Back in the 1970s Barb Schwarz (Creator of The Staged Homes Concept and Home Staging Industry) began to use staging in her real estate practice  in Washington State as a way to get her listings sold.   Her background in theater and the arts opened up her creativity on a new industry level. And so the concept of staging began to evolve.   She eventually went on to build one of the most successful staging certification companies in the United States.   Her expertise and industry knowledge are world renown.  

Over the years the concept of staging began spreading like wildfire here in the US and Canada.   Whether it blossomed due to the market conditions, the home’s location or the unappealing “condition” of a home one fact remains–staging gets results!

And then the design revolution hit cable television.   Viewers began to switch channels back and forth from Emeril Lagasse to HGTV and their new lineup of home design shows. It wasn’t long before Design to Sell hit the airwaves.   Viewers remain glued to their TV sets each night as stagers transform old and boring into new and inviting!  

Most of the time costs are fairly reasonable and range from as low as $500 and climb up to $2,000 or slightly under.   Typically real estate agents do a walk through of the property and give their suggestions as to which of the areas in the home needs to be addressed.   The stager then comes in with a crew of carpenters, and sometimes electricians and they all go to work transforming the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.   Here is where the marketing comes in.   And I don’t mean marketing the property.   What I am referring to is marketing the TV show.   Yes, the home is now transformed and does have a much better chance of selling. But my questions are:   1. Who pays for the cost of labor?   2.     Is it really that important to have a table made by a skilled carpenter or would a table purchased at a local re-sale shop work just as well?   3.   Do we need to get the homeowner involved in creating art pieces for the dining room wall or could we easily pick up some very striking artwork at our local Home Goods, TJ Max or Marshalls?

In my career as a Realtor/Stager I find that homeowners are extremely stressed with the prospect of selling their house and have called in professionals to help them get their homes sold as quickly as possible.   The last thing that they want to do is spend their time doing arts and craft projects.   Certainly I have engaged their help in moving furniture, painting walls, and packing away unused items, however, these are tasks that well fall into their area of responsibility.

Consumers often don’t understand the concept behind the design program™s formats or fact that the advertising dollars help sell the appeal of a particular design show.   Real estate companies, home improvement centers and paint manufacturers pay big money to buy up prime time advertising air to get their products sold. So what I am trying to say is that the home staging shows also undergo a type of staging within their framework to keep the consumer tuned in.

Typically when I go into a client’s home my goal is to use as much of their stuff as possible to keep costs down.   My only exception to that rule is staging a vacant home or staging a luxury home where there is money budgeted for making a high impact on consumers in their price range.   It has been my experience that most home sellers today selling in this market and doing so because of some type of necessity in their lives.   They are usually grappling with the fact that their home is worth much less that it was last year, the previous year and the year before that!!! Their budgets are limited and the cost of hiring a skilled carpenter to create an original table or headboard is not in their best interests.

So while these shows provide a wealth of good ideas and suggestions, the reality lies in improving your home’s appearance and making it appeal to as many buyers as possible.

Are you interested in getting some professional advice on home staging?   Whether you are selling your home or looking to make improvements in your environment I can help!   It is my pleasure to help consumers create an atmosphere of well being and harmony!   Call Linda Kemp at 630.688.5121 for more information on design or color help.