Andrea's Blog

Redesign gets PERSONAL!

Andrea Santmyer, Room Revisions (Room Revisions, LLC) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:14:46 -0500

Yesterday Room Revisions redesigned a living room for a young couple who just bought their first home. They had great things to work with, but the room lacked pizzazz and a pulled-together look.

The original arrangement had the sofa placed so that you had to walk all the way to the far end of the room to "enter" the conversation space. It also made the room feel small and cramped.

BEFORE

With the new arrangement, the room is open and welcoming. It feels larger and takes the focus off the television in the corner as soon as you walk into the room.

AFTER

This wall held an antique cabinet stuffed with knick-knacks and a beautiful wedding portrait that didn't make much of a statement.

BEFORE

Since the couple are young newlyweds, they had plenty of framed wedding photographs sitting around on tables and counters, and also non-wedding photos of the two of them together. We consolidated the photos and created a stunning focal point, which is also a very personal reflection of the homeowners. The antique cabinet now holds wedding memorabilia and mementos from their honeymoon.

AFTER

We did not have to bring in ANYTHING new ... it was all already there!

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Selling Your House Is No Different Than Selling Your Car ... Is It?

Andrea Santmyer, Room Revisions (Room Revisions, LLC) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:11:14 -0500

SELLING YOUR HOUSE IS NO DIFFERENT THAN SELLING YOUR CAR ... IS IT?

Whether it’s going to become a trade-in or whether you’re selling it yourself, you’ll want to take the time to give your car a little TLC before putting the “For Sale” sign in the window. Why? Because everyone knows that a little effort goes a long way in increasing the perceived value of a car that’s for sale. We all know what goes into prepping a car for sale. You wash it, wax it, vacuum and shampoo the carpets. You have it checked out by a reputable mechanic and address any repairs that are needed. You put air in the tires and polish the chrome. If you really want your car to show as close to “showroom new” as possible, you’ll want to remove your own personal stamps of ownership, which includes anything from stuffed animals in the rear window to the Dixie flag on your antenna to the political bumper stickers plastered all over your rear end … okay, your car’s rear end. You remove your personal effects by emptying the glove box and the trunk. And don’t forget a spritz of that “new car smell” and the Armor-All on the tires. In this way, selling a home could be similar to selling a car.

In the end, the price you get for the car depends a lot on its age and its mileage. But the condition of the car and how well it shows are also big factors. You get a higher price for a car that is well maintained, clean, road-ready, and doesn’t require a lot of work or repairs.

However, there is one HUGE difference between selling a car and selling a house:

A car buyer ALREADY KNOWS HOW TO ENVISION HIMSELF BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE CAR YOU'RE SELLING!

Think about it:

Television commercials
Car lots and showrooms
Glossy dealership brochures
Test-drives
Past experience driving or owning a car of that make and model
Recommendations and endorsements from friends, relatives, colleagues

All of these serve to educate a car buyer and give them a front-seat view of what their experience might be in owning that car. Too bad the same isn’t true when selling your house. Unfortunately, your house is not featured in national television commercials aired during Super Bowl and Prime Time. There are no “your house” showrooms in every city across the nation. There are no glossy brochures or slick advertising campaigns depicting family life in the house you’re selling. A buyer can’t move in and test-drive your house for a week (unless you’re lucky enough to get on HGTV’s Sleep On It). And chances are, the buyer has never previously owned a house exactly like the one you’re selling. What does all of this mean?

For your number-one commodity, there is NO BRAND RECOGNITION, NO BRAND LOYALTY, NO BRAND TRUST between the buying public and your house. So then it becomes necessary to “SELL” your home. By that, I mean you need to use effective home merchandising and property presentation to convince a buyer that your one-of-a-kind property, your needle in a haystack, is the one they need/want/can’t live without.

And your property IS one of a kind. There may be other houses with the same floor plan, but they don’t sit on the same lot. There may be similar lots, but they’re landscaped differently. Your property is one of a kind, and no one recognizes, trusts or is loyal to your “brand.”

Doesn’t it make sense, then, to educate buyers about your brand? Doesn’t it make sense to show buyers the potential that lies within your one-of-a-kind property with the use of effective home merchandising and property presentation? And what better way to execute effective home merchandising and property presentation, otherwise known as home staging, than by hiring a professional home stager.

A professional home stager is trained in the art of showcasing your home’s potential. The focal points, architectural features and square footage in your home are already there, and you can probably count on your real estate agent to list them when marketing your home. But are you showcasing the features, focal points and square footage properly? Are you sure? Is your home a standout in the crowd? What about the photographs of your home online? Do they accurately portray everything that is great about your home? Are you sure? Why not remove the question mark. Professional home staging takes your listing to another level and goes way beyond just ticking off a home’s features and photographing it as-is. Many home stagers provide photography and slide show services as a part of the total home staging package, which can (and should) be used to market your home. Don't leave your home's potential to a buyer's imagination.

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Room Revisions provides home staging and interior redesign services to the Greater Fredericksburg Region, including Fredericksburg City and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Orange, King George and surrounding areas. Visit our website for more information on how we may help you get your house sold.

Newly Staged and Listed - Seven Lakes Home

Andrea Santmyer, Room Revisions (Room Revisions, LLC) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:45:27 -0500

Beautiful brick Colonial in Stafford County's Seven Lakes on 3.2 wooded acres. Has garage space for 5 vehicles. Detached 2-car garage has unfinished space above, which is perfect for finishing as separate living quarters for a college student, au pair, or a housekeeper. Full, unfinished basement.

*****

Motivated Sellers ~~ Bring an offer!

MLS # ST603872

Agent: Mary Poland-Smith, Better Homes Realty, (703) 680-7733

For additional photos on this property, please visit our slide show.

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Room Revisions provides home staging and interior redesign services for the Greater Fredericksburg Region, including Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, King George, Orange and surrounding areas.

Five Things That Make An Empty Home Look and Feel Dated

Andrea Santmyer, Room Revisions (Room Revisions, LLC) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:34:34 -0600

It’s time to sell your home. What home improvements should you invest in to get your home market ready? Should you try to sell your home vacant or furnished? Here is something to consider:

If you think that a clean, vacant home shows just as well as a home that has been properly prepared and professionally staged, stop right there. Think a coat of paint and scrubbed floors make everything look fresh and inviting? Think again. There are telltale signs left behind in an empty home that can instantly make it look and feel dated. Since there is nothing else to look at in an empty home, these sore thumbs stand out like… well, sore thumbs. Obviously, outdated kitchen appliances and cabinets and outdated bathroom fixtures would be hard to miss. But there are other things lurking that homeowners and real estate agents might overlook or dismiss as unimportant to the buyer’s eye. All it takes is an afternoon browsing through listing photos and virtual tours to confirm this thinking. Here are five things that scream “outdated” in no particular order:

Popcorn Ceilings - and even worse, textured ceilings with sparkles. Unless you’re three years old and passing through the fairy princess phase, sparkly ceilings are just not cute. The blown-on popcorn texture can easily be removed by a do-it-yourselfer, but you need to make sure there’s no asbestos in it. If the home was built prior to 1980, check for asbestos first before scraping. Visit this site for great step-by-step instructions on how to remove a popcorn ceiling.

Dated light fixtures. If your light fixtures are older than your middle-schooler and/or are builder grade, chances are they’re not going to be on a buyer’s must-have list. Shiny gold or brass tones are not in vogue anymore. There are exceptions, of course, but the trend now is chrome or brushed nickel for a contemporary look; oil-rubbed bronze or wrought iron for an old-world look; and various faux metal finishes that mimic aged or weathered metal. If you don’t know what’s in style, browse through the lighting department at Lowe’s or Home Depot, visit your local lighting showroom, or start your search for inspiration online.

Old window treatments. If the seller didn’t deem them worthy of taking, the buyer probably won’t deem them worthy of keeping. Ruffled curtains, plastic one-inch mini blinds, and dusty jabots that have been hanging since 1993 should be treated with the same reverence as parachute pants. Maybe they were stylish at one time, but let’s not make them a focal point now – which is exactly what they are in an otherwise empty room. A bare window that lets the sunshine in is preferable to a window ensconced in a worn, cheap-looking or outdated window treatments. A room professionally staged with stylish, on-trend window treatments is even better!

Worn carpet/vinyl tile. You thought your carpet was in great condition. Now that the room is empty, look again. Some areas have been faded by the sun. Other areas show traffic and maybe a few stains. It’s like turning on the lights after last call. Yikes! An empty room will call attention to every flaw in whatever is left in the room to look at. And the floor is a very large space to look at. In case you haven’t heard, vinyl flooring gets no respect anymore. It used to be standard and quite acceptable in bathrooms and kitchens in mid-priced homes. But today’s buyers have developed a savvy and discriminating palate and expect upgraded materials. If you can’t change out the vinyl, at least make sure it shows well. It should be new or relatively new, neutral in color, preferably mimic a natural element such as slate or bamboo, and be in great condition.

Wallpaper/paneling. My parents built a brand new home in a new-construction community in 1974. I remember helping my mother select wallpaper from sample books for every (and I mean EVERY) room in the house. There was a wild floral theme in my room; red, white and blue stars and stripes in my brother’s room; and the foyer had that gold foil paper with velvet flocking. But nothing topped the bathroom that my brother and I shared. We had wallpaper sporting olive green, yellow and orange “Mod Squad” teenagers wearing bell-bottoms and wide belts. Yummy. It’s not that wallpaper itself is outdated; it’s just that most people select wallpaper that is thematic or very taste-specific, and therein lies the problem. Thematic wallpaper quickly becomes outdated, such as the once-popular celestial theme or seashell borders in the bathroom. Or how about that abstract “brush stroke” wallpaper in mauve and powder blue? Wallpaper is like a page from a calendar pasted on your walls and preserved for all time – or at least until the new owner changes the date and scrapes it off. As for plywood paneling, it’s about as desirable as white-wall tires on your SUV.

A professional home stager can help guide you in making the right decisions about which smart home improvements to invest in when getting your home ready to sell. Many of these improvements are inexpensive fixes and require little more than time and elbow grease. The payoff comes in having a market-ready home that looks updated, sophisticated and much more appealing to buyers.

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Room Revisions Home Staging and Redesign can help you get your home ready to sell. We service all of Stafford County, Virginia, including Fredericksburg City, Spotsylvania County, and surrounding areas.

Proverbial Home Staging Tips For Sellers

Andrea Santmyer, Room Revisions (Room Revisions, LLC) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:56:28 -0600

If you're thinking that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you may be contemplating a move, which means selling your current home. While money isn't everything, getting top dollar and a speedy sale is what most sellers hope to accomplish when they put their homes on the market. In today's market, that is easier said than done unless you properly prepare your home for sale. Here is a look at how some common proverbs might be adapted to useful tips when preparing your home for sale.

Proverb #1 - As you sow, so shall you reap

Translation: The more effort you put into preparing your house for sale, the more it will pay off in time and money. Home staging is a vital part of preparing your house for sale because it focuses on showcasing its best features and attributes.

Proverb #2 - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Translation: If you take the time to properly prepare your house before putting it on the market, it will save you in the long run. A buyer’s perception of how much it will cost for needed repairs and upgrades is often much higher than the actual cost. That perception will cost you a bundle at the closing table. Make the repairs and upgrades before putting your house on the market so that you’re in a position to negotiate for the best price.

Proverb #3 - First things first

Translation: Stage it, list it, sell it. While it is still beneficial to have your house professionally staged after it’s been listed and shown, the best results happen when you stage first, then list and show.

Proverb #4 - Strike while the iron is hot

Translation: When a house is listed for sale, it receives the most buyer traffic and interest within the first 30 days. Your house needs to be showplace ready on day one, not on day 31.

Proverb #5 - Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face

Translation: Many people wrongly assume that they can’t afford to spend money on a house they’re selling. They wonder how home staging can be cost-effective. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re saving money by not investing in professional home staging. In reality, neglecting to properly prepare your house for sale, which includes professional home staging, will cost you extra in both time and money - extra time on the market and extra money in the buyer's pocket.

Proverb #6 - If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well

Translation: If your house is worth selling, it’s worth having it professionally staged.

Proverb #7 - Better to be safe than sorry

Translation: Better to have your house professionally staged and know that you’ve done everything within your power to get a quicker and more profitable sale than to be sorry that you didn’t give yourself that competitive edge. You’ll always wonder if you could have sold for more – or more quickly - if you had staged.

Proverb #8 - Procrastination is the thief of time

Translation: And in the case of selling a house, procrastination can also be the thief of profit. To sell your house as quickly and as profitably as possible, price it right, address needed repairs and upgrades, and have it professionally staged.

Proverb #9 - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Translation: Never assume that buyers are going to love your house “just the way it is” as much as you do. Professional home stagers are practiced in the art of neutralizing taste-specific décor so that it appeals to a broad range of buyers. You must remember that once you make the decision to sell your house, it becomes a product. Packaging that product for market appeal is the specialty of a professional home stager.

Proverb #10 - Never judge a book by its cover

Translation: What your home looks like on the outside is not necessarily a reflection of what it looks like on the inside. It would be nice if all buyers lived by those words. But why leave that to chance? Curb appeal is an important part of the total home staging package. Don’t neglect the exterior of your house when you’re preparing it for the market, and remember that the first impression starts at the curb!!!

Proverb #11 - The end justifies the means

Translation: The price you’ll get for your professionally staged house makes the cost of staging worth the investment. Statistics show that sellers who spend up to $1,000 on home staging recoup almost 200% of the cost in the sale of their house.

Proverb #12 - Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

Translation: If your house isn’t selling, and you can’t honestly say you’ve done everything within your power to properly prepare your house for sale, then do something to change that TODAY. Call a professional home stager!!

Proverb # 13 - A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books

Translation: Hobby decorators and armchair stagers are not well-equipped to stage their own homes. While books and TV shows can be fun and informative for do-it-yourselfers, remember that selling a house is not a hobby. It is serious business that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars if you make a mistake in how you present your house. A professional home stager has the training and expertise to properly showcase your home’s architectural features, focal points, square footage and intended use and purpose of space. Professional home stagers know how to package your home to appeal to potential buyers on an emotional level, and are knowledgeable about current home trends as relates to color, home features, and what buyers are looking for.

Room Revisions Home Staging and Redesign can help you prepare your home for sale. We work with vacant and owner-occupied homes serving Fredericksburg, Virginia; Stafford County, Virginia, and surrounding areas. Visit our website at www.room-revisions.com.

Have You Staged Your Car?

Andrea Santmyer, Room Revisions (Room Revisions, LLC) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:42:49 -0600

How does your vehicle look these days – the one you use for business? Is it clean? Organized? An attractive representation of your home staging company or real estate agency? A lot of home stagers have weighed the decision of using some sort of signage on our vehicles, be it vinyl lettering or magnetic signs. Some may have vanity plates that creatively tell the world that you’re a stager. Here is what we have done to our cars.

For the inside of the car, we found these nifty little organizers that are perfect for keeping a stash of Room Revisions business cards, postcards, flyers and promotional pens handy for any situation we’re in. The organizers come in different styles and sizes. Many options can be found at Target or Walmart. I wanted something small that would be dedicated exclusively to holding my promotional materials and not be cluttered up with extra “stuff” like CDs, maps, etc. We ordered ours from http://www.organizeit.com/autostor.php. They attach over the headrest and can be positioned on the front of the seat, or swing around to rest on the backside of the seat when you have a passenger.

Our company opted for magnetic car signs and we ordered ours through www.buildasign.com. We are located in North Stafford, Virginia - a small town. Route 610 (or Garrisonville Road) is North Stafford's only major thoroughfare through the commercial district of town. Virtually any place of business that you want to go in North Stafford is located off of Garrisonville Road, and I’m up and down that stretch of asphalt every day. My primary objective with a magnetic car sign is to get my company’s name out in the community, day in and day out. Personally, I wanted a sign that stood out and was highly visible, but didn’t clash garishly with the color of my vehicle. I like the versatility of being able to remove the signs should I decide, for whatever reason, not to be rolling advertisement for my company on any given day. Hasn’t happened yet, but I like the option!

Speaking of rolling advertisement, just last week I saw an innovative idea for business cards on the go. I was pulling out of a parking space while someone was pulling into the space next to me. She had vinyl lettering on her SUV for her legal services business. Can’t remember even what type of legal services she was offering, but what REALLY caught my eye was the business card box attached to her window with a sign that said “business cards, take one.” I came home and searched the Internet and found the boxes available at www.vehiclecardpockets.com. They are also available at www.cardpockets.com. The point of having signage on your vehicle is to promote your business. Why not provide easy access to your contact information at the same time? People are more likely to take a business card that’s right at their fingertips than to search for a scrap of paper and a working pen in their console. I know many times I have made a mental note to remember a website or a company name that I see on a vehicle, only to forget it by the time I get home. Purchasing these plastic card boxes are on my to-do list.

If you haven’t taken the time to “stage” your car, these tips and links make it easy. And if you happen to see Room Revisions on the road in the Stafford and Fredericksburg area, honk and wave - and take a business card!!