realtors“The Art of Home Staging”
Grand Tour Magazine
May 1, 2007
Deborah Fabricant
Staging seems to be the hot ticket these days. My phone is ringing off the hook with clients wanting to transform their home into “gorgeous” before putting it on the market. A few years back people didn’t even know what “staging” was and now it is all the rage. And deservedly so. It has been proven that homes to be sold have a much better chance of moving faster and demanding a higher price if they have been staged, so it stands to reason that sprucing up the little abode is not only effective but scores you, the homeowner, some extra bucks. Not bad, I say! So, where do you start if you are putting your home up for sale?
Start with a reputable Real Estate Agent and one who is really on your side. An individual who will put forth the effort it takes to help you ready your home for the market. Your agent is familiar with Home Staging and if your house needs it, he or she should recommend a Staging company to you. Once you decide on the Stager, you should have a meeting to show them the house, take a tour of the grounds and give them the information they need to establish just how much it will cost to re-do the property.
This consists of listing price, square footage, how many rooms and if it is Interior and Exterior Staging. When I visit a home, the first thing I need to know is if the client is going to be living in the house while it is on the market or will they be vacating it. If they are living there, then I take into consideration their living patterns, habits and living “areas” before I go any further. If the house is going to be empty, then I have a clean slate and come in with all the furniture, accessories, lighting and artwork and we work our magic.
What if you are living in the house while it is on the market? The first rule is to clear out all the clutter!! It is amazing how much we all accumulate and how much of it is just worthless. The assignment is to spend a week cleaning out desks, cupboards, tabletops, kids rooms and closets and tossing or storing anything that is not being used or is old. I know it sounds hard-nosed, but believe me, it makes a HUGE difference. Secondly, my team and I do a walk through and decide what furniture, accessories and artwork (if any) we can use in the staging process. Whatever we can’t use goes into storage or the garage. I then ask the owner to remove all artwork from the walls, all personal photos and doo-dads and put them in one place. We then decide if the house needs new window coverings and if so, ask the owner to remove the ones we will not be using. At this point the owner is usually a bit upset that I’ve come into their home (a complete stranger) and have disassembled their life. I gently tell them that this process will not only sell their house faster, but very likely for a higher price and to remember that it is NOT personal, it’s the business of showing their home in it’s best light.
Staging usually takes 2-3 days. The first day we move in any furniture we are adding to the existing furnishings, move things around from room to room, place the furniture where we think we want it, unpack the accessories, artwork, etc and place it. Day two and three I ask the owners to not be there. (This because the house will be “torn up” and it makes people upset to see their home in such disarray). We then go about the process of dressing each room. I divide my team up according to their strengths in design and oversee the project. One person is especially great at organizing closets, one is really talented at dressing bookshelves and cubby holes and one has a great eye for placement of artwork and accessories. If the exterior is to be dressed (and I do recommend this!!) we install pots and plants on day two. Day three is for last minute “tweaking” and refining and your home is ready for the market!
We take great pride in designing homes that look “lived in”, well thought out and decorated down to the last candle and bar of soap. We use beautiful linens, towels, artwork and accessories all of which speak of luxury and good taste. And you can be rest assured that we will take care of everything, leaving you stress-free and confident in obtaining the highest price possible for your home. This full-service staging is our pledge to you.
The process of Home Staging can be a bit daunting, but the end result is so rewarding.
Deborah Fabricant owns The Art of Home Staging, a full service staging company based in Los Angeles, CA. For more information call 323.651.4644