Recent Staging Project - Virtual Tour

2105 SALT MYRTLE LN, ORANGE PARK, FL

We posted some photos of the Pace Island Residence a few days back, and now the listing is active and the virtual tour of the house is up and running.

This prestigious Pace Island Estate is located in Northeast Florida on the St. Johns River. It has the most spectacular views. In fact, when taking our breaks during staging, we took advantage of the vista once or twice by strolling out onto the private dock. What gorgeous sunsets we have in Florida!


To view the entire house, visit Linda Hurlbert's (Watson Realty Corporation) listing here.

And if you know anyone who is looking for a wonderful Florida home on the water, that is convenient to downtown Jacksonville, the beaches and lots of great schools, museums and shopping, be sure send them a link to the listing.

It's Never Too Late to Stage

When presenting a staging proposal, we find that the biggest obstacle to overcome is convincing sellers that it really will save them money in the end. Considering carrying costs, monthly mortgage payments, insurance, etc., the cost to stage is very small.

Let's say your house is on the market for $300,000 and it hasn't sold in several months. You decide to reduce your price. If you lower you price by only 3%, it would be a $9,000 reduction. Staging cost vary, but a good rule of thumb is .5 - 2% of the selling price for an average sized home. If you Stage your property instead of reducing your price, you could gain $3,000-$7,500!

Often you can forgo costly renovations by staging. By lightly furnishing a home, your online photos will get the attention of online house hunters much quicker than boring, empty rooms. And it gives your Realtor an opportunity to re-list with the info that it has been professionally staged. Other Realtors will be much more likely to show a staged home than an empty one.

A majority of the homes we stage have been on the market for some time before we do our magic. One house was on the market for the better part of a year. It was furnished, but was cluttered and had no obvious traffic pattern or balanced room arrangements. After staging and some fresh paint, the home received two offers within two weeks. They accepted an offer 23 days after staging. And this is not an isolated incident.

Stageworks' average "days on the market" after staging is 37 days! That is right in line with national statistics.

See the most recent staging statistics here.

Common Mistakes Home Sellers Make

Stageworks recently staged a home on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. Sadly, the home owner had past away, but the family understood the importance of making the best possible impression BEFORE listing it.

Often we hear, "Let's wait to see what happens, and if it doesn't sell, then we'll consider staging it". This is a big mistake many home sellers make.

There are several reasons why staging before listing the property is the best plan of action.

• Those house hunters who first view the property will not likely come back to see it again after staging if the first impression was ho-hum. So, the sellers have lost the opportunity to wow those first - and possibly most interested - buyers forever.
• Statistics are clear that staged homes sell faster and by selling faster, there's no need for a price reduction.
  
• The photos of a staged home will grab online lookers much quicker than houses with empty or cluttered rooms.

Using much of what the homeowner already had, we created a warm and inviting environment. The goal is to create a flow to the home, eliminate clutter and allow the buyer to see how rooms work when furnished with just the right amount of pieces.

After the staging was complete, we walked through with the V.P. of Wachovia Bank's Trust Department. Her first comment was "It's really amazing, what you did makes the house seem more like a home. What a difference - you guys really have the touch!"

Before and After

The next step is to have professional photos taken of the home and place it on the market! We're sure this one will go fast.

Trivial Pursuits?

There are many challenges facing our country and the world, and it often seems that considering what color sofa to use in an upcoming staging project is trivial in comparison.
Then I am reminded of the economic struggles that many are experiencing, and resolve that selling homes quickly and for the most money does, in fact, contribute to helping folks.

The most recent survey published by RESA (the Real Estate Staging Association) reveals impressive statistics on home staging.

"In 2007 vacant homes in our study that were previously on the market on average of 131 Days as un-staged properties had not sold. Those same homes were then taken off the market and staged and re-listed. Those properties on average sold after 42 days on market after they were staged,which is 68% less time on the market.

In 2008 vacant homes in our study that were previously on the market an average of 190 days as un-staged properties, had not sold. Those same homes were taken off the market and staged and re-listed. Those properties on average sold after 28 days on market after they were staged, which is 85% less time on the market." You can read the entire report here.

Decorating decisions may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, however, creating balanced, comfortable, and beautiful living spaces affects our lives in many positive ways. As they say, the sapling needs a balanced and enriched environment to thrive. And the hope is that potential buyers will see a beautifully staged home as the perfect place to raise their family.

Now... I'm off to pick the perfect paint color for that nursery!

Our Latest Redesign Project

Stageworks Home Staging & Redesign recently traveled to Hot'lanta to redesign a gorgeous home in the suburbs of the city. The owners had some great things to work with, and we only purchased a few items to complete the look. But we did move things around to create better flow in the home ... even though it involved lugging things up and down three floors!

Here are a few pics of the final results.

Family Room Before

Family Room After

Office Before




Office Turned Bedroom After


Dining Room Before and After

Basement Dining Room Before



Basement Dining Room After