Although it is true that listing a house vacant is not the best way to go, sometimes vacant is better than the alternative. Home staging is not always about bringing furniture in. Sometimes it is more about taking stuff out. I recently did a home staging consultation where this was the case.
What makes this job especially interesting is that the house has a large in-law apartment. The seller's parents had been living there and "hoarding" was an issue. The seller was concerned that the apartment's condition would be a problem and consulted with the Realtor she planned to list with.
The realtor said "it's not the main house - it's extra space, and it really doesn't matter." The seller was told it would not be an issue and they could empty it once the house sold. (Strike One on the part of this Realtor)
The seller, questioning this advice, wanted to consult a professional home stager before listing but the realtor did not know any stagers. (Strike Two)
The seller found Sharon Tara Transformations via an online search.
My advice regarding this space:
If you do not empty, clean, and repaint this apartment you'll be making a huge mistake. Whatever you do in the rest of the house won't matter if buyers see this....this is the memory they will take away with them. This "extra space" needs to be prepared for sale and marketed just like the rest of the house. This is a valuable asset you could use to your advantage.
The sellers were limited on funds and time and they had the rest of a large house to contend with. They did what they had to do...and they really impressed me with their determination and hard work. They called on family and friends to help them and in a very short time completed the beautiful transformation.
Professional home stagers, myself included, will usually advise against listing vacant.
- MLS photos of an empty house can't compete with photos of houses that have been staged.
- Empty rooms look smaller and have a hollow, lonely feeling.
- Negative features stand out and will be much more obvious to buyers.
- There is no frame of reference to show buyers the scale and size of the rooms.
- Vacant homes statistically stay on the market longer. This sends out a distress signal, suggesting to buyers that the sellers, having moved on, are desperate to sell. This will result in receiving lower offers.
That said, when it comes to preparing your house for sale, make a priority list and do what you can with the resources available to you at the time.
Sure, in this situation it would have been nice to bring in some furniture and to paint the oak cabinets, but the priority was to remove the distraction and highlight the woodwork and flooring.
Note: The seller decided not to list with the above mentioned Realtor.
______________________________________________________________________________
For More Information Visit My Website
Professional Home Staging services for the New Hampshire Seacoast
Portsmouth Rye Greenland North Hampton Dover Rochester Somersworth
603.661.8524
Sharon, No doubt this home looks better empty than busting at the seems...to me it appears bigger without all the stuff people accumulate over time (they stop noticing the clutter).
Hi Sharon ~ I love your post and how you laid out the progress of this story. Your ending line SAYS IT ALL. Realtors who don't embrace staging are living in the last century -- and the ones in my area who are selling their listings in <30 days are all recommending staging ... guess why ... it works!
It does look like they were able to through up a new coat of paint (light blue?) which is beautiful. It's sad they they didn't have the funds to see it all the way through to Staging, but your RIGHT: vacant WAS better than the alternative!
Way better! Doesn't even look like the same room. So glad they listened to you. Thanks for sharing this story with us.
Sharon- what a well written post. I love the point you made. The end result of every staged home does not have to look like a model home. What's important is that the end product gives the buyer a better impression and view than he otherwise would have had. Without all of the clutter, the room looks great!
Sharon - fantastic post with very valid points. I'm so glad your clients questioned the advice of the realtor and found you. Its so obvious from your before and after pictures that even vacant, the transformation is amazing.
Its frustrating to hear the original realtor's viewpoint how to present the home - and then the fact that he/she didn't know of a stager to recommend when prompted. Maureen is right, realtors who aren't making home staging part of their services are not going to be able to compete with other realtors who are savvy enough to offer it - and will lose design savvy clients who know how essential it is to the selling process!
Well, there is no question Sharon. If they were unable to stage - showing vacant in this particular home was the way to go. Excellent advice as always.
Great topic, great example of prioritizing.
The realtor called an in-law apartment 'extra space that does not matter'?? Oh golly, I am glad this story had a happy ending.
Hi, Sharon. All that clutter gave me a headache...you are so right to insist that it was an impression that the buyers would take away and that ALL SPACE MATTERS. It looks so "ready" in your "vacant" photos, much easier to imagine the space with the buyers' own stuff!
There are so many realtors who ought to be in a different profession! To me, the "happy ending" is that she wasn't rewarded with the listing!
Sharon, In this instance, vacant is so the way to go. I'm sure before this room was cleared out, potential buyers would have referred to this house as the one with the messy in-law suite and quickly moved on to the next house to buy. Now the room looks spacious and serene, not chaotic and scary like before!
Vacant is the way I prefer to go. By far. Easier to show, no sellers wanting to be there, and no clutter.
Sharon, Great Post! At least now you can see the space!
Way to make a difference! There is no question that you increased the value of this home and gave it at least a fighting chance. It is amazing what clean up and a fresh coat of paint can do. Keep us posted.
I went to write a comment here and I decided I am going to use this for a reblog. This is a really great post and I am still stunned over the Realtor's comments and lack of stagers in their address book. It really does look better vacant but staged this space would have looked fantastic. Such a shame....
Steve: The rest of the house was not in this condition. It is a very nice home and should show really well. You are right about it looking bigger...the seller was so relieved when it was finally empty.
Maureen: Thank you! I was very surprised to hear that the Realtor recommended leaving it as it was. I really like the homeowner, she was wonderful to work with and she was very appreciative of the advice and help in preparing her home.
Connie: Yes, all fresh paint - walls and trim. The color is a sage green, it was chosen to compliment the wall color in the main part of the home.
Lori: Thanks! I'm glad they listened and the seller is especially glad she took the advice. She knew it had to be done and it just didn't make sense to her to delay doing it...smart lady!
Kathy: Excellent way to explain it: "the end product gives the buyer a better impression and view than he otherwise would have had." Thanks so much!
Heather: It was surprising to me when I heard the history. There were a couple of other things that the realtor said that just didn't seem right to the seller. I was able to refer a Realtor in her town that she is very happy to have listed with.
Michele: Thank you, I appreciate it. This was a very stressful situation and I don't feel it necessary to go into detail but the sellers were under time and money restraints and great emotional stress. I was very proud of them at getting to this point.
Nancy: It's just a good thing that this seller is as sharp as she is. It's a beautiful home with really nice features and custom woodwork. I'm so happy that the positive features will now be appreciated and take center stage.
Leslie: It was quite a sight to see in person! The mother (who lived in the apartment) took most of the stuff with her when she left. She just couldn't part with it. I've only seen this on TV, never in person before. It was such a relief to return and see it empty.
Sally: That is what I told the seller. People will remember this house as the "hoarder" house. And the rest of the home is so beautiful, it would have been such a big mistake.
Leslie: As stated above, most stagers would disagree with you and say that the house will show better nicely furnished. But, every home is different and there are special circumstances. I believe there is no "one" right way. I understand your preference because it can be easier. Certainly, in this particular case this was the way to go without a doubt.
Janice: It was such a shame to hide that gorgeous trim and those beautiful windows!
Sheila: I plan to do another post with some before and after photos from the main part of the house. I will keep you posted!
Debra: I would have loved to have fully staged the space. Without getting into the personal circumstances of this seller, this was the best we could do. I was very pleased that this much was accomlished.
Sharon....your advice was spot on!! What a difference and yes it would be nice to stage it but HUGH improvement getting all the STUFF out!
Empty is not the best-but if you can't see it you can't sell it!! Great post and you gave them wonderful advise Sharon.
Kathy: We did what we could. I can't imagine listing it with all that stuff there.
Cathy: Good way to put it! And buyers would not have seen the positive features.
Great post Sharon. Sometimes vacant is better than the alternative. You gave these sellers great advice and probably put a lot of extra $$$'s in the pocket.
Enjoyed your post, Sharon. Great advice to the owners. In this case vacant is better. Glad they got another realtor.
Enjoyed your post, Sharon. Great advice to the owners. In this case vacant is better. Glad they got another realtor.
Wanda: Thank you. They were such a joy to work with too. I wish all my clients were this willing to work on the preparation of their home.
Linda: I'm glad you enjoyed it. It became obvious from the beginning that this Realtor was not right for this listing. I was very proud of the seller for recognizing it and taking things into her own hands.
Hi Sharon,
What good advice you gave that seller. Staging isn't about getting it perfect every time. Often it's about getting the best result you can, given the budget and cooperation of the seller. Not having the Realtor on board is a huge obstacle.
Sharon it does look SO much better without all the stuff. What a huge improvement. We can see it from the "after" photos and I'm sure buyers will respond to all that fabulous space!
Too bad the Realtor was not on board, but you've proved it can still get done. Nice work!
Wow! It looks so small with all the stuff. What a transformation. Just think of what a little staging would have done! Amazing!
Sharon - Thanks for writing this post. I too agree most houses look better staged, but sometimes, especially if folks are hoarders, it just all needs to go! Bill Gassett and I were just talking about this today. No, really, *I* was talking about it and he patiently listened, lol.
Sharon,
I totally agree that it is much more important to have a vacant, freshly painted room with gleaming floors than a dingy room filled with clutter and/or dated furniture. And sometimes, that is the best advice we can give our clients! The room looks wonderful and any Buyer can see that in the after pictures.
Marianne
Susan: Thank you. The seller was very cooperative and the Realtor she listed with takes her business very seriously. I'm very happy with the results.
Tessa: It is a fabulous space that I'm sure will be very attractive to buyers. Having the right Realtor is so important, and crucial to a successful sale.
Irene: The rest of the house is furnished, and this bonus space should show well unfurnished because the space is clearly defined and furniture placement is not difficult to imagine. The features of the space are what's important here.
Jackie: Always nice to have someone to patiently listen when we have something to get off our chest! You were lucky to have Bill as your listener!
Marianne: Well said! Thanks!
Sharon- Great Post! You articulated so well what I believe a stager's role should be even when the resources aren't there. It's true, that most stagers would not recommend showing a vacant room, but if budget doesn't allow for a full staging, then we work with what our sellers can do and can afford. Bravo to you for helping these sellers out, I'm sure they are beyond grateful for what you did for them. It's stagers like you who set high standards for our profession, keep up the great work.
I definately agree with your assessment here! If budget was an issue and they could not just pare things down, then removing it all was a better option. At least buyers can now see what they are actually buying...
Oh man...I just returned from a home that looks maybe a bit worse than your example! I am going to use your quote: "Whatever you do in the rest of the house won't matter if buyers see this...."
Then again, maybe I should just repeat the entire post!
Emma: Thank you so much! They were very grateful and I was so pleased to work with them. I wish all my clients were just like them!
Melissa: Exactly - they can now see the beautiful molding and the view out the windows. They can appreciate the rooms as being move-in ready! Thanks!
Russell: It is amazing how many like this are out there! By all means quote away...send them the post...do whatever you have to do to get them to understand how important the "perceived value" of the house is. Best of luck!
Oh the chaos Sharon! I'm so glad the seller found YOU as they are very fortunate that you prioritized what HAD to happen based on their budget.
Sharon, A similar situation happen with one of my clients too. With one twist, after I did consult with 2 home stagers everyone agreed the clutter, furniture and eclectic collections had to go. That house was also cleared out and it is now under contract.
Great job. The before photos look like most of my estates before I tackle them
I just watched Hoarding on TLC last night and - after looking at your before and after pictures above - it makes me want to clean out and stage my house...and I'm not even selling!
Interesting, even the 'before' photos look smaller than the 'after'...amazing how so much schtuff can shrink the size of a room. Agreed with many above, in this case it was much better to go with an empty house than the cluttered house. Although....what would a minimal amount of staging cost them?
Debra: The seller's gut was telling her it had to be done. She just needed the validation and direction. I am so glad I was able to help her!
Mary: It was smart to get the stagers involved. Congrats on the successful sale!
Virginia: This is not a unique situation! I'm sure every stager has similar "before" photos to show.
Jan: Seeing the results does inspire us to tackle our own disorganization! As for this situation, it wasn't just cost. There were many issues involved in this decision and it was decided this was really the only way to go.
Sharon, you are right about seeing it empty. I think it is much easier to view the home with nothing in it.
CAN'T believe I just wrote that. Way too much going on in there, even as a stager it was hard to see past some of the stuff especially in the kitchen.
Liz: It is true that "vacant" would not be a stager's first choice. However, in this situation, I was grateful for vacant!