Comments on: EZ Staging Tips for Sellers. Or; For the Love of Pete, Don’t Do This… http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/ Phoenix real estate | Search Phoenix Homes for sale | Real Estate Blog Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:31:39 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Nancyhttp://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/#comment-40624 Nancy Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:19:35 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/227#comment-40624 Jay, thanks for the healthy dose of truth. Most Realtors anxious to get your listing might be reluctant to say, "hey, your home looks like crap" or "the pink and orange walls make me queezy". Consequently, we now live in a world of Professional Stagers. Staging certainly has its place in the marketing of your home. Professional Stagers have made an industry out of the blurred line between real value, perceived value and image. For example, having your hardwood floors refinished adds value. Moving the furniture to give the perception of more space gives you perceived value. Removing family photos adds no real value, but may encourage the prospective home owner to imagine themselves in your property. We don't want to malign those tireless souls who dedicate their lives to positioning throws on chairs and arranging three candles in varied heights on entryway tables. Staging has its place, but it's gone too far. There are schools--we're not going to name them here--but they do exist with programs that charge from $300 to $900 for Certifications. This is rediculous. Between the Internet and the Home & Garden Channel, you can find everything you need to know to have a beautifully staged home.The Bottom Line There are 3 things that sell a property: 1. Price 2. Location 3. Market ConditionsIf these elements are working for you, your home will sell in a timely manner and for top dollar, provided it doesn't look like a pig sty.Our basic rules on staging:Don't have stupid stuff in your home when you're trying to sell it; no bathtubs in the Living Room, no hand-painted "Star Wars" murals, or Elvis shrine altars.Clean up your crap... If you've become accustomed to living in squalor and you want to sell your home, you're going to need Windex, paper-towels and a bunch of trash bags. If you can't afford a Professional Stager, check out www.stagedbyowner.com -- It's a great, no-cost staging resource. Jay, thanks for the healthy dose of truth. Most Realtors anxious to get your listing might be reluctant to say, “hey, your home looks like crap” or “the pink and orange walls make me queezy”. Consequently, we now live in a world of Professional Stagers. Staging certainly has its place in the marketing of your home. Professional Stagers have made an industry out of the blurred line between real value, perceived value and image. For example, having your hardwood floors refinished adds value. Moving the furniture to give the perception of more space gives you perceived value. Removing family photos adds no real value, but may encourage the prospective home owner to imagine themselves in your property.
We don’t want to malign those tireless souls who dedicate their lives to positioning throws on chairs and arranging three candles in varied heights on entryway tables. Staging has its place, but it’s gone too far. There are schools–we’re not going to name them here–but they do exist with programs that charge from $300 to $900 for Certifications. This is rediculous. Between the Internet and the Home & Garden Channel, you can find everything you need to know to have a beautifully staged home.

The Bottom Line
There are 3 things that sell a property:
1. Price
2. Location
3. Market Conditions

If these elements are working for you, your home will sell in a timely manner and for top dollar, provided it doesn’t look like a pig sty.

Our basic rules on staging:Don’t have stupid stuff in your home when you’re trying to sell it; no bathtubs in the Living Room, no hand-painted “Star Wars” murals, or Elvis shrine altars.Clean up your crap… If you’ve become accustomed to living in squalor and you want to sell your home, you’re going to need Windex, paper-towels and a bunch of trash bags. If you can’t afford a Professional Stager, check out http://www.stagedbyowner.com — It’s a great, no-cost staging resource.

]]> By: Tim Wallace My Arizona Home Teamhttp://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/#comment-12022 Tim Wallace My Arizona Home Team Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:01:10 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/227#comment-12022 Kate, I'd have to agree that one never knows what colors are going to appeal to what buyer. After all, someone (the owner?) likes the strange colors and it is highly unlikely that they'd be the only ones who like those colors. My experience does tell me that the more neutral colors tend to show better.One other thought...in my opinion, staging is one of the primary reasons we have so much inventory on the market right now. I like Jay, have seen some atrocious things in homes recently, from the dishes/laundry to the lizard to the hookah pipe and the "tobacco" on the coffee table. Agents are horribly missing their duty when they aren't totally square with their clients on this issue. Hard as it is sometimes, we have to tell our sellers the hard truth. Otherwise, we aren't representing them as best we should. Kate, I’d have to agree that one never knows what colors are going to appeal to what buyer. After all, someone (the owner?) likes the strange colors and it is highly unlikely that they’d be the only ones who like those colors. My experience does tell me that the more neutral colors tend to show better.

One other thought…in my opinion, staging is one of the primary reasons we have so much inventory on the market right now. I like Jay, have seen some atrocious things in homes recently, from the dishes/laundry to the lizard to the hookah pipe and the “tobacco” on the coffee table. Agents are horribly missing their duty when they aren’t totally square with their clients on this issue. Hard as it is sometimes, we have to tell our sellers the hard truth. Otherwise, we aren’t representing them as best we should.

]]> By: Kate Spilinskyhttp://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/#comment-11869 Kate Spilinsky Fri, 19 Jan 2007 23:57:42 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/227#comment-11869 Well, I have to respectfully disagree with Sam's assertion that you have to use "nutral", okay, neutral paint colors when preparing a home to sell. I have sold more homes with anything but neutral colors. They aren't wild by any means, but they certainly aren't beige either. I find that warm, rich earth tones in the golds and greens with an occasional accent wall of brick red in the main living areas, always, always get high praises from buyers and realtors. A home recently sold was purchased specifically because the buyer loved the rich wall colors.Take a look at model homes. They rarely use neutral colors to create a dramatic designer look. Typically they are warm earth tones with depth.I use calm colors in bedrooms (light chocolate, taupe), and bathrooms (silvery blue-green, taupes). Well, I have to respectfully disagree with Sam’s assertion that you have to use “nutral”, okay, neutral paint colors when preparing a home to sell. I have sold more homes with anything but neutral colors. They aren’t wild by any means, but they certainly aren’t beige either. I find that warm, rich earth tones in the golds and greens with an occasional accent wall of brick red in the main living areas, always, always get high praises from buyers and realtors. A home recently sold was purchased specifically because the buyer loved the rich wall colors.

Take a look at model homes. They rarely use neutral colors to create a dramatic designer look. Typically they are warm earth tones with depth.

I use calm colors in bedrooms (light chocolate, taupe), and bathrooms (silvery blue-green, taupes).

]]> By: Sam Chapmanhttp://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/#comment-11621 Sam Chapman Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:14:25 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/ez-staging-tips-for-sellers-or-for-the-love-of-pete-dont-do-this/227#comment-11621 Jay is right on here about how a home looks or should look. One thing you touched on with the Suns colors on the wall is a perfect example of over-customizing a home. When getting ready to sell, people need to understand that this kind of thing should be changed to something more nutral so as not to distract people from really seeing the house. Having a ton of photos all over the place is distracting as well. Many people tend to look at the photos rather than the house. Jay is right on here about how a home looks or should look. One thing you touched on with the Suns colors on the wall is a perfect example of over-customizing a home. When getting ready to sell, people need to understand that this kind of thing should be changed to something more nutral so as not to distract people from really seeing the house. Having a ton of photos all over the place is distracting as well. Many people tend to look at the photos rather than the house.

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