Stage It Right, Sell It Quick with Homes Staged Right by L&J

Stage it right, sell it quick with Homes Staged Right by L&J

Thursday, July 5, 2012

By Jean Bonchak

@JBonchak

The expansive windows framing vistas of thick woods in a Chester Township residence presented a far more pleasing sight than the big screen television hanging on a plain wall.
So in order to make the home more attractive for potential buyers, professional home stagers Laura Fulton and Joyce Raque removed the electronic distraction and created a new focal point by emphasizing the outdoor scene.
Realtor Christine Pappas of RE/MAX Results suggested that the homeowner hire Fulton and Raque, owners of Mentor-based Homes Staged Right by L & J, to ramp up its appeal in hopes of clinching a quicker sale.
Among other changes were the rearrangement of furniture which, in some cases, altered the purpose of some rooms, and the establishment of neutral decor with pops of pleasing colors.
Pappas, who's handling the property on Kimberly Lane priced at $849,500 along with Realtor Tim Garton, said the importance of staging has increased as the real estate market has tightened.
"In a buyer's market sellers have to prepare more," she said. "They have to do everything to put their best foot forward. It's hard for someone to walk into a home and visualize what it will be like. A stager helps create (that).
"It's something that I (suggest) for all of my clients on a regular basis."
Statistics gathered by Stagedhomes.com shows that 94 percent of homes staged by an accredited staging professional sold in 29 days or less, compared to an average of 145 days for homes that were not staged.

Also, professionally staged homes stay on the market for 83 percent less time than a home that hasn't been staged. Experience gleaned by Fulton and Raque supports those facts.
The pair, working with a single investor in staging 36 homes, helped to sell 34 within 30 days. Previously, the investor's properties averaged 120 days on the market.

When Fulton and Raque first paired up five years ago their inventory used to stage homes filled a one-car garage. Since then they've accumulated enough furniture and accessories to pack a 5,000-square-feet warehouse on Tyler Boulevard in Mentor.
Raque noted that there's a major difference between decorating and staging. The former refers to personalizing a home to one's liking, while the goal of the latter is to de-personalize it, thus making it attractive to the widest spectrum of buyers.
"Many people are attached to their house because the have so many memories they feel it's worth more than it actually is," Raque said. "You have to take the emotion out, not only on the lower end homes, but on the high end as well."
The pair has been hired to stage spaces ranging in size from 600 square feet in a trailer in Mentor to a $1 million home in Waite Hill which, after staging, sold in one week.
"The concept and philosophy of staging is the same no matter what the price level," Fulton said. "Clutter eats equity."
Fulton and Raque charge $125 for an opening consultation. During that time they'll assess the situation as well as give suggestions such as where to place artwork and move furniture. If the client needs additional help, fees are arranged accordingly.
Barb Schwarz, founder and chairwoman of The Board of The International Association of Home Staging Professionals and Foundation, said staging makes financial sense.
"The math is pretty simple," she said. "Imagine a $300,000 home that's been on the market for six months without selling. The seller is becoming more and more frustrated and considers a price decrease of 5 percent. That's $15,000.
"Now imagine investing only a fraction of that sum in staging and selling the home much faster. That's what staging will do, and the numbers are in to prove it — time and time again."
For more on staging homes, visit

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