I have a kinda dumb question

13 years ago

I have been a "home owner" since about 1970. Military means moving a lot. You buy a house, you sell a house then you buy another house. I just left a key with the RA and went on to work. They sold with no hassle. Obviously, this was before the bubble burst.

I've been much more stable for the last many years. My question is the "staging" process. I know all the "do's" and "do nots". Every RA I've worked with has explained it to me....I get it. But......

The last house I sold, I was trashed with the notes left at the house at the realator agent showing. "Too much stuff. Get rid of it. Paint those green ceilings. Get rid of all the personal stuff." Yeah, like I HAVE a place to put it. I'm moving out of state.

The house was on the market for 4 days, had 4 bids and one guy bid $10,000 over the asking price to ensure he got the house.

When I bought this house, the original owner, who was house sitting for a couple across the street, came over to introduce herself and was amazed at what I'd done with the place. "I would like to bring my kids (adults) over to see that this place really CAN be a home."

I had a pet sitter who I think spent more time taking pictures of the place than feeding/peeing/pooping/loving on pups. Her house now sorta looks like mine. LOL

I had the house appraised for a 2nd. The guy did his thing, gave us the paperwork and said, "What ever you do, sell this house lived in." Okie dokie.

It's a basic tract house in the 'burbs. You walk in, you think you're in a cabin in the mountains.

I had a cabin in the mountains that I put on the market, had the usual yadda, yadda, yadda from the agent to get rid of this, take that out, for god's sake, remove that. It was a freakin' 40 year old rustic cabin. If I take all that stuff out, it's gonna look like a 40 year old cabin. Before I could get up there the next weekend to do his bidding, there was an offer on the cabin. The wife walked in the front door and said, "I want this place." It was on the market for a week.....in this economy for a second home. ???????

I guess my question is what is with this "staging"? If I "stage" my home, it's gonna look like every model home you've ever seen in this neighborhood or most of this 'burb. They're all the same.

I think I have it made on different...."Peeps, dogs and kids really live here. You can too."

I really hated this house "staged" when I first looked at it but I bought the place for the backyard (job transfer - I had one week to find a place to live). I had four dogs at the time.

I kinda think "staging" sucks. I want to go to a place where real people live. Where I can live too. Gimme a kid's room, well painted but trashed....I can see my GD in there. I like a dog bed around....no poop....just Karma.

This staging thing hasn't worked for me and I'm not Martha What's Her Name.

What's your thought?

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Comments (10)

graywings123
13 years ago
Maybe you have a natural talent for decorating. If you don't need to remove your imprint on a house to sell it, that's really great.

There are "period" houses that look better decorated. There was a discussion on this forum several months ago about whether to neutralize the decorating of an old Victorian style house. The consensus was that the people who would be interested in a Victorian would expect it to look a certain way inside and neutralizing would be counter-productive. And similarly, people expect a certain style of decorating in a cabin.

However, getting $10,000 over the asking price in a hot market was probably more about the hot market than the interior decorations.
Carol_from_ny
13 years ago
Staging doesn't mean it has to look like every other home in the area. It does mean giving thought and consideration to making the house appeal to the greatest number of buyers out there.
Above and beyond everything else however IMHO is the clean factor. If it ain't clean I don't care how well stagged it is or decorated it's just not going to sell. There's lots of folks who can see beyond paint colors, dated flooring and a broken window or two but most can not get past a dirty, smelly house.
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Billl
13 years ago
"What's your thought? "

My thought is that you have made up your mind about "staging" and just want to vent.

If you think potential buyers want to see a room piled full of kids junk and the mess your 4 dogs made, feel free to show your house that way.

If you want to look at what sells for top dollar, then you will have a clean, decluttered and well organized home with the areas "staged" to show off their best features. That doesn't mean painting everything beige and filling it with props.
Adella Bedella
13 years ago
I guess I think you have a flair for decorating also. You are able to create a organized, usable space that appeals to you and others also. I think that is where you are possibly different from other home owners. A lot of people just don't have that knack. I've been to a lot of homes where the homeowner has created a space for themselves, but it doesn't look comfortable or appealing to me. Everyone is different in their tastes. By staging, you are trying to appeal to a variety of people.
sue36
13 years ago
"You walk in, you think you're in a cabin in the mountains."

And for people who like that, the house is "staged". But others might be totally turned off by it. Generally speaking, "neutral" offends no one. They are looking for a house they can imagine as theirs, you aren't shopping your decorating skills. Most people don't want to see 4 dog bowls, dog beds, piles of kids toys, etc.

Frankly, you have been lucky. There are many beautifully decorated homes that are not selling. Right place, right time, right buyer.
gwbr54
13 years ago
Without photos, it's hard to say. But my bet is that you have natural design talent. Realtors don't. (Just a more emphatic statement than 'most realtors don't'... please don't flame me).
marie_ndcal
13 years ago
We did NOT stage our house in CA. Had pets but tried to keep house fairly clean. In the mountains, yard had very little trees etc, due to high fire area (which later saved the house). Went thru 2 bad bad agents, sold 45 days with a very good agent and the person had dogs so could relate. I think people now days must just relax and use their imagination and not expect to see a champagne house on their beer budget.
booboo60
13 years ago
I think everyone has their own idea of what "staging" is!
As long as your house is clean, de-cluttered, and is void of your own very personal "things"; that is what will make a sale for the most part.
Good Luck!
terezosa / terriks
13 years ago
I think people now days must just relax and use their imagination and not expect to see a champagne house on their beer budget

You do realize that it's currently a buyer's market and some buyers are able to purchase champagne homes on beer budgets.
dreamgarden
13 years ago
"I have been a "home owner" since about 1970. Military means moving a lot. "

To me, Military means you might keep a tidy house and probably don't have a lot of clutter. If you were able to sell your other houses quickly then you might have similar success with this one.

Would it be possible to post a pic or two?

I have a kinda dumb question

Comments (10)

graywings123

Carol_from_ny

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