Atlanta Home Staging Company: Building Your Staging Reputation

What a great job with your staging and love the built ins that the builder did also.

Thank you, Patty & Scott.

Kathy

Beautiful work Kathy!

And I agree, no half stage jobs for me, I am all or nothing. I think a half stage job brings light to only that....a half stage job. Instead of showcasing the home as it could be.

Heather

Kathy:  Good post, especially in light of the "home manager" scandal in your area.  Hope the real stagers in and around Atlanta don't suffer for it!  Julie

Kathy ~ I'm also in the "all or nothing" category.  If someone wants a lower level of staging (that doesn't really count as "staging") I pass on the job.  Your staging of this town home highlighted all the features of this property beautifully.

Hi, Heather.  I couldn't agree more.  "Half staging" just doesn't meet my definition of showcasing a home in the best possible light.  Thanks for your comments!

Julia - I'm one of those that believe that negative press is just that; negative.  I hope that this post allows others to understand that a) it's highly likely that this was "worst case scenario" and b) that we don't personally employ the home manager strategy.

Maureen - Your portfolio is proof that you are in the "all or nothing" category.  Good for you!

Kathy 

What function does a "home manager" perform?  I'm not familiar with the term here in Canada.  Thanks for including pictures of your work.  Love to see what other stagers are offering.  NIce job.

Kathy, once again your superb staging skills shine through. As you know I hold you in high regard and have no doubt that you will continue to exceed client expectations and further your status as a leader in the staging industry.

You certainly are doing a great job with your stagings. Maybe I'm out of the loop being from Chicago, but what is the home manager controversy in Atlanta all about?

Hi, Leah.  A home manager (sometimes referred to as a house manager) are individuals that move into a home with their own furniture and accessories at a reduced rent and typically work for a staging company.  So for example, let's say a home is on the market and the mortgage amount (which the homeowner still pays) is $3,000 a month.  The home manager might be charged $2,000 a month (this is the reduced rent) of which they pay to the staging company. In addition, when the home sells, the staging company charges a percentage (I think 1%) at the close of escrow.  Hope that helps.

Kathy

Jackson - I am honored by your kind words.  Thank you!

Kathy

Ilyce - An investigation, done by one of the local TV stations, uncovered the home manager was running an escort service.  In addition, the home was not kept clean (laundry scattered everywhere, according to the news) and newspapers that lined the driveway.  In addition, because the contract was with the home staging company and not the individual home manager, the homeowner had a difficult time evicting the home manager.  

Kathy

I just watched the video clip of that, that was a horrible situation!  It definately is a more involved approach to staging that brings on more liabilities that I don't even want to be a part of.  There is a company in Minneapolis that does that, it sounds great, but this particular issue I believe the staging company neglected to make sure their "stager" was fulfilling her part of the contract.  Too bad one bad apple has to ruin the whole barrel!! 

In regards to how  you set up your staging services, I'm glad to hear someone else is doing what we do.  I hear so many people have levels, and you know what, that may work wonderfully for them, but for us we also struggled with the thoughts/concerns you did.  We just like to do every staging well and showcase each property the best way we can.  We always add "more" --doing it sparingly just doesn't feel it was completed.  We always give our recommendations of what we think the house needs to be properly staged.  Then if the bid is too high, we work down, pulling where we think we can give a little, to help meet where our clients budget is.  But, we are in control of what we think can go, and what definatly needs to be there.  This can happen since we do our bids on the spot. 

I always enjoy your before's and after's--thanks for sharing!!

Julie

When staging came on the horizon, I never thought it would catch on.  The photos tell the story--you did an excellent job.

Very nice before and after shots!  Great job - thank you for sharing!

Thanks, Julie!

Diane - Thank you for your kind words.  When I first entered the business I truly didn't know that staging existed.  In fact, I thought I had invented it (smile).  

Thanks, Courtney.

Kathy

Wow Kathy, that is quite the scandal. Glad to see it hasn't marred your reputation! Thanks for clearing that up for me I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Great job!

Hello Kathy, I just watched the video from Atlanta.  WOW!  I'm thinking thisstaging company needs to sharpen up their background checks before they hire someone.....

Thanks for informing us about the house manager story...I had not heard about it.  Take care.

I agree with you 100%! I don't do vignette staging or "light staging," it just doesn't look good. I believe if you do something you gotta do it 100% at full effects!

Cheers,

Cindy

It looks like I'm going to be the minority on this subject, but I don't have a problem with doing a "light" staging or "medium" staging - and I do offer a variety of packages, but will likely never go into the house manager business.  I believe what we offer depends on what the market is willing to bear - like mine, where staging hasn't caught on yet, sellers aren't willing to spend a lot of money on something they aren't entirely convinced will work.

I don't see it as less quality staging, but more of an affordable option for those sellers that don't have the budget to do a "full staging".  I've had great success with it, so I'm going to keep on doing it.  I think I'm just going to go ahead and write a seperate post on the topic because I also have a lot to say.

Good to hear the other side and reasons for not doing it.  Maybe if market conditions change around here, then "light staging" will be a thing of the past.  Wouldn't that be nice?

Thanks, Liz.

Ilyce - You're welcome!

Gary - You're so right.  As I understand it, the credit check alone would have shown that she had been evicted.

Hi, Cindy.  Thanks for your comments.

Emma - I'm really glad that it's working for you!  That's what really matters, right?  And as the old saying goes, if it works, don't fix it. Also - what I have found to be equally successful is to offer what I refer to as "key room" staging.  In doing so, I can offer affordable staging that typically works within their budget.   Thanks for sharing.

Kathy

HI!  I did not know about the home managers.  Thanks for sharing and for brightening my day with your gorgeous staging photos!!!!  

Very nice job!

Hi Kathy,

Nice staging! You obviously know your stuff. However, I'm with Emma (and had a lot of conversation on this topic on my blog"Staging Lite, Is it Right?"), as far as offering other options. I wish all of you who "refuse" to do less than optimal staging would come to Michigan and experience my market! Unless you are staging as a hobby, or have a hubby to support you, good luck with this kind of staging business model!

Who wouldn't prefer to do full staging? I sure would! But I'd be doing it at my expense here in Livingston County! So, in an effort to actually make a profit I have let the market dictate how I approach it--and vignette staging is often the most viable solution. Besides the fact that it works--i recently staged a house in Ann Arbor that sold for over $400,00 in 50 days (150 days on market is average). Since the Realtor was generous enough to foot the whole bill, and asked for a cost effective solution, that is what I provided. Just like the prices of the homes, the market dictates staging prices! Here's that "less than optimal" staging that SOLD!

Okay, I admit it, I'm jealous of you stagers who are able to "only" offer full staging! Hope our market gets there sometime soon, but with 50% of the house in short sale or foreclosure, not sure it will...

It was suggested to me also that I do several different levels of Staging. When I first started 4 years ago in Staging I would take a job doing just some accessories. The statistics showed (and I am big on statistics) that thoses house didn't sell any faster than vacant houses.

Now, its all or nothing, I charge what I am worth, and leave the price sensitive sellers in the dust.

You do great Staging!

Karen Sue

Beautifully done, Kathy.  Congrats having the post featured in the AR newsletter!!!!  =) 

I agree with Kathy Presutti, while I would love to always get staging jobs that are FULL STAGING JOBS, it just is not the case in my area each time. While I always submit my proposal for a full staging job, the client will then break down the costs to what they can afford. I feel that ANYTHING is better than nothing and in my most cases the houses have sold

Great job on this staging AS ALWAYS Kathy

Phyllis Pafumi

nice professional and prudent approach - like your smooth home style transitions!

What a lovely job on the townhouse, and an excellent mission for your business!  In any business, there will be people who risk and win, with those who shortcut and lose.  What happened with the house manager should not in any way indicate what every stager does.  That would be incrediby dumb of the greater population.  It is, however, an excellent educational opportunity,  Which you have taken.  Kudos, Kathy.  Class as always.  Jj

I love the work you've done.  I am also in agreement with light staging.  I know more is beautiful but why can't more be less and affordable?  I opt for the light staging because my clients don't want to spend alot of money.  The amount they offer is never enough to cover the expense.  Since that is the same as 'NO' I try to add color through my accessories.  It has happened to me enough that I now buy things to add to my closet....just in case. 

Very good points and great photos Kathy  as always.

I try to work with whatever budgets my clients have and key rooms are sometimes all they can afford. I do the best job possible with the budget given and I always give more than I take without a doubt. Just not all markets and sellers can bear the costs sometimes of what full staging (for vacants) often costs. Builders are definitely in another catagory!

Kathy: You hit another one out of the ballpark. Congrats on the featured post! Your post is a very timely one for me. I am currently dealing with a client who is asking me to stage in a way that I do not feel is in their best interests. I have told them that I will have to decline the job if they insist on the changes to the original staging plan. I think those changes will hurt their prospects to sell their home quickly and without price reductions. Its against my ethics to accept a job in which I feel I cannot do my best work or give my clients the results they desire. It is not so much budgetary as stylistic. The home is vacant, but they want me to use furniture that will not accentuate the architecture of the home.

Regarding the whole house/home manager scenario, I will also never add this as one of our services. There are way too many possibilities for liability problems even if the house manager is Mother Theresa (who pays if the toilet gets clogged? Was it the house manager fault or a potential buyer who came to see the house, etc.) Not no way, not no how...

Your builder had a lot of accent walls.  I like the way you hung the two piece artwork set above the mantle on the diagonal; very interesting!

Kathy,

Thanks for sharing your comments on the tiered approach to home staging.  Your "before and after" photos look wonderful - - I especially like what you did with the challenging narrow family room.  When staging a vacant home, how do you structure the cost arrangement for the rental of the furnishings?

Kathy, Phyllis, I think you are right, our areas are so diverse that standard in one area is beginner stages in another.  We have to be aware of that and stager accordingly or we don't get the work. 

Having said that in a perfect world FULL staging all the time is the way to go as the staging message is that it's not about the furniture, it's about what you do with the furniture that showcases your product.  It's harder to accomplish that goal sometimes without a FULL staging, but that's where your talent lies and for most of you, your humble beginnings, right?

Beautiful work Kathy.  You have such a great eye for color and placement to make rooms look inviting.  Love looking at your work.

Thanks for your insight!

Thanks, Cathy Lee & Gabe!

Kathi P - What you're doing is in direct response to what your market wants and can afford. That's a great business decision on your part and I applaud you for it.  As for your staging pictures - they're incredible!

Thanks, Karen Sue.  

Abby - It was sure a nice surprise this morning to have read the newsletter and to see the feature!

Phyllis - what really matters in the end is whether or not the service you provide helps to sell the home more quickly.  I'm glad to hear that it works for you.

Thanks, Liz

Juliet - Thanks for your kind words.  

Amazing staging!! I'd be ready to move right in!! You did a great job and I think you have to know yourself and your quality and stand by it. It is why some shop at a discount store and others don't. It isn't right or wrong but the quality full staging option becomes your signature. Great job.

Latonia - It sounds like you have a pulse on your market conditions and know what homeowners can afford.  That's great as you're providing a much needed service.  And... if you are show-casing the home through colorful accessories and it's working for you, then that's what matters.

Thanks, Karen.  I would say that perhaps 80% of the vacant homes I stage are with "key" room staging.  It's been a great solution that accommodates the client's budget.

Michelle - Our philosophies are the exact same (like I didn't know that already (smile)).  Staging is an investment; whether it's $100.00 or $10,000.  As the owner and founder of my staging company, I own ensuring that those dollars benefit the homeowner in every way possible.  Helping homeowners to avoid price reductions and to sell their home more quickly is what staging is all about.  I'm glad to hear that you stepped up to the homeowners and were forthright as you're truly doing them a service.

Thanks, Tori Lynn.

Suzy - Thanks for your kind words.  The pricing structure is based on the quantity of rooms as well as the quantity of pieces (furniture and accessories). Hope that helps.

Thanks, TerryLynn. 

Michael - You're welcome.

Karen - You nailed it.  On the on-set I had a mission to accomplish that would a) differentiate me and b) build my reputation.  By offering "full" staging and ensuring that I do the best job possible, I have, as you said, created a signature.  I hadn't thought of it that way but... you're absolutely right.  Thanks for your comments.

Kathy

Hey Kathy,  another beautiful job.

I think as new stagers, we try this method.   However, l have found in my area, that not doing full staging is really not effective.  

My clients are mostly occuppied homes and I find when a client follows my recommendations for preparation, and fully stages with with a combination of what they have and what we add.  The results are excellent. 

When I have done just partial or what I call "half staging"  the result is just not enough to reach the "tipping point"   So I too have discontinued this method.  I would prefer to pass that on to another stager as I can not be everthing to everybody.

Kathy,

Great comments and advice.  This is exactly what I tell my students, if you're going to Stage a vacant, do it right.  A plant here a towel there does not sell a house.  Great pictures and examples!

Kathy,

Great comments and advice.  This is exactly what I tell my students, if you're going to Stage a vacant do it right.  A plant here a towel there does not sell a house.  Great pictures and examples!

I am close to Kathi Presutti's market and confirm that often to win or stay in business light is the name of the game.  Many stagers are heavily discounting staging to move inventory so I only see this trend continuing until the market turns and in conversations with Realtors you often feel like a counselor as well as a service provider, but some interesting things I have seen and heard recently follow.

• Stagers promoting rooms for $50 for all furniture and accessories.  This doesn't count the staging fee.  Many of the accessories appear dated, but they are getting business.
• Two month packages for 4 main rooms and 2 baths including delivery for $1200 or $1500 depending on the price of the home. 
• Agents advising clients to buy accessories and return them.
• Based on budgets stagers providing cleaning, painting and not actual staging
• Etc., etc., etc.

In order for professional stagers to remain active and top of mind we have to continue to prove value and provide creative solutions and come up with attractive packages.  Discounting has become a way of life in the area and a daily uphill battle.  Dont' mean to sound gloom and doom, it is just our market reality at the moment and one that requires increasing ingenuity.  We have to really love what we do to stay in the game.

I love your staging Kathy Nielsen and I love learning from all the pros in other parts of the country.  It gives me inspiration. 

Wow, You do great work! I love the neutral colors you use. But I have to say that I am in Michigan as well so I can relate to what Kathi had said about working with the sellers budget. I have three classes of furniture I can use to help with the budget. We have the "Economy collection, the Standard collection and the Deluxe collection"

We can mix it up as well, you can have a Deluxe living room and a Standard dining room and a Economy kitchen. My clients love this. We discuss which rooms really need deluxe and which can look great with Standard or Economy. It is still a fully staged room, but the furniture its self is less costly for our company to purchase, replace, keep in stock. We own all of our inventory so maybe this is why is works for us. I have heard that most of you use rental companies. Is that true for all areas of the country? Again, you do very nice work and thanks for the post.

Joey La Fata

Exquisite Creations Home Staging

stageitshowitsellit.com

Kathy, your reputation precedes you in the home staging arena.  What a fabulous job you did!  I think anything I would say has already been posted.  I too, do not believe in staging lite.  It might work in some areas but I don't see houses selling in my area that are staged that way.  I LOVE, LOVE your work.

Very interesting and enlightening read!

I'm glad to hear that there are so many successful stagers out there in the U.S.

I love the coffee table and large plant stand in corner.  I was just contacted yesterday about home tendering, and if I offered it. I said I don't offer the people, but I offer the furniture!

Thanks, Joelle.  I've been known to pass many leads onto other stagers.  

Judy - that's great advice.  

Deborah - Thanks so much for your kind words.  Regarding point one in your list - they may be getting jobs but... is their staging selling homes quickly?

Thanks, Joey.

Terri - your kind words brought a smile to my face.  Thank you!

Patricia - Canada also has some wonderful stagers.  In fact, there are many talented Canadian stagers right here on Active Rain (smile).

Thanks, Cindy.  I too don't offer "people."  LOL