Do Stagers need a 12-Step Program?

I blogged about Home Stagers having A.D.D. http://activerain.com/blogsview/585638/Do-Stagers-have-A


- and although I know most of us do not actually have that condition - I did think that Stagers enjoy staging because of the short term gratification element.

Along those same lines - I also believe that those of that have found our life passion with Staging are ADDicted to Staging.

What is an addict? Websters defines it as: A person who cannot resist a habit, especially the use of drugs or alcohol, for physiological or psychological reasons.

OK - let's just remove the drugs and alcohol part - and put in "A person who cannot resist a habit, especially the use of Staging and creativity, for physiological and psychological reasons." - and there you have it!

We that love Home Staging are Staging Addicts!

Does this mean we need our own 12-Step program for support? Having grown up in a 12-step household (so this is not in any way meant to demean the helpful groups that saved my family's life), I can just hear the statements now at the weekly support groups - "SA - Stagers Anonymous."

"Hello, my name is Jennie, and I am a Staging Addict." Group: "Hello, Jennie."

The 12 Steps would be launched with the statement:

1. I am powerless over Staging - and help declutter other houses and my own so their lives and mine will not be unmanageable.

2.. Came to believe that a power greater than myself - Staging - could restore me and my clients' houses to sanity.

Etcetera.

The truth is, like an addict, I CAN feel myself going through withdrawals when I have not had my hands in someone else's house. My husband and kids notice it too - as I begin to "re-Stage" our own house - rearranging things, straightening, and fussing in the house - in order to make something "old new again." It bothers them - they want to be able to leave a blanket on the ground or not put the centerpiece back where it belongs after playing our Wii. To me - I often don't feel complete until my own house is back "in order" and yet I do have clutter - the kind that most families with children would have. Books, papers, collections, displayed school projects, and laundry - lots of laundry. And yet I recognize when I am crossing over to the addiction fix - I become sort of like a whirling dervish - spinning through my house cleaning, straightening, and re-doing displays. Time for a Staging project - FAST!

I do believe we that love Staging are ADDICTED to it - as one of my mentors proudly shared, "It gets in our blood stream - it's addictive." And yet I also know it is one of those "healthy" addictions. We are not harming anyone in the process of Staging (unless we drop a box on our toe), and we do help others to achieve their goals.

Now as I am writing this - I realize that as Home Stagers, we are addicted to Staging spaces and making houses more visually appealing, which is true. But what about the other role we play in this 12-Step world?

Think about it. Are we also codependent as Stagers? Do we do for others what they should do for themselves - but are not able? Yes we do. The decluttering, the proper presentation for the overwhelmed home seller - are all things the seller (or Realtor) are not able to do - and we come in and "save the day" with our plans, our creativity, our inventory, our knowledge.

Hmmm. I had not thought of that before now - but there is a grain of truth. We do help rescue the sale time and time again, offering up our solutions, telling our sellers not to be concerned - we'll take care of it - and allowing them to step aside and pass the responsibility for presentation of the house to us.

I guess we play both roles - we are the proverbial Addict and the Enabler. But the good news is that we are not hurting anyone in the process - we are helping. We are helping feed our own addiction and helping the Client achieve their goal of selling, even if it means we have to do the work ourselves.

Afterall - life should not be all boring - we have to have some FUN to feed our spirit - even if it is an addiction that can drive some of our family and friends crazy! And that is a whole other 12-step program.

SA unite!

Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP, Owner & Principal Stager, Sensational Home Staging serving the Greater Denver region

•International Staging Expert, Blogger, and Media Personality

•Member of International Assoc of Home Staging Professionals since 2003

•Why Trust Your House or Listing to Anyone Else?

•Over 2,700 Houses Staged and Thousands of Satisfied Realtor and Seller Clients

'Twas the Month Before Christmas . . . A Staging Poem for Sellers and Realtors

Trouble viewing the graphic?  Here is the text version:

‘Twas the month before Christmas, and all through the town

Sellers were asking, “Should we bring our price down?

Or go off the market until sometime next year,

We just can’t seem to get a buyer in here.”

Their houses were marketed during the season

No buyers were coming - what could be the reason?

Perhaps there needs to be more appeal

To help a buyer come make a deal!

Well here’s the solution that’s sure is engaging

From your Staging expert - Sensational Home Staging!

I’ve transformed many houses, to help them look best

From furnished, to vacant, large, small and the rest.

The services are varied, but one things for sure,

Staging a house is often the cure!

The best things about a home - I help buyers see

Using their own items or special inventory.

The data I track proves Staging works well

Even in this market - my Staged houses sell.

The investment in Staging is really quite clear

It will help you sell now versus sometime next year.

Copyright (C) Jennie Norris, 2003-2011 - All Rights Reserved.

Staging for the Holidays - How Much is Too Merry?

The holidays are just around the corner. If you have your house listed for sale or are going to put it on the market, here are some things to think about to ensure your house is "buyer friendly" during the holidays.

First, not everyone celebrates the holidays you do so minimizing what is put out for celebrating is key. Make every buyer feel welcome - even the ones that don't do much for the holidays or believe in celebrating the ones you do. There is nothing "wrong" with what you believe or celebrate and it's important to think like a buyer and create that welcome feeling for anyone viewing your house.  Not putting out everything you own for decorating for a holiday will keep your house feeling spacious, neutral and inviting for any buyer.

The next major holiday is Thanksgiving. The warm tones associated with this holiday are fine for selling unless they totally clash with your current color scheme. Having a nice cornucopia on the table, or an arrangement with fall gourds, pumpkins and the like is fine. Just make sure the decor you put out does not draw too much attention to it - whatever you use to decorate for the holiday needs to be just a highlight in the room - not the focal point. Don't overdo it in your front yard with a bunch of cute yard items like scarecrows, pumpkins, turkeys, flags, etc.  Think "less is more" for selling during this time.

The religious holidays that are coming are a source of remembrance, joy, and ritual for many. Not all buyers are going to know what your religious items signify and we don't want anyone feeling uncomfortable in the house they are potentially buying. If someone feels uncomfortable they will just get out and go look at the next house on their list.

I am going to address Christmas because that is what we celebrate in my house and if you celebrate another religious holiday in the November-December timeframe, apply the same guidelines to your house. Christmas decor is a lot of fun - I have lots of Nativity Scenes and Santas. I have a collection of over 40 Nutcrackers that are a family favorite and on display wherever I can fit them. They would surely be a conversation topic for any buyer coming to see the house if it were for sale. 

Are you selling your decorations or are you selling your house?  Also if you have some heirloom or precious things on display and they get broken or stolen, wouldn't you be upset?  So this is the year to not put all those things out. Keep it to a minimum.

Even our tree has a special spot and it blocks the view to the back yard. So if we were selling, I would not put my Nutcrackers on display, I would relocate the tree to a better spot (or maybe not have one), and I would limit the number of decorative things to a few. Poinsettias are fine. A wreath on the door or on a wall is OK. But the abundance of decor some of us put out for our normal Christmas tradition would have to be left in the boxes for where we move next.

It might seem hard, but you are selling a house, not a home. If it is really a non-concession for you and you insist on having all your stuff out - then have no showings for the week before and after Christmas until you can get your personal holiday decor put away.

Know this: People DO buy houses at Christmas. There are people relocating from around the country and this can be a time when serious buyers are looking for a house, and must make an offer.

If you HAVE to sell now - then make some adjustments so that you house can remain on the market and be viewed as a product that any buyer would want to purchase.

Enjoy your scaled-back holiday and know that next year when you are in your new home you can go all out!!

Staging Creativity and Transformation!

Check out the latest Staging transformation from Accredited Staging Professionals in the Wash DC area . . . wonderful work using what the Sellers had in their house - and the principles of Home Staging!

Latest ASP Staging Project - Total Transformation!

Check out the latest Staging Tranformation - has been on the market over 90 days so far and with the Staging work of the ASP Students from Boston, we expect this house to show much better to buyers and get SOLD!

Denver-Littleton Condo For Sale!

Open house October 22 from 11-2 PM!  Come check out the latest listing from Virginia Clair, Urban Mountain Properties - 303-229-2450.  7925 Layton Avenue, #317 - Denver 80123.  Located right off Wadsworth and Belleview area - close to shops and is a quiet condo community.

15 Ways to NOT Sell Your House: Real Life Stories about Real Sellers that Really Did not Want to Sell

15 Ways to NOT Sell Your House: Real Life Stories about Real Sellers that Really Did not Want to Sell

by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP – Owner, Sensational Home Staging

If your house is on the market and you do not want it to sell – here are some tips you should consider.

1. Keep all your personal stuff out in plain sight. Clutter makes buyers feel right at home and hides all the real selling features of your house. They will probably layer up their counters and floors with stuff so just let the Buyer see how the house will look when they live in it too.

REAL STORY: This was one of my clients known as Dr. Bill. He had papers strewn all over his floors, coming out of tubs, down hallways, all over the counters. It was incredible! This was a bedroom but you cannot tell by the photo.


2. With area rugs more is better! Hide the hardwood or tile floors throughout your house with area rugs – and do not worry if they do not match. Letting the buyers hop-scotch from one rug to the next is FUN!

REAL STORY: What is it with homeowners that put a million area rugs all over. If you do not want your wood floors, put in carpet! This particular seller had 38 rugs in her house – all sizes (I counted).

3. Make sure to keep oddities and strange thing out. It gives buyers something to talk about and remember your house by recalling that item. Forget all the selling features you want them to remember your collectible. Killed a moose in the wild with your son? Great – keep that up on the wall with the large eyeballs following Buyers through the house. Even better, hang the photos of your hunting expedition right under the moose head so they are sure to get the full story.

REAL STORY: This was a treasure that I found in a high-end house owned by a doctor. Proudly on display at the entrance of the house in a niche, they could not understand why buyers would not appreciate the Jack-a-phes-a-lope.

4. Do not put any of your personal artwork away. If you have ones that are nudes that’s even better. That will tell Buyers that you are free and easy and do not care about pretenses and are super comfortable with yourselves.

REAL STORY: This is a painting that hung in the formal dining room of a very high-end house. If you look closely enough you get too much of a view. The seller had listed the house and it had not sold (surprise!). The painting ended up leaving the dining room and a tasteful fruit bowl painting was put in its place.

5. Keep all your family photos out so that Buyers can really get to know who you are. Your young children that go to school down the street will be recognizable by anyone seeing your house in person and online and it is a great way for your kids to gain new adult friends!

REAL STORY: I had a client protest having to put away all her kid’s photos. She said, “They are so cute, I do not want to pack them up.” Too many family photos give buyers too much information about you, your family, your interests, your background. No one should be able to determine that much personal information about a seller.

6. Do not make your beds or clean up when Buyers are coming. They have seen dirt and unmade beds before and if this is how you live they can either like it or go to the next house.  And if your house is smelly on top of dirty, that is an added bonus!

REAL STORY: This was a client that was too busy to be bothered to make the bed. Anyone that is in the business has seen this – do they not know Buyers are coming through? Yes, I’d much rather look at your unmade, rumpled bed and clothes on the floor.

7. Do not paint any of your walls – the colors you like have to be appealing to everyone. Darker colors you painted will make your rooms feel small – which actually means, cozy, right? Darker colors are good for mood lighting – after all who wants to see all the features of a room?

REAL STORY: This client thought the purple walls were “fun” and the fact that she had accented the walls with bedding in all hues of purple made it better.

8. Wallpaper – who says you have to take it down?   You picked the pattern because you liked it so buyers should like it too. In fact, if you have put wall paper up that matches the curtains, and also matches your fabric in the room – all the better because then Buyers can REALLY appreciate the pattern and thought you put into selecting the design.

REAL STORY: These sellers could not get past the amount they had invested in the wall paper. Taking it down seemed like a crime! Notice how the striped curtains and striped chairs, area rug and wall paper all make the room spin? Where does my eye go? My eye goes “lets get out!”

9. Keep all your windows shut and blinds closed or nearly closed so that the house is nice and dark. It will take a moment for the Buyers’ eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the house, but that will make them appreciate how private your house can be from the neighbors. They do not need to see the view from the windows – they saw it when they drove up to the house.

REAL STORY: Although the room itself is not bad from a Staging standpoint, having the blinds down, AND the curtains drawn over them is not a good selling point. Buyers immediately ask “what are you hiding?”

10. Make sure to leave out air filters, fans, water filters and water jugs – Buyers want to know if the house they are thinking of buying will make them sneeze, have water that tastes bad, or doesn’t heat and cool properly. Give them the clues up front so that they can make sure to bring their fans, heaters, filters and jugs when they move in! Extra bonus! When the buyer sees the large jug on the counter they will obviously think “Hey look at all the room!”

REAL STORY: These sellers used the jug water daily. When asked to move it for selling, they resisted saying, “If buyers cannot look past this then they can just get over it.” Then the agent, afraid of offending the seller said, “I actually think the blue of the water jug is a nice accent.” Please. If we do not tell them the truth we are not doing our job to help the house sell!

11. Do not bother cleaning up the yard or trimming your bushes and trees. They are just going to grow back so it is better to let Buyers see how they will look that way than trim them down. When they cannot see the house from the street it is more of a “surprise” when they get around the limbs and bushes and see the front door for the first time. When the trees and shrubs hide the windows of the house from the front it adds that special touch of privacy that every Buyer wants.

REAL STORY: This seller had not only the issue of “cannot sell it if you cannot see it” with the giant tree hiding his house, but the neighbors were kind enough to park all their extra vehicles all over the cul-de-sac so it looked like Auto-Row. I recommended he trim his tree and have a motivating conversation with the neighbors.

12. If you are updating your house make sure to pick styles and colors from years gone by – they are nostalgic and will help Buyers feel that connection the past. Brass fixtures really shine – and just scream 1980’s and who did not LOVE the 80’s?

13. Follow potential Buyers around your house during a showing. They do not need privacy and need to hear all the things you did over the years to personalize your house. Tell them all about your pets, your children, all the stories that will make sure to leave an impression.

14. Do not put any photos of your house online. Keep it a mystery so that the “big reveal” happens when the Buyers come in person!

15. Do not Stage your House and list your house with a Realtor® - Staging does not really matter and buyers can look past your stuff.  You can just watch a TV show and figure out what to do innately.  And Realtors - they do not do much anyway and you can just do it yourself. Marketing cannot be all that hard and the paperwork if you get an offer does not have any legal issues at all. It’s a cinch!! (please note I am being sarcastic – and value Realtors and what they do greatly!)

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For help in Staging your house so it DOES sell, please give me a call.  303-717-7918 or toll free 888-93-STAGE.  After Staging over 2,500 houses for sale since 2002, I have yet to meet a house or client I could not help.  You can find me on the web:  http://www.sensationalhome.com/