EnergizedSeller

Staging with Accessories: Bathroom Transformations

Linda Sticklin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:18:02 GMT

The addition of color helps to transform these overly neutral bathrooms. Towels, inexpensive accessories & artwork create interest in otherwise uninteresting spaces.

Can Outdoor Furniture Work Inside?

CortneyAstenSprayberry — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:11:52 GMT

We needed a chair to put in the foyer area and decided to paint an outdoor chair and put pillows on it to make it look better. Does it look obvious that we are trying to make do? Can outdoor furniture look okay inside?

LET'S GIVE THIS HOMEOWNER A BIG GIRL'S BED!

Judy Colburn — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:37:51 GMT

This home has been on the market for a few weeks. Although there's been a little bit of activity, there have been no offers. It's a great family home in a great location, close to schools and freeways. Wonder why there've been no offers?

Here's the home owner's master bedroom:

We helped her out by creating a master bedroom she'll love to sleep in:

When selling a home, it's imperative that sellers take the time to prepare the home for sale by looking at it through the eyes of potential buyers.

If your home is on the market and has been for some time with no activity or offers, one of two things could be the reason why:

1) It's overpriced for the market and area you live in, or

2) Your home isn't showing at its best and isn't making an emotional connection with buyers.

It's time to take a look at your home with fresh eyes. Remember, buyers today want move-in ready homes. And with more buyers than properties, you want your home to stand out and be among the homes that are selling.

If you can't figure out the steps you need to take to get your home show ready, hire a home stager to help you. A professional home stager will at a minimum, create a report and give you an itemized list of everything you need to do. You can do the work yourself or hire the stager for additional help. In today's market it's the priced-right staged homes that are selling first!

PROVEN RESULTS IN PRICED RIGHT STAGED HOME SALES

Pro Staged Homes Home Staging & Redesign San Dimas, CA 91773 909-714-1149 www.prostagedhomes.com judy.colburn@prostagedhomes.com

This Living Room Needed a Whole New Look

Judy Colburn — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:52:32 GMT

I was so excited to get a chance to work with an agent I met some months back. She has a client that is selling her home and really needed some home staging direction on preparing the home for sale. I take great joy in helping people in need and in this case I got to help this agent show home in a more appealing manner, help the seller prepare the house for a quick and easy sale and I even got to throw some painting work over to my unemployed contractor friend. Doesn't get better than that!

Here's the living room before:

And here it is after:

Since this home is located across the street from an elementary school so I wanted to create a warm, homey and inviting space where buyers could imagine themselves living with their families. I used warm autumn colors to entice buyers to think about spending the upcoming holidays in their new home.

Pro Staged Homes Home Staging & Redesign San Dimas, CA 91773 909-714-1149 www.prostagedhomes.com judy.colburn@prostagedhomes.com

Home Staging: The Unbiased Opinion

Rhonda Conchola — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:57:40 GMT

In today’s real estate market, is it possible that home staging is no longer a luxury? With the media now beginning to educate home sellers everywhere about the home staging process and the internet getting e-blasted with home staging schools and home staging companies, it’s no wonder home staging has become an essential part of the property marketing process. Many times you will lose the sale of your un-staged home if your competition right around the corner has taken the time and expense to stage their home. A staged home will usually always have the competitive edge over the un-staged home.

There is usually no argument with regards to whether or not home staging is a vital piece of the marketing puzzle, but rather whether or not home staging should be completed by the home owner or by a professional staging service. The argument is more often, “Why can’t I just stage my own home?” You could stage your home, however, keep in mind that the “unbiased opinion” will be absent. More times than you even realize, you will talk yourself right out of packing away those family photos, heirlooms, and over-crowded home furnishings. There may be certain flaws you have seen so often that you hardly notice them anymore. You might assume that everyone will love the beautiful choice of colors you have painted on the wall and your carefully planned home decor because after all, you thought they were perfect. The truth is too much personality can hinder any possible potential for a quick home sale. The lack of “model home” appeal can do the same. The unbiased opinion is a fresh eye (and nose) that will come in and politely, yet constructively, offer solutions to any areas that need to be addressed before placing your home on the market. There should always be appeal with out too much personality as well as functionality for a home to be staged with excellence.

The trained professional in his or her expertise will always do his job best. The realtor is trained to sell homes. The painter is trained to paint homes. The landscaper landscapes etc. If you are considering selling your home and would like to have it professionally staged, hire a well trained stager.

As a buyer, which home would you find more appealing?

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Outdated Bathroom Before and After

Stefanie Levine — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:55:39 GMT

Adjoined to the guest room, this guest bath feels outdated, detached, and very busy.

Before

After

New accessories were purchased in rich warm colors that now coordinate with the adjacent guest room decor. The simple yet much more sophisticated decor help the buyer connect with and "see" the room.

How Home Stagers Help

roomsinbloom — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:54:43 GMT

I was driving in the car today and listening to the radio when an ad came on for How Realtors Help homeowners sell their homes. I understand and agree that Realtors are excellent guides for the home selling process. They deal with people and situations that homeowners shouldn’t have to and they provide essential information which is crucial when it comes to getting the most money for your biggest asset – your home.

What I didn’t agree with and continue to have issues with is how these ads claim Realtors can help homeowners stage their homes. Professional stagers don't claim be be able to sell homes so this marketing strategy has me scratching my head. We can't be all things to everyone and there is no weakness in sourcing out professionals for a job. Creating the mistaken impression that realtors have the ability and talent to both stage and sell homes is misleading.

The ad I listened to was a mock phone call between a realtor and a client and when the term ‘home staging’ came up, the client squawked that he didn’t need home staging! Instead of replying that the realtor would be bringing in a professional to assess the condition of the client’s home, the realtor in the ad backed off and said they should concentrate instead on marketing the home. Realtors - why would you want to waste money marketing a home that doesn't show well? I just don't get it, its like throwing money away when you could be investing in your listing by enlisting the services of a professional stager.

Home staging is a crucial part of the home selling process. Many realtors who sell homes do not have the design talent or experience to act as a home stager for their clients. In fact many have never even talked to or worked with a professional stager so they aren’t aware of what a stager does or the magic we can work in a home. This is a shame because the changes we make add quantifiable value to a home and allow sellers to realize the full potiential of their investment.

So, here are how professional home stagers can help:

~ We offer an objective view of the property, seeing the property as a buyer will. Our recommendations arethorough and detailed so even DIY home owners can follow them.

~ We talk about things which are hard to address; smells or acres of overly patterned wallpaper. Things which buyers would have objections to or which can make the difference between a buyer picking your home or passing on it to buy another property.

~ We address function because bottom line, all spaces and rooms in your home need to provide a visible function for buyers. Function increases a home’s value sometimes even more so than upgrades or modern decor. Professional stagers ensure every room is a definable and usable space which buyers will appreciate.

~ We take the mystery out of de-cluttering and neutralizing decor. Every realtor says these things are important – and they are – but most home owners are mystified by this edict. How much to de-clutter? What is neutral? Why neutralize? Professional stagers address how much to pack away and what decor choices will make buyers stampede to make an offer!

~ Advice on smart upgrades and tips to increase a home’s curb appeal. We offer tips to catch buyer’s attention and keep them engaged for the whole visit!

~ Adding the WOW to any home with simple yet stunning designs which are created to capture the hearts of all buyers who walk through. By maximizing focal points and architectural elements, a professional home stager will focus attention where it should be – on the selling points of any home.

~ Providing valuable contacts to contractors, landscapers, cleaners, and organizers to help the process of getting homes ready as simple and cost effective as possible.

~ Access to beautiful rental furnishings which are instrumental in ensuring vacant properties both show and feel like a model home. Professional stagers also normally have a large inventory of modern home decor accessories which can give any home a stylish flair.

~ We provide recommendations and advice on all aspects of getting a home ready for sale so that Realtors can do what they do best: sell the home!

Realtors are an integral part of the home selling process. So are professional home stagers. Realtors who partner with a professional stager are telling their clients right away that they care enough about the condition of the home not to gamble with its presentation. We can’t all be good at everything. Realtors are knowledgeable about pricing homes right so they capture buyer interest. Professional stagers are skilled and experienced in showcasing a home so that once a buyer views the property, they can’t help but fall in love with it.

TO Together, realtors and stagers are a potent combination. For home owners selling your home, ensure that the realtor you choose brings in a professional stager to guide you through the preparation process.

It’s been quoted a few hundred times and I’ll quote it again:

"Price brings in the buyer, staging sells the home.”

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Smoke Odor Removal Help

Lisa Huddleston — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:21:37 GMT

I was staging a house this past week that has a seller who is a smoker. The carpet has been replaced, but there is an overwhelming smoke smell when you walk in the door. It doesnt matter how pretty it looks if it stinks! Any suggestions as to how to get that smell out? The Realtor is trying a few things....we shall see if they work......

What color laminate should I get?

tiggersten@yahoo.com — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:08:17 GMT

I'd like to get laminate flooring in the living room of my condo. I have oak trim and oak furniture. Would a dark wood laminate look okay? Where can I view some photos to get an idea of what it might look like or what I should do?

How do I ask my neighbor to move their RV?

johncr — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:05:10 GMT

I could really use any suggestions on the best way to ask your neighbor to move their RV. I'm putting the house on the market and would REALLY like to have them move it. I know I have to ask but any tips would be helpful.

Can you paint chrome fixtures?

cindyling — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:34:21 GMT

We are replacing the chrome faucets and fixtures in our master bathroom, but the walk-in glass shower door has a chrome frame that can't easily be replaced. Can chrome be painted? Is there a relatively inexpensive option to cover the frame?

Simple re arrangement for home office makes big impression

Karen Otto,ASP,RESA-Pro, Home Star Staging — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:01:41 GMT

Home offices are a growing trend in real estate and if your home has one great! One thing I really don't like seeing are the cables and cords that can often be exposed, to me it translates as messy and unorganized. When selling you want to create an office that looks clean, organized and efficient (which of course it always is right?). Simply re arranging where your desk is can make all the difference in how it looks.

Office Before (nice desk, but not spaghetti wires!)

Office After (all items were already in the space, just re arranged for better aesthetics, the owner even liked it better and the room "felt" better)

Foyer before and after

Karen Otto,ASP,RESA-Pro, Home Star Staging — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:12:43 GMT

A foyer is often the very first impression upon entering the home, make sure it's inviting as well as appropriately furnished for scale and style. Buyers should flow seemless from one area to the next, not stop and think about why you may have put what you did where. Keep with the style of the home and make sure the scale is correct. Finding other pieces in your home may just be the solution you need.

Foyer before (wall decor too small, chairs not appropriate for space (re purposed in other areas, kid's desk areas, greenery not a good scale)

Foyer after (re purposed dining chairs from adjacent room, appropriate to style of home, removed table cloth, brought decor items with better scale from other areas of the home, "stacked" two pieces of iron work to make a larger scale statement on the wall - cost for items $0 dollars!)

In need of creative ideas on how to make stored "stuff" look better?

CortneyAstenSprayberry — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:40:28 GMT

We’re spending the bulk of our home improvement money on staging, repairs and curb appeal. During the process, we moved a lot of furniture and clutter into the garage because we can’t spend more to get a storage unit. Do you have some creative ideas on how to make our stored stuff look better? For example, should we cover it with a tarp or not?

blah bathroom gets some drama

DivineRedesigns — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:03:47 GMT

Sometimes sellers take neutralizing too seriously! Light walls with white cabinets and countertops leave buyers bored. By painting the mirror and adding a few inexpensive accessories, this bathroom goes from bland to bold:

Finding Space in Another Small Bedroom

Rearrangements — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:25:28 GMT

Lynn Chevalier of Staged Right inspired me to post one of my favourite sets of before and afters. Ignoring the fact that the after was taken with a wide angled lense, I think it still illustrates how a staged room can look bigger than a vacant one.

How to make our children's bedroom look bigger?

eseller1 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:15:35 GMT

We were emailed this question and asked to post it --

We are faced with the challenge of making our child's small bedroom look bigger, while also trying to keep as many toys out of storage as possible so he has things to play with. I'm guessing this is a common problem. Do you have any suggestions on how best to do this?

Relatively Simple Changes -- BIG DIFFERENCE!!

Dan Eason — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 04:04:19 GMT

Cathy Lee, an EnergizedSeller Professional Home Stager member recently staged a home outside of San Francisco, CA (see her blog post) that made a big difference in the appearance of her client's home and its marketability.

Below are the before and after photos that show the simple, cost effective changes that were done. Although the changes may seem simple, even obvious, they weren't considered until a professional home stager was consulted and made the recommendations.

The most likely reason -- As homeowners we are so used to our surroundings that we often forget how others may see it. The old adage, "can't see the forest though the trees" can apply here as well. We become so accustomed to living in our home we don't consider the changes necessary when selling our home. By changing your mindset from homeowner to home seller you can begin to understand the process it takes to prepare your "product" (your house) for the real estate market.

At the very least, get an outside perspective from an honest friend on how your home shows. Preferably, hire a professional home Stager who has the experience and knowledge of the real estate market in your area. Professional Home Stagers are trained to help you maximize your home's potential and can guide you on the best choices for the biggest return on your investment.

The cost doesn't have to be high. In this case, for less than $500, including Stager fees and small furniture and accessory purchases, the home seller received vast improvements. Don't you think?"

(See Additional Notes On Cathy Lee's Blog)

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Living Room Before and After

Stefanie Levine — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:52:01 GMT

This is a wonderful room with already neutral walls, built ins and gorgeous hardwoods. However leaving this room as is would risk the chance that buyers will overlook its great attributes and focus on the distractions such as the amount of furniture, dark decor and personal accessories. In addition, the seller tried to create a cozy atmosphere by arranging the furniture in such a way they didn't realize they blocked the flow from the entry way into the room rather than "inviting" the buyer/guest into the room.

Before

First thing we did is brighten up the room. We replaced the curtains with sheerer ones to allow more light to come in. In addition we softened up the dark leather furniture by adding a variety of light and complementing patterned and textured throw pillows. There weren't many options where to move the furniture, however we removed the brown pedestal table and moved the beautiful shabby chic chair to the opposite side, opening up the space. We added a white coffee table (borrowed from another room and painted it), a new area rug (in place of the dark one) and an attractive fireplace screen to give a finished look. We removed all personal photos, removed items from and rearranged the bookshelves (using only items that reflect the new color scheme). The mantle was cleared and rearranged and is now a beautiful focal point of the room.

After

Cordova Dining Before and After

Karen Eubank — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:33:12 GMT

I love sellers who listen!, This one did everything I suggested. Windows without curtains are like eyes without mascara! You have to have curtains!

Here we have another red dining room, a Texas favorite! Red is wonderful if you are not selling. We have another gorgeous rug covering up the hardwood floors. The rug goes with the sellers, the floor is what we are trying to feature so the rug goes!

Before

After

Moss Trail Before and After Living Room

Karen Eubank — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:39:54 GMT

I think it more than proves the point that a furnished home is going to attract more buyers than a vacant one.

This house had spatial issues. The entry /living area, was a challenging space. Potential buyers were going to have trouble figuring out where to place furniture. It was just impossible for buyers to visualize placement.

Before

Augh, someone moved my pillow! That probably means a potential buyer actually sat down on the sofa and contemplated purchase . Think about taking a potential buyer into a vacant home. Where are they going to sit down and draw up the contract? Make it easy on them!

After

Luxury Home Staged to Perfection

roomsinbloom — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:44:11 GMT

My partner Alana and I were hired by the home owner of a truly stunning home to do a complete make-over and staging of his impressive home. The property had been on the market since early January 2010 and was listed in 'as is' condition. The house didn't sell. As we often tell our clients, the higher the listing price, the higher buyer expectations are. In this case, the home had spectacular curb appeal but the online pictures weren't doing the property justice and when buyers visited, they were overwhelmed by the personal decor choices.

The fun part was this make-over, including staging, had to be done in five days so the house could be re-listed. Well, we did it! Below are some of the pictures however we invite you to our Facebook Fan Page where there is a link to the virtual tour for this stunning luxury home.

Living Room/Dining Room "Before"

Living Room/Dining Room "After"

Living Room "After"

Family Room "Before"

Family Room "After"

Master Bedroom "Before"

Master Bedroom "After"

Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design is based out of Kitchener-Waterloo, ON and services the tri-city area in addition to Stratford, Elmira, Guelph. We take pride in creating strong partnerships with the clients who hire us and the realtors with whom we partner. We specialize in staging vacant properties and model homes. For more information, visit us online or contact us for more information on our staging services.

Bathroom Sinks Until Stager Skirts the Problem

Tori Toth — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:40:02 GMT

If your bathroom sink lacks storage and exposes hideous pipes underneath, don’t worry you’re not alone? During a home staging consultation, I discovered a home seller had the same problem, but there is a quick and easy solution that won’t break the budget.

As the only bathroom in the home, this space (pictured below) had to house the kid’s bath toys, step stool and also be a place for adults to relax and enjoy drawing a bubble bath. Not to mention, the bathroom was original to the Co-Op building and the new homeowners would have to completely renovate the space.

For less than $25 dollars the sink was transformed from an outdated fixture to a crafty storage solution, just be adding a no sew skirt! Sink skirts can be a quick fix for renters who can’t permanently change their surrounding or homeowners not able to tackle a major renovation. Many skirts tend to have a country feel designed with ruffles, which is not modern enough when selling your home (unless you live on a farm lose the ruffles).

Since I couldn’t find the right sink skirt with clean lines making one was the next best thing. All you need is fabric, iron-on hem tape and industrial-strength Velcro. For this sink skirt a brown shower curtain was used to mimic the look of a dark wood piece of furniture. Use the finished hem for the bottom of the skirt then cut to desired size measuring the length and width of the sink. Hem the cut edges using iron-on hem tape. Attach the Velcro underneath the sink and at the top of the fabric. Finally attach the skirt.

I used the extra fabric from the shower curtain as art. Just cut the pieces to size and use fabric glue to stay in place, then put the pieces into the frame and hang.

Virtual Staging of Living Room Before and After

Walt Simpson — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:20:15 GMT

To help potential buyers visualize the potential of this space we utilized Virtual Staging to furnish this living room. Using a combination of 3D models and actual photographs we bring some life and warmth to this wonderful room.

http://virtualstagingpros.com

Walt

Closets Help Keep a Master Bedroom on Track

Tori Toth — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:13:42 GMT

One my client’s had been looking at ways to add value to their home. The husband and wife owned a small, old home in Queens. Like many homes in the area small and old meant NO STORAGE SPACE. As I walked through the home I noticed they only had three small closets in their 3-bedroom, 1-bath house. The first closet housed the washer and dryer in the kitchen, the second was a small closet in a room off the dining area, and third was in the master bedroom. That closet was so tiny it couldn’t even fit an entire wardrobe. Not to mention these homeowners had no place to store toiletries, linens and storage.

I immediately told them to build a coat closet in the foyer, but the major problem was where to put all their clothes, shoes and other accessories. Before the renovation the wife was using a rolling closet to hang up her clothes. Whatever didn’t fit was thrown into drawers, the bedroom was full of furniture. Take a look at the before picture:

The room was only 11ft x 12ft and the ceiling mimicked the slanted roof, which takes away from the space. The homeowners asked for his and her closets, but they still needed room for a bed. While designing the bedroom, I originally planned on building the two closets into the slanted space, but quickly discovered the room would then be too narrow, not to mention, one of the closets would still be small. After going back and forth with the closet placement, I decided to use the major wall in the room it was over 9ft high. The wall would have two closets, plus a storage area to utilize the entire space.

Finally to decorating my favorite part! We painted the room the color Eternity from Benjamin Moore. The color is perfect for a bedroom it’s a gray-blue that is calming and soothing. The color was a much better alternative to the yellow-tan walls already there. We also removed the carpet and added hardwood floors, a bonus! To keep the room light and airy, I asked the homeowners to remove all of the furniture except one piece. They were reluctant at first, but after convincing them the furniture was weighing the room down and the sleigh bed was eating up valuable square footage, they had no problem removing the pieces. We finished the look by adding a neutral suede headboard and painted floating nightstands from Gothic Cabinet Craft. We attached the headboard and nightstands to the wall to avoid losing any space. Despite the slanted ceiling, this was the perfect place to position the bed and a refreshing way to wake-up each morning, rather than feeling suffocated by furniture.