A professional pulls back the curtain to reveal staging tricks
A BEAUTIFULLY staged living room makes this home more appealing.
You know a home has been staged as soon as you walk in—the furniture is showroom clean, the entire home is harmonious in color and tone and there is rarely a clue of who actually lives in the house. Lisa Friedman believes that’s the sign of a well-staged home. Friedman works in client relations at Everything Creative Design (ECD) Los Angeles, a staging company.
She pulled back the curtain and revealed how the staging industry presents a home. If it’s done well, prospective buyers want to take their time and walk through the entire home. Unlike interior designers, a stager’s goal is to appeal to a large audience and not one person’s taste.
“A stager sets the tone [of the home] and makes it welcoming but not homey,” says Friedman. They create an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere that is on point with current design trends. They want potential buyers to envision themselves living there. Did you want a coffee bar at home? The stager thought you might.
Companies also need to mask any imperfections in the floor plan. That awkward landing at the top of the stairs? Now it’s a dog’s hangout, complete with a bed and food and water bowls. The bedroom that’s not quite big enough for bed? It’s a meditation and yoga studio.
ECD, which specializes in up-to-date and luxurious design, brings everything to the home. This includes big necessities, like sofas, beds and light fixtures, but also includes decor and other details, such as coffee table books, throws and spa-like products for the bathroom. They move all the furniture in and transform the space within a few hours.
“We work together with the realtor and homeowner. Good realtors know they need a good stager. Staged homes sell faster and for more money [than vacant homes],” says Friedman. This information about home sales is backed up by both the National Association of Realtors and the Real Estate Stagers Association.
Friedman loves her job. “I get such a charge when a home sells quickly and especially like it when the buyer wants to buy some of the pieces used for the project.”
For more information, visit ecdlosangeles.com.
Category: Real Estate
