***The Staging Process for Boomers

WRITTEN BY: Carole Morgan ASP, RESA RESA Professional Stager of the Year Nominee 2010 RESA Professional Stager of the Month January 2010 StageRight Home Staging If you are a “boomer” or even if you are not, you are probably at the very least discussing what your next steps are regarding your life style. Maybe you are “down-sizing”, moving to a warmer climate, moving to two different residences or maybe you are just going move to a different property. One of our “boomer” (yes, I am one as well) claims to fame is our “stuff”. We love our “stuff”, we have tons of our “stuff” and parting with our “stuff” is a very emotional step. I once took out over 80 boxes of collectibles for an elderly couple. It was emotional but I talked with them all the way through and they sold their property in 4 days. Prior to the staging process, it had been on the market for over 6 months with no offers. If you are going to move on and sell your property, reducing the amount of stuff is paramount. A professional home stager can help you through that process. Properties that are loaded with collectibles, photographs, artifacts, collections and furniture (because boomers can’t get rid of anything) do not sell well in any market. Home stagers typically have an incremental plan that you can execute prior to their staging. To get a head start on the moving process, go through your items and see what you really can’t live without and that you can indeed take with you wherever you are going. Put a sticky note on those keep items. Go through all your drawers, closets, cupboards, the basement, the attic, the garage and where ever you store your “stuff”. Pack away those items that are seasonal and that you only use occasionally. In one box (yeah like you have one box of anything), put those items you are taking with you and in the other put what you are going to donate or give to family and friends (perhaps a third box will help). You do not have to do this all in one day. WARNING: you are going to have to watch your significant other or family members. They will try to take your “saved” stuff and put it in one of the other two boxes. I do this to my husband all the time. This process applies to every space in your property. Next, call a home stager to come and access the property. Painting is the least expensive way to freshen a property and will most likely be one of the first things the home stager suggests. The home stager may have additional ideas on minor repairs and upgrades. Once those line items have been addressed, the home stager will strategically place your existing furniture and accessories to complement and enhance the square footage, amenities, character and possibilities your property has to offer. Listen to the home stager; they want what you want and that is to sell the property so you can move on with your life. Nothing excites a home stager more than to hear that a property they have staged has gone pending. Equally excited, of course, is the real estate agent and no one is more excited than you. You did it; you started the next chapter of your life. If you take the steps above, including a good real estate agent, your property, if priced right, will sell. Put yourself and your agent in a position where your goals are attainable. Help them work for you; don’t tie their hands by having expectations that they can sell the house “as is”. They probably can but I am not sure you will like the results if you don’t scale down. If you choose not to prepare your property for market, then it isn’t the agent’s fault if the property doesn’t sell or if you take deep price reductions. Carole Morgan ASP, RESA RESA Professional Stager of the Year Nominee 2010 RESA Professional Stager of the Month January 2010 StageRight Home Staging Visit Carole online at www.stagerightstaging.com