Showhomes in the Upstate

Just Staged in Minneapolis

2009-03-30T21:10:00.000-04:00

Cindy Montgomery, our top stager and one our Top-Performers each year, sent these photos of some homes she staged last week. Cindy is a dynamo with an average of almost 50 homes staged at any given time. Take a look:

Showhomes Greenville opened in early 2008 to bring the same high-quality, whole-house staging to the Upstate at a fraction of the traditional cost. Contact us at 864.423.4936.

What is a Home Manager?

2009-03-23T07:10:00.000-04:00

Home Managers become temporary caregivers of vacant properties while they are for sale. Home Managers benefit from reduced living expenses and they enjoy luxurious accomodations without long-term leases. Home Managers and their fine furnishings are matched to houses according to style, size and location.

If you are selected as a Home Manager, you become a vital member of a growing team that is revolutionizing the way residential real estate is marketed. Your style, flair, and fine furniture turns a vacant house into a valued home - a luxurious home that you enjoy at a cost far lower than you'd imagine.

Home Managers profit by enjoying an enviable, yet eminently affordable lifestyle. The Realtor always finds the home in show-to-sell condition. The home owner sells the home faster and for a higher price. All of the participants in the Showhomes program receive genuine value.

Small Changes, Great Appeal

2009-03-16T22:13:00.005-04:00

Steve Thomas, owner of Showhomes Naperville, sent these photos of a tricky room he and his team restaged for a Home Manager in a $700k Downers Grove home.

Here's what they had to work with to start:

Pretty crowded and not what you want to walk into when you first enter the home. The entertainment center is nice but belongs in another room, the access to the conversation grouping is tight for a Realtor and clients to navigate and there is solid furniture along the wall, especially in the dining room.

He went to work and in short order his talented team produced this:

Amazing! The Realtor and homeowner are really happy and the room works the way it should to help sell the home.

Showhomes Greenville can produce the same results for your high-end listings here in the Upstate. Contact us at 864.423.4936.

Property Stylist

2009-03-09T20:34:00.001-04:00

What is a property stylist?

Here is an interview with property stylist and luxury home stager, Tanya Venable.

What do you like best about your chosen career?

One reason why I love what I do is because it creates interest all around. People are interested to know what Home Staging and ReStyles are all about. I love to educate them.

Why did you choose the title Property Stylist?

Because it really encompasses all that I do as a Home Stager. The average home stager is not average at all! Most Home Stagers provide additional services. From downsizing and organizing to restyles and/or holiday decorating, Home Stagers offer a variety of services that deal with making a home stylish and functional.

I always say “Invigorate your space, Invigorate your life.” Simple budget-friendly changes can breathe new life into a space. Property Stylists do just that and give properties style and function.

How do you help sell a home?

If your home needs staging to be sold, a Property Stylist will create a neutral and inviting palette that will appeal to the majority of buyers to get that home sold quickly and profitably.

What other services do you offer?

If you want to update the look of your home and create a dream space, we do that too. By listening to your vision for the space we will bring your dreams to life and create the space you have always wanted.

Can’t see past the clutter to determine what you want? We can help there as well.

And here's where Tanya gets to put in a shameless plug....

De-cluttering is a major aspect in Home Staging and we do it well. De-cluttering is not just for selling a home. A clutter-free home can not only help increase your creativity but also helps you feel more relaxed and you will enjoy your space more.

Do you have a special event coming up? Need to host a dinner party, a bridal shower, or holiday dinner? Property Stylists have that covered too. Most ReStyles or themed decorating can be completed in a day.

Need serious work done? Property Stylists can also oversee remodeling or renovation projects.

Realtors, Investors or Builders, we offer services for you as well. From simple design and color consultations to full service home staging, we can assist you in securing a quick and profitable sale for your property/listing.

Thanks Tanya! A few months ago, Tanya Venable became affiliated with Showhomes of Greenville. She continues to run her own company, Fresh Eye Designs, LLC, and together we offer one-stop shopping for all of your home staging and redesign needs. Contact us at 864.423.4936.

Home Staging

2009-03-02T04:31:00.000-05:00

Another great article that mentions Showhomes. It appeared in the New York Times.

All the Home’s a Stage

By LISA PREVOST
Published: January 2, 2009
WESTPORT, Conn.

WANTED: Compulsively neat, highly organized people to live in houses being marketed for sale. Must keep house suitable for showing at all times. Dirty dishes, used bath towels and stray newspapers strictly prohibited.

Salary? None. Length of time in house? Unpredictable.

If this description serves only to remind you what a mess your own house is, you are probably not “home manager” material. For people who simply cannot leave the house before making the bed, however, the role of home manager might actually sound appealing. And according to firms that recruit and place home managers, the bleak housing market is driving more of the naturally tidy into their programs.

A home manager is essentially a live-in stager, as well as a caretaker and cleaner extraordinaire. The service is marketed as a tool to sell a vacant property more quickly. Prospective buyers will be less enticed by an empty, stale-smelling house, the theory goes, than by a meticulously kept home decorated with high-quality furnishings.

Home managers are required to accommodate real estate agents who want to show the house any day of the week. They pay a reduced rent and their own utility costs and have to keep up the grounds.

What they get in return is the privilege of living in what are usually large, expensive homes for a fraction of what it would cost to rent such a property. And in instances where they have to leave a house because it sold, staging companies usually try to place them in another house as soon as possible.

Economic uncertainty is making it easier to find reliable, trustworthy people willing to live on a month-to-month basis, said Susan Hendee, an associate at Show to Sell, a Westport firm that offers home manager and staging services. For people who have sold their homes and don’t want to buy another right away, “we’re a very good option,” she said. “This is actually a pretty good time for us.”

Likewise for Susan Hendrickson, the owner of Unique Property Marketing, also in Westport. “In just the last month,” she said, “I’ve put three new home managers in houses.”

Before home managers are accepted into such a program, they usually undergo a rigorous screening process. Firms may do background checks and ask for financial information in addition to scrutinizing the applicant’s furniture and décor.

“You probably have friends who every time you go to their apartment they’ve moved their furniture around, right?” said Thomas Scott, vice president for operations of Showhomes, a national chain of offices offering home manager services. “Those are the people we like.”

With 44 franchises, Showhomes is wrapping up its best year ever, company executives say, and hopes to establish more of a presence in the Northeast in the coming year.

Showhomes charges homeowners a fee for their services, in addition to charging a monthly rate to the home manager.

The two Westport firms, which serve Fairfield County, provide the service to the homeowner, and make their money from the manager’s “rent” — usually $1,000 to $1,500 a month. Market-rate rents for similar properties might run as high as $4,000 a month or more.

“Financially, it was such a benefit for us,” said Sally Bohling, who, with her husband, four children and two dogs, managed two houses in the last two years. The Bohlings were building a house in Westport and didn’t want to get locked into a rental lease in the meantime. So they signed on with Unique Property Marketing.

They spent the first five months in a restored antique home on prestigious Beachside Avenue. Then, when the owner decided to rent that property, they moved their Oriental rugs and baby grand piano to a new 12,000-square-foot colonial in a gated community in Fairfield.

There were some inconveniences beyond the obvious challenge of keeping up with the clutter potential of four children. They couldn’t use the fireplaces or fancy built-in coffee maker. Last-minute Sunday showings were “precarious.” But Ms. Bohling said she treated the role as seriously as a job, and used the experience to teach her children the importance of getting chores done and respecting other people's property. The family moved into their own home last month.

Kerrin O’Brien worked with Unique Property Marketing as a house manager for two Greenwich properties after she and her partner, Tamara, sold their own home there. “We were thinking we’d be moving to New Jersey at some point,” said Ms. O’Brien, a real estate investor, “but we weren’t ready to buy or build, given the economy.”

One of the properties they moved into had been on the market and vacant for at least two years. After they moved in, it sold within a few months, she said.

Having left the second house in November, the couple now live in Monmouth Beach, N.J., and are considering starting their own home manager business.

Kim Elstein, co-owner of Gallery 33, in Westport, finds that being a home manager with Show to Sell enables her to showcase her company’s 20th-century vintage furniture, while also reducing storage costs for her inventory. Every piece of furniture in the renovated ranch she currently manages in Fairfield is for sale. Although the furniture’s sky-high prices are out of reach of the average buyer, Ms. Elstein has noticed that, because the pieces are so unusual, people tend to linger in the house longer. “It should be just enough to give an impression, without clutter,” she said.

Show to Sell’s president, Debra Grant, says most of her home managers come to her through referrals, sometimes from divorce lawyers. Divorced men, it might pain their ex-wives to know, often turn out to be very good home managers.

“We do the decorating, tell them this is how it has to be,” Ms. Grant said. “And then they don’t touch anything once it’s set up.”

Help for Vacant REO Homes!

2009-02-23T18:59:00.006-05:00

Showhomes, America's largest home staging company, has begun a national partnership with NRI Relocation to stage and manage REO homes while they are vacant and on the market for sale. So far this partership is generating results: the first two homes staged with live-in Home Managers sold in less than 30 days.

Here is a photo of a $500k home in Scottsdale that had been on the market for over 9 months before selling in 30 days:

We also sold a home in Portland that had been on the market for over 6 months in 15 days and are now staging a third home in Charlotte with several others in the pipeline.

NRI is a great Relo company, staffed with some very seasoned professionals. We are excited to get the opportunity to work with them nationwide and help their clients stage and sell homes using Home Managers in a really tough market.

Showhomes is in a unique position in the staging industry; with offices in 44 markets and growing, we are able to provide consistent, high quality staging services with a single point of contact. Add to that Showhome's state of the art insurance programs and we hope this is a recipe for sales success in 2009!

Why Stage?

2009-02-16T01:41:00.001-05:00

We love these quotes by Juliet Johnson, author, speaker and leading authority on home staging luxury real estate in suburban New Jersey.

"Home staging - aka getting your home into the best possible show shape so as to trigger an emotional response in the prospective buyer - is the proven way to shore up the value of any property offered for sale. Studies have shown that a staged house sells for 20% more than non-staged homes on properties priced over $200,000 and for 10 - 15% more on homes less than $150,000 - according to Thom Scott of Showhomes. So, if you want to get rich with your investment property... or maybe just sell your house for the best possible price, stage it!

"To shore up the price of your property for sale (i.e. get rich... or at the very least get what's rightfully yours), take the time to present your property really well. (which is just another way of describing staging!)

"Show the buyer how to live in the home. We have an 'add water and stir' society; people prefer to have an expert tell them something rather than have to go down a learning curve, make expensive mistakes and not have an optimal experience. Give each room a function, some color and some style. Buyers respond to emotions, and the best way to engage the emotions is with color (hence the existence of painters for as long as there's been mankind!)

"If a house costs $255,000. Your first price reduction is going to be at least $5 or 6 thousand, no? For half of that, you could have staged the whole house, or at least the principle rooms, for 3 months! Yes, you would have out of pocket expense on the staging, but what would your carrying costs have been?

"Staged homes sell 20 - 30% faster. In your market, how long is the average days on market? Chances are it's at least 60 - 90 days (and getting longer as 2008 progresses) If you can sell you home for a higher price, and not have it sit on the market deteriorating thereby saving untold amounts of money, to say nothing of time and emotional expense, wouldn't you agree, it makes financial sense to stage the home?"

Sellers often say that they can't afford to stage. If you look at it this way, you can't afford not to stage in today's market.

20% more....that's the difference between getting the $360K your house is worth or $300K a buyer might offer if your home is vacant.

10% more on homes valued $150K or less. That's $15,000 dollars you may have left on the table.

Remember this if nothing else: Staging always costs less than a price reduction!

Quotes were excerpted from Juliet's blog post: "Home Staging is a Rich Man's Game - Yeah, If You Wanna Be Rich!" To read the full article click here.

The Secret is Out!

2009-02-09T00:55:00.000-05:00

There's a reason the Travel Channel calls Showhomes 'The Best Kept Secret in Real Estate.' Showhomes is a niche business - unless you are a Realtor who lists high-end vacant homes, a homeowner struggling to sell a high-end vacant home in a market with a Showhomes office or you've looked for luxury single family home rentals, you've likely never encountered us. However, since 1986, Showhomes has helped over 25,000 homeowners sell vacant homes valued at well over $8 Billion.

We work with homeowners who have vacant homes for sale. As a rule, we focus on homes priced $400,000 and over. The average home staged is valued at just over one million. We have a lengthy track record of success dating back to the mid 1980's and Showhomes has gotten results for its customers in every type of market condition.

Amazing Press....

Showhomes has been so successful in its 25 year history that it has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Travel Channel, HGTV, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The LA Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Houston Chronicle, Budget Living Magazine, ABC, FOX, CBS, CNN and many, many other publications. These media outlets have figured out why we are worth talking about!

That's the Showhomes story....

and here's mine in a nutshell: I have worked in sales, marketing, and promotional advertising for over a decade. I am an experienced photographer, copywriter, teacher/trainer, and public speaker. So, in addition to my design talents, I can help you and your realtor market your property for maximum exposure, so that it sells quickly and as close to list price as possible.

~Natasha Little

Lemons to Lemonade

2009-02-04T03:56:00.003-05:00

This article appeared on the Reality on Realty blog a few weeks ago:

It's a great blog on our company, Showhomes. More than doing financially well in today's market, we are truly helping tons of homeowners and their Realtors close sales in a REALLY TOUGH market!

When the Economy Gives You Lemons…Find a Way to Make Lemonade

Published by jmiller
on January 23, 2009
in Home Selling

Amidst the bleak news about failing industries, businesses, and the economy as a whole, it was comforting to discover that some people are making a killing off of the housing crisis. Companies such as Showhomes are taking advantage of the unprecedented number of vacant homes that are currently on the market by selling the services of a “home manager” - a person or family who lives in the vacant home until it sells.

I think the business model is genius. According to a survey conducted in 2004, vacant homes (even if they’re staged) typically sit on the market for 30 to 60 days longer than occupied homes, and sell for at least 10 percent less. Owners of vacant homes pay for the upkeep and utilities of the house, in addition to the staging fees and insurance costs, only to find that the house doesn’t sell.

By hiring a company such as Showhomes, the homeowner pays an upfront staging fee of $1000-$3000 and, after the house sells, coughs up about 0.5% of the selling price. However, the homeowner no longer has to pay for utilities or maintenance as the home manager takes care of that, and the insurance costs get covered by the company. And most importantly - the house sells. One 2007 study conducted in Chicago showed that managed homes sold at 93% of the list price, while comparable unoccupied homes sold at -14%, if at all.

But why would anyone want to live in a house that they could get kicked out of at a moment’s notice? There are a couple of reasons.

1) Many of these houses are listed at $1 million or more, and Showhomes “rents” them for about half of what they’re worth. The lowest listing price for a Showhomes house? $500,000. Not too shabby!

2) The fact that there is no lease is ideal for some folks. For example, a professional who is starting a new job in another city but needs a place to live while looking for the perfect house, or a professor looking for a temporary home while on sabbatical.

3) Did I mention the extremely low cost of “rent”?

I am impressed - and am kicking myself for not doing it first. These house management companies profit from both the homeowner and the “renter,” have minimal costs, and are currently experiencing an enormous market. Why didn’t I think of that?

Rock 'N' Roll

2009-02-02T00:15:00.001-05:00

Showhomes Greenville owner Natasha Little will participate in the 12th annual Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in San Diego, California. She is training for this endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of the volunteers on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

"I lost my sister Michelle to a blood cancer in May of 2005, so this charity is close to my heart. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!"

Natasha learned about Team in Training through Phil and Amy Parham of Biggest Loser fame. "Phil and Amy sent out a newsletter that mentioned TNT in the sidebar. I went to one of the local info meetings and felt compelled to register. Team In Training® (TNT) is designed to help women and men from all fitness levels achieve their athletic dreams by offering unparalleled coaching and access to some of the best events in the world. In return, we get the added satisfaction of raising funds to help the Society find a cure and offer much needed support to cancer patients in the meantime."

This year participants have roughly five months to train for several different endurance events, including a long distance bike ride, a triathlon, and their choice of marathons.

New Showhomes Offices Open in Tampa

2009-01-29T03:41:00.002-05:00

Great article on Showhomes that appeared in the Tampa Tribune this past weekend. Showhomes opened two new locations recently in the Tampa area:

By Shannon Behnken, Tampa Tribune, Fla.

Jan. 25

TAMPA -- Some of Tampa's finest houses need more than impeccable maintenance or discounting to sell in this economic environment.

They may need you.

That is, if you're compulsively neat, have a home's worth of upscale furniture and don't mind moving every few months.

Though most people are familiar with staging a house using fine furnishings and decorations, a new Tampa business thinks the abundance of vacant homes on the market needs a human touch.

"There's a huge difference in the energy in a home that's staged not with just furnishings but with people," said Linda Saavedra, who's opening the Tampa franchise of Nashville-based Showhomes. "It brings a warmth to the home and helps buyers make an emotional connection to the home."

Showhomes is looking for what it calls "home managers" to move into some of Tampa's houses until they sell.

The positions don't pay a salary but offer the opportunity to live the high life for a fraction of what it would normally cost to rent the home. Home managers are responsible for maintaining the lawn, paying the utilities and keeping the home in "show-ready" condition at all times.

When the house sells, the home manager can opt to be moved to another vacant house. Some of the homes could be worth as much as $5 million or as little as $250,000. The monthly fee to live there could range from one-half to one-third of the market rental rate for the neighborhood.

"It's a great situation for everyone involved," Saavedra said. "It offers a lot of benefits for the homeowner and the home manager."

Moving people into the homes, Saavedra said, offers an option for many homeowners who can't afford traditional staging or have left town and can't maintain the home.

The Bay area has a backlog of more than 30,000 homes for sale, so Saavedra hopes the concept will take off. Real estate agents, hungry for anything to help their clients' homes stand out among the competition, are eager to learn more.

In the Bay area, 53,630 properties received a foreclosure filing in 2008, according to California-based RealtyTrac. Thousands of those homes are empty. Vacant homes are harder to sell, real estate agents say, because buyers can't see themselves living in the home and tend to make low offers.

Homes that are occupied and staged get 10 percent to 20 percent higher prices and sell 60 to 90 days faster than vacant homes, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Saavedra opened her business in December and is holding her grand opening this month. For those uncomfortable with a home manager moving in, Saavedra will offer traditional staging.

She hasn't staged a local home yet, but said she has a growing list of interested home managers and hopes to start placing them by the end of the month.

She said she hopes the good deals will persuade more people to try being a home manager. For example, a South Tampa home she looked at recently is listed for $670,000. The monthly fee for a home manager would be $1,000.

Most Showhomes franchises work only with higher-end homes, usually ones that start around $500,000, but Saavedra said she will consider homes in the $250,000 range because there are so many vacant in that range in the Bay area.

Even with the potential benefits of home staging, it can still be a tough sell.

Home managers can be single or bring the family, but they can't smoke or have pets. And their furniture has to pass muster. If they don't have enough furniture, they can rent it from Showhomes. The company also does criminal and credit checks on home manager applicants.

The average time a home manager stays in a home is about five months, although some have had to move in as little as 60 days. Others have stayed for about a year.

Homeowners pay a set-up fee of about $1,500 to $3,500, depending on the square footage, to place a home manager into the house. (The company is waiving the fee in January for the grand opening.) Homeowners don't collect rent, though. The monthly fee home managers pay goes to Showhomes. When the home sells, Showhomes gets 1 percent or less of the list price of the home.

Showhomes has a nice concept, said Chris Lafakis, an economist with Moody's Economy.com, but nothing is a sure thing in these economic times. Staging a home with people and decent furniture may generate more buyer interest, he said, but nothing will sell the home faster than lowering the price.

"When it comes down to it, the consumer's choice is about whether they can afford the home," he said.

The nationwide company doesn't seem to have much trouble getting customers, though.

Showhomes started in 1986 and doubled in size last year as the real estate market persuaded more homeowners to give the service a try. The company has 44 franchises nationwide, said Thomas Scott, vice president of operations.

As untraditional as the arrangement may be, some home managers say the lifestyle fits them perfectly.

Paul Huber has been living in a Minnesota Showhome for three months. With a pending divorce, Huber needed to find temporary housing but didn't want to trade in his 6,000-square-foot home for a tiny apartment. He called his local Showhomes franchise and was immediately placed into a 3,000-square-foot home in a gated community on a golf course.

Huber rents the home furnished.

"All I needed to bring was sheets, towels dishes and silverware," he said. "The place looks like it came out of Better Homes and Gardens. It's great."

The home is on the market for more than $800,000, and Huber pays $2,500 a month, plus utilities.

But there is a downside: He never knows when he will get the call to pack up and leave. Huber said the home he's managing has had 10 showings.

"Most home managers start thinking, 'Gee, I hope it doesn't sell.'" he said.

About Their Partnership

2009-01-26T01:23:00.000-05:00

Tanya and Natasha were introduced in May of 2008 and became fast friends. They discovered that they had many things in common. Both relocated from the D.C./Baltimore area. Both have an entrepreneurial spirit. And both of them love to shop for home furnishings and accessories.

"What's my favorite thing about Tanya? The thing I noticed instantly was her willingness to cooperate and share resources and ideas. She was clearly very ambitious, but also very helpful and supportive and sincere. I knew immediately that we would be able to form a profitable partnership and I am happy to say that we have become good friends as well." - Natasha Little

“Natasha is very outspoken and she’s a go-getter. Once I realized that we share the same vision and are each willing to do put in as much work as it takes accomplish our goals, even when it means long days and sleepless nights, I knew that we could form a successful partnership. Our styles are very complimentary, so working together is easy. It just flows. We both have a passion for all things real estate and helping others. We share a mutual respect for each other’s businesses and support one another completely. It’s the best of both worlds.” - Tanya Venable

Tanya and Natasha remain independent owners of their respective companies, Fresh Eye Designs, LLC and Showhomes Greenville, but continue to collaborate to provide a full-range of design services and marketing support to local Realtors and homeowners.

Contact Natasha at 864.423.4936
Contact Tanya at 864.351.8305

Can-Do House

2009-01-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Home Builders Association of Greater Spartanburg, in partnership with Ingles, YouthBuild Spartanburg, Stock Building Supply, MY 102.5, and WSSL 100, announces the construction of the “Can Do House” at the upcoming 7th Annual Home and Garden Show at WestGate Mall.

This “house” constructed out of cans will benefit two local worthy charities: Miracle Hill Food Bank and the Second Presbyterian Church Soup Kitchen. To encourage donations, any person who brings 5 or more canned good items to the Home and Garden Show will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $500 gasoline gift card!

“Can Do House” Chairman Dale Burnett says, “The HBA of Greater Spartanburg is pleased to have the opportunity to give back to the community by supporting such worthwhile charities. We are keenly aware of the impact these two charities have in our community, and we hope our involvement will increase both awareness and contributions.”

The framing of the house – constructed by YouthBuild students using donated materials – has already begun, and it will be transported to WestGate Mall Thursday morning, February 5th. Each day, the donated cans will be added to the structure. Visitors to the Show can watch the house grow, and they are encouraged to return Sunday to see the final product!

“We are elated at this unique partnership. Ingles has been exceedingly generous in their contribution of canned foods and the offer to match Laura Lynn brand donations collected at the ‘Can Do House’ while YouthBuild Spartanburg undertook the construction and painting of the frame of the House. To see all of these entities working together to benefit the hungry in Spartanburg County is such a blessing,” said Jennifer Bradey, Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of Greater Spartanburg.

The Upstate’s only FREE Home and Garden Show will be held February 5 – 8, 2009 at WestGate Malls. Show hours are 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on the Show, please visit www.hbaspartanburg.com.

Showhomes will have a booth at the show, please come and see us!

About Tanya

2009-01-19T01:04:00.001-05:00

Tanya was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. At a young age she developed a love for real estate and interior design. Early on Tanya worked in construction, learning the ins and outs of demolition, put-back, and basic carpentry skills. All her life she's used her natural talent for creating functional spaces to help family and friends transform their homes.

In 2005, Tanya was relocated to Greenville for a temporary work assignment. However, once here, she fell in love with the beauty of the Upstate and decided to make Greenville her home. Tanya soon realized that there was a need and became one of the first pioneers to bring Home Staging services to Upstate, SC.

For the last three years, Tanya has been educating realtors and home sellers on the benefits of Home Staging. She has helped numerous Upstate families get their homes sold. She has a passion for what she does and loves to help people.

Tanya has successfully trained as a real estate agent and Home Staging Professional. She continually strives to perfect her craft by keeping abreast on current issues in the staging and real estate industries and takes on-going training courses.

Tanya is a proud to be a local SC business owner, who loves giving back to her community. Tanya believes in providing all of her clients with the highest level of service possible. Her mission is to help her clients achieve their goals.

About Natasha

2009-01-12T00:56:00.001-05:00

Natasha Little was born in Washington, D.C. and moved to South Boston, Virginia when her father retired from the Treasury Department. Having lived in our nation’s capital and a rural small town gave her an appreciation for both lifestyles.

She loves being able to go the theater and museums as much as she loves walking down tree-lined main streets bordered by little shops and that’s why she decided to make Greenville her home.

Here’s a little more about Natasha in her own words:

I came to Greenville in 1998 when I was just out of school. I was house-sitting for a friend of mine who was out of the country. Her parents needed someone to care for their home when they were relocated to Ireland because of a job assignment. It was supposed to be a one-year gig, but to my surprise, I fell in love. (With Greenville, that is!)

I’ve always enjoyed touring houses and rearranging living spaces and I was fascinated with all kinds of design from a young age. When I was in seventh grade, I started sketching plans to remodel my family home. I still have the drawings. I clipped articles from magazines, compiled samples from furniture catalogues and saved swatches from fabric stores. I designed and redesigned my own house and bedroom (on paper) dozens of times…. but I could never quite convince my parents to bankroll my projects.

Note to self: beef up sales and marketing skills. (Which I did, incidentally.)

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to be an architect or an interior designer or real estate agent. I eventually went to school to learn more about graphic and web design.

I held several sales and marketing jobs (assistant to an insurance agent, appointment setter, promotional advertising rep) while I was in college.

I also worked as a substitute teacher for 5 years while I honed my design skills and worked on my business plan. During my summers off, I took different temporary assignments with small businesses and large corporations alike; it was a great way to educate myself about Greenville business ownership and real estate.

I eventually left the Greenville school district for a private industry job. As I approached the age of thirty, it seemed the prudent and responsible thing to do. I knew I wanted to work for myself when I was still in high school, but after I entered the working world it was hard to leave the security of a steady job with a regular paycheck. I wanted to start my own company, but I was apprehensive.

In February of 2007 I got the nudge that I needed when I was laid-off. Since I no longer had the regular job and the steady paycheck I decided there would never be a better time to strike out on my own. I’d been designing independently for over ten years and learning about the local real estate market – why shouldn’t I make it my livelihood? So I formed my LLC (A Little Luxury) and didn’t look back.

As much as I love home staging (HGTV junkie for sure), I looked around and noticed that the vast majority of staging companies were small and struggling. There had to be a better way. During my diligent Internet research, I discovered Showhomes – America’s Largest Home Staging Company!

Showhomes is different. I believe we provide a superior service at a more reasonable price than all of our competition. That’s precisely why I bought into the franchise a little over a year ago, even though I had established my own successful enterprise.

Showhomes consistently beat market conditions, while Showhomes offices charge Realtors nothing for their services and homeowners get a fully staged home for only a fraction of the cost of traditional staging. For more info, visit www.showhomes.com. Or call 864.423.4936

I love being a home stager. I get to help people sell their homes and shop for a living – what could be more fun? I’ve been able to bring together my different skill sets: my love of marketing, my passion for design, my love of real estate, and my desire to help people. Some days I wake up and think: this is so much fun! I can’t believe I get paid to do this!

New Year. New Partner.

2009-01-05T00:51:00.003-05:00

Showhomes Greenville is now affilliated with Fresh Eye Designs, LLC.

Fresh Eye Designs, LLC is proud to announce the launch of our brand new website! We’re Greenville’s upscale home staging and restyles company and we’re inviting you to come take a look at our portfolio. In addition to the services we provide for high-end vacant homes, we also provide consultations for occupied homes in every price range. We’ve had several recent successes even in this challenging market. Come see what we can do for you and your listings. Fresh Eye Designs, LLC – Where Staged Equals Sold!

Fresh Eye Designs, LLC is owned by Tanya Venable.

Just Staged in Nashville

2008-12-02T10:07:00.004-05:00

Courtney Edwards emailed photos of another high end condo they staged with a live in Home Manager in Nashville on historic Music Row. This $500k condo has been on the market for a long time and now looks great.

Nashville, like a lot of cities, has had rampant condo development downtown. During the boom, these were selling to buyers and investors at a rapid clip. Today they are stagnant and not moving well. Adding a Home Manager and staging each room gives life to the unit and life to the complex.

Buyers need to see that other people LIVE in the complex, not just the furniture and a Home Manager makes a huge difference.

Showhomes Featured at Midwest Franchise Expo

2008-11-25T05:24:00.001-05:00

Showhomes, America's largest home staging company, was featured by Chicago public TV as it presented at the Midwest Franchise Expo last weekend in Chicago.

Showhomes has been receiving a lot of publicity for being a reccesion resistant business. In a time when real estate is slumping and many home stagers are having a difficult time producing a profit, Showhomes and its franchise owners are posting record gains by helping homeowners and their Realtors sell vacant homes faster and for a higher price through staging with live-in Home Managers.

Thomas Scott, Showhomes' VP of Operations during a TV interview

The Midwest franchise expo was a success. We were happy to meet and talk with lots of people interested in home staging, interested in starting a business or already in the industry looking to grow their staging talent into a sustainable staging business.

Showhomes Minneapolis franchise owner Cindy Montgomery at the Showhomes booth

Matt Kelton, Cindy Montgomery and Thomas Scott from Showhomes

If you would like to learn more about Showhomes, or are interested in starting a Home Staging business, sign up for our weekly webinar on what we do. Email Matt Kelton at mkelton@showhomes.com or call at 863-398-4010.

5 Essential Tips for Selling Your Home

2008-08-26T04:28:00.000-04:00

Whether you are getting ready for a job interview, preparing to meet someone special for the first time, or selling your home – first impressions are vital. As homeowners begin preparing their homes for sale, Showhomes encourages them to take some essential steps to make sure the most important first step takes place: buyers make the decision to view the home.

"Many people think all they have to do is make sure the inside of their home is clean, but it really goes far beyond that when it comes to making sure your home looks its best so that buyers will take a look." said Thomas Scott, Vice President of Operations for Showhomes Franchise Corporation.

"Your home has the best chance of selling if it is fully staged and full of life. That is why we have released five essential tips that can help local residents stay on the right track when preparing their homes for a sale."

Scott reveals Showhomes' five tips for selling a vacant home:

1. Curb Appeal – the better the curb appeal of your home is, the more attractive it is to prospective buyers. When selling any home, it’s all about presentation. The curb appeal of your home is what influences people to look. It’s your first point of contact with a buyer and it better be a good one! Here is what Scott recommends:

Trim overgrown bushes, weed beds and add a fresh layer of mulch .

Clean your front door and repaint if needed .

Add a fresh doormat – thick sisal or coco mats make the best first impression. Not only do they make for a better look, everyone steps on the doormat and a clean, fresh one makes a distinct first impression.

Keep grass cut, edged and blown.

Plant some color in the beds to add contrast.

2. Cleaning – People are buying a lifestyle when they buy a new home, not just a house. A dirty and unclean house translates into an unclean life. For most buyers, dirt equals stress and the last thing most buyers want is more stress in their lives. Cleaning is easy to accomplish.

Here is what Showhomes recommends:

Pressure-wash the driveway and sidewalks. The driveway is one of the largest visual elements buyers see and a dirty or stained driveway sets a poor tone.

Clean windows inside and out – this often overlooked item really makes a huge difference. Even a spotlessly clean home will look grungy with dirty windows.

Pressure wash decks and patios. Outdoor living space makes a home larger and can draw people outside the home and make them feel more comfortable with the home. People spend more time in these spaces than in some rooms so making sure you clean these well makes a big difference.

3. Paint – When selling any home, the condition and color of the paint can make a huge difference in how buyers react to your home. Touch up or paint your walls and trim and select neutral colors. Avoid painting white – it is sterile and stark and can make buyers feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in your home. Select light neutrals – creamy kakis, pearly grays or soft greens.

4. Replace Worn Carpet – nothing runs buyers off quicker than worn and stained carpet! Dirty carpet is unsanitary and nobody will be able to overlook your worn carpet. Replace the top layer with inexpensive neutral colored carpet and you will always recoup the investment.

5. Stage your home! – Showhomes knows that buyers who look at vacant homes only see floors, walls and ceilings. With nothing else to look at, they focus on flaws. Because of this, vacant houses are very vulnerable to low-ball offers and often sell for 15-20 percent below list price.

Unfortunately, this is simply because they are vacant. Hire a whole-house staging company or if really want to get the best results, use a live-in Home Manager to stage your home. These two services add life to a home and rather than flaws, buyers can visualize themselves living in your home.

“The value of the life they see becomes worth more than the price of the home and because they make an emotional connection with your home, they will buy it,” says Scott.

Showhomes, the country's largest home staging company, has three decades of staging experience and has helped over 25,000 home owners and Realtors sell vacant homes, Scott said, adding that the company's business model has proven to be effective in any market condition, especially in today’s slow market.

For more information about Showhomes, or additional advice on selling your vacant home, please visit http://www.showhomes.com/.

Chicago Success Story

2008-08-19T04:07:00.000-04:00

Chicago Showhomes franchise owner Barbara Bliss, the one who compiled the wonderful staging stats for her market, emailed this success story about a recent Lake Forest home she staged which sold for $1,120,000 - just a bit shy of its $1,199,000 list price.

If that were not enough, this home had been on the market for 458 days before Showhomes. Barbara staged it on Jan 10th and it went under contract within 10 days!

To view a real estate show of this home click here.

Showhomes Staging Case Study

2008-08-12T04:14:00.000-04:00

Showhomes North Shore, a Chicago area franchise owned by home stager Barbara Bliss recently completed a case study comparing homes in the North Shore area of Chicago that had used Showhomes against homes that didn't use Showhomes. The results are eye-opening!

Barbara tracked 18 homes she contracted and whole-house staged with a live in Home Manager, such as the photo above. These homes sold for an average of 93% of list price and dramatically beat local market conditions. Homes sold within 147 days on average after staging with Showhomes. Since Showhomes targets larger, more expensive homes, the average list price of these homes was well over $1 Million. Average Days on Market for these homes is over a year, running about 500 days on market average!

That's a success story for staging in itself and any staging company would trumpet those sales results. The most amazing thing was this: the comparison on homes Barbara pitched. She tracked the life of a similar group of homes in the same price range, size and location of town. Each one of these homes was a good candidate for Showhomes and we believed that our service would affect sales for the owners. Despite this, the owners decided not to use Showhomes and left the homes vacant.

None of the homes in her non-Showhomes group sold! At the end of her case study, these homes had several price reductions and were listed at an average of 86% of original list. 86%!! That means these homes will likely go further down in price when and if buyers make offers because we all know that no body pays list price for a vacant home. They are simply too vulnerable to low-ball offers.

We estimate for the average home owner in this case study that the cost benefit to the homeowner when they used Showhomes and our Home Manager staging was $75,000!
We welcome you using these stats, just be sure to credit them to Showhomes as we have put a lot of time and energy into this project.

Another Showhomes Success

2008-08-05T03:57:00.000-04:00

$3.6 Million home sells in less than 90 days after a year on the market. Showhomes has been staging in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley for the past decade and Showhomes franchise owner Kathy Haase has won our Franchise of the Year Award in 2004 and 2005. Her staging has been featured in many magazines and newspapers and her franchise has generated numerous sales results.

Phoenix and Scottsdale have seen huge increases in home inventory - in 2002 there were less than 9,000 homes for sale. In 2008 there are over 48,000 homes for sale. In addition, the days on market are much longer. This 3.6 million dollar home is a real success story for Showhomes and Kathy!

To see a Real Estate Show featuring this home, click here.

Home Staging is Tax Deductible!

2008-07-29T06:36:00.000-04:00

Home staging is tax-deductible!

All of us in the staging business know that education is one of our principle responsibilities and greatest challenges. We know that staging creates value and results in quicker sales, but sometimes homeowners and Realtors need convincing.

There is often a perception that staging is something of a gamble. Realtors are sometimes hesitant to approach homeowners with the suggestion that they spend more money out-of-pocket for something that may or may not produce the desired result. Homeowners who have not hired a professional stager before worry that they may not recoup the cost.

This is especially true of those needing to stage a vacant house.

They think: what if I spend this money and don't see a return on my investment?

That is one reason why the home manager model works so well. Because we don't charge monthly fees to the homeowner when they agree to have their house staged using a home manager.

This situation is completely win-win.

At Showhomes we always point out that the value of staging lies in several key factors. Staged properties sell faster. Faster sales result in higher commissions for agents and reduced carrying costs for homeowners.

We have a long list of success stories to prove it, but when I sit down with a homeowner or Realtor with my proposal of services, well, those benefits can seem awfully intangible.

One of my standard selling points has always been this fact: staging always costs less than a price reduction. Why not pay $5,000 for staging and get an offer close to the price you want? Isn't that better than cutting the price by $20,000 - $30,000?

Well, if you put it that way...

Even so, some people are reluctant.

However, I think that a tax deduction might be seen as a more tangible benefit than those that come under the umbrella of 'reduced carrying costs'. I think I am going to add that to my Showhomes spiel.

In question form, no less: "Did you know that home staging is tax deductible?"

"Why no", they will say - captivated and intrigued, wanting to know more....

"Yes. Home staging is an investment. A legitimate, tax-deductible selling expense."

I'm not a tax expert or a CPA, so I will recommend that they speak to some such professional about the particulars, but I think it is important to inform homeowners and Realtors alike of that benefit/option.

Home staging services paid to a professional can be considered an advertising expense. Staging is still such a new concept to many. I am sure this fact is not widely known.

How to Sell a Spec Home

2008-07-22T03:38:00.000-04:00

Showhomes Middle Tennessee helped sell a $1.4 million dollar spec home for Ernst Builders on Old Hickory Lake.

Ernst Builders, one of Nashville's premier builders, has been busy building out Fairvue Plantation north of Nashville. With the slowing real estate market, there is currently a 3 year supply of spec homes in the upscale lake front neighborhood. Wanting to get an advantage on their competition, Ernst consulted with Showhomes for long-term whole house staging and model home services.

The first spec home Ernst wanted to sell was a gorgeous lake front home that has been sitting stagnant on the market for over a year. Despite beautiful views and top-notch details, the home hadn't sold. The few buyers that came in for open houses had so much inventory to look at, the home just didn't stick in their minds.

Showhomes fully staged the home with brand new high-end furniture, accessories and artwork delivered direct from the manufacturer. Once it was staged, the home sold for near list price in less than 30 days!

Showhomes Middle Tennessee home stager Courtney Edwards had this to say, "We felt that if we could control the traffic flow of the home and get people to stop long enough to visualize what it would be like to live in this great space, it would sell and we are proud that it did!"

To view a real estate show featuring this home, click here.

Black Holes

2008-07-15T03:18:00.001-04:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to re-blog an excellent post from my good friend Thom Scott, Showhomes VP of Operations.

Are Vacant Homes Black Holes That Suck the Life Out of their Own Sales?
by Thom Scott

Recently I was asked by Design Talk to write a column on a question they are frequenly asked.

The question comes from sellers concerned abut selling their vacant houses and wondering if thier property would have a better chance of selling if it had furnishings in it.

Well I replied saying... the fact that most Realtors dread handling a listing that is vacant says a lot, for they know that an empty house is typically a harder sell to make than one that is fully furnished. But why are vacant houses more difficult to sell then furnished homes? Let’s take look at a few reasons…

First, an empty room will always feel smaller than a furnished room. When potential buyers tour a property, they are trying to “map” their lives into the home’s space. Buyers are evaluating the house to see if it will work for them. To help them understand whether a house will work or not, buyers will relate the size and fit of the seller’s furnishing to their own. Vacant homes make this basic part of the buying process more difficult.

Next, for many buyers a big part of knowing a house will be “right” is the emotional connection/vibe they get from it. Houses that are vacant often give off a hollow desperate loneliness. Because it is harder to get the welcome feeling of “home” from a vacant property, the emptiness will actually make it more difficult for buyers to emotionally attach to it.

You may have noticed that Realtors, about to show a furnished home, first turn on every light and lamp in it before the buyer gets there to tour it. (And when I say “every light,” I mean every light.) They turn on the lights because they know that a well lit home sparkles, shines, and adds a warmth and glow that buyers find appealing.

Unfortunately, a vacant house will quite often lack or have no lights at all in some rooms. This bad lighting makes it harder for the buyer to see what they are buying, and ends up making the house show as dreary, dark and dull. A big reason why vacant houses are harder to sell is that there naturally is not much to look at, so what there is to see gets scrutinized.

While buyers do want to spend their hard earned money to buy a home, they are not too interested in spending money on making repairs and fixing the problems the seller chose to leave behind. Having nothing in a house makes it very easy for the buyer to focus their attention on even the smallest of flaws and then negatively fixate on having to spend money to make repairs.

Think about it… a wood, tile and linoleum floor will show more dirt, scratches and mars; the smallest carpet stains will clearly be visible; and naked walls will noticeably reveal all the holes, nicks and scuffs that are present.

Because the home is unoccupied, the exterior maintenance will often go undone. In the summer, lawns will either overgrow or burn out and weeds will take over gardens. In northern markets, walks and drives will be hidden if not shoveled after a winter snow fall. In general an unkempt exterior will kill any curb appeal and immediately start to diminish the buyer’s hopes as to what to expect on the interior.

For all these reasons, a vacant house will be more difficult to sell then a furnished home. A buyer's market will only make it even more difficult for a seller to sell for there are more than enough homes to choose from. Therefore, it is easy to understand how a buyer will be attracted to a home that they spatially understand; get a good feeling of “home” from; is bright, warm and inviting; and shows no glaring signs for maintenance or repair.

Oh… and just because a home is furnished does not make it an automatically and perfectly appealing home to buy… for even a furnished home still should be light, bright, clean, maintained and uncluttered.

Great post Thom!

I'd like to add that said furniture should be current and match the style of the house. I've seen many an attempt at staging that included furmishings that were decades old (but not antique or retro in the good way) or new, but an odd hodgepodge of many different designs and periods, which in my opinion can be worse than empty rooms!

And that's my two cents.

RE/MAX Tells Agents to Stage

2008-07-09T02:57:00.000-04:00

RE/MAX made an announcement to all their agents at their national convention: if they weren't staging vacant houses, they weren't doing their job. Dave Lininger told the agents to cash in 401 K's to fund staging if they had to, but get it done.

This news came from Judy Pokorny of Toledo, OH. Judy is a Remax agent and Toledo is one of the slowest real estate markets in the country. She knows what Remax is now pushing - selling a home vacant is a guaranteed way to leave money on the table.

The best thing about Showhomes is this: our staging services are free to Realtors and affordable for homeowners. This makes our programs an excellent choice for cash-strapped sellers and REOs.

Showhomes E-Book

2008-07-02T02:40:00.000-04:00

Showhomes released a new e-book for franchise sales:

Take a look and let us know what you think. The new e-book explains about Showhomes and gives lots of detail on our rapidly growing business. Showhomes is a mix of pure staging and using live in Home Managers to stage and furnish a home so that it sells faster and for a higher price.

Showhomes is currently in 25 markets in 19 states and growing rapidly.

Showhomes New Orleans and Extreme Makeover

2008-06-25T02:35:00.000-04:00

Showhomes is pleased to announce that our New Orleans franchise owner, Hudson Wolfe, has been asked to participate in the filming of 'Extreme Makeover'.

Wolfe, who has lots of staging and home makeover experience, will be contributing to the construction crews on a volunteer basis. "I'm excited about this project," says Wolfe. "At Showhomes we understand how to transform a vacant house into a valuable home so joining this show is both professionally gratifying and fun."

Showhomes New Orleans opened 3 months before Katrina hit, and like many small businesses in that city, was devastated by the storm. Wolfe has been working as a franchise operations support staffer up until this year when the real estate market in New Orleans began to come back to life and his staging services are in high demand.

"I'm happy we can give something back to the people of New Orleans," says Wolfe.

Showhomes Success

2008-06-18T02:32:00.000-04:00

Showhomes, America's Largest Home Staging Company, released its annual home sales results for 2007:

Showhomes 25 offices helped home owners and their Realtors sell 209 homes with an average list price of $850,000 in 2007 totaling over $192 Million.

In most markets, Showhomes helped its home owners and Realtors beat local market conditions by well over 50%. In Houston, where Showhomes has two franchises, home staged by Showhomes with a Home Manager sold in an average of 46 days, despite average times on market of well over 6 months.

"We are very proud of our franchise owners. Showhomes has always been the market leader in Home Staging and been able to deliver consistent results for its customers since the mid 1980s," says Thomas Scott, Executive Vice President of Operations for Showhomes Franchise Corporation.

"We high level of product quality has allowed us to thrive in every market condition from bust, to boom and back to bust."

Showhomes continues to be the only nationally franchised home staging business. If you are interested in learning more about this unique and proven business, visit www.showhomes.com or www.showhomesfranchise.com.

As featured on Oprah, CNN, ABC, FOX, CBS, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

No Business Like Show Business

2008-06-10T23:53:00.000-04:00

People often ask: what's it like owning a home staging franchise? Do you enjoy it?

I always answer with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" I love being a Showhomes franchisee because we get such great support. The corporate office offers practical, tangible help for franchises and tries to keep things fun and light-hearted whenever possible.

Take last year's Owner's Conference, for example. The theme was 'No Business Like Show Business.' We were invited to a formal dinner at corporate headquarters. We were encouraged to pretend that we were out for a night at the Oscars. Awards were given to various franchisees based on performance.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes the best actors in the film industry for their significant accomplishments each year. Approximately 40 million people tune in to see who has earned the highest honor the Academy bestows.

Just as momentous, although not witnessed by as many people, was the awards ceremony at the Showhomes Franchise Corporation Annual Gathering. The event was held January 27th at Union Station Hotel in Nashville and celebrated the success of the men and women who were honored. Showhomes is America’s largest home staging company and has 24 franchises in 19 states.

In a year in which the real estate market experienced a considerable decline in sales, Showhomes franchise owners encountered double-digit growth – helping homeowners and their Realtors sell more than $192 million in real estate. Leading the rapidly growing company was the Central Arkansas franchise, based in Little Rock.

Jeff and Heidi Ross, Central Arkansas franchise owners, took home the best prize of conference. Their record growth, outstanding loyalty, high customer service, exceptional design quality and their promotion of the Showhomes brand earned them the 2007 Franchise of the Year Award.

“When we purchased our franchise in 2003, we decided then that we would build our franchise on quality and not quantity. Now, almost five years later, the fruits of our consistent diligence have paid off,” said Jeff Ross. “We believe the key to our success has been practicing quality in every area, without compromise, and the continual discipline of marketing to our customers. We now look forward to duplicating our Central Arkansas success as we begin a new franchise in Memphis, Tennessee.”

“Jeff and Heidi Ross operate a business that provides true value to Realtors and home owners in and around Little Rock. They produce some of the best home staging in the country and have a lengthy track record of succeeding and beating market conditions. We are proud of their performance and look forward to what they will accomplish in 2008,” said Bert Lyles, Showhomes CEO. “We are excited that Jeff and Heidi are expanding their expert service to the Memphis market.”

The Ross’ were also honored with the Strongest Market Presence Award for highest market saturation and largest brand presence. This is the first time Showhomes has bestowed this recognition.

Other awards were given to:
Sherri Nichols, Pensacola/Destin, Florida franchise owner, earned the Best New Franchise Award. In her first full year of operation, Sherri performed record growth, exhibited outstanding loyalty, high customer service and exceptional product quality in the promotion of Showhomes.

Beth George, Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California franchise owner, earned the Top Revenue Producer

Cindy Montgomery, Minneapolis, Minnesota franchise owner, earned the Top Design Award, for highest product quality and excellence in design and the Most Homes Sold Award, for highest number of homes sold.

Jim Biby, Jacksonville, Florida franchise owner, earned the Most Homes Contracted Award¸ for the highest number of homes contracted and staged in 2007.

Andy Wilson, North and Central Houston, Texas franchise owner, earned the Fastest Sale Time Award, for fastest time to sell, averaging 46 days.

Circle of Excellence Awards

The following Showhomes franchise owners were recognized for excellence in operation, product quality, loyalty and customer service:

Angela Blankinchip – Mobile, Alabama
Jody Lovitt – Southeast Michigan
Donna Muelver – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jim Biby – Jacksonville, Florida
Judy Pokorny – Toledo, Ohio
Henry Graham – Charlotte, North Carolina

Showhomes Gets Results

2008-06-03T23:26:00.000-04:00

After several years of an amazing boom, real estate markets all across the country have slowed to a trickle of what they had been in previous years. Homes have become much harder to sell, there are more homes on the market than at any time in history and these homes are taking far longer to sell.

Showhomes, America's Largest Home Staging Company, has been a ray of light in the otherwise gloomy market. Showhomes helps home owners sell high-end vacant homes and has experienced record growth as aresult.

"Showhomes' unique strategy of staging and helping Realtors market vacant luxury homes produces real results," said Matt Kelton, chief operating officer for Showhomes Franchise Corporation. "We are proud to announce that the company experienced 45 percent revenue growth last year. In the last three years, the company has been experiencing rapid growth, almost tripling its same store revenue. In addition, the Showhomes franchise system is growing rapidly as we add new units."

Showhomes has dramatically beaten market conditions - with staged Showhomes selling as much as 50 percent faster than comparable vacants, Kelton said. The company's service is high in demand becausethere are more houses for sale today than at any point in U.S.history, and there are more vacant homes for sale now than ever before.

Showhomes - known as America's largest home staging company -began its operations in 1986 and started franchising in 1994. It currently has 23 franchises in 19 states, and has recently been listed as one of the hot franchising trends for 2008, Kelton said.

Selling a vacant house in any market can be a challenge. Vacant homes take much longer to sell than occupied homes and often sell for 10-20 percent below list price. Buyers have trouble visualizing their furniture in a vacant home and in a slow real estate market like today flooded with inventory, vacant houses simply get passed over in favor of more welcoming furnsihed homes. Good taste, beautiful furniture and well thought out design enables buyers to visualize an organized and decorated Showhome as their own.

For more information on how we can add value to your vacant home call:
Natasha A. Little 864.423.4936

Introducing Showhomes

2008-05-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

Showhomes is America's Largest Home Staging Company.

Although we are new to the Upstate, we have been an industry leader nationwide for over 20 years. We invite you to find out why the Travel Channel calls Showhomes one of the best kept secrets in Real Estate!

We provide an entire suite of services, not simply consultation and/or furniture leasing that is typically associated with the term 'home staging'.

We specialize in working with high-end homes - including condos and lofts. Homeowners and Realtors are amazed at the results achieved when they take advantage of our home manager program to stage their vacant listings.

Contact us at www.showhomes.com. Find out how we can take your property from vacant house to valued home!