How Shopping Can Help Give You Ideas to Stage Your Home

You've heard of retail therapy but shopping can help you to stage your home better. And without spending any money.

What? Yes - it's all free. The ideas anyway. Department stores spend a lot of money to make their wares look good because they want you to spend some serious cash - and that's what you want from buyers...to open their wallets and buy your home.

Stores like Pottery Barn, Anthropology and Restoration Hardware are places where you can see how you can merchandize your dining room and get ideas on how to dress your bed and other places in your home, Take notes on how appealingly they style their spaces.

You may be tempted to spend a few bucks - but then you'll know that what they did worked!
Here are some images from some shopping trips I've done recently.

The above photo shows a bed that you would love to sink into.  The takeaway?  A white fluffy comforter, a pile of pillows and a tray with coffee or tea cups and napkins give you the impression that this is a great home to wake up in.

Bring the outdoors in:  This may seem like a well-worn phrase but florals in rustic vases add some needed texture to a plain home.  Add other outdoor items to your home with exterior lanterns, shells, sand and other seaside elements.

So take a trip to a nearby high-end department store.  They will always give you great ideas that you can copy inexpensively.

 

If you are having trouble selling your home, please give me a call at 631 793-1315. I can help you make it a buyer magnet. 

From a Pile of Coal Comes a Diamond

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

Selling Your Home the Right Way

"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!!

Getting Your House Ready for the Spring Selling Season

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!

A New Staged Home for Sale in Sands Point NY

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






 

A Home Staging Presentation at Netter Real Estate

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!