Frequently Asked Questions about Home Staging | Home Staging services provided in San Francisco bay area, based in San Mateo County

Yes, the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market has been very competitive. A staged home will increase the curb appeal and help potential buyers to mentally move in to your home. It also slows down the buyers during the touring process and helps them to remember the listing. More importantly, the internet has done wonders to the real estate industry by shifting the marketing plan to something that is more internet-friendly. The buying habits of the buyers also have changed drastically. NAR’s (National Association of Realtors) new statistics said that now 80% of buyers shop online first before actually seeing a home. A staged home photographs better than a vacant one or a non-staged, lived-in home because it’s more edited and styled professionally to appeal to a broader range of buyers and to showcase the pluses and spatial relations of the listings through the photograph. So staging will help to move buyers to the open houses and increase foot traffic. A staged home also sells faster in any market, whether hot or cold. For example:

The average days on market (DOM) in San Francisco bay area is about 62 days. A Staged4more staged home DOM is 31 days. That is the difference of a month worth of mortgage payments, glossy ads, storage expenses, and stress for not selling the house.

Staging is a great investment for sellers who are looking to sell quicker and for top dollar.

Can you explain what staging is and if and how it can vary based on home, condition, etc?

Staging is styling the home to appeal to a broader ranger of buyers that will help to sell the listings faster and for more money. When I style a home for sell, I usually take account the following conditions: who are the target buyers? What kind of a neighborhood is this? What is the price range that the potential buyers are looking at? What is the seller’s budget? And how much staging is needed? Every home is unique so every staging job is different. I try to tailor and accommodate to sellers’ budgets and needs every time I go on a job. I will do as little or as much as the sellers would like.

My home is unique and special. I do not want to spend a dime to improve marketability of my home because there is no other home like it in this area. I don’t feel compelled to put money into changes.

In San Francisco bay area, the housing market is competitive. As a seller, you should invest on things that can help to sell your home quicker and that can compete with other listings on the market. Staging is really a marketing tool and a sound investment. You want to be the listing that everyone wants to buy, not the one everyone is using as the comp to sell the other house. Additionally, styling the home will help to add visual interests and invoke emotions that will trigger buyers to make an offer. Buying a home is an emotional process and you want to appeal to those emotions as well. There is a visual example that I often use with clients. Picture a crisp and clean $1 bill and then picture a wrinkle, dirty $1 bill. Now, both $1 are worth exactly the same, but which one would you rather have? The crisp, clean $1 bill, right? The same goes with your listing. House A and House B may worth exactly the same, but most people choose the staged House B over A because it’s presented well, shows well and is much more appealing.

Generally speaking, how much can marketing or staging cost?

Staging does not have to be costly and I am a strong believer of that. Oprah did a recent episode where she felt that it was reasonable to spend $10,000 on staging to sell. Hmm, but a typical American also doesn’t giveaway 7 million dollars worth of cars to complete strangers. A good stager should be able to work with your financial needs to be able to listen to what you are looking for, instead of asking you to spend unnecessary dollars on something excessive. A good stager should also be able to work with what you have and come up with creative solutions to do so.

The staging investment varies based on square footage, location, listing price. Every stager does it differently. The best way to determine is to actually have us come out to your home. We at Staged4more offer a complimentary pricing proposal consult that takes roughly half an hour where we will tour the home, take detailed notes and photographs of your home. Then we will go back to our office & warehouse to determine what furnishings will work with your listings the best to highlight its qualities and make it sell quicker.

What should I do if I don’t think I can afford the staging investment?

Staging is always less than the cost of your first price reduction.

We at Staged4more will do our best to accommodate your budget and will work with you with what you already have and to reduce the costs. All you need to do is to let us know. We will work with you on finding the most cost-effective approach to sell your home faster and for more.

I like to do things myself How can Staged4more help me?

We offer consultation options for our DIY homeowners who wish to cut down the costs to implement our staging suggestions (in the form of a To-Do List) themselves. But we understand life gets in the way sometimes. We can do as little or as much as you would like. You can even come to our warehouse and pick the furniture yourself. If you feel you cannot handle the staging yourself in the end, feel free to upgrade and hire us back to complete the work for you!

Why should I spend more money than I already have, like painting, landscaping, etc.? I am moving out soon!

It’s understandable that you don’t want to spend any more money, but it is an investment. These are the investment that will help you to get your home sold faster and probably for more equity. This is also a very competitive market. Buyers WILL notice. Little details like a bad paint job, cracks on the wall also hint that this home is poorly maintained. More importantly, buyers want turn-key homes. So make your listing one by investing in these simple and inexpensive fixes that will make the home sparkle.

Courtesy to Seeking Alpha (link: http://soundmoneytips.com/article/7277), here are top 10 home improvement projects that will give you the most return:

1. Clean / de-clutter – 973% Average Return on Investment

2. Lighten and brighten – 865% Average Return on Investment

3. Yard – 426% Average Return on Investment

4. Plumbing and electrical – 260% Average Return on Investment

5. Staging – 251% Average Return on Investment

6. Update kitchen and bath – 168% Average Return on Investment

7. Paint interior – 148% Average Return on Investment

8. Carpeting = 104% Average Return on Investment

9. Flooring – 101% Average Return on Investment

10. Paint exterior – 76% Average Return on Investment

My home is already vacant. Why shouldn’t I just show an empty home?

Vacant homes do not show well because buyers are unable to visualize how the space would look with furniture. Staged4more will choose the proper furnishings and accessories for your home from our inventory or a 3rd party rental company, and will work with your budget to either stage the entire space or small vignettes that will suggest to the buyer the “idea” of the room. We stage small spaces as well, like bathrooms! With the right accessories, decor and color schemes, you can make the smallest bathrooms look luxurious and inviting.

After the initial contract of your choice (30, 60, or 90 days), you may cancel at any time.

What is Redesign?

As seen on HGTV, Redesign is about using your existing furnishings and rearranging them to transform your old room & furnishing into something that still fits your lifestyle. You can also redesign to sell, where Staged4more will edit out your personal style to make it appeal to a broader range of buyers. At our initial consultation, Staged4more will listen carefully to what you like or don’t like with your current spaces, how do you want this space to become and what are important to you. We will use your existing furnishings but may suggest additional purchases to add warmth, style and comfort that you want in your living space. You can also do the work yourself by following our instructions to cut down the costs.

What is Virtual Staging?

As seen in San Francisco Chronicle (http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-07-19/real-estate/17218926_1_staging-virtual-three-photos) (See us on Page 2!), Virtual Staging is basically staging your listing photos for your online tour. However (!), it does not and cannot replace real life staging, because your potential home buyers will still walk into a vacant property! This technique remains controversial but if the home sellers are really cash strapped, this could be a great alternative.

How much does it cost for extended service if my house doesn’t sell after our agreed selling period? In this market, houses seem to require more time to sell.

It depends on how much furniture go into the home. We offer 30-, 60- and 90-day contracts and all the labor associated with delivery, move-in, design, placement, wrap and pick up are all included in the packaged pricing. So say if your home takes 2 months and 10 days to sell and you signed a 60-day/ 2-month contract, we will only bill you the 10 additional days for furnishing rental. We prorate by the days when you go over your selected contract length. You do get discounts on furniture rental when you do longer terms like 60- or 90- days. The discounts are built in in the 60-day and 90-day package price.

Do you need to come see our house first before we can get some firm pricing and receive a proposal?

Yes, we do. Once we visit your property, you will receive a proposal via email in 1 business day.

Are you able to give us a better deal?

You already get a better deal because we include photography, which most of the staging companies don’t. You also get discounts built in for furnishing rental when you select longer contract terms (60- or 90-day package).

Is it possible to email me a contract so we have a better idea of what we’re getting into.

We don’t send contract until we have confirmed a project but our agreement will contain the standard clauses that you will see in other stagers’. For example: insurance, payment terms, liability release, photography release, etc. The bottom line is that we want you to be VERY comfortable with what’s going in your house, and we have an open door policy that our clients can freely tell us anything.

What this Mirror Makeover service that you provide?

Do you have one of those outdated, plain, flat mirrors on the walls? Those held together by ugly mirror clips and make your bathroom look unfinished?

If you do, we can makeover your bathroom easily and cost effectively by creating an updated, custom looking focal point that makes your outdated bathroom mirror looks finished and luxurious.

The frames are 100% made in USA and cut to order to fit your mirror’s measurements. It will fit any size mirrors. Our frames will attach to the surface of your mirror, cover the ugly clips and hide the mirror’s unfinished edges.

We will bring samples directly to you for design direction and proper measurement. Once frames are ready, we assemble and install the frame to make sure accuracy and 100% satisfaction! Pretty easy, right?

Your investment is far less than framing or buying a new framed mirror! Our high quality frames come in over 50 styles to match any decor.

Here are a few of our sample frames: