Home Staging

Staging By Design Q & A
By: Ellen Boettcher

Q: I have a completely empty 3500 s.f. home that I I'm preparing to list. What do you recommend regarding the amount of staging for the home? Please keep in mind that cost is an issue for the sellers.

A:Great question. As a Realtor, it is smart to add staging to your marketing package. Staged homes sell faster and for more money. It's a win-win for you and your seller. The cost of staging is less than the price adjustment if the property doesn't sell quickly.

In Austin the standard rooms to stage in a vacant property are first impression room/entry, 1 dining area, 1 living, kitchen and bathrooms. Secondary bedrooms are usually not staged. Decorative accessories such as rugs, lamps, artwork and "smalls" are included in estimated staging fees. Staging service includes not only furniture, but also style and expertise.

Keep in mind that every home is different and you can expect to incur a consultation fee before being quoted on cost. Local stagers are estimating vacant staging at 1-2% of asking price. It is common for the listing Realtor to pay the consultation fee and the seller pays for staging the home.

I highly recommend staging consultation service as a part of every marketing plan and budget for a listing. Offering a higher level of marketing service helps a Realtor stand out from the competing Realtors and secure more listings.

Q: What do you recommend for an occupied listing that smells stale and dusty?

A: Easy as 1-2-3:
1. Remove all silk greenery and floral arrangements and replace them with live green plants. Live plants achieve fresher air quickly by cleaning the air as they "breathe".
2. Once all the dusty artificial plants are removed vacuum all blinds, window treatments and upholstery and use Fabreeze(R) fabric freshener and repeat every other day for a week.
3. Turn all ceiling fans on low speed before showings. The movement of the air from the fans will keep the closed-up or stale odors at bay.

Q: My Sellers have at least 20 boxes of items they packed when de-cluttering their home. Not enough to rent a storage unit, but too much for a storage closet. Where do they put those boxes?

A: The garage is the best choice in this situation. All boxes can be stacked neatly, no more than 3 boxes high in the 2nd bay of the garage. Be certain that the boxes are at least 12" away from walls and utility access. Climate sensitive photographs should be removed from picture frames and stored in envelopes or small boxes in a secondary bedroom closet. The frames can then be boxed and placed with other stored boxes.

Q: You recently recommended to my Sellers to place large potted flowering plants in the landscaping beds and not to put an investment "in the ground". I thought flower beds add to curb appeal and that they are a must for listed homes. Is this something new?

A: Not a new idea as much as an updated approach to curb appeal. Presenting color and interest at the front of the home is very important. But, planting a flower bed takes a lot of time, energy and money. One of my main goals is to respect a Seller's budget limitations, time and energy. Flowering plants, particularly Texas native plants, make great potted plants to enhance curb appeal. Potted plants can also be used as new landscaping for the Seller's next home. This is a win-win for the Seller. It is easy to replace a faded potted plant with a healthy plant, but not so easy to re-plant flowering plants in the ground. Most garden and home improvement stores will replace plants (with receipt) up to 30-60 days after purchase. Easy on the budget, time and energy! I have noticed that many Sellers are excited to buy nice ceramic pots for their new home and the pots are even more color from the curb.