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case study sample workshop

Here's an example of what Jo can do for you.  This workshop focused on interior First Impression Spaces of a home for sale in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

What's a Workshop? Learn more.

view of living room from entry foyer       5 before

Life can get messy and this busy family had their hands full with outside complications when Jo arrived to stage the living room. But disarray isn't the issue -- that's easy enough to fix. The main challenge here was too many furnishings to show the space to its best advantage.

Before HomeStaging, the fireplace was ignored, a nice bank of windows to the left was blocked by the sofa, and the room seemed smaller than it actually is. Furniture was not oriented to give potential Buyers a welcoming first impression.

after 5

This knock-out look was pulled together using strictly what was already on site. Jo went on a treasure hunt throughout the house to find pieces that would show well together. And she moved furniture that was making this room seem crowded and found new homes for those pieces in other rooms.

First, Jo turned the leather sofa to face the entrance from the foyer -- a welcoming touch. By turning the coffee table to orient with the sofa's new location, she exposed a lot more floor. This trick really opened up the room, maximizing the space.

Artwork was rearranged throughout the house and the mantle's display greatly simplified. Everything you see here was already in the house.

If your house needs extra items brought in, see  the Shopping & Selection pacakge.

reverse view                5 before

This before shot was taken from the hearth, which means that the mismatched armchairs in the foreground have their backs to the fireplace, ignoring this important selling feature.

Originally, none of the furniture was oriented to welcome potential Buyers as they entered from the front door through the little foyer (see archway above, upper right).

There's an attractive Misison-style bench hidden under a comforter in the left-hand frame of the before photo, above.

after  5

Positioning the Mission bench to face the fireplace draws potential Buyer's attention to this selling feature. The bench  welcomes Buyers to have a seat as if to enjoy their own fireside evening. Everything you see here was already in the house -- just in different places.

Placing the bench back-to-back with the leather sofa created an anchor for both pieces. Because the bench is shorter than the sofa, there was room to place a small end-table at the end of the bench. Jo set a table lamp there, where it brings light into the center of the room.

The leather sofa and coffee table now face the foyer, making a welcoming first impression as Buyers enter the living room.

The unneeded armchairs fit nicely in a nearby study. Setting them in opposite corners downplays the mismatched upholstery.

 

 

      entry foyer           5 before

The Sellers, a busy family, didn't focus on the entry foyer -- after all, it wasn't a place where they ever spent much time. The area was a pass-through space for them. Though a built-in arched bookcase in the foyer is a charming feature, it needed some staging to show it to its best advantage.

TIP:  Things you overlook daily may become a potential Buyer's first impression.

 

 

 

3 after  

Gathering travel books and collectibles from throughout the house and bringing them together was a painless way to dress the bookcase. Now there's enough interest right inside the front door to capture attention.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

an inside look at the workshop shown above

emphasis   This workshop focused primarily on the interior "First Impression Spaces" of this home. Main goals included maximizing space and highlighting architectural features. The Workshop also created a welcoming look and neutralized personal style enough to avoid distracting Buyers' attention from the house.

fees  The Workshop shown here took 2 1/2 hours for a fee of $225. (Learn more about how Workshop fees are calculated.) The Workshop fee was in addition to a prerequisite Property Evaluation fee of $180, which included an analysis of the entire house. An Indexing option addressed areas needing effort in the rest of the house: Jo attached index cards itemizing tasks to be completed to each item and area. Because those rooms aren't shown here, that fee isn't relevant.

scope  By the conclusion of this Workshop, the Living Room and Entry Foyer were staged and ready for showing. Misplaced personal items were gathered in one location for the Seller to stash out of sight. Furniture, artwork, and framed family photos removed from the living room were incorporated into other rooms, except for a few items which were recommended to the Seller for early packing (such as speakers).

ask your realtor  It's always good to get an outside opinion, so feel free to forward a link to your Realtor. Together, you can evaluate the fees spent in the Workshop shown above and decide if you think it was a worthwhile investment in enhancing this home's sales appeal. Did the $405 fee (which includes the entire Property Evaluation) improve this home's salability? Could you do this to your house without Jo?

tax savings & deferred payment  Staging fees are normally tax deductible, reducing your Taxable Gain from Sale. And staging fees can be deferred until closing to be paid by the Title Company from your Proceeds from Sale -- so there's no cash up front for you, the Seller. It costs you nothing to get started...so get ready to sell today.

 

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