I've been given another opportunity to help a builder sell his inventory. Unfortunately for this builder, the homes aren't moving. Fortunately, there are solutions that can help move his inventory.
Having received a call from the agent in charge for this newly constructed sub-division, I evidently hit the nail on the head when I made the following comment: "The prospective buyers have fallen in love with the model home but not with the inventory home."
After seeing the model home itself; I could understand completely why the buyers liked that particular home. It felt good, it looked good and I felt the desire to stay and linger.
I always try and place myself in the role of the prospective buyer (whether looking at new construction or a resale), so, just as any prospective buyer would do, I left the model home and went to one of the inventory homes. Upon opening the door, I entered into a world of "void." I have no other words to describe it other than to say that there was absolutely nothing that created the same warm feeling I felt while in the model home.
In summary, I couldn't connect on an emotional level with the home. Other than the amount of space the home had to offer, I couldn't envision living in the home. Evidently, neither can the prospective buyer.
As shared with the agent, having the inventory home staged:
- Gives builders an additional method of marketing their homes
- An affordable solution - Staging vs. using an Interior Decorating company literally saves the builders thousands of dollars.
- Unlike model homes, which typically can't be moved to the next home, staging provides the builders with opportunity to have the furniture and accessories moved to the next home. When the newly staged home is sold, the builder will have the option of having the next home staged.
Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC, a Staging Company in Atlanta with a variety of staging solutions to help sell your homes more quickly. For more examples of our work, visit our web site at http://www.homestagingatlanta.com.
Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392
RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011
Whether your home is vacant or occupied, this Atlanta Georgia Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen, understands what it takes to sell a home quickly. Her homes have graced the pages of several publications, appeared in TV commercials as well as on HGTV's hit program Sleep On it.
With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.
Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta
Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:
Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com
Blog: Atlanta Home Staging
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The staged inventory homes will probably look better than the decorated model homes anyway. IMO, they are too overdone and completely negate what it is we are trying to accomplish.
Maybe that will be the wave of the future....staging model homes rather than decorating them...especially since it is going to SAVE the builders thousands of dollars and like you said, it can fairly easily be moved from one house to another. Great post!!!
Kathy, I am getting more and more interested in staging. Seems some local builders are too.
Regards from Charlottesville
Charles McDonald
Excellent post Kathy and you are right on. Staging sells homes in any market... you know why? Creative people like you come up with ways to show "any" home in its best light! You go Girl!!
pummelo... pumpkin marshmellow.. yumm.
Thanks everyone for your kind words!!
Kathy
Very well said Kathy and such an important message.
Buying a home is an emotional process for many people and they need to connect to the place they may one day be calling home. It is only a small percentage of buyers that can actually see beyond the emptiness of the vacant home and sellers and builders are losing a majority of buyers who walk thru that empty space. This is a 5!
Thanks, Patricia, Jo and Karen!
Kathy
What a great idea - I keep this in mind when we start to do vacants/models
Becky
Thanks, Keith and Becky.
Kathy
Kathy: I recently read a post (I went back and tried to find it, but no luck....) with a title something like: Why Stage Your Home? Because You HAVE To. The author went on to discuss the market in her area (of course, California) and how buyers expected every listing to be staged. Some wouldn't even visit the listings not staged.
Further, I attended a conference this summer in which a Stager spoke about not having anyone in her community to give her business. She had a friend working part time in real estate, and encouraged her to go full time, as her "partner". Now the two of them each have hugely successful businesses. The Realtor tripled her business in one year, and now has the reputation of being The Staging Realtor. Those two created a niche market for themselves, and are running with it.
Luckily, here on the east coast, we have the frustration of being in an industry where not everyone knows what we do, but the huge advantage of being in front of the staging wave as it moves eastward. If we're all out there doing good things, we will soon be telling those stories as well!
You GO, girl! Cheers! from DC...
Jaynee
A well staged home makes me feel welcome. It makes me see myself in that home. I guess that's the whole idea.
Mike in Tucson