Sunday, May 24, 2015

Why Vacant Houses Need to be Staged to net the Seller the MOST Money from their Sale!


“Vacant Doesn’t Make It”

I love this Staging Saying coined by Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging® and my personal mentor and Staging Mama! And she is absolutely right. Vacant houses do not feel larger to Buyers and they are not a blank slate for a Buyer to visualize living in with their things.

Consider this well known statistic: Less than 10% of the population can see things in a different way. That means a vacant house lacks appeal to 90% of the buyers out there!




This property would have sold without Staging - but because it was Staged and showed so well it got multiple offers and SOLD for $50K OVER List!









Why Vacant Does Not Make It!
  1. Vacant rooms are cold and empty.
  2. Buyers cannot tell how large or small a space is when it is empty – especially from a photo.
  3. Buyers cannot tell what room they are looking at especially when all the rooms are the same paint color – and just a square space with a window.
  4. Buyers will notice all the “minor flaws” in the room – scratches on the floor, baseboard that needs painting, etc. – because there is nothing else to look at in the room. They focus on the condition versus the possibilities.
  5. Buyers may believe the Seller is desperate to sell since they moved out and are now carrying a mortgage on an empty house.

Why Stage?

  1. Staging helps define the use and purpose of the room.
  2. Staging helps highlight the focal points of the room.
  3. Staging helps Buyers envision how to place their furniture in a room.
  4. Staging helps add color and visual appeal for Buyers online and in person.
  5. Staging gives Buyers something else to focus on rather than minor flaws and conditional issues.
Staging creates an emotional connection to the property that a vacant house lacks.

Just because the market is “hot” around the country does not justify putting a house on the market with the expectation that it will sell because what is being left on the table is MONEY for the Seller. Agents need to be providing information on every tool available to help a seller net the MOST from the sale of their house.

Getting an estimate to Stage is usually a complimentary service or provided at a nominal cost. How can a Seller make an educated decision about Staging when they don’t even know the price? Sellers need to get the information from a Stager that owns and operates a business, not from the Agent that does not know Staging pricing for THAT property.

So go ahead – LOSE money - leave money on the table by not Staging. Or be a WINNER and part of the proven statistics that show time and time again, a Staged house sells at a better price. According to National Association of Realtors – anywhere from 5-20% of your list price! Be an educated Seller and work with Agents that understand how to get you the BEST Staged and SOLD price!

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For help with Staging in the greater Denver market give Jennie a call (303)717-7918 or 888-93-STAGE and online www.SensationalHome.com. Jennie is also networked with Realtors that include Staging as a standard part of their listing services and pay for some or all of the service and she would be happy to provide their information to you. 

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Staged and Under Contract in 1 day - over list price offer! Sensational Home Staging Success!

This property was Staged and listed - and went under contract in 1 day - at above list price!! Staging works! Stage it before you list it!


Monday, May 4, 2015

High-end Urban Condo - Denver - Bef & Aft Staging to help showcase the property for Buyers

This property was listed for sale for nearly a year prior to Staging. Because of the custom design work that was carried out prior to listing the property has been challenging for buyers to appreciate. The goal of the Staging was to tone down the glitz inside and help "normalize" the interior with furniture and décor that adds color and visual appeal while not being over the top. With an price tag of $1.6M this condo is located in the heart of Denver with amazing city and mountain views.


Downtown Condo - City Park - Bef & Aft Staging shows the difference Staging makes to attract a Buyer

Custom downtown condo near City Park with views of downtown Denver and the mountains! The Staging helped this place get SOLD because buyers don't have an imagination on how to place furniture in a wide open space.


Sunday, May 3, 2015

Best Foot Forward - Don't Let Your Listing Sell The Competition

Best Foot Forward

by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP-Premier,

ASP-SRS, ASP-REO, ASP-BTS

Owner, Sensational Home Staging

Helping Sellers & Realtors in the Denver Region



The truth is in life we do only have one chance to make the best FIRST impression so we want to have, as they say, our BEST foot forward! 

When a house is listed for sale and a buyer looks at it online or in person - the house either sells itself or sells the competition. They either want to see more and make an offer or they walk on to the next option.

Buyers compare houses online and in person. When one looks great and the other is not prepared for sale - dirty, dated, cluttered, too dark, smelly, etc. - a Buyer will naturally compare that house to the one that is ready to show and buy. So your choice as a Seller or as a Listing Agent is simple. You either Stage up front to get the positive attention and offers or you don't and you just SOLD your competition.

As a Listing Agent you have to ask yourself, "Why would I want to market an ugly foot?" 

You invest a lot of your time, energy and dollars to get a house sold. The house reflects on YOUR reputation. When it does NOT sell you are often held responsible and blamed by the Seller - and word gets around the neighborhood. Aren't you in this business to get referrals from happy clients? Of course. So YOUR best foot forward is to make it a requirement that all your listings are Staged BEFORE they are listed for sale. Or else you just help sell YOUR competition because the neighborhood is watching who gets the pending sign out first and at what price the house sold.

Yes I know Sellers can resist change and it can be hard to tell them their house has warts or corns. Yet you are not doing them (or yourself) any favors by marketing their house "as is." I know there are special circumstances that can exist, but for the most part, a Seller wants ALL the money from the sale of their house. Not just some. 

Putting an ugly foot on the market guarantees they will not net the most from their house and it guarantees their house will be USED to sell the houses that put their BEST foot forward. 

Yes - even in a hot market, a Buyer does not want the hairy foot with warts and icky toenails when they have the option of buying the beautifully manicured foot with pretty color and jewelry. Those two houses will NOT sell at the same price and the ugly foot will be used to sell the pretty one. 

The changes a Seller needs to make to get their foot from ugly to pretty are usually simple and very effective. In most markets a Staging Consultation where the Seller is given a detailed summary of what to do room by room is an average of $250. That small investment can yield thousands of dollars in return. Anything a Seller can do UP FRONT to help their house show better should be recouped in the sale and help their house sell at the best price.

Best Foot Forward. Get the house Staged by a professional Stager to ensure the house truly has the best opportunity to get the best price. Then when the house closes at the BEST price, treat yourself to a manicure! After all the running around we do for our clients we deserve it!
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For help putting your best foot forward in the greater Denver area, give Jennie a call 303-717-7918. www.SensationalHome.com