I've had the "deer in the headlights" look from clients so many times when I explain to them the need for privacy in their home when it is on the market.  I don't want to scare them, but it is really important to de-personalize the house.  Not just for helping a potential buyer see the home as one they could move into, but for the safety of those who live there.  This is a scary and sensitive subject, but very real in this day and age.

1.  Leaving your bills or other mail laying around invites someone to walk off with them, or at the very least, see your name and how many credit cards you have or .  This just asks for identity theft.  I don't know about you, but I sure don't want a stranger to walk off with a paper that may have my credit card number or social security number on it. Or making assumptions about my financial position based on what is left out (past due notices?).

2.  Leaving your prescription medication in visible sight, even in a cupboard, is asking for trouble.  Not only do you run the risk of someone taking it (a kid?), you also are giving away information to a buyer & their realtor about you and your health.  You may not think anything of the fact that you take an anti-depressant or a cancer treatment drug, but I will tell you now, that any agent worth their salt will take this into consideration when making an offer.  If your cabinet is full of anxiety & depression related pills, that tells a story - and not necessarily the one you want.

3.  Leaving your children's photos, names on the walls, sports trophies and school papers out is a bad idea.  We are all proud of our children, but really - do you know who is coming to look at your home?  And do you want them seeing pictures of your beautiful children?  And being able to tell from what you've left visible can let a predator know where they go to school, how old they are, what their name is,  what kinds of sprots they play (and where), and more.  This is all someone would need to strike up an acquaintanceship with your child, which is NOT a good thing.

4.  Leaving your diplomas, gold records, memorabilia, or awards on the walls can negatively impact an offer.  Think about it, not only are you giving away personal information about who you are, you are giving an impression of whether you NEED a decent offer or not.  I've worked in homes where famous musicians have lived.  Do you really want prospective buyers knowing this is their house?  How about Vanderbilt University medical diplomas on the wall?  Or memorabilia of a sports figure?  This just says, I don't need the money.  You don't want people googling you for info, or knowing that you are famous or apparently well off.  People assume that lawyers, doctors, professional athletes, musicians and others are set financially.  On the flip side, if a professionals dirty laundry has been aired in public, this can invite lowball offers because the public knows that the person is in financial trouble.

It's about making the home appealing for a buyer and helping them see themselves in the home.  But it's also about keeping the seller and their family safe.  Things that give personal information affect both of these and can lead to a serious situation.  It's not likely, nor is it common, but it could happen.  My job is to bring up these concerns and put them front and center.  Many home sellers just don't consider this aspect until I point it out - then it just seems like common sense.

Think before you list - think about the tiny percentage of people out there who would even consider any of the above factors.  Most of those who look at your home is like you - considerate, honest and thoughtful.  But not everyone is - and these precautions can be the difference between danger and safety.

I had a client recently for a staging consult.  It was a nice little condo, vacant, that had been on the market for about a year.  The client's ex-wife actually called me in as he was a bit resistant.  In fact, when I met him on the property, he was on his Blackberry and starting pulling weeds in the front while I was talking. Definitely not that excited to be there.

I had two choices at this point:

a.  get annoyed or frustrated and just sort of work around him OR
b.  use my "teacher voice" and say HEY, listen to me because what I'm telling you will sell this place

I chose b.  I asked him politely but firmly to pay attention, leave the weeds for later, and focus because this was important.  As we worked our way through all of my points regarding exterior maintenance, he started getting a bit more involved.  Most of it was caulk & paint, freshening up the door & landscaping, and a new light fixture.  Once we got inside, that's where I really got his attention.  I pointed out peeling vinyl in the closet where the HVAC system was located - where it looked as if there was a leak at some point.  I indicated the focal point of the room and how it wasn't being highlighted.  The dingy paint in the walk in closet, the unfinished trim at the base of the kitchen cabinets, the dirty shelves in kitchen cupboards, the dated ceiling fan in the master bedroom, and more really caught his ear.  These were things he had not noticed but when I pointed out the perception of potential buyers to these things, he really started to GET IT. 

By the time we were done, he was totally on board and was making plans to make the necessary corrections.  We talked about bringing in furniture and accessories but it turned out that it wasn't necessary because once the maintenance and cleaning was done, the first people to look at it, bought it.  The consult more than paid for itself and I had a new convert to home staging.

Think of the minor investment in a staging consult - holding costs for a year vs. selling within a week. Actually paying attention, paid off.

So if you are lucky enough to work with a home stager - LISTEN!  

I often run into clients on a tight budget who want their house to look terrific when it sells (that's why they hire me!).  But, as is so often the case, even while much of the house looks really nice, the master bedroom is the last place to get spruced up.  I find a big bed - usually just a mattress & box spring on a frame - in the middle of the room with a bunch of mish-mosh furniture pieces. 

Anyone who stages knows that you need to make a master bedroom a retreat and without a headboard, the room just doesn't look finished.  There are lots of techniques you can use including covering a board with fabric, or using lots of pillows.  But here's something I've done with several clients that looks just fabulous - and way more upscale and expensive than it really is! 

I've had several clients do this project - sometimes using scrap lumber they may have - and sometimes using pre-made pieces such as wall hangings or bifold doors.  Being creative is the key!

Now keep in mind that you need to have a handy homeowner (someone who can operate a few power tools) or a carpenter.  But with furniture grade plywood, some trim pieces, some caulk & paint, you can create a headboard that looks like you got it at Pottery Barn.  When it's finished, just attach it to the wall.

The one pictured was built by the homeowner for less than $50.  I designed it using 4 x 8 furniture grade plywood and trim pieces - I think here he used 1 x 2 pieces but 1 x 4 or 1 x 6 pieces would give a more craftsman look to it.  You can also add a piece of crown moulding at the top if desired.  This was painted in Sherwin Williams French Roast.  The homeowners did all the work in here on my recommendations.  Before it was cluttered and looked like a college dorm room. Now it looks like you'd want to rest & relax.

Really good post by Karen - I've had the same type of experience and she really speaks to what staging consults are all about in the this post.  Enjoy!

This was a really informative article for me - it's not rocket science or even anything groundbreaking but good, straightforward information for not only real estate blogging but any blog.  Since I have two of them - I can always use this sort of info!

http://kylechowning.com/2009/07/05/choosing-the-right-real-estate-agent/

The link above is from a guy I twitter with in Nashville.  Most anyone who knows me knows how I love me some twitter (I'm @afreshspace).  I love how many great blogs I come across and the info I learn about life and my industry (so many great home stagers on twitter!).  I read Kyle's post about his search for a listing agent, and thought, hmmm, how hard should it be in our area to find a great agent?  Not too hard, I'd imagine, as I know a lot of them.  But apparently, he's not finding the right person.  Or to put it more accurately, the right person may be there but they are not selling him on the fact that they ARE the right person.

So I forwarded this blog post along to a half dozen agents I know that really work hard for their clients.  3 emailed me back promptly, thanking me and letting me know that they had already contacted him based on the email.  Haven't heard from the other 3 but I'd like to think they did the same.  One posted on his blog post as well.

I wish them the best!  The reason I posted this link was partly because I found it interesting but also to offer a regular person's perspective on how they are dealing with finding a listing agent.  This blogger is not a real estate blogger - just a regular guy who blogs about life and tech stuff and marketing. 

As a home stager, I work with a lot of listing agents but I rarely ask HOW they got the listing.  I usually come in after the fact to make the home look fabulous but sometimes I wonder, just as I wonder about a lot of things in this world.  I look at how I get clients as well, so this blog post spoke to me - am I selling myself as well as I could?  There's a fine line between putting yourself out there and going over the top!  Still walking that line I think.

PS I did get Kyle's permission to post this link - and if you are an agent in Nashville who wants to give it a shot-use the link in his post to contact him!

Clutter is the downfall of most houses, and never is this more apparent than when a house goes on the market.  As both a Professional Organizer and Home Stager, it's really amazing how much of my organizing skills I use when I stage.  In fact, I'm surprised there aren't more stagers that are PO's as well!  So from my Professional Organizer hat, here's some tips for stagers (as if you don't already know these!!), but mostly for homeowners putting their house on the market:

1. A stager will tell you to de-clutter.  This means PUT AWAY OR GET RID OF ALL OF THE STUFF LAYING AROUND EVERYWHERE!  When someone comes to look at your home for sale, it is really important that they see the great features of your home - not your collections of angels, your kid's toys, or your mail.  These things are distractions and make the home seem dirty and unattractive.  You don't want every surface bare, but there is a fine line between accessorizing and messy.  This is where a stager comes in handy.
   
2. A stager will tell you to hide your personal items.  This means PUT IT AWAY SOMEWHERE WHERE IT CANNOT BE SEEN!  This doesn't mean you have to get rid of your toothbrush or your bills - it means that people don't want to see your personal hygiene products, and leaving mail or personal papers out is an identity theft issue and a personal safety issue.  You don't want people knowing you you are.  People need to visualize themselves in a home and they can't do that if your stuff is out and about.
   
3. A stager will have you remove family photos.  This means TAKE THEM ALL DOWN AND PUT THEM IN A BOX SOMEWHERE.  Personal photos not only clutter up a house, they don't say "buy me-I'm your new home" to a prospective buyer.
4. A stager will tell you to create a smooth flow of traffic by removing or re-arranging furniture.  This means YOU HAVE TOO MUCH FURNITURE AND IT'S IN THE WRONG PLACES FOR SHOWING YOUR HOUSE!  Furniture that isn't placed properly for showing your home makes the home seem cramped, cluttered and small.  Removing and arranging your furniture properly can make your home seem more spacious and attractive - helping you sell.  How you live in a home is usually not how it should look when selling.

Where the organizing aspect comes in is figuring out what to do with about these things.  This is what I recommend:

1. Go through your home and get rid of any items you do not see yourself using in your new home.  Visualize where you are moving and the life you want to live.  Look at each item and ask yourself, "does this reflect who I am today and where I am going?"  If it doesn't, either throw it away, donate it to charity or have a rummage sale.  Be ruthless and be realistic.  If you haven't used in in years, or you just really don't like it - why are you going to take the time and money to pack and move it?
   
2. Place items in bins.  This is key for most of my clients.  You can have a lot of stuff in your home if it is contained in attractive bins.  I usually use plastic bins with lids for storage; open top white bins for storing items in pantries or closets; canvas, wooden or wicker bins & baskets for items that need to be accessible in living rooms or bedrooms.  Bins look nice, and conceal a myriad of messes.  Bins are your friend when it comes to organizing and staging.  Be sure to label all of your bins so you know what is in them - nothing is worse than putting away everything and then not knowing where your things are.
3. Leave "white space".  I do this when I organize and stage.  Don't fill every available space, even in a cupboard, closet or pantry.  Leave room so that not only will the area look bigger, but it looks like you have so much space that you can't even use it all.  Plus, from an organizing standpoint, it gives you room to grow.
4. Pack for your move.  Keep in mind when packing that you only want to pack what you actually want to take (see tip #1).  By packing now, it will not only make your move easier, but it will help de-clutter.  The key things to keep in mind are:  Pack items by room.  Label every box not only with what is in it, but what room it belongs in.  Create an inventory list of what you have packed.  If you still have boxes that were never unpacked from your last move - this is a good sign that you most likely don't need to keep these boxes.
5. Be creative with storage.  People will not usually look under beds. behind a couch, or inside chests or freestanding pieces of furniture. 

This family room below was very cluttered with kids toys.  By getting rid of toys the client didn't use anymore, we then  stored the rest in bins both in the cupboards and in the room.  I angled the sofa in the corner to get additional storage space and placed the most used toys in large plastic totes.  One tote is visible, the rest are behind the couch.  When the house is shown, the homeowner can just gather the toys in the bins, and drop them behind the couch.  The woman in the photo is sorting the toys and placing them in the bins for storage.

One of the things I love about staging in occupied homes is that when I'm done, usually working hand in hand with the homeowner, the comments are usually something along the lines of "I wish I'd done this years ago" or "I don't want to leave now!". 

And why not?  Why not do the things that need to be done now - so you can enjoy them while you are in a home.  Here's some of the things I do when I stage that can be done at any time, so you can have the home you want while you are in it.  Then when you are ready to sell, it will be a breeze to get it ready!

1.  Repair. Take care of all the little maintenance items that are annoying.  These usually include things like loose toilet seats, a cracked outlet cover, a loud and rattly exhaust fan in the bathroom, drywall cracks, icky grout in the kitchen or bath, caulking around windows.  You get the idea.  These are the things that give you the constant litany of "I should take care of that" in the back of your mind.  This can wear you down and make your house just not where you want to be.  Contact a handyman and give them a list. 

2.  Clean. Have the house professionally cleaned at least once a a year, including carpets and windows.  If you can't afford to have someone do it for you, do it yourself.  But make it a deliberate, intensive deep clean.  It's hard to make the time but if you do, it will really make you feel so much better emotionally as well as physically in your home.

3.  Paint.  Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to freshen up a home.  Pick a fun color if you aren't moving, or neutrals if you are.  If you hate the color - you can always paint over it.  It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for a room.  Don't forget freshening up the baseboards and other trim.  These get beat up and look dingy after a while.

4.  Update light fixtures, door knobs and cabinet pulls.  Get rid of the cheap looking shiny brass and bump up to brushed nickel, black or oil rubbed bronze.  Light fixtures can be easy - many just need paint and or shades.  And don't be afraid to hit the thrift shops or resale shops - and be creative.  Knock off doorknobs and pulls are easily available on line (one of my fave places is www.everything-doors.com) for not a whole lot of money.

5.  De-clutter.  As a professional organizer as well as being a stager, one of the biggest contributions I find I make for my clients is teaching them how to pare down not only their accessories but all the other stuff that accumulates in homes.  I mean, really, how many cups does one need?  Or towels. Or whatever.  Take the time to really evaluate your possessions and ask yourself the hard questions:  Do I love it?  Do I use it?  Does it reflect who I am today and who I want to be in the future?

It's amazing what these changes can make in a house, whether you are staying or selling.

I recently staged a contemporary 80's home that had a fabulous doorknob & door knocker.  The only problem was that they were pitted and worn.  They're by Baldwin and the knob was a mortise lock - which if you know these, involves lots of parts and space on the interior of the door.  My initial thought was to replace them, which is what I usually do, but these were so nice and the knocker was just amazing - heavy and really cool.  So instead, I took them in for replating.  WOW.  I had them plated in brushed nickel.  They look amazing.  Brand new and so luxe I couldn't believe it.  Plus both pieces were done for $170.  You couldn't even buy new ones of this quality for that price.  Plus we saved a bundle not have to completely re-do the inside of the door to suit a lesser door knob.

In Nashville, TN we used Leonard Plating on 4th Ave.  The results were spectacular although it did take 3 days longer to finish than they originally said.  Otherwise, very pleased.  And the homeowners were thrilled, as was I.  If you want to see this house, visit www.realtracs.com and use MLS# 1082275.

Now, I've posted many a time about how the front entry can make the difference in someone having a great impression of a home.  In this case, we fixed the trim, and painted the front door my new fave door color of French Roast by Sherwin Williams.  Then put back the amazing hardware.

Check out the before & after:

Usually when I go on a staging consult, it's an occupied house which generally means that personal items have accumulated in the home such as family photos, toys, prescription bottles, calendars, religious or political items, etc.  These are the kinds of things I recommend removing as the main goal of staging is to get the buyer to visualize themselves in the home.  But lately, I've been running into an opposite problem.  Sellers who "get ready" for the Stager or misunderstood what their Realtor told them (or the Realtor didn't really understand the concept of "depersonalization"), or in some cases, just never got to the accessorizing part of living in a home.  This is a two-fold issue so here you go . . .

De-personalizing means removing things clearly belonging to the seller that could impact the buyer in a potentially negative way.  Now we don't know who is coming to look at the house so we need to take precautions:

• remove family photos, diplomas, gold records, framed news articles, kids awards, kids names in wood letters on their walls, etc.  This is partially because you want the buyers to see themselves there, not you.  But it is also for personal safety. Do you really want people knowing who you are, where you work, where your kids go to school and how cute your kids are?
• remove medical items such as prescription bottles, medical equipment, etc.  This is partially because you don't want these items to go walking, but also because a savvy Realtor will use whatever they can to get their buyer a deal.  I know an agent who got their buyer a killer deal on a house because she could tell from the progression of medications that the owner had a serious illness.  Further research revealed that the sellers were on the brink, so they swooped in.
• remove any religious or political items.  I don't care how devout you are - you don't know if the prospective buyer is a Buddhist, atheist or born again Christian; or Republican, Democrat or Communist- just don't go there.  You are just asking for trouble.
• put away all mail and paper that may have your name or other personal information.  I can't tell you how many times I'll look at a house and there are bills scattered everywhere (this is a whole 'nother issue with organizing but also a whole 'nother article).  In this day of identity theft, bad move.  This also goes for calendars or planners.  People looking at your house don't need to know you are out of town next weekend, or that your kids play soccer at the local ball field on Tuesday nights.

So what's left?  Lots of stuff, if you are like most people.  But when you are staging your house, you want to be sure that you do leave some personality, just not be "personal".  This means accessories such as artwork, plants, books, pottery or other decorative pieces and more designed to bring out the great features of your home such as the fireplace, countertops, bathrooms, etc.  If you are bringing in a Stager (and you should), give us something to work with.  Selling your home is the time to pack up belongings that have personal meaning and set your home up like the product it is.  Think nice, neutral accessories that bring in the feeling of a model home or the merchandising feel of a Pottery Barn, West Elm or Restoration Hardware. 

I met with a nice couple last week and they had de-personalized so much that the place looked abandoned.  I hated to tell them this but my job is to give them the truth.  The truth was, the house was so boring and plain vanilla that there wasn't much I could do.  Beige walls, beige floors, beige furniture, no art, no books.  I had nothing to work with.  What I did do was give them specific instructions on what they could do themselves (they were on a tight budget) to make the house stand out in the crowd.  We've been emailing ideas back and forth - I'm thrilled they are getting with the program!  I'm going to check on their progress next week - one of the few times I've asked clients to go shopping - usually I'm telling them to pack it up. 

Great places to acquire these types of things, if you don't already have them include Big Lots, Target, Pier One, Old Time Pottery, Stein Mart, TJ Maxx/Home Goods, Bed, Bath & Beyond (be sure to check clearance and use a bunch of their 20% off coupons).  I also recommend rummage sales and thrift shops.  These are great places to get cheap accessories that look great - sometimes just a fresh coat of paint, or the judicious application of a Sharpie or wood stain pen can make something look new.  You don't have to spend a lot - but use what you have wisely.  Highlighting the features of your house with accessories can make the difference between someone remembering your house or not.  The bland house with bland walls and bland stuff evokes a nothing house with no personality.  You are selling an image, a feeling of what it would be like to live in that home.  Blandness does not inspire an offer.