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Terrible attempts at staging properties.

ducati0000

ducati0000

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Why do sellers even bother to "stage" their properties with old furniture or just recklessly just put the furniture anywhere without planning.They may as well leave the property empty at least it looks less messy and creates more space.
 
I always find the very 'economical' staging packages to be almost comical.

Living room: Usually a dining room table from Leons circa 2001, one couch, one side table, and a plastic vase. You may as well just clear out the house.
 
I actually find the concept of 'staging' to be quite silly and it is a relatively new marketing approach. In years past, a house was presented for sale by being neat and clean - period. I have moved a number of times, and because of that perhaps I am a better - more discerning - buyer, I don't know. I'm not looking at the furniture or paint; I'm not buying the furniture and can look past the paint. I'm looking at the bones of the house and the properties and features of the land. I've only once hired a home inspector and only because it was an 1890s house and I wanted a second opinion.

I also find it interesting that staging has become such a big deal in the hot GTA market at a time when a house will sell in days unless it is actively in flames at the time of listing. I suppose the bar gets raised by some and everybody else is paranoid about being left behind. Are potential buyers, making the largest investment in their lives, that unknowledgable about what they are signing onto? To me, staging is akin to balloons and whacky-wavy-arm-guys in car lots.

I have viewed house that looked like the owners ran out just before a search warrant was being executed - dishes in the sink, beds not made. Again, I can look past that, but I feel a little disrespected. You want me to spend time and treasure considering your house but you seem like you just don't care. I think some furniture is better than none. An empty house begs the question 'why' and it makes it harder to get the sense or feel of a room.

Beyond staging many people will spend thousands doing renos just to sell their house. Many of these people don't know that often, those renos are ripped out by the buyer. I have a relative in the GTA who can go down to the local Re-Store and buy high end kitchen cabinets that are months old. Maybe its just me. I don't have to have the latest and greatest, so long as it is sound, clean and functional.
 
Instead of renovating, my business partner had his condo repainted and staged for a few thousand dollars, and he had several offers and got $70K more than he expected. It was very well done. The apartment was fully furnished and did look like someone actually lived there, but it was uncluttered and bright looking.
 
Bayer said:
Instead of renovating, my business partner had his condo repainted and staged for a few thousand dollars, and he had several offers and got $70K more than he expected. It was very well done. The apartment was fully furnished and did look like someone actually lived there, but it was uncluttered and bright looking.
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Totally agree.

Some people see an empty room and can not possibly visualize where the furniture would go! I married someone like this.
 
lenaitch said:
[...] I have moved a number of times, and because of that perhaps I am a better - more discerning - buyer, I don't know. I'm not looking at the furniture or paint; I'm not buying the furniture and can look past the paint. I'm looking at the bones of the house and the properties and features of the land. I've only once hired a home inspector and only because it was an 1890s house and I wanted a second opinion.

I also find it interesting that staging has become such a big deal in the hot GTA market at a time when a house will sell in days unless it is actively in flames at the time of listing. I suppose the bar gets raised by some and everybody else is paranoid about being left behind. Are potential buyers, making the largest investment in their lives, that unknowledgable about what they are signing onto? To me, staging is akin to balloons and whacky-wavy-arm-guys in car lots. [...]
Click to expand...

But you're a minority. Most people are not capable of doing their own house inspections. Moreover, as more than one realtor has told me in the past, house buyers can be an unimaginative lot. They need to be prodded to understand the potential. Sometimes rooms look smaller when empty - throwing in a couch and coffee table, or a queen-size bed, into a room can reassure potential purchasers about how they can use each room. It's not like the balloons at a car dealership - it's not about getting noticed, and it's rarely about making sure the house sells (that has not been a problem in Toronto these past years), but rather getting people emotionally invested so they bid more.
 
Skeezix said:
But you're a minority. Most people are not capable of doing their own house inspections. Moreover, as more than one realtor has told me in the past, house buyers can be an unimaginative lot. They need to be prodded to understand the potential. Sometimes rooms look smaller when empty - throwing in a couch and coffee table, or a queen-size bed, into a room can reassure potential purchasers about how they can use each room. It's not like the balloons at a car dealership - it's not about getting noticed, and it's rarely about making sure the house sells (that has not been a problem in Toronto these past years), but rather getting people emotionally invested so they bid more.
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I highly doubt I am anything special, perhaps I'm a little more discerning due to the number of times I've moved. I have bought houses with faults (they all do) but, probably more through good luck than good management, nothing that was drastic. Most everything else is either fix-able (given enough money) or live with-able.

I do feel sorry for first time buyers in a highly competitive market. It's a scary prospect signing on the dotted line for six or seven figures and not having a clue about what you are buying. If they can't look beyond the stone kitchen counter tops (never owned one - wouldn't want one) they're in deep trouble.

I understand what you are saying but if I was hooked up with an agent that was "prodding" me to part with my money, there would be words. At the end of the day, I'm stuck with a bill and they're on to their next showing. In a sense, it is very much like car sales. When is the last time you saw a basic model in a showroom? Getting somebody to become emotionally invested so they bid more is sales. So long as agents are commission-based, as opposed to fee-for-service, the objectivity is wanting.

All moot. They'll take me out of this place in a pine box; but then again, I think I said that about the last two! But I'm in the market for a new truck and not looking forward to it. My wife goes into it like a blood sport. Me, not so much.
 
Skeezix said:
But you're a minority. Most people are not capable of doing their own house inspections. Moreover, as more than one realtor has told me in the past, house buyers can be an unimaginative lot. They need to be prodded to understand the potential. Sometimes rooms look smaller when empty - throwing in a couch and coffee table, or a queen-size bed, into a room can reassure potential purchasers about how they can use each room. It's not like the balloons at a car dealership - it's not about getting noticed, and it's rarely about making sure the house sells (that has not been a problem in Toronto these past years), but rather getting people emotionally invested so they bid more.
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Exactly. Plenty of people can't see past the furniture. They can't envision how things will look so staging helps them along. There's a reason why builders spend a huge amount of money on sales centers and model suites packed with upgrades. You sell a lifestyle to people. A well staged home really does help and leaves a lasting impression.
 
lenaitch said:
I actually find the concept of 'staging' to be quite silly and it is a relatively new marketing approach.
Click to expand...
I agree. When we sold our house in Fredericton in 2007 I spent days moving clutter into the crawl space, so that the place looked sparse, yet organized. Well, the house finally sold after we'd removed all the contents and moved back to Toronto. That's how I like to view a house, entirely empty of the previous owner's possessions. The only staging I'd want to see would be new base-colour paint, any picture holes filled in, etc., stuff that actually makes it easier to move into.

On the flipside, if a house was staged, I'd wonder what they're hiding.
Bayer said:
Instead of renovating, my business partner had his condo repainted and staged for a few thousand dollars,
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What faults needing renovation were skipped over by deciding to stage?
 
Admiral Beez said:
What faults needing renovation were skipped over by deciding to stage?
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No faults as such, other than relative age. After 12 years, the washroom might have benefitted from a change, as the finishes were rather plain by today's standards, and especially since it was an ensuite and there was no other washroom, which is quite unusual.
 
One of the reason's Ikea is so popular is that they create entire room layouts to experience. There's no thinking required.

Staging works, but like anything else, it has to be done properly.
 
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