As the impact of COVID-19 on our community continues, our hearts go out to those affected. We are navigating through uncertain waters as we continue to help Realtors working with families in immediate need of homes and our clients in financial need of selling their homes quickly through staging. I felt it important to share changes we are making to meet the needs of our home sellers and our Realtor Partners while protecting them and our awesome team of stagers during this pandemic.

Effective immediately, we will not be staging occupied homes or providing anything from our inventory of furniture and décor for a home that is occupied. Once homes have been vacant for three days, we are happy to stage them with our “clean” inventory provided there is no Stop Movement restriction. We have been social distancing so ask that no one else be in the home (to include other trades) during those three days. We have always limited what we provide in occupied homes and continue to have our teams clean and disinfect inventory. Additionally, we have quarantined recently returned inventory for a minimum of three days to ensure all inventory is clean at all times. We disinfect door knobs, light switches and surfaces commonly touched in the home upon leaving. We are monitoring the health and well-being of our team making sure anyone who feels remotely sick…stays home!

We have been asked if homes are still selling and the answer is YES. The Federal Reserve just dropped their interest rate to near zero to keep the money moving for people buying homes. There are a hundred or so new listings this week and there were hundreds of closings last week in El Paso county. People are buying homes even if they have to virtually view them. Stylish finishes/furnishings AND clearly depicted/ functional rooms are essential as we struggle to emotionally connect buyers to their dream home on-line during these difficult times. Uploading photos of beautifully staged homes is more important than ever!

For your added protection, Front Range Stage is now offering virtual consultations for occupied homes that need a little polish to be viewed as move-in-ready on-line. Through a combination of photos clients take and real-time feedback using Facetime, Skype, Duo, or Zoom, all things are possible! Whether it’s moving furniture, recommending upgrades and/or repairs, or discussing the fine line between too little or too much depersonalization, we can provide detailed recommendations in priority order to gain the benefit of a home that appeals to the greatest number of buyers even though the front door is closed!

Your safety is our highest priority and we truly appreciate the trust that you place in our team and our company. We are committed to doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. We will continue to closely monitor new developments in the event we need to make any further changes and will communicate those to you.

Thank you for being a valued part of our strong and resilient community. We will get through this together. Please be safe and let us know how we can help!

For the latest update on home staging in Coloardo, listen to this short segment from Steve Haney, The Mortgage Doctor.  We are so thrilled that someone with his vast expertise in the home buying industry is recommending Front Range Stage!  We certainly recommend Steve for all your mortgage needs!

The World Series always reminds me that we, too, are in the home stretch of our business wrap up for the year and are definitely World Series level professional stagers!  We are active members of the Real Estate Staging Association making great strides to further “professionalize” our industry by eliminating staging practices and stager behaviors that negatively impact our Realtor Partners. While Realtors are bound by a code of ethics, not all stagers belong to a trade association with a code of ethics and many did not graduate from a certification training program that has this curriculum. As just one example, those of us bound by the RESA code of ethics must ensure: Before photos of an occupied or vacant property staging are never publicly shared in any format until after the sale is closed!

Front Range Stage utilizes a team approach with standardized training and operating principles so no matter the time of year, we have the talent and inventory to consistently offer Premier levels of staging as we have for 13 years! We won’t offer you a $250 vacant home staging package because frankly, that isn’t a big enough investment to pay a talented stager to deliver house appropriate furnishings that would result in multiple offers. We are seasoned experts who operate with honestly and integrity and will advise sellers to spend that money on paint or other small upgrades to the home instead of staging. We are most interested in custom designing to the home making significant impacts that elevate the home’s status on the market to draw higher priced offers!

Over the winter months, I’ve been researching and transforming my business to ensure Front Range Stage stays in the forefront of the staging industry.  Yes – we have the best team of designers with the freshest inventory and continue to provide superior staging and customer service as we have over 13 years….AND we’ve been selected as part of a luxury home concierge platform (a very competitive process).  By partnering with them, I can now offer you cosmetic renovation services and professional staging services with NO CASH OUT OF POCKET until the home sells.  

You heard (read) that right: Front Range Stage can now offer remodel and design services AND professionally stage homes where homeowners pay nothing out of pocket.  The homes get fantastically well staged, sell for more, faster, and the homeowner pays for nothing until the home sells.  It’s painless to the homeowner and the Realtor.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average staging investment is 1% of a home’s asking price and increases a home’s sales price by 8-10%. For a property listed at $750,000, even a modest 5% increase in sales price equates to $37,500, representing a 400% return on investment, all while reducing the time the home is on the market.  In this respect, we add more value, we sell the homes faster and for more money.  Homeowners benefit by making modest investments up front for the greatest returns on their largest personal investment!

Front Range Stage is busier than ever as we prepare homes for the Spring market.  If you have any kind of design background and want to work part time for the premier home staging company in Colorado Springs and the Front Range, please email your resume and/or samples or your work (school, social media, etc.) right away.  We have a company vehicle to use, a massive warehouse of fresh furnishings and accessories to stage any style of home and are excited to be growing or team!  We offer the most competitive compensation in the industry.  Apply today!

It’s been a banner year for Front Range Stage!  Our Colorado Springs Real Estate Staging Statistics are on par with the rest of the nation and we are still batting 100% for winning the Parade of Homes People’s Choice award when staging beautiful homes in any price category!

I know taxes are on your mind right now so discuss with your CPA your own situation but know that Front Range Stage offers our Realtor Partners an end-of-year summary of all staging expenses and W-9 for ease in determining whether you can claim our staging services as a deduction/contracted service when spending over $600 in a year.  If you took advantage of Real Estate Staging to sell your home last year, those expenses are also deductible if used for marketing your home!