As a Home Stager serving Orlando, Central Florida and surrounding areas, I have never seen so many vacant homes! Without a doubt the majority of my incoming requests come from Realtors and Sellers of vacant properties. The market has changed which means you need to set your home apart from your competitors!

At a time where many sellers currently own two properties, are paying mortgages for both and are eagerly looking to sell, there is no better time to get your home staged. The purpose is to bump your home up several notches with "wow factor" to allow buyers to fall in love with your home and say, "This is the one. I love it!" and get your home sold quickly and for top dollar!

Vacant property sellers are not alone, occupied homes experience the same issues but there are different factors taking place, so I want to focus on vacant properties today. Imagine you are a buyer and your Realtor has pulled up to a home you are about to tour. You're excited that this could be the one after all of your searching so you eagerly walk through the front door to find empty walls and well an empty house! Every room you look at is a blank canvas which some might say is a good thing. Well, did you know that statistically 93% of buyers cannot see beyond the bare walls and empty rooms?! That means the vacant home will spend much more time on the market and will not likely get the asking price, only to get caught up in price reductions as a result. The other problem is that potential buyers will see that the home owner is desperate to sell and will almost always submit a lower offer, not helpful for the seller!

Why is this? Well, there is something to be said about a clean and fresh space that is warm, inviting and homey. Empty homes lack that very warmth, hominess and inviting feeling that buyers are looking for! Do you ever notice that when you walk through a model home, it has a certain cozy feeling that gets you all happy and excited and your brain starts working away on all of the possibilities that this home could mean for you...maybe it is room for a family, maybe it is more space for a newly married couple, or maybe it is the feeling of a more upscale neighborhood. Whatever the thoughts are, the empty home simply doesn't convey those.

What do you do? Like many other homeowners of vacant homes, you get it home staged! What that will mean is you will work with a Home Stager and they will get in touch with their furniture rental company and select the appropriate furniture for all or key rooms in your home. They will set up vignettes with props, flowers, art and décor that will provide the cozy feeling that buyers crave. This will allow the potential buyers to better envision where they will also place their furniture if they chose your home. The restored warmth sets it apart from empty homes they have been shown.

Is Staging Expensive? Home Staging is almost always lower than the cost of the first price reduction. With the $20-$30K first time price reductions I've seen in Central Florida, you can't afford not to stage your home! The price is dependent on the size of your home, number of rooms and the amount of furniture and props required. This can range from a few hundred dollars in an occupied home up to a few thousand dollars in a vacant home. At Restoring Order, we will simply charge you a fee for our hands on working time, prop shopping time and rental of it, and expertise. In the case of my company, we do not charge for transportation/traveling costs nor do we mark up furniture as your agreement is directly with the rental company. Our goal is to help you get your home sold with the least amount of money invested. We will work with you to use any furniture or props that you may want to incorporate.

Why Can't I stage it myself? Well, it is the same reason you don't drill your own teeth and choose to visit a dentist, because doing it on your own provides painful results and it is not your area of expertise! Home Stagers know exactly what buyers are looking for and work accordingly. They know market trends as well as décor and design trends as well. We specialize in color consultation, de-cluttering, furniture placement and re-arrangement as well as pointing out key repairs and making curb appeal recommendations. You only have about 15 seconds to make an impression, make sure it is the right one!

For questions regarding your vacant property or Restoring Order Home Staging & Redesign contact Karla today.