What Is Staging?

An Accredited Staging® Professional™ (ASP™) is a
dedicated professional who has studied and learned the proven
and powerful techniques of Staging® homes.
An Accredited Staging® Professional™ (ASP™) has
successfully completed a detailed ASP™ course and passed a
required thorough examination on preparing homes for sale.

Staged® Homes traditionally present themselves better than
the competition by being clean, clutter-free, and ready to show to prospective buyers.

An Accredited Staging® Professional™ (ASP™) is
committed to the principles and practices of marketing properties as Staged® Homes.

Why should you sell a Staged¨Home?
Your home will look better than similiar homes,
allowing it to sell faster and/or for more
money.

• Because your home has been professionally Staged—
it will be recognized as a Staged Home.
• A Staged Home will look better than competing
homes for sale in your local market, allowing you to
sell faster and/or for more money.
• Staged Homes are recognized by other real estate
agents as properties ready to sell. They will be more
likely to show your home to potential buyers.
• Staged Homes are recognized by buyers as the best properties to see.
• More buyers want to see Staged Homes,increasing
your visibility and showings.
• Staged Homes qualify for special promotional
materials including street signs and print material designations—allowing your home to be marketed to more potential buyers.

Staging® Criteria
by Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging™

When you get ready to place a home on the market for sale it becomes a product, just like any product on the shelves at your local store it has features and benefits, pluses and minuses and there are other products to compete with. To gain an edge in your marketplace you must be priced right and look better than the competition.

Sometimes it’s difficult to think of a home as a mere product, but it helps to think that way so that you can get top dollar for your property and sell it in a reasonable amount of time.

When you sell your home you’re going to have to move. When you move you’re going to have to pack. Most of the principles of Staging just mean that you’re going to pack up some of your things early. It’s a little bit of work, but you’re going to have to do it anyway, so let’s do it now so you can get top dollar for your property in your marketplace.


General Comments:
• In every room...stand at doorway and look at the room through the eyes of a buyer. What do you see? Be tough on yourself: What can you live without while your home is on the market?

• Most carpets need to be cleaned. Have them professionally cleaned before coming on the market.
“Buyers only know what they see...Not the way it’s going to be!”

Unless your home is a “fixer”, badly worn or very out of date carpets should be replaced before coming on the market. Offering a buyer a credit to pick their own new carpet or a discount off the price is far less effective and will always end up costing you more money and slow the selling process.

Pick a light-colored short plush or Berber carpet. “Real-estate beige” is the safest color.


• Check all light fixtures. Are they working properly? Replace all burned out light bulbs. Look for dark hallways and corners and increase the wattage of bulbs in those areas.

• Make sure there are lamps with adequate bulbs in dark corners that are turned on for showings.

• Repair and repaint cracks on all walls and ceilings.

• Repair or replace broken light switches and switch plates. Clean any dirty areas around them.

• Keep all curtains and blinds open during the day to let in light and views. The extra cost of
additional heating or air conditioning is a necessary cost of selling.

• Reduce the number of pillows on couches to zero or two. Remove all afghans and blankets.

“The Way You Live In Your Home and the Way We Market and Sell Your House are Two Different Things!” — Barb Schwarz