Heather Kempka at Simplify Home Staging, Inc. Helps Missoulians Sell Their Home in a Tough Real Estate Market

Your home is the biggest investment you will ever make, so show it at its best! Heather Kempka started Simplify Home Staging http://www.simplifyhomestaging.com to help people maximize that investment.

It’s called Home Staging, and if you haven’t heard of it, you need to get on board! Home Staging is the concept of re-arranging furniture, lightening up, and defining spaces so that the home appeals to the widest array of buyers. And the proof is in the pudding – statistics show that staged homes sell, on average, 50% faster, and for 6-7% or more money than un-staged homes.

Home Sellers, Realtors, contractors, and investors are discovering that they don’t have to fall victim to the slowdown of the local real estate market. There are options available to them other then reducing the price of the home or waiting six months for the home to sell, and it comes at an affordable cost.

“Staging should be a fun and educational experience, and I work with people to achieve their goals. A lot of Home Sellers are hesitant about having someone “critique” their home and being asked to pack up a lot of their memories. I understand this and will take small steps with you to make sure that you understand the process and make it an enjoyable experience. By the end of the day, you will begin to see your home in a new light and you will have a fresh outlook on getting it sold!” Heather Kempka

Heather and her husband are Wisconsin natives and moved to Missoula about four years ago. They love the outdoors and it seemed like a good opportunity and the change they were looking for.

"Staging is a lot of fun but it does have it’s challenges – you get to work with your clients on a personal level and not only help them prepare their home for sale, but you are also preparing them emotionally for the move. A lot of people have a hard time packing up their memories but I try to ease them into it and help them start to look at their home objectively – by the end of the consultation, they are motivated and have a new outlook on getting their home sold!"

Staging has been around for over two decades with most buyers never knowing they have fallen victim to it. Have you ever walked into a home and said, this is it, this is the one! There is a reason for that. Buyers purchase on emotions and when a home “feels” right or good to them, they are more likely to put an offer on it. So, by staging a home for sale, you are creating a comfortable, inviting home that draws buyers in and makes your home stand apart from the rest. Staging is more of a science, than an art, and is based around the following principles: first impressions, eliminating clutter, emphasizing the positives/downplaying the negatives, lightening up the space, depersonalization, tackling small repairs, modernizing, and creating emotional connection points throughout the home. Staging can be completed in an occupied home, using the home owner’s own furnishings or in a vacant home by bringing in fresh, modern furniture and accessories creating a feeling of home.

"This was a truly eye-opening and fun process. Your design skills are excellent, and you respectfully guided and challenged me throughout the process. I never felt uncomfortable at any time. You helped turn my home into such a beautiful (and uncluttered) place that I wish I could have enjoyed it this way much longer." – Tom Waddell, Missoula, Home sold after first open house after being on the market for 4 weeks

If you would like to learn more about home staging and the benefits of using a professional home stager to sell your home, check out the following article from the New York Times on home staging: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/garden/31fix.html?_r=1&ref=garden&oref=slogin

Here is a link to before/after photos of a vacant Missoula home that was staged in one day: http://www.realestateshows.com/281514

Before you reduce the price of your listings, consider the benefits of home staging first!

"Working with Heather at Simplify Home Staging was an absolute delight. Our home looked absolutely fantastic when she was done and the staging made all the difference in the world as far as how the home appeared to potential buyers. In this very difficult sellers market, you need an edge and I would say without reservation that Heather provides that edge. I would recommend her and her services to anyone trying to sell their home or anyone who needs a new look." Mary Melia, Hamilton

Heather Kempka is an HSR Certified Home Stager and Redesigner and owner of Simplify Home Staging. 406-214-9279 or http://www.simplifyhomestaging.com