Southlake homeowners invest in home staging to get ready for the spring market quickly and with minimal stress!

MLS#11577119

This  former “Kaleidoscope of Homes” home is ready for the competitive Southlake market after having the home staged by Staging Matters.   This home is one of the most unique properties we have worked on.  Imagine a Tuscan Villa complete with separate living quarters.  The separate quarters, with attached kitchen and full bath,  work nicely as an office suite, mother-in-law suite or pool house.   The large covered courtyard is perfect for entertaining and outdoor living as it has a large built in grill,  built in for the tv and a  beautiful  fireplace with  large seating areas overlooking the back of the property.   As you move down into the yard you find a beautiful private pool, large wooded lot and access to a quiet neighborhood pond perfect for fishing.  Other features include gorgeous gourmet kitchen, 2 indoor fireplaces (one in the dining room), lots of custom built ins, quiet master suite with restful views of trees from every window, huge master closet, game room with full bar, full media room, laundry rooms on both levels and an additional upstairs outdoor patio. 

The homeowners of this project lead very busy lives and decided to let Staging Matters do a lot of the work involved in getting their home on the market.  Getting a home ready for the market takes a lot of time and energy and can be very stressful.  We spent several days staging the property for the homeowners using what they already had and then shopped for just a few finishing touches.  This home is perfect for buyers who love to entertain, who are looking for a true outdoor living experience and for buyers who would enjoy the bonus of having some semi-separate quarters.  The finishing details of the home are right on cue with what buyers in this price range are looking for.  Seeing is believing.  Come on by; this is a delightful living experience not to be missed!

MLS#11577119

Contact Julie Sullins @ 469-644-3779
for more details.

Imagine a room that contains 1 couch, 1 chair, 1 painting, 1 coffee table and 1 lamp, and nothing else.  You have seen that room.  Now imagine a kitchen; with nothing on the counters or walls.  This is what some agents and even some home stagers think staging should look like.  This is what I call “strip and go naked staging”.  

When you tell a client to remove all the clutter this is sometimes what you get.  It is true that less is more when staging….to a point.  We do want to remove distractions and help buyers imagine their own things in a room.  It is important to declutter.   This kind of staging does address the “clean” look a staged home should enjoy.  I know some very busy stagers that create this kind of look.  In my opinion though  this is like only  getting half way there…

This look  is not hard to achieve.  Simply tell your clients to pack everything but the furniture and you are here. No stager needed really.   But there is a problem; a big glaring problem from my perspective with this style of staging.

Staging is about creating uncomplicated clean lines.  But it also has an obligation to spark imaginations, drawing the eye to places in the room on purpose and dare I say…drawing the eye away from some places in the room, on purpose.  This is done with careful furniture placement, with accessories and with art.   Good staging has levels.  There are some very simple restful spaces and other places where  whimsy and drama should occur. 

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There is so much more going on with good staging than is obvious.  Good stagers research who the likely buyer is and what they are about.  They build in a “look” that those buyers can aspire to and identify with.  Good staging employs some subtle psychological messages that can be very powerful.  For example, I almost always create a child’s bedroom when there isn’t one already.  The emotional appeal of children is very powerful for most so creating this room when one doesn’t already exist is important in the homes I stage. 

 I want buyers to easily imagine entertaining in a home I stage; to imagine being in love in a home I stage; to imagine relaxing in a home I stage; to imagine fun family times  in a house I stage. When I can get them to imagine these things the house will sell so much faster than the blah one down the street (even though it was staged… by a naked stager (or Realtor). 

So ask yourself  if the stager you use might fall into the “naked stager” category or if they are a true artist of sorts.  Perhaps you tried staging and didn’t really think it made much of a difference…did you hire a “naked staging” professional?   It is likely that both kinds of stagers charge similar prices but one is worth so much more.  Make the money you spend on staging matter…. Choose artful, thoughtful, imaginative staging.  (Choose me.)

Staging is both science and art.  The “naked” stagers have the science part down but in my opinion they are missing the “art” part.  The “art” part is where the magic happens and results get exciting. All stagers are not the same.  If you want to sell fast and sell high, if you want people to love your properties, if you want a stellar reputation then I suggest you find a truly artistic stager and keep her busy.  Her work just might help keep you busy too!

(Disclaimer – Staging is always done by people wearing clothes.   Do not try to find one that will be naked!  And…Can you imagine my dilema when it came time to add pictures to this article?)

Flower Mound Home Staging Company Shares Costs of Not Staging

• Less is still more in November and December.  If you add something large (Christmas Tree) you must remember to take something of equal size out of the room (loveseat or large chair).  Square footage is what you are selling so remember that less is still more even during the Holidays.  
• Curb appeal is still critical!  The first impression from the curb can include a Holiday Wreath and maybe some white lights….but that is really it.  Frosty the blow up Snowman and all the plastic candycanes need to stay in the attic.
• This is not the year to decorate all the rooms of your home.   Buyers need to be able to focus on the house, not your decorations.  So what is the magic formula?  Think in terms of 3.  Three areas is enough to keep you in the Holiday spirit and to celebrate family traditions but not overwhelm your buying guests.  For most this will mean they will put up a tree, decorate a mantle and set the dining room table.  That is all, just those three places.    
• Kitchens and Bathrooms sell houses. Keep these areas “holiday free”. Buyers will be able to appreciate these rooms if they aren’t distracted by your decorations.
• While you shouldn’t overwhelm buyers visually with the Holidays you can enhance the warm feeling of your home by baking some cookies and leaving some Holiday music playing softly in the background. 

Being on the market during the Holidays is not without challenges so if you are going to stick it out….stay in the race!

by Debra Rosser with Staging Matters

Imagine it is just past 8 in the morning.  You are still wearing your pajamas and you are in the middle of feeding your toddler some breakfast.   The phone rings.  It is the service wanting to let you know that your home is scheduled for a showing within the hour. 

It is really rare that you will get a showing that is truly convenient.  Somehow the service that schedules those doesn’t ever schedule a showing when you are perfectly prepared, when your spouse is around to help or when the maid has just left.  So how do you survive when you have less than an hour to prepare? 

The first TRICK is to always have these 2 baskets available.  The first basket is a large empty laundry basket.  This is a basket that you will use to put anything that is out of place into.  The second is a basket or bucket that is loaded with some cleaning essentials.  In this bucket you should always have an empty trash bag, Windex, microfiber towels (3 or 4), Pledge and a room spray that smells like cotton or fresh laundry.

Now when the phone rings grab both the laundry basket and the emergency cleaning bucket and move from room to room systematically.  In every room you are going to throw anything (and I do mean anything) out of place in the laundry basket.  I have even known clients to throw dirty pans and dishes into the basket.   Now, using the buckets contents, quickly wipe down any counters, mirrors and sinks, close every toilet lid, empty every trash can, open every blind, turn on every light and spray every room with room freshener.  All beds should be made and only pretty things should be out on any counter.   Move from room to room in a systematic fashion.  Don’t leave any room until all of the above are done. 

Turn on some elevator music, grab your keys, throw the laundry basket in the trunk of your car and drive away with the kids and the animals in the back seat. 

As you drive away remembers this. The only thing worse than being on the market is being on the market for a long time.  Almost every showing will include a qualified buyer; ready to buy someone’s home, it might as well be yours.  You have one shot at grabbing their attention so it is worth it to be prepared.  Every showing could be your last!   

Keller Williams Agent Uses Home Staging Company

 Allyson Coe, with Keller Williams out of Argyle, specializes in quality listings and this one is no exception. This home is full of beautiful custom features and exceptional finishes at every turn. This home is a great example of how even beautiful properties can benefit from staging.  We worked with the Sellers to be sure that every fabulous feature was highlighted and clearly called out for a buyers attention.

This was not a home where we had a lot of editing to do, the agent and homeowners had already addressed many of the first phases of staging. It was our job to put this listing over the top. We wanted to be sure that the homes best features were highlighted and then created an environment that buyers could easily imagine living in.

This home’s staging consisted of an initial consultation followed by a few hours of staging and the addition of a few key accessories.
Every home should be fine-tuned; the results are truly remarkable! MLS#11445366 , $649,000. 2344 Tall Woods, Keller

Do you ever wonder how the staging statistics are gathered and what they mean for homeowners? RESA, the Real Estate Staging Association, has put together a very comprehensive guide explaining some of the financial benefits of staging and takes the mystery out of how staging statistics are gathered. To see this report Click Here.  

Home Staging in Irving Golf Course Community

This home is located at 2107 Hogan Dr, Irving, Tx 75038 and is offered at $895,000.  Incredible views of the golf course, private gated community, great floor plan and exceptional craftsmanship throughout make it a stand out among the competition.  

Homes in this price range are not moving quickly and this home was no exception. Having been on the market for a while the agent and homeowner decided to compete by delivering a competitive price and a competitive product. Staging Matters was brought in to make this home appeal to a broader audience of buyers. In this price range it was crucial that the staging would reflect the price point of the home; which is a specialty of our company and services. 

Sometimes we work along side the homeowner but in this case the homeowner asked us to manage the entire process for them.  Our team rearranged and edited every room in the home; sourcing furniture and accessories where needed.   This project took about a week to complete but the transformation was dramatic and the feedback has been very positive.  We love a big project and this was one of our favorite projects this year.

 MLS# 11430745.  The home is listed with Julie Sullins. For more information call 469-644-3779.

Home Staging Consultation in Flower Mound

This Flower Mound home had to quickly get in the race. The homeowners found their “dream home” and were determined to get this home on the market. This home belongs to a very busy family which includes a few toddlers and a few teenagers; need I say more?

Staging Matters was called in to do an in depth consultation which took about 3 hours. The homeowners then did all the work themselves and they did it in record time.

Homeowners who want to prepare their home themselves always benefit from the expert advice of a stager who is willing to share all their tips and tricks.  This home sold in 3 weeks.  Staging Matters!