Staging is not a new word or concept. (I trained under the woman who first coined it 40+ years ago, and holds the trademark.)

Over time there’ve been several incarnations of what we believe home staging to be about. Unfortunately, many stopped paying attention after the first.

So to help us all re-calibrate….and perhaps bring a smile to thee, here’s this Westchester County NY Home Stager’s take on the genesis of Staging.

n the beginning, there were breakfast trays…and pastel bath salts, and candles. LOTS of candles. Furniture was trucked into empty trophy houses and made to look pretty. It was an up market, procurement was sport.

Buyers wanted to dream about how they might live in their new home. Apparently whiling away thy days in the bathroom was the dream of many. Baths suitable for Roman nobility became the norm, and manufacturers of all said accouterments leapt for joy.

It was the 1.0 version of Staging, and it was good (at the time).

hen a pall was cast over the land.  The pendulum swung all the way over, excess was testimony to bad decisions. Passion still existed for domicile-feathering, but now every coin was squeezed as hard as possible, and the word ‘re-design’ was born.

DIY shows, pros and tips proliferated like dandelions on a sunny May weekend.  Many of these projects reminded us of a kinder, gentler time…like when we were in Ye Olde Shoppe class, or Home Ec.  Or when we had a dorm mate.

Many agents, reeling from the 2007 trauma instead railed against bath salts and candles, and took to likening this work as lip cosmetics on swine. Sadly, they shrunk from insisting on any proper preparation of properties.

It was the 2.0 version of Staging, and it was BAD.

inally, balance and sensibility returned!  While budget mattered, everyone felt the difference good service meant, and saw that quality work attracted quality buyers…and generally sold the castle quicker, for more coinage.

Savvy sellers and agents look to start conversations with clever preparers of properties, to see how they, too, could comfortably speak of such things!

Aforementioned clever preparers found their voice!  Managing the peoples’ needs and expectations, as well as their stuff -just as important as creating an engaging visual.   People just chilled.  They decided it was time to make decisions and move on with their life.

It is the 3.0 version of Staging, and IT IS GOOD. Very, very good!

oral of the story:  Do not miss the carriage!  Stop thy whining and gnashing of teeth, forsake living in the past.

Before all craziness of the next buying season hits hard, get thee to your communication device of choice, and get to know a good preparer of properties.