staging an empty house

[katie45]

If I were looking to rent (or buy); I would prefer to see the unit without furniture because I can see if there's carpet/floor damage; wall damage, etc.

Perhaps it's just easier for me; but I can mentally picture how my furniture would look and/or fit in a room when it's empty. And I'm not swayed by furniture or plants in a 'model' unit.

If I smell air fresheners; I'm concerned about how clean it is because "clean" shouldn't have odor. I don't like chemical-based air fresheners anyway.

[jamies]

I understand your points Katie. For some reason most properties show better and sell or rent quicker with furniture. Most people simply aren't able to visualize a space unless you define it for them. Like in 3 bdrms I "define" one room as an office, and one as either a kids or a guest bedroom depending on the demographic I'm trying to attract.

And I have several units with poor entry design. The difference between showing the unit vacant and with a "small" sofa and flat screen on the wall, shows the tenant how they can make the space work. Otherwise they have a room with a door and a sliding door and sort of an open who knows what area that's supposed to be the dining "room" and nobody can figure out where to put the furniture. So I show them how it's "supposed" to work.

Regarding air fresheners. In rentals it's almost impossible to get odors completely out short of a total remodel each time. Especially if the property is closed up for a few weeks while waiting for a renter. I find the vanilla sweetens the air. I don't like the "bathroom" type fresheners either.

Also - point of staging, especially for sale is to distract the buyer from the building to the decor. It's all marketing. People can't see the forest for the trees if the trees are placed right.

Try it. Sometime go "open housing," when you are looking at empty units you tend to walk on through and you look at the floors, and into the corners and the window sills - you are LOOKING for flaws. If it's staged you feel like you are furniture shopping and forget the point is the house and the tendence is to ignore any definencies. "Oh we can fix that later - look at this beautiful lamp."

[katie45]

Originally Posted by jamies

I understand your points Katie. For some reason most properties show better and sell or rent quicker with furniture. Most people simply aren't able to visualize a space unless you define it for them. Like in 3 bdrms I "define" one room as an office, and one as either a kids or a guest bedroom depending on the demographic I'm trying to attract.

And I have several units with poor entry design. The difference between showing the unit vacant and with a "small" sofa and flat screen on the wall, shows the tenant how they can make the space work. Otherwise they have a room with a door and a sliding door and sort of an open who knows what area that's supposed to be the dining "room" and nobody can figure out where to put the furniture. So I show them how it's "supposed" to work.

Regarding air fresheners. In rentals it's almost impossible to get odors completely out short of a total remodel each time. Especially if the property is closed up for a few weeks while waiting for a renter. I find the vanilla sweetens the air. I don't like the "bathroom" type fresheners either.

Also - point of staging, especially for sale is to distract the buyer from the building to the decor. It's all marketing. People can't see the forest for the trees if the trees are placed right.

Try it. Sometime go "open housing," when you are looking at empty units you tend to walk on through and you look at the floors, and into the corners and the window sills - you are LOOKING for flaws. If it's staged you feel like you are furniture shopping and forget the point is the house and the tendence is to ignore any definencies. "Oh we can fix that later - look at this beautiful lamp."

And I see your point as well. I am in the minority who don't need anything staged; and if you're wanting a majority of buyers viewing a property for sale, then you would need to stage the area.

[STT Resident]

Originally Posted by Wishing4Memphis

We are going through a similar situation as we are currently living in an apartment in the school district we want for our oldest but still on a fully furnished home that we need to sell. We begged borrowed and pleaded for people who have furniture in store to let us use it in "staged home". That wat now harm will come to it, they save money not having to pay storage & we used our best furniture for staging, nownat apartment we're in for 1 year for teen to finish school we have a great "early attic", almost dorm room look but thenkids love it! I have used Craigs List carefully the best hasnbeen just asking people if thenhave extra furniturenthatbthey are storing right now! It's be wonderful! My current problem is kids to bed mattress with the to apartment, though we got junky head boardsnto a paint and theynare so excited because we Tolstoy them the year we're here they can do as they please within taste, no Hooter postersbon the wall. Our house for sale is getting to look pretty good and they teens are enjoying them selves, within reason! It's amazing what people will loan or share for a few dollars when when they know no one will live there! My problem is beds!! My teens have there's at apartment, leaving 2 twins beds àt selling house with no twin beds ( one box spring). Besides then blow up beds does anyone havebanway to fake a bed just fornshow, have beautiful bed clothes but no way 2 make 2 "fake" twin size beds. We've thought of blow up beds but what if realtor shows up & their drooping. We've never have look with those before. Been trying to think of college tricks and have just drawn a blank! Any ideas would be welcomed no matter how silly they seem! Can't pay for two homes on one paycheck and buy new mattressesnas well! Help would be so appreciated!

Until Wishingformemphis revived this thread it had already died a year ago and I think some of the posters who've responded are answering the old post. Confusing, as always.

I'm having a difficult time understanding what the new poster is trying to say other than that the family has already moved into an apartment and is trying to sell their home "staged" with furnishings that may or may not be included in the sale price.

I wonder what the statistics are related to whether the majority of homebuyers base the decision to buy on whether a house is furnished or unfurnished. The (new) OP has obviously gone to a lot of trouble "staging" the house and is now concerned with beds - but furnishings and wall colorings are so very subjective.

Maybe poster Katie and I are in the minority but I've been both a homeowner and a renter for decades and much prefer to enter a bare space with neutral wall colors than a space with someone else's choices which only distract me. In fact when seeing just photos of a furnished place either to buy or rent I've often been so turned off by the general decor that I've not bothered to even look at it. I know how to use a tape measure to determine what I can put in what spaces and the bare palette is my inspiration.

I'm more concerned with the total structure, whether all the electrical outlets work, there's no major leaks anywhere and that the fundamentals are intact.

Just my opinion but I like a clean space, period. Cheers!

[nightcrawler]

maybe a home that is being bought possibly could be better staged...but a rental, does not need to be staged, that is just a waste of time effort and money........A person renting an apartment does not need to see how to place furniture........this whole HGTV concept in staging is ridiculous, and a money making scam...........we never had it before HGTV and people had enough brains and common sense to figure things out...........