In today's challenging real estate market, it's nice to be able to share some GOOD NEWS!
This lovely vintage 1925 home was listed on January 12th and had an accepted offer by January 24th! Prior to listing, the sellers contacted Room Solutions Staging in Portland OR for advice on preparing their home for sale, and we provided them with a list of recommendations that were easy, quick, and inexpensive. When we returned to stage this charming home, we staged three bedrooms with layouts that might have been considered "challenging" by potential buyers. Here's some Before & After photos of what we did to prepare this home for a quick sale ...
This main floor bedroom was being used as an office, but in order for potential buyers to "see" it as a bedroom, it needed some simple staging ...
A spacious upstairs bedroom was shown as a storage area, so we staged it as a Master or Guest Bedroom using a few of the owners' pieces and adding some of our own accessories and smaller items ...
In the converted attic, there was another space that may have been confusing to a buyer, but we saw it as a Child's Bedroom & Play area ....
Sellers & Realtors ~ Remember to contact your local home staging professional for a cost-effective Consultation before listing your property ... it WILL make a difference in how buyers perceive your home! You'll find talented & experienced home staging professionals to partner with right here on A/R.
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Maureen Bray of Room Solutions Staging in Portland OR partners with homeowners and Realtors with home staging tips and techniques to reduce market time and maximize equity. For a free staging proposal, call us at 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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Maureen, gorgeous property and you've done a wonderful job staging it. I love the child's bedroom. Congratulations on the quick sale, I'm sure the owners and agent are very pleased.
I always use a stager for all of my listings. It makes such a difference. I work with my stager, we have a great relationship.
What a great looking home, you did a great job to focus on some terrific features.
A charming vintage home that you staged perfectly. It just goes to show that a well prepared home that has been staged and priced well will attract buyers even in this challenging market. Congratulations!
Debbie ~ It is a beautiful home, and the sellers are so happy with the quick sale. Thank you for stopping by.
Audrey ~ You are a smart and savvy Realtor to use a professional stager on all your listings!
Leslie ~ Thanks very much for your feedback, it was a fun staging project.
Kathy ~ We know it works and the challenge is educating the public about how staging will benefit them. Thanks for your good wishes!
Maureen - we also believe in the value of home staging. Home sellers who listen to our advice to use a home stager usually thank us later.
Fran & Rowena ~ I'm sure your clients appreciate your excellent advice -- staging works to everyone's benefit!
Maureen, I really miss the charm of the homes in the Portland area and as usual you did another outstanding job. How many square ft. in this house. The rooms all appeared quite large. Any child would LOVE the room you created!
It's also nice to hear so many comments from agents. Bravo!
Ginger ~ This home is 3500 sq ft, you're right the rooms are all spacious. We felt that little built-in bed was too cute to ignore! And it's wonderful that agents are popping by with such positive comments about staging -- yay!!
(P.S. Are you writing this from your Heavenly Hawaiian Hideaway by any chance? I'll bet it's a lot warmer there than here in cold & snowy Portland!)
Maureen ~ Great job! It was good to talk to you today and now to see the pics. Really great success story. Homes are still selling!!!
Maureen - Beautiful job! Congrats on the fast sale!
I remember these fabulous before/after shots Maureen. 12 Days! That is Wonderful - Congrats!
Maureen ~ That is fantastic! Congratulations! Obviously, what you did to those rooms (especially what could have been confusing to buyers) really stands out.
Maureen! Congrats on a job well done! I am in LOVE with this house. What cool and interesting features. My kids would love that attic play room. The staging is amazing...no wonder it sold so fast!
Maureen - Wow. Congrats! I'm not surprised tho. The difference in the before and after is amazing.
Congratulations. Your post is being featured in the group Staging Before & After Pictures.
Kathy
Wow, congratulations. The house looks stunning. You did a great job.
David ~ Yes, homes that are priced right, in good condition and staged to appeal to the target buyer are selling quickly, even in this market! Thanks for your feedback.
Wanda ~ It's nice to be able to share some good news!
Michele ~ The sellers and their agent were happy with such a quick sale.
Kathy P. ~ Thanks. The owners did a great job getting the rest of the house ready for the market, and then staging the bedrooms was the final finishing touch.
Teresa ~ The angles, nooks and crannies in this home make it absolutely charming. Thank you for your kind comment.
Kathy N. ~ Many thanks for the feature.
Chrissie ~ Working on such an interesting home made staging it a pleasure.
Maureen -- How wonderful to get such incredible results -- not just an offer but back up offers as well! I'm sure the sellers are impressed and giving your work the credit! I hear another great testimonial coming!
Margaret ~ A quick sale makes for happy sellers, but also makes us feel that we contributed in some way, it's true. Thank you for commenting (especially while on vacation!)
Congratulations, Maureen on contriburing to a very successful sale! You're helping to educate the public on the real benefits of staging, and I'm sure you're attracting more projects like this to your business. Very cool!
Leslie ~ Thanks, we all need to continue to educate the public that staging works to benefit the seller and their agent.
Hi Maureen,
I agree with the concept of staging and I have a knack for it although I am a Realtor and not an "official" stager. I offer my services to my clients who cannot or will not hire a stager. It takes more than a flyer to get a home sold these days so if a Realtor does a bit of the 'elbow grease' work, they might actually get the home sold and make their clients happy!
Those are fantastic differences Maureen. Great pics!
Nice work - that was a gorgeous home after you were done.
Beautiful home Maureen. Great job.
Sue ~ Your clients are lucky that you have a knack for staging and can help present the home at its very best. You're so right, there's a lot more to selling a home these days besides printing a flyer! Thanks for stopping by.
John ~ I'm glad you approve of the transformation ... thank you.
Kathleen ~ As you well know, every home can use a little staging help!
Gabe ~ Thanks, your feedback is appreciated.
Dear Maureen,
Great classic example of what staging can do. HUGE difference! I wish I could convince all my sellers that staging is such a good investment. Congratulations on doing the right thing so well!
Scott Haigh, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Scott ~ Thank you for your kind comment. Keep educating your clients on what staging can do to benefit them ... use Before & After photos, etc. It really doesn't cost as much as some people think.
Fantastic photos, it is no wonder it sold so much more quickly!! Great job!
Thanks Melissa ... we all need to hear more good news like quick sales don't we?
Hi Maureen, Those pictures look great. I have a question for you. Do you have additional insurance to cover you when you do staging?If so where did you purchase and what is the cost of the premiumum if I might ask. I have just obtained my staging designation and was concerned about this aspect. Thanks so much for your help.
Carol Ann Doucette, CRS,GRI,Broker
Re/Max By the Bay
Portland Maine
Carol Ann ~ Yes, insurance is very important for both liability issues as well as covering the staging inventory. I have an excellent policy with Neace Lukens (brokers who provide coverage with companies like Great American Insurance) for about $500/yr. It's a $2Million policy for liability and is very inclusive. Shop around and be sure to go with a company that's familiar with the staging business ... otherwise you'll run into problems if you need to file a claim. If you need more info please contact me by email.
Thanks for your reply Maureen. I have a quote for $420 per year which would list me as an interior decorator. It would seem that if enough of us are out there someone could create a group policy that was much more affordable.
Carol Ann Doucette, GRI,CRS,Broker
Re/Max By the Bay
Portland Maine
Good for you! Staging works, wish more people would get with the program. All those HGTV shows, show U G L Y homes that won't sell. Sellers just don't get it and more agents need the help.
Maureen, the outside of this house is so awesome, and what you did inside just completed the picture. As you already know, staging is often about solving problems, such as bringing into focus confusing rooms, small spaces, or even overly large rooms! As always, you did an amazing job. They had the house, you brought the charm. Your clients must love you!
Lyn ~ Let's hope that with continued exposure, more sellers and agents will realize the powerful benefits of staging. Even HGTV has helped get the word out -- but we're sometimes frustrated that they often don't represent the true cost of staging (not mentioning the cost of labor, quoting materials only). Thanks for your valuable feedback.
Peg ~ This house has so much curb appeal it's amazing, yes! The fact that a few rooms had an awkward layout might have prevented potential buyers from seeing the possibilities. The staging was able to overcome those obstacles. We love what we do!
I love the cubby hole makeover in to a bed. And the colors you used were awesome. Great Job!
Dee Dee ~ Thank you for your enthusiastic compliment ... we loved working on this home and adding some fun colors to the child's area!
Maureen, you have produced an excellent example of what staging can do for a property. Those before pictures speak so very loudly to the problem buyers face in an unstaged home. What in the world would I do with THIS room? You really spoke to these questions masterfully. Fabulous job!!
Patricia ~ showing potential buyers the intended purpose of a room (or an alternative one, in some cases) can make the difference between them walking away or making an offer. Thank you for your kind remarks!
beautiful work Maureen. I see you took my spot again! :-) And I love your header!
Karen ~ Thanks for your compliment on my new header. My web person & I are still "tweaking" it. (By the way, you'll be reclaiming your "spot" in no time at all! :-)
Great job. I would have bought it too!
Maureen,
Great Staging! I am doing a presentation for a group of Realtors soon. If you don't mind, I plan to relate your experience to show them the benefits of home staging. As well as the value of Active Rain!
Love to hear such good news on staging & selling!
Sincerely,
Holly
Kelsey ~ I'm glad you liked it!
Holly ~ By all means, please feel free to share this story with your colleagues as well as your sellers. Realtors need to hear this good news more often, and I applaud you for recognizing the value that home staging can bring to your business.
12 days! That is great and unheard of in my market area. Way to go! Thanks for commenting on my blog yesterday!
Cindy ~ It was a very quick sale for our area too ... but easy to see why. The home is just loaded with charm! Thanks for stopping by.
Maureen,
I was sold by the photo of the outside! Lovely.
Mike in Tucson
Thanks Mike. This home has curb appeal in spades ... and is referred to as the "perfect house" in its neighborhood. Thanks for your feedback.