Central Florida Home Staging Blog by Karla Davis

Get YOUR Orlando, FL Home Organized and Clutter Free!

2008-01-24T12:36:05Z

Clutter is one of those things that can start to eat up equity in your home over time. First it starts with a couple bins and a few more boxes then an entire room can turn into an unusable, unfriendly and messy space!

Florida Home Staging & Redesign, Inc., specializes in Home Staging and Redesigning homes which often includes some necessary de-cluttering. When selling your home it is of utmost importance that it be shown at its best. This means Q-Tip clean, organized, neutral, warm and ultimately clutter-free! Not only does a buyer not want to see your messy closets and overflowing cupboards, but it distracts them from what they actually enjoy in your home. What's worse is it gives buyers the distinct impression that there just isn't enough room in your home for their stuff!

Overstuffed closets, full garages and kitchen cupboards are just a few places buyers will be looking. You'll want to ensure your home boasts the square footage it has to offer. We want the buyer to buy your home and not mentally move on because the clutter feels too overwhelming for them.

A clutter-free environment is not just for those who are selling, it is available to anyone! To properly enjoy a home and get the most value out of it, it needs to be a warm, inviting space that makes you feel good about yourself and your life. Clutter can take this feeling away from many people. It can get out of control and make your home feel like a place you want to run from instead of retreat to!

We can help with your personal office spaces, bedrooms, closets, kitchens and more! We believe that everything in your home should have a place, a clear purpose and should be respected. Let us help you get that fresh start that you've wanted, to uncover spaces you never thought possible. It will change the way you feel about your home and yourself!

See some before and after photos of some typical cluttered spaces, a garage and a spare room turned into a woman's dressing room.

With too many clothes, an abundance of stuffed animals and loads of bins, you could barely see the floor! We donated many items and turned this room into a large, usable space for dressing instead of a dumping!

The home owner's goal was to fit her sports car into the garage for saftey. We started with a garage that you could barely walk through and turned it into an organized space where everything could easily be found and best of all she could fit her car! Many unused items were donated, recycled and a new system was created!

Call Karla today at 407-864-7535 or email: Karla@FloridaHomeStager.com

The true Secrets on HGTV's "SECRETS THAT SELL"

2007-06-10T18:09:27Z

So, I've been spending a bit of time recording and watching some of the new home staging, real estate and decor shows that have recently come out. There was one in particular I thought I could relate to called "Secrets that Sell". If you've heard of it you know that a lady and her mother team up to meet home owners that still live in their home and give them suggestions on how to sell.

Basically they provide a consultation without doing any of the actual work themselves! That in and of itself makes a wonderful business! Getting to be the expert without having to physically lift anything.

I enjoyed most of the show and the recommendations were very much what I would recommend. In many cases I see other glaring issues with the homes that they seem to bypass. Today, I happened to see an episode where the home owner decided to take their advice and then moved out of the home completely.

The words of the two ladies that host the show were "With the home owners moved out of the home and completely empty, potential buyers can now envision themselves in that home." WHAT?! Are you kidding me!? Vacants are equally as problem-ridden as the occupied homes. The very fact that there is no scale, warmth or and inviting atmosphere starts us off. There is also the potential to find more dents, ding, cracks etc.

For any home owners considering home staging, make sure you hire a qualified professional that will go over ALL the details with you and has your best interest at heart. Real Estate Agents are great but it may not be their forte. Their desire to help may hinder you as a Stager is trained to see all the areas that are red flags to a buyer.

For more info on why Florida Home Staging & Redesign is Central Florida's preferred Home Staging Service, visit our website at www.FloridaHomeStager.com. Call us anytime for questions you may have at 407-284-1705.

I'm wondering if some of the shows on HGTV are as misleading to our potential clients/homeowners. As other AR members have stated, the one thing clients forget when they see shows like Designed to Sell etc, is that there is actually a fee for the labor! Not to mention we don't normally have teams of 4+ people to complete the work, so it take a bit longer. Nonetheless they are entertaining and I do get new ideas from some of them. ;-)

Sincerely,

Karla Davis, Florida Home Staging & Redesign

CAN YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS FIND YOU ON THE WEB?

2007-06-04T14:08:48Z

In any business, the appeal of your website determines how long someone will stay there and navigate through your site and eventually contact you for your services. But getting them to your site is a whole other ballgame!

CAN YOUR CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY FIND YOU ON THE WEB??? ARE YOU SURE??

Most people who have a website designed look for inexpensive, professional and aesthetically pleasing. What if your site does all of that but traffic from the google and yahoo search engines never find you? Your website at that point is mostly useless.

You need to have a web designer that knows search engine optimization! Thankfully I found such a company that works fast, effectively, professionally and does a fantastic job! They are also relatively inexpensive for what they do.

I have already had a handful of people on AR asking me for my web designer's name. If you aren't getting enough leads, calls or interest in your business via the web it might be time for a change.

My hubby had the same problem with his website(s) and is now using my web designer. He had decent sites but nobody could find him. Now he is getting more organized looking sites and marketing to boot!

I would be happy to provide the name of my web designer to you if you are truly interested in making a change. Just email me at Karla@FloridaHomeStager.com

I wish you every success in your business!

Sincerely,

Karla Davis

Florida Home Staging & Redesign

http://www.floridahomestager.com/

CENTRAL FLORIDA SELLER STAGES OWN HOME WITH WRITTEN INSTRUCTION BY KARLA. SEE PHOTOS!

2007-06-01T22:39:30Z

We all know clients cannot stage their own home effectively, but for those that insist on doing it themselves, create a do-it-yourself written report for them as a service. You never know how it will turn out but if you are descriptive enough and they are eager to get results, wonderful things can happen!

This client whose home is shown below is a family member of a previous client. Once her house sold she brought some of the inventory over and helped her family member out. They used my written report as a guide and this is what they accomplished! My inventory needed to be picked up since the new owners were moving into my previous clients home. Her relative told me to feel free to snap photos of what they accomplished-so I did! :-)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before: Dining Room that lacked color, warmth and was not appealing. Cluttered with too much furniture.

After: Color was infused into this space as was a sense of warmth and elegance. Curtains were added as were slipcovers and a mirror was added to create a larger room feel and additional light. The ugly vertical blinds were replaced with elegant plum curtains. Art was added, as were place settings and some spring tulips and the twist of the table was the final touch.

Before: Master Bedroom had rich pieces that were so large they took over the Room!

After: Art and lamps were added to scale. New bedding accessories and the removal of a large dresser helped create the look. In addition a reading nook was added for coziness.

Before: Master Bathroom looked bare, boring and sterile

After: The bathroom gets a punch of color and some new mirrors along with art to create glamour

Before: Kitchen Eat-in area is dark, dismal and it lacks any real feeling of family and an inviting nature

After: Color is added, a lighter and more appropriate table and chairs are added to show off the space and a table setting is created!

Before: Living Room didn't have a real focal point, it was cluttered and dark

After: The right amounts of color were introduced, the fireplace became the focal point and other sitting areas were created, the toys were put away and art was added.

Before: Hot Tub Area has far too many colors and various art pieces and furniture cluttering this great space.

After: This relaxing area gets a lift with a lighter neutral color, some flowers, appropriate backyard patio furniture and some refreshing wall art.

Before: Pool area is dark and dreary, over-run with overgrown plants and the pool itself is far from sparkling.

After: The pool gets a good cleaning and a relaxing sitting area is created, flowers are added and now this swimming area screams inviting.

Before: Guest Bedroom is uninviting and incomplete, it serves as a makeshift office and needs some accessories to soften the space.

After: The bed is dressed, art added, curtains replace old vertical blinds and the office desk is removed with a table showcasing beautiful items and a mirror to add more light!

Before: Laundry Room is covered in dark wallpaper and cleaning items clutter the shelves

After: The wallpaper is removed, painted a neutral color and the shelves are organized and neat!

For a written report or full service staging by Florida Home Staging & Redesign and to see our portfolio visit www.FloridaHomeStager.com or call Karla today at (407) 284-1705!

We can provide e-Staging for those that live outside of the Central Florida area by submitting photos. We'll provide a written report for you and include all the steps to be successful in staging your home.

Get it Staged. Get it Sold. Get Top Dollar! We are Home Staging for the Serious Seller!

Interesting Discovery Today regarding Occupied Homes...

2007-05-29T11:29:19Z

After investing some time in some regular cold calling today, I came across a couple Realtors who don't stage Occupied homes, they only believe in staging vacants! Needless to say I'm emailing them my before and after photos so that they can see for themselves the actual transformation, one of which sold the very next day after being staged. That same house sat for 6 months with no offers without the staging. I think the proof is in the pudding!

I was really shocked but it seems that many realtors in Florida are taking this approach. I believe it has something to do with the surging amount of vacants the State of Florida currently has, it is actually listed as the highest in the country for vacant homes.

Vacants have their own issues with being empty and cold, but I feel occupieds have way more negatives when it comes to what buyers see. There is the issue of clutter, dirt, disorganization, improper furniture placement and overall color scheme that can come into play with a buyers emotions. I personally find occupied homes more of a challenge because it isn't that "clean slate" approach.

I'm starting to think that focusing on vacants will be easier and appeal to more Realtors, and in some respects will be much easier than trying to take the challenging approach of clutter and hodge podge furniture.

What is your experience? Have you ever met a Realtor that didn't stage occupieds, but did with Vacants? I look forward to hearing back from you.

This is just further proof that Realtors really need us to educate them on Staging! There are a handful that really "get" staging and really promote it with their clients but there are still so many that are wind up missing out on a higher commission and their client misses out on that higher overall price.

For all the Realtors that are new to the idea of Staging. Staging isn't about filling up an empty home nor is it decorating, but it is strategically designing a home that buyers will emotionally relate to, take ownership of and ultimately fall in love with. These results are only achieved by using a Professional, home owners cannot effectively stage their own home.

For more information on Staging Occupied and Vacant homes in Orlando or Central Florida contact Karla at

407-284-1705 or visit www.FloridaHomeStager.com.

Cheap Business Cards and Marketing Materials..

2007-05-23T14:07:16Z

I have known about this company for about 3 years and I think many of you have heard of these guys but nonetheless I thought I would share with all of you who have not heard about them! VistaPrint of course!

They offer magnets, business cards, notepads, letterhead, postcards, sticknotes, you get the point! They offer cheap products and the quality is very good. If you can order them in advance of when you need them and take the slow delivery selection the total price is very inexpensive. In my experience they wind up arriving in about 3 or 4 days anyway!

They are offering their Premium Business Cards at 75% off or $4.99 or a set of 250! You can also add your logo or choose one of their designs.

Here is the website:

www.vistaprint.com

Cheers!

Karla Davis, Florida Home Staging & Redesign. http://www.floridahomestager.com

Michael's to the Rescue!

2007-05-22T20:34:55Z

Even when I'm not working on a project for a client I'm always on the lookout for new inventory for clearance prices. Like all of you I peruse the usual T.J. Maxx, Ross, Kirkland's and the like but lately as I've been working on my wedding scrapbook each time I've gone in for some new items I wander the decor section and find awesome stuff!

I actually got a bunch of packages of the cutest note cards there that are of residence frontdoors with gorgeous ivy etc. and some looking like Tuscan villas. I use these as my thank you cards when I'm done a job with a client. The best part is I get a pack of 10 for $1!

Now onto the good stuff..I got a load of stuff from decorative storage baskets, glass vases, clocks, the cutest rooster fruit basket as well as some ribbon and they also had pictures already matted for $3! I got pretty pastel ones for the bathrooms. Then you can hunt for inexpensive frames in their store or use their famous 40% off coupon. Most of the stuff I walked away with was 75% off of the sticker price! They also happen to have greenery and florals on sale now too!

They have been expanding their product lines and have really added a lot more to their stores. I encourage everyone to check them out! If you are into crafting they have a whole new Martha Stewart line, I swear I was in there for over 90 mins yesterday evening!

Happy Shopping. If anyone knows of some great deals here in the U.S. do share! I'm just waiting for Central Florida to get the Ikea that is coming in late fall! Oh how I miss Ikea!

Karla Davis, Florida Home Staging & Redesign. http://www.floridahomestager.com

Looking to Update your Website? I know a Great Web Designer!

2007-05-22T09:15:37Z

In this business it is just as important to have a beautiful website as it is to have a gorgeous portfolio. People rate us and our company based on the website they review before them. If we promote ourselves as providing de-clutttering services, furniture placement and great overall design to get results, your website had better reflect that!

When I got started staging I literally had a page that was tied to a website my husband and I have. It served its purpose for a few month until we were ready to spend the money. More importantly when I actually had the time to sit down and design, choose colors, select portfolio pics and write the content! I am so thrilled with the results of my new website and I would be happy to pass on my web designer's info to anyone that is interested. This company works quickly, gets you the results you desire and they are well priced and most importantly KNOWS SEO (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION). I would encourage you to take the leap as it is a critical investment!

Here's a tip. Be sure to create a "contact us" form that allows potential leads to filter into your e-mail box too!

Happy Staging!

Karla Davis

Florida Home Staging & Redesign

www.FloridaHomeStager.com

What do you put in your Newsletter to Realtors?!

2007-05-22T09:03:50Z

So I am officially sending out my first e-newsletter to a group of Realtors. I have a couple before and after photos and some great staging information and a few other ideas but I can't help thinking that I'm missing out on something important.

What do you all send out in your newsletters? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Do you offer anything special or provide something unique? I don't want to steal all of your secrets but I do want to get some new ideas. I often get ideas that were a springboard off of other people's (stagers or not).

As I shared with all of you I create door tags and put them on homes for sale in my area, then I call the realtor and talk to them about staging. This way both client and realtor are hearing from me and they'll likely have a discussion regarding it. I also love to get work only a couple miles from home!

After doing one session of doortag hanging I got a call which resulted in a client who actually paid me a few hundred dollars more than the contract was worth! I never offer free consultations but in her case I did as she was a neighbor, and as a result she paid me back. She also was sweet to give me a few items she no longer needed that I will use for my inventory or my own home! All from a door tag. So that is my tip, what are yours?

I look forward to hearing from you and I'll send a follow-up post to let you all know how it went!

Make it a great day!

Karla

Why being Resistant to Change will Cost you Getting Top Dollar for your Home!

2007-05-22T08:46:49Z

After having worked with several clients as a Professional Home Stager in Orlando and the Central Florida area I have come to realize that most people are resistant to change in their home. The problem with this in real estate is it can cost you-big time!

Home Stagers want to work with clients to SELL their home because they love helping people get the most for their home in a short time period. That is what Home Staging is all about!

I worked with a client and was referred to a relative of hers who actually lived in the same area. They both had their homes listed at the same time but she was waiting to see what results would occur before referring me. Well, after receiving no offers in 4 months and finallly selling her home in just 2 weeks after the staging, she was ready to pass my name along! This particular client had questions about some of my recommendations but told me "If I'm going to get the house staged, I'm going to do it right! You are the expert, not me." With that she did take all of my suggestions right down to taking out some patches of flowers in the backyard by the pool and replacing them with something more colorful and less overgrown.

She also forged ahead when her realtor said "Is that really necessary?" when discussing curtain panels for the dining room. The client was with me and those curtain panels in that bare dining room paid off!! The Realtor listed the home and said it was beautiful but didn't need any work. Clearly it needed staging!

Why is it that when some people call in an expert they actually listen to their advice and others still want to learn the hard way? That is the case of another client of mine, the relative of the client mentioned above.

I was excited about the referral and met with my new prospective client. Upon touring the home is was even more evident then than in the MLS photos that the house was really dark and almost cave-like. They had painted the whole home those colors and enjoyed them and didn't see the need to change. I went in and room by room made recommendations and really highlighted a few areas that were must-do's, one of them being lightening the paint to increase the lighting in the whole house. The other major suggestion was to paint over the painted murals in the children's bedrooms. After all, this is a furnished non-occupied home so the kids won't miss it anyways! The greatest of my points being that other sellers don't look at cute Disney murals and fall in love with the home, they just don't stop talking about how cute or how hidious the bedroom was-not what you want to be remembered for believe it or not! Their argument was that her husband would not paint over his own work. Understadable, but were they willing to lose several thousands because of some Disney characters and a little paint?!

After providing the consultation and preparing the estimate I was told a week later that they wanted to attempt to stage it themselves. They really couldn't afford both the staging and the materials to make changes and repairs. They really brought me in at the suggestion of their relative. With the details they remembered from the consultation they got to work. My client who referred me stayed in touch and showed me the updates as she helped them out. I have to admit they did make some changes and they even painted a few rooms to have them appear lighter but they wouldn't budge on the murals. I did mention to them that if the home didn't sell a big reason could be because of those massive full-wall murals in every bright color imaginable. After all just because they have children doesn't mean the next buyer will! Well, the proof is in the pudding my friends. Not only is their home still up for sale with no offers after my consultation visit 6 weeks ago, they still are against painting over those murals! Since they moved out of that home and into another they are carrying that mortgage for as long as it stays on the market-thousands of dollars are being poured down the drain because they are resistant to change and as a result are NOT getting top dollar for their home.

Don't let this happen to you! Hire a Professional Home Stager today like Restoring Order Home Staging and get the results you desire! Be prepared to make the small changes that will net you top dollar and sell in a fraction of the time!

For more information on Home Staging your Central Florida Home visit the Florida Home Staging website: www.FloridaHomeStager.com or call Karla Davis directly at (407) 284-1705.

Get it Staged! Get it Sold! Get Top Dollar!

Attention Central Florida Home Sellers! Sell Your Home Faster with Home Staging!

2007-05-09T09:22:24Z

If you only do one thing to get your home sale-ready, get it Home Staged!

Home Staging is the art of designing your home to appeal to the largest amount of buyers, resulting in the highest profit and the least amount of time on the market.

Home Staging as with any other service, has an associated fee, however the staging fee is almost always less than the cost of your first price reduction! It really is the most affordable way to prepare your home to sell.

Home Stagers will make recommendations and suggestions on furniture placement, color choices, flow in each room, de-cluttering, curb appeal, small repairs, updates and maximizing each space by highlighting and showcasing the positive points while downplaying the negative.

Small changes make all the difference!

Did you know that potential buyers make up their mind in the first 15 seconds of viewing your house whether or not they want to make an offer or look at something else? It's an emotional decision. Make your home the one they want to see and ultimately buy! The most important element in selling your home is to capture the buyer's attention, helping them to connect emotionally with your home and be able to mentally move in, not move on!

Below is a pair of before and after eat-in kitchen photos. Which home would you rather buy?

Before: Eat-in Kitchen Area

After: With a little creativity and a $65 budget we have achieved bright and cheery! Lighting is key so we replaced the lightbulbs with the appropriate wattage to add more light to this space. The home owner already had the gorgeous canvas painting, but it was tucked away in storage. We gave it new life and used the blue colors as our inspiration!

You can view more of Restoring Order's home transformations at http://www.floridahomestager.com/.

Call Karla today to scedule your in-home consultatation!

As we always say at Florida Home Staging & Redesign... Get it Staged. Get it Sold. Get Top Dollar!

Central Florida Home Sells in 1 day after being Professionally Staged!

2007-05-04T18:37:10Z

With so many homes on the market right now sellers can't afford NOT to stage their homes! My most recent Central Florida client had her home on the market for 6 months without a single offer! She dropped the price $25,000 during this timeframe. From the outside her home was stunning and created a lot of interest. She definately knew how to create curb appeal.

Upon walking through the front doors of this lovely home, however, wallpaper was abound in many of the rooms including the heart of their home-the Kitchen! Along with this were empty walls and dark hallways. Resistant to another stager's initial advice, she waited it out. Once the 6 month mark hit, she called Florida Home Staging as I had left a professional door tag for her and I had contacted her Realtor. My client was happy with the plan I had put together and with that we got started. The very day the staging was complete a buyer was scheduled to look at the home. An offer was put in the very same day and the whole sale was completed the very next day for 98% of asking price!

My client is now packing and ready to move to her new home in Georgia. She was so thrilled with how the home looked, she actually paid me an extra few hundred dollars for my work as a kind gesture!

I see this time and time again. Sellers want to "wait and see" before they stage their house, only to never receive an offer, waste time and money through price reductions. If you are selling your Central Florida home Get it Staged. Get it Sold. Get top Dollar. TM by calling Florida Home Staging today! Staging makes ALL the difference!

Here are some sample photos from this home....

Guest Bedroom Before: Dated green curtains, bland wall art and a lack of lamps don't show this room's potential.

Guest Bedroom after Florida Home Staging: By adding some lighting, a new bed cover, a focal point and softer colors, this room is warm and inviting! (This is now my client's favorite room!)

Master Bedroom: Bland curtains, a lack of focal point, odd bedside tables and poor lighting make this room anything but a retreat.

Master Bedroom after the Florida Home Staging touch: We softened the look by adding some matching pillows, 2 matching bedside tables and lamps and a focal point above the bed to tie the look together.

Hallway Before: With bare walls and outdated curtains this hall needed some life.

Hallway After the Florida Home Staging touch: By simply modernizing the curtain panels, adding a proper size planter pot and adding some rich colored tulip art to the walls this boring hallway got a lift!

To see more transformations and to learn more about why Florida Home Staging is Central Florida's Preferred Home Staging Provider, log onto www.FloridaHomeStager.com or e-mail Karla at Karla@FloridaHomeStager.com

Covering up the Flaws with Symmetry!!

2007-04-02T22:51:57Z

It is known that buyers feel at peace in a space that is symmetrical and not one of chaos and a lack of focal point. In the last home I staged, this was the window setup. Symmetrical from the outside of the house, but not in the dining room! Not only were the windows asymmetrical but the art on one side of the room need a compliment on the other side....so I created the following look:

Before: A bit lack luster for a Dining Room. The quality furniture and place setting were a step up from other homes but it needed some wow factor!

After:

Curtains were a must to hide the off-center windows and create more warmth and richness to a more formal eating area. The extra chairs were removed and placed elsewhere in the home, some art was added to BOTH walls and the following look was created! My client went with my suggestion on the curtains against her Realtor's comment that they were a waste of money. $70 for the 3 panels and curtain rod made all the difference!

My photos came out a bit dark due to me experimenting and getting used to my new camera, it was also about 8pm when I took the photo...

For more portfolio photos and info on Staging Florida Home Staging & Redesign contact us at 407-284-1705 or visit our website at: www.FloridaHomeStager.com