Staging Your Home

Did you know the sale of a home is usually made within the first few minutes of the showing? It starts as the homebuyer drives up to the property, and it continues the first few seconds into the entryway. Either a person connects with the home, or they continue to look for their idea of the "perfect" home.

Because first impressions are so important, homeowners are increasingly staging their homes to create a perfect buying atmosphere.

Staging is the process of making a home look its absolute best. Small, inexpensive improvements can completely change the way your home shows, and give it more buyer appeal. Keep in mind that staging can work on both an occupied and a vacant home. The goal is simply to create the best visual experience possible.

Start your staging process by looking at your home from two vantage points: the exterior and the interior.

The Exterior of Your Home

View your home from curbside; does the exterior invite you in?
Mow the lawn, trim bushes and trees, and clean up flowerbeds and rock gardens. If the weather is warm, plant a few flowers to add color to the yard. Also consider placing a few pots on patios and porches to make the home more inviting.
Repaint your home and trim if necessary. Verify shutters and other trim are in good shape. Replace or repair broken molding, screens, gutters and windows.
Repair cracks in stairs, driveways and sidewalks, and make sure the foundation is in good shape.
Install outdoor lighting to illuminate walkways, entrances and garden areas.

The Interior of Your Home

Create a warm and inviting entryway.
Ask a friend to take care of your pets, or consider doggie day care during the selling process. Pets may get nervous around a stranger in their home, and not all people enjoy having a pet barking or following them around the home.
Use paint to warm up your home. Touch up scuff marks and chipped or faded areas.
Eliminate clutter. Pack up piles of books, knickknacks and other decorations. Show off your space, not the stuff.
Clean out closets, and only keep the absolute necessities.
Consider renting a storage unit for boxes, extra furniture, and other surplus items. Because you are packing to move anyway, moving these items to storage will help keep you organized, and make your house appear larger and roomier.
Keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean at all times. Pack up the extra appliances on the counter, and keep only the minimum in cabinets and drawers.

Top Ten Reasons You Should Professionally StageYour Home

You will Make More Money - U.S. Housing and Urban Development reports taht a staged home will sell, on agerage, 17% highers than an un-staged home.
Your House Will Sell Faster which = Less Headaches and Hassle - The New York Village Voice reported that the average number of days an un-stged home is on the market is 30.9 versys 13.9 for a staged home.
The Cost of Staging, Doesn't Cost a Dime - In a 2003 Home Gain Survey of over 2000 Realtors, it was discovered that sellers who spent up to $1,000 staging their home recovered almost 200% of the cost in the sale of their home.
Home Sellers Cannot View Their House Objectively Thus Stage Effectively
Less Guesswork and "Do It Yourself" - A professional home stager can manage your projects from start to finish. Or, they can give you a detailed enough report based on their extensive knowledge andd training to have you " do it yourself".
Only 10% of Home Buyers Can Visualize the Potential of a Home - Terrible odds for an un-staged home!
The Longer Your Home is on the Market, the Lower Your Selling Price Will Be
The Money You Make is TAX FREE! - Take advantage of your tax-free capital gain nby gettting every dollar possible.
Leaving Your House in "AS IS" Condition Will Help To Sell the Competition
Better Photos Bring In More Buyers - Over 85% of home buyers search online BEFORE visiting the home. Your Professional Stager will transform your rooms, take photos to capture the results, and pass them to your real estate agent to usee in their marketing campaign.

OUR SERVICES...

Exclusive Home Staging starts with a FREE home evaluation to assess your individual needs. We offer several additional packages that are tailored to your needs and budget.

Consultation
All of our services start with an Initial Consultation and Walk Thru. This way we can better serve the home seller by assessing first what can and should be done to the home in order for it to show better and sell faster. An EXCLUSIVE HOME STAGING Consultant will spend 2-3 hours with the Home Seller and preferably with the Realtor walking thru the home and assessing what staging needs should be implemented. We do this by taking a detailed look at your home from a buyer’s prospective. We will discuss your home’s best features, as well as any challenges, and offer changes that can make a huge impact in getting your home sold quickly, and for top dollar. At the end of the consultation, the home seller will get tons of information on how to address each room of the home so that it shows to its fullest potential in the form of an Action Plan. We will end the consultation with a proposal for further staging services or shopping services
Half Day Staging Similar to the “Top Ten” Priority Report, this service is for those homes that just need a little extra attention and expertise. EXCLUSIVE HOME STAGING will be working from a detailed walk-through work sheet that will be given to the Home Seller in order to complete the transformations. We will spend 4 hours transforming the home focusing on effectiveness.
Full Day Staging We spend a full day making dramatic transformations to your home. You won’t believe the difference a day can make! EXCLUSIVE HOME STAGING will be working from a detailed walk-through work sheet that will be given to the Home Seller in order to complete the transformations.
“Do It Yourself” Action Plan
The “Do It Yourself” (DIY) Action Plan is an extensive, 30+ page report detailing all of the actions a Consultant would take to transform your home as well as vendor recommendations and tips and tricks from the pros. We give you the expertise so you can take the time to do the packing and staging yourself.

Ask about Exclusive Home Staging’s "Realtor Partner Program", Vacant Staging and Additional Services.

Staging Is Not Decorating

Many people think they don’t need staging. They don’t see the point. Their houses are beautiful just the way they are.

chair by a window While I’m sure their houses ARE beautiful, they are also likely decorated to reflect the lives and interests of the people living there. And that’s as it should be.

We love our homes, and we decorate them carefully, selecting important accents over the course of our lifetimes. Our homes say so much about us! Sometimes we even feel like we know people better after visiting them in their homes.

If we can agree that homes are very personal and reflect our own interests, then we know that they are not going to appeal to everyone. For instance, I have pets and books everywhere. They make me happy. Some people don’t find much use for one or the other, or even both, as strange as that sounds to me! I know that my house is not going to feel like home to everyone. And nothing creeps me out faster than a doll collection. Many people collect dolls, but I can’t feel at home in a house with lots of tiny plastic people.

See how easy it is for personal preferences to keep us from seeing the real house?

A good stager can come into your home and “mute” your personality enough so that potential buyers aren’t learning about your interests when they view your house. Instead they are able to focus on what they like about your house.

We want potential buyers to be able to visualize themselves living in your home. When a house already carries the strong imprint of an owner’s taste, it’s harder for that buyer to feel it could be their home. The house already feels “taken”.

A staged house is neutral enough to appeal to a wide variety of people. It’s almost anti-decorating. And IT WORKS.

Five Reasons You Should Never Sell A Vacant Home

People Don't Buy Houses, They Buy Homes
The number one reason a buyer purchases a home is because it "felt home." It was warm, inviting and the buyer made an emotional connection with the home. When have you ever heard of an empty room described as warm and inviting? Sterile, cold and uninviting are the three most popular words to describe an empty room.
Without Furniture, There Is No Frame of Reference
How big is the room? Without furniture it’s incredibly difficult to tell the scale and size of a room. When the buyer does not have answers to their questions…they walk away. They may ask themselves “What is this room for?” Many times a buyer can’t even tell if it’s the living room or dining room in an unfurnished home. Don’t keep them guessing, it only distracts them from considering the home as a purchase.
When A Room Is Kept Empty, the Buyers Can't Define the Space
Home Staging capitalizes on the positive aspects of a home, to define the space to make an emotional connection with buyers.
Only 10% of Home Buyers Can Actually Visualize the Potential of a Home
Nine out of every ten people walking in your home have no imagination of the wonderful possibilities your home has to offer them. They just can’t picture it. Don’t let a simple thing like no furniture or limited furniture ruin your sale. Don’t take those odds; they will hurt you in the price significantly!
Paying For Two Mortgages Can Get Expensive!
Let's look at the facts: a vacant home typically takes twice as long to sell, and the longer something "sits" on the market, the lower the sales price. Why risk paying two mortgages longer, only to have the sales price lower than it would have been if you had the home professionally staged!