For those of you that read the previous post Owner Occupied Home Staged and Sold in 3 Days I would like to now share the photos and some observations.  Watch for future updates as additional room transformations in this home will be highlighted. 

Dining Room:

Changes that made the difference:

• Remove wallpaper - It's tough to create broad interest in a room with wallpaper.  Wallpaper can be a turn off to buyers with different taste.
• Remove window treatments - It's safest to stick with neutrals.  In bedrooms pleated shades are safe.  In rooms where privacy is not an issue just take them down.
• Change dated light fixtures - It's inexpensive to replace dated light fixtures.  Dining rooms are often the first room a prospective buyer sees and dated lighting can kill the mood!
• Streamline furnishings - Extra furniture that does not serve a purpose can take away from the flow of the room.  
• Be careful with those area rugs - it is obvious in the before photo that the rug was too small for the dining table.  Area rugs in a dining room are not mandatory.  If you use them though make sure your ding set fits on the rug.  8 x10 is typically the smallest rug appropriate for a dining room.
• Clear Tabletops-  keep them simple.  An attractive centerpiece is well worth the investment.  Don't clutter the room with place settings and an overdone "pre-dinner party look."  You are selling the home and need to use simple furnishings to highlight the assets of the room.  Also, it's just too stagey to leave the table set.  Who heads to work with a full dinner party ready to roll!?
• Clean Windows - clean the windows.  There is nothing worse than dirty windows obstructing a pleasant view!

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For more information about our staging services please contact  us at 513-265-0952.  Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004. 

Older homes are a delight to live in.   It is impossible to recreate the charm in their newer counterparts.  The craftsmanship is incredible and the tall ceilings and inviting yards are very appealing.  The challenge and opportunity is to show a prospective buyer how these charming homes can meet the expectations of today's buyers.

This home in Glendale, OH was recently staged by the Design To Market team.  It is a beautiful home and with the impact of furnishings delivers the message so critical to today's buyer.  As you put yourself in the shoes of a prospective buyer which would entice you to schedule a showing? 

Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004.  For more information about our Cincinnati  and Northern Kentucky home staging services please call us at 513-265-0952 or visit our website at www.designtomarketllc.com

On the market for months, a well-maintained home in a nice Cincinnati suburb continued to receive showings but never the long awaited offer.  Feedback was lukewarm and gave the seller little to act upon.  The Realtor had done all of the right things in working with their client but they too were stumped.

After the seller's Realtor recommended they contact Design To Market Home Staging, we received a call from the homeowner asking about the staging process.  We talked at length about the staging consultation and the types of feedback we would provide.  The seller considered staging and at the same time considered a price drop with no additional changes to the home.  They realized though that these pricing adjustments had not yet produced the results they had desired and decided to opt for a consultation.

The report was lengthy.  Many things the homeowner could accomplish on their own.  Some things like wallpaper removal in one room and changes to a few light fixtures in others were best accomplished by a handyman.  These changes along with rental decorative items and repositioning of the homeowners furniture were all implemented.  The homeowner took the list and as a team we "ran with it" and quickly checked each item off as they were completed.  New photos were the last step in the process.  

Within days of the staging, the home was re-introduced.  It generated a busy weekend of showings and the strategy worked with an offer just days after the staging was completed.

For more information about our staging services please contact  us at 513-265-0952.  Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004.  For more information about our Cincinnati  and Northern Kentucky home staging services  please call us or visit our website at www.designtomarketllc.com

This home was staged by Design To Market in July and sold in 3 days! 

It is a great success and it is real.  It also defies the myth that some believe staging is only for high end homes.  This home was listed for under $200,000.  At all price points a fast sale means lower carrying costs, the opportunity to buy that new dream home you are hoping for, and most importantly a higher sale price.

Whether your home is vacant or you live there, staging is CRITICAL.  If you are trying to sell quickly and for more money talk to your Realtor about adding a professional stager to the mix!

Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004.  For more information about our Cincinnati  and Northern Kentucky home staging services please call us at 513-265-0952 or visit our website at www.designtomarketllc.com

3 quotes-3 Cincinnati Home Sellers-3 Months! 

All of these homes have sold in the last 90 days.  The common thread was a fear that the current market would prevent them from selling their homes and that they decided to take control.  All three clients worked hard to put their best foot forward and sold in less than 30 days after staging with Design to Market Home Staging.   Read their stories!

Client #1

My house was for sale for 2 years and after Design to Market added their decorating touch it sold in just 30 days! They incorporated some of my furniture and accessories and added their own to create a sophisticated atmosphere that felt warm and inviting.

Jane-Madeira

Client #2

My husband and I were afraid it would take several months to sell our house in this economic climate.  After Design to Market came in and staged our house, it sold in less than a week!  We couldn't have been happier.
 
Thanks again Jo!
 
Elizabeth-West Chester

Client #3

Thanks for your help, as I'm certain the staging helped sell our condo.  Once we had the staging furniture moved in, we had consistent showings ‘above average' , many second showings, and made the top 2 list of several potential buyers!

Suzanne-Mason

Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004.  For more information about our Cincinnati  and Northern Kentucky home staging services please call us at 513-265-0952 or visit our website at www.designtomarketllc.com

                          Unsold                                                               Sold

                                Unsold                                              Sold

Have you figured out that these two properties had in common?  They weren't selling!  They were having some success with showings but the excitement wasn't there.  Vacant homes are tough to sell.  Rooms look smaller, imperfections jump out, and the need to stand out amongst the pack is just difficult.  In both cases after months on the market these homes sold within 30 days of staging.  The small investment in staging paid off.  To view more examples of successful home staging projects visit the Design To Market website. 

Design to Market LLC has been the leading home staging company in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004. Our client's homes sell faster and for more money. Our team of professional designers are masters at creating the WOW! that generates offers in today's competitive real estate market.

Our services include staging consultations, vacant staging, the staging of owner-occupied homes, and the coordination of contractors. Everything we do focuses on our client's ability to sell their homes faster and for more money.  Call to day at 513-265-0952 or contact us by e-mail and we can answer your staging questions.

     www.kiva.org                                                              www.savethechildren.org

Intel has sponsored a program called the Small Things Challenge.  By visiting their site http://www.smallthingschallenge.com/ and clicking on the "we'll Donate 25 cents for you" link, you can help fund two organizations Kiva and Save The Children.   These are two wonderful organizations that are trying to make the world a better place.  The campaign is based on the premise that every small action can make a big difference to ensure quality education and economic opportunity for all.

Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004.  For more information about our Cincinnati  and Northern Kentucky home staging services please call us at 513-265-0952 or visit our website at www.designtomarketllc.com

The following 2 homes staged by Design To Market have several commonalities:

1. Both homes were on the market for months and neither was getting an offer
2. Both are in suburbs of Greater Cincinnati
3. Both were great homes with lots of potential
4. Both were staged and sold in 2009
5. The investment in staging was a minor expense when compared with the carrying cost of even 1 more month on the market
6. Both sold within 4 days of staging by Design To Market!

House 1:  Kenwood

House 2:  Crittenden

Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004.  For more information about our Cincinnati  and Northern Kentucky home staging services please call us at 513-265-0952 or visit our website at www.designtomarketllc.com

We at Design To Market LLC  recently had the opportunity to stage a beautiful home in the Cincinnati suburb of Anderson.  The master bedroom is large, the attached dressing room is spacious, and the master bath has real potential deliver the "spa like" feel that can be so appealing to a prospective buyer.  The challenge was easy to identify:

1. The furniture was not arranged to it's best potential
2. The bedding was dark and slightly dated
3. The wall colors were a shade of pink that would not be broadly appealing to the market

Take a look...

 Before

Now look...

1. Repositioned furniture
2. New bedding
3. A coat of paint

Which room would pull in a prospective buyer? 

Design To Market has been staging homes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2004.  For more information about our Cincinnati  and Northern Kentucky home staging services please call us at 513-265-0952 or visit our website at www.designtomarketllc.com

I have to let the cat out of the bag.  I am the owner of Design To Market Home Staging in Cincinnati (that's not the secret!) and my phone is ringing off the hook with calls to consult with prospective staging clients. 

It might seem like the ice storm we had in Cincinnati this morning is enough to confirm that we are in for a few more months of winter but don't be fooled...the homeowner down the street that seems to be quietly enjoying the slower pace of winter is working like crazy to put a perfectly prepared home on the market.  So, if your goal is to successfully sell your home this spring and to earn top dollar; you better get to work!

According to a recently released National Association of Realtor study, 86% percent of home buyers are shopping on the web for weeks at a time determining which homes warrant a showing.  If you plan to compete effectively in this market, it is critical that you stand up to the competition.  Sellers have gotten smart and buyers have gotten even smarter!  The expectations are high and it is critical that you meet them in order to sell your home. 

Which of these shots is most likely to sell this home?