{"id":9556,"date":"2018-06-25T16:49:56","date_gmt":"2018-06-25T22:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virtuance.com\/?p=9556"},"modified":"2018-06-25T17:01:46","modified_gmt":"2018-06-25T23:01:46","slug":"11-deal-killing-home-staging-mistakes-even-experienced-realtors-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/blog\/11-deal-killing-home-staging-mistakes-even-experienced-realtors-make\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Deal-Killing Home Staging Mistakes Even Experienced Realtors Make"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By <\/span>Emile L’Eplattenier | Source THE CLOSE<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They may love you, but they\u2019re all liars. Your spouse, your mother, your best friend from college\u2026 Liars.<\/p>\n

Sure, they have a good reason to lie, but they\u2019re still lying. After all, they know you worked HARD and spent a ton of money staging your listing.<\/p>\n

The last thing they want to do is crush your spirits by telling you just how hideous it looks\u2026<\/p>\n

You know who\u2019s not lying? You lead scrolling through Zillow in bed with a cup of tea.<\/p>\n

\u201cUgh! What on earth was that Realtor THINKING?\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t believe the liars. Instead, read our list of 11 deal-killing home staging mistakes even experienced Realtors make.<\/p>\n

1. Not Taking Pictures of the Listing Pre-Staging<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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After the frenzy and stress of hiring a stager, coordinating with your owner, and lugging plants, pillows, and art, all over the house, it can be easy to forget why you\u2019re doing this.<\/p>\n

For most listings, you\u2019re staging for the photos you\u2019re going to post on Zillow.<\/p>\n

However, once you stage, it becomes very difficult and expensive to correct or restage a room virtually. For example, let\u2019s say you staged a room as a home office, and a buyer kept wondering what it would look like as a bedroom.<\/p>\n

In order to stay flexible and become a hero to buyer\u2019s agents, always have your photographer take pictures of the listing empty before you stage. If you don\u2019t, your virtual stager will charge you an arm and a leg to digitally remove the furniture.<\/p>\n

This way you can virtually stage the same room in multiple different styles, or for different uses. You could even try A\/B testing the images on Facebook ads to see which one more buyers click on\u2026<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example of how an empty room can be staged to look radically different from our friends over at\u00a0Spotless Agency<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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via theclose.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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via theclose.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If they had to remove the furniture before staging, virtual staging would be far more expensive.<\/p>\n

2.Outdated Lighting Fixtures<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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If there is one non-structural decor piece you spend money on this year, light fixtures should be it. After all, since light fixtures are so prominent in most spaces, a bad one can destroy the look of even the most well thought out room.<\/p>\n

During the day, they hang almost at eye level, and at night, they illuminate the entire room. For many rooms, like dining rooms and kitchens, they can become a focal point. Pendants, sconces, and chandeliers are particularly egregious offenders.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Luckily, most ugly light fixtures can be swapped out in a few minutes. All it takes is a ladder, removing a few screws, and twisting some wires if you need them to be functional.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also pretty affordable. If you\u2019re serious about marketing your listings, buying a few high quality (used is fine) lighting fixtures to fit different themes can have a great ROI.<\/p>\n

One modern pendant, one glass chandelier, and a farmhouse\/industrial wireframe should work great for pretty much any decor.<\/p>\n

Pro tip: search on craigslist or make friends with a local contractor. Light fixtures are rarely damaged, but many people sell them for a song when they change decor.<\/p>\n

3. Not Using Accent Walls<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Considering how easy and affordable accent walls can be, it\u2019s surprising how many stagers and Realtors shy away from them. A well thought out accent wall can add some depth and drama to even the most boring room.<\/p>\n

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If you want to try your hand at accent walls, think contrast. Dark greys, bright, energizing colors like\u00a0Pantone\u2019s Color of the Year Ultraviolet<\/a>, or even removable wallpaper or graphics can go a long way to adding personality to your listing.<\/p>\n

Need some accent wall inspiration? Check out the\u00a0top ideas on Pinterest here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Outdated Window Treatments<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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After paint and lighting fixtures, nothing can kill a room\u2019s vibe faster than ugly, outdated window treatments. While those vertical blinds may have cost your homeowner a pretty penny back in the 90\u2019s, today they just look sad and dated.<\/p>\n

The good news is that like lighting fixtures, good looking window treatments are affordable, and you only need a few styles on hand to match any decor. In fact, a set of sheer white curtains, and a set of heavy dark, velour panels should match pretty much anything.<\/p>\n

Patterns should probably be avoided though. There is no faster way to pick out a cheap window treatment than from a poorly designed pattern.<\/p>\n

Pro tip: Forget West Elm or Pottery Barn. You can get almost identical looking drapes and curtain panels on Amazon for a fraction of the price. If you line the back with velcro, you can use one 108 inch panel to fit any size window.<\/p>\n

5. Using Too Many Bold or Statement Pillows<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Like the gallery wall, having an assortment of boldly colored or patterned pillows is very on trend. There\u2019s only one problem\u2026 Well, okay, three problems.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Nice pillows are $50 each and up.<\/li>\n
  2. If they\u2019re too bold they will become a focal point<\/li>\n
  3. They\u2019re very personal. Not everyone will respond to your taste<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    While you may be tempted to splash out on a dozen high-end pillows for your home staging, this could be a mistake. After all, nice pillows are very expensive, and bold pillows might not work well with other bold pillows.<\/p>\n

    Since the idea here is to buy versatile decor, I would avoid boldly colored or patterned pillows. Instead, stick to complementary patterns and colors, or at most, buy a few bold pillows.<\/p>\n

    Pro tip: Love mid-century modern but can\u2019t justify West Elm or CB2? Target\u2019s Project 62 has passable mid-century looking pillows for less than $20.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re looking for more home staging tips on a budget, check out\u00a0this handy guide over on the Homelight Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    6. Empty Bed Frames or Cheap Linens<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n

    Even in some seven-figure plus listings here in Manhattan, the word \u201cbedroom\u201d is often literal. It\u2019s a room that can fit a bed and that\u2019s about it.<\/p>\n

    Heck, even in a palatial 1,000 square foot master suite, a king-sized bed will still take up space and there is no way to NOT have it as the focal point of the room.<\/p>\n

    That means cheap linens, pillows, or even worse, empty bed frames are a mortal sin against the gods of good taste.<\/p>\n

    Pro tip: Air mattresses are incredibly inexpensive these days so there is simply no excuse for an empty bed frame. While quality linens can be expensive, they might be a worthwhile investment.<\/p>\n

    7. Not knowing Your Audience<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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    If you want to write a blockbuster movie, a grammy winning album, or killer marketing campaign, there is one rule above all others that determines success:<\/p>\n

    Know Your Audience!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    This rule applies to staging your listings as well. As a rule, you should be staging with your audience in mind. Think about what kind of leads might be attracted to the home, the area, or the price point you\u2019re working with.<\/p>\n

    For example, if your listing is in a conservative community with a ton of senior citizens, a more traditional staging will get a much better response than a slick, modern one.<\/p>\n

    Young hip area with lots of college students and young professionals? Minimal graphic art and mid century furniture is a must.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Read the full article here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Emile L’Eplattenier | Source THE CLOSE They may love you, but they\u2019re all liars. Your spouse, your mother, your best friend from college\u2026 Liars. Sure, they have a good reason to lie, but they\u2019re still lying. After all, they know you worked HARD and spent a ton of money staging your listing. The last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14503,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,47],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9556"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14503"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9556"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9570,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9556\/revisions\/9570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}