HGTV: “The #1 Biggest Real Estate Mistake is Failing to Stage”
Published May 12th, 2008 in Marianne Sweet on Home Staging.HGTV recently aired a special program entitled “25 Biggest Real Estate Mistakes” which featured experts in all aspects of real estate: agents, mortgage lenders, home inspectors, flippers and stagers. The experts opined about the top reasons a listing lags on the market. Catch the full list here. Better yet, watch for a rerun on HGTV.
The usual suspects were included:
- overpricing the house,
- not providing easy access for showings,
- FSBO,
- overdoing the remodeling for the area,
- not marketing your property, etc.
The #1 Biggest Real Estate Mistake?? “Failing to Stage and Showcase Your Home.” This validates the home stagers of the world!
A quote from the HGTV website:
“When you are selling your house, you have to really look at it objectively and think about it from the viewpoint of the house hunter. Make minor enhancements to the house and maybe hire a professional stager to come and arrange your furniture. Staging is about decorating your house for the buyers’ taste, not yours. A great place to start is with the front of the home and the main entryway. Home staging is designed to increase the potential selling price and reduce the amount of time the house stays on the market.”
There you have it. Stage those listings! It is the most efficient and cost-effective marketing tool available to Realtors and home sellers.
Go Tigers!
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Written by Marianne Sweet
Home Sweet Home Staging, (586) 212-8400
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The part about staging that leaves me a bit confused is this, if i am not getting showings, or only minimal showings without any feedback (to know if there is a problem with the home) is it worth the money to get a stager in, or should i wait till i have some more concrete feedback?
It’s also is a shame to stage something and spend the $$$ if no one is there to see it– or at least makes the money harder to part with if the work its paying for never gets seen.
What do you think?
p.s. think your blog is top notch, keep providing the great info
I think a couple of things. Staging will get you better photos for the internet. Better photos will get you more showings. Without showings, it is hard to sell.
The other issues might be price and or marketing. Has your Realtor discussed recent sales with you since you listed. Right now you have to be better priced than the competition.
Maureen is absolutely right. You need great MLS photos since most people start their house shopping on the internet these days. If you decide to have your home staged, make sure your Realtor uses the post-staged photos. On several occasions, I have staged a house but the marketing photos were never updated. When showings didn’t increase and the house didn’t sell immediately, the sellers were left wondering if it was worth the money.
Let’s take it a step further. Once buyers decide to make the trip to your house, their first impression is crucial.
In my last post, “Get Buyers Inside By Staging the Outside” http://mioaklandcounty.com/blog/2008/04/21/get-buyers-inside-by-staging-the-outside/ , I address the importance of curb appeal. If the buyer is not excited about how your house looks on the outside, they may decide to skip the interior. Showing lost.
Yes, staging is worth the money. It is an investment in the sale of your house, and will always cost less than the $10,000 (or more) price reduction that may be suggested. And like Maureen said, make sure the property is priced right to begin with.
Marianne, this was interesting for me. Like Maureen I wondered if staging would help a home that was vacant and not receiving showings. However as you pointed out the photos that the buyers will view online will cause the showings to increase.
I’ve had staging in the back of my head lately. Time to put it in the forefront, and thankfully the next time I need the service I know the gal to call! (That would be you Marianne)
Kris,
Marianne just finished up one house for me and is working on another. They both look much better. Give her a call!
Thank you ladies!
There is nothing more gratifying than leaving a house looking better than when I got there. I take that back–the absolute best thing is getting the phone call telling me that the property sold!
Now………if I could just take better photos……..
Interesting, I suppose if it was a staging vs. good photography question I would go with the staging. However good photography is becoming a necessity as well.
That’s where we come in…
I am an Okland county native now in (chuckles for the really bad pun) Oakland, CA. Hope you all are activley searching for professionals to shoot your listings.
Cheers,
Thomas
I love the dream home giveaway on HGTV! Here’s your chance to win one too: http://homemakeover.hardtofindsavings.com/dreamhomemakeover/dreamhomes/dream-home-makeover?arid=bg11