What Is Staging?
Gitte Melnick The first time I was introduced to Staging was 15 years ago in Toronto. After much soul searching and conversation back and forth, my husband and I decided to sell our house. We had lived there for a number of years. I really liked it but we were moving out of the city, to the country. The Real Estate Agent arrived, we signed the contract and the For Sale Sign appeared on the front lawn. My neighbour, an interior designer, said: "You have to stage it so that it will sell faster". And I said: "What is Staging?" Staging is the art of changing a lived-in home into a model house in order to sell it quicker and for more money. The Staging concept was first invented in 1972 in California. Barb Schwarz, real estate agent, decided to help her clients sell their homes faster and for more money by Staging their properties. Staging is very visual. It is all about presentation. The prospective buyer that walks into the house stops just inside the door and looks around. The inside of the house has to be pleasing to the eye. The buyers have to be able to visualize themselves living in the house, with their furniture, their lamps and their accessories. 78% of people that tour your home have chosen your house because of location and price. Now, we have to convince them to buy it and that is done by making it pleasing to the eye. Some of my clients feel a little apprehensive by my suggestions because they like their house and they feel that it is beautifully decorated and it needs not be changed in order to sell it. I take extra time to explain to them the benefits of Staging and I show them "before and after" photographs of other projects that I have done. And I explain in detail the 10 reasons to professionally stage the property: * It sells faster * It sells for more money * It looks better than other properties on the market * It stands out in the real estate listings and on the internet * More people will tour it * It will be on the buyer's list of properties to see * In the buyer's eye it will be a "well maintained" property * It is move-in ready * It is usually appraised at higher value * Appraisers will see it as a "well maintained" property I have three words for you: STAGE IT - LIST IT - SELL IT Use a Professional Stager and discover how easy it is to prepare your home for sale.
Copyright 2007 - Gitte Melnick. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: Gitte Melnick studies at QC Design School in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a member of CDECA (Canadian Decorators' Association) & IDDP (International Design & Decorating Professionals). Gitte invites you to contact her through 20/20 Staging, or by phone at 705-444-3998. About the Author
Studied Staging & Redesign at QC Design School in Ottawa, Canada. Member of CDECA (Canadian Decorators' Association) & IDDP (International Design & Decorating Professionals). Gitte Melnick may be contacted at http://www.2020@staging.com. Click here to view more articles by Gitte Melnick. Reprinted with Permission from IdeaMarketers.com
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