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I am in the running for getting a listing and one of my thoughts was whether or not to do virtual staging. The house is over 200 years old and the current owners have lived there for 40 years, so it really looks like Grandmas house. The kitchen is decent, updated about 10 years ago but the furniture is old.
Has anyone ever had a company 'delete' the current furniture and 'add' more modern with updated wall colors etc?
They are not able to move out nor stage with regular furniture in exchange for what they have.
Many MLS policies prohibit this or at least require an "identfying banner" on image that was digitally manipulated in ways other than exposure adjustment. I support such policies.
In a way there is an element of this like being on "ebay" and seeing somebody trying to sell a used item with some "stock photo" that says "image used for representational purposes only, item you receive may not be in identical condition" -- except there is NO SUCH THING as a "stock photo" of a 100 year old house. Heck there is not really any such thing as "stock photo" of a brand new tract house -- the builder usually loads up the "model" with all kinds of "upgrades" and gets it professional lit / photographed.
The other aspect that MikeJaquish touches on equally valid -- psychologically people are going to feel like you are pulling a "bait & switch" -- even if the "updated furniture" is clearly not part of the deal (nor the old furniture...) people that view the home online / in digitally enhanced images are going to have a sense of disappointment that reality is not living up to the promise.
Try to get the sellers to pare down and do the best of de-cluttering if you can't get them to agree to put their stuff "in storage" for a real professional stager...
Totally agree with Mike. Buyers will be expecting the home to look in a certain way and will be shocked when they see something else. It puts you in a negative light as an agent and I don't think you want to start negotiations that way.
Ah, sorry, neglected to mention that I would most definitely market the house with current furniture (as I wouldn't want to misrepresent the home) but wondered whether I could add a 'click here to see what you can do with home' type of feature so buyers who are not creative can see what modern furniture and a touch of paint can do ...to help them visualize it. Kinda like when there is a 360 degree option, or a video option etc.
I am appreciative of your responses and wonder about Mike's comment about mood swing....maybe it would confuse buyers or highlight the negatives, which is not my intention.
Ah, sorry, neglected to mention that I would most definitely market the house with current furniture (as I wouldn't want to misrepresent the home) but wondered whether I could add a 'click here to see what you can do with home' type of feature so buyers who are not creative can see what modern furniture and a touch of paint can do ...to help them visualize it. Kinda like when there is a 360 degree option, or a video option etc.
I am appreciative of your responses and wonder about Mike's comment about mood swing....maybe it would confuse buyers or highlight the negatives, which is not my intention.
Hmmm...definitely rethinking.
Thanks all!
Mike means that people enter a home with certain expectations developed through good marketing, and that showing something different than the photos, something definitely downscale, may bust their bubble.
You dealt with that concern by mentioning that you would do a well-labeled parallel presentation of potential decor, and that seems a little better.
As I was reading the first three responses, I was thinking that perhaps you could do "before and after" representations. Something like: "Use your imagination as to how you can update this vintage home".
But then I read that that is exactly what you envisioned doing. It's different--and I don't see much downside--so I think it's worth giving it a try. (Provided, of course, that the "after" images look decent. Doing so would be beyond my expertise. )
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen123RE
Ah, sorry, neglected to mention that I would most definitely market the house with current furniture (as I wouldn't want to misrepresent the home) but wondered whether I could add a 'click here to see what you can do with home' type of feature so buyers who are not creative can see what modern furniture and a touch of paint can do ...to help them visualize it.
The problem is that most buyer's agents are lazy and won't click an outside virtual tour link.
Shoppers don't click either.
Both agents and shoppers only look at MLS default photos 99% of the time. Believe me, I have ip address logging on my virtual tour weblinks, and almost no one clicks. My only visitors are the search engine robots, and maybe <10 real people.
However, I think it is a good way for you to increase your chance of winning the listing, even if the virtual staging won't do squat in practice.
It can be done (google:virtual home staging) but I just keep thinking of several people I met via online dating sites who looked nothing like their 15 year old picture!
If you can do it in a way to avoid the "OMG you are such a loser/liar" effect, then I'd consider it.
I hope that if I do find a way to do it that potential buyers aren't disappointed!! )
Thank you so much everyone for your responses. I will see if it pans out and let you know. May be too difficult for me to work with and too expensive to pay someone if, as oh come on says, the link wouldn't be used. Worth exploring further though...
Thanks guys!
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