Is there a magic potion that makesbuyers fall in love with a house? The perfect splash of paint, dash of greenery or combination of seductive accessories? Such is the art of home stagers, who prepare a house for mass appeal. And with home sales slow, the business is booming.
“People shop [for homes] with logic, but they buy on emotion,” says Leah Fritz, owner of Perfect Place Home Staging. Buyers begin with a list of must-haves – three bedrooms, granite countertops and the like. “What staging aims to do is get them emotionally connected to the space,” Fritz says. Result: “That list seems not so important because you’re falling in love.”
Home staging has been practiced in other parts of the country for years, but it’s just catching on in Southeastern Wisconsin. In fact, many local stagers have only been in business for two or three years. But shows like HGTV’s “Designed to Sell” have increased demand from sellers and real estate agents.
Depending on the needs of the house, staging can involve as little as adding fresh paint, replacing personal items and rearranging furniture. However, major changes like installing new countertops or updating carpeting may be necessary.
Because staging services vary so greatly, the cost varies as well. Most area stagers will provide an in-home consultation for between $75 to $400, with full staging services from $500 and up.
In a slow housing market, an attractive, staged house makes a difference to buyers. “People are too busy. They just want to move in and enjoy,” says Laurie Flatt, owner of Casa La Bella staging company. “So if the paint colors are already done, the house is clean and updated … they’re willing to pay a premium for that.”
Dick and Diana Ritter of Pewaukee put their Nagawicka Lake house on the market in the fall of 2004 when home sales were booming. But the nearly 6,000-square-foot home sat. And sat. In June of 2007, the Ritters hired Flatt to do a $15,000 staging that included new appliances, light fixtures, mirrors and accessories. Fresh paint and furniture rentals for the vacant home were added at Flatt’s recommendation – costing another $16,500.
All told, the Ritters invested more than $40,000. But it paid off. Three offers came in almost immediately, and three months after the staging, they accepted one. “It was a necessary investment,” says Dick Ritter. “If I had to do it again, I would.”
Not all successful stagings are as extreme. Mary and Lee Jaeger of Brookfield invested less than $1,000 to have Bethel Cohoon, owner of Staged Home Designs, revamp their four-bedroom colonial home. They had an offer – over the asking price – after the first showing.
“I never could have imagined doing some of the things she did,” says Mary Jaeger, referring to the way Cohoon created a children’s room in one of the empty nesters’ spare bedrooms.
And in the Internet age, a staged home doesn’t just appeal to open house visitors. “We know 75 to 80 percent of buyers are looking on the Internet now, and when they see pictures of homes that are staged, it’s 100 percent different than a picture of a house with bare rooms,” says Jan Baldry, assistant sales director for Shorewest.
Whether buyers are looking in-person or online, they want to be romanced. Staging can turn a so-so house into an object of affection.
Staging Specialists
Casa La Bella. Laurie Flatt and Cindy Taubner, stagers. Initial consultation $400; staging services generally 0.5 percent to 2 percent of the value of the home. Hartland, 262-565-3461.
Home Staging Consultants. Mary Inden, stager. Initial consultation $350-$700, depending on home condition; staging services average $75/hour. Elm Grove, 262-782-2801, homestaging-wi.com.
Perfect Place Home Staging. Leah Fritz, stager. Initial consultation around $200; staging services $250-$1,200-plus, depending on home size. Kenosha, 262-925-1375, stagingdiva.com/perfectplacehomestaging.html.
Staged Home Designs. Bethel Cohoon, stager. Initial consultation $75-$175; staging services $50-$150/hour. Hubertus,262-617-7474, stagedhomedesigns.biz.
Superstars of Staging. Deb Reiners, stager. Prices: free in-home estimate; initial report $200-plus, depending on size of home; staging services $500-$2,000-plus. Mukwonago, 262-501-4063,
stagedhomes.com/superstars.
