EastSide Home Staging

1. My Property is Worth More and I Can Now Increase My Asking Price. Although home staging can increase the perceived value of your property by showcasing it at its finest, the market value of the property does not change. It is still only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. The physical act of preparing a house to sell does not automatically grant you the right to increase your asking price if you are already asking top dollar. What it does do is it increases the desirability of your property which therefore increases the likelihood that you will sell for top dollar. Other things that attribute to the perceived value of the property are repairs and upgrades. Keep in mind that most properties don't get treated to these repairs and upgrades until it's time to sell. This is called deferred maintenance. This is stuff you should have taken care of a long time ago, but you didn't. Again, taking care of these items now DOES NOT automatically increase the market value of your property. Are there opportunities for multiple offers and above asking price offers? Absolutely, but don’t make the costly mistake of assuming that if the market value of your property is $650,000, now that you’ve staged your property, you can ask $675,000 or more. In fact, you’re better off with a lower listing price to encourage a multiple offer situation when buyers see the value your property offers, if that is in fact the case.

2. It’s About Decorating and Making it Pretty. It starts with knowing who your target home buyer is and designing a lifestyle to attract those specific buyers. This is where a lot of folks miss the mark – professionals and lay people alike. They think it’s about decluttering, depersonalization, and adding some pretty pillows and art. Think about this. Do you think the lifestyle of a 30 something bachelor or bachelorette is the same as that of a 30 something couple with young children or that of an empty nester couple? Vastly different right? Well then why would you generically stage a property in hopes of appealing to any of those three markets rather than designing it to speak to the one the home is most likely for? So many considerations must be factored into the process and how you showcase the property must appeal to your ideal target buyer. Don’t market to the masses, target your marketing efforts. Effective Home Staging really goes way beyond what you see at face value.

3. You must Depersonalize the Space. Yes, you should try to remove a lot of your personal items from the property when you’re getting ready to sell, but the problem I see most often is that houses are so depersonalized that it is void of any personality at all. This includes stripping the home of personal items to neutralizing features throughout the home so that what you end up with is a vanilla box = B-O-R-I-N-G!!! What you end up with is the white, off-white or beige walls, white cabinets, white countertops, beige floors, beige carpet, I mean how appealing is that? BLAH!! Remember, you still have to make the home memorable and somewhat appealing to buyers. The property should have some personality, just not necessarily yours. Again, it goes back to designing a lifestyle to appeal to your target buyers. If you’re appealing to a starter family, a nursery with a few stuffed toys and books and even a photo or two of the baby or the mother and child would most likely resonate with the prospective buyer.

Please visit my other Blog: http://eastsidehomestaging.blogspot.com/ ;

By Stephanie Decker, Staged Marin Homes

In home staging it is vital to make a home look high fashion without paying the cost of high fashion. Home stagers are always increasing their staging inventory and can’t pay full price for furniture and accessories, or their business won’t be successful.

Unfortunately, there is not just one place to find home staging supplies so being creative is important — not only in what you use but what you buy.

Here are my top five ways to make a home’s interior look expensive and in fashion, but not at the cost of your bottom line.

1. Use one expensive piece in each room. In order to make a room look high fashion, you have to believe that it is, even when it isn’t. The way to do this is to incorporate one expensive, well-positioned piece in each room.

It can be a piece of art, a table or piece of china. I will position it where the focal point is so that when the buyer first walks into the room this is what they see first. Then, they just assume that everything else is expensive too.

2. Use white. White will always be a staple that home stagers use. It gives the look of light, cleanliness, and an open space. I love white moldings, cabinets, and doors. I also love white lamps, accessories, and linens.

White is easy to clean and can also be bought very cheaply but made to look expensive. One of my favorite stores to find inexpensive white accessories is Z Gallery.

Using inexpensive white pieces on an expensive table is my favorite trick. It highlights the table while filling the space.

3. Look at what can be recycled. To bring fashion back into your home, you might see if you can re-cover your old upholstered furniture.

Recently, I had a club chair that had just lost its will to live. The fabric was worn and the cushions no longer were able to hold their shape. To replace it would cost more than $4,000 for a comparable chair. But this old chair still had great lines, and I didn’t want to part with it so I decided to recover it instead.

The cheapest way is to have it slip-covered. You can buy one at stores like Bed Bath & Beyond or have one made.

I decided to have it re-upholstered. I needed 10 yards of fabric, and I found a local shop to do the work (driving the piece myself to and from the shop) for less than $1,500 total. The key is to buy a good chair. Then, it will only need a little maintenance over the years. Plus, remember: It’s better for the environment to recycle rather than throw away an old chair.

4. Rotate color. Each season the design world changes the “it” color. This spring isturquoise and champagne; last year it was lavender and fuchsia. A good way to make a home look in-style is to have that in-style color. This can be in a pillow, a throw, a candle, or a vase. Whatever your budget, you always can find something with the fashion “it” color. (Read: Add Some Punch With This Year’s Hot Hue or Pillow Power)

To stay abreast of the latest “in” colors you can look online at Web sites like Pantone.com or home sites like Williams Sonoma Home. I like to walk into a store to get the feel and touch.Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel are good places since they rotate their floor so quickly that it is easy to catch up on the new color.

Then, I go to Cost Plus or Pier One to find accent pieces cheaply. You don’t want to pay full price for these items since this year’s “it” color will be next year’s color.

5. Buy one month after the season starts. It is important to not get lured into buying new things as soon as the new season starts. You can window-shop to get your seasons plan but if you wait 4-6 weeks, it will likely go on sale. I know this can be difficult when you get that first beautiful summer day and you are biting at the bit to set up your garden for that summer BBQ. But in reality, that summer BBQ won’t start for another month.

In Marin, we had a gorgeous few weeks of warmth in March. The flowers started to bloom, the kids started to play outside, and I was excited to let the outdoor games begin. I brought out the outdoor cushions and cleaned the BBQ. But we are still having rain showers and 50 degrees nights. So I had to bring the cushions back in and out numerous times.

If I had bought all of my new outdoor accessories, at full price, they wouldn’t have even been put to use yet. If I wait until school is out for the children and the forecast is clear for the considerable future, I know I will find the same accessories on sale.

Professional stagers are highly skilled artists. They can take a blank canvas and paint a sensuous portrait without ever lifting a paint brush. Stagers possess the skills of a top-level designer and they create dramatic scenery that appeals to all five senses. Here are some of their secrets:

• Arrange sparse pieces of furniture in an appealing grouping known as a vignette

• Showcase a generous usage of soft fabrics such as silk, lambs wool, satin

• Display unusual knickknacks in units of 1, 3 or 5

• Drape window coverings with simple lines

• Add unique elements to shelving, bookcases and fireplace mantels, which draw attention to predetermined areas

What Accessories Does a Stager Use?

Stagers bring in a vast array of items to spruce up the house. Here is a small sampling of items professional stagers often use to dress each room. How they are utilized is limited only by the creativity and vision of the stager.

• Mirrors

• Plants

• Silk Flowers

• Floor & Table Lamps,

• Area and Throw Rugs

• Small Love Seats

• Ottomans

• Afghans

• Pillows

• Inflatable Queen-Size Beds

• Baskets

• Plastic Tables & Chairs

Home staging provides a 586% return on investment, according to the most recent HomeGain Home Improvement survey. Staged homes sell faster and for higher prices, reports Pacific Staging, the premier home staging Orange County firm.

(PRWEB) June 1, 2010 -- In HomeGain®’s 2009 Home Improvement survey, home staging is shown to have a return on investment of 586%, reports Pacific Staging, the home staging specialist of Orange County. According to the survey, home staging costs of $3000 to $4000 can result in a $15,000 to $20,000 home price increase. Of the real estate agents surveyed, 82% also recommended home staging to be one of the most effective ways of marketing a home.

“The HomeGain study underscores what we have known for years,” says Pacific Staging founder and head designer Ron Granger, “staging helps potential buyers get excited about the property, and visualize a lifestyle that will inspire them. A staged home sells faster and for a better price than one that isn’t, adds Mr. Granger. “This is the reason why developers always make the expenditure to furnish models. They, as well realize they are selling a dream.”

Staging is not decorating. Decorating means personalizing your space; staging is depersonalizing it. Staging is not about the ruffles you love or your favorite color rug. Staging is about getting a property sold. Decorating is optional. Staging is mandatory.

The way you live in your home and the way you sell your house are two different things. If you're one of those people who doesn't know what clean really is, ask a persnickety friend to come over and point out things that need attention.

My Staging mantra is "Less is more." You're selling your space, not your stuff. All those little tchotchkes? Pitch 'em, pac'em, but whatever you do, put them away or out of sight.

With personalized clutter.

Without personalized stuff.

In marketplace terms, your house is merchandise. In Hollywood terms, your house is the set. You're Staging it to look appealing, just like the set in a movie. Your favorite television show has a set you remember and connect with. Your house is a set too.

When you walk into a hotel room, why does it feel so inviting? Because it’s clean, spacious looking and clutter free. A “staged” home sends a similar message, welcoming home buyers to “emotionally move in.”

“Staging” refers to preparing a home for public exhibition. Like any product, great packaging is critical – and can result in a faster home sale at a higher price.

When you decorate, you bring in personal things to make it your personal space. When you stage, you depersonalize a home so prospective buyers can visualize themselves there. If there are a lot of personal items, buyers feel they’re invading someone’s privacy, so home stagers go in and neutralize and de-clutter.

Staging starts with a walk-through by the stager, who outlines suggestions for modifying the home, from removing excess furniture and knick-knacks, to rearranging wall art and pillows. The transformation itself usually takes the homeowner and/or stager from one to three days. Costs vary by size of home and can range from a few hundred dollars for the consultation, to the low thousands for additional staging services, rental furniture and accessories.

Staging is a valuable tool to get top dollar for clients. There are so many things we do to market a property, but staging is the foundation. Once a home is ready and looking its best, then the rest of the marketing can be done, such as a virtual tour, flyers and digital photos displayed on the Web.

The goal is to maximize the look and make the home very salable, very desirable so it can compete with other resale homes.

A good stager can help reduce the stress so it becomes a fun process.

Many homeowners know about home staging basics, but how do you make your home extra appealing to home buyers during the sultry days of summer? Here are five handy tips:

Create intimate outdoor spaces: Use elements such as container gardens a classic pieces of lawn furniture, and outdoor drapes to create gorgeous outdoor "rooms"

Keep it light: "Choose a select number of large accessories in light, fresh colors, such as white, cream, lime green, or lemon yellow. 

Show the home would be perfect for "staycations" and relaxation: "Everyone is stressed these days," says interior designer Norma Lehmeir Hartie. "Including a hammock, for example, cannotes that living in the house will be relaxing stress-free."

Highlight the pool: If you have a pool, show it off. Make it irrisistible by keeping it crystal clear and sparkling clean. Create brightly colored, strategically placed flower beds or container gardens to make your pool the focal point of the yard.

Chill: Turn up the air conditioning to make the home cool and inviting on those balmy summer days. Your listing agent might also consider offering cold drinks to visitors as an added touch.