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I just went over to take photos and lock the gate — OMG — I could't stop saying it!!!!! Fabulous
I have to say I am sooo impressed with your creation....everything from the geometric mirror above the fireplace, to what I like to call the "earth angel bedroom" on the top floor. I walked about in a daze for about a half hour with my jaw dropped to the floor, it's absolutely amazing....your talent for definition, placement, depth, along with the knack for creating little vignette's in corners and closets makes what was once a shell of a structure into a full fledged home. I cannot thank you enough. Although I had a small turn out at the Open House this afternoon, the people that did show up were impressed as well....(a couple of those were neighbors who came in when another another agent had the listing)...one couple in particular who saw the house before stayed for a 1/2 hour...they need to juggle a few things financially before making an offer, but in any event, were scheduled to talk again this week.....another was a summer neighbor of mine (I live on Rowley Shore in Lanesville), his daughter and son-in-law are looking for a 2nd home, they live in Austin TX and own a few "Planet Hollywood" restaurants and recently sold "World Gym" to an investor. She's coming up in 2 weeks and she's rather nostalgic for the area, as she summered here as a child...(we get a lot of those!) From this long e-mail what I am really trying to say is, "thank you so much" for creating such a buzz in such a short period of time, without the staging I know this never would of happened. On a side note, Steve briefly mentioned that you and your partner have expressed some interest in the property as well? Isn't his home spectacular, I feel like I'm somewhere else when I'm up there. I especially love the granite fire place and the teakwood throughout. The summer rental units are very nice too, (2 bedrooms on opposite sides of the unit, for privacy), radiant heat, fireplace and modern touches. It also brings in a hefty weekly rent as well, with a strong repeat business. Also, please extend a thank you to your crew as well, there hard work, especially in the sweltering heat did not go unnoticed. Warmly, Mary
Hi Jeanne,
More View's Here |
Went by my place tonight and I am delighted with the staging it looks great. I could not be any happier with your work. Thanks so much. Martha we should move forward as soon as possible to start the showings.
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| Hi Jeanne, the following is to go on your blog: Jeanne visited my home four days after I decided to sell it out of the blue. I wasn't planning on moving for two years but the house I am buying came up for sale and it is 'me'! Jeanne has a phenomenal eye. She saw through my 28 years of clutter and her vision for transforming my house for 'sale ready' was nothing short of miraculous. Jeanne staged it in one day and we had an offer 11 days later!! We close and move next week, six weeks after it being placed on the market! It is nothing short of amazing how she can take your things, add a few others and you then have a home you never knew could look like those in a magazine!! I have learned that staging is not just for selling. I want her to come to my new house and help me stage that, too! Best, Debbie |
| "Jeanne is a creative and energetic designer who can help get property sold. Jeanne uses a variety of materials and concepts to get your home ready for sale. I wholeheartedly recommend Jeanne and her business "Staged to Perfection" if you are listing your property for sale. |
| This was professionally staged by Jeanne Monaco- Staged to Perfection She gave 110% on this house to get it done so quickly. There has been a very positive response from buyers & agents. There are a few second showings already- Do not let your buyers miss out. CALL your buyers!!!! . Francine Cecieta |
| Hi Jeanne, We have an accepted offer on the house after only 11 days!! I would love to go to this holiday event but in the middle of the day!! Do they ever do these on the weekends? Sounds like fun. I would love to watch you do your thing!! Debbie |
| Jeanne, Wow! Thank you for the photos - the apartment looks absolutely amazing, I hardly recognize it! I'll send out a check to you tonight for the remainder of what I owe. Thank you again for an excellent staging. Steven |
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| "Jeanne staged a modest condo to look fantastic, putting in a great deal of extra effort and providing expert assistance to both the sellers and myself. The property sold for over the asking price, and her staging work has a great deal to do with that. Her positive, can-do attitude and thorough follow-through will be of great assistance to both realtors and home sellers, and I am happy to recommend her most highly." Click here: This 1 bedroom Condo at 79 Central St., Ipswich, Massachusetts is presented by Mark Dirksen of Keller Williams Realty |
Jeanne Conroy Monaco of Staged to Perfection in Boxford has set up homes throughout the region. Rob and Marisa Becker had a home in Boxford on the market for two years when they contacted her. "Jeanne came by, did a walk-through, and she was bubbling with ideas," said Rob Becker, who grew up in the house but had to sell it after his mother moved to an assisted-living facility. Within a day or two, Monaco had transformed the vacant Cape Cod-style home into a place that looked lived-in, warm and inviting. "We came in after she had staged the home and I didn't recognize the house," Becker said. "All of a sudden I said, 'I want to buy this house.'" Even the old tiled bathroom looked better thanks to some subtle changes using fabric and color schemes. "We do not impress easily," noted Marisa Becker. "And we were impressed." |
"Jeanne staged a modest condo to look fantastic, putting in a great deal of extra effort and providing expert assistance to both the sellers and myself. The property sold for over the asking price, and her staging work has a great deal to do with that. Her positive, can-do attitude and thorough follow-through will be of great assistance to both realtors and home sellers, and I am happy to recommend her most highly." |
Well, after almost two years and who knows how many showings the answer to making the sale happen was definitely the staging! |
Jeanne - I got the thank you gift - it should be me thanking you!!! |
Jeanne - I got the thank you gift - it should be me thanking you!!! |
Note: This home had been on market for two years and sold within thirty days of staging! I guess we have good news, we have offers very close to our latest asking.Dropping the price seemed to be the only way to get people to move on this though once inside the staging kept them engaged and excited about their own possibilities. Home inspection this morning and then hold our breath till we get the results and then waiting for closing on April 16. Hopefully if all goes well we will need your assistance around that time to unstage the house. Rob One of the family was at the condo yesterday and was VERY impressed with your work! Thanks, and I can't wait to see it. See you later this AM. You are doing great job. *smile*
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| There were two homes on this street for sale at the same time. One home--Not Staged-- went on the market February 1, 2007 and is still on the market (as of July 16, 2007) after several price reductions. This neighboring home was Staged first, went on the market June 1, 2007, and went under contract after 42 days.
Debra Wallace, ASP Portland, Maine |
| This vacant house sold 3 days after I staged it. The new buyers even wanted to purchase all of my furniture with the house! The house had been on the market 210 days prior to staging. A great success story for all involved!
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| This homeowner had a staging consultation. He listened very carefully, asked lots of questions , then went to work on the un-decorating, de cluttering, and a little furniture re arranging. He laughed when I told him opening up the Living Room curtains would earn him at least $500. He finished his list of "homework" and then had the open house June 16th. His ERA-Richmond Realtors, Linda Peters & Leslie Berger, knew I had been there and had been talking about and promoting the house to a number of people--but not showing it. Eleven couples showed up for the open house. One offer came in that night and two more in the next two days. It sold in 3 days. The owner worked hard, but it paid off. Staging consultation on June 4th. Moved out and closed by July 6th. "Staging--It`s Positively ConSTAGEious!"
Tracy Susick ASP Room Works, Meadville , PA |
| This is a group of 20 new homes. A model had been previously been staged by someone in the Realtor`s office. Not one of the homes sold in 9 months. The Realtor called me to stage from a referral in his office and they sold 5 homes in the first week! All the homes were sold by June 1st but one.
Gail Alexander, ASP Snohomish, WA 98296 |
| I staged this home on a Friday. Realtor had an Open House on Sunday and they got an offer that day! Got another job from the homeowner that day as he is an investor.
Gail Alexander, ASP Snohomish, WA 98296 |
| The homeowner was very aware of how the market had slowed down. She knew that she had to do everything in her power to stand out against the competition and to price the home right She called me to preview the property and an appointment was setup. She had a few pieces of furniture, but had basically moved out most of her personal belongings. After looking at what I had to work with I was confident that I could make this home look great! With a few accessories, table settings, plants, art work, toss pillows, bedding and lamps I was able to turn the interior into something that any potential buyer would be proud to call home. I asked the homeowner if I could leave my fliers and cards out to promote my business and she was receptive. After the staging she called and left me such a great message. She said this house has never looked so good and would like me to "stage to live" her new home. For me the best part of the job is getting the wonderful comments and appreciation from the clients. It makes it all worth wile!
Thank You, Kelly Holland, Staged with Style, ASP |
| This home had been listed for 192 days prior to Staging by a Realtor who had priced it $25,000 too high for the neighborhood. The home owner is building a new home with a builder who has partnered with us to offer Staging as an incentive to buyers. The homeowner followed all of our recommendations, listed the home with a new Realtor at the appropriate price, and the home sold 9 days later! What a relief to the homeowner and proof once again that Staging works!
Paige Baione ASP Dover, Delaware |
| I received my Accredited Staging Professional Real Estate Agent on July 11, 2007. I staged this vacant house I had listed for over 7 months. I had literally just put up the last picture at an open house I was holding and a young couple came in and asked me to write an offer right then! We closed escrow in 22 days!
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| First showing, first buyer, put a contract on the property. The Realtor said, "Bobbi, Thanks for all your help in staging my client`s Streeterville studio downtown. I was sure everyone who walked in was going to want to buy it but as it turns out, we didn`t get to find out! The first person through the door made an offer and my client was thrilled with you and you made me look great too, thanks, Bobbi!" Staging works!
Bobbi Williams ASP Chicago, IL |
| This home was on the market for 49 days. The Realtor was about to lose the listing to the homeowner`s friend. He was smart and found me listed with the Maumelle Chamber of Commerce. I worked with him .The homeowner was happy he had uses an ASP and allowed him to keep the listing. I staged it on a Saturday and they had a open house Sunday. They had two offers, the 1st week it was staged and the second offer they accepted after being staged for 14 day. The agent and I were both very happy,but the homeowner even more.
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| This home was on the market for 90 days with no offers, at the insistences of the homeowner I was contacted to stage the property. It sold two days after staging, what does that tell you about the importance of staging!!
Chris Balch, ASP, IAHSP St. Louis |
| Please note that this house sold in a market that is extremely slow!! There are 75 other homes in the same subdivision for sale and a few in foreclosure. The home ower accepted a low offer because the homes in this subdivision are not moving. She called me and said "It sold because of the staging you did" - "I dont know that it would have sold without staging it"
Lori Swanson, ASP, IAHSP DeVine Home Staging & ReDesign Eagle, Idaho |
| The realtor realized the home was beautiful, but lacked color and punch. With 9 houses in the over $300,000 price range within a few blocks of this home, she recognized something must be done to get this house sold fast. A home priced over $300,000 is in the upper level of homes in our area. We went in, rearranged the owners pieces, placing some in different rooms. We also brought in accessories, drapery and a few pieces of furniture. There were two offers within two days, and a finished sale 17 days after staging. I had marketed with this realtor for over a year, she is now a true believer!
Vicki Fredrikson Staging Innovations Fargo, ND |
| In the present real estate market, the only way a home is sold is looking great and right pricing. I have gone to other realtors asking them if they have listings on the market for a long time, consider a staging consultation instead of another price reduction. Sometimes, as little as $2500 can make a huge difference in whether a home sells or not. This is exactly what happened in Garwood, NJ. The smaller 3 BR home was renovated and vacant. When I was called to consult for a possible staging job,the first thing I realized was that you walked right into the living room. And all you saw was the fireplace in the middle of the room. Prospective buyers were not going to be able to figure out where to place furniture and this could be a BIG turnoff in getting this home sold. I was given the job by the seller. At first he did not want me to make any holes in the new walls, so I was limited to furiture and accessories only. But the home did need some pictures etc. I staged the kitchen, LR ad DR with rented furniture and my accessories, and both bathrooms. When the owners saw it they were so happy but commented that the walls looked bare. They then agreed to allow me to stage the walls. After I was finished, the home had an offer in seven days.
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| Hi all, Another very simple fix of staging that sold a home! I took this property listing after it had been on the market almost a year. Taking the listing was contingent upon my sellers` agreeing to stage the home. I knew exactly why this home had not sold. It was an entirely blue exterior. I had my clients paint the house and shutters in buyer friendly colors. We added some beautiful potted flowers to the front step and a wicker chair. I minimally staged the interior since it was vacant. It was under contract within 3 weeks for full asking price, which was more than it had been previously listed for, and closed. Staging does work!! And works extremely well.
Lynne Pendlebury Re/Max Realtor and ASP Denver |
| This was my first time giving a price to Stage a front yard so I underbid myself quite a bit. It turned out quite beautifully, just the way I envisioned it would. It gave the house the curb appeal it needed to attract potential buyers and attract buyers it did. It actually attracted several potential buyers within days of the Staging and they signed a contract on the house 24 days later.
Dawn Brigman Star Quality Staging, LLC Baltimore Maryland |
| This was a beautiful Victorian home that had been lived in for 20 years by the owners. It had a great deal to be gotten rid of, painting to be done, and carpets to be removed to reveal the hardwood floors. Then I could go in a stage the property. The seller had kept the things I told her in the preliminary appointment and we could then arrange and stage what furniture was left. I brought in a number of things from my personal inventory to round out the look. The first couple through the home purchased it for full price in this market!
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| This owner was desperate to sell after the listing expired. He contacted me as a last resort. I guaranteed that his unit would look its best after I staged it, but couldn`t guarantee the sale of it. To my surprise, he contacted me 3 weeks later to tell me that my "staging did the trick" and that he wanted me to de-stage it in a few weeks. We were able to get this property staged, sold, and de-staged in about a month!
Erica Ishijima, ASP Staging Touches, Inc. Los Angeles (Brentwood) Condo |
| This home was staged, listed the following day, then received four contracts over memorial day weekend, and was under ratified contract by the 6th listing day. Staging a vacant home makes an incredible difference. We were under contract before the sign was even in the dirt, and did not even have time to hold our first open house.
Shae Leighland, ASP Washington DC and Northern Virginia |
| The homeowner needed to move the house that had been on the market for 30 days. ( slow market right now) I provided a consultation for this homeowner and was very impressed with how much they jumped on board and got done! I came in and helped with furniture placement and a few little details. That was on a Thursday by the weekend they had 2 offers and one was accepted!
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| Who says the Real Estate market is slow? Not when you have the house Staged. This was the first listing for the agent to have staged and the homeowner. Needless to say they are both believers in Staging. The listing agent said that when she had the Realtors tour that she only got great reviews, NO Negatives or Suggestions! The home owners were the best to work with, everything I suggested for them to do exterior and interior, it was done. It was a great experience for all of us.
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| This home was staged before photos were taken for the MLS. When the photos hit the MLS they had calls for showings every single day that it was on the market. It sold in 30 days, the average for our metro area is 71 days on market. It also sold for more than the average price of similar sold homes in the neighborhood, and 10,000 more than the realtor expected it to fetch.
Kristin Gilbertson ASP, Minneapolis |
| This house was a mess after the occupants moved out. With very busy lives and 5 kids and 2 dogs, the sellers did not really maintain the house that well. After a full week of staging and contractor work, the house was gorgeous! I wanted it to be in the market longer so I can talk more about how staging helped this home but after one day we got a full price offer!
Carina Slepian, PMP, AMR, Realtor Vienna, VA |
| Our market for un-Staged Homes is SLOW...however proving again staging sells faster. It had two offers in 28 days...the highest bidder WON! This property is listed on my "staged Properties" I am going to make an EFFORT to log all my SOLD staged properties here!!!!
Monica L. Obershaw ASPM Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Homeowners knew the value of Staging, wanted a quick sale and did agreed to do all of the Staging presented in the consultation. Home was under contract in 14 days from date of listing.
Staged Advantage by Karen McKinnon,ASP Ponte Vedra, Florida |
| After reading Barb`s books I staged my Pasadena home and received $110,000 over the asking price. The house sold the first day on the broker`s open but since we advertised for two open houses the following weekend we kept the house staged and received 6 offers by Monday. I was hooked on staging! I knew when I moved to Oregon that I would look into staging as my new profession and the only way I would do it was through Barb`s courses and earning my ASP designation. Thanks Barb!
Kate Jahnson ASP# 21126 West Linn, Oregon |
| I love this one! This house had been on the market for 5 months vacant. The homeowners called me from Las Vegas where they had moved. I staged it and it got an offer the day after staging!
Kelly Townsend, ASP, IAHSP Santa Rosa, CA |
| Homeowner`s comment: "There is no way anyone could convince me that the money I spent on your fee (and the painting and cleaning) isn`t coming back to me double in the price I got in this terrible market ....and so quickly - 8 days after listing! Wow!"
Brit Brown, ASP, IAHSP Chester, NJ |
| Homeowner`s comment: "My Realtor said that our home was fine and did not need Staging. But we know it can`t be fine." "We had no difficulty embracing your ideas, even though some of them were not our taste or our choice, but we immediately understood the benefit of your suggestions. As you know our collaboration was a great success. We sold our house after only three days on the market and we were offered full asking price. Without a doubt, this success was a result of your input (our hard work) and we credit you and the home-staging with the wonderful outcome."
Brit Brown, ASP, IAHSP Chester, NJ |
| This house was immaculate and needed little. However it had been viewed by over 45 possible buyers, with not one bid. I re-arranged furniture, and brought in 3 items. The next day two buyers viewed the home and both put in bids. The contract was signed in less than a week. It was a win-win for all. The Realtor hired me because she listened to the potential buyer complaints. She knows her business, her customers and she loves "the Magic" (as she says) I can perform.
Susan Martin, ASP, Rhode Island |
| With a minimal investment these cooperative and motivated sellers were able to reap the benefits of ASP Home Staging by getting a full price offer in 14 days! Staging DOES work even in an confusing market!
Kristen Coppa ASP |
| The property was very formally decorated as the sellers entertained a great deal. It was difficult to appreciate the space for all of the silver, china, rugs furniture and collections from their world travels. Once those items were packed away and the seller had an estate sale, the rooms opened up and the buyers were amazed how spacious the rooms were. The seller had been very reluctant about my 5 pages of suggestions, but completed every item, even painting the front door red. The only regret from the seller was that they didn`t STAGE the property sooner. STAGING SELLS!
Kay Dixon ASP Realtor, ABR, CRS, GRI Saint Charles, Missouri |
| The homeowner appreciated that his realtor suggested they have their home professionally staged. It was beautiful and only 2 years young. The existing decor was very eccentric and would not appeal to all buyers. We transformed the house in just two days of staging. The realtor had his first open house 3 days after staging. Within 24hours he had two offers for FULL asking price and the home was sold for 60K over list price!!! WOW! Nothing had sold for over 1 million ever in that development! Please note staging costs of $14,000 included landscaping, paint, new lighting, staging, and rental furniture/accessories for 3 months.
Mariagrace Welsh, ASP Home Stage Home Lincroft, NJ |
| The homeowners lived in another state and this home was a rental. After renters moved out, I was able to help provide contacts for painting and a handy man. The home was staged & contracted in 10 days! Agents who previously saw the home before staging were amazed & gave kudos for the updates and staging since it`s what they say SOLD the home! I LOVE helping people move on with life & this was a joy since owners were out of town!
Jan Lawrence, ASP, IAHSP Home Stage Coach - Denver, CO |
| The agent was trying to skimp on accessories but we told her she couldn`t skimp on plants because they were part of the staged look. She paid for the staging instead of the client and this was her 1st experience with staging. She was totally blown away! Then, getting two offers with one as a back-up and getting a higher price than listed was icing on the cake.
Marti Rounds, ASP |
| This staging took on a special meaning since it was my own mom moving. Our market has been slow and it normal takes about 3-4 months to sell these condos. I staged it, it went into our MLS system, had an appointment to show that day and a full price offer within a 24 hour time frame. Something did the trick!! What else could explain it but the staging. Mom was happy and I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy to see staging work and sad to see mom leave. I totally believe staging works, but continue to have an office of "doubting Thomas`". Guess I will have to stage and sell more. Works for me!
Julie Jones ASP Realtor Columbia, Tn. |
| This was a vacant Brand New construction condo, 2 bedroom, 2 Bathrooms overlooking a beautiful lake view. This property sat and sat on the market with very little traffic for 219 days. Since it was new construction, the owner was competing with the developer to sell the property. I am an ASP Realtor and from day one I was trying to convey to the owner how important it is to stage the property. She was very reluctant but finally after 219 of my persistence in trying to get her to realize she needed staging, she FINALLY staged the home. We still had very little traffic after the staging; however, the 1st person that walked in after the home was staged put an offer on the home only $4500 less than the asking price. The owner then told me she wished she would have staged the property long ago because it sat vacant for 7 months and she was paying a mortgage on the property all of that time! The developer was having problems also selling their remaining units, in the condo development which also were vacant. After hearing her staging success story, the developer contacted us and asked us if we could stage the developers units so he too could have a staging success story! WOW!! Our buyer ended up "gutting" the place even though it was Brand new, tore out carpet and put hard wood floors, put granite countertops in kitchen and bathrooms etc... I highly doubt that property would have sold for even close to what the owner got if the property was not staged!! Somehow even though the new owner renovated they still saw the value. WHY???? Because staged homes SELL!!!!
Lisa Shuster- ASP Prudential Florida WCI Realty Coral Springs, FL |
| The sellers were right on target. They first contacted me BEFORE listing the property. The sellers followed all my recommendations to prepare the vacant house for Staging. We rented furniture and accessories and I staged the home. It was listed after the staging was completed. Within FIVE days being on the market, the sellers received, accepted, and signed a contract! The sellers, realtor, and I were so so excited!!! The Power of Staging is what makes the big difference between sitting on the market and selling as soon as possible :-)
Jodi Spickler ASP, Feng Shui Consultant Hagerstown, Maryland 21742 |
| A home that I Staged was very cluttered. So the homeowner rented a Pod. They did everything that was on the room by room house report that I prepared for them. Left only 3 to 5 pieces of furniture in each room and cleared out ALL THE CLUTTER and put it in the Pod and had the Pod removed from the driveway before open house. The rest is history sold in 21 days in the middle of December (the slowest time to sell a house in New Jersey). Thanks for teaching us well Barb. I am grateful to you for having a wonderful business.
Barbara R. Cluck-Miksits ASP, IAHSP owner of BCMHomeStaging.com Ridgewood |
| This is a success story for the client-18 days on the market just 4 days after staging, it was under contract.
Staging Works Laura Rogers, ASP |
| This was my first staging opportunity. I wanted to use what I had learned in the ASP Staging Class to help my mother sell her home. The house had been on the market, previously, for 1 year and then re-listed after a few months and remained on the market for over 3 months. After I completed the staging, we received an offer from the second couple that viewed it. The young woman said, "I don`t want to look at anything else. I want this house!" This was 3 days after staging!
Renee Felts ASP Stager Phoenix, AZ |
| This beautifully renovated but vacant home sat on the market for 2 1/2 months with 100+ viewings and no offers. We staged it for a Sunday open house and it was under contract the very next week!
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| I met with this client for a consultation on Thursday evening. Her home had been on the market for 6 months prior to this. She became so excited that we staged the property that night. When we left the home Thursday evening (4 hours later) all the client had to do was sweep the floors. There were 2 appointments to show the property on Friday. On Saturday morning client received a full-price offer for her home, which she accepted. Client was thrilled! Deb Johnson, ASP Jackson, TN |
"I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to collaborate with Sherwin Williams. It has really added an extra value to my staging service along with saving my clients money! My Staged 4 Living client just saved $384.67. Also, agents are more apt to call me when they FIRST get the listing before their clients start preparing their home for sale as they should! Thank you for everything! I can`t wait to find out what you will be offering us next! Staging Hugs! Tawni |
I had to write you with an update to MY Christmas Blessing Story.....I am so moved by this whole "staging experience". Although I am exhausted beyond reason, I wanted to share my staging story with you. I admit I was a little nervous at the task at hand. After all, how does a novice stager like me (who just completed the ASP course in October) get asked to stage a home for the RedCRoss/Volunteerrs of America project in southern Alabama? The only explanation needed is God Power!!! All I can say is Wow! P.S. http://wkrg.com/news/article/early_christmas_gift_a_new_home/7981/ This is the link for the story on this awesome project. The house was completed in 6 days!!!! We will give the keys to the house tomorrow! I will forward you the news link tomorrow along with the pictures of the final product..... Blessings, |
(Reprinted Letter from a Staging Career Seeker to an ASP Stager) Hi Jason, I hope you don't mind this email but I stumbled across your company website and it's just beautifully done. I am a stay-at-home Mom looking to start my own staging business. I live in the mid-cities and have been decorating for friends and family for years.for free. and now that my youngest is in high school I want to make a little money doing what I love. I have done a lot of research on the subject and my BIG question is "Do I need to become accredited"? It's not like I will be performing brain surgery on anyone. I see that you and your partners are certified stagers. What are the benefits to getting certified and what is the best course to take? Thank you for taking the time to read this rambling email. Any suggestions you can give me is greatly appreciated. G Trahan (Response to letter below) Gwen, How exciting to finally be able to make money doing what you love! It is certainly a big step to start your own business, and you are starting off right by contacting people already in the business for professional advice. As the owner of the largest and most successful Staging company in north Texas, I feel it is extremely important for Stagers to be Accredited. Granted you will not be performing brain surgery on anyone, however you will be helping them during a very stressful and important time during their life. You need to be equipped to handle questions and objections carefully, while still stressing the importance of changing the way they live in their homes. As the way you live in your home and the way we market and sell properties are two very different things. Staging is not decorating or design. In design you are making the furniture and accessories reflect the homeowners personality and style, whereas in Staging you are depersonalizing the property to turn it back into a house and make it appeal to the broadest market segment as possible. I have watched as many people take on Staging without the proper tools and they have hurt their clients more than helped them. Many times my company will get called in after a decorator has attempted to Stage a property and it still sat on the market for months longer than it should have. Just remember it is not about getting jobs for yourself, it's about helping the client sell their largest asset for top dollar, and in the quickest time possible. So the long and short of it, is YES PLEASE GET YOUR ASP DESIGNATION. Please visit the Stagedhomes website at www.StagedHomes.com to find out more about the Staging industry, as well as information on how to obtain your certification. I believe that there will be a class here in the Dallas area in September. Another reason it is so important to obtain your certification is so that you can participate in the Dallas Chapter of the International association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP). This organization is a valuable resource to Stagers, as it gives you a support system and people to depend on when you need help. As you begin Staging more houses and larger houses you will find that you need help to implement your Staging design. As a member of DIRC and IAHSP you will find many other Stagers ready to help you. The organization also is important because of our community service projects, and its ability to promote professionalism and ethics throughout our community. I also feel that in the next five to ten years you will see the State and local government regulating the Staging Industry, just as you see them regulating the Design and Real Estate Industry now. If you have any other questions please feel free to email or call me. Good Luck and Best Wishes on your new business endeavor! - Jason Maxwell, ASP |
| "Hi Barb, Hope all is well with you. We had a great success story last week and would love to share it with you. We staged a 1.1 million dollar home in Marlboro, NJ. The home was occupied, but also needed some furniture and accessories. We finished staging on Thursday afternoon and the first open house was held that Sunday. Within 24hrs they got TWO OFFERS for FULL asking price. In the end the house sold for $60,000 over asking price!!!!!!!!! Isn`t that incredible!!! The homeowner, Realtor, and the several other Realtors that the home seller interviewed all expected the house to sell for under 1 million. What a HUGE return on staging investment!" Mariagrace Welsh, ASP |
| "Here`s one that made my head spin! I live in a modest, well-cared for manufactured home community here in Eugene. Properties in this community often languish on the market because they are typically owned by elder residents whose homes are filled with furniture and treasures collected over several decades, meds, oxygen tanks, etc. My neighbor (a retired Realtor from S. California) and I had been discussing how problematic this issue had become. She decided to renew her license to sell homes in our community. One home in particular had been on the market 5 months with a prior Real Estate company. The first 3 months, the elder neighbor was still living in it and it received no offers; he then moved out of state and the next 2 months, the home was vacant and didn`t sell. When the listing expired, my neighbor (the agent) received a call from the frustrated son of the homeowner. She had a frank discussion with him about properly preparing the home for sale, which included painting the entire interior of the property, having it cleaned, and professionally Staging it. Within a week of her discussion with him, the home was painted, I Staged it, and it sold on the FIRST day of the FIRST Open House in 2.5 hours (did I also mention that the homeowner received several thousand dollars more than the original list price for his home?). The buyers put down earnest money that first day because they said the house was so lovely that they knew someone else would fall in love with it too, and would want to buy it, if they didn`t secure it for themselves. This testimonial blows all of my other statistics out of the water! I LOVE THIS BUSINESS!!!" HUGS! Janis Gaines, ASP |
| Hi Barb, I wanted to share with you revelation that I had last week. I recently finished doing a Consultation for some absolutely wonderful clients that did almost everything that I had asked them to do. There was so much work to be done, but I was very pleased with the results and their cooperation. One of the items on the list of things was for them to put away at least 3/4 of the several hundred DVD`s that their 4 year old daughter owned, it was tough, but they did it. I also loaned them the DVD "How to Stage Your Home to Sell for Top Dollar". When it was time to return it to me, they said that their daughter was going to miss it because she didn`t have much else to watch now. Your DVD became an instant hit with 4 year old Kelsey and you now have a fan in the "under age 5" set and she continues to spread the word to her preschool friends about Staging. I thought this was such a cute story to share. Emma Vargas, ASP, Simply Staging |
- Read More about Jeanne and View Her Staged Property Profile Here