Atlanta Home Staging Company: Is It Worth Staging a $129K Home?

Kathy, Thanks for the post.  It sure makes a difference, doesn't it?

The average home here is 120,000 so I think it is absolutely worth staging them.

 

It's well worth it. There are so many small adjustments that can be made to a lower priced home that will make it look good. I think it's hard to sell a busy home.

"The answer is YES."

I agree.

Kathy, I bookmarked this page because I'm always amazed at the miracles that home stagers perform.

Yes, it's worth it because, although we are in business to make money, we are also in business to serve people. You can't put a price tag on that.

Excellent work.

Judi - It sure does make a diffence!  As I often times tell sellers of occupied homes; The way we live in our home and the way we sell our home are two different things.

Jeff - Hopefully you have a stager that serves your area!

Carolyn - Busy homes are harder to sell.  When I first entered this home, my eyes couldn't land on the home itself.  Instead, I found myself looking at all the clutter. 

Thanks all for your comments.

Kathy 

 

I was at a class this week given by our state association MAR and the comment was made that 2 things will sell homes in this slower market: Price and Staging! We are in a buyers market and with so much inventory, homes are being passed over by buyers for the most trivial things.

As an agent we need to start telling our clients from the get-go that hiring a professional is the way to go if you truly want to sell. It is the difference of being on the market for 30 days and 6-8 months!

Stand out from the pack by staging the home!

Kathy, good blog, and thanks for including the photos.  I work mostly in the lower price ranges, and I try to give staging advice to those who will listen and act on it.

Nice work! obviously this staging thing works. However, I'm wondering...does it depend on the buyers and how they typically live to get the expected reaction to a staged home?

For example, in my case, when I was hunting for a home, I saw a lot of homes resembling photo#1 and a lot of homes resembling photo #2. It was the more cleaned up looking homes that...well, I dunno...turned me off? Didn't make me feel 100% confortable about the house. The house we purchased had a clutter much like photo #1. I liked that, because to me, the home looked lived in; not like a model. It looked much like how we'd decorate and keep it (such as using the kitchen table as a "flat filing cabinet"). I could actually visualize myself living there. Not so with the houses staged like photo #2.

But, as I said, it obviously works, so no argument there!

Thanks, Leon.  Glad to hear you've bookmarked this blog.

Teri - You're right; staging can help lessen the time a home is on the market!  Thanks for the post.

Brian - I love looking at "before" and "after" pictures.  Have you seen the group called Stagers "Before" & "After" Pictures.  There's alot of talented stagers in Active Rain!  Check it out.

Michael - See, I'm just the opposite.  When I was searching for my home, I felt good in those homes with less clutter.  For those homes where there was an abundance of collectibles and clutter - I found I was paying more attention to those things than I was to the actual home itself (which is never a good thing for the sellers).  And you're right.... Staging does work!  Thanks for the post.

Kathy

 

Kathy,

With a ton of homes in the 150-200k range in our area it is really important to get them staged right.

Great work Kathy! Yes, and double YES!!! It really should not matter what the price is.  You are offering a service for everyone to fit their budget and their needs. I have had clients that are selling 1M homes and want to spend less money that that :) What were they thinkin'?????

Great work  and what a difference it makes!!

Thanks, Dan, Lori Kim and Nicola!!

Hey Kathy,

Definately worth it to give the best service you can to all your clients. You never know what the next property could turn into or who they could refer you to for your hard work. Thanks for the tips about making a house presentable as well.

Great info (and photos). I was wondering a bit about the staging of lower priced homes.... You answered it definitively!

Thanks Kathy!!

Great pic's......

this is one issue that I come across time and time again.

I had another agent tell me that "Most of the homes that she deals with are over $800k, and most are professionally decorated".

To that I replied .."The way we live in our home is much different than how we sell it"..."Many of these homes are what I call "overdecorated"....it can be a turn off.

 

 

This was very helpful.  I've been wondering at what level staging pays off.  You did a beautiful job.  The difference between the two photos is just amazing.

This looks like a great result for a very small spend and I think it is really important to realise this. When you look at this from a percentage point of view they only had to outlay 0.46% of their selling fee to shift the house in three weeks and at asking price. Well done Kathy

Adam

www.shiftbydesign.com.au

 

Thanks, Abraham.  Whether I'm staging a $129K home or a home over a million, they each get same level of care and tenderness (aren't those words in a song?).

Gary - Glad I was able to deliver an answer!  Thanks for the comment.

Julia - I hear you.  I too have been in homes that are over-decorated.  If done correctly, staging can highlight the features of the home and show off the space.

Thanks, Gail!

Adam - Yes, it was a small investment with a big reward.  The sellers were anxious to get into their town-home and the deal was contingent upon them selling the home pictured above. 

Amen!  Our average house price here in Raleigh is somewhere in the mid $200K's.  In March we did a $105,000 (1200 sq. ft)  that had been on the market for 111 days with not even as much as a 2nd showing.  In that condo complex, 90 DOM is average. 

Anywho, we went in, painted the boring beige walls did some staging and voila -- 12 days later under contract.  We charged her $250 for the Staging (because the Seller assisted), and $200 to paint the living/dining area & kitchen.  (Yes, we paint if the need arises!).  The Agent was thrilled.

However.... the same agent has called me twice since then -- once for her own house and once for a tiny vacant.   For the vacant she went on & on about how expensive I am (gimme a break) and that her sellers just " wont even consider it."  Yet she asked me "my opinion" what to put in the house in case the Seller had some of the items in ANOTHER house they own -- yeah.. right.  And when I quoted her a really low price to do her own house since she threw me the condo staging, she went all Drama for your Mamma on me and was "shocked".  I dont get the ones who SEE the results yet whine & whine & whine.....

    

Good job, Kathy.  Your before/after photos truly show the importance of staging - not to mention what the talents  of professional stager can do!  Thank you for sharing & please continue to share with us.  I see repeat business in your future!

What a great before and after!

I agree it is always worth staing.  It is just important to keep the budget in line with the asking price.

ANY home can benefit from some staging.  Sometimes the most dramatic changes occur in the lower priced homes.

Kathy, Your photos say it all. Well done and well worth sharing. Thanks.

Kathy, You did a gorgeous job! You would never know it was the same room.

Hi Kathy,

Great job and thanks for the photos. Any house that needs staging is worth it regardless of selling price because it will still be less than lowering the price to the next lower sales bracket. (124,900 in this case). It also could very well mean the difference in actually selling versus staying on the market forever.

Lynette

Beautiful Transformation!     

I would agree - staging is a great differentiator - much needed with all the competition on the market these days.

Thanks for the post!  I loved the pictures and how you tied to the other two posts.

Thanks for the clarification! Obviously, staging is accessible to all price points. 

This is good stuff. I was always curious whether or not this should be done? And you have made a very strong case to do the staging. Thank you!

A picture tells a thousand words. This is a terrific example how staging helps sellers to sell their homes!

Great post -- that is a question we ask ourselves often.  Good to know it paid off.  Beautiful work.

Any home could benefit from staging & it's a great investment at all price levels.  Great job proving that, Kathy!

Staging obviously works for any and all price ranges. Despite one stated preference for the "lived in" look, for the vast majority, staging matters. Thanks for the photo examples - they DO make a difference.

You know, actually, I had this same question. (oops)

It is definitely worth it as every house deserves to be Staged to get the best price and to help it sell. In my market some of the lower priced houses are overlooked or thought of as not worth the effort and in reality all houses need help. Good question and good to help remind us there is money in the small houses too... I have Staged 2 or 3 in a day with light Staging that fits the budget and the needs for the house. It all adds up and when the little houses sell those people might be the ones moving to the next bracket so it helps the overall economy too! Jennie

Kathy-

Been debating this for some time now myself. Loved your Before & After pics, have bookmarked for future reference, and just wanted to make a point to say "thanks".

Scott

I could see a difference.  And a sale in 3 weeks sure would make it worth while!  Great post and point!

I would love to see more and more before and after shots. It sure builds the case for more staging!

Great Job Kathy on your staging, it always looks amazing

Thanks for the honorable mention as well

Phyllis Pafumi

I think the lower your listing price the more it needs to be staged.  Most of the "average" listings don't have unique features that capture the imagination.  You can, however, give them personality by staging them!

Looks great!!!  If it's worth listing the home, it's worth staging it!!!

Kathy - Terrific testimony to the power of staging in any home. Great pics - you've been nookmarked.

Price should not, in my mind, make a difference. And staging does not mean you have to spend thousadns to make a home really show well. Thanks for sharing this!

Jeff

Kathy -- This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I believe that any house in any price range can benefit from some type of staging.  You made a remarkable difference in the appearance of that home.  Kudos to you!  Thanks also for the mention and link to my blog. 

It's all in the presentation...Nice job Kathy! 

This is a good example of there being many levels of staging. I think many agents and sellers have a preconceived idea that staging is a big expense, but you've demonstrated that even just a few hundred dollars can have an impact.

Kathy, you must be mistaken, that home looks like it is worth way more than $129 K ... and swapping the table from pine to one with a black finish is like changing out of khaki pants and into a little black dress.     ;-)   At any rate... I am wondering why the other people in that neighborhood aren't calling you before they drop their asking price by 7 thousand or more!!! Lovely work.

Julianna - I love your analogy (from Khaki pants to the little black dress).  Too cute.  Thanks for the post.

John - Thanks.  I agree; many believe that staging is expensive.  Truth of the matter is that I've staged other occupied homes for less than $600.

Thanks, Carol!

Judy & Phyllis  - You're very welcome!

Thanks, Jeff!!  And you're right, for a few hundred, a staging professional can come in and make an incredible difference in how the home appears.

Lori - I'm with you on that one - Any home worth listing is worth staging.

Chris - You make a very valid point.  The lower priced homes aren't going to have as many features as the higher priced homes.  That said, they truly do benefit with staging.

Lisa - There's a new group called Staging "Before" & "After" Pictures where you can see many great examples.  You'll have to check it out.

Cynthia - The entire home went thru a transformation.  I wish you could have heard the homeowner when she came home.

Scott, Tina and John R - I think that most people wondered whether staging would be beneficial at this price point.  I'm glad I was able to contribute and prove the fact that it does!

Jennie - Wow, I've helped the economy!  I'll have to pat myself on the back.  Now if I could only do my part in lowering the gas prices (smile). 

Thanks, Jo, Yvonne, Dane, Lynette and Karen

Diane - I agree.  Pictures can speak volumes!  Thanks for the post.

Caleb - You're welcome. 

I appreciate all the responses!  The fact that I now have a featured post... well, it's made my day.

Thanks!

Kathy

 

 

Kathy, you have done a great job here!  Congrats on the feature as well.  I am with Julianne, here, the neighbors should be calling!

Well done!

Joelle

Kathy, these pictures are amazing!  By all means more modest homes can benefit from staging (they often have the biggest transformations), and your pictures really illustrate that.  This way the prospective homebuyer can focus on the home, and not the distractions of another family's life.  Great job!

 Leslie Olson   Leslie Olson Interiors - Austin, Texas   leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 

Wow - it looks so difference - big change.

For my house I'd do the green kitchen ----for staging  I'd paint it, flows better. 

Kathy- Beautiful job! I agree with Leslie the lower price points often have the biggest transformations. I find my 150-250k segment on properties I've staged have the quickest sales. In part because so much of the competion looks like your before pictures.  

 Good color choices and space planning, well chosen and placed accessories.. what do you get? A SOLD SIGN!  

Thanks for your post I enjoyed it ~ Margaret

Joelle, Leslie & Kathleen - Thanks!!

Kathleen - I have a green kitchen (not the same color) and absolutely love it.

Margaret - That's an excellent point.  So many homeowners are of the belief that a home doesn't need staging at this price point.  As a result, for those homes we do stage - they stand out!

 

Kathy,

Is there any way that we can move that house to Iowa???  If the rest of it looks as good as these pictures do, and its only priced at $129,000, I currently have six home-buyers in that price range who would buy it on the spot if it was here in Iowa..

But, unfortunately, it is not..

It was worth $600 for proper staging... 

I am very impressed.  What a great job you've done.  I believe, I believe.  It is worth it to stage ANY home!

Paul - And it was such a cute house too to boot!  Small tho which is why the asking price was so low.

Chris - Thank you!!!

Hi Kathy,

Oh, that looks great!  Great job talking her into changing the paint color, too.  You do great work.

Abby

Great job Kathy and really we try to work within the budget and time frame of the owners regardless of home price. That's a wonderful testimony to your work ethic as well.  Every home seller should consider what staging can do for a positive result on the sale of their home. 

I hope more realtors will see that and also consider putting a stager on their team as part of the listing package!

John Novak expresses how my own misconceptions around staging:  "many agents and sellers have a preconceived idea that staging is a big expense."

This post was helpful in showing me that:

1. Even small changes can make a big impact.

2. The range for what's "stageable" isn't necessarily restricted by cost. 

Some people just don't know how to live a decorated lifestyle and home staging is a wonderful and inexpensive way to get them started on the right track. It could be the first time the homeowners have been able to see their own possessions staged and now they can try to keep it that way. Really nice job and glad this post is out there in the blogoshpere (if that is a word)!

Yes, yes, yes!  A lot of the time clients, or potential clients, perceive staging is just too expensive and you have beautifully illustrated how we can help anyone with a limited budget and the willingness to explore. Thank you!  C

Thanks, Abby & Karen.

Caleb - See, I just proved that staging doesn't have to be expensive! 

Sheron - The homeowners had no clue to even where to begin with getting their home ready.  In the end, I don't know who was happier with the staging, the husband or the wife!  And yes, I think blogosphere is a word.  If not, it should be.

Carol - Thank you!

Great before and After Kathy, I agree, I did a job for a mother of twin 2 year olds, and new born and a 12 year old boy.  Low end home in No CA. Talk about clutter! After we de-cluttered and added accent peices- she cried! She said I never thought my house could ever look this way!

The house sold in 1 month.

Kathy

What great results!  And, what a great post!  The hmoeowner's money is important to them - whether it is a mansion or a sweet little cottage!  Love it!

 

Kathy D - Perhaps one of my most favorite things about staging is to see the homeowners, as well as the Realtors reaction when I'm done. 

Margaret - I agree.  Thanks for your post.

Kathy

Wow Kathy this Blog is HOT!  It is so great to see different responses.  You got our brains workin'

Lori Kim - Thanks!  As you well know, staging, regardless of the price point can make a huge difference!

Thanks for posting.

Kathy

Kathy, I was so inspired by your post that I asked an interior decorator I know if she could recommend a stager.  She said she did staging so I asked her if she wanted me to presell her work into my client who I thought could benefit from staging, but knows nothing about it.  She said no, she'd be glad to meet with my client.  She spent a lot of time and pulled out swatches of color and even went to a tile store with me as we looked at the tiles my client had picked out for the bathroom, but we also spent time picking out tiles for one of her other clients.  I also showed her a couple of homes that she wanted to see as she and her husband have been househunting for some time (that's how I met her originally). Then at the end of the day she asked me if she should bill me directly.  I was astonished.  She then said we never did talk about money. 

Please help me figure this staging stuff out.  She said stagers don't work like real estate agents, where you make a sales pitch and then get the client as there isn't enough profit to do this.  So if that's the case how do I sell staging in to my clients?

Gail - I'm so pleased that my post inspired you enough to recommend staging.  I'm honored.  Thank you!

As for your questions - First and foremost,  given that she was picking out tiles for one of her other clients and too given that you just gave her a lead, I too am astonished that she was looking to charge you for spending time picking out the tiles.  That's not to suggest that interior designers shouldn't be paid for their time.  They should be, period end of sentence.  But again, given that you gave her a lead and she was picking out tiles for another client, one would have thought she wouldn't charge you.

As for the fact that "stagers" don't work like real estate agents where you make a sales pitch and then get the client..... and how do you sell staging to your clients?  That's an excellent question and is something I'm writing a blog on.  I'm nearing the completion of that blog and what I'll do, to ensure you see it, is email the blog to you when I post it.  Stay tuned.....

Kathy 

 

Just to add to what Gail relayed and Kathy you said about the comment "stagers don't work like real estate agents" - I look at that and understand it (for me) that once my job is complete I get paid (and apparently this stager assumed shopping and picking out tiles with you was part of a "job" but never made themselves clear - which was confusing to you Gail and I'm sorry you we're caught off guard - that should have been made clear up front)

We don't take money at closing or work on commission (which is when and how an agent makes money) because just as any SERVICE provider from painter, electrician, handyman, would require, payment is made in full at the end of a job.  As far as a "sales pitch", we are all salesmen - we are selling our services, however, I call it a bid and when I go to a client's home I "sell" my services by explaining what we do and the process and providing them with CLEAR options of pricing and services I provide.  There is nothing confusing about it.  My BID is free - sometimes I even do it by phone but usually it's generally speaking - but I believe most stagers prefer to go to the home.

I know I got off track here Kathy - I'm sorry! But I wanted to say something because this kind of situation that Gail experienced can hurt all of us because of the miscommunication or no communication involved with the process... OK I feel better now and Kathy - can't wait to read your blog on this very subject!

Well said, Karen.  Thanks for adding to this post.  And you're right, we do operate differently from an agent and more like the positions you listed above (painter, plumber, etc...)

What I hope to accomplish with my next blog is to arm real estate agents with how to sell home staging services to the homeowner.  Okay, off to continue writing.

Kathy 

 

Your post has legs!  Good job!

Congratulations.  What a change.

Kathy, I agree with you and these B&As will certainly be an advantageous addition to yours or any portfolio.  Terrific job as always.  Can't wait for your promised next post!

Kathy, I will look forward to your next post.  Thank you for creating a climate for discussion.  This was very helpful.

Gail - you're welcome.  I'm nearing completion of the other blog I mentioned and I hope you'll find it as helpful.

Pat E and Barbara - Thank you.

Chris - Hopefully, they'll be long beautiful legs!

Kathy,

Lovely Job. Too bad you ar not in Southern California.

What a world of difference in those photos.  Don't you think that sometimes these are exactly the type of homes that need staging?

Tina - Thank you!

Diane - I hear what you're saying and yes, I think they benefit tremendously.  I'll quickly add that there are much higher priced homes (in the millions) that could also benefit. 

Kathy

 

As a client of Kathy's, I can tell you that she does an AMAZING job!  We were beyond thrilled!! :)  We sold our house that had been sitting on the market for MORE than the original listing price!  Seriously.  There is no doubt in my mind that it was the staging that did it. 

Thank you, Angela.  That was sweet and kind of you to post.  I enjoyed staging your home!  And the fact too that it sold 3 days later is just incredible!  I love sharing these results with my prospects.  Thanks again for posting.

Kathy

I couldn't agree more.  Their are staging services to fit every budget.  What a difference in your photos.  By the way, I just had to ask someone to repaint a recently painted kitchen that was the SAME green color!!

Kim Dillon, Creative Eye Home Staging

Kathy - to date my favorite staging job was for the least expensive home on MLS.  The homeowner worked like a dog and the home sold in 2 weeks, after having been on the market for 8mo.  Great post

Kathy,

Great post. The first hoem you staged for me was priced at only 159,900.  It had been on the market for a year with another agent at $149,900 without a single offer.  I had the seller make some repairs plus the staging.  His total cost both was about $4-4500 but we sold the house in a very short time for $159,300!  We both had one very happy client!

Hi, Bob.  You're right - we sure did have a happy client! 

He raises the asking price by $10,000 does some minor repairs and has it staged and sells it for just $600 shy of his new asking price; all within a 4 week period of time!

I say it's time to do another!

Kathy

WOW Kathy...I love your work!

I look forward to seeing more!  Wish you were near my market!

John - Thank you.  I bet we could find you a great stager right here on Active Rain!  If you'd like assistance finding one, let me know and I'd be glad to help.

Kathy

What a difference for $600. Toning down the kitchen color was a great idea.  You had a smart client!

What a difference for $600. Toning down the kitchen color was a great idea.  You had a smart client!