There are primarily two types of staging; one involves staging vacant homes, the other homes that are currently being lived in.

Vacant homes can be more expensive to stage, because they involve renting full rooms worth of furniture – but they give the stager complete control to choose and position the furniture in away to emphasize the selling features of the home. 

The stager draws from their personal inventory of furniture and accessories, using their years of experiance to pick out just the right pieces.

I think that often this is the type of staging we stagers talk about, because it is very common (many people have already moved into their new home during the selling process) and it can be easier for the stager to give the realtor, client and market exactly what it needs when they are working from scratch.

 Because I’ve tended to focus on staging vacant homes in my blogs (and before and after pictures), I thought it would be nice to write about why staging is still important for people who are selling while  living in their home. 

A stager will help you through the complicated process of transition from viewing your house as your home, to viewing your house through potential buyers eyes.

They will help you sort through your furniture, giving advice on what to put in storage.

They will rearrange your furniture to your homes best advantage (what works best for living in a home, isn’t always what works best for selling it).

They will provide additional furnishing or accessories when needed.

They will work within your budget to create the best plan for you.

 Staging your home will help give you the edge you need to make that sale. All of the pictures in this post are from two different Staging jobs I did for the same Realtor: Laura Wood, from Living Room Realtors. In both cases the homes were currently being lived in. We used their furniture, with a few supplimental peices from my own inventory.

I have worked with Laura for the past 6 years, she always stages her homes (whether vacant or lived in) and does everything she can to make each listing a success.  She is a joy to work with and both these listing were examples of what an excellent agent she is. Both homes sold on the first day with multiple offers for over asking price.

I used gentle green accents throughout the house both to create a visual continuity and to compliment all the wood flooring. 

The home I blogged about yesterday is already pending. This is a sought after neighborhood, so I have high hopes for a quick sale on this home as well : )

 This is a community that embraces art, not only does it’s main stretch have many galleries, almost all business here feature ever changing artwork from local artists. Pretty neat! One top of that the last Thursday of every month during the summer there is an art’s and crafts street fair.

Knowing about the neighborhood let me stage to the potential buyer that would gravitate towards wanting the Alberta community as their home.

 Also, the listing is now in Luxury Homes Magazine. Large scale, beautifully printed, this real estate magazine started in Portland Oregon a decade ago, and now features listings from coast to coast.

It’s great to be working with such a proactive Agent, who is working hard to get this home seen by the target buyers.

There were fireplaces in the Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room and Master Bedroom. Because of their similar layouts, and fireplaces as a focal point, in a quick walkthrough these rooms looked strikingly similar.

 By staging to emphasize the purpose of each room I was able to make them distinctive and memorable by grounding the room to its function. On top of that I worked to do some quick modernizing and neutralizing updates with the staging to help a buyer see the potential to make the home their own.

Here are some befores and afters:

It is hard to describe the elated joy of getting a referral: of being called by someone who had friend or family recommend you, or by an agent who has seen the success of staging. But recently I experienced something that was equally exciting and a first time for me: a call from a client who had decided to hire me based solely on my online presence. It was a good reminder of how important blogging is to connect with potential clients.

Here are some of the pictures from the staging:

To check out the listing click here.

But sometimes when I stage a home that is so versatile I’m very curious what kind of person or people will move in. Especially in the case of homes like the 3235 SW RIDGE DR, which have the location and layout to make so many different types of people happy living there.

A spacious 3 bed and 2 bath, this home could be great for a family; it is walking distance from Jackson Middle school, and near Stephenson Elementary, and Wilson High School.

Or perhaps for the older student, this home is a quick bike ride to both Lewis and Clark, and the PCC Sylvania Campus.

Or maybe for a dog lover, with its backyard and quick walk to the popular Maricuara Natural Area, the wooded wetland in SW Portland.

…whoever ends up making this their home, I know that they will be very happy : )

Yes. Of course…but not at a loss of profit to you. The fact is, even when a home is priced exactly where it should be and for every penny it is worth, sometimes homes sit on the market overlooked by potential buyers. Staging helps you reach out to those buyers, highlighting the selling features of a home and showing why it’s worth the price tag.

This home was a blast, we did the painting, carpeting and staging. It sold in two days!

Click for more pics.

Also, here are some pics from another recent staging that sold in two days:

BEFORE AND AFTER:

In oregon where the rain is plentiful, and nautral lighting in a home a necessity, bay windows in the kitchen can be a valuable selling point. Adding some plants quickly draws attention to this feature.

It’s amazing what some frame of reference furniture and accessories can do to help a potential buyer gauge the space and functionality of a room. This room felt much smaller before the staging.

: )