This is a class project from the recent White Plains, NY - Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) Course. The students did an awesome job using what the homeowner had combined with their creativity and ideas! The Seller was thrilled with even small changes that gave each room a refreshing update - as well as made them more appealing for buyers. To find out how you can become an ASP go to www.Stagedhomes.com for information!
Welcome to the Sensational Home Staging Blog where you can learn from the experts. Whether you are interested in Home Staging for sale or Staging to Live - we have the answers and stories to share that you will find helpful.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sensational Transformation - SOLD with Staging!
This house was in desperate need of Staging help. The Listing Agent met with them before they met with me to get their Staging Consultation with specifics of what to do to make their house sellable in today's market. Knowing how much a project this house was - and the time it would take to hand-hold the Seller to make sure things got done - the Realtor wisely had me come in as part of his team. The Staging consultation was specific room by room - and included updating, remodeling and Staging tips for each room.
As you will see, the custom paint colors were too much and the house had 17 years of accumulation inside that needed to be purged. Thankfully the Sellers were motivated and did most all of what was recommended for Staging. The end result was when the house finally came on the market - it SOLD in a matter of weeks! Job well done and ANOTHER Sensational Home Staging success story!!
As you will see, the custom paint colors were too much and the house had 17 years of accumulation inside that needed to be purged. Thankfully the Sellers were motivated and did most all of what was recommended for Staging. The end result was when the house finally came on the market - it SOLD in a matter of weeks! Job well done and ANOTHER Sensational Home Staging success story!!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Top 5 Reasons to Stage in a HOT Market
As the real estate markets heat up and days on market shorten, one school of thought is that Staging is not needed as a tool to attract a buyer because, hey, the house will sell anyway – eventually. That is misdirected thinking because Staging is a key tool in BOTH a hot and soft market! In a slow market Staging helps the house sell faster. In a Hot Market - it will sell even faster - and possible for even more than list!
In many markets all over the U.S., sellers are experiencing swift sales as a result of depleted inventory. Prices are not back what they were prior to the market collapse so using Staging as a tool to get the BEST price for your house is necessary.
1. Staged houses engage the Senses. A Staged house looks, smells, and feels better than an un-staged product. No matter the market, that means it will sell faster – which means it gets the best price while the competition sits and is USED to sell the Staged houses. You don’t want to be in the “used” category.
2. Don’t Sell Yourselves Short. Staged houses will sell 2-5 times faster than the un-staged competition. As a market heats up – this may translate into selling the day or week it’s listed – which also means bidding wars. The Staged house will sell for EVEN MORE than list – which is exciting.
3. Don’t leave $$$ on the table. When a seller falsely believes they don’t need to Stage – or a Realtor does not advise the seller to invest time and dollars to make sure their house is Show Ready, they are leaving equity and profit on the table. You have to remember, people sell their houses for the MOST money possible – not just some money. If they can get another $5,000 to $50,000 out of the sale – they will want that.
4. Be the Market Leader. As the market improves, more houses will come up for sale which increases the competition. You want to lead the pack in the price and presentation categories, not be a follower – watching as the houses around you sell while you sit.
5. Staging is the KEY Marketing Tool. Don’t forget that Staging is the KEY Marketing tool that helps your photos, virtual tours, and in-person showings stand out from your competition. Without it – the 90% of buyers that preview houses online will not get excited about your property.
Staging is easy, it is a low-investment to get your house sold (versus a price reduction) and is necessary to ensure you benefit from the sale of your house – to get the MOST possible in the shortest time. Work with a Realtor that understands Staging is part of the process – and not an option – so they are using every marketing tool available to attract a buyer audience and get your house SOLD!
___________________________________________________________________________________
If you live in the greater Denver area and are in need of professional Home Staging services for sale or for living, just call Jennie Norris, Sensational Home Staging. With over 10 years of experience and 2,700+ houses Staged - she has yet to meet a house she could not help! 888-93-STAGE or 303-717-7918. Go to http://www.SensationalHome.com to learn more about Sensational Home Staging.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Home Improvements that Yield the best ROI for the Homeowner
Home Improvements that Yield the Best ROI for a Homeowner
But home improvements don't have to be done only when you are selling - why not invest in your property while you live there - and you enjoy the changes?
What if you are not selling? Upgrading your home is exciting and can also provide a nice return on your investment when you sell. To maximize returns, it is important to know which improvements to focus on and to not over invest in your upgrades.
Check out the list of improvements and percentage of your investment that may be recouped at resale - provided by Remodeling Magazine: Remodeling Magazine’s Remodeling 2011-12 Cost vs. Value Report (http://www.costvsvalue.com).
88-92% Garage Door Replacement
A simple, updated garage door can take years off the look of an older home.
76-81% New Windows
New windows not only give your home a “fresh face,” but they can also improve energy efficiency and buyers appreciate those changes.
75-80% Deck
Outdoor living space is a desirable asset no matter where the locale. No maintenance decking material leaves lots more leisure time too.
67-91% Remodeled Kitchen
A kitchen remodel can reward a seller with a sizable payback. Remember that splurging on fancy finishing materials or sophisticated equipment may cut into profits. Keep it simple.
68% Family Room Addition
The key to maximizing your return is to avoid over-improving and keeping the improvement in line with other homes in the neighborhood.
65-75% Remodeled Bath
A master bath is on many buyer lists, so invest here. If you own only one bath, install two sinks or a double vanity to handle the morning crowd.
61% Bathroom Addition
It takes a simple 5 x 9 foot extra bath to make mornings more civilized for most families. Don’t count on a return on extras like a heat lamp or whirlpool tub.
57-64% Expanded Master Suite
To keep costs down, try to find extra space to create this wish-list item by combining existing rooms and spaces. Heavy structural work entailed by adding square feet diminishes returns.
50% Home Office Remodel
A home office adds to comfort, convenience, and salability, but isn’t among the top projects for adding home value.
_______________________________________________________________________________
If you live in the greater Denver area and are in need of professional Home Staging services for sale or for living, just call Jennie Norris, Sensational Home Staging. With over 10 years of experience and 2,700+ houses Staged - she has yet to meet a house she could not help! 888-93-STAGE or 303-717-7918. Go to http://www.SensationalHome.com to learn more about Sensational Home Staging.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Stagers are not Salvage Companies - Stop Calling us to Get Your Old Stuff
I am going to rant a bit here – I got a call yesterday from some homeowner that has been storing their furniture and has decided it costs too much to do that so now wants to sell it off. In her words, “Our stuff is too good to just give away so I am hoping we can make a deal.” In fact I have received this same type of call many times over the past 10 years.
As a Stager why is that people think that we are a repository for their rejected furniture items or things they feel are "too good" to “give away” or donate? I know that once in a while a Stager might acquire an inventory piece from a homeowner, but for the most part, what they are rejecting is not anything we could use. Is it the TV shows that are confusing people or just that they do not get our industry? Yes we can use what a homeowner has when Staging a house – and yet for vacant houses where we are in charge of the look, we are going to create a more modern look and color palette than using Grandma’s antique furniture and doilies as accents.
I had another person contact me because he had been an investor and had all this, in his words, “Wonderful furniture that is top of the line.” I took time to go check it out. I wanted to say, “Hey mister, 1980’s called and they want their chunky white wood with gold trim coffee and end tables back.” I did not – I was honest and said I could not use most of what he had – dated, dusty, heavy. But it annoyed me that I not only wasted my time, but that he thought I could use any of his stuff!
For all you homeowners that would like to unload your things and “get a good price” – here is a news flash: We don’t want your stuff! That may sound mean but even I have to sell my stuff at garage sales when I am done with it – and you know what? I don’t get the price I want for it either – but I am happy to be rid of it. Unless your stuff falls into the following categories, go ahead and put it on Craig’s List or post those neighborhood sale signs:
1. The style of whatever you are unloading is up to date – traditional - transitional to modern. Whatever the trends are for TODAY – not 20 years ago. Whatever I use for Staging must be able to be used in the houses I Stage for today’s buyers – clean lines, not fussy.
2. Your furniture is CLEAN and in new or like-condition. This means Fido cannot have chewed the legs or Fluffy cannot have used the side and back as a personal scratching pad. Forget kids stains and food stains. There is a reason we tell you to remove those pieces for Staging as buyers don’t want to look at that either. Telling me I can just put an accent pillow over the cigarette burn is not going to work for me.
3. Your furniture is a neutral color/fabric. Yes you loved the floral printed sofa but Stagers, not so much. Why do you think we invest in slip covers? There are exceptions but if I am going to use something with color it is not going to be your mauve sofa or hunter green lazy-boy recliner.
4. Your furniture is light-weight and easily moved from house to truck. You may have invested in that hide-a-bed to help create more space for guests but we don’t want to get a hernia moving your sofa around from house to house. If I cannot lift it with one other person, it’s off the list.
5. Your artwork is something I can use in any house for sale. You loved the print of Yoda from Star Wars and paid a lot of money for it – but guess what? It is not going to work in a house for sale today. That also goes for any Thomas Kincaid, Monet framed in brass, or other old wood framed “collectible” you’ve been toting around for years. Today’s art must reflect the style and colors buyers are looking for – and that is why most Stagers weed through their artwork annually and eliminate anything that has not gone to the show or is no longer useful.
6. Your accent décor has to be useful. I don’t want your dusty silk plants that you dragged off your cupboards. Or your old dusty silk tree with lights on it. Same can be said for your old roosters that you collected back when that was the fad. If you haven’t noticed, with Staging we have a saying, “Less is more” so I want less of your used items and more of what will “pop” for Staging and make a statement. I am constantly turning over my accessory stash because things get dated or damaged.
Do you get the point? It’s not that we don’t appreciate you thinking of us – but please be realistic about what we do. We are not the Sanford & Son's of Staging – salvaging your junk because we are desperate for something to stick in a house. Not only that – do you realize that if I have large pieces I have to pay to store and move those items – so I don’t want to be storing items that will be used once in a while – they have to be on rotation constantly.
I cannot speak for ALL Stagers and I am sure there are those that would be happy to acquire your things for “a good price” – but for me – I would rather invest in a piece that is going to pay me back many times over. That’s smart business strategy.
In the future, please spare me the calls to come rescue your furniture and decor that is “too good to give away” – just put your Craig’s List ad together,have a garage sale, and be happy that you are free from storing all that stuff – and use the money to buy some new things. I CAN help you with that – so call me when you are out with the old and ready to bring in the new – I would be happy to help you.
As a Stager why is that people think that we are a repository for their rejected furniture items or things they feel are "too good" to “give away” or donate? I know that once in a while a Stager might acquire an inventory piece from a homeowner, but for the most part, what they are rejecting is not anything we could use. Is it the TV shows that are confusing people or just that they do not get our industry? Yes we can use what a homeowner has when Staging a house – and yet for vacant houses where we are in charge of the look, we are going to create a more modern look and color palette than using Grandma’s antique furniture and doilies as accents.
I had another person contact me because he had been an investor and had all this, in his words, “Wonderful furniture that is top of the line.” I took time to go check it out. I wanted to say, “Hey mister, 1980’s called and they want their chunky white wood with gold trim coffee and end tables back.” I did not – I was honest and said I could not use most of what he had – dated, dusty, heavy. But it annoyed me that I not only wasted my time, but that he thought I could use any of his stuff!
For all you homeowners that would like to unload your things and “get a good price” – here is a news flash: We don’t want your stuff! That may sound mean but even I have to sell my stuff at garage sales when I am done with it – and you know what? I don’t get the price I want for it either – but I am happy to be rid of it. Unless your stuff falls into the following categories, go ahead and put it on Craig’s List or post those neighborhood sale signs:
1. The style of whatever you are unloading is up to date – traditional - transitional to modern. Whatever the trends are for TODAY – not 20 years ago. Whatever I use for Staging must be able to be used in the houses I Stage for today’s buyers – clean lines, not fussy.
2. Your furniture is CLEAN and in new or like-condition. This means Fido cannot have chewed the legs or Fluffy cannot have used the side and back as a personal scratching pad. Forget kids stains and food stains. There is a reason we tell you to remove those pieces for Staging as buyers don’t want to look at that either. Telling me I can just put an accent pillow over the cigarette burn is not going to work for me.
3. Your furniture is a neutral color/fabric. Yes you loved the floral printed sofa but Stagers, not so much. Why do you think we invest in slip covers? There are exceptions but if I am going to use something with color it is not going to be your mauve sofa or hunter green lazy-boy recliner.
4. Your furniture is light-weight and easily moved from house to truck. You may have invested in that hide-a-bed to help create more space for guests but we don’t want to get a hernia moving your sofa around from house to house. If I cannot lift it with one other person, it’s off the list.
5. Your artwork is something I can use in any house for sale. You loved the print of Yoda from Star Wars and paid a lot of money for it – but guess what? It is not going to work in a house for sale today. That also goes for any Thomas Kincaid, Monet framed in brass, or other old wood framed “collectible” you’ve been toting around for years. Today’s art must reflect the style and colors buyers are looking for – and that is why most Stagers weed through their artwork annually and eliminate anything that has not gone to the show or is no longer useful.
6. Your accent décor has to be useful. I don’t want your dusty silk plants that you dragged off your cupboards. Or your old dusty silk tree with lights on it. Same can be said for your old roosters that you collected back when that was the fad. If you haven’t noticed, with Staging we have a saying, “Less is more” so I want less of your used items and more of what will “pop” for Staging and make a statement. I am constantly turning over my accessory stash because things get dated or damaged.
Do you get the point? It’s not that we don’t appreciate you thinking of us – but please be realistic about what we do. We are not the Sanford & Son's of Staging – salvaging your junk because we are desperate for something to stick in a house. Not only that – do you realize that if I have large pieces I have to pay to store and move those items – so I don’t want to be storing items that will be used once in a while – they have to be on rotation constantly.
I cannot speak for ALL Stagers and I am sure there are those that would be happy to acquire your things for “a good price” – but for me – I would rather invest in a piece that is going to pay me back many times over. That’s smart business strategy.
In the future, please spare me the calls to come rescue your furniture and decor that is “too good to give away” – just put your Craig’s List ad together,have a garage sale, and be happy that you are free from storing all that stuff – and use the money to buy some new things. I CAN help you with that – so call me when you are out with the old and ready to bring in the new – I would be happy to help you.
Monday, July 9, 2012
New Listing Coming soon! S. Pennvylania Street - Denver
Check out the upcoming listing by Monica Bennett, KW - 303-748-0295. Great house built originally in late 1800's - updated but still has that old charm found in Denver. Close to downtown, parks, and many activities.
Friday, June 29, 2012
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)