OOPS Goes the Staging!

From when we were just little kids we were taught there is a difference between what is right & wrong and what is good & bad. While these initial lessons of life had to do with basic relationship skills and behaviors, as we got older, we expanded in our awareness of good & bad, right & wrong rules that applied to other parts of our lives. Rules, we grew to understand, helped to guide us in subjects we study, the hobbies we undertake, the sports we play, and the work we do. In short, we gained insight and knowledge that there are proper ways things are to be done if you are going to do them well.

So while learned knowledge is a good thing, we also have discovered that correctly applying that knowledge can prove to be a quite a challenge…which also holds true to home staging. Even though there are those who are knowledgeable and appreciative of staging, some have come to realize it takes skill and ability to properly apply that knowledge. This is one of reasons why the staging industry is on the rise.

BUT, if you are young in your understanding of what staging is, there is something ELSE you need to know about it and the people who present themselves as stagers. Be advised… not everyone that says they know staging or claims they are stagers really can do it. There are far too many people now jumping in to an unregulated industry claiming they KNOW how to stage. Their final staging results unfortunately demonstrate their gross lack of understanding and break basic staging rules. AND I have to admit this really ticks me off!

To make my point, let me give you an example of a problematic staging in the form of a short video called "OOPS Goes the Staging!" (Oh… be sure your speakers are on.)

For the sake of fair disclosure, I want to let you know we here at Real Estaging are VERY familiar with the property featured and critiqued in my video… we actually lost the bid to stage it to whoever did the work in the video. So while some might think I am upset because we lost the job that person... that is just not the case. (Anyone that has been in sales for any length of time knows that is the way it is in sales... "You win some and you loose some.")

Anyway, the reason I am so ticked-off is because good and proper staging DOES follow certain rules, practices and procedures that when done well and done right will help the property sell. It is upsetting to know that this Chicago developer finally got the message that “staging helps to sell homes” and they were willing to invest hard earned money, only to get a final "staging" that actually works AGAINST their property's sale. Plus what makes this staging a sadder story is the fact that this was to be the model for a multi-unit property.

Unfortunately, Realtors, home sellers and small builders really don't know exactly what good home staging is and what it is not. Why? Well, for one reason home staging is still a relatively new marketing tool and has yet to be fully embraced as a viable option for selling homes. So if you are wondering, "What is GOOD and what is BAD staging?” or “What exactly makes a staging RIGHT from what makes it WRONG?" Well, to help you let's start with 4 Basic Staging Rules most of you have likely heard of. These basics are...

1. De-clutter and organize the home to minimize visual distractions.
2. Neutralize the home's look so that it appeals to the largest buying audience as possible.
3. Arrange furnishings and accessories to best show the home's space and features.
4. Add what's missing to finalize the home's appeal.

So as you watch the "OOPS goes the Staging!" video keep these very basic real estate staging rules in mind. By the time you are finished with it, you will begin to see and understand a little of what bad staging is and where this staging pooped out. And… in closing, if you remember nothing else I hope your remember this... filling a property chock full of pretty furnishings and accessories is NOT staging!

But when staging is done well and done right... it sells homes! PERIOD!

Me

PS: If you would like MORE detailed explanation of the 12 BIGGEST STAGING OOPS in this property...be sure to click on the "DETAIL" button located along the bottom of the embedded video.

Great Restaurant in downtown New Bern

While my wife and I have eaten lunch many times at Fred and Claires restaurant in downtown New Bern last night was the first time we have eaten dinner there. Wow, we were impressed. Last night around 7 pm we decided to go downtown and eat and were heading for the Chelsea. With a 45 wait to be seated we were to hungry and tired to hang around so we drove around the corner to Craven Street and stopped at Fred and Claires. Upon entering we were greeted by the owners, Martin and Jan, who seated us and watched to see we were taken care of. The service was great, the background music was soft and romantic, and the meal was fabulous. A truely fine dining experience. We have decided that this will be out bi weekly dining out place. Try it out for lunch or dinner.

BUILDERS... FINISH PAINTING THE PICTURE TO SELL YOUR MASTERPIECES

When the real estate market was hot, the practice of tearing down small outdated houses to build modern new homes was a popular practice taking place all over the USA. In some communities the resulting homes, that grew on the land where a small and ordinary once sat, were grand masterpiece properties. Builders learned that if they bought small tear-downs and built large luxury homes they could make more on the deal. But like anything else, once the good idea got out… it didn’t take long for other builders to follow. So to remain competitive, even when the market was good, builders added more luxury features, finishes and amenities to these new grand properties.

But remember what I said about a good idea? It didn’t take long for competing builders to add similar features and elements to the homes they built nearby. The result was a rash of new upscale properties that were more alike then different… at least to the eye of the buyer. When the market was good, this wasn’t much of a problem, for even the grandest of homes were selling. But now the market has taken its down turn, and builders need to find new ways get a buyer interested in these luxury properties they are still trying to sell.

(Click HERE if the embedded video show does not appear above.)

So what can builders do to differentiate their homes from the other competing properties in the area? Well, they can start by watching the video show above. Then they can do basically what has been done by larger developers for years. Developers learned long ago that selling a home was not only about the quality of construction and the physical “brick and mortar”. Selling is also about how easily and deeply the vision of living in the home connected with the buyer. The model home painted a picture of what life could be like living in the new home.

For developers, who build multiple versions of the same home, it’s easy to justify the investment it takes to create a lush-n-lovely well appointed model life. But what about the small independent builder? How can they paint a similar picture that emotionally connects with their potential buyers? Well, until recently the independent builders had no options, they just waited for buyers with “vision” who could see and feel their lives lived in the home.

However, today real estate staging changes all that. Staging brings the benefits of model merchandising to the smaller independent builder at an extremely affordable rate. Model home staging, when done well and done right, enhances the beauty and grandeur the builder built into the home and adds just enough "life"so that a buyer can feel and emotionally connect (fall in love) with it on a deeper level.

Just another reason why and how home staging works…

Me

A Tale of Two Stages

Does this sound familiar? For home sellers it is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the age of wise choices, it is the age of foolish decisions, it is the age of sales success and the age of missed opportunities.

In short, it is an age where home sellers are beginning to realize that how their own "sales tale" plays out is more in their control then ever before. More and more know that if they want to sell their home they need to assume responsibility and take a proactive role in the sale. How? Well, besides just hiring a realtor, home sellers are beginning to understand that they must do all they can to make their homes look and be as appealing as possible.
In fact this blog tale is about two couple who did just this… they hired experienced professional that knew how to create the right appeal required to get buyers interested in their properties. What makes this tale more interesting is the fact that it took place during the worst real estate market in years and at the slowest time of the year... a cold and snowy Chicago December 2007.

Late last December, we here at Real Estaging received a call from two different Lincoln Park couples. Both wanted to hire a real estate stager to advise them as to what they could do to best prepare/merchandise the homes they were selling, yet still living in.

Each seller had different reasons why they wanted to hire a stager. The first couple (Home #1 -above) had not yet listed their home and they wanted to get it in tip top shape before they formally put it up for sale in the market. The second couple (Home #2 - below) unfortunately had had their home on the market over 6 months and were not getting ANY offers. This couple was tired and weary and really just wanted to get on with their lives.

So we here at Real Estaging stopped by and did what most real estate stagers do. We toured the property and gave the typical and predictable advice and suggestions (i.e. de-clutter, depersonalize, make repairs, clean up, thin out and rearrange the furniture). But while staging consulting advice as this is good and necessary, both homes still need more. It is "MORE" that makes this staging tale a bit different and helped make 2 prospective buyers respond in the favorable ways they did.

You see both these homes needed just a bit MORE in the way of furnishings and accessories (props). While bringing additional props into occupied homes is not a typical service offered by most home stagers, we here at Real Estaging have found that by adding a few key accessories a home can be given the final FINISHED look that influences buyers to make offers. We often find that adding the right props helps to: 1) Add visual appeal, 2) Tie the home together so that it has flow and continuity, and 3) Solves perplexing space issues. The red dots in both sets of pictures above marks the props we add in some of the rooms.

The first set of pictures (Home #1) is from a Lincoln Park real estate staging that got an offer just a few short hours after it had been toured by the very FIRST person to look at it after staging. For this property we loaned the sellers 45 props (furniture and accessories) to give the homes a finished and polished look. In particular we needed to replace a massive coffee table with a smaller one, bring in a kitchen table and 4 chairs (they did not own one) and replace "controversial" wall art with more understated art.

For the second home (Home #2) we added a little bit more. For this home we brought in about 50 items. One problem with the property was the fact that the fireplace had no visual appeal. It needed some accessories to add some visual interest to it. Also the wall, directly to the right of the fireplace had NO art on it. The massive 12 foot high wall was a big, blank and boring! We are proud to say, that after being on the market for 6 months, the sellers of this property finally received an offer just 1 week after we staged it.

So that is our tale of 2 stagings that ends happily for two Lincoln Park couples selling their homes. Both took a long hard look at the real estate age we are in and then did what was necessary to help them market their homes successfully. Each may now be saying... "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better opportunity to move on now that I have staged than I have ever known." (Schmaltzy ending... but you get the point.)

Staging It Forward...

Me

A SPECIAL THANK-YOU GOES OUT TO THE REAL ESTATE TOMATO... for giving this post the coveted "Bon Jovi" award in the 80th Carnival of Real Estate.

Land left to the County?

Recently the County Attorney informed the County Commissioner's that a lady had passed away and bequeathed the county 50 acres of land. Some 2000 feet of this land abutts Brices Creek, a beautiful deep water creek which empties into the Trent River about 1 mile from downtown New Bern. Richard Dobbs Speight is burried on this proprty. He was one of the origional signersof the United States Constitution and served as governor of North Carolina. This is truely one of the nicest pieces of land in Craven County and immediately I and other citizens started dreaming of ways the county could best utilize this gem. The will states that the land could not be sold and must be used as a park and kept in its natural state. The owner wanted the land to be enjoyed by all the citizens of Craven County and not just those wealthy enough to buy waterfront property. What a wonderful and thoughtful lady she must have been. Although there are complications in the will that could result in someone else obtaining ownership to the property, I am hoping the county is able to resolve this issue quickly. With the current shortage of public access to to water this land is needed for the enjoyment of all.

North Carolina is the place to be

From the majestic mountains to beautiful Beaches.

North Carolina has something for everyone. With the tallest mountains on the east coast and beautiful beaches to boot it's no wonder that for the second straight year Americans are moving to North Carolina at a higher rate than any other state in the country according to a study by by United Van Lines. It is estimated that North carolina will be come the 7th most populous state in the next 10 years. This might be good for businesses, and even politicians, however I hate to see NC lose it's rual touch.

New Bern is attracting more than it's fair share of those who are relocating to NC. When retiree's first started moving to New Bern back in the late 1970's the vast majority were coming from New York or New Jersey. By the 1990's we were starting to see more folks moving here from around the Washington DC area. Today believe it or not, many are moving here from Flordia and California. Seems like the property taxes and cost of living have become so high in those areas folks are looking for a state with more reasonable taxes. Lets hope they stay that way.

I guess growth is ok but at the same time I hope we do not experience it to the extent that we lose our southern charm. Let's hope Eastern NC retains it small town flavor for many years to come. To learn more about New Bern go to www.newbern-nc.info.

Shall we zone?

At present, with the exception of airport zoning, Craven County does not have any zoning in place at this time. Over the years this has led to a hodgepodge of single family homes, multi family homes, trailer parks, and businesses all within the same areas. In addition, in Township 7 commercial development along service roads that were not designed for heavy volumes of traffic has led to serious traffic flow problems at the major intersections.
Tuesday night the Craven County Planning Department held a public information meeting to discuss what zoning can and can't do to help ensure balanced and stable growth in Township 7 and Township 6. The meeting was well attended, and feedback was mostly positive. Although there was initially some confusion about the City of New Bern's extraterritorial jurisdiction authority and ability to forcible annex I feel we all came away from the meeting having learned something.
Craven County was not so many years ago considered a rural area. When you were heading south from downtown New Bern on HWY 17, Simmons Street was the boundary for the city limits. Beyond that were small farms on Trent Road and as you crossed Racetrack Road you again saw mostly family farms. Across the Trent River with the exception of Old Cherry Point Road you found family farms and large tree farms. Now these areas are developing at a very rapid pace.
Several months ago at one of our regular scheduled meetings I asked my fellow County Commissioners to support me in asking the County Manager to hold a series of public information meetings to get input from the citizens and see how they feel about zoning in Township 6 and Township 7. I feel it is something we need and I hope the majority of the citizens feel the same.