The sky is not falling, but the current economic slump has been unkind to real estate sellers. It is great, however, for buyers, with their vast selection of houses. Happy house hunting, buyers!
Seller, don’t despair! The broad selection of houses on the market gives you the opportunity to create distinction from the competition. If you have done your own staging, and your house still sits, be wise and pass the baton to one who can increase the value with reasonable expense, and make your property noteworthy and memorable to prospective buyers. It’s really about everyone helping one another out. How common for a buyer to pass up a house based upon superficial issues, to later lament of having no idea of what a diamond in the rough it was. “If only.”
As I’ve said before, it is nearly impossible to maintain the neutrality and objectivity necessary for staging one’s own home to its best potential. I have tested this rule, and wonder of wonders, I was no exception. Failure of this magnitude is harsh. I gather some consolation that my error may be useful in helping others avoid a similar pitfall.
A former column detailed my own account of moving from a “behemoth” house to a diminutive bungalow. Moves are often trying but especially so when forced by the death of a spouse. After Jeff’s death, I put our house on the market and moved out. Reeling from heartbreak, I found myself numb with apathy, ill equipped for the most basic of sound judgment. That was 8 months ago. The house has been in and out of escrow twice. As the saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.” I told my Realtor I could do the staging myself; after all, staging and redesign is what I do for a living. Nice guy, my Realtor, he figured I knew what I was talking about, and was gracious, given my situation, to give me space. Two thoughts led to the foolish decision of doing my own staging: 1, save money (8 months of mortgage is hardly saving money) 2, Avoid embarrassment of facing a stager with my “mess of a house.” I was, and still am, emotionally invested in my behemoth house, the final vestige of life with my husband and family. I feared that making changes would erase touchstones of precious memories. My attempt at staging came off woefully inadequate: disregarding the most basic tenants of staging by leaving personal effects, such as an entire wall of our family photos (in a room whose paint color was “Red Fox”). Jeff’s office was worse: walls of framed licenses and certificates, shelves full of books of his profession, diagrams of brains and rubber models of skulls and brains (Jeff was a neuropsychologist). I gave buyers zero opportunity to visualize themselves in our home unless their lives were parallel to ours. Not likely. My situation is extreme, but it does bear witness to the reasons that sellers should give their house the best chance of selling by having it staged. It is here that I advise Realtors to strongly Insist upon staging when a property is not showing its full potential. But why hold out on staging for the desperate sales? Better yet, have a house staged early, to fully maximize the presentability of the property.
The best time for a good first impression, is, well, as you know… the first time.
I have learned much from this experience. I have a renewed focus upon the Realtor’s role in having a house staged. After all, the seller is depending upon the Realtor to exhaust all methods to get their house sold. If you, as a seller, find that you are coming up with most of the ideas for promoting your house, it may be useful to re-evaluate the effectiveness of your Realtor before the situation gets desperate. Realtors, generally speaking, work extremely hard for their clients…it’s not a profession for low-stamina or unmotivated people. I have great respect and admiration for the tenacity applied in their profession. However, the gravy train days in realty are no more, and it is time to bring new energy and creativity to the business of selling and buying property. Many Realtors are still misinformed about the tremendous benefit of staging, and would do well to pursue stagers as a resource. Staging is not a luxury but a necessity in competing in today’s housing market. I look forward to offering fresh insight to my clients. I hope that you will benefit from my life lesson as well. Certainly, there are no crystal balls in real estate, or anything else in life. Wise decisions made in promoting your house to its fullest potential could be the difference of selling within a reasonable amount of time, at a good price, versus, as in my case, languishing on the market with my diamond in the rough ‘beast of burden.’ What a shame that I disregarded my own expertise. “If only.”
Click here to read Part 1 of Real Estate Staging.
Shelly Shively grew up in Redding and attended its public schools, from Pine Street School to Shasta College. She is the mother of three grown children – a daughter and two sons – and grandmother to the planet’s most adorable baby girl. She is formally trained in the art of Re-design, and is IRDN (Interior Re-design Network). Shelly is an artist, illustrator and muralist. She can be reached at P.O Box 991568, Redding, CA, 96099 or shellyshively@att.net.
