2754 Greenwood Ave.
SLIDE THE BAR IN THE CENTER TO REVEAL THE BEFORE & AFTER
BEFORE In-person buyers often struggle to visualize furnishings in empty space, and in this case, I knew it would be a struggle for them, especially with an open nook off the living area.
AFTER Showing buyers how to divide a room, and utilize the nook as a media area, made this space feel less confusing and demonstrated how to live and entertain in the space.
“Leaving it to the imagination is not always the best idea,” I said to my seller’s daughter, Sharon, as she toured me around her mom’s home at 2754 Greenwood Place, with my voice echoing in the empty rooms. Her mom, Chris, was now living out of state and wasn’t sure how much she wanted to deal with long-distance, but my experience was telling me that staging would definitely help potential buyers see the value in the space.
Not every agent will be as candid with potential sellers when they are trying to win the listing, but I believe having an open and honest conversation about how different courses of action will impact a sale is critical to a successful working relationship. We really try to come up with the best solution with minimal investment from the seller, utilizing their existing furnishings combined with art and accessory inventory I loan to the project. When a home is vacant we also have the option for virtual staging, but in the end, live staging always pays back if a seller has the money to invest. In-person buyers often struggle to visualize furnishings in empty space: they may feel a room is too small to accommodate the new sectional they just purchased, but they also may not realize it could be positioned in a different way.
Staging is about engaging buyers on an emotional level; you want them to walk in the door and picture themselves living there. And in the case of Chris’ house—which sold in less than a month (during the start of the pandemic)—having furniture in the key rooms of the house made that a whole lot easier to see.
— Shaunna Burhop, photos by VHT Studios