Staging is... 
        the process of preparing a home for sale using a proven set of 
        guidelines and techniques. The goal of staging is to showcase 
        your home in its best possible light, appealing to the broadest 
        spectrum of potential buyers.


Staging is not the same as interior decorating.

Decorating  personalizes and individualizes a home to reflect an owner's taste and lifestyle.  Because your home is a now a product for sale, staging's focus is different. The goal is to showcase the best features of your house, with the furnishings in it taking a supporting role. Therefore staging is about de-personalizing and making your house appeal to a wide range of potential buyer's tastes. 

Inviting buyers to mentally move in...

We want the best features and style of your house to stand out, without making so strong a design statement that we turn away potential buyers because the look is too specific. For the same reason, staging's overall look is sparser than a decorated home. Effective staging makes it easy for potential buyers to see how they can bring in their furniture and their personal style, and to imagine themselves living comfortably in each room.

Bottom line, staging is a marketing tool that uses proven strategies to maximimize your property's market impact.


A Wallingford condo, before & after staging:

 


5 good reasons to stage your home:

1.  Great first impressions create memorable impressions 
     that sell.

      For a buyer, seeing a home for the first time is like going on a first
      date. If that initial impression is favorable, they are much 
      more likely to want to buy it, and with fewer conditions.
      Alternatively, if they're not impressed or concerns are raised in 
      that initial visit, they'll move on to look at your competition instead. 

2.  Staging draws more buyers--and realtors with
     buyers--to your property first. 

      84% of buyers today use the internet to decide which houses to put
      on the top of their list. It takes only seconds for your property to
      become a 'must see' property, or to be passed over with a click of
      the mouse. Staged home photos make a difference! Your property 
      stands out in print, internet advertising and marketing materials. 

      Realtors typically view new listings only once--unless it impresses them as a
      viable prospect for their buyers.  With so much inventory to choose from, 
      they don't waste their time showing their clients anything but the 'best of the
      best.' So make sure your property stands at the front of the pack from day
      one on the market!

3.  Shorter market time is money gained. 

       In the past year*, Gracious Transformations's staged properties sold  on
       average in 41 days, versus 5-6 months for non-staged homes. Competitively
       priced staged homes sold on average even faster: in 18.5 days!  A quicker 
       sale translates into dollars you will keep, because you are less likely 
       to experience a price reduction when your property is properly staged.       
       *July 2007 through July 2008.

4.  A staged home simply looks more valuable, so
     buyers are willing to pay more for it. 

      Effective staging showcases a home's best features, makes rooms
      appear more spacious, minimizes the appearance of any
      shortcomings, and appeals to a wide range of buyer's tastes.
      Staging also assures appraisers that the home has been well cared
      for. This increases the potential for a higher appraisal.

5.  Staging is cost effective. 

      Generally the staging fee represents as little as .002 to .005 of the
      home's list price. By contrast, a typical price reduction costs you
      2%, 3%--or more!


Before you put your property on the market, consider staging.