of $100,000. And, while this seems an outrageous price, statistics point out that in a sluggish market, where $1 million-plus homes are moving slowly, it is an essential insurance policy, assuring the seller that the home is going to sell 30% faster and often for over-asking.
The Art of Home Staging works on homes $2 million and up. We are based in Los Angeles, install homes all over southern California and have branched out into Arizona where we recently staged two custom multi-million dollar estates. We take our job very seriously and make sure the home looks perfect when we close the door—even if it means buying 5-6 cases of wine to enhance a wine cellar. Our pledge to the homeowner and the real estate agent is that we do not leave a job unless it is right, no matter what. Being a “boutique” or “A” stager, we take only one job at a time, paying close attention to detail when it comes to furniture, artwork, rugs, accessories, linens and landscape. Our mission is to provide the seller with the utmost in personal service, attention to the details of design and installation, use luxury fabrics and linens and be available for consultation throughout the selling process, assuring you, the seller, and your agent of a positive outcome. When it comes to home staging, think of it as an investment or a savings account. The final outcome is money in your pocket.
To learn more about The Art of Home Staging, visit our website
www.TheArtOfHomeStaging.com