About

Mike & Deena Van't Hul

Mike and Deena Van't Hul

Mike and Deena have bought, sold, and staged homes across Florida and Pennsylvania for years, working with budgets both large and small. That hands-on experience, not a credential on a wall, is what Vandenhul & Company is built on.

Deena leads staging and design. Years of doing the work herself gave her an eye for the feeling that makes a buyer want a house.

Mike runs the business side: consultations, scoping each project, and making sure every property gets the specific fix it actually needs instead of a generic checklist.

For years, that combination of skills only went into properties they owned themselves. Vandenhul & Company is where it's offered, for the first time, as a formal service to real estate agents, home sellers, and families.

The business didn't start as an idea that sounded good on paper. It started because the work was already succeeding, and because sellers and agents need it now more than ever in a market where every listing is fighting harder to stand out.

Years of working directly with business owners, agents, and families taught them how much a fast, clean closing matters to the people on the other side of the transaction. That standard shows up throughout the step-by-step process. You need prompt communication, careful attention to detail, and a clear path from the first walkthrough to final delivery.

Questions

What sellers and agents usually ask

The Basics
What Staging Actually Is
What is home staging?

Preparing a home so a buyer can picture themselves living there, through furniture, layout, and small styling changes that help each room show its best.

How is staging different from interior design?

Staging is built to sell a specific listing to the widest range of buyers, as quickly as possible. Design is built around the people who will actually live in the space, long term. We handle both, but they solve different problems.

Does staging really help a home sell?

The data says yes. Staged homes in Florida sold in a median of 23 days, compared to 184 days for homes that weren't staged, and 29% of agents reported a 1 to 10 percent price lift from staging (Florida Realtors, 2025).

Cost & Value
What It Costs, and What You Get
How much does staging cost?

A consultation runs $150 to $600 and is often credited toward the project if you move forward. Occupied staging runs $1,500 to $3,000. Vacant staging runs $2,000 to $6,000 or more depending on the property. Design and delivery are scoped and quoted at the consultation, since both depend on the specific property.

Is staging worth it compared to just lowering the price?

A price cut is a guaranteed loss on the sale. Staging gives a listing a real chance to sell faster and for more, based on the market data above, which is why it's worth trying before cutting price.

Who usually pays for staging?

That depends on your situation and your listing agreement. We'll go over it plainly at your consultation so there's no confusion about who's covering what.

Timing & Process
When and How It Happens
Should staging happen before or after listing photos?

Before. The photos are what most buyers see first online, so the home needs to already be staged by the time they're taken.

How long does a staging project take?

It depends on the property and the scope of the work. We'll give you a real timeline at your consultation, before you commit to anything.

My home has already been sitting on the market. Can staging still help?

Often, yes. A stale listing usually just needs the right fix, and that's exactly what a consultation is for: finding the specific thing that will move it.

Vacant vs. Occupied
Staging an Empty Home vs. a Lived-In One
Why do vacant homes often take longer to sell?

Empty rooms are hard for buyers to picture living in. Without furniture, it's difficult to judge scale, flow, and what a room is actually for.

Does every room need to be staged?

No. The consultation identifies the specific rooms that will actually move the listing, rather than staging the whole house by default.

Can staging make a small space feel bigger?

Yes. Getting the scale and layout of furniture right is one of the most common fixes for a room that's photographing smaller than it feels in person.

Working With Us
Why Vandenhul & Company
What makes Vandenhul & Company different?

Real, hands-on experience. Mike and Deena have bought, sold, and staged homes themselves for years, not a design credential applied from the outside. The full path, consultation through delivery, is handled by one team instead of separate vendors you have to coordinate yourself. See what sellers and agents deal with, and what we do differently for the specifics.

What areas do you serve?

Southwest Florida, with coverage expanding. Reach out and we'll confirm your listing is covered.

How do I get started?

Book a consultation. Mike or Deena will walk your property with you and tell you specifically what will help it sell.

Work with Mike & Deena

Book a consultation and one of them will walk your property with you.

Book a Consultation