We recently had the opportunity to stage an occupied house in Portland two times and thought we'd pass along some interesting things we experienced.
Last year we were asked to do a consult and staging at a small occupied home in NE Portland. Here are a few before and after pics from the first staging.
Bedroom used as a dining room
Second bedroom used an office
The main level had a living room, two bedrooms (see above), a bathroom and kitchen. The lower level was a fully remodled daylight basement that was the master suite and bath. The problem was there was no actual dining room, only a tiny nook in the kitchen.
After much debate, the owners decided that keeping the dining room (in the bedroom) as they had it was how it would be staged. While this layout worked great for the couple who lived there, the floorplan was a challenge for potential buyers. We added a lounger in the office since the owner worked at home and needed to keep the office space as is.
The home was on the market for five months with no offers. Granted, the asking price was too high according to the owners, but nonetheless, not even an offer.
They finally decided to stay put and take the home off the market. Fade to black...
... or so we thought.
Three months later we got a call from the owners saying they'd bought a house in Lake Oswego and needed to sell as quickly as possible. This time it was decided to stage what had been the dining room as a bedroom. And the asking price was more realistic with the current market.
A full price offer was accepted in one week!
So was it the bedroom or the price? We'll never know for certain - but it was an interesting experience being able to stage the same space twice with vastly different end results.
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This occupied home was professionally staged by Synergy Staging. Join the Realtors, Investors, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company. For more tips or to see our latest home staging projects, read our Portland Home Staging Blog and visit us on Facebook. Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster in 2010.
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David, how interesting. The bedroom makes a much better bedroom than living room. You must have made quite a positive impression, though, since the sellers contacted you for round 2.
David, interesting post.It's always a coin toss when a room can be used for two 'I wants'. Obviously a bedroom had more value in this house. Either way, you made the room look great.
David, My guess is it was all about the price being too high, because the dining room looked fantastic, and the bedroom looked equally appealing. Those owners realized the fault wasn't with the stager, which is why you were asked back. Your incredible work speaks for itself.
What a compliment to be asked to work with them again! Love the results - awesome job! Glad it worked out for everyone!
Hi David ~ Great that you and Nik could stage this home twice and that the end result was a sale!
Kathy ~ It did work better as a bedroom. We always try our best to give our clients the best possible service which is hopefully why they came back to us the 2nd time.
Janice ~ Thank you!
Sally ~ The price was certainly too high the first time around, and in this market, price is an extremely important factor, in addition to preparation, presentation, and location.
Sheila ~ It was great to have the opportunity to give it a second go, and even better to have such quick results.
Maureen ~ Agreed! Thanks.
Proving yet again that the purpose of the room needs to make sense to most people. I susoected bedrooms trumped dining rooms.
Your staging, both ways, looked great.
You really did a fantastic job on both stagings. I think the price had a good deal to do with the offer, but had it not been staged who knows how long they would have had to wait. The bottom line is the sellers were smart enough to do it right and hire a professional!
Such an interesting turn of events! Your staging made things much more appealing and I am sure it was a critical component in this successful sale.
Great job, both times. I, too, think the price might have been a big issue the first time. But I am going to go ahead and give credit where credit is due. They already had one bedroom being used as an office. It sounds like you tried to convince them that the "bedroom" should not be a dining room the first time. In this particular home your instincts were spot on. It just took them some time to realize it.
That was an interesting experiment David. I am often asked if its better to stage one bedroom as an office. I never thought of converting the dining room into a bedroom.
Nancy ~ The purpose of a room does need to make sense to people. This shows that different layouts do impact how potential buyers feel about a home and that staging is different from how we live in a home.
Sharon ~ I agree that price was a major factor here, and hopefully more and more sellers will be turning to stagers to ensure their homes show at their best.
Kathy ~ Thanks. This was an interesting project and we were thrilled with the quick sale the 2nd time around.
Palma ~ The important thing is that the home sold as quickly as it did. Thanks!
Michelle ~ We've never seen a bedroom used as a dining room either, but it's also rare that a home doesn't have at least a small space that can be utilized as an eating area.
Congratulations on such a quick offer! The home looks so much more inviting now. Bedroom was the way to go.
It would depend on if they could eat in the kitchen or not I think. I would prefer another bedroom, but it seems like there needs to be a table somewhere in the home.
Liz ~ Thanks for your comments.
Lawrence ~ There was a very small table in the kitchen which is why the owners made a dining room out of the bedroom to suit their living style. Having a table is important, but so is a bedroom. Hence the dilemma...
I guess it depends on the demographic of the targeted potential buyers. If the home is located in a family- oriented neighborhood, then the extra bedroom totally makes sense. In any case, you certainly proved that staging helped make that sale.
Erica ~ It's good to have clients that understand the benefits of staging and how everything works together. That is what resulted in a quick sale!