| Page 2 of 2 < |
Decorating for Dollars
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Besides, a good real estate agent ought to be able to advise you truthfully about what needs to fixed up or tossed so your home is ready for market. After all, a 5 or 6 percent commission ought to buy you more than a sign in the yard and entry to the multiple-listing service. Agents are there to market your home, and that should include providing brutally honest advice on preparing it for market. If agents want to get extra training in staging, good for them. That should help them outshine their competitors.
Still, I hesitate to dismiss the idea, especially for some sellers. If a couple of hundred dollars spent on a consultation with a stager can help you gain an edge over competing sellers, go for it. "If there are a lot of new-builds nearby, you're in competition. If people in the neighborhood are staging, you're in competition with them," said Christine Rae, author of the Dummies book.
Sellers who need staging advice the most may be those least likely to heed it. Are you so peeved about low prices that you won't put another dime into pre-sale preparation? Are you so proud of your pink Victorian decor that you would be insulted at the suggestion that it be toned down for market? You're the kind of sellers who could most benefit from a staging intervention.
Other candidates include people trying to sell a house themselves, without a real estate agent, or people trying to sell a vacant home, with or without an agent's help. A good stager could help you rent just enough furniture to make the home look warm and inviting instead of sad and empty.
* * *
The staged house, at 6526 Roosevelt St., Falls Church, will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 24.
E-mail Elizabeth Razzi atrazzie@washpost.com
