Will Your House for Sale Attract Prince Charming?

Fairy tales are fun. They often have a fair maiden that overcomes challenges to become a glamorous princess. There is usually a villain or wicked stepmother, and there are the helpers that encourage the main character along the journey. And to find Prince Charming, all it takes is some hope, belief, and a fairy Godmother. Applying this fairy tale to real estate and Staging, are houses for sale in need of better presentation that much different?

In real estate, the fair maiden is the house in need of some care and cleaning, and a new dress to put on to go to the ball – or in this case – to be Staged and showcased with all the other good-looking houses on the market. And the Fairy Godmother is a trained ASP Stager equipped not with a magic wand, but with talent and creativity to transform ugly spaces into beautiful rooms. Stagers transform the plain into something special. The villain is the market competition, and disbelief that any effort will make a difference. The pumpkin becomes the trucks that transport any inventory needed to add the “wow” factor. The white mice become fellow Stagers that assist us in our work. The stable horses become the muscles – movers that might be used. And there you have “Stagerella” - the story of getting a house ready to meet its Prince.

Search the internet for listings and you’ll also be appalled by what is there in photos. The eye of the camera does not lie. When an estimated 90% of buyers look online FIRST to research which houses might be prospects to buy, why is it that sellers and Realtors still don’t get the importance of putting good looking photos of Staged houses online? It would be like Cinderella going to the ball in her rags and expecting Prince Charming to give her a second glance. It would not happen. Why then do sellers and Realtors expect a buyer to give a house a second glance when the house is wearing rags?

Some sellers may not believe their house is worthy of a transformation, settling instead for being an Ugly Stepsister – destined to be overlooked and undersold. And yet, every house can have a Cinderella story. It begins with a plan and working with someone that can see past the rags and reveal the potential princess lurking in the shadows. In a declining market, the impact of Staging is even more important. Every house deserves to go to the ball in a pretty dress. Statistics still show that Staging is a key marketing tool – presentation matters, and buyers want to feel good about their purchase.

So put on the ball gown, fix up the hair, and get ready to meet the Prince. A house needs to be clean, de-cluttered, and shown at its best in order to sell.

Instead of sitting longer than needed and dropping more in price than is necessary, a Staged house will attract a Prince of a buyer – and they will live happily ever after.

Staging Statistics Prove Staging Works!

Happy New Year!

We have some great new Staging Statistics to help us validate that Staging continues to work all over the country! As an Accredited Staging Professional Master (ASPM) it is my privilege to be associated with a company, Stagedhomes.com, that helps track national statistics for Staging.

In November 2007, they released the results of a 6 months survey of over 400 houses that were Staged for sale. The results showed that the ASP Staged houses sold 80% faster than the competition.

The other statistic was from Home Gain that updated a 2003 study of 2,000 Realtors. In 2008 this study shows that Staging is even MORE valuable as an investment in getting a house ready for sale!

As a Home Stager and Trainer - these statistics are vital to the continued growth of our industry.

In the Sacramento region that has been hit very hard by the market slow down, Staging continues to be a defining service for selling a house versus having it sit and wait for a buyer.

Our company statistics that I track at We Stage Sacramento show that houses that we Staged last year sold an average of 33% faster than the market averages, and some 90% faster.

Happy Staging!

- Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP

Owner, We Stage Sacramento

Vice President, International Association of Home Staging Professionals

President, Greater Sacramento IAHSP Chapter

Official ASP Course Trainer, Stagedhomes.com