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Home > Blogs > Women's Life > Archives > 2009 > August > 03 > Entry
Event aimed at helping you sell your house
A local home staging company is planning a seminar to help homesellers move their properties off the market quickly.
Debra’s Designs of Dayton is offering the seminar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Sinclair Community College. The cost of the seminar is $75.
The session will educate homesellers on today’s market expectations and how to meet them; deal breakers in home sales and the importance of “market ready” homes.
Today’s homebuyers want a house in move-in condition, said Debra Ghysels, president of Debra’s Designs.
They are not like buyers in the past who had the skill and the funds to update a house themselves, she said.
“Buyers want to move in on Friday, unpack on Saturday, go to work Monday, and not miss a beat,” Ghysels said.
The most important things in staging a house are walls, floors and fixtures. But none of those updates needs to be expensive. It might mean some paint on a wall. And not always white or beige paint. It might mean updating fixtures with minimal expense. At worst, it could mean a $2,000 investment in moderate flooring.
Also, a property should not be put on the market without furniture. The absence of furniture allows buyers to talk themselves out of being able to fit furniture in by imagining the room as too small.
“If it is truly ‘move-in ready,’ sellers are going to be able to sell that house faster and for more money,” she said.
Those attending the seminar will learn the definition and importance of terms like “dead wall” and “defining space.” They will learn what curb appeal means and how to make the best use of color.
Then, participants will do an interactive exercise where they virtually stage a home.
A panel including a mortgage broker, appraiser, title company representative, inspector, realtor and stager will be onhand to provide information in their areas of expertise.
How to go
What: Making Your Home a Buyer’s Desire!
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
Where: David H. Ponitz Center, Sinclair Community College, 444 W. Third St., Dayton
Cost: $75
More information: buyers desireseminar.com
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Household/home design
Comments
By flipper
August 3, 2009 4:51 PM | Link to this
Clean up, paint up, fix up. Now you don’t have to go the the seminar.
By Joan
August 3, 2009 5:12 PM | Link to this
Seventy five dollars will buy three premium gallons of paint. A gallon is usually good for one medium sized bedroom,another gallon for the kitchen and another for the living room. Go with shaded neutrals. Bold colors, no matter what the designer trends are scare people away. My problem is I can’t put much into my little house…it’s only appraised 4 thousand over what I paid for it in 1987. It needs a new roof, undated plumbing and electric. AND floor coverings. :(
By Burb Dweller
August 3, 2009 5:36 PM | Link to this
Your Realtor should be able to help you stage your home FREE off charge. They have an interest in selling your property. If they aren’t willing to go the extra mile find someone who is. Go neutral and tastefully decorate your home. It doesn’t cost that much just check out the Lowe’s, Home Depot and Menard’s and you will get many good ideas. Good Luck!
By Betty
August 3, 2009 10:19 PM | Link to this
Save the $75 and watch some helpful shows on HGTV. Simple as that.
By Juliet Johnson
August 4, 2009 2:17 PM | Link to this
Preparing a house for sale can be as “simple as that”, when the owner knows how to apply what they’re advised on tv to what they’re looking at in their own living room. Few people have that skill. That doesn’t make them stupid, it just makes them better at other things, not this. Did you know that staged home spend 85% LESS time on the market than non-staged homes? 63% of all buyers will spend more money to get a move-in conditioned home. And then, there’s always this thought, from the international stagers professional association - RESA - “Staging gives buyers piece of mind knowing that any potential issues have been addressed in addition staging also shows buyers the properties true potential. Staging often gives buyers design and color aspects they may not have previously considered.”
By Wanda Richards
August 4, 2009 4:17 PM | Link to this
You are exactly correct Juliet. I have been selling real estate for 29 years and it does take more than a few gallons of paint. I think the $75 spent on this seminar would be a good investments for anyone considering selling their home in this market.
By Melissa Marro
August 4, 2009 8:27 PM | Link to this
I am saddened to see the comments by flipper, Joan, Burb and Betty. Apparently they don’t know that according to Homegain.com hiring a professinal stager can net you returns of 349%. We help to advise on where to spend the extra money to get the highest ROI. Selling a house without a stager is like selling one without a Realtor. Sure on paper it sounds like you’ll make money, but in reality you’ll lose your shirt…. that’s right. Homes sold with a Realtor on average NET around 19% more than those who don’t use a Realtor. Any smart Realtor knows that their time is best spent marketing a home - not staging it and instead hire a competant stager. Definately spend the money and attend the seminar, you’ll learn that staging isn’t just painting, decluttering and fixing things.
By Sharon Charboneau
August 4, 2009 9:16 PM | Link to this
Debra has a great idea and anyone thinking about selling their home should attend her seminar. The fresh objective eye of a professional home stager is an investment in the business of selling a home. This seminar is the next best thing to a consultation in the home.
By Kathy Streib
August 4, 2009 9:44 PM | Link to this
The programs on Home Staging on HGTV and A&E are just that.. TV. And while they have been helpful in educating us on the concept of Staging, they aren’t entirely real. Gallons of paint and a clean house are how our parents and the baby boomers first starting selling their houses. This is the Twitter generation and it takes more.
By Renate Milelli
August 5, 2009 11:39 AM | Link to this
With regard to Betty’s comment. If we could watch a show and then apply it for ourselves we would all be extremely talented. Have you watched the landscaping shows and gone out and redone your yard, or carpentry and then built a piece of furniture? Shows give you great ideas but do not teach you all you need to know to do it . Or how about “the tools of the trade”. We all have our special talents and must defer to others for the things we are not experts in if we want to get the best results. Staged homes sell faster and for more money. By doing it yourself from what you saw on tv can end up costing you thousands when the house doesn’t sell and you end up lowering your price. It is worth the risk when in the toal scheme of things, staging is a nominal fee. And you will learn things from your staging that you can use in your new home. Think about it!
By Lori Kim Polk, Artful Journey
August 7, 2009 4:52 PM | Link to this
Only $75? Great deal for all the info they will get. As for “Flipper’s” comment… Is that why our investors here in NorCal are turning properties every 5 days with just a paint job? I think not! You could be turning those homes faster and investing in the next group of properties by using a professional stager with an investor’s package.
By Janice Van Der Veken, ASP
August 7, 2009 5:07 PM | Link to this
For most people, your home is your largest asset…doesn’t it deserve “special” attention when it is time to sell? The average seller has lived in their home for many years and their home as become like our children…you don’t see the flaws. Therefore, you cannot be objective with regard to your home. If you cannot be objective you cannot package it effectively for the market. Staging is more than simply cleaning out the garage and the closets. Professionally done, staging creates immediate buyer interest and showcases the positive features of your home! Can you remember feeling “this is it” when you first saw your home? Well, that’s just what you want every potential buyer feeling when they pull up to the curb at your home! Professional stagers not only create the atmosphere buyers envision themselves living in, they alert you to noticeable repairs and share enhancement techniques that you can do prior to a Realtor viewing your home. Afterall, Realtors do factor into the list price the condition of the property. $75 is a small “investment” for a seminar where you will walk away with a better understanding of Home Staging and how it will give you a higher return on your largest asset. In this climate where many areas have a six to nine month supply of homes on the market…can you afford not to stage your home?
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August 23, 2009 8:08 PM | Link to this
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