What we did not know was that our client was secretly shopping us against a “budget” rental company we no longer shop with because of their less than scrupulous methods, typically damaged furniture, and eternal product selection process that takes about nine times as long as our preferred vendor.

What he kept stressing to me as I tried to get him to a final figure he could wrap his arms around was that he really liked MY work and wanted to work with me.  He said the other stager’s work did not compare to ours.  In the end, I simply could not get him to a figure that competed with our budget competition.  I knew if I rented from the other company I could easily match the other stager’s quote. 

But here’s the problem. 

I have worked too hard establishing myself as a professional, challenging myself to keep up with trends and to deliver beautiful, compelling spaces to compromise myself.  As much as I really liked this client and totally sympathized with the fact that he was constrained by a budget I just couldn’t allow myself to use product I do not believe in and put my company’s name on it.

It was a tough call especially where the client was a referral.  But I did what I really felt I had to.  I explained to the client that I simply could not match his quote.  I explained why I choose not to use the other company and told him I really wanted to earn his business.  I have not heard from him since.  Certainly, I am sad to have lost a client but happy that I stayed true to myself and the vision that I have for my company and our reputation as a leader.

It is emotion.  Plain and simple.  Emotion. 

Of course, I find this almost ironic.  A house from a financial standpoint is likely a couple’s (or an individual’s) largest source of debt and biggest asset.  And yet, I cannot think of a single conversation I have overheard from buyers that reflected this in the decision making process.  I always here things like “I looooooovvvvveeee the jacuzzi in the master suite” or “this is a fantastic great room - we could have great parties in here” or “the back yard is amazing - lots of barbeques here in the summer”.  I cannot think of a single time a buyer has asked about the home from an investment perspective.  Questions like “will the pool help us or hurt us when we try to sell in a few years” or “does our proximity to that major highway make this space undesireable to most buyers?” and on and on. 

Essentially, what I am getting at here is that home buying, above all else, is emotional.  Staging plays on that emotion.  Well, good staging does.  I know what is important to buyers at different life stages and at different income levels.  This is key.  Bad staging is worse (in my mind) than no staging at all.  Actually, I guess you could say they are about the same thing. 

And I am sure there are a handful of buyers out there that are unaffected by the emotion of it all.  You know, the buyers that are just buying that apartment in the city so they have somewhere to stay on the weekends when they are in town shopping.  Or flippers or other investors.  But I would venture that the majority of buyers, across the board are considering the quality of their lifestyle in the home before taking the plunge.

So when it came to establishing some goals for myself for the new year, I opted to only make one.  In years past that would have been something like grow revenue xx% or build my database by xx people or complete xx more projects than last year.  Not 2010 though.  This year my single goal was to challenge myself more: take risks and stop making “safe” choices.

I will say this; it has not been easy.  There have been times I have been in a complete cold sweat watching the furniture get delivered to a model unit.  I have had difficult conversations with Realtors about my choices and why, if they just trust me, they will be thrilled.

What this has been though, is a ton of fun and a very eye-opening experience.  I have seen rooms come together in ways that I never thought possible.  I have also reached a new level of collaboration with the designers on my staff.  It is like we have a new “well, let’s try it” policy.  No idea is too stupid to try and nobody’s ego is bigger than anyone else.  We are all creative professionals truly just trying to make this project more spectacular than our last.

And so, you may wonder what the result has been.  Amazingly, our business is growing and growing.  I have had multiple projects where a buyers agent has called the listing agent on one of my projects and asked for my contact information.  I became a preferred vendor to the Ritz Residences in Boston after staging a unit there.  But, most importantly, I am more proud than ever of the quality of work my team is producing.

I am surprised that what seemed like such a personal goal has had such incredible results for the business.  We are working on improving in other ways too.  But, I will save that for another day.

Nothing frustrates me more than agents that don’t understand the importance of quality photos for their listings.  I almost find it entertaining that these agents will demand staging but then when I see the listing online all of the drama is then missing.  So here is my best attempt at converting all of you sloppy picture takers into either budding photographers or agents that hire aprofessional photographer.

First and foremost it is the pictures that drives your showings.  Statistics show that more than 80% of buyers find their new home online.  If they are not drawn to your listing through the pictures, they are not scheduling an appointment for a viewing.  Staging is great but its biggest benefit is making your listing look compelling in the photos.

VS

So what qualifies as a good or compelling photo? It really is not that difficult to take great pictures.  It may however require a smidge more of your time than the snap and go approach.

1. Try to capture as much of the room as possible. Buyers are always looking for rooms that get lots of light, have a lot of windows, great architectural details, nice floors etc.  I know that when a home is nicely staged you are compelled to simply showcase the beautiful bed in the pictures but that is not going to sell the house or drive showings.  If you do not already have one, a camera with a wide angle lens can make a dramatic difference in your pictures.
2. Make sure your photos have the right light balance. Dark, underexposed or overexposed pictures are not going to help you get buyers to your listing.  The good news is that you can adjust and correct the lighting with photo editing software like Photoshop.  It is simple and just takes a few extra minutes.
3. Feel free to remove unattractive elements to take the picture and put them back later.  I have had clients that refused to remove their kitty condos, kids toys, etc.  But that did not stop me from sliding them out of the room to take pictures for the listing and then putting them back.
4. Take pictures on a sunny day if possible and turn on lamps in the rooms that you are photographing.  Once you do this you will be amazed at the improvement in your pictures.  Lamps especially cast a really inviting, warm light.
5. Make sure the outdoor photos are the right season. If it is the middle of the summer, buyers will be suspicious about snow-covered outdoor shots.  What are they hiding, they will wonder.
6. Try taking the photos from many different angles in a room. I often find that photos taken of the room where the furniture is eye-level rather than being looked down on turn out great.  Get creative, don’t just shoot the room from the doorway.  Step into a closet or a corner, take photos looking down from stairways.
7. Take a lot more photos than you think you need. I typically shoot 100+ photos of a home when I take pictures for a client.  I never know what angle will look the best or which shot will be easy to edit with software later.  It is easier to delete excess photos than it is to make another trip to reshoot the home.

Hopefully, this not only inspires you to take better pictures but gives you some empowering tips to make it happen.

VS

Here is what I am finding from conversations I am having with my Realtor friends:

1.  You don’t know how to bring up the subject of Staging.

Here is the thing, it is not like you are suggesting something from outerspace.  Ask almost anyone in America today with a television and it is likely they are tuned into HGTV at some point during the week.  They know staging exists and they see first hand the transformations that take place.

So once you have gotten over feeling like you are suggesting something strange to your client it is all about the delivery.  I find Realtors that say something simple and straighforward to their clients like “I work with a Home Stager who helps me style my listings for sale.  Certainly, you are under no obligation to hire her but I find that my listing clients who hire her sell their homes much faster and typically for more money than those who do not.  Because staging is more than decorating, her expertise is really valuable.”

Or, if that even seems like too much some Realtors simply say something like “I work with a Home Stager who helps my clients prepare their homes for sale.  I will have her give you a call to explain her services and the process.”  This, can really be the easiest way to tackle it.

2. You do not understand the process

The process is simple.  The Stager usually speaks with the homeowner over the phone to set the initial appointment.  At the Home Evaluation appointment (aka first appointment) the Stager speaks with the home owner about the budget set aside to invest in improvements, an overview of what staging is and isn’t, and the timeframe for listing.  We also talk to the homeowner about the value in “shopping their competition” so they truly understand what is for sale in their price point in their town or neighborhood.  After the Home Evaluation, we work with our clients to determine who is implementing what on the list and provide them with a quote for restyling of the space.

3.  Who pays?

My experience is that homeowners who pay for the services are more likely to implement the ideas and stick with them than homeowners that get the staging for free.  However, with that being said the best of both worlds is Realtors that introduce their listing clients to staging and offer to reimburse a certain percentage or dollar amount at closing.  It shows their clients they value the benefits of staging but want their clients to take ownership in the process as well.

I really think once you can overcome these obstacles and make staging a regular part of your listings you will be happy you did.  I am finding that once Realtors start using staging they are simply not willing to list a home without it.

So try these suggestions and let me know if you have other obstacles that prevent you from staging your listings.

This last project was especially fun because it was a young, very diverse group I was designing for.  Students and young doctors - male and female- in their residencies. 

I chose a lot of really current colors and patterns.  Plums, soft purples and bright apple green in the living room.  Modern art hung above the sofa and cute armless chairs in a gorgeous chocolate across from the sofa. 

The guest bedroom was a platform bed with a simple duvet folded down with an amazing lamp.  So simple and yet so pretty when it was finished.

The master bedroom was my favorite of the three rooms.  It was this beautiful bright yellowish green bedding with a white bird pattern and the duvet was trimmed in black as were the shams.  It is stunning.  I paired it with black grommet top draperies and glass lamps with black satin shades.  To quote one admirer “Julie, this looks so boutique hotel!”   What a great compliment.

The real trick with model units is making the space look homey and appealing which can be tough if you do not really know what is appealing to the buyer.

I thought this week was going to be relatively quiet. Boy was I wrong.

The week started out at a Staging of a 2800sq ft bachelor pad in Hampton New Hampshire. The house itself is gorgeous but just needed a few tweaks to appeal to a family. I brought 15 drapery rods, 4 window shades, and 20 window panels along with a truckload of accessories, bedding, pillows, etc. Unfortunately, I was a little off in my estimating of how long it would take to transform this space - gee just about five hours off. In the end the difference was amazing. If you want to see the before and after pics check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=178470&id=66273677111&ref=mf

What I love about that staging job is that I used a lot of accessories, colors, etc that I have not used before and they turned out beautifully! Hint: red drapes are amazing! They really brighten up a dull room, especially when complimented with red pillows and other splashes of red.

Tuesday I met with Jessica Grant of Jess Foto to swap new head shots for some design help in her new studio in Winchester. What a great day! We had a blast. She is off buying gorgeous drapes and working on paint colors as I type this. I cannot wait to see the final product.

I just signed another model unit in Boston - an apartment complex in the South End. I am very excited about this project. The buyer is a young 20-something single person so I think we can have some fun with this. I am thinking West Elm and CB2 for inspiration.

I am still working on that Staging Class schedule for this year. I HOPE to have that to you soon!

I arrive onsite with draperies, accessories, and my steamer in tow to finish my model unit. I am excited, I love to see things come together. So first I find out there are residents in the model….hmmmm this should be interesting. Their apartment is being worked on so the model unit is their home for the day.

The wife is lovely and is sharing her decorating stories with me while I am clipping in drapes, hanging shower curtains, and unwrapping accessories. She leaves to go to the library and leaves her husband who is deaf and blind with me. Luckily, he is sitting in a chair listening to a walkman. (not sure how that is possible but whatever) At one point I am trying to expand a drapery rod so the drapes are on the outside of the window frame. The rod splits apart, the rings slide off with the panels and I come crashing to the ground to top off the pile. The husband has not even flinched. It is like something out of a sitcom. I could be impaled on this drapery rod and he would have noticed nothing.

The wife comes back later and I am steaming out drapes. She says she and her husband are going to lunch. At the same time a group of doctors show up to tour the model. About 10 minutes later the husband is looking for his wife. She went to lunch without him!!! So off I go to find the wife so she can come back to collect her husband. Luckily, I find her in the corridor and she has realized she forgot her husband. Yikes.

So the wife, the husband, and the team of doctors leave the unit and I am….finally….left alone with my steaming. I wrap things up and head out.

The Union Leader newspaper in Manchester NH is running a story tomorrow about the Home Seller’s Classes I offer in conjunction with Sue West from Space 4U Organizing. At least I think that is what the article is about. I guess I will find out for sure tomorrow. So Sue and I were emailing back and forth much of the day, I was gathering photos to be featured in the article. Which made me realize it is sooooooo time for a portfolio of before and after pictures. I really am so bad at that.

Into this mix came a client who missed a deadline for a promotional offer so I tried to go to bat for her to have the vendor still honor the discount, shopping for drapes for a client, and pulling my puppy off a bed pillow - or what was left of it and all of its stuffing off of him. Argh.

More Home Seller Class dates coming soon. We have one in February, an April one and a September one.

So what kinds of changes can you expect to see from us in the new year? First, we are going to have newly updated photos on our website that more accurately reflect the quality of work we do. Next, we are planning out our class calendar in advance this year so soon you will know when all of our staging classes are - way in advance, we have also vowed to really challenge ourselves creatively this year. We are committed to being well-informed and on the cutting edge of design trends. But at the same time we want to experiment with new textures, colors, and revisit styles of our past, kick up classic looks, and take a few risks. We know that by challenging ourselves in this way we are only going to be better designers, and that means we will continue to deliver a better service to our customers. You will also see us in some new areas in the new year. We have really been working a lot in Boston, the south shore, and now on the Seacoast of NH even more. We are thrilled to be making new friends in so many new areas. We are also going to have new contests, new classes, and a few other surprises that are way to big and too much of a secret to divulge now…..but let’s just say you will be surprised!!

Stay tuned… more funny stories, pictures from projects and reflections on our work coming soon.