Real Estate Staging

By Norma J. Smith

In this slow Real Estate market hiring a professional Stager is an investment that will easily pay for its self. But if you would like to have a go at it on your own, here are some ideas to get you started.

Start with the outside. That is what potential buyers will see first. You want to make sure that they want to come in. Think "Curb Appeal".

Now is not the time to invest a lot of money into the house unless you really have to. Don't paint unless the paint is really faded or pealing or if the paint is an outdated or funky color. Most of the time all you really need to do is touch up the trim and paint the front door. The same goes for the lawn. You don't want to spend money having it landscaped, just make sure the lawn and hedges are neatly trimmed. Plant some flowers and use hanging baskets to add more color and freshen up the look. Make sure the yard is free of clutter and that the windows are spotlessly clean. Hanging a nice wreath on the door will create a homey, welcoming feel.

Inside you need to remove all clutter and have the house professionally cleaned. If your carpet has stains or worn spots cover them up with area rugs. You don't want to replace the carpet unless you absolutely have to. If you do need to buy new carpeting, go with a neutral color in a medium price range.

Remove dark or outdated draperies and replace with top treatments that allow as much light as possible into the room. Replace all of your light bulbs with bright clear bulbs and leave them on. People like bright homes. If your furniture takes up every available space in the room, put some of it in storage. Empty space will make the home appear larger.

Pack up any collections that you have, be it Salt and Pepper shakers or Swords. Put them in storage. It's ok to have a couple of nicely framed photos of your children or some vintage photos of you ancestors, but if you have an entire wall covered with pictures of every relative, take it down, and fill in the holes.

Every room should have a clear purpose. If it is suppose to be a dining room it should not look like a home office. If the room is suppose to be a bedroom it should not look like a gym.

You want create little "Display areas" through out the house, much like they do in furniture show rooms; particularly in the main rooms and the entry way. You want to try to really wow them. You can pick up some interesting accessories at your local home store. Another great way to dress up an area and add color and texture is fabric. Having some decorative pillows, cushions and table covers made in coordinating fabric will really pull the look together. And nothing makes a house look cozier than fabric.

Use scented candles or potpourri to add fragrance instead of aerosol spays that smell like you are trying to cover something up. Having fresh flowers during the showings is also a nice touch.
Following these simple and inexpensive steps will greatly help to sell your home quicker. If you need more help contact your local Staging Professional.
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Norma J. Smith is an Interior Decorator in the Boston area. She specializes in Custom Window Treatments and Soft Furnishings. She can be reached at 781 665-1306 or via email at norma@njinteriors.net. Her website is www.njinteriors.net.

A Home Staging Parable

by Gina Williamson of Selling Designs, LLC

It's the day of your BIG presentation- the career "maker or breaker". So, you get up late, yank a comb through your hair, throw on a mis-matched, worn-out outfit from your closet, and slap on some lipstick. As you run out the door, you grab your notes and tuck them into pockets.

RIGHT??

WRONG!!!

Yet this is how many homeowners treat the "big presentation" of what is most likely their largest investment- their home's Open House. Unknown numbers of potential buyers will be traipsing through their home, judging it's condition, it's appeal, it's FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT, it's WALL COLORS... Yes! Price and Presentation sell houses.

Like your BIG presentation, a home should be "dressed to kill" and prepared for the audience.
This is why home staging is such a worthwhile investment- yes, investment! Unlike the homeowner who has a difficult time seeing past what has "always been", a home stager brings fresh eyes and a buyer's perspective. A home stager is not attached to that worn-out recliner, or those outdated curtains- the "outfit" that could potentially cause the "presentation" to be a big flop!

If you are selling your home, or planning to in the future- a home stager is the right choice to help you make that great first impression.

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With an eye for design and a mind for selling, Gina Williamson of Selling Designs just might be the person you need to be talking to if you are trying to sell your home. An interior decorator trained by the internationally-renowned Staging Diva™, Debra Gould, Williamson adds “professional home stager” to her repertoire, someone who will come into your home, evaluate it, and leave you with a detailed list of what can and should be done to make your home more “marketable”. Launched in November last year, Williamson’s company Selling Designs, LLC, offers home staging consultations, full home staging services, as well as color consultations and interior redesign services. She is a graduate of the Sheffield School of Interior Design. A transplant from Virginia, she now resides on the west side of Cincinnati. You can contact Gina at 513-226-2754, or visit her website at www.sellingdesigns.com.

HOME STAGING SELLS HOUSES

by Gina Williamson

Selling your house? If you haven’t heard of home staging, you are definitely becoming part of the minority. Home Staging is hitting the media in a big way. As a result, home sellers are beginning to realize this as one of the most successful ways to get their home sold, and realtors are jumping on the bandwagon by hiring stagers as a “value added” service to their clients. On top of that, most buyers are becoming less and less interested in homes that will require a lot of initial work on their part. They are looking for “move-in ready” homes. Effective staging accomplishes just that.

So much more than the bygone “paint the walls beige” mindset, staging is a comprehensive, room-by-room process of determining what updates, repairs, rearrangements, paint choices, and editing are needed in order to make your home desirable to your target market. A professional stager knows what to look for, and is able to look at your home from an unbiased, buyer-mentality perspective. Home staging is essentially the art of appealing to the emotion of the buyer.

In a lot of markets, house sales are still in a slump. All the more reason to invest in the services of a professional home stager who will help your home stand out from the competition, and help you move on to the next phase of your life. If you think you can’t afford to hire a stager, you need to ask yourself “can I afford to pay two mortgages?”, or “can I afford to take a huge reduction on my asking price?” Typically, a full staging is still less than the first reduction, which usually starts at $5,000.

“Let's face it- the way we buy and sell houses today has changed, and in this very competitive housing market, the savvy seller has to find a way to stand out. A professionally staged home- a home that has been "merchandised" to sell- will make your home rise above the rest, helping you to sell faster and for more money!” says Gina Williamson of Selling Designs, LLC.

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With an eye for design and a mind for selling, Gina Williamson of Selling Designs just might be the person you need to be talking to if you are trying to sell your home. An interior decorator trained by the internationally-renowned Staging Diva™, Debra Gould, Williamson adds “professional home stager” to her repertoire, someone who will come into your home, evaluate it, and leave you with a detailed list of what can and should be done to make your home more “marketable”.

Launched in November last year, Williamson’s company Selling Designs, LLC, offers home staging consultations, full home staging services, as well as color consultations and interior redesign services. She is a graduate of the Sheffield School of Interior Design. A transplant from Virginia, she now resides on the west side of Cincinnati. You can contact Gina at 513-226-2754, or visit her website at www.sellingdesigns.com.

Home Staging Strategies

Home Staging Strategies
By Jeanette Joy Fisher

Who are you preparing your home to sell to?

You, as a home seller, have two initial choices.

1. Sell your home as a bargain to investors or bargain shoppers with limited income, or

2. Sell your home for top dollar to your target market.

To prepare your home to sell to investors and bargain shoppers, all you need to do is look for a real estate agent who does a lot of advertising of fixers and handyman specials. This agent will list your home under market value. Then sit back, watch TV, and sell your home for a rock-bottom price. Don't be surprised when you get many offers for lower than your asking price right away.

If you want to work a little, or perhaps a lot, you can sell your home for top dollar. Explore ways to create a buyers’ dream home. Because buyers let their emotions rule their decisions, stage your home for your specific buyer profile.

To sell your home for market value quickly, remove all your personality from the home. Besides getting rid of clutter, pack your family photos, children's artwork, trophies, and personal effects. Buyers want to envision their belongings in their new home.

Home staging strategies include setting up spaces with suggested activities that buyers perceive as a lifestyle change. You want home shoppers to think that if they choose your home, they will enjoy a new life.

Get busy removing clutter, packing memorabilia, staging, and sell your home for top dollar. Don't be surprised when you get many offers for more than your asking price right away.

Copyright (c) Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher is the author of real estate and interior design psychology books, including how to "Sell Your Home for Top Dollar--FAST" and "Home Staging for Top-Dollar Sales." For more articles on how to sell your home, see http://www.sellfast.info. For Home Staging tips, see http://www.homestaging.us

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