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Frequently asked questions
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Why should I use iStage & Organize?
At iStage & Organize, we work with people who don’t know where to start when it comes to improving their home’s appeal. We offer simple, effortless and affordable solutions that make homes look and function well, and also help protect and retain their value. After all, your house is often your biggest financial investment.
Our clients often tell us how our services have dramatically transformed their spaces and lives, and that they appreciate our friendliness, empathy and attention to detail in guiding them during challenging times.
Over the years, we have proven that a well-prepared house often sells faster and garners top dollar, simply by standing out from the competition. As a professionally trained and practicing marketer with more than 20 years’ experience, I understand the art and power of persuasion marketing and its influence on purchase behaviour. At iStage & Organize, we combine these marketing skills with an eye for design to help individuals and families improve their homes, whether for themselves or potential buyers. Our award winning home staging service helps buyers fall in love with properties for sale.
Our philosophy is about creating an experience and exceptional customer service and to help you sell your home quickly and at top dollars so that you may move onto the next adventure in your life.
To learn more about my background, read
About Me
.
Home staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Staging techniques focus on improving a property’s appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that any buyer might want.
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for a free estimate.
Source: Wikipedia
What is home staging?
How much will staging cost?
Home staging is an investment. The cost of staging varies by scope of work and size of the property. If you have the resources, time and know how to stage your house, then a consultation may be the only service you need. A consultation with a written action plan starts at $275. Full-service staging is highly dependent on the size of the property and how much furniture and accessories will be required.
For a free estimate,
contact me.
What is a consultation?
A home staging consultation is a comprehensive process where we offer you a room by room assessment of your entire home to help you get it show-ready and, hopefully, get top dollar for the sale. We know that it can be overwhelming to hear the long list of action items. For this reason, we provide you with a written report so that you don't have to remember what you need to do. The report allows you to fully absorb the recommendations and then start to tackle the list room by room.
It is important to remember that the more you do, the better your house will show in order to attract the right buyers.
A consultation with a written action plan starts at $275.
To learn more about the value of a good consultation, read
my blog.
Do I really need to stage my home to sell?
The success of any product requires it to be properly merchandised and marketed. A house is a product that requires it to be merchandised and marketed no different than a hamburger, or a car or a boat. These days, home staging is necessary for a successful sale because only 10% of buyers can visualize a house’s potential for themselves when it is not properly staged. The purpose of home staging is to accentuate the positives of the house and minimizes the negative aspects of the house to help more buyers see themselves living there.
Research have shown that buyers view professionally staged listings as "well-maintained.” Professionally staged listings also "STAND-OUT" in prospective buyers' minds. Staged properties will sell faster when compared with un-staged houses.
From the date of listing until the day that an offer ‘firms’ up, home staging shortens this time frame, even in a slow real estate market.
For more reasons on why home staging is necessary, read
my blog
.
You can absolutely attempt to stage your house yourself but it may not give you the desired result you’re looking for. This is because you have an emotional connection to your house and the things in it. It is difficult to be subjective with your own personal belongings.
How people live is not how they should sell their house. Buyers will not have the same appreciation for the colours and furnishings you so lovingly selected and the effort you put into placing your furniture to best suit your family.
To schedule a consultation,
contact me
.
Can I stage my home myself?
Will my home sell regardless if it’s staged or not?
Yes you can sell a property that’s not staged, but the decision to do so may come at a cost. There’s a buyer out there for every property if the price is right, but it may take longer and you may not be able to get the price that you’re after.
Realtors often recommend a price reduction of 2% for every 2 weeks that a property is not sold. For example, if a property is priced at $500,000. A 2% reduction means $10,000. If it doesn’t sell then, another 2% is recommended which equates to another $9,800 bringing the total reduction to $19,800 after 4 weeks of being on the market. Your staging investment will be significantly less than that of the first price reduction.
For more reasons on why home staging is necessary, read
my blog
.
Is it not my real estate agent’s job to get my home ready to sell?
No, your real estate agent’s job is to bring buyers to your door. They will market it, offer professional advice on pricing and help you negotiate the sell price you’re after. Their expertise lie in understanding the nuances of the real estate marketplace and their ability negotiate on your behalf.
Once they bring the buyers to your door, it is the home stager’s job to make the home appeal to those buyers. Our expertise is in understanding the psychology of the buyers and the emotional influences affecting their buying decision. We help them see themselves living and making memories there.
To learn more about what we do to help sell your home, read more
About Me
.
Will I recover my staging investment
when my home sells?
Absolutely! Not only will you be able to recover your investment, according to the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) home staging can help to reduce a property’s listing time on the market by 30% - 50% and could deliver a better price than a vacant house or a house that is not properly staged. Your house is likely your greatest financial investment. It may be more worthwhile to consider “can I afford not to stage?”
For a free estimate,
contact me
.
How long does it normally take to get a house ready for the market?
If you are well prepared, then you should take matters your own hands and get your house ready before placing it on the market. First impression is matters and you want to appeal to the very first buyer who walks through your front door.
Preparing your house for the marketplace is highly dependent on the condition of your house. If it has been a while since you’ve made any changes to your house or if there are a lot of clutter to be cleared out, it may take you longer.
I recommend to my clients to plan 4 weeks in advance to address any and all issues in your house.
For a more detailed plan to get your home ready in 4 weeks, read my 4-part “If you fail to prepare”
blog
.
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