Why Stage in a Hot Market
WARNING: BAD MLS PHOTOS IN THIS POST. VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED!!
Why Stage, when I can put a sign in the yard and sell it? I hear it all the time in this market. Do a quick search on Zillow, Trulia or Realtor.com, and you will see that putting a sign in the yard doesn't always do the trick. Sure, the real estate market in Dallas is hot, and beautiful, move-in ready homes sell quickly, if they present well online. And there's the problem.
This may be a perfectly lovely home, but it has been on the market for 80 days. Staging and professional photography would make a world of difference in this master bedroom.
And it isn't always a matter of clutter that makes a home unappealing. Knowing your buyer demographic, and packaging the home to appeal to that crowd can help a home sell faster. This home has been on the market 57 days, and is listed in a very trendy area. Most of the buyers looking in the area are young families, whose taste tends to be more modern, less traditional and fussy. Replacing some of the formal furniture with something with cleaner lines would definitely help this house move. Professional photography too, that is always a good idea!
Then there's this... The carpet looks new, the walls appear to be freshly painted, and it looks like the photos were taken by a professional, but the airbed with the doily on top... Please don't! 180 days on the market. The carrying costs of the house alone could have easily paid for a real bed with nice bedding.
There is a reason the Bad MLS Photos website exists. No shortage of content!
In all of these cases, staging could have helped get the house sold where the sign in the yard obviously didn't do the trick. Staging doesn't have to be expensive. In the example of the master bedroom, a consultation at a cost of $249, would have equipped the homeowners with the information needed to declutter, rearrange, and stage their home. In the example of the living/dining room, furniture rental would be a great option, and would likely set the homeowners back about $1000 total to give their home the updated look their target demographic is looking for.
In the final example, I might have used an airbed as well, but it would look like this:
Yes, that is an airbed. Knowing how to make and accessorize it is the difference between sitting on the market for 180 days, and sold. This home sold in under 10 days for full asking price.
So, while the market is still hot in Dallas, knowing current design trends, and how to package a home to appeal to the appropriate demographic helps homes present well online and in person, resulting in quicker sales and higher offers.
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Amy Fedosky is a professional home stager, and mother to 3 sons and 1 daughter. She loves travel, watching her kids play sports, chocolate, and a good glass of wine. Amy has lived in Rowlett for 28 years, and has been staging in the Dallas area since 2011.
