I recently went into a home where an agent had given the homeowners some Home Staging tips. She told the clients to take everything off the kitchen counters leaving them bare. She suggested painting the house a nice neutral white and using spray to neutralize the odor in the home.
Sometimes a little knowledge can be dangerous.
There is more to home staging than getting rid of the clutter and neutralizing the home. No one wants to live in an institutional setting with no warmth or personality.
Professional home stagers are trained in current decorating trends as well as proven home staging techniques - in most cases it helps to hire a professional.
If you think you are ready to give home staging advice or stage your own home try taking this quiz from the National Association of Realtors. It a simple 10 question quiz.
If you are considering home staging and live in the Rockland County NY or Bergen County NJ area call Rockland Home Staging today. We will take the guesswork out of getting your home ready for sale. (845)731-9510.
So... how did you do? Feel free to post your scores in the comments!
Hi Maureen- Yeah, I scored 10 out of 10!! If only there was extra credit........... :)
Maureen, Isn't that the truth!! Often clients remove everything from the counter and other accessories throughout the home because of advice someone has given them. And the freshly painted WHITE walls - if only they had called before the paint went up. Thanks for the quiz - it was nerve racking, but passed with flying colors. lol
OMG Maureen, I have a flair for staging!
With all kidding aside, it's great to see the NAR educating on staging. This is good for our industry. Thanks for sharing the quiz.
Maureen, That was a fun test. I actually got a 9 :( In Feng Shui we think in TWO's....
you are the leader -- can't even express how much I love every post you do! thx and pls. == sometime, let's discuss the Real world of home Staging for Newbies group -- you have a place there, and I know you know that!
7 out of 10. That's why I like to use professional staggers. It's not field.
you said it sista! i always get this blank look when people tell me what "i really do" at my job. ;)
cheers,
cindy
10 out of 10 for me. I loved the "stand brooms against the wall," and "open the washer..." Its great to see that these educational tools are out there!
Teresa
Hi Maureen! Brooms against the wall! Love it!
WAHOO!!!! =)' 10 out of 10!
Great post Maureen. I hope that others not in the staging field check it out to see how they do. Would be interesting.
That Broom one was one of my favorites too. :)
10 out of 10 - woo-hoo!
Hi Maureen ... Fun quiz! My first job as a Realtor was at Century 21, and they have an excellent training program for new agents. It includes a pretty comprehensive staging module. Clients do not always wish to hire a stager, leaving the Realtor to try to convince them to make some changes. So, my training pays off. This is the upside of being in business for only two and a half years ... my training was up-to-date. Also, there are so many staging resources available ... not sure why more agents do not research the subject when they do not have the option of hiring a stager. Thanks for the post!
Marie - good point. There are a handful of agents that stage the homes themselves in my area. They are typically newer agents trying to grow their branding. It is extremely time consuming though.
I primarily work with agents that are top producers and don't have time to stage their own listings. They typically also hire professional photographers - that frees them to do what they do best, get more listings!
Maureen ... It is very time consuming ... I agree! Hey, you nver know, maybe one of these days I will be able to hire a stager :)
Maureen, this is a great post- you know I'm a 10! In my experience, I have only seen a handful of Realtors that understand the staging principles...the others should leave it to the Professional. In this age where everyone thinks staging is so EASY (it's not) they should really review their work and ensure they are doing the best job for the seller. Staging is not taking the picture from another angle..It is presenting the property in its best light for a quick SALE
A 10 here too - but I have to add, concerning the final question, that if I were actually staging a laundry room (or closet, for that matter) with hangers, they'd be wooden ones, not white plastic!
David - You know what they say, the devil is in the details.
Marci - so true.
Yippeee--- 10 out of 10... Thanks for sharing that quiz!
OOOOO I got a 10 out of 10 MAYBE I SHOULD CONSIDER THIS STAGING THING...LOL
Hey Mo, hope you are doing well and starting to hear from KHOV. I hope to talk with you soon,
Phyllis Pafumi
I am the brightest bulb in the chandelier after all.......
Uh, I scored 11 out of 10 - a good stager, but not good at math......go figure!
Fun, Maureen. Thanks for posting the quiz. After destaging 2 homes today that didn't sell, I needed the confidence boost of scoring 10 of 10. Yay!
cool quiz - 10 out of 10 for me. thanks for the link!
Thanks for gathering this up for us. I love reading the Realtor.org info they send us every month. Nice to see staging featured, it's about time.
Yeah, I got 10 out of 10. I have taken the staging course from one of Barbs instructors and she was great!
Love being a perfect 10! But I think I should get some extra credit, the hanger snob in me would not have used white plastic ones ;]
Hey...ya mean the old "lived-in" approach is not gonna work anymore? ;-D
Paula - We are living in a fast food society - homes are no different - may I take your order?
Whew - Glad I passed with flying colors....might have been embarassing otherwise! Some of those answers were pretty funny. Loved the one suggesting it's a good idea to leave shoes around entryways!
10 for 10. See Mom, I told you I know what I am doing! Great topic!
Yay! 10 out of 10! (Actually, as a trained professional, it would be pretty embarrassing to get any wrong...) I'm cultivating a relationship with a realtor who is a trained stager, but quickly came to the realization that she already has a full-time job, and doesn't have time to do the staging as well as all the realtor things. So she subcontracts to those who do it for a living. Smart lady!
10 yippee
I like the broom against the wall & open the washer to show that it works.
They should have had something about "leave the toilet seat up" to show that it works.
surprising answers! thanks for the quiz
Hi Maureen, how are you?
That was a fun quiz, I did not realize I knew so much about staging I actually answered all the questions correctly.
ha ha! I got a 7 out of 10. maybe I should think about changing careers! I didn't like some of the answers :)
Professional stagers can work miracles. We have used stagers in some of our exclusives and the apartment seems brand new afterwards!