Doing The Stager's Shuffle

Whenever my schedule allows it, I visit Open Houses in my area.

I introduce myself to the agent, explain who I am and that I am not a potential client, then I walk through each house multiple times.

I do what I call the stager's shuffle.

I stand in the center of the door into each room, look straight in, and note what I see. I move to the right side of the door and look at the left side of the room. Move over to the left to look at the right side of the room.

Back I go to the center of door, then walk straight in to the room. How far can I walk in a straight line? How far should I be able to walk? Are there obstacles? What furnishings or architectural elements catch my attention? If there is a second door to the room, how easy is it to walk from the center of door one to the center of door two?

Two-step back to the right side of the door. Can I walk in to the left side of the room? What gets in the way? What catches my eye?

Dosey-do back to the door and repeat going left to right.

I know this sounds obsessive. But, that is only because it IS a bit obsessive.....and fun. Try doing the shuffle in your own home. Make believe you have never been in the house before so every room is a new experience. Be prepared to be surprized. Sometimes there are three separate rooms lurking within those four walls.

If the agent is not busy, especially if the agent is a stager, we sometimes do the shuffle together.

Pause to relish that mental image ..............

Okay, the fun is over, the music is silent.

I make a mental list of the pro's and con's of each room, then I mentally stage it. I add furnishings to vacant houses. I remove and rearrange furnishings in decorated and lived in houses. I think about color and condition.

Then, if the agent is not busy, I ask about the feedback she/he has received on the house. I do this because everything I just desribed was done inside my head. I want to know if the comments of potential buyers match my list of pro's and con's. I want to LEARN.

The lists usually match. If I think a room is going to feel small, buyers have commented on how little the room is. If I suspect an architectural element, like a fireplace, is really well staged; buyers have immediately seen and exclaimed over the beauty of that element. If I think a room is confusing, buyers have departed saying they just can't imagine how their furniture could ever fit in that room.

Of course, sometimes I learn new things. If buyer's feedback conflicts with my expectations, I go back and dance again: what did I miss?

I learn a lot about local color trends and local buyer's preferences.

Then, having learned, I head for the next Open House where I will dance again.

Happy Thursday, all.