'Green' spec home in Florida gets staging treatment

MIAMI Carlos Ruiz de Quevedo worked nearly two years to design and build a "green" home in a gentrifying section of the Little Gables, a labor of love for the architect and Realtor, with energy-saving features like energy-efficient impact windows, a solar-ready electrical system, and highly insulated walls and roof.

The two-story house has environmentally friendly details like cisterns that collect rainwater and air-conditioner runoff for watering the lawn, and it's wired for an electric car charger.

So when Ruiz de Quevedo listed the three-bedroom, three-bath house at $625,000, aiming to tap into the peak spring/summer house-hunting season, he hired a home staging company to furnish the place.

"They even put in a make-believe family to live in the place," said Ruiz, who bought the property in June 2012 with a run-down coral rock cottage that was beyond saving.

"There is a lot of competition, so you want your house to stand out," said Marisa Salas, who owns the South Florida franchise of Showhomes. "We stage all the rooms so people can envision how spaces are meant to be utilized."

In the current strong housing market, Salas said, her company is seeing growing demand for staging services. She furnishes the homes, places art on the walls and adds homey touches.

When Salas started out in the business during the downturn, "there were a lot of vacant properties," which made home-management services particularly appealing to owners. Besides staying on top of maintenance, the property manager helps ensure that squatters don't move in.

Staged homes fetch 5 percent to 15 percent more than those left vacant, according to Salas. The staged homes also sell faster than those that aren't, she added.

"We create the emotional aspect of a house. When people walk into a vacant house, they don't really appreciate anything," she said.

Home sellers tap "stagers" primarily for higher-end homes, in "the $1 million to $3 million range," Salas said. Fees typically run $3,000 to $10,000, depending on the home.

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'Green' spec home in Florida gets staging treatment