Home Staging Questions Answered

An Interview with Theresa Anderson

Maria: Theresa, what exactly is home staging?

Theresa: Home staging is the process of preparing a house to go on the market. Staging produces extraordinary returns for the small investment. Professional home stagers understand this and specialize in providing services that improve the home’s marketability. A New View Staging and Redesign in Brooklyn Park, MN partners with real estate agents and home sellers to create a robust and effective marketing strategy by properly displaying the product. 

     Organizing, emphasizing focal points, placing and rearranging furniture and proper accessorizing increase the home’s perceived and real value.  Most home buyers are looking for a turn-key option. They search and shop online looking for the perfect place to drop their toothbrush and settle in. To compete, sellers must find a way to meet these expectations and attract the interested buyers before another house does.  It is critical in today’s market to make your listing stand out. Staging is also a way to help prevent low ball offers, extended time on the market and drastic price reductions. No matter the budget, it will always be less than a price reduction. And with over 85% of potential buyers viewing properties for sale online, extraordinary photos are critical. Professional photos provided by our experts and a virtual tour will help you achieve your goals.

     Staging is a blend of economics and marketing psychology. Staging is marketing the inside. Design methodologies, decorating techniques and creativity allow a seller to showcase their home, revealing its true potential. Showcasing the home’s potential creates an emotional response in buyers. Buyers respond to that emotion by presenting an offer.  That is ‘a new view’ of staging and we are excited to be able to bring this knowledge and expertise to our partners in the Twin Cities.

     We believe staging is an investment and should yield a return when combined with a solid marketing strategy and proper pricing.
     We believe that staging a home is designed to attract buyers. Therefore, we specifically target your buyers and stage to attract and impress them.
     We believe that staging must be cost effective and successfully done within a reasonable budget.

Maria: Do I have to take everything out and bring in rented furniture for staging?

Theresa: Typically this is not recommended. It is better and usually less expensive to have a professional stager utilize existing items and incorporate techniques to highlight the positives and deemphasize the negatives. Sometimes, home stagers will make recommendations for purchases which would be ideal. However, at A New View Staging and Redesign, we understand the difference between what is ideal and what is practical. We include the seller in the entire process and ensure the seller knows that he/she sets the boundaries and makes the final decisions. 

Maria: So what if  I think my home looks nice. Why do I need a stager to help sell it?

Theresa: Great question. We know that every home seller is aware of the need to ‘tidy’ up their home so that it sells. However, most are not aware of how to do this effectively and generate a return on the investment. According to the National Association of Realtors, an average staging investment of 1-3% of the listing price typically generates a return of 8-10%. Homes that are not professionally staged also sit on the market longer. Your home probably does look nice. And it has looked nice for all the years you’ve lived there. Because we are creatures of habit, you likely will not notice things that an outsider would. We help you put on buyer’s eyes and show you how to create a look that looks ‘nice’, and attracts the attention of buyers so they can fall in love.

Maria: Staging is relatively new. I watch those shows. If I put out a few candles, towels and plants and set the table, isn’t that staged?

Theresa: This is the stereotypical view of what a stager does. In reality, this does not effectively improve marketability. These techniques are outdated and today’s buyers are savvy. Over 80% of buyers look online for their home! Great photos are critical. These outdated methods cannot create the necessary emotional appeal. 

Maria: So I need to change the way it looks so buyers will love it? How would I do that if I don’t have great furniture?

Theresa: We are experts in emphasizing the positive and downplaying the negative. We find beautiful focal points and use creative methods to emphasize them. We also have clever decorating secrets to help a home look its best. We help you visualize low cost ways to highlight the home’s best features! You’ll be amazed at what we can do with what you already have!  We’ll find new uses for things you never thought would have any purpose. We’ll coordinate and combine things in new and interesting ways. We like to say we are using a ‘green’ approach. No need to buy new when you can recycle, reuse and repurpose things. We are also masters at shopping for bargains, finding gently used items, and ‘fixing’ or creating new things from old things.  

Maria: Why do buyers care what the inside looks like when they aren’t buying my stuff?

Theresa:  Even though buyers will not be buying the stuff, they need a visual of what it could look like. Nine out of ten buyers cannot imagine their own furniture or belongings in a space. So if items are not displayed in a way that is pleasing to a majority of buyers, they get distracted by it and cannot visualize the space or get the feeling of ‘home’ when they view it. Additionally, buyers need not be reminded of it being someone else’s home. The stager knows how to depersonalize a home while retaining warmth and a feeling of fun and family living. Remember, buyers purchase on emotion.  

     A New View Staging and Redesign incorporates the art of using marketing and decorating techniques to create a view that buyers can aspire to and say, “If I buy this house, I can live like this.” We position several emotional connection points throughout the home and when a buyer steps in, they ‘feel home.’ So even though they will no longer have the beautifully arranged items when they move in, it gives them a visual of what it could look like when they are considering an offer!  The intent of a home stager is to help a home appeal to the broadest array of buyers. We help sellers put on ‘buyer’s eyes’ and view the home objectively.   

Maria:  So if I choose to have you stage my house, how much is this going to cost and how long will it take?

Theresa: We have services that fit every budget. Typically home staging ranges from 1-3% of the asking price, though depending on budget and condition it could be more or less. A half-day of staging is usually less than $500. We also like to remind sellers that this is an investment. As the saying goes – pay now, or pay later. Sellers usually can increase the sales price to more than cover the cost of the staging.  As for timing, we can get a lot done in a day. We recommend most sellers start with a day of staging.

Maria: Okay, so before I call you, should I just repaint everything?

Theresa: Wait until a professional stager/redesigner has looked at the home. Sometimes repainting is critical, other times it is not necessary. 

Maria: Sometimes real estate agents advise clients on how to stage. Why should they hire a professional stager?

Theresa: Some agents are trained and skilled home stagers. Other agents know the value provided by professional home stagers. Some agents even cover the cost of professional staging as part of their offering.  Agents are experts at being a real estate agents. They have been through rigorous training and have years of experience and expertise to offer in the area of real estate. Because of this, they do often have excellent tips (neutralize paint color, declutter and depersonalize). This guidance is appreciated and helpful and supports the efforts of a home stager. Professional home stagers ensure the sellers  maximize the full value of this advice. This allows agents more time to do what they do best!

Maria: If the sellers provide an allowance for items like carpet or painting, wouldn’t buyers prefer this so they can choose their own colors and styles?

Theresa: This is a common misconception, Maria. Buyers are not buying a house, they are buying a lifestyle. That lifestyle is imparted in the home’s feeling. Buyers cannot visualize ‘what could be’ and never fully appreciate the property’s true value. In addition, buyers are looking for a home that is move-in ready. They do not want to have the hassle of trying to choose colors or update paint before they move in. And once they do move, it seems to be impossible to find the money to complete the projects for which they budgeted. Therefore, it is harder to sell the house, even with an allowance. Buyers prefer a completed option and would rather not have to make choices or spend on updates. To a buyer, it appears as if the home has not been well-taken care. This can be a major distraction and turn-off for prospective buyers. 

Maria: This has been great information. What else do I need to do to help my home sell quickly?

Theresa: There are three key components to selling a home in a buyer’s market. If your sellers are serious about selling their home, be sure to consider these three steps to make the home stand out from the competition.  

1. Invest in home staging – preparing the home on the inside is critical. Buyers need to ‘feel home’ before making an offer. The professional home stagers at A New View Home Staging and Redesign are trained on this specific process. 
2. Spread the word about the home. This is where you as their agent can shine. Professional home stagers assist agents by providing professional photos for you to use in the marketing campaign. This allows the 80+% of buyers who shop online the best view of the home before they decide to visit. It is critical to make these first impression photos count. 
3. Price right the first time. You are also the expert in this area. You know how to read the marketplace and understand comparables.  When a home sits, it typically settles for a lower price. The longer it sits, the lower the price. The price should be set at an amount that encourages potential buyers to come and take a look. Once in, they can fall in love with the home, and the sellers will get an offer in no time at all.

• If any of these three essential areas are missing, we encourage you to give us a call for assistance!