Sensational Home Staging - the power of Staging to help add visual appeal - Centennial CO property

Staging Success - Sensational Home Staging! House under contract 1 week post Staging after sitting on the market over a month prior!

One of our recent Staging projects - on the market for over a month prior to Staging and under contract in a week after Staging!

Custom Property with Acreage - Franktown - Sensational Home Staging Before & After

This unique property has a floor plan that needs defining for buyers. The sellers used the space the way that made sense for them but for selling we decided to define key areas that a buyer would expect to see in the house. The end result is an inviting arrangement in the key rooms.

Centennial Hands-on Staging - Sensational Home Staging

Check out the improvement from the before to the after. Seller implemented Staging recommendations and we followed up with a Phase 2 Hands-on Staging to bring in some updated furniture and décor in the LR, DR and FR. The end result is a house that is show ready and Sensationally staged for sale!

Do Buyers want to Interview and Date Your House?

Do Buyers want to Interview and Date Your House?

by Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP-Premier, SRS, REO

Owner, Sensational Home Staging

 

 

Online dating is very common these days.  People create a profile with pertinent information about interests, hobbies, background, etc. and add photos for those looking online for a match.  Based on what is read online, the people decide to set up a date to meet in person. They are basically interviewing a person online to see if there is more of an interest.  It's like a job interview - to get the appointment to meet in person, your resume or information has to be compelling and a match to the prospective employer. 

Isn't that the same thing we do when we list a house for sale and put our info on the internet for buyers to see?  When a Buyer looks at your house online, it's an interview.  They are checking out the house and reviewing the information to see if they want to engage further in the relationship.  Based on what they see, they either decide to meet the house in person or move on to the next online option.  Remember we only have one chance to make a good first impression.

The Wall Street Journal just came out with a highly interesting study that shared 45% of buyers do NOT read agent comments on properties they find online and instead rely on the PHOTOS of the house to either convince them to want to see more or move on to the next online listing.  This is a crucial part of the property interview that either leads to a date or moves the buyer to the next online option.

The question becomes, "Is your house or listing making a good Interview impression?"  If the photos shown online are of cluttered, empty, dated, and/or dirty rooms the interview is unsuccessful and buyers move on to the next option.

Imagine back when we were dating or if you are currently dating - think about how we present ourselves on a date?  Do we go out with our worst clothes on, uncombed hair and heck - why bother showering?  No.  Hopefully we put our best foot forward to make a good impression and dress nicely, groom appropriately, and make an effort.  We smell good, we look good.

So the question becomes, "Is your house Date Worthy?  When Buyers come in person does your house or listing make the right first impression for people looking at the house?  Does it smell right?  Is it clean?  Is it appealing?  Does it make Buyers want to see more?  If not, they will turn around and leave and move on to the next property.

Staging is the KEY to getting successful Interviews that translate into Dates.  Photos online of un-Staged houses do not create a good impression for the online interview and will not result in a date.  Instead those houses will sit on the market, not have showings because of how unappealing they look, and actually be "used" to sell the houses that sell. 

When Buyers come in person for their date, the house better look like it did online - Staged and ready to buy!  Using pictures of a furnished house and selling that house vacant when the Sellers move out does not compute to a Buyer.  It is misleading and is disappointing to Buyers when the photos do not translate to the reality of what they experience in the house.  It's like the old bait and switch of online dating - people load up a photo of a really attractive, fit individual and when they meet in person what they actually get is a mildly attractive out of shape reality.  The photos need to match what is seen in person or else a buyer will just turn around and leave.  A vacant house does not cut it to get top dollar.  Without furniture and decor to highlight the rooms, add warmth and emotional appeal, all a buyer has to look at are the flaws in the house. 

I had a client that shared their house was under contract and it fell through.  They had already moved out and despite the fact that they received an offer quickly at first, they were now faced with an empty house that did not show well.  When the house was furnished they received rave reviews about how nice it looked.  When they house was being shown as a vacant product, all the sellers heard were complaints about all the things that were "wrong" with the house - and they had not changed anything except move out.  So wisely they invested in Staging so that they could once again create that buyer appeal and give the buying audience more to focus on than the empty rooms.

The last piece of key advice is to keep the house ready to show at all times. Sellers cannot relax in the house once it's Staged.  They have to set the scene daily to ensure that any in-person showings or dates leave the best impression.  As a professional ASPM® Stager, I have Showing Instructions that I leave with Sellers that include key tips they need to do on a daily basis to make sure their house is date worthy on a daily basis. 

In order to Sell successfully the house must interview well online and be selected for the in person date that will hopefully lead to the offer to buy the house!  It all starts with Staging for the buying audience - marketing the product properly with Staging and the Seller can eventually relax and move on to their new home once their house SELLS with Staging!

 

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For help getting your house or listing in the greater Denver area Staged to sell for TOP DOLLAR - give Jennie a call.  She has helped over 2,500 clients get the dates and deals they wanted. 

303-717-7918 or 888-93-STAGE  www.SensationalHome.com

Staging and Selling in the WINTER- by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP-Premier, Owner Sensational Home Staging

Staging a house can become challenging in the winter when the landscape around the country does not look that great - dead grass, spindly trees with no leaves, two-tone colors with snow and dirt. In fact I believe winter time is the toughest time of the year to sell when dealing with curb appeal. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may have lots of green and warmth this time of year, or deal with the barren landscape. When there is snow on the ground, it does look pretty, but as the snow melts, you are often left with bald patches of dirt, icy or muddy streets, and little color in the yards with deciduous trees that have no leaves.

So how do you add that curb appeal necessary for Selling when Mother Nature seems to have another plan?

Here is an excerpt from an article entitled "Home Staging Tips for Every Season" where expert and my personal mentor, Barb Schwarz, was interviewed by AOL online (http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/07/20/home-staging-for-every-season/

Home Staging Tips for Winter:

• Keep your place warm. You want the house looked at! If you aren't living there or even if you are, spend the money to keep it warm. They will walk out if it's too cold," says Schwarz. "And that means no sale." Trying to save money by keeping your house cold and not heating it properly is a turn-off to buyers.

• Keep lighting in mind during the winter months. Winter means it gets dark earlier, so put lighting on timers inside and outside the house. Every room in the house can be on timers, as it welcomes buyers into a room and you want them to keep walking and checking out the house.

• Just because it's winter doesn't mean you shouldn't have flower boxes and greenery at your front door, in pots. On the contrary, it's really warm and welcoming. Just make sure they are seasonally appropriate.

• Keep snow off the back patio and front porch. You want people to go out and see the back and front of the house and the patio and yard, too. Go back to your back fence and see what does the back of your house looks like, does it look boring? You can keep flower pots by the slider doors, as it softens the look of the house in the gray winter.

• Don't forget to put out the summer photos of your great outdoor deck, so people know what it will be like in warmer months.

Here are some added tips:

Invest in some annuals or perennials that like the cold weather and put them in pots or line the walkway with them. Some of the best annuals for color that like the cold are pansies, primroses, kale (cabbage), and emerald greens (arborvitaes). Think not just about adding green bushes, but add color with annuals that will survive in your climate. If you are not sure, consult with your local landscape supplier and ask what you should put in those pots in the front and back yards.

Remove hazardous ice from walkways, streets, etc. - this could pose a slipping hazard for a potential buyer and you want to avoid potential issues arising from a buyer that falls on your property. Plus, it makes it look like you care about your house when you have taken the time to remove the ice and piles of snow so that the house is easily accessible.

Add outdoor cushions to your chairs that may be outside for color and appeal. You can have a fireplace set up on your patio or deck where when the nights are not too cold, you could convey enjoying a nice cozy fire outside.

Lastly, when the outside is lacking in color, make sure you have plenty of color elements INSIDE your house to balance out the bleak. Use accessories and layers of color to help create that buyer appeal and transition from the outside to inside. If a house is bleak on the outside, and then on the inside has white walls, tan furniture and beige carpet, it is blah and boring. Using artwork, fabrics, throws, pillows and accent decor can help create an inviting look for buyers.

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For information on getting your house show ready, contact Jennie at 303-717-7918 or 888-93-STAGE. With over 2,700 houses Staged successfully, Jennie has the expertise and ideas to help you achieve your goals of a successful sale. http://www.sensationalhome.com/

Wonderful Willow Creek home - Sensationally Staged for sale

This wonderful patio home is listed for sale by Derek Gilbert, KW DTC - (720)480-9877 and is located in a desirable part of Centennial close to shopping and schools.  This house won't last long!!

2 Hours - Limited Budget - Cluttered House - What Would You Do?

Yesterday we had the opportunity to Stage a house in Denver - in SORE need of Staging. The Realtor called and wanted a consultation plan for Staging. In our conversation I discovered that the Seller was older, not physically able to do anything, and had no help. So Plan B emerged where we would do what we could with a hands-on Staging in the 2 hour time allotment we had for the consultation - to stick to the Budget.

Other challenges shared with me by the Realtor: The seller is from another country, does not speak English that well, and has a faith that requires daily rituals to icons and items.

Even though it is listed for sale, there were no interior shots of the house online. Strike 1: When there are no interior photos buyers KNOW it's a dog of a house and will PASS on an in-person visit.

Sight unseen we arrived at the house that was about 1200 square feet. The seller was a very nice woman and a little nervous to see us all pile out of the car. Not knowing what I was in for, I had another ASP Stager colleague, and my "Stage Crew" of 4 strong young men/boys to help with moving, packing, schlepping, etc.

I did a quick assessment of the house: Living Room crammed full of personal things, too many plants, and lots of religious things. Dining Room was not being properly used and had a console table full of junk. Kitchen had LARGE granite table in it that needed to be moved. "Family Room" was being used as a bedroom - racks of clothing, dressers, and other random furniture - no bed. 2 bookshelves blocked access to this room - and created a tiny passage way from the kitchen to the Family Room that you had to carefully navigate through. Bedrooms - dated bedding, beds slammed up against the walls. Basement - not worth Staging - mostly empty and could be used to store the boxes of things we would remove.

We had asked the seller to provide boxes -which thankfully she had in the garage so I set the Stage Crew on the task of taping up the boxes for us to use to remove things. Normally the Seller is NOT present while we Stage as it can be stressful so at one point we just had her relax on her front porch area while we zipped about the house.

We had 2 hours to transform the rooms we could - with the limitations of what the Seller was willing to have us put away. It is an art to negotiate with a Seller - let alone have the added challenge of a language and cultural barrier.

In the end, there was still more that needed to be done, but we worked hard and fast for 2 1/2 hours - moving heavy furniture, boxing, and thinning out areas that desperately needed help. At 2 hours we were ready to leave and then I decided I could not leave the bedrooms unattended. So, we rearranged the 2 rooms - one was simply pulling the bed off the wall and centering it in the room, and the other was totally rearranging a HEAVY dresser and hutch, bed, etc. Realtor kept saying, "That's what I thought needed to be done." In my head I was saying, "Well - what were you waiting for?" Oh yeah - ME!

The moral of the story: Sometimes when the budget is limited we do our best to help showcase the house. AND the Realtor needs the support of a Stager who can come in and make it happen when they have been met by resistance from their Seller.

The Realtor was happy with the results - and I found it amusing that he did not lift a finger to help us with any heavy moving or lifting. We were all sweating and dealing with moving things that were not necessarily clean. All the while being "observed" by the agent. He gets paid to sell. I get paid to Stage - and I am good at it. I considered yesterday a great workout!

We left the Seller and Realtor with a list of things "To-Do" to finish off the work we had started - and I believe they were more motivated to get it done because of the impact we had made in the time we were there.

Now there are at least interior photos that can be used to market the house!

Going Green - Tips to be more Eco-Friendly in Life and Business by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP, Owner - Sensational Home Staging

This is a great link for multiple tips on how to "Go Green." 

http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/living-green/slideshow?cp-documentid=32873246


Home Staging has been "green" all along because our goal in truth is to "repurpose" or "re-use" items in a client's house.  There are those that are of the mind-set that things should be removed and brand-new items brought in - and to me that is not Staging.  That is decorating.  When a Seller has furniture and accessories, and things we can use in their home already, the challenge is one of creativity - not money.

People that sell their houses and want to bring in a Stager need to know that Staging is NOT decorating - and Stagers that recommend removal of ALL things are really doing a disservice to the client.  Even dated furniture can be repurposed with a coat of paint or a skillfully placed slip cover.  There are times when it is necessary to bring in more updated things or supplement the items a seller may have to achieve a look that will help best sell the house, but it should be the exception, not the rule.

Green or Eco-Friendly Staging can be as simple as reusing what is in the house - or making a headboard out of a fire place screen (rather than rent or buy one).  It can also be using eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, jute rugs, natural materials, real plants, cotton linens, and so forth - sustainable materials.  It can include the use of low VOC paints.  It can be the recommendation to replace lightbulbs with LED lights that are more energy saving.  So Eco-Friendly Staging can be just about the furnishings in a home or take it a step further to painting and lighting.

I have done projects for builders with green home staging - using natural materials when making choices for furniture and decor.  The goal is to showcase a sustainable and energy efficient home. 

The focus of the eco-friendly movement is about reusing things in our homes and going from a disposable society to a society that repurposes and reuses things in the home so that we reduce waste.  And that takes me back to my original premise - Home Staging - where we use what a homeowner has, repurpose, rearrange, revive - is GREEN - and has been all along!

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For help preparing your house for sale in the Denver area - call Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP - Owner, Sensational Home Staging 303-717-7918. www.SensationalHome.com
Over 2,500 houses Staged - licensed, insured, and Accredited

Staging Testimonial: Sensational Home Staging Saves the Day - AGAIN!

Check out the latest Client Testimonial from a seller I worked with last week . . . his condo has been on the market since November with NO OFFERS.

Enter my Staging expertise and recommendations to help make the house feel larger - as well as depersonalize the space - and look at the results straight from the Seller:

Hey Jennie,




Thanks again for all your help. Once we moved everything, the condo looks great!! We even just got an offer on Friday. I think moving everything really made the difference. . . . Jeremy E., Seller
 
Staging Investment:  $100 for a consultation report.
Potential Price Reduction:  $10,000 minimum.
 
I think the Sellers were very savvy to get the consultation - they did the work - and they got an offer!!  I am very happy for them as they need to sell and in this market, they were not getting the attention they needed from Buyers! 
 
I love this business!!

SOLD in 1 DAY after Staging complete! Prepare to be impressed with this Littleton Beauty!

Prepare to be impressed! This home is truly exquisite. The sellers spared no expense on this top to bottom remodel and large home addition. Listed by Derek Gilbert, Keller Williams Realty.



Only the finest materials and upgrades were used. As you open the front door you are welcomed by a large panoramic great room with vaulted ceilings. The quality is immediately on display with a slate tile entry that leads into the great room with beautiful hickory hardwood floors and a warm custom tiled fireplace. The gourmet kitchen features Cherry Cabinets, granite counters, & top of the line stainless appliances. The cherry wood grains, tiled backsplashes, and cabinet space will impress even the most finicky buyer. The kitchen truly is the center of this home and has views of the entire home with a great open concept. Every room in this home is amazing. The master bathroom will rival any resort spa. There are simply to many features to describe without seeing this home in person.

Great before and afters of Denver cottage style house!

Check out the photos from a Staging I helped with on E. 6th Avenue in Denver. Working with team member Peggy Brandon, ASP, we Staged this cute cottage type house for sale to set the scene for Buyers. In fact as we were Staging, someone came by and loved what we had done - and may even make an offer!! Staging WORKS!!

This house needs some updating but the budget does not allow for that - so the Staging was about setting the scene room by room using what the Seller had available. Ideally it's best to replace carpeting BEFORE it comes on the market, but the Sellers were able to paint, remove a LOT of stuff, and get the house ready for sale. One solution provided to the Sellers: Get an estimate for carpet replacement and include that information for any buyer's agents and buyers that come to see the house. Knowing UP FRONT what the cost is to replace the dated carpet will help buyers know if the house is priced fairly, and let them know how much they will have to invest when they move in to the house.

Fabulous Staging using Creativity to transform the house for sale

Check out the before/afters of this wonderful ASP Staging project from the Boston-Waltham, MA Course taught last week . . . students did an amazing job after learning the principles of Staging from me in the ASP Course. As the Trainer - it's fun to see how the reality of Staging is applied in a real house! I advise, and get involved in rooms only if they struggle - and did not have to do too much of that with this class!

Top Tasks for Staging your House for Sale

HomeGain recently surveyed nearly 600 real estate agents nationwide to determine the top 10 low cost*, do-it-yourself home improvements for people getting their home ready to sell.

As a professional Home Stager, all the categories included in the survey are about Staging a house for sale which is all about how to best present that property to the market.  The only category I don't discuss with clients is Electrical and Plumbing (although lighting, fixtures and updating I DO discuss) - ALL other categories would be addressed in a Staging Consultation and conversation with a Seller.

http://blog.homegain.com/category/home-improvement-and-staging/The top five nationwide home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers, based on average cost and return on investment (ROI) to sellers, are:



1.Cleaning and de-cluttering ($290 cost / $1,990 price increase / 586% ROI / 99% recommended)


2.Lightening and brightening ($375 cost / $1,550 price increase / 313% ROI / 97% recommended)


3.Home staging ($550 cost / $2,194 price increase / 299% ROI / 80% recommended)


4.Landscaping ($540 cost / $1,932 price increase / 258% ROI / 93% recommended)


5.Repair Electrical or Plumbing ($535 cost / $1,505 price increase / 181% ROI / 92% recommended)