Skeptical about Home Staging? This Home Sold 12 Hours after Staging & Listing 
As a professional home stager in Portland OR I've had many clients who know that staging is an effective marketing tool to help their home sell faster. Once in a while though, we come across "staging skeptics" who aren't convinced that staging can really make a difference. Sometimes 'seeing is believing' so for any staging skeptics out there, here's a true staging success story for your consideration.
We were contacted by homeowners in Beaverton OR who asked for a home staging consultation to help determine what cost-effective improvements would make their home more appealing to the target buyer in their neighborhood. I met with this lovely, enthusiastic couple and gave them a list of Things To Do before putting their home on the market. Since they planned to relocate out of state, they also requested a proposal for staging their home after they moved out. Here are some Before & After photos of this home:
We gave the homeowners our suggestions for neutral paint colors that buyers love; tips on new kitchen cabinet hardware and paint for the dated oak cabinets; updated light fixtures in brushed nickel finish; & other easy, cost-effective advice. 
Since the sellers were relocating due to a job, they wanted the house to sell quickly so that they could buy a home in their new state. They were motivated and eager to do whatever it took to get the best return on their staging investment. 
Buyers love a master bedroom that feels like an inviting retreat ~ here it's transformed from blah to wow 
This home had a pending sale only 12 hours after it was staged and listed! The listing agent, Deborah Jackson of Re/Max Equity Group in Beaverton OR had this to say: "One of my recent clients did everything on Maureen's list of staging suggestions. After the home was vacant, Maureen then staged the important rooms of the home, and it was gorgeous! Needless to say, we got an offer on the home within the first 12 hours that it went on the market! That was a record, especially in this real estate market of 2011."
The homeowners, who had moved out of state, emailed me after seeing my photos of the staging: "WOW! Is that our house? It looks amazing! Thank you so much! It was great working with you and if you need a reference just send them our way!"
So don't be a staging skeptic! Instead, contact your local professional home stager. Ask to see Before & After photos of their work, and ask about their Days on Market statistics. (Year to Date for 2011, Room Solutions Staging's DOM is just 24!)
~ Staging and Photos by Room Solutions Staging ~
Related Post: Home Staging Tip: Dated Oak Cabinets? Update them with Paint!
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Room Solutions Staging offers home staging services to Portland Oregon homeowners, real estate agents, builders, banks, and investors to prepare homes for the market. Our home staging clients love our service and our home staging statistics! Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultations, staging for both vacant and lived-in homes, and interior redesign projects. For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.
Licensed • Insured • Accredited • Certified
2012 Professional Home Stager of the Year - Western U.S.
(Real Estate Staging Association)
Copyright © Room Solutions Staging LLC 2006-2012
"Staging That Sells Portland Homes"
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As always your works looks great.
In my market place almost all the homes are stages in one fashion or another.
The reason for this is because it works!!! Staging works!
That house does look much better staged. I'm not surprised it sold quickly.
homestaging works guys....pay the money and GETTHAT HOUSE SOLD!!!!
Amazing job on staging that home! The kitchen change was dramatic! Did you paint the cabinets? No wonder it sold quickly!
Your before and after pictures tell the whole story. Congratulations on a job well done - beautiful.
Maureen - you and the Sellers did an amazing job. Some updated furniture made a huge difference. What colour did the owners paint the kitchen cupboards? They look terrific!
Staging can make a dramatic difference where the owner has money for improvements and can price the home to sell.
Maureen--12 hours? That is awesome. I was going to write "amazing", but not when you look at the photos and your gorgeous work. Makes me wonder why anyone is still skeptical about staging, as the results continue to support the fact that staging works. Love that kitchen . . . .
Maureen - you must have set a new record - 12 hours after going on the market and the home sold?! However, it's not so surprising looking at your amazing transformation of this home - it is truly spectacular as are all your staging projects. You are one of the most talented stagers in the country and your work is impeccable! Congratulations - I'm sure your client and their Realtor are ecstatic! Suggested!
Wow, Maureen! I think you have even outdown yourself on this transformation! What a stunning difference. It doesn't even look like the same house. That kitchen looks brand new!
This comes as no surprise. You are an excellent stager and Portland is one lucky city to have you.
Congratulations. Your home staging is being featured in the group Staging Before and After Pictures.
Kathy
Maureen, well this surely ought to convince those skeptics to get-on-board. Love it when stagers get comments from agents like #3, Ben. Perfect, as is your work!
Maureen, staging certainly can make a difference as you have proven here. Great job, just proves less is more. The home looks terrific.
No offense to your wonderful clients, but the Staging furnishings look so much more upscale and desireable. And that kitchen looks NEW! Of course it sold so quickly!
hi Cliff ~ In your market area of the Bay Area of San Francisco, home staging truly is the norm. Hopefully the mantra that "staging works" will spread to more cities around the country. Thanks for your feedback!
hi Melissa ~ It was a very fast sale, and both the listing agent and the sellers think that staging it helped that happen. Of course, it also took motivated sellers and a listing agent who could advise them on the right price.
hi Ben ~ Thanks for the great endorsement of home staging!
hi Sherri ~ yes, the kitchen cabinets were painted and this much more cost-effective than replacing or refacing them.
hi Katie ~ Thank you! We love Before & After photos because as you said, they tell the story better than anything else.
hi Valerie ~ here are the products used on the cabinets:
Primer: Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Water Base for Interior or Exterior; Paint: Behr Ultra Semi-gloss Espresso Beans (paint and primer in one); Hardware: IKEA Vinna handles
hi Daniel ~ you hit the nail on the head! Good condition, presented/staged well, and the right price works every time -- thanks for chiming in.
hi Janet ~ the proof is in the numbers, and we track all of our staged properties. Skeptics just aren't working with the right stagers, I guess. Thanks for your continued support!
hi Kristine ~ thanks for your kind words. This project was a "team effort" and everyone (sellers, Realtor, and stager) did their part well!
hi Diana ~ they were actually easy cosmetic improvements that anyone should consider before selling in today's over-saturated market. I agree that it doesn't look like the same house, and even the sellers thought that too!
hi Kathy ~ Thanks for featuring this in the Staging Before & After Pictures group -- that is much appreciated!
hi Ginger ~ I'm happy to see that Realtors have commented here that they agree, staging works! It shows just how smart they are, too :-)
Maureen - It took 12 whole hours to sell? I'm surprised it wasn't more like 1 hour! You truly are a pro, and this is evident in your wonderful work. Sounds like everyone was motivated, which helps enormously. Congratulations on a beautiful design and a fast sale!
Maureen- Congrats on the quick sale. As always, your staging was subperb and congrats to the sellers for listening to you! My favorite is still the kitchen.
"effective marketing tool "!!!!! YeahHHHHHHHH! Maureen, have you set the record at AR? I think so! You have made all of us, House Stagers/Lifestyle Merchandisers very proud of you..... great accomplishment!
hi Sally ~ The sellers, listing agent, and I were all motivated and ready to get that home sold quickly -- and their hard work paid off!
hi Kathy ~ Thanks, I love the kitchen changes too -- especially on a budget!
hi Teri ~ Why thank you for that enthusiastic endorsement! Very kind of you to say.
Maureen.....NO Surprise!! That kitchen SOLD me!!! WOW of WOW what a hugh difference!!!
hi Kathy ~ Hey, I'm sold on the cabinet painting too! Such a quick fix -- and looks great to today's buyers. Thanks for chiming in :-)
Congrats!! It is a showcase now and no surprise at all is sold so quickly. You made it look like a model home!
hi Cathy ~ Thanks for your nice comment! Hope you're having a great weekend.
Maureen, great statistics and beautiful suggestions to the cooperative client. I knew that was an IKEA hardware on the kitchen cabinets ;-), beautiful color also and the counter tops do not look that dated with "new" cabinets
hi Anna ~ You're so right -- those tile counters now look much better since the cabinets have been painted an updated color. I love that IKEA hardware!!
What a great result - again!!! Another awesome testimonial to home staging as such effective marketing tool!!!
I love how the painted cabinets look now!!!
Congratulations Maureen!!
hi Birgit ~ Thanks for your feedback on this project ... I have to admit that it was fun to work with such motivated sellers, and to see the transformation from a rather dated home to one that was truly "move in ready."
Hi Maureen, What a tremendous endorsement for Home Staging!! I does all come together so beautifully when working with motivated sellers and agents, doesn't it. And you did give them the very most productive suggestions. What a pleasure to see your always excellent work.
hi Patricia ~ The key is having that team that works together for the same goal ... a quick sale! Thanks so much for your kind words.
hi Marianne ~ Thank you very much for your kind words. We've been swamped but enjoying it :-)
Dear Maureen,
Congratulations! Such a short selling time is a great recommendation for you!
Have a happy day -
Lynn
hi Lynn ~ Thank you!! It's true that quick sales like this reflect well in our staging statistics, which we track for all the local homes that we stage. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!
Hi Maureen, It actually looks like a different house. Got to love the outcome. It is truly remarkable that the real estate industry is still in the adoptive mode when it comes to professional home staging services when there are so many talented stagers in their areas. Although, you can look at the flip side. If every house looked this good, would we have an advantage in the marketplace over houses that were not staged?
Hi Michelle ~ I love your theory of the 'flip side' -- that if every home was staged to sell -- what would our advantage be? LOL that's one way to look at it! One day, Michelle, staging a home will be as normal a part of the real estate transaction as having an inspection.
Just a note about AR Protocol: When leaving a comment, AR Community Guidleines frown on putting a link in your comment to your own website. Quoted from the AR Community Gudelines:
"Do not advertise yourself or your services in the comment section of another members blog post"
Here is a link to a blog about this practice
For that reason, a comment left here today was deleted. Leaving comments is a great way to support our AR colleagues, but self-promotion is not what commenting is about.
Again fabulous transformation. TO be sold in that length of time is spectacular...congratulations.
In the kitchen in particular the cabinet painting was amazing. Would you know if these were just painted or was it an actual stain color?
Hi Wendy ~ Here is the answer to your question