The "Know-it-All" client

OK - I normally don't diss clients but this one had me on a low boil for several days.

I was hire by the real estate agent as a extra service for her client. That is a smart move on the agents part and normally works really well.

But on this day....

The first words out of the homeowner "I watch HGTV all the time. I know what I need to do to stage my house"

My response: "Great! I love when homeowners are educated about the process"

Some of the issues regarding staging the house that I talked to her about included:

• Tons of family photos on the walls
• Extra large armoires in several rooms
• In the children's room, their names were spelled out in letters.
• A huge stair machine in a first floor room

Now if you really watch staging shows and you truly are interested in staging your home to sell it quickly and for top dollar - you know the issues.

• Removing family photos to depersonalize is staging rule number 1
• Having large armoires signals to buyers that there is not enough closets space
• For security reasons alone don't let strangers know your children's names
• A stair machine is not a good focal point of the room.

After coming up with a plan for these items, the seller refused to make the changes. She said "I know I should but I'm not going to"

To that I say "Urghh" (in the privacy of my vehicle) as I drive away. I can only image what the homeowner will be like for the real estate agent. Best of luck on that one!

We are here to help. Take the help. Staging works!