FAQs & Helpful Hints for Sellers

Frequently Asked Questions

Is staging the same as decorating? 

No, definitely not!  When you decorate, you personalize a space.  When you stage, you are removing personal items and de-personalizing the space.  It is important to de-personalize so that another can envision living in your space and your personal items can hinder that from happening.  That is why it is ESSENTIAL that you hire someone who has been specifically trained in preparing a house for sale.

Can't I just watch HGTV or other home channels and do what they do? It looks easy.

You could and HGTV shows will give you some great ideas.  Ideas without the ability to implement them = ?  There is skill involved in staging.  There is also the need for a creative eye.  ASP home stagers, such as us, have been trained to do this.  Just like you may be an insurance sales person, a realtor, an engineer, a nurse, or teacher, it's what you do for a living.  You've been properly trained.  Home staging is what we do and we've been trained.  Unfortunately, when we live in a home we make it our space, fill it with things we love and we can't always be objective.  That is why it is very important to have a third party evaluate your home and give you an unbiased assessment of how to prepare your home for sale.

How much does it cost?

We offer a variety of payment options to fit any budget.

An investment in staging your house to sell is far less than the cost of your first price reduction.  The average first price reduction can be as much as 10% of the list price.  Example:  $300,000.00 list price = $30,000.00 cut.  Your investment in home staging with THS is never as costly as a price reduction.

Take a look at the Top 50 U.S. Cities based on population data gathered by Trulia.com in August 2010 on Price Reductions. Virginia Beach listings suffered an average of 8% in price reductions totaling $42,106,115.00.  News Room - Trulia.com - Press Releases.

Helpful Hints for Sellers (when getting your home ready to market for sale)

Most people come to the conclusion that home improvement means expensive, time consuming projects. Well, I'm here to tell you that bringing your home to a level to compete with newly constructed homes, as well as resales in your own neighborhood DOES NOT have to cost a fortune.  A little can go a long way and we can help!

Let's review the TEN small things you can do to make a big impact:

1.  Look at your mailbox.  Paint it or replace it if it's old.  Make sure the numbers are not worn and weathered.  If not maintained, it will detract from your home's appeal.

2. What's your house number?  Ensure your house numbers can be seen by passersby.  Make sure they are large, bold and if possible lit.  We want sellers to be able to find you!

3.  Do you have a welcome mat?  Replace any worn, dirty mat.  People like to wipe their feet when they enter your home and it creates a great first impression.

4.  Curb appeal is essential.  All the interior staging in the world won't matter if no one stops to look inside.  The exterior of your home must make people stop and want to come in.  Plant seasonal colorful flowers in front yard beds.  Put down fresh mulch and get rid of the weeds.  Do the work yourself and it can be done for less than $100.

5.  Does the outside of your home look well-maintained?  Paint weathered shutters and trim.  Pressure wash driveways and sidewalks.  It will welcome buyers in.

6.  The front door is the gateway to the interior.  It must be clean, freshly painted, with clean and polished hardware.  If the knobs are made of brass, polish them.  If tired and worn, just replace them.

7.  Lighting fixtures are noticeable if they're old and outdated.  Brass and gold are out in normal median priced homes.  The exception may be custom, higher priced homes.  Any local discount hardware store has countless choices of fixtures that will bring your home up-to-date.  It doesn't have to cost a fortune to look good.  Big impact!

8.  Receptacles and switches may seem unimportant, but they're not.  If they're dirty from fingerprints over the years, take them off carefully and clean them.  If they've been painted over, remove them and replace them with a cover that matches the wall color or the trim color.  The cost is approximately $.47-$1.50, depending on the style.  Don't go for fancy or brass ones as it is not necessary.

9.  How are your faucets looking?  Old, corroded?  If stainless steel, take them apart, clean and polish them.  Remove acrylic faucets from bathroom fixtures and clean them.  Quite often cleaning is all that is needed.  A little elbow grease can go a long way.  If all else fails, replace it. 

10.  The most important thing....clean your house as if you needed to eat off the floors, windows, walls and furniture.  Barb would call it "Q-tip Clean".  We all do routine weekly and monthly cleaning, but this is more like spring cleaning galore!  Clean every single surface, every window (inside & out), every inch of the floor, every glass fixture, every mirror, every nook and cranny, every cob web and dust puffle.  This is especially important in bathrooms and kitchens.  Buyers do not want to recall or have any evidence that someone else has lived in the house.  Make it sparkle like new.