Sensational Denver Bungalow Transformation

Check out the before and afters of this cute Denver bungalow - Staged and SOLD in less than 10 days!  Notice how the inclusion of furniture and decor not only adds needed color - it makes the rooms look larger than when they are empty.  Remember - people looking at photos online have no idea how large or small a room is - and so it's imperative that furniture is brought in to help define the room and size.  In person - a buyer also needs to emotionally connect with the house - and the furniture and decor does the job!!

Selling During 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 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 have seen some advice on various real estate sites about putting out the decor to make the house feel more "family friendly" - and yet as I have shared - that is a risk. We have to remember that we are selling your space - not your stuff.
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 buyers are looking for a house, and must make an offer. Realtors will often say that the buyers that are out now are "serious buyers" - they are looking now because they either need to move or perhaps want to take advantage of year end tax breaks. Either way, don't discount the buyers that are out there and not make your house engaging, and a place THEY can make into THEIR home - not feel like they are invading YOUR home.

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!!

Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP- Premier, SRS, REO, 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

Sensationally Staged - Englewood Condo - Inverness Area

Check out one of our latest Sensational Home Staging projects - listed for sale and under contract in only 4 days!  The seller wanted to price her condo aggressively - and needed it to look a certain way - so we obliged and got the job done quickly and professionally.  The results speak for themselves - and the price per square foot is one of the highest in the area! 

As I always say - and teach - do what it takes to SELL THE PROPERTY - Staging does not have to be overdone - it just needs to be done so that the buyer can appreciate the features of the house they are buying!

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For help getting your property or listing in the Denver area Staged and SOLD - contact Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP-Premier, ASP-REO, ASP-SRS.  Jennie is the most experienced Stager in the area - and has the experience, credentials and expertise to know what to do to properly Stage your house or listing.  Call her at 303-717-7918 or 888-93-STAGE.  "Why Trust Your House or Listing to Anyone Else?"

No Gimmicks – Just Staging - We are not a ME TOO industry

No Gimmicks – Just Staging - We are not a ME TOO industry

I was watching “What Women Want” recently - great movie from Mel Gibson’s heyday – and one of the slogans he and Helen Hunt come up with for Nike was, “No Games. Just Sports.” It got me thinking. With Staging – there are so many “sister” industries sticking a toe into what we do that I am concerned that the public may not be fully aware of what is really needed to sell their house.

Do we really want to be a “ME TOO” industry where

anyone can claim to be a specialist in Home Staging?

What industries am I talking about?
1. Decorating

2. Interior Design

3. Feng Shui

4. Professional Organizing

I have respect for people that are trained in these areas but they are not professional Home Stagers.

To me someone that is a professional has training and knowledge about the industry they serve – Real Estate – and knows where the lines are drawn between these stand-alone industries. This is not to say that someone that has a business in the areas above can’t Stage – I just believe wholeheartedly that they need to get educated about what Staging principles are so that they are providing true Staging – not applying the principles of their specialty industry without understanding what the goals are for Staging a house – because that does not serve the client in the best way and the outcome is not going to be what the client wants or deserves.

And they are NOT the same as Home Staging.

Just because they THINK they know what to do – does not mean they do – and I have seen enough “staged” houses by non-professional "stagers" to know it is becoming a major issue for our industry. If we don’t address it now – our industry will be watered down, we will lose money to these “ME TOO” people, and the purity of Staging will be lost.

Let’s take a look at how they differ from pure Home Staging.

Home Staging:

Definition:

a) Home staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace, regardless of location or condition. It is using the seller’s timeframe and budget to prepare their house for sale so it appeals to the most buyers, sells faster and at the best price.

The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Staging techniques focus on improving a property's appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that anyone might want. Staging involves depersonalizing a home to make it a house that any buyer can envision themselves living in, and create a broad buyer appeal. It is also a method for protecting the Seller and their family as their house is being marketed to the mass public. The house can still have warmth and pizzazz with things that add color but the goal is to sell the house.

Now, as you read these definitions below – ask yourself, “Do any of the definitions (found online) say the words, ‘real estate’ or ‘prepare a house for sale’??”

1. Decorating:

Definition:

a)Make (something) look more attractive by adding ornament to it.

b).Provide (a room or building) with a color scheme, paint, wallpaper, etc.

Decorating is the service of dressing up a home – it is all about personalizing the home for the people that live there. When selecting paint colors or decorative treatments there is no thought to a buyer and what they would like to see in the home because these people are not selling. So, when a Decorator sticks a toe into Staging their focus is naturally going to be on the “stuff” versus the space.

2. Interior Design

Definition:

a)The art or process of designing the interior decoration of a room or building.

interior design - the trade of planning the layout and furnishings of an architectural interior that may include architectural layout, lighting, painting and furnishing a home or commercial building.

b) the branch of architecture dealing with the selection and organization of furnishings for an architectural interior

Interior Design is also about personalizing the interior of a home or building. Interior design is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive.

3. Feng Shui

Definition:

a) (in Chinese thought) A system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi).

b) The Chinese art or practice of positioning objects, especially graves, buildings, and furniture, based on a belief in patterns of yin and yang and the flow of chi that have positive and negative effects.

According to feng shui websites by feng shui practitioners, The aim of feng shui is to create a living and working (and dying — feng shui is for graveyards, too) environment in harmony with nature and the flow of energy.

4. Professional Organizing

Definition:

a) Professional organizing is an industry that has been developed in order to help individuals and businesses design systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring skills.

Professional organizers aim to help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, and their systems for life. Professional organizers help redirect paradigms into more useful cross-applications that ensure properly co-sustainable futures for their clients' spaces and processes.

The definitions for ALL the sister industries are found online. Did you read the words, “REAL ESTATE, SELL A HOUSE, PREPARE HOUSE FOR SALE, OR SELLERS” IN ANY OF THE DEFINITIONS?

NO. Hmmmm.

How did this happen?

Well HGTV is in part to blame for the blurring of the lines between Home Staging and the sister industries. When you have shows called, “Design to Sell” and have an interior designer floating around the episodes doling out Staging advice – and in reality is remodeling the house and adding design elements – not Staging – it creates confusion within the industry and with the public.

Then I believe Professional Home Stagers that are successful are responsible too. Let me explain. Even though the industry was created in 1972, the late 90’s saw the birth of the launch of professional Stagers setting up businesses to serve Realtors and Sellers for the first time. Back then we were considered “the ugly stepchild” of the design world.

It has taken 12 years of professional Home Staging business owners educating the public and real estate industry about Home Staging to get where we are today. I believe that when the MONEY and SUCCESS part of Staging became known (because Staging can be lucrative) – these other industries realized that what WE do is a necessary part of Selling a house – and it is an industry that does not require a “mad money” mentality where a homeowner will only pay for it IF they have some extra money laying around, like the sister industries.

And they wanted a piece.

Because Staging increases the sellability of a house – Sellers realize it is mandatory and more than that, Realtors realize that it is now a mandatory part of Selling any house. Not only that, but Realtors that incorporate Staging as part of their business practices and listing services are more successful, and will be repeat clients for a professional Stager – versus the other industries that have to constantly be creating new clientele.

How do we “fix” this?

We all need to be sharing what Staging IS and what it is NOT – it is NOT decorating, interior design, feng shui or professional organizing. Staging is a service used in the Real Estate Industry – to prepare a house for sale. Period.

Can someone that is skilled in a sister industry also Stage – yes – BUT they need to understand that they are not using the same principles and the goals are not the same as their primary service area. I also believe they NEED TO GET TRAINING OR EDUCATION in Home Staging - whatever form that takes. The reverse is true too – I know many Home Stagers that are also talented in the sister industries. Usually they market that sister service as an off-shoot of what they do, and they have a background and education in that field.

Now before you get all fired up – if you are in one of the sister industries – I acknowledge that there are talented people in those industries that DO a great job with Staging – BUT those people understand the differences in the industries – and have been able to apply their talent and creativity to Staging – not try to make Staging fit design, decorating, feng shui or organizing.

Do you feel the way I do that it is disrespectful to those of us that invested a lot of time, dollars, and passion into our STAGING businesses to be LUMPED together with those that have done NONE of that?

The fact is any of us COULD market ourselves as a Feng Shui person, a Professional Organizer, or Decorator – because NONE of those industries are regulated. Anyone can set up shop in those fields.

I don’t do that – because I RESPECT those industries and the people serving them – and I UNDERSTAND that they are different than what I do – in process and goals. My passion is for Staging – I love what I do and the process behind it.

On behalf of all the talented Home Stagers serving the real estate industry, I respectfully ask for the SAME CONSIDERATION.

When I do a Staging to Live that is a home makeover I draw the line at where I know I am not qualified to help them – and bring in a re-designer, decorator, organizer, or design person to take over. I have NEVER been brought in to a project any of these sister industries are working on – with a homeowner that is selling – they just take the business. To me, that is wrong and does not show respect for professional Home Stagers everywhere.

My focus though will be on REALTORS and SELLERS – to make sure they know that those other industries are NOT Staging and should not be confused with what Home Staging is.  Hire the right person - the best person for the project - that knows what to do - and they will get the results they want.

Who’s with me?

Home Staging Marketing Made Simple - The Key To Succeeding in Business - NEW BOOK by Barb Schwarz and Jennie Norris

I am honored (and excited) to co-author this book with Barb Schwarz - and it's for any ASP or ASPM that wants to continue to succeed and capture market share or for someone that is just getting started and has no idea what to do for marketi...ng. Over 100 pages of useful info and specific ideas! These were unveiled at our ASP-IAHSP Conference and orders are being taken now. Only $29 (reg $39) through the end of the year - you can place an order with me, with Kirk (kirk@stagedhomes.com) or with any SHC Trainer. As the cover jacket says - we offer 70 years of collective marketing experience and know that the difference between an ASP that is super successful and one that flails - struggles (or fails) - is marketing. We can never stop marketing either - it's a book for ANYONE - whether new or a seasoned ASP.


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Habitat for Humanity ReStore beneficiary of Denver IAHSP Worldwide Staging Service Week Project

The Members of the Denver Chapter of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) conducted their Worldwide Staging Service Week Project today in Littleton, CO.  Habitat for Humanity was the beneficiary of this year's project - and Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) Members of the Denver IAHSP Chapter created appealing vignettes to help draw buyers into the store - and show them what can be done with the donated items in the store.

Two teams created a living and dining area - using only what was found in the ReStore.  Members did bring in accessories to help add surface appeal.  Some of the creative things done were to add a "fireplace" to the Living Room set up - using tiles and glass blocks to create a foundation for the mobile fireplace.  In the Family Room, doors with window panels were set behind the couch to create a look of a "window" and wall.

Shoppers voted on their favorite rooms - and the winning team was given $50 gift cards for the Habitat ReStore.  It was a fun activity and benefits a great cause - helping build houses for those in need - and supporting Habitat For Humanity.

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!!