>>JENNIFER WAUGH: NOW AT 15 MINUTES AFTER 8 O’CLOCK ALL MORNING, WE ARE TALKING REAL
ESTATE ONE. 0, ONE. WHEN IT
COMES TIME TO SELL YOUR HOME,
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
GET TOP DOLLAR. CERTAINLY
EXPERTS SAY THERE’S SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN DO THAT COULD
DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME
THAT YOU’RE HOME, SITS ON THE
MARKET AND INCREASE THE PRICE
THAT YOU GET BY UP TO 5% NEWS.
4 JAX ANCHOR STACEY SPAN US IS
JOINING US NOW LIVE TO TELL US
WHAT THAT IS. STACEY, GOOD
MORNING AGAIN.
>> GOOD MORNING TO YOU, JEN.
YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF IT.
IT’S CALLED HOME STAGING. THAT
MEANS YOU HIRE A COMPANY TO
BRING IN FURNITURE, WALL
HANGINGS AND EVEN KNICKKNACKS
TO MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK LIKE A
MODEL HOME. THERE IS A COST
INVOLVED WITH IT. HOWEVER,
THOSE WHO USE IT SAY IT’S
WORTH EVERY PENNY.
>> WHEN JACKSONVILLE RESIDENT
STEVE COBB WAS GETTING READY
TO PUT HIS MOTHER’S 1964,
ARLINGTON HOME ON THE MARKET
LAST YEAR. IT WAS VACANT. NO
FURNITURE INSIDE. IT WAS
RECOMMENDED TO HIM TO STAGE
THE HOME LIKE THIS HOUSE, THE
EMPTY LIVING ROOM WOULD BE
BROUGHT TO LIFE WITH
FURNITURE. THE DINING ROOM
WOULD BE FILLED WITH THE TABLE
CHAIRS, DISHES, EVEN THE
KITCHEN WOULD BE GIVEN A
SLIGHT MAKEOVER TO COBB. IT
WAS A NO-BRAINER. THE HOUSE
LOOKED BETTER.
>> AFTER WE HAD STAGED IT,
THEN IT LOOK WITH MY MOM’S FOR
>> I’M REALLY A NICE MODERN
LOOK. THE HOME HAD GREAT BONES
BUT NEEDED A LITTLE UPDATING.
BUT WHEN THE STAGING WAS
COMPLETE, THE HOUSE HAD A MORE
CONTEMPORARY LOOK, ONE THAT
APPEAL TO A WIDER DEMOGRAPHIC.
THE LIVING ROOM LOOKED COZY
AND ATTRACTIVE. THE DINING
ROOM DESPITE HAVING GREEN
WALLPAPER ON ONE WALL, LOOK
MORE MODERN AND THE STAGE ERS
TURNED AN EXTRA BEDROOM INTO A
HOME OFFICE. SOMETHING A LOT
OF BUYERS ARE LOOKING FOR
THESE DAYS RIGHT AWAY. COVE
RECEIVED SEVERAL OFFERS WE HAD
WITHIN 24 HOURS WHEN WE LISTED
THAT WE HAD 8 OFFERS. AND I
THINK
>>LAUREN VERNO: PART OF THAT.
>> A GOOD PART OF THAT IS DUE
TO THE OVERALL STRENGTH OF THE
IT IS ABSOLUTELY A SELLERS
MARKET. THEN AS IT IS STILL
PROBABLY TODAY BUT BUT STAGING
ALLOWED IT ALLOWED THE VISION
OF HOW THE HOME COULD BE
UTILIZED. THE POINT OF HOME
STAGING IS JUST YOU KNOW, YOU
WANT LOOK LIKE A MODEL HOME.
LEAH HUDSON WORKS WITH THE
STAGING COMPANY AND SAYS HOME
SELLING IS ALL ABOUT APPEALING
TO PEOPLE’S EMOTIONS. YOU WANT
TO PULL ON HEARTSTRINGS.
SELLING HOUSES IS ACTUALLY A
LOT MORE EMOTIONAL THAN PEOPLE
THINK. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN
YOU’RE WALKING THROUGH, IF IT
LOOKS NICE AND THERE’S NO
>>LAUREN VERNO: PERSONAL STUFF
SITTING AROUND IS JUST A
LITTLE BIT EASIER TO ENVISION
YOURSELF THERE AND PEOPLE GET
MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND
HELPS, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO
SAY THAT IT HELPS THAT TO SELL
FOR MORE AND SELL FASTER. SO
THAT’S REALLY THE GOAL. LAST
YEAR, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF REALTORS CONDUCTED A SURVEY
AND FOUND THAT 82% OF BUYERS
AGENTS SAID STAGING A HOME
MADE IT EASIER FOR A BUYER TO
VISUALIZE THEMSELVES LIVING
THERE. 31% SAID HOME STAGING
GREATLY DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF
TIME A HOME STATE ON THE
MARKET. AND 23% SAID HOME
STAGING RAISE THE DOLLAR VALUE
OFFERED BETWEEN ONE TO 5%
COMPARED TO SIMILAR HOMES ON
THE MARKET THAT HAD NOT BEEN
STAGED. COBB SAYS IT SEEMED TO
WORK FOR HIS MOTHER’S HOME. IN
THE END, IT SOLD FOR OVER
ASKING PRICE. SO FOR YOU, YOU
FELT IT WAS WORTH IT. THAT WAS
ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT TO STAGE
THE HOUSE. NOW THE CELLAR
USUALLY PAYS FOR THE STAGING,
NOT THE REAL ESTATE AGENT
DIFFERENT COMPANIES HAVE
DIFFERENT PRICES. SOME CHARGE
ONE PERCENT, THE LISTING PRICE
AND OTHERS CHARGED A ONETIME
SETUP FEE AND THEN A MONTHLY
FEE TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
LEE IS COMPANY CHARGES ABOUT
3.75 A MONTH. JEN.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: SO IT’S
ALWAYS SO HEART, OF COURSE, AS
YOU KNOW, STACEY, BECAUSE
YOU’RE YOU’RE ALREADY PROBABLY
IF YOU’VE OWNED YOUR HOME FOR
A WHILE, YOU’RE PAYING MORE TO
KIND OF 6 UP THE INSIDE. BUT
THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT
PAYING TO STAGE IT. YOU START
KIND OF CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS.
I MEAN, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY
YOU COULD PAY THE STAGE IN THE
HOME WON’T SELL.
>>LAUREN VERNO: YEAH. THERE IS
THAT POSSIBILITY. THAT DOES
HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY. BUT IT
MOST REALTORS SAY THAT DOES
NOT HAPPEN. AND USUALLY IF IT
DOES, THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE
WRONG WITH THE HOME. SO KEEP
THAT IN MIND. NOW FOR THOSE OF
US WHO HAVE HOMES THAT I MEAN
THAT WE LIVE AND WE WANT TO
LIST AND SELL. THERE ARE SOME
OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO
TO JUST JUDGE IT UP. FOR LACK
OF A BETTER WORD. YOU CAN HIRE
A COMPANY TO COME IN AND DO A
CONSULTATION AND THEY CAN
SUPPLEMENT YOUR HOME OR THEY
CAN ALSO GIVE YOU
RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT TO DO.
AND I’VE GOT A LIST OF THOSE
ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. ONE
OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS, OF
COURSE, TO DE CLUTTER. HOW
MANY OF US HAVE THAT ROOM
WHERE WE JUST PILE THINGS AND
OKAY, MAYBE I’M THE ONLY ONE
GUILTY OF IT, BUT I DON’T
THINK SO. THAT’S THE FIRST
RECOMMENDATION. LEA HAS ALSO
REMOVED FAMILY PHOTOS. SHE
SAYS, MAKE SURE YOUR ROOM
FEELS OPEN, NOT CLOSED OFF.
>> HUGHES LED DAYLIGHT TO MAKE
THE ROOM FEEL RIGHT AND CLEAN
YOUR FRONT DOOR AND ENTRANCE
BECAUSE THAT’S THE FIRST
IMPRESSION PEOPLE HAVE WHEN
THEY WALK UP TO THE HOME. AND
OF COURSE, PAGE, WE KNOW THAT
THAT A SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE
SOLUTION TO MAKE YOUR HOME
LOOK FRESH. JEN.