Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money

In a February 4th 2007 email that the author of this book wrote and sent out to her staff and associates about her new soon to be released book, she wrote and revealed her intention with this (her initial) book.

Ms. Schwarz actually admits this book was NOT intended to help the general public by teaching them practical home staging techniques. She admits it was purely a Public Relations brochure to “DRIVE” business to her and her association.

Let Ms. Schwarz’s own words speak to you… “A book is for PR. That is mainly what a book is for. That PR is for ASP’s, SHC, as well as people knowing that I created Home Staging. Do you know how many ASP’s have gotten business in Home Staging from the public by the public reading my book released just a year ago on `How to Stage?’ THE BOOK WEARS THE PEOPLE/THE PUBLIC OUT. They say, oh my gosh, this is too much work. I cannot do this, I must call an ASP. Once again it drives people to call an ASP to work with, or to become one.”

I understand PR and this would NOT be such a bad thing if the Back Cover didn’t lead the reader into believing that they would learn from the book what they needed to know to stage their own homes.

Here is what is written on the back cover of this book:

1)”That’s the premise of Staging*, a concept that teaches YOU to look at YOUR home through a buyer’s eyes and make adjustments to improve its appeal and value.”

2)”…YOU’ll learn how to play up YOUR home’s strong points and improve its presentation. By rearranging furniture, trimming overgrown bushes, painting a room, and clearing out the clutter, Home Staging will help YOU spotlight YOUR property for a fast, profitable sale.

3)”Filled with organizing tips and checklists, plus before-and-Staged photographs that dramatically show how Staging can transform YOUR home inside and out, Home Staging has all the answers YOU’ll need when looking to increase the sale price of your home.”

Now that Ms. Schwarz has revealed the true intention of her first book, it makes one wonder what the intention of her next book will be.

ORIGINAL REVIEW 9/04/06 by JJ

TITLE: ALL SURFACE NO SUBSTANCE!

Don’t waste your time. I read the WHOLE THING in 3 ½ hours. This book reveals little for the home seller looking for ideas on how to prepare (stage) their home for selling. Do a Google search on the subject… you will find MUCH more useful information in the same amount of time.

Ms. Schwarz gives a whopping ONE paragraph and 2 bullet point description on tips to stage the master bedroom, a room she acknowledges is key to attracting a buyer’s attention.

The Before & After pictures featured in the book look like they were taken with an old Instamatic camera. Ms. Schwarz banters on about professionalism, yet she could not even hire a professional photographer to capture visual image examples of her own staging work. An area she self professes to be the leading authority on.

However, Ms Schwarz does give a boastful 10 pages (Chapter on how wonderful her own home is. But the description is so saccharinely fake, as you read it you start to pity the “staged” fantasy she is living, or at least describing. It would make a great Saturday Night Live skit. At one point, as she shares that there are no wire hangers in her home, I could not but think of the scene from the movie “Mommy Dearest” where Joan Crawford banishes them from her own life.

This book leaves me with a BAD first impression.

Rating: 1 / 5

This book tells you what you already knew – clean, declutter, fix broken stuff, and clean up the yard. That’s about it. The reason the book is more than ten pages long is that it is chock full of the author’s stories about how wonderful she is and what a staging pioneer she is. I really wish I hadn’t wasted my money on this fluffy piece of advertising.
Rating: 1 / 5

This book has some good thoughts and ideas as well as suggestions on staging your home for sale. Some of the ideas are pretty basic and commonsense and some are very good. However, the author comes across as being a real braggart throughout the entire book taking credit for just about everything and not letting you forget it. I think the book could be better if she check her ego at the door and just stick to the subject.
Rating: 3 / 5

If you’re about to put your house on the market, you have a million things to do. Don’t take time out to read this book. The amount of truly useful information fills about ten pages, and can be found on various internet web sites with a simple search. The rest is repetitious, contradictory, and/or silly.

The biggest waste of time is reading personal information about her own home and the off-topic “staging for living” concept. Also annoying are continual plugs for her organization, profession, and services. (Obviously, home staging makes sense, and is worth the effort. We wouldn’t have bought the book otherwise. Why must she remind us over and over?)

Spend your time decluttering, instead.
Rating: 1 / 5

Reviewer: Script Editor (Los Angeles, CA) –

So many reasons NOT to waste your money or time on this shameless (and previously published) hawking.

She didn’t “invent” the verb (or the activity) of ’staging’ — Hollywood realtors were doing it in the ’50s. Her relentless self-promotion and repetitious ownership of the concept takes up half the book — the other half is pimping out her products and her paying association members she’s bestowed an accreditation upon.

If you know that a house must be cleaned and de-cluttered before it can hope to sell for the best price in the best time, then you know 90% of what is left after the constant reminders of what she sells and where she sells it. You already know that staging works, but her amateur photos and tips (“buy a discount king sheet and drape it over a table to be creative!”) are no great example.

I kept reading, hoping to get one glimmer of real information that wasn’t obvious to even the thickest of housewives (“empty your garbage”) but aside from her chapter-long description of her personal (and very tacky-sounding) home (“staged to live” is another service she sells), I learned nothing we don’t all know already. OH there was one thing — I learned that she is addicted to raffia (this is in ‘06!) and ties up the “show towels” in it, in her staged bathrooms. Uh, buyers know fake when they see it, it’s NOT welcoming.

I am not dissing the skill or art of staging, it’s just great business sense. But each chapter is a string of repeating the obvious and shilling her wares. “Play soft music when you show the house,” “accessorize in odd numbers,” “show the kids my DVD and they’ll pitch in!” I am not kidding, these tips from the master are on every fourth page. She gives out the book to the women who take her “accreditation” seminar (which requires yearly membership fees, no surprise) so consider the “thousands” who’ve received it and who has and hasn’t reviewed it here.

I never met that 62-year-old gal, but she can outshill any infomercial with her hammering hawking — but she left out the info!

I agree wholeheartedly with this comment from a June 14, 2006 review: I find it disturbing that so many of the reviewers of this book are directly connected with the author either personally or through her business or her professional organization. She seems to be fearful of ‘outsider critics’. I can understand that in light of her wordy boastfulness. I wish more ordinary or non-industry people would post reviews. But maybe the only ones reading this book are industry insiders. Opps, I guess that makes me one.

The names below are those who posted highly enthusiastic reviews of Barb Schwarz’s book who are either employees at stagedhomes.com or those that took the ASP course. NAMES and INFORMATION were COPIED from the stagedhomes.com website.

Coincidence or collusion? Make up your own mind.

Reviewer: D. J. Anderson (Dallas, TX USA) – Debbie Anderson – ASP – I provide consulting and Staging services in the DFW Metroplex and outlying markets within a 5 hour driving distance.

Reviewer: Kaili Harding – ASPM, IAHSP – She recently started the Greater Chicago Chapter of IAHSP and currently serves as President.

Reviewer: Jeannie Berger – ASP, IAHSP (El Dorado Hills, CA United States) ((Reviewer’s note: El Dorado Hill, Ca is 23 miles from Sacramento, CA)) If you want to sell your house quickly and get top dollar – you need to work with the EXPERTS at WE STAGE SACRAMENTO! 1-916-496-xxxx

Reviewer: Colleen McLinden – ASPM, IAHSP – Colleen has been trained by Barb Schwarz, founder of stagedhomes.com.

Reviewer: Sandra Holmes – ASP, IAHSP – Sandra is the owner of Home Staging Concepts and the President of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals Regional Fort Lauderdale Chapter

Reviewer: Jean Ward – ASP – I service the Chicago Loop and Near North Side Chicago.

Reviewer: Trish Pachak, aka Patricia Pachak – ASP, IAHSP

Reviewer: Kirsten Konieczka – ASP

Reviewer: Cynthia Samuelson – ASP, IAHSP – quote: “I have personally used some of the techniques described in this book, and hired an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional)to Stage my home and absolutely it sold more quickly, and over my asking price.”

Reviewer: John Norris – ASP – I am an ASP Realtor in Roseville serving Roseville

Reviewer: C.Haas – Two C. Haas’s listed as ASP’s – guess which one.

Reviewer: Anne Emry – ASP, IAHSP;

Reviewer: Kim Dillon – ASP – Cochranville, PA, 19330, USA;

Reviewer: Christine A. Droney – ASP, IAHSP;

Reviewer: Heather Durren – ASP, IAHSP – Beverly Hills, MI, 48025, USA

Reviewer: Julie Dana – ASP – East Aurora; NY; 14052; USA

Reviewer: Kirk Bohrer ASP, ASPM, IAHSP is Barb Schwarz’ husband and business partner.

Reviewer: Shell Brodnax – ASPM, PI, WCR Board of Directors Member – Shell is the marketing director for stagedhomes.com

Reviewer: Gina Vierra aka Gina Girl – ASP, IAHSP – Gina is a Project Manager for StagedHomes.com.

Rating: 1 / 5