If you stage in Spokane Washington, or know of stagers in that area please let me know.  I may have a referral for someone.

Hello,

I have lost track of my recommended hardwood refinishing company.  Can anyone recommend a good company of the sanding and/or dustless variety.  Mine seem to have left the business.  I have a client with the age old problem of hardwoods of different colors due to sun and area rugs.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Have you ever had a week where everyday was a Monday?  Things just never went as planned.  Well that has been my week, but today I feel like I could be on The Stager.  I have a very good repeat client that I tend to go out of my way for.  They wanted me to replace a dining table with a much larger dining table.  For this I usually work with a rental company to supplement my inventory.  I do not have too many houses that need an 80" or 90" table. 

Today was supposed to be swapping day (this is Friday isn't it) for a larger table with a leaf that would expand to 90".  They are having a project review and will have a big tour of the properties so they are expecting it done.

My table, chairs and buffet arrived.  It was the last and only one of its kind and it was damaged(not fixable with markers) and should never have been delivered.  I could have probably lived with the buffet and chairs, but one whole end of the table was severely gouged.  Why didn't I think of a table cloth?  I did, but this is the kind of client that likes to move things and I knew if I did that one day they would decide they didn't want a table cloth and wonder what kind of inventory I would bring in. 

After escalating and several very assertive conversations I invoked the sunset clause that issues have to be remedied within 24 hours.  Now the warehouse is scrambling to put together a different set to deliver to me this evening probably around 8:00.  Was it Tom that said he turns off his phone or doesnt' answer.  

And to the stager that asked about working with builders this is occassionally the kind of thing that happens, so I decided to blog and share the current dining room with you and wish you all a happy Friday evening.  I'll be leaving shortly to swap another table and hope it fits.  I thought I would blog and leave a photo of the current dining room.  I just got the call earlier than expected so I hope everyone has a great weekend and I hope this table works.

In the September issue of Consumer Reports, "About one in 10 sellers we surveyed said they wished they had made more cosmetic changes to their home before putting it on the market.  Even more of those who sold their homes for significantly less than the original asking press expressed that regret."    There is a profession dedicated to helping sellers.  Yet after almost 5 years of staging homes to sell; it is still an uphill battle to sell the concept of staging to Realtors and sellers in many areas.  It has me and a number of Professional Home Stagers puzzled.  So over time I would like to take a look at some of the comments and concerns received.

We often hear that Home Stagers are rude or mean.  I always listen and learn through real life experiences so let's look at one from my past life selling Real Estate.  I was working with buyers to find them a home in a very nice suburb outside of Detroit.  They were amazed at what greeted them.  At one house when you opened the door your senses were greeted with the owners' love of pets.  The sweet smell of the litter box (which at the price range we were looking at cost $400,000 an ounce); the soft touch of the cat as they rubbed up against our legs; pet hair on the sofas and chairs updated the upholstery like a new slip cover.  The pet dishes in the kitchen lent a warm and cozy touch.  The barking dog scared my clients young son.  After this house, my clients asked me never to show them a house with pets again!

So I ask the question again, what is rude when selling a dream?  The buyers want to walk in and be welcomed as if they were your most honored guests and you were putting your best foot forward.  When I continually see all the articles in the press related to steps to prepare your house for sale and articles on home staging and everyone covers what I call the 3 Cs (Clean, Clutter, Color or Paint) and week after week I visit with sellers that seem to miss this, I'm confused. Especially today when buyers are even more demanding and can afford to be.

Professional Home Stagers are trained to look out for emergency exit triggers.  If you are paying them you want them to be open and honest, which unfortunately some might take as being insensitive.  You don't want them avoid issues, to be mouth pieces for others, or to be so gentle you might miss their point.  That doesn't mean you have to do everything they recommend.  Great Home Stagers will help you with a list of priorities and recognize that you have a budget and time constraints.  They will also point you in the right direction so you focus on the key ingredients to selling your house.  There are many distractions along the way.

Maybe instead of emphasizing the 3 C's we should emphasize that selling is not easy; it is not easy to please buyers in this market; it is hard work that takes a great deal of time and energy; it is not easy to treat your buyers like honored guests.  Sellers please throw your personal feelings out with your first load of clutter and welcome feedback that gets you on the road to where you next need to go. 

If you are planning to wait out the market or if you have decided to take your property off the market what a great opportunity you have to make the process less stressful.  You can work with a professional Home Stager to get a priority list together and tackle projects when you have the time.  If you have elderly parents or family members, you can work with them over time to get market ready and they can enjoy their home in the process.  Not all but many parents will welcome the time and attention.  One of my neighbors stopped me and brought me in to see her wonderful new granite counter tops.  Her children encouraged her and helped her find a source.  I have been working with my mother over time to update her house.  You can respect yourself by taking the time and care needed for one of your biggest investments. 

I am a Home Stager that enjoys walk through consultations.  My business stages so many vacant properties that having the opportunity to work with sellers and occupied properties keeps my sales and relationship skills honed and it affords me the opportunity to be creative.  I recently worked with a family that provided a perfect example of you win some  and you lose some.  In Home Stager speak, "You can do as little or as much as you want."  They won the wallpaper discussion (none was taken down), we won the carpet skirmish (new carpet was put in.)  We had several negotiations, but my favorite revolved around a slipcover for the sofa.  The house was full of peach and those accent colors that went with it years ago.  The sofa was in good shape, but it was patterns and stripes of those dated colors and emphasized the colors in the window treatments, wallpaper, etc.  I recommended they put a slipcover over the sofa to tone done the color palette so that the positives of the house could shine thru. 

One of the parties felt that slipcovers were tacky and used to hide bad or ugly furniture so we had a lengthy discussion on it.  The other party involved was on board and said that slip covers were used frequently in the area they lived in.   I left feeling I had a 50/50 chance of success (that gives you a feel of the strong aversion to slipcovers) but was thrilled with new carpet coming in.  I had to stop by to get an agreement signed for some rental items and lo and behold a slipcover was on the sofa.  It hadn't been steamed and the direction labels were still on it.  The party said that they could not figure out the slip cover and thought it was a block due to negative feelings and was waiting for a sibling to come and take care of it.  We had recommended adding new pillows and the sellere was very excited about the pillows they had picked out and they were great.  Even the photographer mentioned how great it looked when taking photos for the Realtor. 

Today I got a call that there was an offer on the condo in less than 2 weeks and the client is now telling people that they need to call me. 

We don't always win and in the end the seller can choose to do only some of our recommendations, but in this case I'm so very happy that we won the slip cover challenge.  It made all the difference when buyers walked in the front door.  Of course the new carpet and editing we did throughout the property helped as well.

See the slipcover and pillows below.

The Great Lakes Regional IAHSP Chapter has used their professional Home Staging skills and great sense of community involvement to benefit low income family rental housing.  The open house ceremonies are this Saturday July 19, from 3:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M.  Information from the press release follows:

GREAT LAKES REGIONAL IAHSP AND LIGHTHOUSE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

HOME STAGING WITH A NEW TWIST

Pontiac, MI (July 16, 2008) The Great Lakes Regional International Association of Home

Staging Professionals® Chapter (GLRIC) will showcase their Home Staging efforts at the

Lighthouse Community Development Open House Ceremonies on Saturday July 19, 2008 from

3:00 until 8:00pm located at Beacon Square Apartments, 101 Mechanic in Pontiac. "The

renovated and new construction low income family rental housing development have been

professionally Staged by IAHSP® participating members with a zero budget", says Carolyn

Stieger co-lead of the Staging committee. "Just like you see on the home improvement shows,

we found create ways to make both properties look like you're coming home." Shuttle buses will

be available for guests to preview each property Beacon Square Apartments and Beacon

Townhomes. You can view our work and tour both properties during the Open House free of

charge or you can join us for the festivities for a minimal fee, to purchase tickets call 248-920-

6000 extension 2123 or visit www.lighthouseoakland.org.

The Great Lakes Regional IAHSP Chapter of Home Staging Professionals have Staged a 2

bedroom apartment at 101 Mechanic and a 3 bedroom Town home off Whittemore Street, using

furniture provided by The Furniture Bank of Southeast Michigan. "By utilizing the loan of

furniture, artwork and some accessories combined with our Staging inventories, we have been

able to create a welcome and warm feeling for any potential renter", says Heather Roberts colead

of the Staging Committee. This was a fun opportunity to think outside the box and make

these properties look great." The Lighthouse Community Development Open House Event is to

showcase the renovation and construction of a 28 apartment facility and 12 three bedroom town

homes available for low income families.

The Great Lakes Regional IAHSP chapter members, located throughout southeast Michigan,

usually work with Realtors and home owners preparing their homes for sale. By participating in

this event we want to bring consumer attention to the importance of using Home Staging® to

prepare homes for a quick and profitable sale regardless of size, price or location. All properties

can benefit from Home Staging. Each room in the event has been professionally prepared by

ASP's® trained through StagedHomes.com®, the world standard in Staging education. All of

the IAHSP® Chapter members are Accredited Staging Professionals® (ASPs). For more

information visit the website: http://greatlakeschapter.iahsp.com/home.php

"We can improve the lives of others through our magic of ASP® Home Staging. When we serve

in this way, the benefits to the lives of others are far reaching," says Barb Schwarz, The Creator

of Home Staging, and President of IAHSP® International.

Stage®, Staged Homes®, StagedHomes.com®, ASPM®, ASP®, IAHSP®, and The World

leader in standard in Staging education® are Federally Registered Trademarks of

Stagedhomes.com.

For more information on Home Staging visit www.StagedHomes.com

For many of us we live with things in our home for years and then when we are ready to sell our house  we start doing work and regret that we hadn't done it sooner; or we hope that we can put our houses on the market without tackling repairs.  I have a long term goal of moving down south so I have a short term goal of tackling projects that I know as a professional Home Stager should be done before I go on the market.  I tackled one of those projects this week that I want to share.

My condo has the original builder's tile and it had dark grout that was hard to clean and made the entry look dingy.  I recommend having tile cleaned and grout stained to my clients so I took my own advice.  I had a company clean the tile and grout and then stain the grout with a light stain so that the grout lines fade into the background.  It is amazing what a difference this makes and how it lightens and updates the look of my foyer.  I know those all important few seconds to make a great first impression are going to be positively impacted. 

To enhance the first impression I will put out a new fresh welcome mat on the outside when I'm ready to go on market.  I can't tell you how many homes I have visited with old tired welcome mats.  This is a small expense to give buyers a clean and fresh greeting.  I have also updated my entry rug to complement the foyer.  If your entry floor is in great shape, still take a look at how you greet potential buyers at the door.  Does your door mat say welcome?   Has your entry rug had one too many soles wiped on it. 

This past week I had a great opportunity to experience and reaffirm the fact that Home Staging is truly for everyone and that the creativity and solutions we provide benefits to a wide variety of houses and sellers.

Case 1:  Heading to Retirement; Don't Let the Past Weigh You Down

One couple wanted to move out west and experience the mountains they have been longing for in their retirement years.  They hope to offset the loss on the sales end by getting a wonderful property on the buying end.  I pulled up to a classic farm house in the middle of a bustling suburb.  The lady of the house greeted me from across the lawn and came to meet me with a slow gait and somewhat bowed head.  The first words out of her mouth after introductions were, "I love this house and have worked hard to maintain the history and integrity of the house and I warn you that I will probably be sensitive."  Thank goodness for honesty and upfront warnings.  I had already picked up on her sensitivity, but she opened the door for open communication. 

Her husband joined us and the three of us went through the house together and ended up having a great time.  They were both big collectors and in addition to the house being a classic farm house it had the look and feel of a museum with displays on shelves, in cases and in 4 large pieces of furniture in the dining room.  We of course had to reach agreement on packing up most of the collectibles and moving furniture out and rearranging some furniture.  At the end the husband agreed to move out his favorite recliner blocking the front door. 

The collections they have were by no means junk nor were they pack rats, but most buyers want to buy a house to live in and not to preserve history and the past.  In order to display the house, they had to let go of the past and put the collectible displays away. 

Case 2:  Don't Pass Up the Gold for Dollars and Cents

I was asked to meet with clients that had a contract on a new house for a consultation.  They live in a small colonial and want to sell prior to moving to their new large house.  They have a great deal going on in their lives including a new baby on the way, so they are doing their best to watch their budget.

When I walked in, I was met with a sofa wall.  Normally you don't want to block the entry with a sofa.  Moving the sofa completely opened up the space.  However it is really the budget and money saving that I wanted to highlight in this case.  They have a lovely long porch and a very nice patio, but the front had no pots of flowers or outdoor seating.  Staging outdoor spaces gives the feel of more square footage, because we love to sit and entertain outdoors in the spring, summer and fall, especially in Michigan where we treasure our sunny months. Not highlighting these spaces to their best advantage might save a few dollars in the short term, but in the long term they cost sellers.  Having great curb appeal with flowers and seating is a way to attract buyers shopping on the internet.  Don't pass up the golden opportunity to save a few dollars and cents. 

Case 3:  Friends and Family Leverage Modest Budgets

I was asked to meet by a daughter with her mother and put together a quote for a staging.  The house is about 1,000 sq. feet and vacant.    A modest house it has been on the market a long time with a few major price reductions.  It was obvious that her children were more than willing to help out and had already done a great deal for her over the years.  I asked if they had any furniture they could bring back to save on rental.  The mother said, "I thought you did that."  Both the daughter and I chimed in together, "we are trying to save you money."  We agreed on a few items they would bring in.  I would provide the rest.  We also agreed on a list of repairs and updates that the family was willing to tackle.  Peel and stick tile on a very dark green kitchen floor; new cabinet pulls, painting a yellow bedroom; new faceplates and switch covers; some new carpet upstairs.

 Mom pretended to be mad about the yellow bedroom, but she wasn't.  She also pretended to be mad about the one piece of furniture in the living room that I asked them to move out.  The big maroon oversized recliner.  My comment was that the chair looks like it has provided years of loving comfort and enjoyment, but it is doing nothing to sell the house right now and deserves to be retired.

Six people lived in that modest house at one point, and after they moved out they all came home for dinner every Sunday.  What a great family and what a great example for chipping in to get things done.

I spoke to a gentleman at a wedding recently who lives in Germany and found out that in Bavaria they are paying $9.00 a gallon for gas.  While living in Michigan these days often feels like living in the mountains (my newly planted geraniums survived the threat of frost last evening; I'm not as confident about the sweet potato vines) and $4.07 is less than $9.00 it is still a significant hit to business and personal expenses.  So I am pondering how I reduce, absorb or share the additional expenses. 

Last week I had an appointment and when I rang the doorbell and two barking dogs joined in the alert, there was no answer.  Fortunately for me I have only been stood up (talking business here) 3 or 4 times to the best of my recollection in the last 7 years I have been involved in real estate and home staging and 2 of these events occurred within the last year.  With gas prices reaching an all time high how do I/we prevent further situations like this from occurring and how do we gently remind the general public that courtesy counts and we professionally and personally do not want to contribute to global warming and increased costs by driving unnecessary miles when a simple phone call or e-mail would have done the trick.  Yes everyone needs to continue to confirm appointments in advance, but that doesn't always do the trick. 

I know of a few people that will charge to go out for the first appointment.  I am not one of them but the thought has crossed my mind and will probably get stronger if gas prices continue to climb.  I also wonder if I should increase mileage costs, but in Michigan it is still an uphill battle to get proposals and bids accepted and many stagers are discounting to get jobs (sad but true.)   My heart goes out to Realtors® that have turned into taxi drivers showing 40+ homes to buyers.  Internet searches will certainly gain in importance as gas prices increase. 

Fear of rambling reminds me to close this blog.  First and foremost I think it is time to remind everyone of common courtesy.  We need to treat each other as we would want to be treated.  If someone suddenly regrets setting an appointment or if they are unsure, call and cancel in advance.  We are business professionals who have faced this before.  On the receiving end of a cancellation, we need to make the prospect comfortable and not grill them too much.  They might want to reschedule at another time and how you gracefully handle the situation may impact future opportunities and relationships.  An emergency might have come up and they didn't reach you on time and then were too embarrassed.  I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Another opportunity will come along and a friendly smile to greet you on the opposite side of the door. 

The goal of Home Staging is to create the "WOW!" factor in homes that are for sale.  Having a wider variety of furnishings and accessories at a lower cost spreads the benefits of home staging to a wider audience and increases the speed of general consumer acceptance.   I have been staging homes for more than three years and have seen a growing interest in Home Staging, but customers' concerns over the cost of renting furniture and accessories has not diminished.  Sellers also look to Home Stagers to help them downsize and reduce their furniture and accessories and look to Home Stagers for help.

Staging Impressions' Home Stage Trade Service Program is designed to reduce home stagers' start-up costs and provide expanded, more affordable rental options to the consumer and allow them to offer items for sale.  The Stage Trade Service Program focuses on renting accessories to home stagers, providing a clearing house for accessories to be shared among professional stagers, and consolidating buying power for wholesale and bulk discount opportunities.  The Stage Trade Service Program is offered to most licensed Home Stagers in Michigan.  The program is not available to the general public. 

Make it a wonderful day.