This room was "Furnished" for under $300.  It is important to furnish vacant rooms to give buyers a sense of scale.  Before putting the bed in this room it did not appear large enough to be a bedroom.  I think it is an optical illusion that empty rooms appear smaller than when they are furnished. The goal of home staging is to put in just enough elements to give potential buyers an idea of how things will look and were look best.

Blow up mattresses -    $65    
Bed Set -    $90   
Pillows    $30   
End tables -    $35   
Lamps -   $40   
Faux Headboard -    $15   

Total:  $275

Not bad for an entire bedroom. 

The home was put on the market on a Monday, it sold on Thursday.  If you would like your Rockland County NY home to sell quickly call Rockland Home Staging (845)731-9510.  We can help you take the guesswork out of getting your home ready for sale.   

I was invited to write a Home Staging Year in Review by Jennifer Fivelsdal.  It was an honor to be included in this project. To will find all of the posts at the ActiveRain 2007 Year In Reviewgroup home - have fun reading this ambitious AR summary.

A year ago there were only about 100 home stagers on Active Rain, today we are over 1600 strong. Active Rain has given us a voice in the real estate community and for this we are grateful.  

The home staging industry is in its infancy and we are dedicated to changing the way homes are marketed and prepared for sale.  I think most home stagers would agree that partnering with real estate agents is an integral part of our industry and Active Rain has made those partnerships more accessible.  We are able to discuss staging and real estate with agents from all over the country.  We can take what we learn and apply it to our local markets.

I think the single most important factor in the success of Stagers in the Rain was the advent of groups. Craig Schiller created the group Stage it Forward and the staging movement had found a home.  If you are not a member of SIF you should join today.

Here is a rundown of some of the most memorable posts of the year: 

POWER of the RAIN... AR's Group Feature GIVES VOICE to Our Industry Craig Schiller

If MLS is the mall, and photos are your window display, than your house is the product… Joelle Green

A Life Raft for Sellers in This Shallow Pool of Buyers Sue Argue

Staging...where to take the hit! Lori Kim Polk

Customers For Life James Frazier

And as for the rest of us, we have moved on... Sheron Cardin

Establishing Credibility – 5 considerations for new stagers 11/07/2007 11:04 PM

Zero dollar staging - what can we do for you? Melissa Marro

Home Sellers - Is Your Home Worth Remembering? Kathy Nielsen

Picture This for Showings! Karen Dembsky

NEW GROUP: VACANT HOUSE STAGING & NEW HOMES   Val Allocco

A search through my MLS Marci Toliver

The Heart Behind the Clutter Phyllis Pafumi

I'm not a Home Stager Anymore Kimberly Wester

It's CLEAR... 21 SIF RoundTables Across North America Are Going to REFRESH Our Industry! Craig Schiller

I think once you read or reread these posts you will see that we have come full circle. We are a close knit group with a passion for the real estate industry.  I am grateful for Active Rain and Stage it Forward in particular,  you have given me a place to share, learn, grow and vent.  I am honored to be counted as one of your members.  

I have made so many good friends from all around the country I cannot imagine running my business without your encouragement and wisdom.  I'd like to wish each and every one of you a joyous and prosperous new year. 

~Maureen 

PS I was asked to come up with 12 memorable posts that exemplified Home Staging in the Rain, it was an almost impossible task.  If you have a favorite post that you'd like to share please feel free to link it in the comments.  :)