Home Staging in Portland Oregon Blog

Most Buyers Can't "See" your Home's Best Features when it's Vacant  

This Portland Home was on the Market for 7 Months ~ Then Staged & Sold in 1 Week!

When your home or listing is on the market, remember that a vacant home (no matter how nice it is) doesn't include an important ingredient ("emotion") from the buyer's point of view.  Here's a good example ... a beautiful new home in Portland was on the market from May through December 2011 without a sale.  It was Vacant, and buyers just didn't "connect" with this lovely upscale home, even though it had multiple price reductions.

The sellers then contacted our Portland home staging company and within 7 days of staging, it was under contract!

Since this happens time and time again, we know that staging enables buyers to imagine living in the home.  A well-staged home does the following:

• Clearly defines each room's function 

• Has a good traffic flow from one room to the next

• Properly highlights each room's focal point
  

• Showcases the home's best features so that Buyers can "see" what living there would be like

• Allows Buyers to connect with the home on an emotional level

We're delighted that this home sold so quickly after staging (as are the sellers).  Here are some Before & After photos that we think illustrate why home staging is such an effective marketing tool.

The dining room is a spacious, light-filled room ...

But once staged, it becomes a place to entertain family & friends

The kitchen is very large, but when empty felt cold ...

Staging gave buyers a chance to see themselves cooking here

Buyers may miss all the great room's features

Staging draws attention to the fireplace, the built-ins, and the high ceilings

The wood-panelled den is nice "before" ...

but Staging helps it come to life when buyers can "see" its function

The master bedroom is cold "before"

But warms up with staging that shows buyers this room is a peaceful retreat

Even the bathroom looks boring "before"

But staging highlights its spa appeal

Remember that most buyers need to "see" the possibilities in the homes they view, both online and in person.  A vacant house leaves nothing to the imagination ... increase the chances for a quicker sale, as these sellers did, by using home staging as a cost-effective marketing tool.

~ Staging and Photos by Room Solutions Staging LLC, Portland Oregon ~

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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 customer 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 restyling service.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.    

Portland-area Sellers ~ Don't Wait to Stage your Home!  The best offers usually come in the first couple of weeks.  Waiting to "see how it goes" before properly preparing your home for selling will lengthen market time and cost you lost opportunities when buyers are disappointed that your property isn't "move-in ready."  We can help!

For a cost-effective home staging consultation contact Room Solutions Staging.  Our average Days on Market for the year 2011 was just 29 Days -- compared to the Portland average of 140 Days.

Smart Banks in Portland OR are Staging Foreclosed Homes!

A few years ago, some mortgage loans were easy to obtain ...

... but eventually many of the loans defaulted, drastically changing the real estate market.

Many banks were left with homes that they had to sell.  Typically, these homes sat on the market for months and many of them looked neglected and weren't appealing to buyers.

However, a few smart banks in Portland Oregon realized that by cleaning up these homes, staging them and listing them with realistic prices ~ they'd have a much better chance of selling.  By selling these foreclosed homes more quickly, neighborhood values have been preserved as much as possible, and lucky buyers have snapped up bargains.

Our Portland home staging company has staged many foreclosed properties.  Most of them had lingered on the market as new or nearly new construction for up to four years.  Eventually, the bank took them back and then realized that staging would make them irresistible to buyers ~ and they were right! Here are a few examples of the foreclosed Portland-area homes that we've had the privilege to stage ...

This Portland house was on the market for 2+years as a vacant; then staged & sold in a couple of months:

 This Lake Oswego OR property was on the market for 4 years! After staging, it sold in 90 days:

This foreclosure in Beaverton OR was on the market for 2+years & sold 6 weeks after staging: This Tigard OR foreclosure was on the market for nearly 3 years; after staging, it sold in 3 months:

And this West Linn, Oregon foreclosure sold in just 15 days!

These are just a few examples of the foreclosed homes that smart Portland-area banks have staged.  Everyone in the transaction wins when foreclosed homes are staged to be as appealing as possible to potential buyers and sell faster as a result!

Related Posts:

The Bank Hired Us to Stage this Foreclosed Home ~ and Guess What else they Did?

Bank-owned New Home on Cooper Mountain  in Beaverton Oregon

Staging Foreclosure House #4

Lake Oswego Bank-Owned Home on the Market for 18 months ~ then Staged & Sold in 38 Days

Tualatin OR REO Property on the market for 2 years, then Sells in one Month

An Oregon Bank Believes in Staging their Foreclosed Properties

West Linn REO Property Sells in 15 Days

Wilsonville Property is Staged & Sold after 3 years on the Market

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For more information on staging foreclosed homes in the Portland OR area, contact Room Solutions Staging @ 503-246-1800.  Our home staging services help Portland homeowners, banks, builders, investors and Realtors by staging each property for its target buyer.  Days On Market for our staged properties is just 29 Days, compared to the Portland average of over 140 Days!  Call or email us for a free home staging proposal.

Anatomy of a Home Staging: from Lived In - to Vacant - to Staged & SOLD

 ~ Portland Oregon home undergoes a staging transformation ~

UPDATE:  this home went under contract in just 8 days!

People sometimes ask if they should stage their home after they move out, wondering if it would look bigger when it's vacant.  We believe the answer lies in the photos that show a home lived in, then vacant after the family moved out, and finally when staged by our Portland OR home staging company.

When we live in our homes, we make the spaces work for us, but when it's time to sell, we have to think like a buyer.  Today's buyers want an open space where they can imagine entertaining their family and friends, a space that feels inviting.

Here's an example of a home that we staged recently, showing all three phases (lived in - vacant - staged)

In the living room: Defining the room's function & adding art to highlight the home's best features adds to its appeal & opens up the space

In the family room: Clearly defining the focal point & highlighting the fireplace gives balance & proper flow

In the office: lightening the paint color and removing excess furniture really opens up this space

In the master bedroom: exposing the hardwood floors, opening blinds & adding light makes the room feel more open

If you're selling your home, make it easy on yourself:  Consult with a professional home stager on the best way to present your home to today's buyers for a faster sale!  This home was sold just 8 Days after staging and listing ... in the month of December!!

~ Staging and Photos by Room Solutions Staging ~

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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 customer 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 restyling service.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.

2440 NE 154th Pl, Portland OR 97230 ~ 6 months on the market, then Staged & SOLD!

Once staged, this home sold in just one month!

3 Bedrooms/ 2 Baths + 1,536 sq ft on one level

On a Cul-de-sac with large covered patio

For more information,  contact Diane Mealey @ John L. Scott Real Estate @ 503-380-1861

~ Staging and Photos by Room Solutions Staging LLC ~

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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 customer 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 restyling service.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.

Tip for Sellers: Dark Cluttered Office Transformed with Paint & Staging Help

This is one of the rooms in a Portland OR home we staged last week ... but the transformation is quite dramatic!  Not only that, it was quick and easy, too ~ something anyone could do before putting your home on the market.

The main floor bedroom was being used by the sellers as a home office -- perfect use for the space.  It was painted about 8 years ago when dark red was a very popular color.  It was also overstuffed with furniture, making the space look much smaller than it really was.

Here's how the office looked BEFORE

We recommended a lighter paint color to brighten up the room, and removal of the existing furniture.  We then staged it lightly, letting buyers see the function of this space as an office.

And here's how it looked AFTER 

For a minimal investment, buyers don't have to "see past" a dark, cave-like room to imagine how they might use it.  EASY!

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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 customer 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 restyling service.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.

~ Staging and Photos by Room Solutions Staging LLC ~

 Portland Home Staging:  Staged & Sold in 3 Days for Over Asking Price!

Our Portland OR home staging company was recently selected to stage a newly-remodeled vacant home in a great Portland neighborhood.  In this 1954-era home, the seller highlighted it's mid-century features while adding all of the conveniences that today's buyers are seeking.  This home was listed on a Thursday, and by the weekend had 3 competing offers and SOLD for over asking price!

As always, when staging this home our goal was to make sure it appealed to the target buyers so we used lifestyle staging techniques that we've fine-tuned over years of experience.  Here are some Before & After photos of this Portland home staging project:

The living room has beautiful oak floors  

and an original 1954 fireplace

The all-new IKEA kitchen was fun to stage!

A 1954 light fixture & it's original "Edison" bulb!

The lower level includes a large Family Room 

and an equally-spacious Media Room

Our client for this project in a smart investor who uses our company for all of his newly-remodeled homes ~ he says that our staging always helps them to sell faster. The 3 homes we've staged for him this year have averaged just 10 Days on the Market!

Related Post:  Guess What the Sellers Wrote into their Contract for this Portland Home?

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Maureen Bray is a professional home staging expert based in Portland, Oregon who serves as a Moderator of the 'Stage It Forward' and 'Real World Home Staging for Newbies' forums on Active Rain and writes posts helpful to homeowners, real estate professionals, and other home stagers.  Maureen's staging and design work has been featured on HGTV's show 'My First Place,' on AM Northwest and KATU News, and in The Oregonian, Portland Monthly, Personal Real Estate Investor, and Angie's List Magazine. Maureen was awarded the Super Service Award by Angie's List in both 2011 and 2010, and was voted by her peers throughout North America as a Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year for 2012 and 2011.

Home Stagers' Secret Weapon for Furniture Touch Ups!

Don't you just hate it when you find scratches, dings or scuffs on furniture, cabinets, lamps, frames, & other household items?  Here's an easy-to-use product that works on wood surfaces.  It covers scratches, dings, worn-off finishes, etc. 

There's a professional home stager's SECRET WEAPON to cover up those flaws in items that don't really need full refinishing, just a small fix.  Just match the color you need (blend two colors if needed for just the right look).

• Fills in scratches, scuffs or damaged areas on furniture, kitchen or bathroom cabinets & even touches up small scuffs on wood floors. 

• 6 colors to match any wood tone: Maple, Oak, Cherry, Walnut, Mahogany & Espresso 
  

What is this miracle product?  It's something I keep in my tool kit at all times (along with Black Sharpies for other surfaces):

REJUVENATE Repair Markers

You can find them at big box stores & online for less than $10 for the package

Give them a try -- you'll love the results!

Watch this YouTube video about them

Maureen Bray is a Portland OR home staging expert who shares staging advice with homeowners and real estate professionals.  For more information on our home staging services visit us @ www.RoomSolutions.com or call us for a free staging proposal @ 503-246-1800.                                                                                              

Portland Home Stager Receives Angie's List Super Service Award for 2011

Room Solutions Staging LLC Earns Coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award

Award reflects businesses' consistently high level of customer service

Room Solutions Staging of Portland OR has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on only 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service providers.

When notified of the award, company owner Maureen Bray said “we’re delighted to have earned Angie’s List Super Service Award for 2011 as we did in 2010 because it means that our clients have rated our home staging services consistently high.  Nothing makes us happier than providing the best possible service to our home staging clients in the Portland Oregon metro area.”

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Room Solutions Staging can claim Super Service Award status for two years in a row speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, and members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to business names in search results on AngiesList.com.

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Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 2million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service.

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Guess What the Buyers Wrote into their Contract for this Portland Home?

Our Portland home staging company recently completed staging a beautifully-remodeled vacant home in a great neighborhood.  When it had been on the market for only 3 days, a bidding war began ~ the final selling price was well over asking price (with very happy sellers :-)

My client, the seller, let me know that the buyers had written into the contract "sale to include flatscreen plasma TV in media room."  

He responded to the buyers' agent, "I'll ask my stager, but I'm afraid they'll be disappointed in its performance ..."

Why, you ask?  Take a look ....

It's only a plastic prop TV!  Sorry about that!! 

Related Post:  Portland Home Staging:  Staged & Sold in 3 Days for Over Asking Price!

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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 customer 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 restyling  service.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.