I was consulting with a staging client last week, and she was lamenting that she wasn't able to put in her tomatoes this year because they were selling the house.  I asked her why not, and she said that she didn't think it would look good to buyers.  I didn't agree and here's why:

• if a garden bed is neat, clean, weeded and thriving - this makes the whole yard look good
• gardens are inviting - and promote that image of "I could live like this" that you want when selling the home
• backyard, urban 'homesteading' is super hot right now (I personally have chickens if you can imagine!)
• the majority of buyers, seeing fresh tomatoes and herbs growing in their own backyard can envision them as their own - and who doesn't like fresh tomatoes?
• a ready made garden bed can be a great selling feature - so many people want a garden but never seem to have the time or energy to create one

As long as the garden is well maintained and still leaves room in the yard for kids and dogs to romp, I say "go for it".  It may not appeal to every buyer but I suspect they'd be few and far between.  You may not be there to enjoy the bounty but your buyers will thank you!

This post is courtesy of Dana Tucker of Bell & Tucker.  Dana & I had coffee recently in downtown Franklin, and were chatting about how to make homes look great when they go on the market.  But we both know that sellers (or really any of us) don't want to spend a fortune on a house if we can help it - especially when we are moving out.  One of the biggest issues I run into around my neck of the woods, is that many starter homes (and many not so starter homes) have formica countertops - often in not very good condition.  In many areas of the country this isn't really an issue but around here, buyers expect more - usually granite.  This is out of the budget range for many sellers, not to mention the time it takes & the mess it can cause.  And you granite people I use and love - this isn't against granite - simply an alternative (and a pretty cool one at that)!

Here's what Dana had to say:

"I’d like to introduce you to a little counter top magic. Maybe it’s not really magic, but it sure can make ugly Formica counter tops disappear. We use a concrete overlay product that can be applied to virtually any surface like laminate, tile, wood, fireplace surrounds and Formica. It can be used on floors, tub and shower surrounds, and of course, counter tops. It is an environmentally friendly product because it is LOW V.O.C. But even more Earth friendly is the fact that you don’t have to tear out your old counter tops and tile. When you use a concrete micro topping in your kitchen or bathroom remodel you will be re-cycling your existing surfaces and keeping them out of the landfill.

The home owners wanted to upgrade the counter tops because they were putting their house on the market. Today’s home buyers have watched endless hours of HGTV shows like “House Hunters” and have granite or stone counter tops very high on the priority list. We were able to simulate a limestone texture in a solid durable finish for a significant savings over the price of granite.

This concrete micro topping can be finished in limitless ways. Like the industrial stained look? We can do that. How about granite, marble or travertine? We can do that too. This finishing solution is perfect for home sellers looking to upgrade , home buyers looking to remodel, and the discriminating home owner wanting something completely original and custom. And although we can’t guarantee that Al Gore will send you a “thank you” letter, we do know that the Earth will thank you."

What I thought was really great about the process is that it meets so many of my requirements when staging a home:

• cost effective
• quick turn around time for installation
• looks great
• amps up the look of the house and makes buyers say "wow"
  

The only thing it doesn't do is bring the "real stuff" in to the home, but the great part about it is that it is super durable and installed well so that it isn't a cheap & skeezy product that some people try to pawn off on unsuspecting buyers.  For many sellers, this type of product can be the answer to the formica countertop problem.

Bell & Tucker are Faux Artisans in the Nashville Area.  Find them at http://www.bellandtucker.com or follow them on twitter @danatucker

I love my dog.  She's great.  Sweet, well mannered and not too smelly for a lab.  But come near my house, and all bets are off. 

You probably love your dog too.  Maybe you think that she's so cute that anyone looking at your house will just be enthralled with her.  Or that buyers won't notice any doggy odor because she doesn't smell.  And the dog poop in the backyard just adds character.  Think again.

Here's my top 5 reasons for NOT leaving your dog at home when your house is being shown:

1.  It's your dog's house.  Any dog worth their salt is going to want to protect their property.  I don't care if it's a 150 Great Dane or a 6 pound chihuahua (personally I'd rather take my chances with the Great Dane), that dog is going to protect its turf.  No matter how sweet your dog may be when you are around, if a stranger (or group of strangers) comes waltzing in - watch out.  You are just asking for trouble.  It may be in the form of growling, charging, snapping or even a bite.  This isn't exactly how you want people to remember your house!

OK, you say, I'll put the dog in the backyard or a crate in the garage.  Not such a good idea either.  If the dog is in the backyard, then no one will go out there to see it and they will probably stand at the back door barking and scratching.  If they are in a crate, they will most likely be howling and barking.  This is not only stressful for the dog, but for the prospective buyers.  All they are thinking is, "that poor dog" and "why did those people (YOU!) leave them cooped up like that".  At least that's what I'd be thinking, being the dog lover that I am.

2.  Your dog smells.  Leave a dog in the house and you get the occasional accident, the inevitable scooting, the "I just rolled in something delicious" aroma, gassiness, and just general dog odor.  You may not notice it but your buyer will.  And they won't like it. 

3.  Your dog scares people.  I know, you love dogs.  Me too.  But a huge percentage of the population, a lot of whom are children, are petrified of dogs.  Do you want your house to be the one that makes a little girl hysterical?

4.  Your dog is annoying.  Even if your dog doesn't go after intruders, chances are they will want attention.  I know mine does when anyone is in the house.  A wet nose up a skirt, slobber on dress slacks or knocked down by an enthusiastic golden retriever is not the way to make a showing go well.  Not to mention the continual dropping of (slimy, disgusting, barely recognizable) toys and balls at the feet of people trying to admire your crown molding.

5.  Your dog is distracting.  The main goal here is to sell your house.  If people are all busy playing with your dog or being scared off by your dog, they are not paying attention to all of the great features of your home.  Keep the buyers focused on how great your house is, not how great your dog is.

When I stage houses, I always ask about dogs and where they are going to be during showings.  Plan ahead!  Set up a dog sitter, a doggie day care or kennel, or a friend or neighbor who can run over and take the dog for a bit during a showing.  If you are home, take the dog with you - make sure your vehicle is empty enough to toss the dog in along with anything else you don't want buyers seeing (dirty laundry or your lunch?). 

Yes, that's my dog.  And if you think you are getting in our house with us not home - think again.  And she smells.  And scares people.  And she's really annoying and distracting.  We love her but if we were selling our house, she would NOT be there so someone could actually look at our house instead of being bombarded with slobbery tennis balls and mangled rope toys.

It's everywhere, that shiny brass!  You see it on doorknobs, light fixtures, cabinet pulls, faucets and more.  When I do staging consults, recommending that people update their fixtures and doorknobs is one of my key points.  Nothing says, "lowball me" or "this house hasn't been updated" like a pitted, tarnished, shiny (or not so shiny anymore) brass front door knob.  

Now of course, it can depend on the price point of the home, but in my area (and I'm guessing this is true in others as well), the houses that are selling are either way underpriced/foreclosure types, or the ones that are updated and really well maintained. Shiny brass tends to be installed by builders because it is cheap, not because it is the most attractive.  Today, you can get satin nickel or bronze for about the same price, and the impact it makes on potential buyers is substantial.

Replacing the shiny brass with satin/brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze is one of the best ways to show that a home has been updated for several reasons.

• it's one of the first things a potential buyer touches when they enter a home
• it's a highly visible feature of the home whether the shiny brass is on a faucet, light fixture or doorknob
• nickel or bronze presents a more 'expensive' look to the buyer

Updating a whole house can be pricey, especially if it is a larger home.  But here are some cost saving tips:

• start with the exterior doors - if you can only afford one door knob - make it the front door, then move to other exterior doors, then interior
• consider painting the hinges the door color instead of replacing them - it's better to replace but if you can't swing it - paint them - the buyer won't really notice and it's not something that is that unusual, especially in older homes
• I often recommend, for cost purposes, doing the first floor of a home and not worrying so much about other floors although doing all is ideal
• use discount stores or clearance items wherever possible (I recommend Everything Doors - they are local for me but have a great online inventory)
• if you can only do one faucet - do the kitchen faucet, then move to first floor & bathrooms (do the master bath & first floor powder/guest bath first), then other floors
• your faucets do not have to all be the same style unless they are in the same bathroom - look for clearance or scratch & dent - as long as they work and are in good condition - go for it
• light fixtures can often be painted black or bronze using spray paint
• for light fixtures - start with the front door exterior lights, then the foyer, followed by the kitchen & dining areas, and then moving on to hallways, bathrooms and bedrooms although the master bedroom should be the first of the bedrooms for updating fixtures
• don't forget about ceiling fans - look for clearance fans in dark brown or bronze with dark wood blades
  

Tip: Once you pick a finish for door knobs (nickel or bronze or pewter), stick with it.  If you do the front door in satin nickel, make all of the doorknobs satin nickel.  I usually recommend brushed nickel for all faucets.  Mixing light fixtures is fine - I usually recommend black or dark bronze colors for those but if you have a more contemporary home, nickel or chrome can work as well. 

The key is to keep updates consistent in viewable areas.  For example, if you update the exterior front entry (which should always be the place to start), be sure to do the door knob, door bell, light fixtures, etc.) so that you won't have one really nice piece and a shabby one.  It sends mixed messages, not the "aaah, I like this" message you want.  If you update the kitchen with a new faucet and cabinet pulls, make sure the light fixtures and knobs visible from the kitchen are also updated in some way.

Beware:  I've heard of some stagers painting faucets or door knobs.  I do NOT recommend this.  A light fixture is usually fine as long is it is prepped well, but faucets and door handles are touched and cleaned frequently.  No paint, adhered to a metal is going to withstand this and then it will start to peel, chip or wear.  I consider this misrepresentation to the buyer - guaranteed to piss them off.  It would me.

A consideration is plating if the condition and quality are great (see my post about plating).  This can be cost effective, especially if the knob or fixture is amazing and would be really expensive to duplicate via replacement.

Here's the most important tip:

It doesn't necessarly have to be your taste or the 'perfect' faucet, light fixture or door knob.  The key is to do the upgrade at the most economical price point possible. 

While you don't really want to spend a lot of money when you are selling your house, after paint, flooring & maintenance repairs, updating from shiny brass is one of  the best investments you can make.

One caveat: if your home is 'vintage' or historic - this is where you can go a little funky with light fixtures.  If you have vintage cabinet pulls, super cool contemporary  light fixtures or really interesting touches - these can often be good selling features.  You just have to make sure that they are done purposefully. and to the style of the home.  As Tim Gunn on Project Runway says, "Make It Work"!  Nothing is sadder than seeing a really cool, old house "updated" with shiny brass.

One of the women I'm on twitter with (@cindylinsf) sells a product called "EcoJoe".  For some reason I always thought it was something to do with hemp, t-shirts or coffee, never having actually looked at her website.  She's fun to tweet with, is a home stager and that was about it. But a recent tweet sent me over there because I realized it had to do with real estate.  She sells biodegradable St. Joseph statues to bury in your yard.  You know, the myth, hyped-up rumor, idea that if you plant a plastic St. Joseph statue in your yard, it will sell your house faster. 

I'd heard of this over the years - it was pretty big in the 90's but it seems to be making a comeback.  I'm of the thought that it can't hurt.  A positive mind-set is always a good thing but I wouldn't hold my breath.  

Anyway - I always thought the idea of putting plastic in the ground was not very healthy for the environment not to mention kind of superstitious (which I'm not).  People won't dig them up - I mean, really - who could remember exactly where they stuck it? And seriously, how can this really work?  But Cindy Lin, EcoJoe founder, came up with such a cool idea that I had to share it.  And no, I'm not making any commissions or getting any kickbacks, I just thought this was pretty nifty.  Like the statues of old, the EcoJoe St. Joseph statue is made from clay - and the best part is that when it decomposes - it doesn't leave any toxins behind. Even the packaging is recycled and printed with soy ink.  Where can you go wrong?

Our family is very environmentally conscious.  We recycle, we compost, we live in a tiny house, etc.  I cringe when I see disposable water bottles and plastic packaging.  So this product not only cracked me up but it made me think, hmmm, what a great idea to combine something people already want to do with something that won't hurt the planet. 

I just wanted to share this - and if you are an agent who believes in this practice or a home seller looking for that little "edge", check this out:  EcoJoe.  And for those of us who are "green" or looking for a way to show some green creds - this could be a sweet way to start.

I had a nice call last month from a local reporter doing a story about smells in a home for sale.  It's a major concern in a lot of houses.  Smells are one of the biggest turn offs for so many buyers and one of the things that home owners rarely address primarily because, well, they don't notice them.

Some obvious ones are cat boxes, baby diapers or stinky food.  But some not so obvious (to the home owner, anyway) include air fresheners, especially those awful plug in kinds; mold or mildew smells; cigarette odors that are embedded in the walls or carpets; or that "old" smell that is really hard to pinpoint but must be addressed.

I was quoted several times, as were a few other local experts, and the general consensus is that clean wins over fake smells, and spending that time can help sell your house.

Here's a link to the article if you'd like to read it:  That funky stink can sink home sale.  Not sure how long the link will be active but it's from the November 13th Williamson A.M. portion of The Tennessean newspaper.

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 sports 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!