Home Staging comes to Hartselle
By Staff
Service gets houses ready for market
Tracy B. Cieniewicz, Hartselle Enquirer
For those looking to sell a home, Janan Downs of Hartselle has a way to help attract the buyer's eye and recoup equity for the seller.
Downs has opened a Professional Home Staging (r) Service, which puts houses in top selling condition by cleaning, de-cluttering and depersonalizing. Homes are also often refurnished or rearranged to have the open, spacious feel many buyers look for when shopping for a home.
"You can't change the location, you can't do anything about the current real estate market, but you can change the condition of your house and its presentation," Downs said. "A Real Estate Stager (r) helps you to do these last two things and can positively improve the selling price of your house."
Staging (r) has grown in popularity across the nation through television shows like "Sell this House" and "Designed to Sell." The word Stage (r) is a federally registered trademark of StagedHomes.com.
Downs, who has a bachelor's degree in interior design and associates degrees in computer aided drafting and design and home furnishings merchandising, was just recently awarded the designation of Accredited Staging (r) Professional. She is also a member of the International Association of Home Staging (r) Professionals.
"My husband, Paul, and I were preparing our homes for sale 15 years ago, with great success, and didn't know there was a name for it," Downs recalled. "Now there are many terms used–house fluffing, dressing to sell and home presentation, to name a few."
However, Staging (r) was conceived by Barb Schwarz of California in 1972. Certified Stagers (r) go through the property with a trained, objective buyer's eye and use an extensive checklist to determine what needs to be done by the homeowner or the Stager (r).
Downs offers the following advice for those selling their house before it goes on the market:
Downs said it is also important to put away items used every day, like pajamas and nightgowns and toiletries.
"They all represent the personality of the owner and their life in the house," Downs explained. "When you remove these personal things from the house or from view, the seller is really giving the buyer permission to mentally move their things into and buy the house. Until they can do that, they'll never buy the house."
According to Downs, beyond this point is where the science of Staging (r) really begins.
"When you sell your house, it's a job," Downs said. "You are earning back your equity. I can guarantee that no matter what you spend on your home to get it Staged (r) and ready for the market, it cost you less than your first price reduction when it doesn't sell."
Downs specializes in furnished or vacant residential and commercial properties. Additional professional services include one-day decorating and rearranging to create a new look in your home, personal home d/cor shopping, new homeowner move-in, and open house and special event preparation.
For prices and information, call Downs at 751-0795 or email JDICONCEPTS@aol.com.
