I should have said up front that I am not against staging, I have even helped people do it...and they needed the help.

But it was mostly about cleaning, organizing and getting rid of clutter, then repairing or replacing worn fixtures, and Finally painting a room that needed it badly.

I think the concept is a good one, but I think it has morphed into a mini-remodeling concept in some hands, and that is a bit much.

Terriks and natal, I have no problem with that approach but don't look as favorably on the vignettes and over staged props that pal has come across, and agree with him that some more expensive "fixes" would be better left undone.

De-cluttering is always good! Maybe I need a stager to work magic in my garage which still has more than a few unpacked boxes. It's still too hot right now, but soon ....

"Staging" like ALL of HGTV is about SELLING products. It is one LONG commercial. We have sold two homes and the realtor had a few small suggestions, Clear counter tops/fridge front. I do not even buy the "depersonalize" assumption. One might for privacy remove pictures but for selling, NO. People looking for homes are not buying furniture!! The entire concept is false. It is a fancy way of saying get rid of the excess and CLEAN! Why anyone would think to attempt a sale when there is maintenance needing to be done is just insanity.

"Sometimes" (every situation is different) a mini-remodeling project is called for!

In my case, I don't suffer from the delusion that re-doing my bathroom will increase my profit, but I do think it will help my house sell faster than it would sell if I kept my horrible plastic shower, huge yellowy-beige plastic tub, dated (icky 1987, not retro) tile tub surround, icky, awful tile floor, & hideous vanities with faux marble, gross counters. Mine is just not a change the faucets, scrub the room, & put out some fluffy white towels kind of scenario. I wish it were!

The staging show that I liked was the one that featured Tanya Memme and the guy that looked like Stretch Armstrong. They decluttered, they repainted, sometimes that bought a few accessories, but they always kept it simple

In one completely empty house they used cardboard boxes and blow up mattresses to show that the smallish bedrooms still held a queen sized bed and some furniture. Now that is practical. It didn't look fancy but it got the job done.

Again, I am not against the concept, but I think one needs to consider how much one needs it or what is more important per dollar spent.

The house with the four bids sold because the price was good--but not even great. It is a bland house though, nothing special except a certain amount of potential. But that proves that this neighborhood does not need staging (It is one half block from the house I bought)

The sellers of my house took out a four year old powder room and replaced it with a new bath based upon feedback. They hired a designer to pick paint colors, repainted the whole house and recarpeted two floors (in questionable taste apparently, because neither offer they got on the house was from someone who liked any of it) and the renters I am renting to dislike it also. They probably spent $15,000+ to sell a house that would have sold anyway, for no return on this particular investment.

I just wonder who convinced them they needed to stage it (and tear out a four year old powder room) to do so.

I put in a new bathroom and just spent $1400 replacing my undercabinet lighting because I am selling, and I will get zero incremental on that return, but that's a bit different. The 40+ year old bathroom was falling apart, and the lighting was defective. But I understand from both the buyer's and sellers standpoints equally right now.

Yes, SG, prime location trumps in most instances, but even that demographic is struggling to sell and many estate and McMansion owners are upside down. Unless one is very fortunate to find buyers with impeccable credit or cash, homes will continue to linger as the mortgage markets tightens further. We were blessed the last sale, but it took many months and we took a very painful hit but circumstances dictated we had to relocate. I'm very grateful we were able to do so with only a financial loss.

What you feel is a harsh assessment has nothing to do with price point. I feel that way about overdone or poorly done attempts no matter what the price point and have looked across the spectrum, well not the top end as that always has been out of reach, but middle to lower. I like our current modest house, but wished the sellers had not spent what they did in updates. I am sure they would have sold much sooner had they priced it initially closer to what we paid after they sat for well over a year. We were fortunate that we found something acceptable after looking a couple of weeks, but they were carrying two mortgages for almost two years before we came along. Oy!

What sellers may want to consider is maintenance and cleanliness will go a long way to helping their house stand out from the competition at any price point. A mediocre budget does not necessarily translate into a lack of flair just as a huge budget doesn't mean that the money is well spent. It's a brutal market, but sometimes less really is more, at any price point. I just hope sellers try to distinguish their houses in meaningful ways that may not require trying to make it look "staged."

I will say that many people have a hard time picturing how furniture can be placed in an empty room. I think one of the reasons we got our current home below market value was that it was completely empty. Well, that and the front garden had four months of weeds in it...I could see the nice perennials lurking beneath the Japanese Stilt grass,but I'm certain the rest of the world saw an unholy mess.

Okay, it takes me a while to write so I missed your last post, SG. As you know, we had similar baths and I had to redo the plastic yuck in this house. I also know what you're selecting and am sure it will turn out nicely, but I've seen some updates, and apparently pal has also, that simply would have be better undone with a lower price or bathroom update allowance.

If you do go to market, I guess others on this thread will tell you "Don't set the table!"

Good luck if that's the agenda.

No, AB, I didn't feel you were being harsh! Wasn't aiming that remark to anyone specifically; just at the notion that any & all staging efforts signal a lack of creativity, personality or courage on some level.

I agree with you that cleanliness, tidiness, de-cluttering & organization go a long way, when a house is on the market or if it isn't, for that matter! I also totally agree that less is more, & a canned, formulaic, "staged" appearance is far from attractive. No,no,no! Don't set the table people, lol!

The house we ended up buying was not staged, was not clean and was far from depersonalized. It was an utter disgusting mess. We looked pass the high gloss john deere green walls in a bedroom, the barnwood paneling in guest bath, mildew on the wall from fish tank splatter and a stove that could've spontaneously combusted from the grease buildup.

We knew what we were after. Location, size, and sound structure. We got all three knowing there'd be a LOT of DIY projects as the house was the tip top of our budget. But had I not had a family who worked in remodeling and interior design, I probably would've ran screaming from the house especially after smelling bedridden grandmas room.

Staging does have it's place. I just haven't experienced a house in my area that has been staged. To rural perhaps.

Don't mean to make this a dialogue between AB & Stinky, but I missed your last post while I was typing, AB, & I want to thank you for your vote of confidence. I really appreciate it.

God help me! I'm not a bath designer, or any kind of designer for that matter. I'm flying by the seat of my pants, hoping for the best (while trying to spend the least!) Besides...I don't know when the house will go up for sale, so in the mean time...won't it be nice to live without all that "plastic yuck?"

I agree... but I think that we all are open minded and are decoraters and love to get our hands on projects or we would not be on this incredible forum.

I bought my house after my divorce and the guy who inspected it asked me if I knew what I was getting into! haha

However, a great number of people need to see the house in action... with furniture (and of course in working order). Some people simply cannot visualize and want the whole "turn key" thing.

I think its a pity that people cannot see what can be done with a place. They need to have it shown and spelled out to them.

That is my two cents.
Amy

The staging show is Sell This House. The body builder/designer is Roger Hazard. What a great eye he has! Though I thought the cardboard furniture was awful!

I work on the reverse end with many who have just moved into new homes.

They can't put their finger on why their new home doesn't look like the airbrushed/edited/photoshopped homes they see on TV,
in shelter mags, or in staged homes.

They want that look and have the unrealistic expectation that a simple coat of paint and new furnishings will do it - without getting rid of anything from the old home.

Just a quick side question to palimpsest: $1400 on undercabinet lighting?? What kind of lighting system do you have and how many undercabinet l.f.?? I'm picturing tiny little hanging crystal chandeliers : ) .....

I wondered also, fly, but know LEDs can be expensive. Little crystal chandies isn't pal's style but I bet we could start a trend!

What struck me, and underscores my concern, is his sellers' ill-spent money that ate into their profit if they had any:

"They hired a designer to pick paint colors, repainted the whole house and recarpeted two floors (in questionable taste apparently, because neither offer they got on the house was from someone who liked any of it) and the renters I am renting to dislike it also. They probably spent $15,000+ to sell a house that would have sold anyway, for no return on this particular investment."

The undercounter lighting went from an old line voltage Lightolier track with snap-in sockets that took nightlight bulbs to an LED dimmable system with a transformer etc.

The system was expensive and I have been putting it off for two years because it is expensive. But I was down to one lightbulb lighting sometimes on the old system. The vendor tried to warn me against it in 2002, but I had used it before and never had a problem with it. In this renovation it NEVER worked right.

In the midst of installing it they also found yet another electrical error made by my very first (fired) contractor. They find these things and don't charge me extra for fixing them even though this one involved detective work and taking out the range.

These electricians are on the pricey side for my area, and also remember that the labor multiplier here is 1.3 the national average.

I could've cheaped out on the system since I am moving but I will be able to enjoy actual undercabinet lighting for a year anyway. (at $4 a day).

The people who sold the house still made a profit: the mortgage amount they have to pay off is for about 20% of the selling price. They aren't crying over spending the money, because they bought when the value was low.

I don't have an issue looking at homes that are 'lived-in', but my husband can't visualize what something is going to look like. We sold all our previous homes to first-time home buyers who, I think for the most part, have difficulty seeing what can be done with a house. If you are targeting that demographic, then you probably should have furniture and some decor in your home when you are marketing it. Also, a lot of first-timers, in general, don't want to have to worry about installing new flooring...or for that matter, even repainting. That is why it is good to have neutral wall colors. I didn't 'stage' any of our homes, either. But we did declutter and remove personal photos, etc.

I think people on this forum are usually more savvy then the average buyer. I think the average buyer is often swayed by new but cheap carpet, nice furniture, and fresh paint.

I only like staging to the point of realizing some do not have imagination...declutter, harmonizing color and clean clean clean. It is good to get advise from agent though as some of us who know better (me) get used to looking at our junk.

I find it rather sad when cleaning, decluttering, new paint or expensive upgrades are only done prior to selling.
Shouldn't we always be treating ourselves with as much respect as we do the prospective buyers' wallet?

I sold my house in NJ in 3 months w/o any staging. In fact, I asked my realtor if we should do anything, and she told us it was perfect as is.

But it was staged with a various assortment of furniture, obviously repainted, and had a "set" table, and "vignette" of open cookbook and utensils and some ingredients on the counter in the kitchen.

I don't know why, but the staged open cookbook, utensils and especially ingredients gives me the creeps. Also, if I saw that it wouldn't make me think "oh, this is what cooking supper would be like if we owned this house!". It would only trigger a feeling like I was interrupting someone else's family meal, a very intimate family time. So I'd ultimately feel like an observer and tourist in someone else's kitchen, invading their personal space. If any of that makes sense...

I have never really staged a home, but I did finish up projects and fixed issues that were on the to do list. Of course I decluttered and cleaned out rooms too.

The house I am living in now was painted in the worst colors you could imagine and had horrible flooring. I think whoever said it above is right, many can't see past that. FOr us it is an opportunity to make something beautiful or ours. The location was ideal.

WHile I don't mind people not staging there are some people that just don't seem to care at all. I once looked at a beautiful historic home that was not selling. It was priced a bit high, but I wanted to see it anyway. We scheduled the appt a few DAYS in advance. When we got there, the family was giving grandma a perm and cooking eggs for breakfast. I just couldn't even look around. The smell was just too much for me. Can you imagine? I don't know what they were thinking.

"Staging" can be a useful term for realtors when dealing with sellers who really need to clean and repair.

If I'm a clueless seller, I'd be more responsive to a realtor who says, "Your house could use a little staging". This sounds positive and trendy.

As opposed to a realtor who says, "Your house needs to be cleaned and repaired." This sounds negative and judgmental.

Hi boopadaboo, I'm all about the smells too. Years ago husband and I looked at a for sale by owner pool home that was nice and clean. However, their clothes closets (although well oranized)all had a very strong smell of stinky feet and BO. Everytime I thought of the house those smells came to mind, in fact I still think of it. They really needed some fresh air scents in there.

We were looking at a home that was truly memorable. It was FSBO, and the owners proudly showed us around. We started with the parlor. It would have been nice to see the walls, but they were covered - not accessorized with, but literally covered - by family pictures. From top of the many pieces of furniture, to the ceiling. We inched around the couch and between two large stuffed armchairs in the parlor to get to the door to the next room. The kitchen was nice, but I knocked stuff off the counter while looking at the cabinets. I'm glad I knocked it off, though, because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see the counters. The living room was, I think, okay. I'm not really sure because I don't remember it well, because of the huge, 12-ft tall artificial Christmas tree, fully decorated with ornaments and spider webs draped from tree to walls, everywhere. Why spider webs? Because it was a fully decorated Christmas tree . . . in July. The table was fully set . . . for Easter. With bunnies. (And spiders.) They explained that it's easier not to put everything away each year. As we left, they helpfully reminded us to make sure we didn't trip on the (dead) plants on the front stairs.

All of this is by way of saying that some people's idea of decluttering and cleaning sometimes need to be jumpstarted. Big time.

Palimpsest's experience brings up questions about resale for me.

We have a large, paid for McMansion and are empty nesters. I would love to sell and downsize, but for a number of reasons that isn't practical, so we are planning to stay in our home 10-15 years. We can mostly shut-off the upstairs except for occasional forays into DH's office and books from the playroom, until the kids come home to visit.

My problem is that the LR and DR, foyer and entire upstairs are in terrible need of painting right now and new flooring. We'll need new carpet (upstairs) at some point. The children's baths upstairs need some updating - orange oak cabinets and very cheap 20 year old builder grade fixtures (we replaced the cultured marble counters, faucets and toilets a few years ago, but will eventually need to do something to the tubs).

Until I read this thread, the plan was to declutter and clean over this year, and in about 2 years start the reno process. Now I'm wondering about timing.

Everything is old enough (paint in LR and DR is 15 years old for example) that I thought if we paint in a year or two, it may need to be painted again to sell, and we get to live with fresh paint for 10-12 years. I could recarpet soon too if I get something neutral and simple, because it will get very little wear.

I was planning on hiring a decorator to help unify the style - we are pay as you go types, and the house is a bit of a mish-mash colorwise and flooring particularly. I don't think I can live in an all beige or white house, even when I'm not using the rooms much, but the bedrooms are bright kid colors now and definitely need new paint. The LR and DR colors are not too bad, just dirty.

Home prices have certainly dipped in our area, but not as much as some, and were never in a true bubble like CA or FL or NV. Three houses across the street from us have sold in the last 8 months.

Would you only update/paint downstairs and just clean the upstairs and wait until we are moving or when we just can't stand it to change anything upstairs? Or would you plan on redoing it all over the next few years, hoping to not do a lot of redoing 10-15 years down the road.

15 years is a long time...do you really want to "make do" for 15 years? I wouldn't bother with the rooms you don't use, but I WOULD paint/update the public spaces you see/use daily. If you have to repaint for sale, so be it. Life is short. Love the space you are in!

My neighbor has moved and his total "fix-up plan" was this:

1 - Replace the gates and their latches
2 - Have a handyman he trusts fix any leaky faucets, doors that don't quite latch, etc.
3 - Clean everything! Spotlessly, better than hospital or hotel clean.
4 - Repaint the interior because it was grimy.

I'll go take pics.

I had a real estate agent tell me once that if one chooses to make cosmetic changes to update finishes, the lifespan of those changes is around eight years from a "looking dated" perspective. He was talking about paint colors, counters, appliances, flooring, etc. If you plan to stay in your house another 10 - 15 years, I would recommend that you change the things that you feel would enhance your enjoyment of your home today. Simultaneously, start a savings account for the changes that your house might need when you get ready to sell.

There was a funny post awhile back (I think on the buying/selling homes forum) that linked to a listing with lots of interior pictures. Someone's idea of staging was to get a huge vase of flowers... and it was in every picture. Kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, front hall. It was like a Where's Waldo book, except Waldo is the only guy on every page.

It is always good to be validated! As I'm thinking about it, updating the public space that we use will be about half the cost, but equal the stress as the upstairs. So I was leaning toward Mstee's and HGTV's idea of splitting the project/cost that way.

I do think that just living with it for another 10 years is not what we want to do, although I've been through lots of other folks' houses where they did just that.

I think staging is particularly helpful for younger buyers who don't have the experience yet to "see" beyond Granny's plaid sofa and brown swivel rockers. :)

Staging is part of knowing who your primary market is, imo.

I agree that many people can't see past things like paint, wallpaper, flooring, and decor that make a house look 'dated' or highlight its flaws (i.e. a lot of huge furniture & clutter may make a smaller home look smaller than it is). If the prior owners of my house had had it profesionally staged (vs. trying to do their own version of a minor 'clean and repair') it wouldn't have been on the market as long, and I wouldn't have been able to buy it. It had an 80s pink, seafoam green, & blue theme throughout, and I had to remove wallpaper, replace flooring (much more expensive than planned), paint, & replace appliances. I saw a diamond in the rough; my mother (who has a pretty good eye for design) thought I had lost my mind. But I was able to buy it for 15,000 below market value, at a time and in a neighborhood where most houses had multiple offers & bidding wars and were under contract in less than a week.

A thorough 'staging' --- focusing on the cosmetic problems --- would have absolutely helped the owners sell faster & for more money. The 'before' houses on staging shows on hgtv usually need work, and also look 200% better afterwards. So I think it's worthwhile, if your house does not look like up to date & neutral enough to look 'move in ready' to the average person, & you are marketing/selling to prospective buyers who want a turnkey house.

My friend and I took a staging class and it was just about the most fun I've had--for people who like decluttering and before & after photos, it's a great way to spend a few evenings, and I did learn a few things that I used when prepping my own home for sale.

I agree with SG and others that it depends on the house you are trying to sell. A relative of mine had a wretched near-ruined house (think Hoarders) on a dream street. Didn't even have to "declutter" the half-dozen gross litter boxes and it sold before the sign was in the yard. People will overlook a lot to get certain properties or buy into a neighborhood they otherwise couldn't afford.

Meanwhile, 12 city blocks away, on our run-of-the-mill street, my neighbor's well-maintained, clutterless and stylishly decked-out home sat unsold for over a year. In that location, it took more than nice, neat, and well-turned out to get a sale--you needed a low price, too.

What I learned from "staging" my house to sell was that I wanted to live in a staged house all the time. Having no clutter AND professional cleaners was a huge luxury to me, and I enjoyed it thoroughly :)

I work with a lot of young people who are first time home buyers. They are extremely picky--they won't even consider a home if it's not decorated like a magazine spread. When I chime in with my words of wisdom about the condition, layout and neighborhood, they politely blow me off. They make comments on homes they have seen like "it has ugly wallpaper border, or ugly paint colors". One couple actually considered buying a 2 bedroom home decorated in the pottery barn style even though they already had one child and another on the way! All because they could "move right in"! When I suggested that they might need a home with at least another bedroom, the response was "we'll just add on"--with no consideration as to the cost of a major renovation. They have shown me many of the listings online and I am always shocked at the homes they rejected because of decorating style.

Well I did look at two almost identical condo units that were each one bedroom 1.5 bath, and at least one of my friends who compared the two picked the less desirable (less windows, slightly smaller) that was also SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive because it had a washer and dryer and the old kitchen cabinets had been painted white. (Both were very low priced but one was 60% the price of the other).

Ahh, pal, that W & D would be a real lure for me if the association would not permit adding one to the less expensive place, but not at the expense of light. In one highrise, we were the last to be approved for a W & D, so that was an edge for law-abiding types.

I totally understand that the decor (and smells), just as with people's outer appearances, does impact perception. As a seller, I'd urge a pass on lot of what I've seen done in sillily staged or poorly renovated homes, but Elle3's clients would buy in a heartbeat. I get that, and attribute much of that spoiled unrealistic attitude to changes in parenting styles and values, but also to the drivel from some buyers on HGTV.

Even when I was starting out evaluating RE, I didn't expect or want perfection. View, location, light and the extent to which a floorplan either currently worked or could be modified to suit our needs were my criteria. I just looked beyond what the present owner did or did not have, calculated how much it would cost to bring to my preferences, and bought some properties that many had passed on. Still true, 35 years later.

I know you all know this, but it bears repeating in light of some of the posts on this thread. Everyone has different talents and different priorities. Not everyone is comfortable or talented or interested in interior decorating. Not everyone is capable of or willing to tackle DIY projects. I understand why a buyer might want a move-in ready house. I understand that some buyers put more weight on their emotional reaction to a house than on the financial merits of the purchase.

The best buy for each person is some combination of location, price, floor plan, material quality, and overall condition, but each buyer will weigh those factors according to their own priorities and capabilities.

In general, and of course we all have specific examples to the contrary, I believe that a house that is clean, uncluttered and nicely decorated will sell faster and for a higher price than its comparable-in-all-other-ways neighbor.

The people who have stressed cleaning, decluttering and taking care of details to be well maintained could not be more right.
I have seen immaculate older houses with 60 y o original kitchens and even original carpets sell for more than the neighbors' house with 10 y o kitchens and materials that were not well kept. Most buyers want to buy from someone who seems like they cared about the house and were fanatic about keeping it in good shape. As soon as a buyer notices a smell or defects in the workmanship of the house, they start deducting and wondering what else is in poor condition that can't be seen. Even if it is surface cosmetics, it takes the blush off the rose.

When we sold our first house, we touched up paint throughout, decluttered like crazy and hit our to do list with renewed vigor. We even rented a storage unit and put our winter stuff, excess furniture, luggage, Xmas stuff, boxes of photos/yearbooks, and half of our linen closet in the unit. It made our house seem bigger and more organized. I had 2 very small boys and would run around like a fiend with Windex when I knew someone was coming. When the buyers would invariably ask me how I kept the house so neat, I'd shrug and say it was not as neat as it usually is (it was sometimes hard to keep a straight face, lol). I truly believe it was because of the crazy emptying and organizing that made it sell so quickly and for a decent price in a declining market, despite being on a busy street. The pix on MLS made people curious despite having a few people end up not buying because the street was too busy. They'd come back a few times and really want it, but could not overcome the location. The person who did buy it, bought it because she felt it was in such move in condition. It really was well maintained, but prior to selling, the crowded closets, excess toys and "stuff" made it less appealing.
Oftentimes, I will advise a homeowner to remove the busy wallpaper in the bathroom or paint the shed and they will be amazed at how much better it looks for having done those simple things. I tell them to put away the knick knacks in case buyers come through with small children, but really it is to take away some of the visual clutter. I don't believe in de-personalizing, but often, less is more.
If staging means updating a few curtains, pulling up the shag rug to expose the hardwood floors and using paint to make things look fresh (in well chosen colors), then it brings a big return on the investment. If it is setting a kitchen table with cloth napkins, then it is a little creepy. You don't want to look like you are trying to fool the buyers but that the house is as clean, neat and organized as it always was.
Oh, and put down the toilet seat and put the cap on the darn toothpaste....

Interesting thread. I love going to open houses, especially if the house is old and/or quirky. In a few instances, I've seen really helpful examples of staging where appropriate furniture was placed in challenging spaces. One example that comes to mind was an oddly shaped living room/entry combo where there were no real clear options for furniture placement if the room was empty. But they floated a small sofa in the middle of the room with a rug in front of it, positioned just so in front of the fireplace, and it looked wonderful. From there, my mind's eye could just fill in the blanks on other furniture placement. I found that kind of staging brilliant.

Most of it though, pretty useless. I view cleaning and de-cluttering as kind of no-brainers and don't even really consider them to be staging.

"I absolutely hate it when sellers set the table. Hate it. "oh, did I interrupt a dinner party that the seller is having tonight?" Well then why is the table set????? I know what the table is used for. And they put those dang napkins in napkin rings on top of the plate too. Come on people...
Sorry. I'm tired of looking at really ugly dysfunctional homes and bad kitchens. And hearing the words "gourmet kitchen", and then having my hopes dashed when it becomes obvious that "gourmet kitchen" means stainless steel appliances. noooooooo "

I soooooooo agree with you. I keep seeing "Gourmet Kitchen" and it all it has is granite and stainless. And the table setting thing perplexes me. Won't your dishes get dusty and dirty? I recall watching a Nate Berkus where he brought this up and it was pretty funny. He said to the camera - "Please people, do not set your table and leave it that way. They do that in magazine shoots, it's not something you should do in your home". He said it was a pet peeve of his :-)

I'm all for staging, whether you do it yourself or have it professionally done. My 'ex' recently sold his house and even though it was in a very desirable family neighbor in San Diego, I don't think it would have sold as quickly as it did if it were not. To make a long story short, my best friend and myself staged it buying a few pairs of inexpensive draperies for bedrooms/family room, and better lined ones for LR/DR to formalize those areas of the house. A few larger decorator items were purchased to fill in empty spaces also. The house sold the first day it was on the market, with a second cash offer at full price($657K), and a third 'waiting in the wings' should the other 2 all thru. The first offer came back with the full purchase price, and that was it.

As for table settings, I find that to be a bit overdone and too contrived. Just because we 'all eat', not everyone eats at a table with place mats and cloth napkins.

And I couldn't agree more that de-cluttering and a thorough cleaning are not part of staging. ;o)

I've recently been in the home of someone that keeps her glass top kitchen table set. They actually use that table to eat all of their meals, so that means they shove aside the "decorative" place settings when they sit down to eat. As a result, the decorative settings and fancy stemware are splattered with food and covered with fingerprints. And since all of this "decor" is left on the table, the glass top rarely gets a thorough cleaning.
I was afraid everyone might be starting to do this "staging the dining table" thing so I am encouraged by the comments in this thread.
Fake staging in the kitchen to make it looking like cooking is in progress, strikes me as being a little "in your face" with the marketing. I'd prefer to see a completely empty house, so I don't have to worry about damaged walls, floors, etc. that were obscured by furniture.

I think the over the top staging is a thing of the past, rarely seen anymore.
What I call "intelligent staging" , such as removing clutter and letting rooms breathe by removing excess furniture, seems to be more of what I am seeing.
DS is a realtor and I scrutinize his listings after he's taken pictures. Of course, I comment, lol.....

I remember seeing homes in Denver 10 years ago, staged down to the fake baguettes in bread baskets in all set up dining rooms, it was laughable.

I remember reading a thread on the Buying and Selling Homes forum in which a seller was asking whether she should glue down her fake baguettes and other staging objects so that they wouldn't get stolen during showings.

gw, that's hilarious !!! it reminds me of the widget thread...........

It would be easy to slip a fake baguette in a large handbag, lol.....
It reminds me of my uncle who tried to cut a plastic banana from a centerpiece
years ago at my grandmother's post funeral lunch....

A new genre of humor - staging humor!

...or the I Love Lucy episode when Lucy gets the waxed apple stuck in her mouth!

The image of a glued-down baguette literally made me LOL.

Just saw your reply to my question, detailing your undercab lighting saga (one of our cats had a liver crash -- she's o.k. now but I've been distracted) -- you've already had $16 of enjoyment of those lights since you wrote! : ) Nice to find electricians who don't charge for cleaning up other people's messes -- very rare, IME. Thanks for explaining how undercab lighting can add up so high. The 'bright' side is that they'll be a selling point now.