Last month I had the pleasure of working with a client in Lower Merion Pennsylvania a suburb outside of Philadelphia. I was brought in to assist a man that was moving to a new home after living in his current home for 11 years. The home was a contemporary ranch in a very tony zip code. The client wanted advice about how we could use his existing furniture to stage his home. Typically I provide clients with a home staging consultation that outlines how the furniture can be placed and what items the client should pack up and how they should accessorize the space using what they have now. This situation was a bit unique. The client had invested a lot of money updating his kitchen and bathrooms but had not purchased any new furniture, artwork or accessories since he moved there. He had moved into the home after a divorce and much of the furniture was mismatched and collected from here and there. A home staging consultation is typically $300 for most homes. Staging a vacant home is a larger investment.
The easy thing to do would have been to tell him that his furniture would work. We could rearrange the living room and use some of the less personal art. The harder thing to do was to tell him that everything needed to go and we needed to bring in furniture and accessories that not only would be more appealing to his target buyer but also would enhance the new kitchen and bathroom. I chose the latter and told him honestly that his older furniture was upstaging his new kitchen and bathrooms and that he would now need to spend more money to get his home ready for sale.
He got it. He looked at me, looked at the furniture, looked at the dated carpet and got it. The next thing we did was set up appointments to have the rooms repainted and the carpet replaced. He then got to work over the next 2 weeks packing and moving out of the home. The following month our team came in and staged the main areas of his home. We wanted to show a more on-trend look that would appeal to younger buyers and work with the contemporary look of the home. Take a look below- I only wish I had befores to share. His reaction? He wishes he did this 11 years ago!
I just finished a Staging that was a similar situation. It's wonderful when there is some budget there to work with rental when necessary; unfortunately sometimes that just isn't possible. Good luck to you and your seller!
I love the use of window treatment on the 4th photo (green window treatment), it looks great! it makes the room looks taller and elegant.
fabulous work as usual,
cindy
Another fabulous testimony. I like the Master bedroom too... love that green.
Great job Kate. The consummate professional tells the truth even if they may not want to hear it. That is what they count on us for. The few that possess the courage to go all the way....ohhh pardon the pun...are those that stand out among their peers. You are a great stager and role model.
Hi Kate, you are right. I think we are 'taught' to utilize what already exists within the home and do the best we can, which is NOT always the best situation to properly stage the house, as you pointed out. Mismatches are one thing when they are tasteful and have some kind of relation, but if it's purely 'functional' mismatch and nothing relates, then it looks like a mess and that is NOT our goal when staging. I admire you for being so blunt and NOT taking the easy route. Thanks for sharing!
Kate you are so right about sometimes telling them the truth may hurt BUT it will sell their home. I work with one agent in particular and when we team up, we can almost be brutal (in a nice way) BUT every home has sold in under two weeks, one sold in 3 days, multiple bids and SOLD for over asking of $36K.
I said it once, I'll say it again, when the sellers LISTEN, their house WILL SELL.
Hope you are well and keeping busy. Out here in NJ we are swamped. I think people are finally getting it. Talk with you soon and as always BEAUTIFUL JOB
Phyllis Pafumi
I love the bedroom with the green pop, too, Kate. This property looks very appealing now.
Kathy
Well Done Kate. I am facing the very same situation with a consult this Monday. The sellers updated the kitchen and bathroom, and although the home is clean, fairly clutter free and shows nicely...there is no " wow " factor to the decor. Of course I am curious to see how motivated these sellers will be. You did an awesome job!
Cheers!
Wonderful job Kate, I love the green. A house I recently staged that was featured in the Detroit News had similar silky green window treatments that I found for $8 a panel. It is possible to do great windows on a budget and pairing green with other colors like violet and purple makes a strong impact.
In staging you have to sometimes be the bearer of bad tidings and then do the best you can to find cost effective remedies. That is when our creativity kicks in.
Great job! Remember a happy customer will tell everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow nice job on this one. I agree, it can be hard to tell people their furniture won't work, but in the end they are always happy you did.
Luckily your client understood the importance from the get go and you did not have to fight him on the idea.
Kate - looks awesome! Telling the truth is always best! I love that bedroom.
Hi Kate! I have a proposal out there right now, hoping to solve a similar situation. We'll see how the price tag goes. Julie
Kate you did the right thing and your client was very wise to follow your advice. Love that table and chair set in the dining room. Betty
Great job Kate and yes honesty (although sometimes hard to deliver) is the best policy! I like the way you put it (upstaging)
I recognize the brown couches and table - I'm using them this week myself in a vacant here!
Hi Kate!
You definetly did him a good service for telling the truth. It does hurt sometimes but it sounds like the seller understood. He'll understand even more when it sells because of your stellar job.
Excellent work as always girl.
Beth