Flaccid and Limp in the Bedroom? Not a good look.

Yeah - yeah - got your attention . . . but really where was YOUR mind going?  I was talking about AIR BEDS - of course.  For home staging, this has been an item some use instead of real mattresses in Staged bedrooms.

For those who use blow up beds, ever had one deflate on you after you left?  (One key reason why we need to check on our Staging to make sure things still look good!). 

What an embarrassing call THAT is. . .  "Um, Hello?" "Yes" - "This is ____ - and well, the bedroom bed looks sort of funny - and limp."  Uh oh!  A leak, a hole, or an improperly screwed on sealer - and you have "Flaccid Bed Syndrome!"

We had this happen too many times - getting calls from sellers or agents letting us know our air mattress had sprung a leak and bed was flat.  This is why we switched to real mattresses.   

If you use air mattresses, to get rid of Flaccid Bed Syndrome - use these simple tips.

1.  Blow the mattress up first when you get to the house so that you can check on it while there and make sure it is still firm when you leave.

2. When deflating a bed for de-staging, be careful not to crimp the mattress to hard to where it might create a hole.

3.  Store air beds in boxes when not in use so that in storage they are not susceptible to being poked or damaged by other items in your storage or warehouse.

4.  If you are unsure about the condition of a mattress, bring a back-up.  Remember - "I am not going back" is the motto.

5.  Put a note on the bed if you feel that the public might sit on the beds or damage them.   Personally I don't put notes on the bed telling people to keep off or that it's just a prop, but it's not a bad idea.

6. Consider using real mattresses or two box springs stacked together in a bedroom.  Yes the storage factor can be an issue, but you will not be constantly having to replace deflated beds that have a negative impact on buyers, and your ultimate reputation.

Home Staging – Miss the Mark and Miss the Market - by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP, Owner of Sensational Home Staging

Home Staging – Miss the Mark and Miss the Market

by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP, Owner of Sensational Home Staging

There is a trend I see emerging in some Staging businesses where the Staging is so extreme, so unique, so well, trendy, that it misses the mark, and more importantly misses the market. In other words, the Staging may “look really cool” but does it actually appeal to the target Buyer?


With Home Staging we have to ask ourselves, “Who is the potential Buyer for this house?” “Who am I creating this look for and is that audience going to like what I have planned for this Staging?”


Dare I say, we need to ask, “Are we more focused on the Staging or the fact that the house is Staged?”

The truth is, lately I see some that call themselves “Stagers” use some truly amazing inventory – stuff that would make any reader of a design magazine drool. But again, is the inventory and Staging of mass audience appeal or is it taking Staging down to a tiny market niche? The photos I see of some work really make me say, “Huh?” because the Staging is not broadly appealing.


Don’t get me wrong - Is it stylish? Yes. Is it fun? Yes. Is it too unique? Yes. Does it appeal to the broad base of buyers – NO. That is the telling question – and the key is that Staging is NOT Decorating or Design. Both industries serve a purpose but only one serves the goal of Selling a house and appealing to mass audience online and in person. STAGING.


What is the goal of Staging? To SELL the house. A “Home Stager” that is focused on the STUFF is not focused on the goal. I am all for creating a really great look in a house, but when the focus is on the stuff, prices charged are often too high, and the look truly does not appeal to the broad audience.


More importantly, in a market like we are in today, we cannot afford to alienate any facet of the audience of potential buyers by using furnishings that are too “out there.” Instead of selling the house, what is being sold is the “design style” of the person that installed all that “really cool stuff” in the house.


Most (and that is 99%) of Buyers cannot relate to a red piano or extremely modern art as things they would like to own. Those items have a place of use for Staging – in a very miniscule number of properties. So unless you are Staging strictly Soho lofts In NY for eclectic artisans, this type of Staging is not doing the job of appealing to the broad buyer base.


Keep our eyes on the GOAL – Sell the house, sell the house, sell the house. Can we afford to Stage for that one Buyer that likes our design aesthetic, or are we Staging for ALL Buyers so they all want to buy the house? I know it only takes one – but do you want a needle in a haystack or the whole haystack? And when time is not on the Seller’s side, it’s up to us as the professionally trained Stagers to make SURE that the house appeals to the broadest demographic.