For the Homeowner

In the 2009 Houston’s Real Estate Market, Home Staging is more important than ever!  More inventory, fewer buyers, and tighter credit mean competition for Home Sellers.  It’s definitely a buyer’s market! More and more home searches are beginning on the internet.  If you or your realtor does your homework to check your competition before listing, you can see how your home will stand up to your competitors.  Then ask yourself, are you ready to compete? If not, call in a professional Home Stager right away!  There is no time to ‘List and see what happens…” – you may never have more traffic than the first two weeks your home is listed, so it must be Staged and in Show Condition before your MLS pictures are taken. You have no idea if your home is the first the buyers have seen, or the thirteenth, so it is imperative that showing the house grabs them and makes them feel comfortable and right at home.

Staging to sell is marketing to appeal to a broad range of buyers, which is different from decorating for your personal taste.  The basic principle of Staging your house is to increase the appeal it has to as many buyers as possible, so that it sell faster, and for more money.  A lot of times this principle is lost to homeowners due to the large number of television programs and persons claiming to stage properties for sale.  Decorating and Designing are services you call upon when you wish to improve your living space. It is not the same as Staging.  The process of Staging is equally as valuable in higher and lower priced homes and regardless of location.

Would you call a plumber to look at an electrical problem?

There are several cable television shows that claim to Stage houses and help people sell them.  In one instance, they Re-Decorate (not Stage!) several rooms in a house that is not selling for a budget of $2,000.  Since the show’s producers pay for the decorator, the contractors, and the show’s host (all of who provide labor at no cost to the home owners), they show dramatic results, finish in two days, and are always under budget.  Some of the things you do not see on camera:

The designers have 1-3 months to plan for the program

Interns who help tackle many of the tasks when the cameras are off

Items not included in the budget are claimed as gifts for or purchased by the owners

While it makes for reasonably entertaining television, we will not play mind tricks on our clients.  There is no drama building review of the home where anyone insults the way that you live.  Our approach is direct and will aim to educate you in preparing your home for sale.  We will work with your budget to get the most out of staging your home so your house will sell quickly, and for more money.

If Home Staging is not decorating, you could consider it un-decorating.  But even that is not necessarily accurate.  Home Staging going to be different for every house, but in broad terms, it is turning your home into a house that is a marketable product and ready for sale.  In any case, Home Staging is best done by a third party who has no emotional attachment to the home.  Your memories will always be your memories – but you will have trouble selling your home if your buyers are assaulted by them during showings.

The initial walk-through: It all begins with an initial walk-through of your house inside and out, a room-by-room evaluation to assess the individual needs for that room. Everything from curb appeal to cabinets is covered.  I will identify and enhance the selling features of your property to attract prospective buyers and ensure your home will be shown at its finest. This service includes a detailed report of recommended improvements (Action Plan) to maximize the value of your home. I will take detailed notes and with your permission, photograph each room that will be used to come up with a detailed written Action Plan and may include additional Home Staging tips for the DIY homeowners. This Action Plan / Report will be submitted to both the homeowner and real estate agent if applicable.

The Action Plan/Report may include:

•Suggestions for painting, repairs, rental furniture and accessories.

•Suggestions for outdoor curb appeal.

•Tagging of items that need to be packed up or put away.                                                        

• Suggestions for cleaning, de-cluttering, organizing & de- personalizing

• Restyle mantles, bookcases & countertops

Hands on: Because knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it are two different things, I can assist you in making the recommended changes from the Action Plan. I can prepare your home for rapid results in the real estate market, and it’s possible to have it done in just one day! Using your furnishings and my finesse, each room will be edited and arranged to show off its best features. I provide an end result for the potential buyer to visualize their own furnishings in the space, rather than being distracted by clutter, your personal photos, or collections.

Successful home sellers use Candy’s services to:

1. Minimize the time their home is on the market
2. Maximize the financial return on their home
3. Broaden their home’s appeal to prospective buyers
4. Identify and emphasize the positive features of their home
5. Receive caring objectivity and expertise
6. Provide a turnkey staging