Thursday, May 7, 2009

Staging ain't easy


For the last week and half, I've been consumed with staging 1221 Harvard St, NW. Once again, my "I can do that" mentality led to some hard work.

Staging is when a property is decorated with furniture. This helps a potential buyer envision what it'd be like to live in the property.

Staging ain't easy! The last several times I staged a property, it was really expensive. In one case, I lost a bundle (north of 5K) on a property that didn't sell. It was a lesson I learned the hard way. It wasn't pretty and it definitely stung. That particular deal was a hot mess, but let's focus on 1221 Harvard St.

In many cases, the seller pays for the staging. In this particular deal, I'm paying for it. I decided to buy the furniture. I have another vacant listing that will hit the market in a month or two. I could use the furniture again. If push comes to shove, I can sell it.

I made a list, consulted a number of websites, watched some HGTV shows and began the process.

Harvard St. had been staged previously. The furniture wasn't appropriate for the units. It was also painted a sage green. Buyers don't love sage green. I had it re-painted. I used furniture I felt would be more appropriate. I'm really happy with the results. (I'd also like to give a shout out to my hubby. The man put together MAJOR furniture. He also threw away a lot of boxes. In general, he's the man. You might have guessed that already since I married him.)

What do you think? Significant improvement??
http://vicaso.com/13331 and http://vicaso.com/13335

If you want to see my efforts live, please stop by the Open House this Sunday from 1:00-4pm. I hope to see you there!!










1 comment:

Trish Hamilton said...

Hi Jen.
Trish here, from Vicaso.
You and your hubby did a phantastic job staging these units!
I hope you liked the way I captured your hard work, and that you will call on me again to shoot your listing!
Best of Luck!
Trish