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$1,000 Staging. Done Right or Done Wrong?
When a home stager is hired one of their primary responsibilities is to stage the property in a manner that best solves problems or perceived issues sellers may have with it. Unfortunately this may not always happen.
CASE IN POINT: Recently I received an Email from Adam in Chicago asking for advice over a dispute he was having with his stager regarding the worked she had preformed. Adam wrote…
Hello Craig,
My name is Adam and I am having a disagreement with a stager I hired.
I am trying to sell a 2-bedroom condo in Chicago and recently hired a professional to stage the empty condo. The property is unique in that the living room is very long and narrow, which is why my realtor and I thought it was important to stage it to show its potential. This is the only living area of the property so it has to look like a living room.
We've since (the staging) had ten showings without an offer.
I had two friends over… both of them said is "this room looks like a hallway". They also said that the way it's staged does not show the potential of the living room.
I called the stager… and she maintains that the room is properly staged and that I need to respect her professional opinion. She discounts these opinions because she says she's the professional.
Do you have any tips on how I could deal with my stager?
Thank you very much,So that you have a complete picture of all that was done and how Adam's $1,000 was used to stage his property, I have created this short video show.
Adam
So... now that you have a more complete picture, I have a few final questions for you to consider.
- Given the budget, Adam’s instruction, and the style of the home, did the stager stage the home correctly?
- Did the stager provide a good solution for the problematic living room?
- If Adam feels the solution provided does not solve the living rooms problem, what should he do?
- What actions do you suggest the stager take to solve the problem?
Craig
5 comments:
Hi Craig,
My name is Christine and I hold a degree in interior and architectural design. I am also in the process of studying for my real estate license. I am going to be opening my own home staging and design business soon, just going through all the motions (and emotions) of doing so.
Without going full force against this stager, in all fairness, I would have to say it looks ok but could be better.
Adam clearly wanted this room to show as a living room. Right now it looks more like a waiting room/parlor/entry. Where is the sofa? Am I missing it? Of course I am not. It's not there!
I can not see exactly how long that room is but clearly she needs to add some additional seating, sofa perhaps, and make a conversation/living area. The area rug is great for anchoring these items together but she is missing some items.
I might also pull the arrangement away from the wall and float it. The table along the wall to me is more of a sofa or display table and I wouldn't use it between the chairs. I would use some end tables and possibly a coffee table along with the rug and seating to make a great conversation area. I would also add lighting both task and ambient.
I feel for Adam. That is alot of money to not get what you want. I suggest he speak with her again and if she does nothing than try to take some of my suggestions and fix it. Lesson learned.
Customer service should always be number one and I would have been back to fix it and frankly I think that is what she should do.
I hope all goes well. You can shoot me an email if you need more advice!
Christine Gilbert
Christine Gilbert Home Staging & Design
christine.cghomestaging@live.com
Hello Craig,
I am a home stager and I must say that Adam and his friends are absolutely correct. I can also say that, as a stager, I would be open to feedback and changes after 10 unsuccessful showings.
I can't tell how big the room actually is, but just looking at it, it seems to me that a small contemporary sofa against the wall where the chairs are, along with a coordinating chair would work well. This way, the room would still be open to the entry, but would appear to be an actual living space. A small coffee table and the right accessories would complete the look.
Additionally, small cosmetic changes like changing out the hardware on the cabinets, removing the country-style paper towel holder in the kitchen, etc. would be very inexpensive changes that would make a big impact. In short, I don't think this home was properly staged given the budget. I certainly don't want to say anything bad about another stager, but I would want someone to tell me if I staged a home improperly. I would prefer to learn from my mistakes and move on. I hope this helps both Adam and his stager!
Dean
IMHO, I think the LR now looks like a beautifully decorated vestibule. It's really attractive and stylish, but does not offer a "lifestyle-oriented" solution. I wonder if a small sofa and 1 chair might have done a better job of demonstrating how a person might be able to relax and enjoy "chilling" in that space. Does one need the stools if there is another eating space?
Adam needs to call back the stager and explain that the staging is beautiful but not doing the job it was intended to do.
It's always easy to criticize someone else's work, and not so easy to understand the full landscape of the situation. It's possible that the budget is insufficient for the task at hand. It wouldn't be in NJ, but maybe in Chicago, it's hard to get all that stuff delivered at a reasonable number.
Not an easy one. What do you think, Craig?
Hi Craig,
I'm a home staging in Los Angeles, and from what the pictures show the stager did not solve the problem of the long living room. I questions the two bar chairs at the "pass through" not a bar counter I don't think that is a good idea and are the two chairs next to the console table the only other seating in the living room area? If so of course people will walk in a think what am I going to do with this spaces, nothing will fit where do I sit to relax or watch TV. I hope there is more then the pictures show. sorry.
Hello Craig,
I actally came across your site while checking out a few referral sites. My website's analytical report shows several referrals from your blog. So first, let me say, thank you!
Secondly, I quickly became sidtrackd by your post from Adam and his staging dilemma.
I hesitate to comment on the furniture placement as I can't see what the far end of the room looks like.
What I can say, however, is that with long, narrow rooms your best best is to divide and conquer. Area rugs are invaluable in designating such spaces. Furthermore, never line the furnishings in a row against the walls as that only accentuates the problem.
I thought the use of red was a great choice and helped the flow by color threading it throughout the home. The red flowers, however, seem a bit akward placed behind the bed and might work better placed in a more realistic spot in the room.
I would also eliminate or replace the floor lamp. It is very dated and only makes the area look cold and uninviting.
If I were to make any suggestions, it would be to add fabric to soften the windows and dining table. Also toss in a few accessories that will add texture.
The kitchen could benefit tremendously with the addition of a few more things such as greenery, a decorative plate on stand or even a cookbook and decorative bottles of olive or dipping oils.
All very easy fixes but they would help in achieving a more warm and inviting space. And I am not sure the stager's budget allowed her to do any of this.
Unfortunately, we stagers walk a fine line. We are there to take away all the "personal" but still need to give the
space "personality."
Warm Regards,
Victoria Palmer
www.nationalredesigninstitute.com
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