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hi again. my house, which is on the mkt now, has tenants living in it. when they leave, my realtor is going to clean it and "stage" it. i don't have much say in how it is staged b/c among other things, i am living overseas. realtor says she will only do "minimal" staging, i.e. i think she will hire a company but will only spend a "few hundred dollars" on it. she said she will probably place a few oriental rugs on top of the hardwood floors, and maybe provide a coffee table or so but no major furniture. i am a firm believer in staging and would rather have more done. i believe that it might pay off in this mkt.
the other concern i have, and i admit that this may not matter, is that it won't be staged in the style i like. for example, and this is just my opinion and i am no expert i admit, but i believe my house will appeal mostly to ppl in a younger age bracket (late 20s and 30s). i think this based on the comments i got while i lived there--friends loved it, parents not so much (realtor is in parents' age bracket). also, i believe that some of the features and updates (i.e. built-in ikea shelves & slate flooring in the kitchen) might be more appealing to a person in their 30s then to say, someone older with more traditional tastes. i hope this doesn't offend anyone--again this is MY opinion based on the feedback i got while i lived there. our realtor doesn't seem to be marketing it to these kinds of ppl (and i don't know if she has that much control over this anyway so i'm not that concerned), and i think she may hire a company that's like-minded. if i thought this type of style (oriental rugs, etc.) would put the house in its best light i would be fine with it, but i tend to think that pottery barn type decor looks better in THAT house then more traditional furniture/decor. again just my opinion/hunch.
having said all that, i'm considering hiring a stager of my own choosing and paying the difference in price out of my own pocket. what do you guys think? i have researched a few online and found a couple that i really like. perhaps more importantly, i like their style and choice of furniture and accessories and think that it will fit very well with the house.
any thoughts? what would you do? should i just let the realtor do it herself for free or hire a company w/ a decorating style that i really like to do a thorough staging job, i.e. furnish it completely w/ beds, etc.?
finally, as i posted before, i may accept a contingency contract on the house if that makes a difference.
thanks for reading this and i hope noone is offended by anything i said in my post. This is just something i've been thinking about.
Last edited by sunset bound; 03-04-2008 at 01:44 AM..
Reason: fixed typos and changed wording
It is your house that is being sold. If you feel more comfortable hiring your own staging company, then by all means do so.
However, keep in mind that your Realtor lives and works in the community where the home is located and most likely is aware of the current trends in that community.
If you want to hire your own stager, I say go for it. I have seen some amazing photos of before and afters. Your agent may have a mutual relationship with the people she was going to hire. I don't know if I would tell her I would pay the difference for it though. I would just pay it myself and tell her politely that I think they are better suited to stage my home.
A lot of agents keep extra stuff around in order to do "minimal staging", which I frankly think generally does more harm than good.
I have an associate who is also a friend who for years has insisted on hanging this hideous European style portrait of some old geezer (like Rembrandt or someone) in just about every listing he gets. I've told many times that that portrait is creepy and not inkeeping with the style of many of the homes he's trying to sell -- frequently chic intown condos. Finally, finally, finally, he's sprung for some new artwork from Ikea. Nothing expensive (obviously), but colorful, current and graphic -- things that look perfectly appropriate in hip condos.
It sounds as though your agent may be doing something similar. I can't imagine that she's actually paying for staging at all if all she will have is throw rugs and knick-knacks. It's probably just stuff from her basement.
I am also a great advocate of staging and think it's usually worth the money. However, you need to be aware that most staging companies that rent out furniture usually have contracts for 3-6 months (at least here in Atlanta), so it can be pretty pricey.
If you can afford it and are willing to do it, your house will probably sell faster and for closer to the asking price if it's well-staged.
Also, many stagers don't stage every bedroom. I think this is a mistake and really stupid considering you can get a standard height inflatable mattress along with cheap bedding and a couple of tables from Ikea and have the room look great (and generally larger than if it's empty).
My $.02 as a hopefully soon first-time buyer (in my 30's ). . .
When we look at open houses, my husband totally falls for the staging. And he's turned off by homes that look outdated, like our parents lived in it. I think I can see past the staging (or lack of) and look at the bones of the house and imagine our stuff in it, but I do wonder why some sellers don't seem to put an effort into making the place look as nice as possible, especially in this market. Just makes me think maybe they're not taking care of things overall, kwim? I don't expect the super-fancy setups like in the model homes in new construction (that's over the top to me), but some simple, clean looking pieces that help you imagine yourself living there.
If you can afford it, I'd pay for the staging company you like. That way you won't be second-guessing yourself if the house is slow to move. And I'd try to negotiate to get the realtor to deduct from their fees whatever they'd charge for their staging since you're doing it yourself.
If it's too much to pay yourself, I'd actually prefer an empty house to minimal, tacky staging. That always looks obvious and makes the whole house feel rundown and desperate. Nice paint and flooring would be better, IMO, to spruce things up to allow the buyer to imagine themselves living there. HTH and good luck!
Location: Halfway between Number 4 Privet Drive and Forks, WA
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Don't let them put big rugs over your hardwood floors! Buyers need to see those floors! Don't cover up a good selling point...I love hardwood flooring!
My thoughts on this are: If you can afford staging .. then DO IT! If its a burden to the wallet then just do what you can to make it look nice and show-able. People are gonna walk in and want a certain floorplan regardless of a staged look. They are going to want a certain this and certain that.. again.. staging is nice and gets ya good feedback but not always the offer.
If you think you have a good taste and are sure on which is your buyers market, go with your instinct, you can't be wrong or at the most blame your self if it wasn't good or call some friends and ask their opinion. I wouldn't rely on a strangers taste or you should have seen pictures or their own home in order to judge if that is what you want your home to be staged like.
I have mixed feelings on staging. I do think in a larger pricey home that staging should take place.
I feel in a smaller mid price home that it is often not necessary. There are people out there that want a home that is empty. It lets them know that they can move in soon. Nothing can happen to the home because noone is there to tear something up. Also can make the home look smaller. Gives a cleaner appeal.
I agree that the staging has to reflect the house. Not all stagers are created equal. If you found someone you like, absolutely hire them. Many agents do some staging, myself included, when the budget is not there to hire a professional. If you have the funds, hire them.
Yes, if I was selling my home, I would have a stager come in. We occupy our homes to LIVE in them, not to sell them. When selling a home, you need to occupy it like you want to SELL the home. For most people, these are two different things. There are those with exceptional taste, but they are few and far between. Most people don't LIVE their lives like HGTV.
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