coastalstagedesigns

Why Beautifully Furnished STRs Earn Higher Reviews

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 19:54:40 GMT

Every five-star review starts with how your property feels the moment guests arrive. Staging brings warmth, style, and purpose to that first impression—and five-star reviews naturally follow.

Guests book with their eyes, and when design and comfort come together, it leaves a lasting impact. At Coastal StageDesigns, we specialize in transforming STRs into stunning, memorable spaces that guests can’t help but rave about.

1. Guests Connect Emotionally With Design

A well-furnished STR doesn’t just provide function—it creates a feeling. From cozy living rooms with inviting textures to stylish bedrooms that promise a restful sleep, design elements help guests connect with the space on a deeper level.

2. Comfort Leads to Better Stays

Comfortable furniture, layered lighting, and functional layouts all contribute to how guests enjoy a property. A thoughtfully staged STR ensures every detail supports relaxation—and when guests feel cared for, their reviews reflect it.

3. Photos Make the First Impression Online

Most guests decide within seconds whether to book a property. Professionally staged units stand out in crowded listings. Eye-catching photos not only attract bookings but also set expectations that lead to satisfaction and higher ratings.

4. Details Make All the Difference

Little touches—like coordinated décor, artwork, and styled spaces—signal professionalism and hospitality. Guests often notice these details and highlight them in reviews.

5. Staging Helps Owners Maximize ROI

For owners, higher reviews mean more bookings and repeat guests. Professional staging is more than aesthetics—it’s a smart investment that increases profitability while enhancing guest satisfaction.

At Coastal StageDesigns, we help STR owners and investors transform properties into welcoming, stylish spaces that leave lasting impressions. With beautiful design, you’re not just creating a rental—you’re creating an experience that earns five stars.

2021 Data Report

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 16:05:45 GMT

2021 Data Report

In today's 'seller's market', you may not think it's worth staging a home. But the truth is staged homes sell faster and for a higher price than homes that aren't staged - even in a good market. Recent industry numbers don't lie. And the 2021 numbers prove one thing: Home staging sells homes faster and for more money:

Make More Money

In 2021, properties using Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC make more money. On the average $300,000 home, a staged home will bring in $10,530 more when it's staged. For our customers, that's a 400% return on the staging investment.

Homes staged by Coastal StageDesigns sell on average at 99.9% of the original list price. If you're looking to sell your property at top price, staging will give you the extra boost your home needs.

Sell Your Homes Faster

A house sitting empty is nothing but time spent and money lost. This is where our services help the most. Do you have a home listing that’s sitting and not selling? We can help.

In 2021, homes staged by Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC offered clients immediate results:

More than half of staged homes sold in 4 days or less.
8 out of 10 staged homes sold in less than 2 weeks.
Less than 17 days on market on average for homes we have staged (compared to 64 days average for CPAR listings)

Don’t let one of your listings sit empty. Let us transform it into someone’s dream home.

Incite a Bidding War: How to Get Multiple Offers on Your Home in 2021

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 16:15:29 GMT

Incite a Bidding War: How to Get Multiple Offers on Your Home in 2021

The housing market is hot! With the supply of homes hitting record lows nationwide, prices are skyrocketing, and homes are getting snatched up as soon as they become available. If you’re selling a home, you currently are in a prime position to attract multiple offers and possibly incite a bidding war if you play your cards right.

But even in a seller’s market, where there are far more buyers than homes for sale, there is no guarantee your home will attract multiple offers. So, how can you position your home to attract as many interested homebuyers as possible and maybe even incite a bidding war? Keep reading to find out.

Have a great real estate agent and understand your market: First things first, to set your bidding war strategy in motion, you'll need the help of an experienced real estate agent to guide you through the home selling process and the current housing market. Seasoned real estate agents know the in's and out's of the market and have the necessary connections to attract serious buyers and multiple offers. Managing a bidding war is an intricate process, and having a real estate agent on your team will help stir up the necessary excitement to generate buyer's interest.

While you can't control whether your region is in a seller's or buyer's market, do your due diligence by speaking with an experienced real estate agent to better understand the current market. An agent can bring knowledge and insights about your neighborhood to guide your pricing and marketing strategies. On top of that, you're able to keep your finger on the pulse of your neighborhood and respond to changes in trends, pricing, or competition that might impact your pricing strategy.

Establish your pricing strategy: Getting the right price on your home is the spark you need to bring in multiple offers and ignite a bidding war. However, the wrong move could set your listing back. Too low of a listing price, and it carries the risk of undervaluing your home, but too high, and it may cause buyers to lose interest and dissuade them from bidding on your home at all. To drive demand and get multiple offers rolling in, you need to price your home correctly from the get-go to reduce the number of days it sits on the market. This means listing your home at a fair market value or even slightly lower than it - in essence, pricing low to sell high. But whatever you do, don't undersell your property value.

This pricing strategy ensures that you catch the attention of as many buyers as possible. The buyers see an appealing price, become excited at the prospect of scoring a great deal, and puts in an offer for it. If the price is right, you should see multiple offers roll in. However, keep in mind that the price you're setting for your listing is not the price you think your home is worth or the amount you're hoping to get, but rather it's the price you're setting to encourage other buyers to bid higher.

Schedule a pre-listing inspection: Having a pre-listing inspection allows you to attract serious buyers and gives you an advantage over other sellers before your home even hits the market. It's common practice for the buyer to request a home inspection as one of their contingencies when submitting an offer. However, by showing that your home has a pre-listing inspection report, you'll be able to leverage your negotiating power by being upfront about your home's condition and avoid the who-pays-for-what-repairs negotiations. This also allows you to get a head start on any repairs and disclose them to the buyer.

Plus, if the pre-listing inspector doesn't find significant defects, the buyer may choose not to get their own inspection done and waive their home inspection contingency, saving both parties time. You'll want to limit the number of factors that'll cause buyers to walk away from the deal, and being able to address potential repairs before the buyers find them will make your home more appealing.

Put your best foot forward by enhancing your home’s curb appeal: If you want multiple offers, you need as many buyers to fall in love with your home as possible. Buyers are more inclined to view your home based on its exterior appearance, and even if your interiors are stunning, a house that lacks curb appeal can cause them to pass on your listing. A few simple and budget-friendly projects can easily jazz up your home’s exterior appearance, but if you want to go all-out, consider hiring a professional to tackle the bigger curb appeal projects, such as window washing or roof cleaning. Ways you can enhance your curb appeal can include:

Trimming trees and shrubs around your entryway
Keeping your lawn freshly mowed - especially before showing days
Updating the numbers of your address on your house
Replacing outdated light fixtures
Giving your front door a good coat of paint

The goal is to convey to buyers that your home is as well maintained on the exterior as it is on the interior.

Make your home a "must-have" with staging: A well-staged home can be the difference in enticing a buyer to click on your listing photo and scheduling a walkthrough - or passing on it completely. Staging aims to attract buyers' attention, and if multiple people are interested in your home, a bidding war may just be right around the corner. To place your home on a buyer's "must-have" list, hire a professional stager to make your home as irresistible as possible. Even if your home is well-maintained, staging can make a major difference in catching a buyer's eye.

A professional knows how to incorporate design trends popular in your local market, and homebuyers want a home that reminds them of that Pinterest-worthy inspiration image. This is especially important if your home is older and going up against new construction in your neighborhood. Having your home professionally staged also helps buyers visualize themselves moving right in, making all the difference in getting them to make an offer.

Use listing photos to your advantage: A picture is worth a thousand words, so if you're aiming to bring in multiple offers, make sure you're showcasing your listing in the best way possible with professional listing photos. Listing photos are powerful marketing tools, and high-quality, professional images are known to help sell homes quicker and for more money . A professional real estate photographer will capture each room at the best angle and highlight its best features, which can help distinguish your listing from other homes on the market.

You can also consider adding drone photography to your strategy to bring more value to your listing and to set yourself apart from other sellers. Aerial photos show your home from a unique perspective and give buyers a 360-degree view in a single shot. After all, homebuyers are looking through and comparing dozens of listings online, and if your photos don't catch their attention from the get-go, you could be missing out on clicks, showings, and, most importantly, offers.

Home Staging works even during Safer at Home

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 16:19:47 GMT

Home Staging works even during Safer at Home

This beautifully renovated townhouse went on the market just as Bay County was starting to hear of precautions. Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC provided Home Staging services, carefully ensuring all items used were sanitized. After going on the market, the home sold in just 10 days.

“Your staging sold my property!” was the news from Joe Metz of Menlo Funding Corporation (MFC). "I’m convinced that your Staging is selling our houses faster and for more money. The reason I say that is that the buyers want to buy your furniture.” Indeed, not only were the buyers attracted to the home because the Staging influenced their decision, they also wanted to purchase all the furnishings! Metz worked with Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC to provide a cost for the furnishings and negotiated with the buyers to include in the sale price.

“People love your Staging so much that this could be a good incentive” according to Metz. MFC has been working diligently over the past year to renovate homes damaged by Hurricane Michael and sell these beautifully appointed homes to local buyers at an affordable price. Now whenever MFC lists one of their properties, not only will it be Staged by Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC , but the furnishings, artwork and accessories will all be for sale.

“During these unprecedented times, realtors and homeowners need to be creative with how they market their homes for sale” said Carl Dismukes, owner of Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC . “As always, Staging can help a home sell faster and for more money according to numerous statistics. Now offering furnished homes can give a seller yet another way to entice buyers.”

Dismukes is an award-winning Accredited Staging Professional for his creativity in Staging vacant properties. Currently, Coastal Stagedesigns, LLC is carefully following state orders regarding essential work, but will be ready to provide full service once the green light is given. In the meantime, Dismukes is able to provide consultation via video conferencing and with photographs for the homeowner to perform the Staging themselves with their current furnishings.