Top 10 Tips for Staging a Home

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Provided your home-for-sale has the curb appeal to get potential buyers inside, keeping them inside for a further look requires a staging strategy that sticks the deal and gets you your asking price -- or more.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2010 DeadlineNews.Com



Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime


Deadline Newsroom - Top 10 Tips for Staging a Home

by Broderick Perkins

DeadlineNews.Com

Provided your home-for-sale has the curb appeal to get potential buyers inside, keeping them inside for a further look requires a staging strategy that sticks the deal and gets you your asking price -- or more.

HGTV's FrontDoor.com offers what it considers the Top 10 Staging Tips to turn a languishing listing to a multiple-offer attraction.

• Reclaim the yard. First impressions rule. Spruce up curb appeal by maintaining a clean yard, adding plants for a splash of color and applying a fresh coat of paint to the front door.

• Let the foyer flourish. The home portal sets the tone for the entire home. Make the space up-to-date, well-maintained and eye catching -- top to bottom.

• Back off beige. Don't let neutral colored walls dominate a room. Splashes of color liven up boring spaces. Throw pillows, artwork and fresh flowers add pops of color and personality.

• Cure kitchen craziness. Consistency pleases. All countertops and cabinets should match. Tap a bit of home equity for new hardware, a new backsplash, new paint and a thorough cleaning to transform a bleak kitchen into one with smiles.

• Denude the dining room. De-cluttering and depersonalizing is the first rule of home staging. Homebuyers can have trouble envisioning themselves living in a home that's full of the seller's personal items.

• Avoid focal point faux-pas. Highlight the great features in a home by positioning furniture to highlight them. Windows, fireplaces and other architectural details will be noticed by a buyer if they are emphasized in the home correctly.

• Perk up the patio. The outdoor space is an extension of the home. Capture a higher selling price by cleaning and adding style to any outdoor space with furniture, lighting and accessories.

• Master the master suite. The best approach to staging is often working with existing accessories. Using what is already in the room and repositioning the furniture will highlight the room’s best features.

• Cure bathroom blues. Older vanities and dreadful wallpaper will make any bathroom feel outdated. Apply a fresh coat of neutral-hued paint and new hardware to modernize and brighten.

• Repurpose extra rooms. The value of a space decreases when homebuyers see a room without direction (think part office, part playroom, part home gym). Though almost every homeowner is guilty of having a "junk room," take sure to stage each room with a clear purpose before putting the home on the market.

See more staging information.

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© 2010 DeadlineNews.Com

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You are reading a sample of "News that really hits home!", now available from several beats and published in a growing number of locations.

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Perkins is also the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Offbeat News Examiner
• National Consumer News Examiner
• National Real Estate Examiner

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Staging in a box

Egyptians pan hymen-in-a-box
No way related to staging-in-a-box

Call it "staging in a box." Now you can stage homes for sale with lightweight, collapsible chairs, sofas, tables, and beds that can be assembled quickly without any tools. Later, fold up a house full of furnishings and store it in the garage.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - Tab 'A' in Slot 'A' staging

Now you can stage homes for sale with lightweight, collapsible chairs, sofas, tables, and beds that can be assembled quickly without any tools.

Later, just as easily, an entire home of furnishings can be folded away and stored in a garage.

Each piece of NextStage Furniture is made of corrugated cardboard , but it can support up to 1,000 pounds. When the furnishings are fitted with slipcovers, the open house looks like the real thing -- for a lot less time and money compared to conventional staging.

The living room, for example, sells for $429, the dining set, $379, but you can use them again and again. Buy full rooms or individual pieces as needed. Accessories include a range of faux flat-screen TVs, computer monitors and laptop computers.

"Our products allow a once expensive, multiple person job, to be done more cost effectively by a single person. These savings are realized not only in the cost of the furniture, but in the storage and transport as well," says vice president Jeff Waltrip.

"Staging a property is proven to increase the sale price, while reducing the time on the market. NextStage allows staging to be done in more properties than ever before," he added.

See the series: "Three Stages of Staging"

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© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Perkins is also the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Offbeat News Examiner
• National Consumer News Examiner
• National Real Estate Examiner

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Offbeat, on-the-money home-selling ideas

New 'Montauk Monster' plots

Bankrate.com recently reported five ways you may not have considered to sell your home and just in time. Selling a home during a recession requires that you get creative -- really creative.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime



Deadline Newsroom - Selling a home during a recession requires that you get creative -- really creative.

Bankrate.com recently reported five ways you may not have considered to sell your home.

They are:

• Sleep overs. Take a cue from HGTV's "Sleep on It" and let prospective buyers stay in your home as they ponder the deal. You might not get any sleep with strangers in the house, but they'll get to see what it feels like to "live" in their potential dream home.

• Longer sleep overs. Some owners are hiring house sitters to live in their home and give it that, well, "lived in" look and feel. And some sellers are letting the house go with everything in it -- sans the house sitter, of course -- fully furnished. The technique takes staging to the next level, but again, sleepless nights for you hoping the sitter doesn't walk away with your stuff.

• Swap homes. See GoSwap.org and OnlineHousetrading.com to help learn how to find others who share your housing preferences. It's not going to be as easy as finding a soul mate on sites like Eharmony.com. Finding a perfect home swapping mate requires time and effort. If you need to sell in a hurry, fugedaboudit.

• Find a builder. Some builders will buy your home, for later sale, if you buy one of their new homes. Don't expect a big profit, but this strategy could give you a fast move if you find a builder with an over supply -- not a difficult task.

• Offer incentives. New home builders slash home prices by as much as $100,000, but if you don't have that kind of equity to throw away consider everything from gas cars to motor scooters (to stretch that gas card). Pay homeowners association dues, offer skiing equipment, leave one room furnished. Get creative to create some buzz for your listing.

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© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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You are reading a sample of "News that really hits home!", now available from several beats and published in a growing number of locations.

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Perkins is also the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Offbeat News Examiner
• National Consumer News Examiner
• National Real Estate Examiner

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How FSBOs can compete against distressed properties

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In the time it takes for you to sell your own home without a real estate agent, you'll have to muster the same experience it takes a professional agent years to accomplish, but you can competitively market your home in today's economy, according to ForSaleByOwner.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - ForSaleByOwner.com says those who choose to sell their home without the aid of a real estate agent can still get the upper hand and beat the competition even in a market loaded with distressed properties.

Keep in mind, in the time it takes for an owner to sell his or her own home without a real estate agent, he or she must muster the same experience it takes a professional agent years to accomplish.

Right now it's even tougher.

With distressed sales (foreclosures, bank owned, short sales, auctions, etc.) accounting for half of all home sales in some areas, FSBOs (for sale by owner) are not just competing with traditional listings.

To help FSBOs compete against properties with discounted prices ForSaleByOwner.com advises:

• Skip the agent. Hiring a real estate agent can cut into the proceeds of a sale by 6 percent. Without a commission to pay the seller can pocket more of the proceeds or use the savings to set a more competitive asking price.

• Price it right. The same advice sellers get from real estate agents applies to FSBOs. Price the home according to the current local market, not based on a price a neighbor obtained a year or even a few months ago. A licensed, certified, trade-group affiliated appraiser is best at setting a price based on the true value of a home.

• Market effectively. Use all available marketing channels, which are not always used by distressed properties. Public listing Web sites, creating your own listing site, virtual staging and a host of other approaches are available.

• Keep the home fit. Foreclosed homes are often trashed, in disrepair or in need of some work due to neglect. FSBOs should stage their home to give it the a model home appearance and ready for move in.

• Offer a quick close. Distressed property sales can take months to close due to title issues, repair concerns and other red tape. Offer a 30-day closing date to attract buyer who wants to move quickly.

• Qualify interested buyers. Right from the beginning, make sure any prospective buyer has a lender approval for the amount necessary to finance the purchase of your home. It makes no sense to spend weeks courting a buyer who doesn't have the wherewithal to actually buy the home.

• Get professional help. Just because you don't hire a real estate agent doesn't mean you should have an attorney or title company help you review the contracts and makes sure you are adhering to state and local disclosure requirements.

• Read more FSBO news that really hits home.

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© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Need a break from doom and gloom in the housing market? Get off the beaten news track and stop by the DeadlineNews Group's Offbeat News Examiner outlet for a few laughs.

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. Perkins is also a National Real Estate Examiner. All the news that really hits home from three locations -- that's location, location, location!

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Sell now! Beat the spring rush

Selling your home in a slow market poses special challenges. You need these above- and-beyond marketing techniques to get your home sold now, before the season rush begins.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - Up market. Down market. It doesn't matter. Spring showers typically bring a flood of spring sellers and you need to get your home ready to beat the rush.

Unless you are somehow endowed with the level of professional home marketing experience necessary in the current market, jump start your home selling effort by hiring a licensed real estate agent or broker with lots of experience in your local market.

He or she can help you quickly design a marketing strategy tailored lift your listing heads above the crowd.

• Start by cleaning house. If you can't or don't want the job, hire a round of service workers to give your home a thorough cleaning so you can see the clutter you need to remove. Don't forget the garage, attic and basement. Replace stained carpets, drapes, throws, quilts and comforters. Redo floors and window covers slather on a new coat of paint.

• Improve your home's look and feel. Home improvements completed before a sale should only include changes that give your home a more contemporary feel. Say, new major appliances, but only to replace old inefficient models. Avoid major kitchen and bath remodeling jobs, renovations and additions. Instead, give the buyer a cash concession for his or her own personalized improvements completed after escrow closes.

Likewise, spend time on curb appeal, sprucing up outside and manicuring the landscaping. Make that first impression one of a contemporary home ready to inhabit.

Back inside, further ready your home with a technique called "staging," the practice of nipping and tucking, furnishing and accessorizing, buffing and polishing until the place looks like a model home. Hiring a professional for the work isn't a bad idea.

• Make sure the price is right. Price your home beginning with an appraisal by a licensed appraiser or what's called "comparable market analysis" of several or more homes. The more the better. A comparable market analysis considers the price of other homes (as many as possible) that are as much like yours as possible. Obtain comparables from the inventory of recently closed sales as well as homes on the market. A real estate agent who has access to the multiple listing service (MLS) is best suited for the task.

• Offer concessions. Pay closing costs, park a big screen HD TV in the living room, buy a home inspection or home warranty, make some repairs. If you've priced the home right, a concession here or there can close the deal.

• Market to the masses. Certainly, use traditional print classifieds, print ads, conventional signage and fliers, an open house, and listing with the local MLS. But don't overlook additional online marketing efforts -- a Web site, Web page or blog dedicated to your listing turns it into a 24-hour open house. The Age of Information demands you use the Net to provide as much information as possible about the home and neighborhood.

• Consider becoming a lender. In a down market, financing is tight. Even creditworthy borrowers get rejected because of rigid underwriting. If you can successfully finance the deal you could get your home sold sooner and enjoy a financial return for the effort. Legal help or a professional proficient in seller financing contracts is paramount to help you learn more and determine if you can handle a lender's risk.

• Go to auction. Not only for foreclosures, auctions can attract pre-approved buyers and, if successful, an auction can reduce the carrying costs associated with a home languishing unsold for months. Again, professional help is key. You need a recognized auction house and a real estate agent, attorney or other professional with auction savvy.

• Use a sale of last resort. If you are down on your luck, have missed payments and want to avoid bankruptcy or foreclosure, a short sale is an option with a new tax break. In a short sale, the lender forgives a portion of the outstanding balance on the home, typically, if you have a buyer ready to go. The portion of the debt the lender writes off was once considered income and taxed as such. For qualified taxpayers, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, effective through 2010, removes the expense of federal taxes on forgiven debt. Visit IRS.gov for more information.

• Buy now! Beat the spring rush!
• Remodel now! Beat the spring rush!

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group -- DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. Perkins is also a National Real Estate Examiner. All the news that really hits home from three locations -- that's location, location, location!

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The 'Open House Show'

An open house invites potential buyers to dream big-time, in real time, in the very same space they may one day call home. That's some grand prize. But the open house is, after all, the original reality show.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime.

Deadline Newsroom - The open house is the original reality show.

It invites potential buyers to dream big-time, in real time, in the very same space they may one day call home. That's some grand prize.

But that's not all.

• An open house gets buyers into the neighborhood to check out amenities and proximity to schools, jobs, shopping and other attractions. A home, after all, isn't an island.

• An open house generates in-person feedback on the home's condition and its price.

• An open house exposes the home to buyers who may not currently be working with an agent and, as such, are not aware of the home's availability.

• An open house can flip hesitant buyers already interested in the home when, during the tour, they learn they've got some competition.

• An open house can snare impulse buyers, who see the house for sale and, with just one look, fall in love.

However, botch the open house production and your show will immediately go into reruns -- or worse, cancellation.

Successful open house production

Here's what the experts say you need to know to get buyers to tune in to your open house and make an offer you can't refuse.

• Clean house. Be sure the home for sale is Spic and Span -- as clean and as neat as possible. Think model home with a neutral, depersonalized setting. No political posters, no personal photos. Also, remove the clutter. Empty the garbage cans, clean out the closets and polish the fixtures.

• Find good help. Consider hiring someone to clean house, someone to manicure the landscaping or, perhaps, painters to put on a fresh coat inside and out. Do a walk through with your agent before the open home and ask your agent about staging.

• Spruce things up. A home inspection can point you to features that need work. Add a new shower curtain, fresh towels, and new guest soaps to every bath. Set the dining table with pretty dishes and candles. Buy a fresh doormat with a clever saying, like "One small step."

• Appeal to the senses. Served baked goods, coffee, tea and soft drinks to create a homey feel. Use disposables to keep the kitchen tidy. Otherwise, pipe in some soft music and add flowers in main rooms for a touch of principal rooms for a touch of color. Remove a major piece of furniture or two from each room to give it a sense of spaciousness. Light a fire in the hearth. Likewise, closet those kitchen appliances and bathroom items to give the illusion of more counter space.

• Lighten up. Open the window covers. Turn on all the lights. Even during the day, lighting adds sparkle.

• Lose the pets. It's best to temporarily board Fido and Fluffy elsewhere. If that's not possible, confine them to a cage or room, basement or bath and let the listing agent know where they are.

• Protect stuff. Lock up your family jewels, electronic gadgets, cash and other valuables. Even with a real estate salesperson on site, it’s impossible to watch everyone all the time.

• Twice is nice. Sunday afternoon is a good time to attract visitors, but don't forget Saturday. The extra weekend day open house avoids alienating those who worship at a house of faith on one day or the other. Plan to start early and stay late, say, after weekend sporting events.

• Spread the news. Mail post cards to invite neighbors and prospects. Also list the event in the local newspaper and on Web sites and other publications.

• Avoid hosting. Real estate agents should attend open houses to be available for questions, to provide property and neighborhood information and to get valuable feedback by watching and listening to potential buyers. Most advice suggests you stay at someone else's home during your open house. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you hanging around. On the other hand, some advice suggests sellers put in a brief appearance, but only after you are well coached by your listing agent. In any event, let the agent make the decision.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group -- DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. Perkins is also the National Real Estate Examiner. All the news that really hits home from three locations -- that's location, location, location!

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Digitally Enhancing Home Values, Sales

Virtual staging really does hit home with buyers so much so that the digital marketing effort adds tens of thousands of dollars to the perceived value of the home and the home sells faster than those that don't employ the marketing technique.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

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Deadline Newsroom - A report that quantifies evidence virtual staging really hits home with buyers comes from a couple of likely sources, but the findings do mirror data from focus groups and other studies on the subject.

Easily considered self-serving data from digital visual marketing firm VHT, Inc. and digital virtual staging company , PropertyPreviews.com, a survey nevertheless reveals videos and photography used in home marketing can increase a property's perceived value by tens of thousands of dollars.

According to their survey, video tours increased the perceived value of a home by nearly six percent, or about $30,000 on a $500,000 home, while professional photography increased the perceived value twice as much, by nearly $60,000.

VHT, which offers photography and video services and PropertyPreviews.com, which produces videos from photos online at no cost, surveyed 320 men and women between the ages of 35 and 54 with more than $75,000 in household income. Those surveyed were shown descriptions of homes in the $400,000 to $600,000 price range. Each property was shown with a description only or with a description and professional photography, unprofessional photography or video.

Those surveyed were then asked about their perceived value of the home; how likely they were to visit a home; and how quickly they thought the property would sell.

• Those who viewed listing information accompanied by professional photography, valued the property at an average price of $460,735, an increase of 11.5 percent or $52,896 over the average perceived price of the description-only property, $407,839.



• Those who watched a listing's video valued the home at an average price of $432,329, an increase of 5.7 percent or $24,490, over the average perceived price of the description-only property, $407,839.

"While perceived value is not the same as what someone ultimately pays for a property, it sets the benchmark as to what this property is worth in a buyer's mind compared to other homes in the same neighborhood. First impressions often have a big impact on a buyers' decision-making process on which homes to visit and how much to offer," said Brian Balduf, VHT's CEO.

• Survey respondents, were not professional real estate agents, but believed a home with professional photography was three times more likely to sell within the standard listing period than a home marketed with only descriptive information.




• When asked how likely they were to visit the homes listed with professional photography, seven times as many respondents indicated that they were "very likely" to visit the home as those who said they were "very likely" to visit a home with only descriptive information.

"More than 84 percent of prospective home buyers start their search on the Internet, so the use of video to market a property is essential," said Jeff Harris, General Manager of PropertyPreviews.com.

The study is in line with other reports that extol the value of virtual staging the use of digital images and photos to market a home. The technique is often used, hand-in-hand, with live, on-site staging.

After some impromptu focus groups, Freeland, WA-based online content expert Barbara Moran founded a virtual staging company, Virtual Staging, to teach real estate agents what she and good Web designers already know: content -- good, eye-catching and revealing content -- remains king.

Moran has helped clients boost sales so much they rave, but fear going public about their location so as not to give up their competitive edge in their local market.

The National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents cautions about staging that tricks the eye, but concedes honest staging can net sellers more cash and faster sales. The association says the relatively small expense of cleaning, decluttering, lightening and brightening, and other home staging efforts can generate an average sales price increase that can be more than the cost of staging.

Charts © 2008 VHT, Inc.

• Also see the DeadlineNews.Com special report, "The Three Stages of Staging."

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group -- DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Stage Three: Seeing Through The Veil

DeadlineNews.Com Special Report 3 of 3: Staging, designed to embellish the look and feel of a home for sale, can also be used to conceal what's real. Brokers advise buyers to look beyond the staging.

• See all the Stages of Staging

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - In the brave new money-tight world of housing, the growing inventory of homes is prompting more and more sellers to stage the deal so it stands out from the pack.

The same shrinking housing market that's putting lenders out of work, is cashing fat checks for stagers who transform houses full of drab rooms into model homes that rival those in a newly built development.

Those who ply the trade say staging is where art meets the real estate deal.
However, a group of real estate brokers are warning buyers a blank canvas may be a better deal than a contrived masterpiece. Not only can a well-staged home put sparkle in buyers' eyes is can also be used to insidiously conceal defects, according to National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) whose members exclusively represent buyers.

Staging is to the interior of a home what curb appeal is to the exterior -- nipping and tucking, furnishing and accessorizing, buffing and polishing until the place looks like a model home -- without being too clinical. Staging can also include curb appeal -- that same love-at-first-sight appeal applied to the exterior to give a lasting impression and motivate buyers to cross the threshold in the first step toward closing the deal.

With just the right special effects, staging can transform a home into a house of dreams and help potential buyers visualize potential. Done wrong and a home can become a house of screams. Done at all and it could be a red flag, according to the NAEBA's "How To Not Get Tricked By Staging And Potentially Save $5,645 When You Buy Your Home" a report with an over-staged title.

The NAEBA concedes honest staging can net sellers more cash and faster sales. The report cites a 2003 HomeGain survey of 2,000 real estate agents who said for the relatively small expense of cleaning, decluttering, lightening and brightening, and home staging, home sellers realized an average increase in sales price of $5,645 -- typically more than the cost of staging.

That's because staging tugs at heart strings which, too often, are connected to the purse strings. Paying more doesn't actually make the house worth more.

Without actual code-complying home improvements, professional painting and the like, staging alone does nothing to improve the value of the home. Once the home is sold, the stager strikes the set and the pieces go back into storage.

"The biggest concern for home buyers is that the staging effects can make a home seem more appealing to the eye. However, the staging does not add square footage to the home, improve the home, improve the quality of the fixtures, improve the quality of the construction, increase the desirability of the floor plan or the views or the neighborhood," the report said.

That's the least of it.

The NAEBA also said 82 percent of its surveyed brokers and agents said buyers typically got distracted from important issues when viewing a staged home.

Visual tricks used to create the distraction included:

• Using small furniture to make a room look larger.

• Placing items to cover up problems, such as rugs hiding damaged floors, lavish curtains covering rotted window sills and artwork hung to hide wall cracks.

• Painting to cover defects and cheap paint jobs that will soon need repainting.

"The whole intent of staging is to get the buyer emotionally involved with the home. Our member agents want home buyers to see things logically, to 'see past' the staging," said Jon Boyd NAEBA president.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Stage Two: Virtual Staging

DeadlineNews.Com Special Report 2 of 3: It's not as simple as taking a few photos and writing flowery prose to virtually stage a home for sale. Here's how to make your online listings sing.

• See all the Stages of Staging

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - Freeland, WA-based Barbara Moran founded a virtual staging company, Virtual Staging, virtually by accident.

Virtual staging typically includes online photos, videos and other images of a home for sale, but can include any marketing images of the listing and the text that goes with it.

Not long ago, Moran, by trade, an online content expert and author of "Crafting Multimedia Text: Websites and Presentations" (Prentice Hall, $21.40), was watching a friend browsing for housing.

"My friend would click through various slide shows for listings and if she saw one slide she didn't like, she'd leave the listing entirely. I wondered how many other potential homebuyers made major decisions about contacting a real estate professional based on the quality of the online slide show and its descriptive text," Moran said.

Apparently, quite a few.

In several informal focus groups, Moran asked participants to pretend to look for their dream home. They repeatedly passed on listings based entirely on one bad photo or on boring text in an online listing.

"That's when I thought I might be helpful," said Moran realizing many of the principles she covers in her book are unknown to most real estate professionals.

Virtual Staging was born to teach real estate agents what she and good Web designers already know: content -- good, eye-catching and revealing content -- remains king.

"I was shocked at how easy it was to find truly bad examples," she said.
Her Web site contains digital photo examples of the good, the bad and the very ugly including:

• A gloomy photo of a home's lake view by day, turned brilliant when photographed at sunset.

• A photo of a cluttered kitchen with refrigerator magnets as the focal point is compared to another kitchen, this one, uncluttered, well lighted and inviting.

• A photo that shows nothing but white walls, a closet and a door. Doh!

• Out of focus, too dark and too light photos that are hard on the eyes.
Moran offers five free evaluations. She will examine any existing or upcoming listing, email the listing agent an evaluation of the photos and written content, and offer suggestions to punch up the marketing.

Subsequent evaluations are $50 per listings with discounts for 100 or more evaluations.
She also offers year-long exclusive contracts to give agents willing to pay the fee a competitive edge. Only one agent in a defined market area is entitled to purchase an exclusive territorial contract.

Current clients without territorial contracts say Moran has helped them boost their sales so well they fear giving up their competitive edge in the current market and refused to go on the record and give away their location.

Moran also offers tips to those engaging in virtual staging.

• Consider security. Keep photos and expensive possessions out of the pictures.

• Don't doctor photos. Don't use image editing software to remove cracks from the wall, stains from the rug or kid's drawings on the wall. Fix the problem. Then photograph it. Use image editing to enhance photo quality, not content.

• Don't use verbiage. Don't be vague. Learn to spell. Use a spell checker. Get a writer or an editor. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes reduce credibility.

• Don't make visitors sign in. Focus groups reveal people treat "sign-in required" Web sites like the plague. "If visitors see a listing they like, make it easy for them to find you, but let them browse around first without demanding personal information," Moran said.

• Avoid mystery room photos. Online visitors want to recognize what each photo represents. Include living rooms, bedrooms, baths, kitchens, and other readily identifiable spaces.

• Freshen stale photos. If your listing has languished, re-shoot before you lower the price. New images and rewritten text may be all you need.

• Give the buyer an incentive. Consider a virtual staging Web site or blog dedicated to the listing. Free Web sites and blogs are a dime a dozen. When the sale is done, gift the Web site or blot to the new homeowner for his or her future use!

Classifieds On Steroids


Try the FREE Postlets.com, which, frankly, is what Craig's List ought to be by now for marketing homes. This amazing, create-your-own, FREE home listing Web site comes with FREE automatic search engine submissions, FREE marketing tools you had no clue could be so useful, and lots more. It's so easy, well, a caveman can use it.


Another online-classifieds-on-steroids service is already an award-winner. Vflyer.com is a similar service, with a few more bells and whistles, for a small fee.

Both are in flux, adding features.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Stage One: Staging Takes Center Stage

DeadlineNews.Com Special Report, 1 of 3: 'Staging For The Stars' provider Beth Ann Sheperd is sharing staging suggestions designed to put sparkle in buyers' eyes and more jingle in sellers' pockets.

• See all the Stages of Staging

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - You don't have to be a star, baby to be in Beth Ann Shepherd's show (Apologies to Marilyn McCoo, the Fifth Dimension and those too young to remember.).

Sheperd is one of those "to the stars" service providers, in this case, setting the stage to position a home for sale or staging. It's a smart marketing move when it's time to move a home in just about any kind of market.

Staging is to the interior of a home what curb appeal is to the exterior -- nipping and tucking, furnishing and accessorizing, buffing and polishing until the place looks like a model home, without being clinical. But it can also include curb appeal.

With just the right special effects, the effort can transform a home into a house of dreams and help potential buyers visualize potential.

Done wrong and a home can become more like the set of a horror movie, a real house of screams.

Operating under the name "DressedtoClose," Sheperd says her clients include Black Eyed Peas' hot Fergie, leading-man actor Josh Duhamel, off-beat Christina Ricci, even the glamorous "Desperate Housewives" actor, Eva Longoria.

But you don't have to be in a music video, hit movie or top rated TV show to benefit from Sheperd's expertise.
She's offering you an exclusive peek at how to make staging take center stage in your home for sale.

Right here.

Right now.

Here's what she advises.

• Appeal. Start with curb appeal, including landscaping, doors, fixtures all that customers see upon approach to the home. Curb appeal should exude an unforgettable first impression that prompts buyers to cross the threshold.

• Enchant. The portal should generate some pomp, excitement, drama, maybe a little razzmatazz. Create a focal point with an oversized mirror, a dramatic piece of art, strategic lighting, fresh flowers or scented candles -- but not all at once. Add drama, not comedy.

• Refresh. Update worn attributes. Sand and refinish hardwood floors. Clean or replace the carpet. Pressure wash stone flooring.

• Rearrange. New furniture layouts make for a new look, feel and flow. A fire place needed be the focus in the middle of summer. A point of view to the lanai, beachfront or pool area may be a better set.

• Upgrade. Stainless steel appliances are the rage because they add the commercial look of perceived value. Toss in a glass-front wine cooler for sex appeal.

• Accommodate. Give your baths that "Five-Star" look. Add thick, white, luxury hotel towels, extra hand towels at each sink and a container of those hotel goodies -- scented reeds or scented candles, and cotton-ball, Q-Tip, holders and the like.

• Impress. Likewise treat your master bedroom like a luxury hotel suite featured in the movies. Include thick white sheets and pillows. Use a thick white duvet and duvet cover, a nice tray with reading books, scented reed diffusers (or scented candles) and warm colored walls. A ceiling-height plant adds perceived height. A nice chair and reading light or sofa seating area brings in coziness. Remove the clutter, photographs, no note pads, pens or pencils. Nothing you would not find in a luxury hotel suite.

• Reorganize. Clear the set. Remove the clutter. Put in professionally built-out closets. Closets should look good and smell good, not musty or mildewy. Your closets should look good, smell good and sound good. Rack or drawer your shoes and other accessories. Leave nothing on the floor. Add cedar blocks for scent and invest in matching wood hangars for every item of clothing to project a lifestyle of success.

• Entertain. Add a sound track. IPod music to wireless speakers. Install a plasma TV tuned to an eye-catching, replaying, high density disc of panoramic scenes. You want to present your home as modernized and updated.

• Accentuate. "Add" a subplot of square footage with dramatic effects -- mirrors in small areas, focused furniture positions, lighting, etc.

"Purchase extra-long white sheer mesh draperies and install rods around your trellises or outdoor area for that billowy drapery feeling found only in exclusive resort hotels throughout the world. This is a dynamic, fast way to provide the 'major wow' need to sell your home faster to the highest bidder," Sheperd advises.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Advertise on DeadlineNews.Com

Get news that really hits home for your Web site or blog from DeadlineNews.Com.
Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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DeadlineNews.Com's Editorial Content Is Intellectual Property • Unauthorized Use Is A Federal Crime

Read more!