With lots of homes on the market, home sellers need to use every advantage to attract potential buyers to their listing.  Want to impress over 90% of them? (If video below doesn't show immediately - refresh page and it should load quickly.)

A special thanks to HD Open House Photography.  While this short presentation only includes two of their shots -- I'm sure you found their work impressive like we do!

Margaret Oscilia of Creative Concepts – Home Staging and Contracting serves Salem Oregon and surrounding areas specializing in helping home sellers stage to sell and home owners to transform their homes from ordinary to extraordinary.   Services range from staging and paint color consultations, providing rental furniture and decor for vacant homes, re-designing occupied homes to managing remodeling projects.

All too often we see kitchens that lack pizzazz and feel dated.  Does this kitchen need a complete remodel?  What if a few things are changed to give it a new look?  We all know that having a fabulous kitchen helps sell homes!

This kitchen island placement is awkward and small when compared to more contemporary kitchens like these:

{it’s great to be home}

{via House of Turquoise}

Painting the walls and modifying the existing kitchen island transformed this kitchen to a showcase (white cabinets are always in style) that most people couldn’t have originally envisioned! The island was moved and extended with a butcher block top — now providing an eating bar and a contemporary look.

DAA DAAH!!!! – - Wow what a difference!

Amazing improvement on a teensy budget!  Lots of DIY instructions too at the link above provided byThe Nesting Game!

Wondering what improvements you can make with a teensy budget?  Sometimes inspiration and a fresh set of eyes is all you need!  We love brain storming and providing improvement ideas on how best to make your home perfect for you or help prepare it for sale!   

During a recent home staging consultation a home seller (who had children) said "We can't live in a staged home!  Home buyers will just have to understandthat we live here".

These home sellers did most of what we recommended to prepare their home for sale, but there were two huge issues not resolved which would have cost them less than $500 -- many months later, their home is still on the market.

On the other hand, we have many sellers who take the "I'll do what ever it takes"approach.   When selling a home the "packaging" is so important!  Each of four these homes photographed here were owner occupied.

They rented some items from our inventory of furniture and decor.  Our staging company provided them lots of tips and tricks on how to best live in a home that was for sale, making it less stressful for their families.  Better yet -- each of them sold in under 30 days!

Sold in under 30 days?!!

These homes were NOT super bargain priced.  They did have a step up on the competition however because they:

• priced where the agent recommended (and didn't have to do a price reduction because of the quick sale)
• prepared their homes well for sale (maintenance and staging)
• marketed the listings well (professional photography and marketing by agent)

They also were inconvenienced a very short time because the home sold quickly!!

These are just a few of the success stories we have been a part of in 2011. If you want a higher price for your home or don't really need to sell, now is not the time to make a half hearted approach to selling.  (And it could be many years before those prices rise.)

These rooms aren't perfect. All have used items the home seller's had on hand to help keep the staging costs down.

The amount these sellers paid for staging was minor compared to having the keep their home on the market for months (and possibly lower the price), not to mention the stress related to living in a staged home for month after month!  They transformed their homes from ordinary to extraordinary and the results speak for themselves!

They all portrayed a beautiful home as well as a desirable lifestyle that was awaiting new home buyers.  The secret is -- buyers will take into consideration that you are living in a home for sale. BUT -- they won't feel as much "WOW" or as welcomed .... and your home probably won't be the one they fall in love with (and those are the ones that get the offers).

When marketing your Oregon home for sale, make sure it is properly prepared for the best possible sale. Even if you are living in the home, it can look like the dream home buyers are looking for!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Wishing you a heart that overflows with thanksfulness -- every day and in every situation.  A true recipe for a joyous day!

The times of sticking a sign in the yard and receiving a full price offer is highly unlikely — BUT — we are seeing amazing things happening this fall in the real estate market throughout the Willamette Valley.

All the homes we staged in September have sold (except one builder model).  Coincidence?  We don’t think so!

In the first two weeks of October, we staged 11 houses – and by October 22 five of these homes are under contract.  No they weren’t foreclosures or short sales or undervalued.  They were priced well by their agents and prepared for sale with great care. These houses sold in two to 14 days – prices were from $165,000 to $575,000 – and the houses were located in Salem, Albany and Corvallis.

Here’s one example from a September staging job:

We often deal with estates and out of area heirs who have many aspects of their parents estate to handle.  Rather than bargain price the estate, this family chose to have some updating performed, hoping for a quicker sale.  Within a few weeks an estate sale was held, wallpaper removed, painting done, new carpeting installed and property was staged.

Here are some before pictures on how the home looked on our first visit:

Think this house is a candidate for a quick sale?  Probably not.

How about now?  Here is how it looked when it went on the market:

We didn’t even have time to get professional photos taken . . . it went on the market on Friday and by Monday had more than one offer . . . and yes this home sold for OVER the asking price.

Looking for the best possible way to market your home?

You can’t change market conditions, the competition, or your location.  We can help you change the presentation of your home.

Love historic homes?

This historic home we staged in Salem this past week could just be your dream home!

Or maybe think they lack the features you are looking for or can be stuffy?  This home has so many upgrades and is so charming we think it would change your mind!

1510 Davidson SE, Salem Oregon

Wow -- Great curb appeal and beautifully landscaped!

I love the side yard entrance and patio -- perfect for a cozy coffee or entertaining!

 

Built in 1901 and offering over 2,350 square feet this home offers spacious and gracious living!

This is an incredible home for under $300,000!!

 

Spacious rooms, beautifully maintained and so many upgrades!

 

 

 

Beautifully updated kitchen with granite counter tops, stainless subzero and viking appliances.

  

We love the bay window seating area too -- and what could be a better neighbor than Bush Park!

   The Bush Park view from home adds to this bay window appeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite spaces is the sunroom I'd love to have my office there!  I hope you'll visit this beautiful home to see it as well as the rest of the spaces and see all this home has to offer!

Four bedrooms, beautiful built-ins -- so much to see!    Come explore this home this Sunday!            Open house is from 1-4 October 16th.

When preparing a home for sale in Oregon, it's important to remember that details make a huge impact to potential buyers. Taking the time to enter the market with the best presentation possible can yield great results.  What has happened lately for some of our clients has blown us away -- full price offers within days of listing!

The last three houses we staged in Corvallis have moved so quickly -- all had offers within days. Their secret -- attention to every detail.

Clean - white glove clean - from pressure washing to windows washed

Maintained - Completing those deferred maintenance items helps buyers see the home as "their perfect home" instead of a "to do project".

Professionally Staged - Some of these properties had been on the market for months.  As one of the sellers noted (whose home has been on the market occupied and then vacant before we provided professional staging):  "I can't help but think that the staging had a huge effect on the buyers' opinions as they toured the house.  And the fact that we got a full price offer only 6 days after staging certainly implies a job well done!!"

Professionally Photographed - All too often we see our staging work not photographed to it's best advantage.  We work with many many real estate agents and most of them are excellent marketers and negotiators -- not photographers.  We have professional camera equipment, but our photos do not compare to the work of an expert real estate photographer.  With 94% of home buyers looking first on the internet at homes - staging and photos really count!

Most home sellers and real estate agents would think this room looked good enough when listing their Oregon home.

Our clients knew they needed to be looking fabulous to attract a good offer.

The well used (and small scale) blue sofa set went to the family room along with the artwork that didn't give a contemporary feel.

Professional photography makes the details really pop!

This kitchen had beautiful cabinets, granite and was spacious and light.

But without professional staging and photography - really didn't say "WOW"!

Like it does in this after photo!

This dining room went from bland and boring . . .

To an inspired setting -- showing potential of shared meals and memories.

Looking to have your home stand out in a shaky market?

It takes a team of top notch professionals.  We are pleased to offer our clients great contractors, landscapers and cleaning professionals to help prepare their home for sale with ease and at an affordable cost.  We sincerely appreciate Brian Corcoran of HD Open House Photography for making our staging work look beautiful in photos!

Before you list your home with a real estate agent make sure it is ready to stand out and be ready for that quick and good offer!

Don’t know where to start?   Creative Concepts-Home Staging and Contracting has the expertise to showcase your home’s full potential, stretch your budget, and maximize your time.  We’d love to help you determine how to best to prepare your home for sale in this competitive market.

Margaret Oscilia is a Professional Home Stager with Creative Concepts – Home Staging and Contracting serving Salem Oregon and surrounding areas who specializes in helping home sellers stage to sell or re-design to live well.  Licensed, bonded and insured contractors – CCB#180695.

Many real estate professionals are hesitant to suggest staging professionals to home sellers, and for some good reasons:

• Sellers are emotionally attached to the home – and suggestions made that change the decor or ambiance of the home can be upsetting.
• What if the seller does a bunch of changes and the house doesn’t sell quickly?  Won’t they be irritated for the inconvenience and time spent?
• What if the suggestions made are too expensive and frustrate my home seller?

Here’s the feedback we received this week from some “resistant to staging” clients. (Well – in reality almost hostile clients!) We were hired at the insistence of the real estate agent.

Just a thank you for your help with staging our home.  We have already implemented many of your suggestions.  The small things were easy and fairly inexpensive to do.  It’s amazing what a difference a few well placed accessories make!  We are now working on some of the bigger things.  We were impressed that you were practical and understood our situation as you made your recommendations.

And from the spouse who was also at the same consultation:

I expected for you to quickly give us a list of “to do items” and didn’t understand why you were explaining so many things in detail and taking so much time. I realized that my wife wasn’t very receptive during the consultation, but everything you suggested has turned out so much better than we could have imagined. We both now see the value of your recommendations.  It all clicked for me when you said that we were not only selling a home but a LIFESTYLE.  We cannot believe the difference in the way our home “feels” after implementing some of the changes.

And from another home owner who owned a very difficult to sell rural property. They knew they needed staging and hired us before contacting an agent:

Thank you, Margaret.  The website went live sometime Tuesday night, and the first showing was Thursday morning.  We signed his full-price offer this morning (Saturday).  Can you believe it?  Actually, you probably can…We’re both a little shocked.  Thanks for all your magic!

From another overwhelmed seller who had a home that was already lovely, but a few improvements made it ready to sell:

I wanted to send you this email last week, but this stager (you!) came into my house and gave a “to do” list that I followed closely and finally completed the list yesterday, and I am exhausted!  I am not always receptive to change but you had such great ideas and I followed them, and the house looks beautiful!

Thank You so much for your patience and seeing the potential when I could not.  I listed the house tonight. Thanks again, you are awesome!

A professional home stager is trained to:

• Tactfully make suggestions and make a easy to follow plan so sellers aren’t overwhelmed
• Provide statistics and examples to support their recommendations to help clients understand why the improvements are necessary
• Know not only the “why” to do things, but the “how” to do things so implementation of the staging plan is easy
• Work within the clients budget and find solutions to time and money constraints (because there are always limitations)
• Be a resource to maximize every home’s potential so it looks beautiful in photos and in person

So what do home sellers think about working with a real estate staging professional?

They love our job almost as much as we do!

Here's the before shot of the master vanity - sorry it's not the same exact angle as the after which is posted above.

Margaret Oscilia is a Professional Home Stager with Creative Concepts – Home Staging and Contractingserving Salem Oregon and surrounding areas who specializing in helping home sellers stage to sell or re-design to live well.  

Related Posts:

Can I Afford to Have my Home Staged?

What do buyers think of a staged home?

Selling a home in 2011?  Tips from the Pros

My job as a professional home stager takes me into over a dozen homes a week and I meet some fantastically creative people along the way.   It is amazing to me the unique things people do, create and collect - a fun part of my job.

All too often I have to tell these clients that their hobbies are going to prevent them from getting a good price for their home.

• The doll collector, whose guest room housed hundreds of dolls,
• the former antique dealer who can't let go of so many beautiful antique pieces,
• the rock collector - whose every flat surface contained rocks, crystals or agates,
• the quilter, whose fabric collection would be the envy of many small shops
• and the scrapbooker whose papers, punches and cute items have taken over not only the desk, but cabinets, storage bins and more.
• yes - I've worked with them all in the past few months and each and every one of them is killing their own home sale.

Sound extreme? If you can answer yes to any of these questions - your hobby (or lifestyle) is killing your home's quick sale!

Do you have furniture pieces in rooms where they don't belong?  Desks in the dining room?  File cabinets in the master bedroom?  Collectible cabinets in the guest bedrooms?  Is your bedroom, family room and dining room places of serenity where people can enjoy the space without viewing lots of "________"  (file in your vice - books, model cars, fabric, work piles, etc).

How much is your hobby costing you? If your home remains on the market more than 60 days your agent will probably recommend a price reduction of at least $10,000.  Are you sure you can't live without your "stuff"?

Home buyers are buying space.

Collections and hobbies take up a lot of space and usually don't photograph well.

Keep your "stuff" and I guarantee your home will remain on the market longer than necessary.

Time and time again I see that those who pack up their hobbies and get ready to move are able to do so. Their homes sell. Others who drag their feet and tell me they "can't live" without these things for a few months have homes who remain on the market month after month.

When you're selling your home, you're selling a lifestyle too.

And don't just stuff everything in your garage.  Get a storage unit, pack it off to a friend's garage, or to mom's attic.  Potential buyers want to think there is enough storage for all their stuff along with room for their cars in the garage.

The quickest selling homes in 2011 are:

• Priced accurately
• Prepared beautifully
• Presented (marketed) well

Pack it up, and get ready to move.  Take a break or reduce your hobby to a small space.  It will save you time, energy and get it sold!

Margaret Oscilia is a Professional Home Stager with Creative Concepts - Home Staging and Contracting serving Salem Oregon and surrounding areas who specializing in helping home sellers stage to sell or re-design to live well.

Related Posts:

Can I Afford to Have my Home Staged?

What do buyers think of a staged home?

Selling a home in 2011?  Tips from the Pros

Still searching for a great gift for your Valentine? Pressured for a perfect idea?

No - flowers and candy will not be noted as original and spectacular.  Dinner in a crowded restaurant - not my idea of a good time either.

We've had some smart hubbies contact us for a Valentine gift certificate for a home makeover -- (we call it room redesign or sending your home to the day spa)!

These homes are NOT horrible or messy but these smart guys are really out to save some $$.  They've heard or seen how a room makeover has given homes a fresh look and not cost a fortune.  They are banking on the fact that we'll make the homes look fabulous and they won't have to buy a house full of furniture.

On a day to celebrate love, what’s better than enhancing the place that is most special to all of us — our homes!  

We've done lots of "room makeovers" this past year.  Clients have been thrilled and found the process so fun!  One client said "I'm so glad I finally gave my home the "spa treatment" and the attention it needed.  I never would have come up with some of these ideas and my friends are so impressed at how things look!"

Your home’s "spa makeover" is crafted to fit your budget and personalized needs, and can contain many elements.  For example:

• Using your furniture and decor, our professional home stager will give your rooms a fresh new look!
• Do you have a room that needs painted but paralyzed at choosing colors?  We’ve got beautiful paint palette solutions!
• Want a beautiful space, but don’t have the time to pull the details together?  We know how!
• Need some ideas on furniture, decor or updates, but stymied on where to start?

Make yourself (and your home) look good.  Skip the traditional and go for the WOW!  Sending your home for the spa treatment is something you'll all enjoy for years!