Do people really want to hear the truth or do they have their own reality when it comes to things of a personal nature? Most people couch the truth because of the possibility of hurting another's feelings. But sometimes, the truth is what we need. This is especially true when it comes to selling houses. We need to put our pride aside and get an objective opinion about changes that need to be made. In simpler terms, we need to have our houses professionally Staged.

Home Staging as an industry began 36 years ago in the Pacific Northwest. The phrase was coined with the knowledge that when we put a house on the market, we need to set the Stage or set the scene like they do in the theatre - in a way that appeals to an audience. Since that time, the service of Home Staging has spread to many parts of the world. Many people have entered the field of Home Staging, providing a valuable service to homeowners, builders, and Realtors. There is no shortage of information on Home Staging with books, television shows, training courses, and educational seminars on the subject.

And yet there are still houses on the market that have not been Staged properly - and there is a difference. There are plenty of attempts at Staging that are poor examples of how to prepare a house for sale, most likely by those that read a list of tips and applied a cookie-cutter approach to the process. This approach does not work simply because every house is different and needs a specific guideline or plan in order to truly Stage it for sale. If you were to view photos of current listings on the market, you would be able to tell those that were prepared for a buyer properly and those that did not seem to care. Perhaps those that did not put effort or put out minimal effort out figured there was no point, or perhaps the sellers felt their house looked fine to them, so a buyer would feel the same.

Sadly, those that think their house looks fine and are not taking the steps to Stage properly are being overlooked by their audience - their potential buyers. Home Staging is about presenting a house for buyers - in a way that makes them connect emotionally and experience a house without distractions of clutter, blocked pathways, and personal items. It is about presenting the house to appeal to all buyers with focus on colors, furniture placement and space. It is not about removing everything which only leaves a house feeling cold and austere. It is about de-stressing the environment and inviting calm and peace into a house that may have been living in chaos. When all is said and done, Buyers purchase a house based on emotions. When they are unable to connect to a house, they move on to the next one.

It is an Art to be Objective in another person's home. To be able to view a space or room in a completely new way is a gift. Less than 10% of our population has that ability, and yet sellers expect a buyer to overlook all sorts of clutter, dirty and disarray as they sift through possibly dozens of houses looking for the one they want to buy. The common misconception that Staging is like decorating pervades our society because of misleading shows or articles on the subject. The goals of both services are totally different. With decorating, the goal is to create an environment that appeals to the homeowner - and it is all about personalizing a space. The goal is to make the home look lovely and pleasing to the owner. Staging is the opposite because it is about neutralizing the home and making it appealing to an unknown buyer. Since we have no idea about the background of the person walking through the door, the house has to appeal to a broad range of the population - all ages, races, religions, and family types. The goal of Home Staging is to get the house sold not make it look pretty, even though when the Staging work is complete, the house is show ready and has a WOW factor.

Can we truly be Objective in our own homes? The answer is, "no." The reason is because we live with our things and over time become desensitized to the amount of things we have, the placement of our things, and the impact they have on someone seeing them for the first time. Think about the last time you purchased something new for your house. Maybe it was a picture or perhaps some accent pillows. For the first few days or week, you noticed that new items and then as you began to anticipate seeing it in your home, the impact of that item began to wear off. After about 2-3 weeks, you may not even notice the item at all. But a Buyer walking in for the first time or looking at photos online, will notice everything, and have an emotional response to what they are seeing. Additionally, we often have a personal attachment to things in our house - the collage of artwork from our children, an antique doily given to us by Grandma. The Buyer does not have that attachment and views those items as clutter - so they need to be packed up and put away. And that can be a hard process to know how to sift through what stays and what needs to be removed.

That is why when it comes time to put our house up for sale, the best option is to have an objective third party opinion from someone not attached to the sale of the house. Realtors often give tips and advice to their sellers on what to do to get their house ready for buyers to see. But, when a seller resists or becomes difficult, the natural inclination of the Realtor is to back down as they do not want to rock the boat. There are many wonderful agents that do guide their sellers through each step of having a house Staged, but they are in the minority of Realtors listing and selling houses. More common is the practice of giving a few tips of common sense changes, and calling it a day.

Having an Objective Third Party Opinion from a professional Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) Stager is the key to having a seller do all the things necessary to get the house sold. When the ASP Stager suggests changes, they have been trained to do it with kindness in a way that honors the Seller. They will consider the budget and timeframe for presenting the house for sale and come up with the best plan possible based on those factors.

After Staging, listing and selling over 3,000 houses in my career as a Realtor and Broker, it is my mantra that no house should be listed for sale without an honest assessment of what needs to be changed in order for the house to compete with other homes for sale. Staging is the only investment done in preparation of a house for sale that brings measurable value as evidenced by statistics.

When the average Staging Plan is around $200-$400 dollars depending on the location, it is a very worthwhile investment for any homeowner that wants to sell their house in the quickest time and for the best price.

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