Beautiful Staged Homes

From a Pile of Coal Comes a Diamond

2012-02-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post today. Sometimes when I'm getting reading in the morning I have thoughts about improving my business or other people's businesses (including the business of selling a home, for instance). I tell homeowners and realtors about the staging process and why it works...but some people listen and some don't. Happy are those who listen to me because their homes move!

So I try to come up with ways to explain why you need your home to look great if you want to sell it. I try to come up with analogies and stories so that people get the concept. Pictures help a great deal...so here's my picture analogy of why you should make your home look the best it can and how a qualified home stager can help your home look its best.

Lumps of coal Source

Can turn into...

It takes work, but your house can be a Diamond! Which of these two pictures represents your house? Make sure it's in "Diamond" condition - then your days on market will be short!

Call me if you need any help getting your home ready for the Spring selling season! 631 793-1315

Image credit for diamond: Source

A Great Giveaway: A Handpainted Paint Color Fan Deck

2012-02-07T09:34:00.001-05:00

Many of you read both of my blogs, but for those of you who do not read my design and decorative paint blog, Studio of Decorative Arts Blog, you may want to head over there and enter the Special Giveaway that I am doing this week - a Handpainted Fan Deck of beautiful custom colors by designer and color consultant, Michelle Winick. You will find complete details about how to enter this giveaway HERE.

This beautiful fan deck, created by Michelle for the Muralo Paint Company, will allow you to see the actual paint colors (and just a picture of the colors, as in most other fan decks). This is a huge advantage because most people who choose paint colors via a small postage stamp sized chip (usually picked out under the harsh glare of fluorescent lights), are usually surprised by the color they actually get on the wall. The colors are also extremely usable and beautiful - especially great when you are selling your home. You won't be disappointed by these colors - neither will your buyers!

So, head over to my other blog and enter this contest! I will be choosing the winner on February 18th, 2012.

Good luck!

Who Will Win the Superbowl? Please Vote

2012-02-05T12:22:00.000-05:00

Who Will Win The SuperBowl Tonight?


pollcode.com free polls

Another "What Not to do When Selling Your Home" Blogpost

2012-02-04T11:14:00.000-05:00

"The Univited Stager" Saturday Series....Continues.

Today I wanted to do a roundup of some of the funniest Kitchen and Bath listings on the Internet. Some of these are still for sale. When you list your house, your kitchen and bathrooms are of paramount importance. People will buy your home based on the beauty, warmth and functionality of these rooms. So make sure yours look great!

1) Banish Clutter: Buyers want to know that they will have ample space to put their things away. This home yells "there's no room in this kitchen!"

Source: Ugly House Photos

2) "Honey did you see the note I left you in the kitchen that the realtor is bringing a potential buyer over today? No? What...you couldn't find it?"

From Real Estate Rumble

3) "Yes there's plenty of storage space in this kitchen and we'll show you!"

From Hooked on Houses

4) This Texas family let the kids design the kitchen! And there's the designer!

From Hooked on Houses

5) From the people who gave you the Open Kitchen....

From Hooked on Houses

6) You may love your kitties - but some buyers may not and some may even be allergic. So, don't be too obvious with your pet paraphrenalia! I once did a staging consultation for a woman who had 19 cats (and one dog). Believe it or not the home was immaculate - but she refused to downsize the number of litter boxes and other cat items. Guess what - the house did not sell. Wonder why??

7) "We're swinging sellers! Don't worry, we'll be busy barbequing and we won't look when you are in the bathroom." And...what the heck is that thing on the sink?

From Lovely Listing

8) And this is my favorite - the fish sink! Don't let the cat from #6 see this! He'll be sooo jealous!

From Lovely Listing

So that's it for today from the "Uninvited Stager." Remember to de-clutter, remove pet paraphrenalia, don't let your kids do any designing, close all your cabinetry doors, make your bathrooms private - and if you have any "taste specific" items like the aquarium sink - it's best to remove them because most buyers will go "Huh?"

If you are having any trouble selling your home, please give me a call at 631 793-1315. I can help you!

Happy Selling!

Want to Win $5000 worth of Furniture from Raymour & Flanigan?

2012-02-03T14:55:00.000-05:00

Do you need some new furniture - just about everybody does, right? Especially when you are selling your home. Why don't you enter their contest to win $5000 worth of new furniture?

Source

Just go to this LINK on their Facebook page to find out the particulars. On Facebook, they have a link to their site where you can create a beautiful room of your choosing and then enter it to hopefully win.

It's worth a shot. So, get going and give it a whirl. The contest ends in mid-February - so get going right now!

Have fun...and you never know. You may win! Good Luck!

What Not to do When You are Selling Your Home

2012-01-28T16:35:00.002-05:00

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

Another Saturday - another blogpost showing how some sellers and their realtors are allowing their homes to be marketed on the Internet. A few of these listings stated that the realtors were "premiere" realtors. Really? That adjective doesn't hold here.

1) If you are going to highlight something on your listing, such as a closet - make it neat please! This closet makes the buyer think there's not enough room for everything. And the buyers don't have to see all your personal notes and notices. Take those down!

2) Purple? Please paint this a neutral or calming and lighter tone! And while you're at it - paint the brick fireplace in a cream or light off white. I gather that this is a bedroom - but where the bed is doesn't make any sense. It should be on the other side of the room - directly across from the fireplace or angled in a corner. This arrangement makes a buyer think there may only be room for their bed on the side where it is now. A beautiful painting or a mirror over the hearth would help make up for no mantle. Some large candles and some fireplace tools by the fireplace would make this room much more attractive.

3) How about a picture of the entire door?

4) You really can't tell what this room looks like can you??

5) The next few pictures - I think the seller must be in the rug business. This is a beautiful room - and the wide planked floors are to die for. The rug ruins this photo and it doesn't show off how great the floors are. This space would have looked incredible if it was staged with furniture. And the little puny accessories on the mantle do nothing to help a buyer remember it.

6) The rug in the middle of the room again. You want to emphasize the floors - place the rug underneath the feet of the sofa and underneath the coffee table. That would make the room cozier - like you'd like to sit down and have a chat. The rooms looks colder the way it is.

7) We're still in the "rug" house, but this time the teensy rug they have here is rather silly. They should take one of the rugs from downstairs and place it under the bed. That would make the room homier. The little painting that's placed too high over the mantle won't help a buyer remember it. The sunflower picture would be better - coupled with some nice pillar candles - and that would make a nice vignette. But - at least the floors are a stand out in this room.

8) Get ride of the two toned paint job. Buyers want to just move in...they don't want to paint. And that orange color? It is an advancing color - which means it brings the wall forward, perception-wise. This seller just made his kitchen smaller - and we all know that buyers want smaller kitchens, right? The yellow is an advancing color as well - so this home actually will seem smaller. A cooler neutral color on the wall would be much smarter. (and of course - get rid of the magnets and clean up the clutter!)

9) The next few photos are in a really beautiful, upscale home. At least the first floor is really beautiful but somehow the upstairs was just a forgotten wasteland. This office could be nice if it was straightened up and decluttered. This just says "chaos"and not organized and efficient - that's what you want to portray when you are selling your home with an office in it.

10) This is the same home - the bathroom is just a mess. The counters should be cleared and the rugs on the floor look like someone just took a bath in here (it also makes a buyer feel that maybe the floor is too cold with all the little scatter rugs). The wallpaper should be removed also. Right now a potential buyer is only focusing on the negatives - the clutter, the wallpaper and the green sinks. Neatening everything up would make those green sinks less of an issue. PS - the pink washcloths and the pink glass actually bolster the green in the sink. Pink makes a green next to it seem more green (a little color theory thrown in here!).

11) Finally - every room should have a function. This one is just a catch all. It's housing all the furniture that the owners don't know what to do with. Keep two or three items and put the rest in the garage or in storage. If you don't have a bed, buy a blowup bed and put sheets, pillows and a comforter on it and make it a bedroom. It's not expensive to do this. Or - hire a stager to help you! Give every room a definite function.

Well, that's my advice for today. Remember you only have a few seconds to make a great impression. Don't waste any time marketing your home in an inferior way. If your realtor has not suggested hiring a stager - ask them to recommend one in your area. Or, you can call me to help you. I can assess your photos via email and can make great suggestions on how to improve the look and saleability of your home.

Happy selling!!

I am Still a Cheerleader for the Homeseller

2012-01-26T10:18:00.001-05:00

Back in High School, I was a cheerleader for Bayside High School in New York. I had a lot of fun doing it...I loved cheering our sports teams on to victory! We wound up winning several championships while I was there in basketball and football.

I am still cheering - but for the homeseller who needs to sell quickly and profitably. I cheer them (and their realtors) on as they market their properties in this rough and tumble real estate market. When you have a great team - a seasoned realtor and an experienced home stager - it's much easier to win this real estate game.

If you are about to put your home on the market, don't just put it out there and see what happens. You need a game plan. Let me help you to succeed - with my great home staging ideas and successful and knowledgeable realtor recommendations that I can make.

S-U-C-C-E-S-S...That's the way we spell Success! Happy selling!!

PS If you didn't know which one was me - I am in the middle of the second row from the top...with my goofy hair parted in the middle!

Just Got an Offer on a Vacant Home we Staged Right Before Christmas

2012-01-22T14:13:00.000-05:00

Last week I learned that a vacant house that we staged in mid-December has an offer. I am so happy! We had a great time making this little gem in Lindenhurst NY a wonderful place to call home.

Here are some of the rooms...

We always aim to make the vacant homes that we stage very warm, livable and inviting. Small touches and pops of color help liven up a home that could look souless and cold if left vacant. If you would like some help selling your home, give a call at 631 793-1315. I would love to help you!

What Not to do When You are Selling Your Home

2012-01-21T13:33:00.003-05:00

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

Today while perusing homes for sale, I decided to look in a state that has a pretty strong home staging industry. Listing after listing featured very nicely furnished and edited rooms, no clutter and they all felt very warm and inviting - like a stager had their hands all over the place! But I kept looking and found some that were problematic - and here they are.

When you are selling your home and the house down the block is also for sale (and it's neat and furnished beautifully), you had better sharpen your home's presentation. Why? Because you are only inviting the buyers to go elsewhere. You are, in fact, helping the guy down the block to sell his home faster because yours doesn't measure up.

1)When your home has unusual features, as in this corner fireplace, you need to show the buyer how to furnish the room. Leaving it vacant will only have your home on the market for a much longer time. Buyers need to "see" how to place their furniture in such a room. Would you pay a lot of money for something you have no idea how to use? I didn't think so!!

And why bother with the mums and the lone vase on the mantle?

2) Above, another corner fireplace in the same listing - this time in the bedroom. A prospective buyer might say "Uh, I guess I can't have the bed face the fireplace." Having even a minimum of furniture - a bed, two nightstands, a dresser and some artwork - would help the buyer "see" how to furnish the room. There are some great features in this room - the round window, the tall ceilings, the mantle...a balcony right outside - but these features are not being played up. Additionally, having furniture in this room would have hidden the vacuum marks (pet peeve of mine!). Unfortunately, this room is designed rather poorly and that's what the buyer will remember. A creative furniture arrangement would have allowed the buyer to focus on how nice and warm the room is - rather than focusing on a room's problems and "where the heck do I place the bed?"

3) This is the same listing - there are angles everywhere in this house. I love angles - but most people do not have any idea of what to do with them. They will pass up this house that otherwise is very nice and clean with beautiful hardwood floors. Show the buyer a home that is furnished - then they won't focus on "how do I place my furniture in this room!"

4) Is it so hard to make the bed nicely?? Doesn't it look like there's something else hidden underneath there? And would it be so difficult to get rid of the clutter to the left? A missed opportunity.

5) In this bedroom, it looks like your head will always hit the ceiling. I would have made this bed differently. I would have had the pillows lying flat on the bed instead of upwards. I would eliminate the larger pillow - it indicates if you are any larger than this pillow when you're in this bed - your head will bump the ceiling. I would have smaller, wider lamps on the nightstands. Alternatively, you could eliminate the bench at the foot of the bed and pull the bed forward and add a headboard.

6) In this space, I would have placed the bed where the dresser is. When possible, the bed should be the first thing you see in a bedroom - it's best on the focal wall. This bedroom could be spiced up more - it's a little bit dull and uninspiring. Some artwork, simple panels on the windows, pillows, a throw - all in green, orange and brown (my favorite color scheme) would make this bedroom more appealing. I'd ditch the track lighting - it's not in keeping with the traditional tone of the room.

So - just some ideas and suggestions from me this week. If you are selling your home and you aren't getting any bites from buyers - just give me a call at 631 793-1315. I can help you make your home more attractive to buyers.

What Not to do When You are Selling Your Home

2012-01-14T11:36:00.018-05:00

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

Here are some "what not to do when you are selling your home" helpful hints. If you want to entice more buyers to knock on your door - you need to have the online photographs to be enticing! Simple enough, right? But, more often than not, it's just not the case!

1) Always Close the Lid! Seems like an easy thing to do - but most homesellers forget to do this. I would have closed the doors to the laundry for one picture and angled it differently. Then I would have staged this bathroom simply and nicely: a picture above the toilet, a faux orchid on the lid, bath soaps and a guest towel on the sink vanity. Then I would have taken another shot of the laundry doors opened - but staged with some clean, fluffy white towels folded, some laundry soap and a plant - plus a nice picture (artwork with a laundry theme). Make it seem like it's fun to do laundry in this space!

2) OK - it's new construction...but could someone please remove the boxes and close the garage door!

3) Remove Excess Furniture and the Date Stamp on Photos: This room is nice but it looks a bit cluttered. There seems to be very little room between the wing chair and the coffee table. I would think about moving the wing chair to another room. It's also a little too cutesy - looks like my Grandma's house. I would remove some of the floral accessories - it's dated and distracting. There's no reason for the green rug on top of the carpet (unless they are trying to hide something!) Also - remove the date stamp. On your camera's menu, you have the ability to turn off the date stamp.

4) Remove Unnecessary Clutter: This is a really nice kitchen - but the clutter is distracting. The kitchen table is also full of clutter. It seems as if this is where the homeseller pays the bills. Just remove it - it's not relevant. When you are selling, you want to show off the countertops - have the buyer think there's a lot of space here to create some wonderful meals. Also the angle of this photo isn't right. I would have stepped to the left and then taken the picture.

5) Buy New Bedding and Re-arrange Furniture to Show Off the Best Aspects of a Room: I would have switched the bed to where the dresser is and vice versa. Then for a few extra dollars, I would have purchased a neutral duvet cover to hide the polar bear comforter. Ad a few nice pillows and you have a welcoming look in this bedroom. I would have de-cluttered the dresser and then I would have taken down the silly window treatments. This only draws attention to the fact that you have awkward windows in this room - and that you didn't know what to do to them. Always accent the positive - and eliminate (or rather...disguise) the negative! Also, pet peeve of mine - shut off the flash!

6) Try not to Sell your Home When it's Vacant: There are many reasons why you should always sell your home furnished - one being you see every thing that's wrong with the house...including your bad taste in window treatments!! This picture doesn't make a prospective buyer salivate! And it looks like there's something wonky going on above the baseboard heating! Buyers have little or no imagination when it comes to figuring out where to place their furnishings. Having furniture in a room gives them a reference! In this photo, you don't know what kind of room it is - looks like a living room maybe. Always sell your home with furnishings - you will sell it faster and for more money.

These tips may seem like small, unimportant things but they do make a difference in getting more people to come and take a look at your home or listing. Nearly 90% of home buyers start their search for a new home on the Internet today. You want to entice the buyer from the moment they see a photo online.

If you are having any trouble selling your home and you need some advice, call me at 631 793-1315 or email me at Linda.Leyble@gmail.com.

So What's Wrong With These Photos: How to Improve the Marketability of Your Home for Sale

2012-01-07T11:01:00.001-05:00

"Uninvited Stager" Saturday

It's Saturday and it's time for "So What's Wrong With These Photos." Here are the images of today's post. If you see anything else wrong with them - write a comment so we can all learn "what not to do when selling your home."

1) Turn the flash off...and more: If you look on your camera setting, you'll see this sort of lightning bolt type of symbol - that's the "turn off the flash" indicator. It's best if you leave your camera on that setting all the time and you won't wind up with those shiny bits on your pictures.

The above photo is a pic of really a lovely kitchen - but it doesn't show it off like it should. What else could be improved? I would have taken this picture from many different angles. Plus I would have made a vertical pic - the ceiling is cut off and so it's not showing the wonderful height of this kitchen. I would also have taken the curtains off - they are doing nothing for the kitchen - plus they are distracting and they are blocking the light.

The floral arrangement in the corner does nothing for the room either. And what they are sitting on top of (to add height supposedly), doesn't do a good enough job. I would have put something high here - and colorful to catch the eye. Staging-wise, there could have been more interest in this room. A colorful tea kettle would have been a better cloice on the cooktop...and perhaps a bowl of red apples and a colorful cookbook on a stand would add a welcoming note.

It also looks like the pendants are not square over the island. I also would have done a quick faux wood graining on the island's switchplate - it's just glaring in the white (I know - most of you can't do this...then switch it out for a darker color). The cabinets are in shadow and they don't show off their beauty enough. More lights on would have helped this - plus even putting some lamps on the floor (but outside of the shot) would have given more light to the shadowed area - to show off these beautiful cabinets.

2) Why bother putting this picture online? What are they selling here - the silver tea service?

The subject of this photo is all wrong. I'd have taken this photo from several angles - not this one. Taking a vertical shot from the right would have shown the beautiful, tall window (it would be beautiful - minus the cheap cutains that do nothing for the picture). The curtains also cut off the room. A buyer's eyes go to the height of the curtain - and they stop there. If you have tall Palladian windows (or just tall windows in any style), you want to show that off. Don't cut it in half with draperies (even nice, expensive ones!!) If your rooms have height - show it off. It's a plus...something that buyers are looking for.

The photographer (most likely the realtor and not a professional) should have, again, turned off the flash. A sunnier day would also have helped. And the snow on the ground is a little troublesome - is this photo from last year? That shows the buyer that the property has been on the market for a long time. You always need to revise your photos if the home has been on the market for awhile. A potential buyer looking at this photo would not be impressed and would wonder what's wrong with the home because it hasn't sold yet.

That's it for today. I welcome your comments and other ideas that you have about these photos and how you would improve them. Any professional photographers reading this? Please comment on how you would improve these shots!

If you are having trouble selling your home, give me a call at 631 793-1315. I can help you get it into top selling shape.

Newport Rhode Island Grandeur for Sale - in Peapack NJ

2012-01-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

I love to look at Architectural Digest's luxury homes for sale whenever I get the magazine. I love to drool and dream that I could afford to live in one of these mansions. Well, fat chance - but a girl can dream right?

Well, if you have a spare $4.9 mil laying around, you might want to take a look at this beautiful mansion called Blairsden - that's very Newport Mansion-esque. I had a great time with my husband when we visited all the "Cottages" in Newport several years ago. This home that's for sale, listed by Molly Tonero of Turpin Realtors, has all the trappings of those wonderful mansions. You can see all the pictures and details about this home here.

Couldn't you imagine a fairy tale wedding taking place here? In fact, the original owner, C. Ledyard Blair, had all four of his daughters' weddings here. C. (Clinton) Ledyard Blair was an investment banker (he and his father and brother founded Blair and Co). He and his wife hobnobbed with the Vanderbilts and other titans of industry at the time.

The Dining Room

I just love the ceiling design and murals in this dining room. I wish that more homeowners would hire my decorative painting company to do these types of ceilings - but these projects are few and far between today.

Blair was a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and he was a true patron of the arts. His home in New York City, when it was being built, featured a studio for the artist John White Alexander. Alexander was a famous portait artist and muralist of the day. More information about that home and about Alexander can be found here.

Look at the beautiful Caen stone work, marble columns and carved architectural details in this home. Blair's architects, Carrere and Hastings, hired seasoned tradespeople, many from Italy, to work on the decorations in his home. Most of these artisans stayed on and settled in the area. Blair had a railway constructed just for the purpose of transporting materials to the home. If this man were alive today - he could single-handedly lower the unemployment rate in New Jersey!

The architecture of this home is just spectacular. I wish I had a room like this in my home. I love the fluted columns, the plaster friezes the trellised glass ceiling - everything is detailed and beautiful.

Every inch of this home is truly spectacular - fit for a King and Queen...with a large family and a huge guest list. There are 38 bedrooms in this home. You could have a wedding here and you could just about have all your guests sleep over!

I hope that this home gets sold and that the owners keep and improve it. There were so many Gilded Age mansions on Long Island that were demolished and all that's left are pictures.

If you are interested in this home, please call Molly Tonero of Turpin Real Estate, Inc. at 877-788-7746.

If you are having trouble selling your home or listing, please give me a call at 631 793-1315. We have budget-friendly staging options - from a quick fix and declutter service...to furnishing and accessorizing an entire home that will help sell your place quickly.

Selling Your Home the Right Way

2011-12-31T11:00:00.001-05:00

"Univited Stager" Saturday

Hi everyone - I hope that your holidays were beautiful and that you are getting ready for a happy and successful New Year. I am going to be adding this series from "The Uninvited Stager" every Saturday. I'll be showing some photos of homes that could use help - and what I would do to them to improve them - so they will sell faster.

These homes are currently on the market and they could use help. I know that with a few deft moves with a camera and some help from a competant home stager - these homes could be improved substantially and sell faster. Why homesellers and realtors don't spend a little extra time and money hiring the right people to whip their homes and listings into shape before they go on the market...is beyond my comprehension. The longer a home stays on the market - the lower the resulting sales price will be. There will be substantial amounts of time and money spent on marketing...on utilities, taxes, mortgage payments - all the carrying costs - that could have been avoided had they bettered the look and condition of the home/listing in the first place. I advocate "think before you leap" approach to home selling. Fix the home, stage it, photograph it better - give it some "pizzaz and polish" and it will sell faster. Merchanize it - it's a product...after all.

1) Lighten up your photos before you place your home on the market!

The above room actually might look good - but who the heck can see it? It's too dark. The camera is reading the light outside more - not the room. Adding additional lamps in the room would have helped...also adding some lamps without shades outside the scope of the picture would have helped as well. There are no highhats in this room - that could have helped brighten the picture. If you do not know how to take a picture of your home that could really help sell it - hiring a professional photographer can fix that. They would have made this room look fantastic.

2) Straighten your photos, fix what's wrong with the room, add some color and memorable items and look at your photos on your computer before you let the rest of the world see them.

There's a wonderful tool on just about every photo editing program called "Straighten." This photo is a bit lopsided - but a few clicks of the straighten tool could have helped this room a lot. Also - it looks like the freezer door is open. That's simple to change. And what's the black strike mark on the dishwasher all about? Whatever that is - it should be fixed. Some staging also could have helped this kitchen out. A cookbook on a stand, some fresh flowers and a bowl of red apples could have made this picture so much more appealing.

3) Determine the subject of your photo. Figure out what's important about the room that you want to get across to the buyer.

This room above could be so appealing but it looks like there's not enough room for everything

in this space - it looks cramped. It seems as if the stove is the important thing that they wanted the potential buyer to see - but they could have done that with an additional photo of it. The dining table would have looked better if it had been placed horizontally. Then the rug that's in front of the sofa could have been placed in front of the sofa! Additionally, with the dining table switch, the sofa could have been placed in the center of the window. If the dining table did not need to be here, then I would have placed the other red chair where the dining table is now. It seems as if the chair might be blocking the entry to the home.

For the extra picture of the stove, I would have staged that with some wood stacked neatly or in a basket...maybe a tall vessel with some matches and I would have given the stove a nice cleaning (no trace of ash or dust). This otherwise warm and homey room could have looked much better and more appealing with just a few changes.

4) Again, learn to use the straighten tool. Be mindful of what the subject of the photo is...and what you are trying to sell.

This looks like a perfectly fine house. But the picture was taken without any care - some of the information is missing. Perhaps the photo taker should have stepped back to the left and taken the picture of the sofa (and I think there should be a coffee table in front) perhaps on an angle and I would have been kneeling down for the shot. Then you would have shown the sofa in relation to the entry and the stairs - and with a wide angle lens you would have given the potential buyer more information about the house. Taking a picture of half the couch and half the table and whatever is to the left is silly. Also, cutting off the skylight (which is a plus for a stairway) does nothing to help the sale of this home. You need to show what's important, special and different about the home. Merchandize!!!

5) Clean up. Even though it's winter, you still have to show your exterior shots in their best light.

What does this photo tell me? It says that the home has been on the market for awhile and has not sold. Because of the laziness of the seller or the realtor, this one shot can tell me that if the sellers didn't care to clean their deck - what else could be wrong with the house. This might be a small, little point - but in this market, you don't want to leave anything to chance.

6) Lighten up and edit your furniture

This picture is a lot better than the first pic in terms of the lighting issue, but the lighting could have been improved. There's also too much furniture in this room. At least move the chair with its back to the photo. That's also bad feng shui. I'd probably find another spot in the home for the chair - or I would find another spot for the love seat and place the chair there. I would take out those tables on either side of the fireplace and I would make the mantleplace more important. The two candlesticks (I think that's what they are) are not in scale - they are too small...they do nothing for the mantle. I would try to get a painting that is vertical to be on the mantle - to amplify height. As it is, the horizontal picture amplifies that the room isn't that tall. You want to sell height (even if it's perceived height) when you're marketing your home. Also, there are a few items on the floor on either side of the fireplace - they should go. It's only visual distraction. I would just add a basket of birch logs for some interest and texture.

If you are having trouble selling your home, just give me a call at 631 793-1315. We also do e-staging for those who are not in the New York area. Just as I gave tips for the homes above, I could do the same for you - via email. Good luck for 2012!!

Does Your Home Have a "Hook?" How to Make Yours Memorable

2011-12-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

Just like a popular song that you recognize and remember easily, your home needs a "hook" - something that makes your home different, in a positive way, from the other houses in your area or price range. What's your home's "hook," the emotional tug that will have a buyer remembering your home fondly? Do you have one...or two...or three or more??

We added a memorable faux chandelier decal over the bed - with some black and white cameo plates.

If you don't have a memorable home - how will your buyers ever remember it? Think about adding something distinctive to the outside of your home. It could be a colorful bird house, a beautiful garden statue (not religious though) or two black urns holding some red geraniums. Inside you could have a stunning orchid on your entry table, a large colorful oil painting in your living room or a large bowl of red apples (with a note that says "take one!") on your counter in the kitchen.

Master Bedroom Before...not memorable

After...This bedroom will be remembered.

In the above example, the homeowner's Master Bedroom was tired looking and uninspiring. It just needed a little creativity to bring it to life. The homeowner was a seamstress - so I put her to work to make a beautiful bedspread with some leftover fabric. I switched the window treatment from over the window to over the bed. I added a lovely mosaic mirror in the center and some bedside table lamps that were more proportionate. So, for very little money, we really changed the look and feel of this Master Bedroom.

In recent staging that we did, I added some great accessories to give a dining room a special look and feel that will help homebuyers remember it.

In this vacant home, we provided all the furnishings and accessories. In this dining room, the floors were glossy (as opposed to the satin finish on the rest of the floors). If my contractors had finished the floors, this would not have happened - but the real estate investor hired the company that made the mistake.

So, to counteract the glossiness, I added this beautiful bamboo area rug with typography on it. It's memorable and it diverts a buyer's eye. I also added a lovely, tall birdcage with an orchid inside it - another memorable feature. The sleek leather chairs give the room a younger vibe - that's who will most probably buy this home.The glass table does not take up much visual space in the room - so the rooms looks more spacious.

When your home goes on the market, it's no longer your home...it's a product. And a product needs to be merchandized. Staging is the act of merchanding a home for sale. If you don't know how to make your home memorable, hire a home staging company like mine to help you. Even a staging consultation (which is very budget-friendly) will help you get your home buyer-ready...and memorable...and SOLD!

My company also does e-staging. What is that? We will look at photos of your home and we'll give you our best staging ideas, tips and advice by email. Call me at 631 793-1315 to learn more about this!

Happy Holidays and Why Some Houses Sell & Others Don't

2011-12-24T20:25:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to wish every one of my readers and clients a very happy and healthy Holiday Season - and a prospersous New Year.

As we come to the end of 2011, I just wanted to leave you with some thoughts about how to change things for next year - if indeed your home or listing did not sell this year. There's such a correlation between price and condition. If a home is priced correctly and it's in good condition - it will sell. Any aberration to that ratio...well, you may not be as successful.

Jay Papasan, a co-author of many real estate best sellers, gives the best advice I have ever heard about why some houses don't sell in his YouTube video. Here it is - some food for thought.

Call me at 631 793-1315 if you need any help with selling your home. Remember, home staging is not a cost...it's an investment.

Happy Holidays

Linda

A Teaching Tool For Why Home Staging Works

2011-12-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

I was fooling around with Photoshop today and I came across an idea for a quick teaching tool for why staging works. I took a badly staged room and then I posterized it in Photoshop.

The room is not appealing at all in the photo and it looks pretty bad as a poster! It looks like a messy hovel. Why would you want to purchase a home like that...& why would you want to buy a poster that looks like that!

Then I took a room that is styled and staged beautifully - and posterized that.

I could see this as artwork in my home. It's something I would purchase. I love the symmetry of the room and it just looks like I could relax and unwind in this place.

Sometimes, as homeowners, we don't see our homes as they really are because we are so used to seeing our rooms day after day. Making a poster out of a room in your home may help you to see it in a different light...how buyers see your home!

Artwork Can Help Give a Room Some Life

2011-11-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

I have been sorely absent from my blog and I apologize. Life takes over sometimes - and time just slips away. Today I just wanted to give you some ideas on how to give your home more zip and punch when it's on the market.

A fresh, neutral paint job always helps a room...but after that you need to add some color back into the room to give it a lift. Adding a colorful throw and pillows or perhaps a colorful rug can add some zing to the room.

Above, this home in Seaford NY (that you've seen on this blog) has just sold. Without the colorful accents and artwork, this room would have looked very dull. The color gives it a lift - for very little money.

The powder room above, in a $3.5 million home that sold in 3 weeks, gets a little facelift with a beautiful metallic plaster in a sage green on the walls, an inexpensive gold mirror...plus a beautiful piece of artwork framed in black. Left plain white, as the builder had it, it looked uninspiring. Small changes will give you more bang for your buck.

Here are some prints being offered right now (the offer expires in 2 days - so you'll have to act fast) from One King's Lane. If you don't know about this online site, you should sign up HERE because they offer some great furniture, bedding, candles, mirrors, artwork and other home decor items at discount prices - especially wonderful at this gift-giving time of year.

This framed fish print, for only $79, would look great in a bathroom

Here's another - but slightly more expensive at $159 because of the beautiful frame

For $159, this would look beautiful in a Master Bath or Powder Room

This is a little pricier, at $269, but these antique bird prints would look wonderful

in a den, library or great room

This one I want for myself! It would look great in a bath or a ladies' dressing room

Not as colorful - but so elegant for $139! Shells are a great accent for any home.

Another shell print for $139

Add this pair of fish prints in a man's office, den or library - at $139 each.

So sign up and try the One Kings Lane site out - I know that you will find some wonderful items there. Whether for staging or for your own home or as gifts, the site offers some great deals on a daily basis. I buy my staging items there - as well as for my own home.

If you need some help staging your home or listing, give me a call. Whether it's vacant - or it's been on the market for a long time with no success...I can help you. Give me a call at 631 793-1315.

We Participated in a Designer Showhouse in Centerport NY

2011-09-28T11:58:00.000-04:00

Designer Showhouse in Centerport NY

We participated in a beautiful Designer Showhouse in Centerport NY. We did the art and wall finishes on the stairway and we also did the beautiful stried wall finish that's in the living room.

You will get some great ideas for your home in this Showhouse - so I hope that many of you will take a ride out to see it. The Showhouse is located right across the street from the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport (on Little East Neck Rd). It will be open until October 16th.

Here's a video of the Showhouse that gives you a sneak peak of what you'll see!...

Whether you are selling your home or staying put - we can help make your home look like a million dollars. Call me today at 631 793-1315 for a free consultation.

An Open House Today in Seaford NY, from 1-3PM

2011-09-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

Hope to See Some of You at This Open House in Seaford

When: Sunday, September 25 from 1-3PM
Where: 4058 Meadow Lane, Seaford NY

You will get to see some of my staging inventory because this was a vacant property that we staged for sale...and you'll get some great ideas of what to do in your own home.

Hope to see some of you there today!

Linda

Another Renovated Home for Sale in North Bellmore NY

2011-08-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

We created another beautiful satged home for a real estate investor in N. Bellmore NY. The home was lovely - but cold and uninviting - because there was no furnishings and accessories to liven it up.

Here are some after shots...

Beautiful Dining Room...

Entryway

Bedroom

Master Bedroom 1

Master Bedroom 2

Baby's Room

Living Room

Sold in 1 Day: A Vacant Home in Bellmore NY

2011-08-22T14:13:00.000-04:00

A Beautifully, Renovated but Vacant Home Sells in 1 Day

...After We Staged It!

Dan Adams, of ReMax Innovations, called me to take a look at several vacant homes that he had just listed. The first one that gave us the "Thumbs Up" to go ahead and stage, was a beautifully renovated home on Coolidge St in North Bellmore. Renovated by a real estate investor, this home had all the bells and whistles that today's homeowner would want - a beautiful new kitchen, beautifully renovated bathrooms...hardwood floors and more. The home was small, however, and one neighbor was an abandoned home with overgrown lawn with weeds and the other neighbor looked like "Sanford and Son," with piles of magazines and other debris in the back and side yards.

We had a very busy week the week that we staged this home. We staged a home Belle Terre in the morning and then we brought all the furnishings in to this home and we staged it the day before the Open House.

Since the living room was quite small, I brought in some of my smaller scale furnishings. The investor wanted a tv in the living room, but I suggested that this would hamper the flow of the space and since there was a den on the first floor - it made more sense to have the tv in that room.

Living room before

Living room, after

Other side of the living room

When you have a small space, you need to show a potential buyer how they can fit furnishings in it. An empty room is not only cold and uninviting - it also leaves the buyer wondering how he/she will place their furniture.

The kitchen was beautiful - but a bit small as well. There was no formal dining room. We were able to fit a nice-sized - but narrow dining table in the kitchen - along with some sleek dining chairs.

Here are some more pictures from the home...

Master Bedroom

Little girl's room

Another bedroom

Here, a laundry room (hidden by closets on the opposite side) gets a stylish re-invention as an office

One of the beautifully renovated bathrooms

I consulted with the investor and suggested that he get his landscaper to mow the abandoned home's lawn - quickly and as quietly as possible - before the Open House. Miraculously, the other neighbor cleaned up his yard before the OH. The Open House went well - and the next day there was an offer on the house, which was accepted.

Me, in front of the home. I need to Photoshop the picture - so I look thinner and younger!!

If you would like to experience getting your home sold quickly and for more money, please call me at 631 793-1315 to set up an appointment.

If you would like to reach Dan Adams of ReMax Innovations, give him a call at 516 729-8288

It's Shakespeare's Birthday - So Why Not Link Up Some of His Quotes as They Relate to Home Staging!

2011-04-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday William Shakespeare! People who have known me for a long time know me as a lover of English Literature...especially William Shakespeare. And as old English majors never die - here are some thoughts about how some Shakespearean quotes might apply to staging a home for sale (and - of course - how some people don't do anything to get theirs ready!!).

From As You Like It..."Can one desire too much of a good thing?"

From "Hooked on Houses," this really appeared as a photo from a house for sale.

Apparently, Elvis has not left the building!

From James Swann, 101 Things I Hate About Your House

Oh boy - why didn't the realtors say anything to this homeseller?? From Ugly House Photos

Hamlet said "Hold a mirror up to nature," but he forgot to give realtors advice

about how to take photos of small spaces with mirrors.

"Nothing will come of nothing," is a quote from King Lear. So - always sell your home furnished. Also, don't just give up and sell "as is" - because you will get an "as is" offer or none at all. We staged the home below in less than a day - for a very modest monthly rental and it sold in 30 days.

Before...

After - with our "Value Line" furnishings

You can make the most of a small space - it takes clutter control, editing and some creativity but it can be done. Home buyers want "space." but when you make your small rooms functional and beautiful - they sell. Just remember this quote from Hamlet... "O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space…”

Designer Chad Eisner, created a great space in a small kitchen. From House Beautiful

A small but beautiful bedroom, from HGTV. The horizontal stripes

add a calmness to the room - just like looking at the horizon.

This design also gives the perception that a room is wider

Propero, in The Tempest, said "We are such stuff as dreams are made on," - so you need to give a buyer a picture that's much better than your ordinary life. They need to see the dream of the lifestyle that they want to live.

From the Finnish magazine Avotakka, via Hooked on Houses blog

Photographer Mauricio Fuertes, via Inspire to Desire

So "Brush up your Shakespeare, start quoting him now (from Kiss Me Kate) and you'll be a wiser home seller. Remember, Shakespeare wrote..."People usually are the happiest at home". So when they come to view your home - give them a reason to feel and be happy!
If you would like to create a happy home for buyers to fall in love with, call Linda at 631 793-1315 today. We have two convenient locations - my home office in Great River and my studio at 325 Main Street in Huntington NY.

Newsday Article on How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell Quickly on Long Island

2011-04-22T15:54:00.000-04:00

I want to thank Donna Rogers and Valerie Kellog of Newsday for the great article on "How to Fix Up Your Home for a Quick Sale." I was quoted - as well as some terrific realtors and landscapers on Long Island. Here's a link if you didn't get to read it...

Newsday Article About Getting Your Home Ready for Sale

If you would like some professional help in getting your home ready for sale, call me at 631 793-1315. I'm very glad to help you make your home look great - and make it a buyer magnet. We have locations in Great River NY and Huntington NY.

7 Great Ways to Update the Look of a Room

2011-04-06T19:50:00.000-04:00

7 Great Ways to Update the Look of a Room That Will Help You Sell Your Home

Whether you are selling your home or staying put, the change of season is a great time to update your home. Here are some great ideas that you can start implementing right away

Add a Burst of Color The winter season is now over – so let’s bring on the happier colors of spring into our interiors. Make winter a thing of the past by adding some colorful toss pillows. Mix and match patterns and solids to create an interesting contrast.

Add some colorful lampshades to revive your old lighting fixtures and perhaps a striped ottoman or chair to perk up a room. Add some floral accessories (real or faux orchids) in vivid hues like magenta or add cherry or forsythia blossoms in a beautiful vase and you’ll forget that we ever had as bad a winter as we had.

Add colorful art and accessories to update and add zing. Source, ivillage.com

Add Texture Whether it’s a seagrass rug, a textured pillow, throw or woven wood shades, adding texture to a room warms it up, makes it more cozy and interesting.

Add texture for added warmth and interest. Images from Crate & Barrel

Add Pattern A beautiful, geometric patterned carpet can warm up a room plus give it a more updated feel. For a more traditional look, try a damask patterned carpet – but perhaps one in a non-traditional color. You can also add patterned vases, pillows and other accessories to add some life to your room.

A patterned tablecloth from Williams & Sonoma

Angle Your Furniture Why be predictable when you can be interesting? Try angling some furniture pieces (a sofa, your bed...a piano) and you may find that your room seems roomier…and much more exciting! It costs nothing but time to experiment with different furniture arrangements - so give it a try. You may just surprise yourself!

Change Some of Your Wooden Furniture Dark wooden furniture can look a bit too heavy in the spring and summer – so why not try some lighter tables etc. that will give your room an instant lift. Whether it’s painted wood, wrought iron or other metal – choose something that’s lighter in feel to add airiness and more visual space to your room. Mirrored tables add functional storage – while blending seamlessly into your walls. Glass table tops also lend a lighter, more contemporary feel to a room.

Rococco console from House Eclectic

Playing with the Scale of Some of the Items in Your Room Sometimes a room can look dated and uninteresting because the scale of some of the furnishings may not be right. A bulky sofa (or one with oversized arms) takes up valuable real estate in a room. If possible, purchase a sofa that is sleeker - one with less bulk by the arms. Not only is this a more modern look - but it helps to make your room seem...well, roomier!

Also, take a look at some of your most important focal points - a beautiful fireplace, for example. If your mantle or mantle is too small and thin as compared to the entire hearth, you may want to add more substance to the mantle (beefing up the size, so that it corresponds better). Changing the scale of a mantle creates a dramatic and updated look to your fireplace.

Other ways to change scale is to add a tall lamp to bring in some height - rather than use two smaller table lamps. Or consider hanging a large mirror vertically (instead of horizontally).

Draperies that are hung at the height of a window make a room look shorter. Why not bring the drapery rod up towards the ceiling - and hang the drapes higher? This will make your room seem taller.

Originally, this fireplace that we staged had only a horizontal landscape picture above it. Adding a vertically placed mirror brings more prominence and height to the space

Bring the Outside In Add some spring and summer to any room with a decorative vase and fresh-cut flowers. Bring in natural items like wicker and sisal to give a more natural feel. Decorate with seaside acceessories like coral, a nautilus and sea glass to add a beachy theme. Create a taller feel to your room by adding tall grasses in a long cylinder vase in a corner.

Natural wicker, rattan and sea shell accessories bring the outside in. Image, organizeeverything.com

Sometimes simple things can change a room dramatically. Try a few of these suggestions - and let me know how they worked in your rooms!

If you would like to have some of these suggestions and more implemented in your home before you sell it, call me at 631 793-1315 or email me at Linda.Leyble@gmail.com. I will work within your budget to create a home that buyers will fall in love with - so that your home doesn't linger on the market. I can also do a staging consultation for you with great suggestions and ideas that you can implement yourself - for a totally budget-friendly way to stage your own home for sale. We have two locations - Great River NY and Huntington NY.

Making Your Home Sing: Price + Presentation + Location = Two Home Sale Offers in 2 Days!#comment-form#comment-form#comment-form

2011-04-05T20:27:00.000-04:00

A wonderful stager friend of mine in Jacksonville Florida staged a home that sold in two days. Please read this post. Making Your Home Sing: Price + Presentation + Location = Two Home Sale Offers in 2 Days!#comment-form#comment-form#comment-form

How to Reduce and Elimate Noise in Your Home, Apartment or Condo

2011-04-02T11:09:00.000-04:00

Some Great Ways to Reduce Noise

Some real estate deals can go sour because of noise - from next door neighbors, barking dogs, street noise, trains, traffic etc. Don't let that kill your deal. Here are some ideas to help reduce and possibly eliminate some noises in your home.

Seal All Cracks: To cut down on noise from one room to another, you should seal any cracks and air passages. Noise will seep through any opening. Electrical outlets are a prime area where noise can escape. A quick visit to your hardware store where you can buy electrical outlet seals - which fit between your outlet and the plate - will help reduce the noise from an adjacent room.

Most drywall is not installed flush with the floor. If you were to remove the base and shoe molding, you would find a nearly 2 inch space between the bottom of the drywall and the floor. This is another area where you can focus your efforts to stem noise from seeping through. Carefully remove the shoe molding - then fill the gap with a spray insulating foam. Then reinstall the shoe molding.

Specialty Drywall: There's a product from Blue Ridge Fiberboard called SOUNDSTOP® which deadens sound transfer from outside noise, shared walls and corridors...any noise generating space. It needs to be installed under drywall. You can use it on ceilings and walls. Available nationwide. Check their website - www.blueridgefiberboard.com.

There is also a drywall product called QuietRock (www. quietrock.com) that helps to deaden noise. This is available at Lowes.

Acoustic Ceiling Tiles: There are many of these products on the marketplace. One product is called Auralex T-Coustic Ceiling Tiles - it measures two feet by two feet and sold at truesoundcontrol.com (price is approximately $599.00 for a box of twelve). They will fit into a drop ceiling grid, ideal for hiding ugly HVAC equipment or a/v wires. These tiles act as acoustic sound deafening tiles with 20 to 45% more effective sound absorption than that of other competitors. They are an ideal replacement for your old drop ceiling and they create a serene and less noisy environment.

Also check out this site - http://www.soundproofing.org/. They offer a lot of advice and solutions, plus they have everything from acoustical floor mats and natural cotton fiber insulation and noise proof windows and acoustical foam products.

Soundproof Windows: There is also another company called Citiquiet - and they manufacture and install the best acoustical, noise deadening windows available. This is the priciest solution - but it's one of the best ways to reduce any kind of noise. See their website for more information. www.citiquiet.com.

Also consider...

Carpeting: If you don't have wall-to-wall carpeting, area rugs will help deaden some noise in your home.

Specialty Paints Etc: There's a paint product called Acousti-Coat that I found online. I have not used this particular product but supposedly it helps reduce noise. We have used some specialty plasters that reduce noise - especially in media rooms. Some metallic plasters that we use have sound-reducing properties (as well as fireproof protection). Another great material is "JaDecor" which is a beautiful product that has acoustical properties. Our shop is a preferred installer (you have to be certified in order to use the product).

If you are selling your home, call me at 631 793-1315 for a consultation before you put it on the market. I can save you money and time by helping you create a home that buyers will love. We have locations in Huntington NY and Great River NY.

Home Staging Seminar in Huntington NY - March 24th 2011

2011-03-07T15:01:00.000-05:00

Make Your Home a Buyer Magnet: We are holding our 3rd Home Staging Seminar on March 24th from 6-9PM in Huntington NY. It's being held at our studio - 325 Main Street, right in the heart of Huntington Village. If you want to make sure that you will be ready for the Spring Selling Season - this event will help you to get your home or listing in top shape.

Learn the latest staging ideas such as ...

Lifestyle staging
Target market staging
Find out how to create great curb appeal (do you know all the things that may turn a buyer off - so that they never come back to look at your home again?)
The major mistakes most homesellers make that lose the sale
The art of hanging art
Quick staging your kitchen and bath
How to take better photos of your home
And much more

Here's the link to the Home Staging Seminar Info & Registration Page

Another Great Tip to Repair a Peeling, Cracking Ceiling

2011-03-04T17:54:00.000-05:00

Bad Ceiling in Your Bathroom or Elsewhere? Try this!

I have repaired many a ceiling in my career - with sheetrock, with plaster - and with styrofoam ceiling tiles, and other products. But I just came across this website and company called Ceilume - Better Than Tin and I have to say that I think they have a great product. Especially if you are "pressed" - pardon the tin joke - for time, this product can repair your ugly ceilings in a flash (oh...almost a tin pun...just an aluminum pun!)

Take a look at this Before & After from their website (sent in by a homeowner)...

Before...oh boy I've seen that many times

After...so much better!

So, please check out their website and think about using this great product - especially if you are thinking of selling (or are selling) - it's a quick and beautiful fix!

The company's president - Ed Davis (and he has to be great - that's my mother's maiden name!!), sent me a great video that they have posted on YouTube. Click below.

They also have replacement tiles for drop ceilings - which are more beautiful and so much easier (and safer and cleaner) to replace than mineral tiles. I think that this company has some great ideas to make your home's ceiling truly a standout!

They also have other video...so check them out here

If you would love to have your home beautifully staged so that you can sell quickly and for more money, please contact me at 631 793-1315 or Email Me

Beautiful Staged Homes: Today's Top Staging Tips: Does Your Home Have a "Hook?"

2011-03-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Staged Homes: Today's Top Staging Tips: Does Your Home Have a "Hook?"

Today's Top Staging Tips: Does Your Home Have a "Hook?"

2011-03-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

Some Top Staging Tips for Today

#1: Just like a popular song that you recognize and remember easily, your home needs a “hook” - something that makes your home different, in a positive way, from the other houses in your area or price range. What’s your home’s “hook,” the emotional tug that will have a buyer remembering your home fondly? In this beautiful beach house bunk bed below - this is a memorable feature that buyers and renters would recall easily...just like a memorable song!

Image Source

#2: Are you on a busy street or near the railroad – any area that would create excess noise in your home? There are noise reducing windows available that will help cut down on the noise. Another less expensive idea would be to put bookcases on the walls nearest the noisy area and fill it with books. The books will act as insulation and will reduce some of the noise. And lastly, our studio can apply noise reducing specialty plasters to the walls (we do this mostly in media rooms) and this is a very decorative way to cut down on the offending noise.

Image SourceAn armoire or bookcase filled with books can soften buyer-killer noise in a beautiful way! Hope you enjoyed these quick tips.

If you would love to have your home beautifully staged so that you can sell quickly and for more money, please contact me at 631 793-1315. Or Email me

A New Home Staging in Beechhurst NY

2011-03-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

A Beautiful Waterfront Condo That Used to be Part of the Hammerstein Estate

We just completed a beautiful staging in Queens for realtor Pat Bourgeois of Coldwell Banker R. Weir in Bayside NY. This is a fantastic home but the layout was troublesome. Here are some of the things that we did - in a day without any furniture rental.

Before: Left side of Living room

Before: Left side of Living Room

After: Left Side of Living Room

After: Right Side of Living Room

Before: Too Much Pink in a Bedroom

After: Adding a Green Coverlet Softened the Pink

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Before: Room that was the Kitchen, but had no Function other than the "Dog's Room"

After: A Sitting Room/Office

Before: An Extra Bedroom - but this was the first thing you'd see when entering

After: Much better. The bed is now the focal point

Before: The Master Bedroom

Before: Other Side of Master Bedroom

After: Without the trunk at the foot of the bed, it makes the room more spacious.

I tried to get the home seller to remove the TV - but no dice. A collection of the homeowner's hats look so much better on the walls than the hatboxes!

Before: Mater Bath

After: Master Bath

After: This basement space had nothing in it. We added function with a bed and seating

After: Another part of the basement that was empty and we made more functional.

We brought down the chunky seating from the living room. Here is serves a better purpose. The entire basement could be used as a guest suite. (The homeseller was donating the items to the right!)

Before: Another section of the basement that was just a catch all

After: Now a place to exercise

Getting Your House Ready for the Spring Selling Season

2011-02-13T12:29:00.000-05:00

Getting Ready for the Spring Selling Season. When ever we get close to the spring season, my mind starts to race with spring colors, floral motifs and flower pillows and artwork. I can’t get enough of floral designs on tile, carpets – slipcovers – anything that will help to usher in the coming (and much needed) springtime vibe into the home.

Varying Shades of Green. Using green when getting your home ready to sell, can help bring you some green! It's a great neutral color that goes with just about anything. There are so many shades of green, from Aganthus Green which is a useful, neutral color, to mossy shades and vibrant citrons. The color green can feel like a cool walk in a shady forest to eye popping lime and yellow-green pizzaz. The calmer shades of green can give your home a fresh, spring look, while being neutral at the same time.

A calming Benjamin Moore Wales Green on ceiling, tropical motifs and spring colored patterns; House Beautiful

A neutral Benjamin Moore Aganthus Green, design by Phoebe Howard

We did a custom colored sage metallic plaster in this powder room that helped brighten this dark, windowless space. The home sold in 3 weeks, after a year of sitting on the market

Springtime Accessories. Bringing in spring-themed pillows and accessories can help brighten any sofa or bed. Your eye always goes to color – and having these colorful accessories will help a buyer remember your home. A bright, cheery welcome mat will greet a buyer at the door – it says “This is a happy home.”

Springtime pillows from Anthropologie

Or this flower pillow I just purchased from Thai Silk when I went to the New York Gift Show

Bird-themed pillows from Pottery Barn can help brighten up your bedding

Try a special centerpiece for your kitchen or dining room table. From Midwest Living

Garden stools used indoors look fabulous when selling your home. I purchased several white ones from Overstock, but these from the Big O are more springtime themed

Or ...Bring in some natural elements like coral. From ZGallerie

So dust off the cobwebs and put away the drab colors of winter – and think spring as you prepare your house for the coming selling season. It will not only make your house look good, but you’ll also start to feel good in the process. Happy Spring Staging!

How to Successfully Stage and Sell Your Home or Listing Seminar in Huntington NY

2011-02-05T13:17:00.000-05:00

Home Staging Seminar on February 10th, 2011: You’ll get quick, simple ideas that work, learn "must do" improvements before going to market - plus some bonus items like Staging Checklists and Trade Resource Lists. We will also be raffling some great staging accessories as well.

WHO IS ATTENDING: Real Estate Brokers and Agents; Home Sellers; Real Estate Investors.

We are capping the number of attendees at this event in order to give more attention to the registrants. Please email or bring photos of your most problematic rooms so that we can assist you better.

What is the Benefit: This seminar will help sellers and agents to make more profit from a property on the market - and will give you advice on what you can do immediately to make your home a hot property - one that buyers will want to make an offer on - now...not a year from now at a reduced selling price. Come to this workshop to make sure that your home is on the "must see" list!

We hope that you can attend. If not, please send this to others who you feel need the information more.

Click Here for the Home Staging Seminar Website and Registration Page

Call me if you have any questions: 631 793-1315

Home Staging Seminar in Huntington NY

2011-01-28T14:04:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, February 10th 2011, we will be giving an information-packed 3 hour seminar that will help you get your home or listing sold quickly and for more money.

This unique seminar will teach you how to get your home or listing ready to sell in the quickest and easiest ways possible. You’ll learn how to evaluate what needs to be done in order to attract the most buyers and what to avoid doing that will keep buyers away.

Here are just a few of the many things you will learn…

 The latest design tips, tricks and traps to avoid

 Why you shouldn’t try to sell your home when it’s vacant

 The must do improvements to bring you the greatest return on your investment.

 How to make BIG changes on a tiny budget

 How to gain a competitive advantage over other homes in your price range and neighborhood

 How to maximize the value of your house.... and much more

Don’t miss this event. If you want to get your home ready for sale – especially if you want to take advantage of the Spring Selling season – this seminar will give you the skills and knowledge you’ll need for success in this tough real estate market.

This program is for home sellers, realtors, real estate investors and developers. The fee for the program is a low $45 per person – and we are offering discounts for multiple registrants. We will be giving all registrants a Home Sellers Checklist, a Trade Source List…plus we’ll be having a raffle for some great Staging accessories.

Call Linda Leyble for more information at 631 793-1315. Or visit the Staging Seminar Webpage for details and registration information.

Click Here for the Home Staging Seminar Webpage

Hope to see you there!

A Great Idea for FSBOs and Realtors to Quickly Post Their Properties Professionally on Craigslist

2010-12-24T13:34:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post to let all of you know about a service that's free to use - it's called Thumbtack. What's wonderful about it is once you've posted your information on the site, you can set up craigslist posts automatically (and they look great!) It's best to have a craigslist account first - then all you do is hit a few buttons - and within 15 minutes you have a great ad on craigslist. This is great for For Sale By Owners and Realtors - you can post many pictures of your home/listing. Here's an example of mine!

Creative Home Staging

Once you have signed up for Thumbtack - they will send you an email with a link on how to do your ad on craigslist. Check it out and let me know how you do!

A New Staged Home for Sale in Sands Point NY

2010-10-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia. Beautiful Sands Point, NYHOME STAGING IN A FLASH: A few weeks ago, my partner Marty and I staged a lovely contemporary home in beautiful Sands Point NY. Realtor, Geeta Shukla from Century 21 Laffey, called me in to help her with this home - that was going to be photographed as soon as we were done. We had to act quickly because we only had 4 hours to create some magic

Geeta was referred to us by Sonny Declara in her office - because we helped him sell a new construction $3.5 million home in Muttontown this year. The home sold 3 weeks after we staged it!

Most of the time when we stage an occupied home - it is cluttered and you can't see the beauty of the home because of that. This home was a bit different. It had its normal share of everyday clutter - but what I noticed more predominantly was that many of the furnishings were not placed for optimal living. We re-arranged many of the chairs and tables so that a potential buyer could see "how" they could live in this home. We created some additional "nooks" and focals points that were not being used to their fullest potential.

Because it is a contemporary home - it has an open living plan, which is one of the hardest areas to design - most people do not know how to design around this or create a color plan for this type of home. We added some interest to the existing living room/dining room/den area by adding a small "conversational spot" in front of the fireplace...plus a place to have tea, coffee and conversation in the picture window are - and an additional game/card area between the dining and living room. We opened up the game table that was already there and we added a beautiful seating - plus we opened up the table to a chess board - and had an actual game "in progress." These small touches add personality and they showcase additional functionality to an open space, but more importantly they show a potential buyer how they can live in a home. These personal touches help to sell a space - that otherwise would be bland and lifeless.

We also decluttered the kitchen to showcase how beautiful it is. Every amenity that you would want - the best appliances, granite, technology (this is a "smart" home") - and beautiful finishes - were there. We pared down the clutter and excess stuff in the kitchen to showcase all of the luxury appointments.

The exterior was alo an another area that we tackled. Though the summer is over, you still want to showcase how you can live outside as well as in. We placed all the furniture (that was stacked high) and we placed all the cushions back on the furniture. The deck featured a fire pit - but it was covered in an accumulation of vegetables from the garden. We placed the furniture around the fire pit to showcase it.

We also did some fast and furious painting, which was necessary. The home had a beautiful entryway with double doors - but they had not been painted in about 20 years! A quick coat of paint brought them back. In the entry there was also a huge phildendron palnt flowing from the upstairs landing to the first floor entry. This would have been the only thing you would have noticed (instead of looking at the entry itself). We removed it - so that the home's entry now is clean and inviting - plus you can see the home...instead of the plant!

Here's the link to the home

http://www.laffey.com/listings.cfm?fuseaction=view&id=2334325

If you would like to see the home, please contact Geeta Shukla at 800-478-2940 or email her at

gshukla@laffey.com

Call us at 631 793-1315 if you would like to learn more about our home staging ideas and services

New EPA Lead Regulations Will Impact Home Buyers, Sellers & Realtors

2010-10-19T11:07:00.000-04:00

Image by Runder via Flickr

New EPA Lead Regulations will impact the real estate industry in a big way.

The EPA has come out with new lead safety procedures and regulations that are much more stringent that ever before. All homes built before 1978 (with the possibility of having lead paint) now need to be tested and painted/repaired by certified lead abatement painters or contractors if remodelling work is to be done in the home. Stiff penalties will be levied, if these guidelines are not adhered to. Contractors need to be certified before they can work on these homes - they go through 8 hours of classes and an additional 2 hours of hands-on experience.

What does this mean to the realtor who suggests a painter or remodeller/handyman who is not certified to their cllient? The realtor will be liable. You can no longer just have the homeowner sign a waiver which releases them from any lead liability.

This will also impact costs to remodelling and painting. If a home will need some renovations in order to bring it up to today's standards - the costs to remodel have now increased because of the stricter regulations. Buyers needs to be aware of this - as well as sellers.

We are scheduled to go through this training next month - and since April of this year, we have only been using subcontractors who have received this training and who know what they are doing. This is serious business and the fines are serious money. You should only be hiring certified lead abatement contractors to do work, if lead is suspected in the home.

Here are some additional sources for you to look at about the subject:

Trulia

EPA

Fine Homebuilding

Call us if you have any questions about this!

Why You Should Stage a Vacant Home: It Works!

2010-05-20T12:47:00.000-04:00

Here's a link to a short video presentation I did highlighting the success we had with staging a vacant home. After 9 months of the home sitting on the market, the home sold 3 weeks after we staged it. Staging vacant homes works! See the video - don't you wish your home or listing looked like this?

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5459314d4455774d7a513d0d0a&sb=1

What Realtors Need to Know About Their "Leads"

2010-05-08T15:15:00.001-04:00

I am not a lead

2010-05-06T17:58:00.000-04:00

Create a photo album

What Antiques Roadshow Can Teach You About Home Staging

2010-01-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

Chips and other wear on this vase caused the ownerto lose over $45,000

Antiques Roadshow & It's Relationship to Home Staging. I was watching a re-run of Antiques Roadshow last week and it got me thinking about home staging. Of course, I think about home staging a lot because I live and breathe it every day - but several of the items that were being appraised could have netted the owners much more money had a certain amount of care been evident in the items. In an old painting, there was some loss in one small area that needed restoration. The painting was worth $25,000 in its current condition - and possibly $40,000 if $3,000 worth of restoration was done. An increase of possibly $15,000 for an investment of $3000!

Another item - a beautiful antique vase from China had some chipping and some other forms of wear. The appraisal in current condition was $5,000 - $8,000. Had it not had the wear and tear - $50,000-80,000. That's a huge difference in price!

So - what parts of your home (or the listing that you're marketing) need some restoration? What can you do to give your home greater value - so that you don't miss out on additional profits? What small investment could you make so that you can preserve equity?

It's food for thought.

Here's my latest Staging newsletter

2010-01-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

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What Really Prevents a Home From Being Sold: Some Excuses I've Heard

2010-01-08T14:41:00.000-05:00

Many people will blame the current market condition as the reason they had trouble selling their home. Part of that may be true - these times are tough, no doubt. But, after seeing so many homes that have been on the market for a year or two or more, I have kept a list of the most common excuses sellers have given me for not being more proactive about getting their homes ready for sale. So - I'd like to add that a large part of the blame should be placed on a seller's "Ego," with a capital E.

Here are some of the excuses I've heard...

- I can sell my house by myself - I don't need a realtor

- Why should I repaint the house? It's been fine for us all these years. Why repaint in neutral colors - the purple (or orange, lime green or other loud color)is great - all buyers will love it!

- Why replace the worn carpet - buyers will be able to look past that.

- Yes, I may have some clutter in the home. But I work from home and my kids need all their toys and things. There's nothing I can do about this.

- Why take up the carpet that is covering a beautiful wood floor? The wood is there - and buyers can see that, so why should I bother doing this?

- Why should I reduce the price of the house? The neighbors down the street got that same price 5 years ago. My house is worth every penny and more. This is the price - and that's final.

- Why have a stager come look at the home for a consultation. Our home is fine as it is - we don't need a stager to tell us what to do.

- What wrong with all the wallpaper - we paid good money to have all that done 20 years ago.

- Why put furniture in our vacant home? That's a waste of good money. Buyers should be able to imagine what their furniture will look like in it.

I've been hearing these excuses for a long time now. It's very sad - because these homeowners could have been successful if they could have just put their egos aside temporarily.

If you are about to sell your home or if you are in the process of selling - just take a minute to check if you have said any of the above excuses. Changing your attitude will help you tremendously.

Remember - your home becomes a "product" when you put it on the market. Don't let highly personal colors or furnishings (or clutter) keep you from selling your home. Remove...then rejoice once your home is sold!

And lastly, an investment in staging is always significantly less than your first price reduction.

Here's my latest Home Staging Newsletter

2009-12-31T14:39:00.000-05:00

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More Home Office Staging Ideas

2009-10-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

Want to Make Your Home Office Memorable? At this spring's San Francisco Decorator Showhouse, Interior Designer Benjamin Dhong made a fabric canopy for the desk in the home office.It's simple to do - yet it's a memorable embellishment that will stay in the minds of all who see it.

Or this idea from Steven Miller Design Studio...

Make Your Home Office Beautiful

2009-10-03T19:59:00.001-04:00

Office with Access to Covered Patio Nook
Originally uploaded by Santa Barbara Realtor

When a home for sale features a home office - it is usually a benefit. But most times, the home office suffers from information overload - that's visible with overflowing files, overstuffed desks - and a general lack of organization.

If you take a little bit of time and put thought and elbow grease into your home office - it can be seen as a wonderful asset that will help you sell your home.

In this photo, anyone can imagine doing work in this office...being successful - and beautifully organized.

If You Can Smell It...You Can't Sell It!

2009-09-02T11:27:00.000-04:00

Putting the Cart Before the Horse

I recently toured a home that is up for sale by a house flipper. He had been having trouble selling it. He told me on the phone some of the reasons he believed it wasn't selling: the home's location (across from a fairly busy LIRR train station) might be the problem - or the fact that the home has no furniture and lacks some warmth.

When I arrived to do a walk-through staging consultation, I first noticed that the home's exterior could use some sprucing. Not a big deal - easy to do. But - then I walked into the home. I had just put my foot into the entry and I was overwhelmed by a mildew/moldy smell. It was really pungent...and very obvious. But - apparently not to the flipper. Very proudly (and rightly so), he took me on a tour of how he renovated the kitchen and all the bathrooms. He and his team did a magnificent job. The paint job on the home was well done - nice neutral colors that will go with anyone's furniture and decor. The closet were poorly done - but this was a minor issue.

When we went down into the basement, I felt like we were in a different house. It was unfinished, dank and this is where the smell was coming from. This basement should have been the first thing that the flipper should have attended to. I told him that the first thing he needed to do was to contact a company like Healthy Basements - and have the mold/mildew removed. Then the entire place would need a great paint job - at minimum. Adding a new washer/dryer would be a plus...and something that all homebuyers would want to see. The basement was plumbed but there was a faulty-looking electrical hookup - and I couldn't see where there would be a vent for a dryer. Taking care of this toxic mold, painting and add a washer/dryer would have been the first things I would have done.

The flipper originally wanted me to give him an idea of the costs of staging the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, dining room, the master bedroom and an office. I told him that the basement had to be attended to first before I could ever put furniture in the home.I will know this week whether or not he has accomplished what I suggested he do.

The Moral of the Story

Most homeowners are unaware of smells in their homes. When we live in our homes we become accustomed to the ways things look and the way our home smells. But these very "homey" things/smells can be off-putting to a potential homebuyer.

The adage "If you can smell it - you can't sell it" is so true when it comes to successfully selling your home. Please be aware of some of the chief offenders such as...pets/pet urine, cigarettes/cigars, cooking smells, air condition filters that needs to be changed, heavy perfumes, oil-based paints/stains...and mold/mildew smells. Having a fresh and natural smelling home will be very welcoming to a potential buyer. It's advisable to have an independent person to assess your home for any potential offensive odors. Professional home stagers have access to various professional ways to rid your home of smells - so always ask their advice. If you have mold and mildew problems in your home - this is not only offensive but it's toxic and hazardous to your health. Removing it as quickly as possible will not only keep you healthy...but it will sell your house quickly too.

The 9 Biggest Mistakes Home Sellers Make When Preparing and Staging Their Homes for Sale

2009-06-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

Home sellers who make the following mistakes when preparing their homes for sale, will have their homes on the market for a lot longer than they want...and they will probably have to reduce their asking price.

1) Not Updating the Kitchen or Bathrooms. These are the two most important rooms in the house...the ones that make or break the ability to get an offer. And you don't even have to completely gut the kitchen or bath. See some of my earlier posts on how we updated several kitchens beautifully...and inexpensively. Even simple updates like painting your cabinets will create a new look that will be very appealing to a buyer. Buyers want a home that is move-in ready - but you don't have to replace everything in a kitchen or bath to achieve that. New faucets, clean and sparkling sinks, uncluttered countertops and new hardware can really spruce up these rooms. If the budget permits - do updated appliances, better countertops and new flooring.

Before: These kitchen cabinets were originally a mid tone taupe color

After: We painted the cabinets, added decorative onlays and we also created a beautiful faux marble look for the island countertop. You can make your kitchen beautiful...

without expensive replacement costs.
2) Not Caring About Curb Appeal. A buyer prejudges a home in 12 seconds from the outside of a home. That's why curb appeal is so very important if you want to attract a buyer to "come in." It's like the cover of a book - if the cover doesn't look interesting...chances are the book will be passed over.

3) Not De-Cluttering, Cleaning and Deodorizing. If you take the time to remove clutter, edit the amount of furniture you have in your rooms and clean your home to shine like a diamond - your space will look larger, more pristine and well-cared for. Endless knickknacks and collectibles in cabinets, magnets on the fridge and family photos all over the place deter potential buyers from envisioning themselves living in the home. It's best to pack up the treasures and make all surfaces shine. Making your house smell sunshine clean is also very important. You want to remove as many negatives as possible when your home is up for sale.

This bathroom would have looked great if the homeowner had removed the dated mirror, old towels and toiletries and added nice, fluffy white towels, a new faucet, shower curtain...and a neutral colored paint on the vanity and walls. Our company could have also created a limestone look on the countertop - a durable and beautiful finish that is less costly than buying and installing a new one.

4) Keeping Taste-Specific Furniture, Carpeting, Colors and Accessories as Part of the Decor. If you bought your home in the 70s or 80s and if the decor still reflects those eras, your home won't be on a potential buyers "make an offer" list. Odd colored carpets (teal is a big no-no), draperies, wall colors etc will not be appealing to a broad range of buyer. Why? Number one, not everyone has furniture that would go with specific colors - that's why neutral colors are the best to use when getting your home ready for sale. Another reason why taste-specific decor doesn't work is because more and more prospective buyers are young, first time homebuyers (ages 25-35). They weren't even born when Avocado and Harvest Gold were the "in" kitchen colors! The younger, first time buyer wants neutral colors, clean lines and uncluttered spaces. Tip: A buyer should not be able to tell if the seller is 90 or 30 years old and whether the seller is male or female.

5)Trying to Sell A Home When It's Vacant. A home with no furniture is soulless and very unappealing. A vacant home can also translate into "desperate seller" in buyer-speak. The buyer gets the idea that a seller really needs to sell the home and so they assume the seller will take a lower offer. A vacant home never gets a full asking price offer - always lower. It's much more prudent to have a competent home stager bring in furniture and accessories - and make the home warm and livable. In addition, a vacant room actually looks smaller than it is. Plus - a buyer will only focus on the negatives of a space because there is nothing else to focus on.

Every hairline crack, every speck of dust...any minute "less then perfect" aspect of a house

is magnified when it's vacant.

6) Not Letting in as Much Light in to the House. Dark, heavy draperies, closed vertical blinds...any window covering that blocks light from coming in to a house - will not make the buyer feel that the home is bright and airy. You have to find ways to "steal the sunlight," as real estate guru Barbara Corcoran says. Add more light fixtures, uplights and take dark shades off your table lamps - replace with more translucent covers that will emit more light.

7) Refusing to Put Any Money into Necessary Repairs, Improving the House or Staging Before Selling. For every deferred repair, the homeowner will receive less money offered for the house. Avoid possible buyer objections by fixing the things that are wrong with the home. A wife may fall in love with a kitchen - but her husband will be looking at very crack, every bulge in the wall that spells water trouble and every electrical no-no in the house. Fix things before you have a buyer offer you less than you want. The money you spend on repairs will net you a bigger profit on your home. Also, consider hiring a home stager - even just for a consultation. Staging is an investment - not a cost. Plus, it's tax deductible. For every dollar you spend on staging, you get $3 in return.

8) Keeping Fido and Kitty at the Home When it's Being Shown. Many times I have been to Open Houses where I have been greeted by the family cat or dog. I have also attended Open Houses where there are 4 or 5 dogs in a crate - and they are all yapping and barking so much that I can hardly hear what the realtor is saying to me! I've also seen wee wee pads here and there at Open Houses. I am an animal lover - so these things never bother me. But, what about any prospective buyer who might be allergic to cats or dogs? It's best to keep the family pet away for the Open House day - and any time the house is being shown. You should also remove any sign (or odor) of pet ownership.

9) Not Marketing the Home Properly with Great Online Photos. With over 80% of potential buyers searching online first before viewing a property, it's imperative that a home look beautiful online. Badly lit pictures, cluttered surfaces in the photos and even just pictures of the exterior of the home (and no interior shots) spell "not worth a visit" to a prospective buyer. Even worse is when there are no photos of the home. Take the time to do a great photo shoot. It will really pay off. Staged homes, by the way - look great online.

Creatively Using Color

2009-06-07T18:35:00.000-04:00

Using Color Effectively When Staging a Home

The Importance of Choosing the Right Colors When You’re Selling a Home: Learning to Go Beyond White and Real Estate Beige

Because I work with color every day of my life, I find it very easy to choose paint colors for my clients. I’ve experimented with color since I was a child – so I can easily remedy an already purchased can of paint that otherwise would be an “Oops” can on the shelf at Home Depot: If a color is too yellow – I know that adding some measured drops of violet tint will soften and neutralize it to a usable and beautiful hue. Not everyone can do this – but it’s a useful skill to have when you’ve hired a painter for a day and he’s rolled the first bit of paint on the wall – and you absolutely know it’s the wrong color!

Choosing the right colors for a home - especially when you are trying to sell it – is not the easiest thing to do. Color can make or break a room – it can help you make a small room look larger…a huge room more cozy…a long room less bowling alley-like…and a tall room less like an inverted shoebox! If you learn how to choose colors that work for the rooms you are selling, you can alter the perceived dimensions of the space.

In the coming months, I will share with you some of my tips for alleviating some of the most common problems that you encounter in residential homes every day. Today, I’m sharing some of my all-time favorite paint colors that have worked well for me – and why I used these hues.

Some of My Favorite Colors Used in My Staging and Color Consulting Work

Benjamin Moore Monroe Bisque: This is a warm beige that looks beautiful in most rooms. I used it recently in a St. James NY condo living room – the home sold in two days. It worked well with the homeowner’s creamy yellow leather sofa and love seat. Important note: Because the tone of the furniture and the oak flooring, and the wall color were closely related, it helped to make the room look larger. This is also a great color for a bathroom and a basement. If the basement doesn’t receive much light – add some white tint or white paint to it to make it lighter.

Benjamin Moore Silken Pine: I don’t usually recommend any kind of blue color for a home that’s for sale (that’s another topic for another time), but I just used this hue in a homeowner’s kitchen in Port Washington NY and it really is a special color. It’s a soft, neutral celadon bluish-green. It’s a great choice to enliven and modernize a space, without making too bold of a statement for home staging.

Benjamin Moore Shaker Beige: This is an interior designer favorite for many reasons. It’s a wonderful taupe color that will blend with just about everything. I’ve paired it with crisp white wainscoting and moldings in an elegant dining room on the Bay Shore NY waterfront – it looks beautiful. In the same home, I mixed just the tint of this paint in authentic Venetian Plaster for the home’s entryway. I also used the tint in a metallic plaster for the living room. This is a wonderful way to use the same color in an open floor plan home – without being repetitive. The Venetian Plaster and the metallic plaster take the tint in a different way – but all the rooms “blend” beautifully in value and hue.

Benjamin Moore Grant Beige. I just used this successfully in a Master Bedroom – the home sold for $6,000 above listing price. This color has some chameleon-like qualities, meaning that when paired with blue-green fabrics, it’s a neutral beige with blue-green undertones…but when used with crisp whites, it has more of a neutral beige quality. I chose the color because 1) I needed a restful color because it was a bedroom and 2) I needed a neutral that also had a slight blue-green undertone because I was using teal bedding. To make the bedroom seem larger and more serene – I chose colors that were very closely related in hue and value…with the least amount of contrast.

Restoration Hardware Silver Sage: This is one of my all time favorite colors. I’ve used it in elegant living rooms, master bedrooms and master baths. This company also has coordinated bedding etc that blends beautifully with the paint color (ie they have Silver Sage as a color in the bedding collection).

And for the truly adventurous…

Benjamin Moore Aura 50/50 mix of Barrista and Satchel: I custom mixed these two colors to use on my kitchen and kitchen eating area walls. Because my kitchen gets a tremendous amount of natural sunlight, I could go with a deep rich chocolate color. My cabinetry and moldings are all cream (Benjamin Moore OC 94, Windswept – another favorite of mine), so the dark wall color pops the light cabinetry and moldings. It does not make the room seem dark at all.

Would I use this in a kitchen that I’m staging? Maybe – but it would have to be a kitchen like mine – a sun-filled space with light cabinetry. But to be on the safe side, I would reserve this color for a small powder room. I recently did a small powder room in Melville, NY that features a dark chocolate brown metallic plaster – but any deep chocolate brown paint would do just as well. This color is dramatic and it works well with cream moldings and bone sinks and toilets. Add a beautiful mirror, a chandelier and artwork with cream matting that contrasts with the dark walls – and you have a really special jewel box that prospective home buyers will remember. As with all paint colors - try a sample on your walls first...see how the light affects it from morning til night.

Selling and Staging a Home That is Being Rented

2009-04-21T13:11:00.000-04:00

With owner-occupied homes that are going on the market, you have to edit, declutter, repaint etc because the desire and motivation of the owner is first and foremost - to get the property sold. But with a rental, you also have to consider the renter as well...and not every situation will be a smooth one. Will the renter keep the home clutter-free, neat and tidy - or... will there be dishes in the sink and an unmade bed during showings?

When I was selling the second house I had ever purchased - a two family home in Whitestone, NY - I had a single male renter who kept his apartment immaculate. He was sometimes a little late paying his rent...but he was a very quiet tenant and he kept his place as neat as a pin. While I sometimes bemoaned choosing him to rent my place - he turned out to be such an asset to me when selling the house! I staged my downstairs apartment where I lived - and I had little to do with his apartment (it looked fantastic). The home sold in two days - for $70,000 more than I paid for it two years prior. Having a tenant who was amenable to showing the home - and the fact that he was neat and quiet - was one of the reasons why I sold the home so quickly.

I know that it may be hard to figure out who will be a neat tenant - but, just in case you ever have to sell an income property such as a rental - it really pays to put in the time to know who your tenant really is: Not only from a credit standpoint...but also from past landlords as to how they kept their apartment. Fortunately, I got to meet his former landlord and from him I understood that my tenant would keep the apartment in tip top shape.

A Home Staging Presentation at Netter Real Estate

2009-03-09T09:09:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday, March 5th, I did a presentation about Home Staging for Netter Real Estate in West Islip, NY. The talk, which was scheduled to last for a half hour, stretched out to nearly an hour in length because of the many questions the real estate agents had about home staging and what our company can do for their listings.

We showed many before and after pictures of our work - especially the kitchens we have renovated with faux finishing techniques that not only save home sellers a lot of money but also time and demolition costs - not to mention mess! We also showed the realtors actual samples of cabinetry finishes - as well as countertop, tile and floor finishes. The realtors were very surprised to see the dramatic changes to homes that are possible - and more amazed by the cost savings. For as little as $2000 on up to $10,000 (depending on the size of the kitchen and the techniques used), a home can get a beautiful kitchen face lift that will help sell the home quickly. It is so important that kitchens (and bathrooms) be in the best shape possible when you put a home up for sale.

I want to thank Jim Netter for allowing me to present my company's talents to his staff. I would also like to thank realtors Theresa Little and Diane Scalza of Netter for introducing me to Jim and for using our company to improve their listings.

The Importance of Improving Your Kitchen When You're Selling Your Home & How to Spend Your Improvement Dollars Wisely

Over the weekend I read an article about an older woman who has to put her home up for sale and so she hired a home improvement company to help her renovate. She is selling her home for about $300,000 - and her renovation costs are over $40,000. Most of the cost is going towards the kitchen. While I have not seen the home and cannot account for its condition, I have to say that if this were my home - I would not spend that much money for a renovation on a $300,000 home. A $700K and up home - yes...but not for a lower end home.

Last fall, we worked on a 40 year old condo on the North Shore (a Netter listing) that had a listing price of $319,000 and I decided against going with brand new kitchen cabinets from Lowe's that would have cost $4,500 (including installation). Although that's a very reasonable price, we still had to do a lot of other work in the kitchen to bring it up to today's standards. Since the cabinets were still in good shape, I decided that a good paint job and new knobs would be the right financial decision for the homeowner. The backsplash also needed replacing - but that would be costly. I suggested that we could do a textured decorative finish that would resemble tumbled marble over the existing tiles. We redid everything else in the kitchen (several new appliances, new ceramic floor, wallpaper removal and painting, new sink and countertop) for a total of $7350. The condo sold very quickly for $6000 over the listing price.

Here is a before photo of the kitchen...

...and after!

If you are putting your home on the market and you need to update your home, it's important to invest wisely in updates. Don't over do it - or worse, under do it. A kitchen that is move in ready is a huge selling point for your home!

Why Staging Works: Some Real Life Analogies

2009-02-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

Sometimes clients feel that staging and improving their homes before listing them for sale isn't necessary. They balk at the expense or the time it will take to paint and unclutter etc. I can understand that. Sellers just want to get on with their lives and sell the house and move into another home. It seems that many sellers do not want to put another penny into their homes when they are just about to put it on the market. In this kind of competitive market - it's a mistake to think that way.

When I visit open houses on weekends - I am very shocked at the number of homes that look like they haven't been painted in over 20 years. I am also amazed at how many homes on Long Island still have the same carpet, kitchen cabinets, window treatments, linoleum and furnishings from when the buyers first moved in! So many houses are stuck in time warps from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Your home is like your resume. If it hasn't been updated and improved...you probably won't "get the job...or called back for another interview." Your old, dark cabinets from the 70s, yellowing linoleum, dated wallpaper and dark paneled rooms from another era - these items in your home are like trying to get a job in today's workforce when your resume says that you haven't had a job since 1970.

Your online presence is your cover letter. We all know that a cover letter is important...and it can make the difference between getting called for an interview or not. When I see that some realtors or sellers have no picture of the home online or just one (of the front of the house), I know that they are missing a lot of buyer traffic. 80% of prospective buyers look online before they even decide on going to an open house or not. If your house looks great online (and a professionally staged home looks fabulous online) - you'll get buyers to call you or your realtor. It's your cover letter that says "I am a great candidate for you, Mr. Buyer."

Here's a great analogy from a blog written by my new friend, Leif Swanson - a realtor from Arizona. His blog, Ugly House Photos, is terrific and I encourage everyone to check it out. On his blog he has a picture of a beautiful sandwich and a thin sandwich and he asks "which one would you buy - if they were both the same price?"

http://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/?p=4194

Of course, you'd choose the bigger and better sandwich - and it's the same with your prospective homebuyers. They are looking for the better sandwich - not one they have to add on to or fix or embellish.

So...clean up your resume, write a great cover letter - and sell your home.

Linda

Updating a Kitchen that has Soffits

2009-01-30T15:17:00.000-05:00

Before the Transformation

There are many things that "date" a kitchen but one thing that broadcasts the fact that the kitchen is older is the presence of soffits. So, when you are selling your home - what do you do to offset these architectural wonders, other than an expensive renovation? Well - one thing you can do is to paint the entire kitchen a color that blends with the color of the cabinetry. If you have warm oak cabinets, paint the kitchen a warm, yellow/beige, for example. You want the soffits to recede - so don't paint them a contrasting color that will make them stand out.

We transformed these kitchen cabinets by using the soffits - but we added crown molding, paint and then did a faux oak woodgraining to match the already existing cabinets.

That's me, putting the first layer of woodgraining on the soffits

After we finished graining and matching the color of the oak cabinets (it was a bit hard because each cabinet had a slightly different tone of oak - probably from age), we then added a faux wood inlaid design on the soffit.

After: The cabinetry looks taller and more modern

With a little creativity, you can turn a negative into a positive. Before, these cabinets made the room look shorter - and the cabinets seemed shorter. This technique helps to "bring the eye up" and to bring a more modern feel to the room.

Welcome to My Blog and Why I Started it

2009-01-29T16:33:00.000-05:00

Hi!

Welcome to my blog. I am new to this form of communication - but not new to helping homeowners transform their homes into beautiful spaces. What I want to share with everyone is some unique yet very simple ideas that you can use to make your home more marketable once you decide to put it up for sale.

I just heard some recent statistics for the New York/Long Island real estate market - for every day that your home remains on the market, you lose 1% of its value. That's an alarming number - and all the more reason to do everything you can to get your home in the best shape possible...so you can sell it more quickly.

Here are a few important things to consider when you are selling your home:

Once you put your home up for sale, it is no longer your home...it's a product. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you will sell your home. Any product that appeals to the widest range of buyers has the best chance of selling. You may love your red painted walls - but not everyone loves that paint color. You may adore your teal colored carpet in your bedroom - but not everyone has furnishings that go with that color. You have to neutralize your color schemes so that they appeal to the most people.
Make your home clutter free. The less stuff you have in a room - the more people can really "see" your home. For example - if you take the small appliances (toaster, canisters, coffee pot, dish drain etc) off your kitchen counter...potential buyers will be able to "see" that you have countertops. You want to sell your home - not your stuff.
Improve your curb appeal: If your home doesn't look inviting on the outside - no one will want to come "inside"
Make sure your home is Q Tip clean. From your front yard to your backyard...and from basement to the attic, make sure that every surface is spotless. Have a professional window cleaner make your windows shine.
Make sure you have great photos of your home for flyers and for online marketing. Once you have de-cluttered, cleaned and painted, have your realtor take photographs (many real estate companies have photographers that they use) or, if you are selling the property yourself, have someone with a great digital camera take the photos - or consider hiring a professional. Important: 80% of today's buyers research real estate listing online first...before they even consider going to your open house. So - you must make sure that your home looks great online.