Share on twitter
Share on facebook
Share on linkedin
Share on tumblr

If you sell your house looking like a model home, chances are you’ll sell it for a good price. This technique is called home staging. Sellers acknowledge the importance of home staging that it has become a fast-growing profession.

“Staging is not decorating. Decorating is optional, staging is mandatory in order to sell the house for the most possible money in the shortest amount of time,” says home staging instructor Joanne O’Donnell. She has been teaching home staging courses for several years.

The concept was started by Barb Schwarz in 1972 who was then a realtor. She realized that houses that were prepared to be sold prior to putting it up in the market, sold better than those that were not. Today thousands of real estate professionals understand the importance of home staging.

“When we put your home on the market it is no longer your home; it is a product and we’re marketing it,” O’Donnell tells her students.

Home stagers start by taking a close look at the house inside and out. O’Donnell encourages her students to go around the house with the seller. As they go through the house, they should take notes of the things that need to be moved or taken out.

Even though home staging is about improving the appearance of the house, O’Donnell emphasizes that it’s different from interior decorating. “You can’t go out and buy new things for every problem that you have with a house,” she says. Home staging is about decluttering in a way that it looks attractive to the masses. “Clutter eats up equity”, O’Donnell often reminds her students. “The whole idea of staging is that you want to market to the largest number of people to get as many offers as possible,” says O’Donnell.

There are five important points to remember in home staging. O’Donnell refers to them as the Five C’s of staging – clean, clutter-free, color, creatively staged, compromise with the sellers.

Gerin Canin, a lawyer from New York is transitioning into a home stager. She says, “People don’t see that a lot of things that are in their houses are part of themselves and when you try to sell a house you want to make it as neutral as possible, not necessarily in the colors, but in the way it’s presented.”

“I think that when people sell their homes they don’t necessarily see their house as a potential buyer would see their house. They become attached to things. [The seller] doesn’t notice things that other people would notice. So I do think it’s important to have an opinion from someone else,” explains Canin.

Here are some tips from professional home stagers:

Inside the house :

  • Clear the clutter
  • Remove from sight extra appliances and wirings
  • Put away family pictures
  • Do what you can to give a lot of open space

Outside the house:

  • Paint/Power wash
  • Put shutters
  • Plants, high, medium, low — with lots of color
  • Add decks to improve the look

Corey Bishop - Extension 701

Corey Bishop started his Real Estate career as a Sale Associate in 1995. Currently Corey is a licensed Broker in MA and Salesperson in VT. He carries many professional designations including the ABR,ATWDC,CRS,C2EX,GRI,SEC,SFR,RSPS.

Corey owns Bishop West Real Estate Inc with his business Partner Peter West which services Massachusetts, New York & Vermont. He’s also the co-owner of Bishop West Real Estate LLC with Mr. West which services the State of Florida with Offices in Venice & North Port

A current member of the Society of Exchange Counselors; the nation’s premier creative real estate marketing organization, Corey also served on the Board of Governors and is involved with many other committees for the Society.

Corey holds an Unrestricted Construction Supervisor and a Home Improvement Contractor license in the state of MA. As one of the owners of Modular Building Systems Inc he has been instrumental in the construction of new modular homes, residential fix & flips, multi-family renovations, commercial and Industrial building updates and renovations.

Currently his business revolves around Managing Bishop West Real Estate Inc & LLC, selling and investing in Residential, Land, Commercial & Investment real estate on a national level for clients, or on his own behalf. He also owns and manages a large apartment and Commercial/Industrial real estate portfolio.

Corey also is the managing partner of The Bishop West School of Real Estate, a Real Estate School that provides education on a local, regional & national level.

Professional Affiliations Include:

– NAR – National Association of Realtors

– SEC – Society of Exchange Counselors

– BCBOR – Berkshire County Board of Realtors

Professional Designations & Certifications Held:

– ABR – Accredited Buyers Representative

– AHWD – At Home with Diversity

– CRS – Certified Residential Specialist

– C2EX – Committed to Excellence

– GRI – Graduate of Real Estate Institute

– SFR – Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource

– SEC – Society of Exchange Counselors

– RSPS – Resort & Second Home Property Specialist

Other Notable items:

– President of Modular Building Systems Inc.

– Vice President of Bishop West Real Estate Inc. (MA, NY, VT)

– Managing Partner of Bishop West Real Estate LLC. (Florida)

– President of Bishop West School of Real Estate. A Licensed MA Real Estate School

– Managing partner of Interstate Investment Group LLC & Trifecta Properties LLC

– 2022 Berkshire County MLS Board of Directors

Community Involvement:

– Current President of the Adams Lassie Softball League & The Greylock Thunder Travel Softball League

– Current member of The Hoosac Valley Hurricanes Basketball & Baseball Booster Clubs

– Former Vice Chairman of the Town of Adams Conservation Commission

– Current Elected Town of Adams Meeting Member

– Past North Adams Rotary President

Email: [email protected]

Would you like to submit your personal testimonial for Bishop West? Click this link: https://g.page/r/CYY8OstrcfDfEAI/review
 
Skip to content