Sellers, I feel your pain

Let me first say, we are not moving. At least not this month.  But we are re carpeting our 2nd floor and replacing our white wooden stair balusters for our enjoyment as well as the future return on investment.

Why did we really want to do this?

Heck, we want to enjoy the upgrades now while we live in it! As a professional home stager, I have seen far too many sellers upgrade to sell and wish they'd done it years ago for their own use once they see how great it looks.

But sellers, I feel your pain!

When you're told to replace your carpet by a professional home stager or your Realtor (or just know you need to do it) and say "I'll just give the buyers a carpet allowance", I understand why.

It is quite a job to replace carpet while living in a home. I know, I've done it.

But it's also quite a job for a buyer to move in to a home and have to replace the carpet once they're  in. Consider your inconvenience as doubly theirs and why many buyers choose to move on to another newly carpeted property when they hear "allowance"in yours.

The work involved in moving and storing items while in the process of re-carpeting (or laying any flooring for that matter) can seem overwhelming(especially from upstairs). Although the carpet installers will move the large furniture it's up to you to relocate and move everything from the tops of dressers, closets and whatever else may get in their way, break or become too much for them to have to deal with.

And then... after all that... you have to put it back! (Unless you really are selling and then you can pack it away in the garage or move it off site to storage. You'll be way ahead of the game!)

But there is a silver lining. You finally get to the closet cholesterol that has been accumulating for years and may decide once and for all to get rid of it.

We're still, after 2 months getting rid of stuff, in fact, we declared this 4th of July - Independence Day from our junk! (well alot of it anyway)

A little background....For the past several years my husband and I have talked about replacing our upstairs carpeting.  We'd already replaced all of our downstairs carpet with wood and tile when we first moved in 6 + years ago but not the upstairs carpeting. With 2 kids and a dog and countless trips up and down the stairs by friends, relations and various animals (from birds to dogs we've housed for friends on vacation... don't even ask what some of these "house trained" pets have done to my house...) the carpet was to say the least "well worn". We decided this summer to replace our carpet and enjoy it while we can. 

But.... that's not all. 

While checking out craigslist for a client who needed some furniture at a discount I came across a company that replaced wooden stair balusters with wrought iron balusters. Coincidentally, I had a client who had asked me about the cost of replacing his and I truly had no idea at the time nor did I know the return on investment to do this.  Well, I researched further the company and the cost.  Turns out this is a popular item with new homes. I've seen them myself and worked in newer homes which have this upgrade.

Well we decided to install them in our home as well, why not? We loved the look, the price was great, and we were replacing our carpet anyway and I knew it would be a good investment for the future.  I have to say, the company we worked with Grandstairways was awesome and totally professional. If you're in North Texas and considering this upgrade, contact Alex Kaiser. He's a man of his word and their prices are about 1/3 of what others are charging.

After a couple of months of milling over carpet selections (had to think long term, wear, color, "green" factor and padding choices too) we made our choice.

Now if you don't already know about carpet, go out and shop for some if you're in the market for it and you'll learn lots from the reps at each carpet store. 

Some basic things to consider when choosing a carpet:

• If you have a pet with claws don't opt for "loop" carpet entirely. Their claws will catch the loops and they will pull and fray.
• For homes with pets, a "cut" pile will work as will a combo of "loop and cut pile". Simply cut the loops that get frayed and they'll match the cut pile nicely.
• Consider the long term if you're not selling. Since you are still living in and using the carpeting, don't go for the lowest grade cheap stuff unless you plan on replacing it when you sell. You want it to last for a while in case you sell in the next several years.
• Think about the carpet color you choose. High usage areas will get worn and dirty. Don't go for white or very light in those areas unless you are meticulously clean, wear booties at all times and have no pets or kids traipsing through your home on a regular basis.
• Again with color, if you plan to stay in your home for a while and want to really get personality injected into your carpet choice - go ahead. But when thinking about long term use and resale, opt for colors that will be universally buyer friendly. We chose a color in the "cashew" family.
• We opted for the upgraded padding with a moisture barrier. Not only does it make the carpet feel plusher, spills don't soak into the pad and "reappear" over time. The barrier acts as a protective shield to ward away those magically reappearing stains.
• Green is clean and consumer friendly, something I believe most people are looking for now and in the future.  The carpet we chose was from Mohawk. It's called SmartStrand and it's partially made from recycled materials. Check the link for more information.
• I was also reminded today in fact that most carpeting is petroleum based and very soon the price of it will also increase.  Keep that in mind if you've been on the fence about replacing yours and consider alternatives if you've got your eye on other flooring surfaces (wood, bamboo, stone, tile)

Now that I'm at the end of the most recent upgrades the work was definitely worth it.

Sellers, many Professional Home Stagers are homeowners too. We understand what's involved in owning a home and we understand what it takes to help you prepare your home to sell too. We feel your pain but in the end the real goal is financial gain!

Proudly serving Collin County and North Dallas Realtors, Sellers & Investors, Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

Games that I play when staging

I enjoy the creativity my job as a professional home stager affords. It's fun to come up with ideas and ways to market a house while I'm staging that are fun, whimsical and affordable. One of my favorite things to do is use the game of Scrabble to set a scene in a media or game room for an inexpensive but effective prop in the space.  I'll share more of the "games that I play" in other blogs.

Board games are especially good in media and game rooms on tables and window seats. From coffee, side and pub tables, you can use them most anywhere. It creates a cozy, lived in feel for those usually large vacant spaces of big play rooms. Set the scene by actually taking the game out of the box and setting up the pieces as you would if you were actually going to play. 

I like to imagine that buyers (and if they have them) and their children will be sitting there playing, it gives them something to do while mom and dad check out their new house! For me it gives potential buyers the opportunity to think about and feel how it would be to actually live in the house if even for a moment. They can start to imagine themselves playing games and enjoying the company of their family and friends there. It can also help keep the kids from getting bored!

I recently found a cool "classic book" series of games at Target. Of course I purchased my favorite word game, Scrabble and knew exactly where I was going to use it. I like to set the game up and use a play on words. Below are some photos of the latest game that I played.  I'm sure you can come up with many other variations of ideas too! 

Have fun and enjoy your work! I know I do.

  Play on words  

Proudly serving Collin County and North Dallas Realtors, Sellers & Investors, Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

Plano Crimewatch Bulletin - Aggravated Kidnapping

I am the block captain for my Neighborhood Crimewatch in Plano.  Whenever there are alerts sent to our area coordinator it is our duty to notify the neighbors on our crimewatch block about the offense. I do this via email.

Situations that are reported through these bulletins happen all over the city of Plano not just in the neighborhood you live and unless you are part of a Citizen's Crimewatch in your neighborhood you would not necessarily receive this information. 

I highly recommend if your block does not have a Neighborhood Crimewatch Alert system to get on board with it and meet your neighbors to help take a bite of crime in your neighborhood.

This can be done in any city in Collin County or around the country!

Being a part of the Citizen's Crimewatch has made our block & several additional ones come together once a year to socialize and have an officer present to help us understand how to better protect ourselves, families and possessions. We also know each other too by name and face which makes it easier to bond. It's not a huge committment on anyone's part. I literally just forward emails that come from the Area Coordinator on to the neighbors who have given me their emails and want to receive these bulletins.

Another thing, from my understanding, things that happen where no suspect is identified (like a break in a car at night, or vandalism etc. that no one saw someone to give a description to Police to) do NOT get reported through our Crime Watch Bulletins. This is where the Neighborhood Watch becomes personal. When something happens in our direct neighborhood & Plano PD does not issue a bulletin (because no suspect was identified) we report it to each other.

This particular offense below strikes close to me as it is literally across the street from my storage facility where I recently had my own incident that was a big wake up call. I am going to begin to post these bulletins here from time to time. Not to strike fear in the hearts of my fellow residents of the City of Plano, but to make you aware of situations that are happening in and around our All American City. Our city is populated by over 250,000 residents and still growing. Criminals are in every city in every part of the world. Information is power and ignorance is IMHO dangerous when we fall prey to blind trust in our safety. 

Please stay alert out there, not only for yourself but those around you.

CRIME WATCH BULLETIN

PLANO POLICE DEPARTMENT

The following event was reported to the Plano Police Department.

OFFENSE NUMBER: 2008-101506

OFFENSE TYPE: Aggravated Kidnapping 

LOCATION/STREET: E. Parker Rd. (E. Parker Rd.,/K Avenue, Mapsco 659J)

BLOCK NUMBER: 1200               

DATE: 6/1/08 (Sunday) TIME: 10:30pm      

DESCRIPTION: The victim parked her vehicle at a distance from her intended grocery store.  The victim exited her vehicle to go into a grocery store and confronted by the suspect.  The suspect produced a weapon and forced the victim back into her vehicle.  The suspect forced the victim to drive northbound onto US Highway 75 and stop south of the Legacy Drive exit.

The suspect placed tape on the victim's mouth and attempted to sexually assault her.  A struggle ensued.  The victim gained control of the weapon and used it on the suspect.  The suspect fled the vehicle and the victim drove away.

Citizens are reminded to continually be aware of their surroundings, observing any subjects that might be loitering around on foot or in vehicles.  Park in well-lit areas and in close proximity to your intended destinations.

SUSPECT INFORMATION: Hispanic male, 20-25 years old, 5'9", 150 lbs., tattoo on right forearm, Mohawk hairstyle, wearing a black shirt and black pants.       

VEHICLE INFORMATION: On foot.

CB/kr

If you have any information regarding suspicious persons or activity in your area, please call the Plano Police Department at (972) 424-5678.

Attention Area Coordinator:  It is your responsibility to pass this information to your Block Captains.

A blog you have to read by a seller - "Selling ( & staging ) a house with kids"

My Google Alerts had an interesting blog post in it this morning and I want to share the link here.

The blog is written by a seller who had their Realtor stage the listing.

She describes in really good (and humorous) detail the process and how it was to live like that for a very short time apparently. You'll see for yourself if you read the post Selling a house with kids

It is so spot on and true, especially when selling with children. However this family made the committment to sell and the results speak for themselves! Stagers and Realtors should read it!

If their Realtor is an agent in the Rain I'd love to say Congratulations on a job well done!

Plano East Theatre Welcomes New TMS Group for 2008-09

Pictured below are the talented actors and actresses who comprise Plano East Senior High School's Award Winning Theatre Major Studies (TMS) Program.  Under the direction of the exceptional, Lisa Hale, Theatre Director, and Zachary Elms, Technical Director, PESH TMS is a force to be reckoned with. 

We look forward to another year of talented and entertaining performances! Please join us for professional caliber theatre in the fall of 08 and spring of 09!

Congratulations TMS students!

Do paint, staging and professional photography make a difference?

Below are some photos of an owner staged property after receiving a home staging consultation from Home Star Staging. 

Included in a home staging consultation are many, many recommendations. Below are just two of the following which highlight the purpose of this blog:

• Paint recommendations
• Furniture placement / arrangement suggestions

The owner could choose to do as much or as little as they wished. As is always the case in a home staging consultation by Home Star Staging, sellers will get honest, respectful feedback about what changes need to occur and how to showcase a property to appeal to the most number of buyers. 

Staging has NOTHING to do with your personal choices or style, it's more about the presentation and "move in" ready conditions that today's buyers are looking for. 

In many cases, sellers will say, "this doesn't feel like my home". To which we respond, "Good!" The way we live in a home is very different than the way we market and sell it.

The owners choose to do the following as well as have JRM Photography take the after photos for the MLS. Note: Their Realtor had already chosen to acquire the services of JRM Photography as part of the listing package.

Clearly just three recommendations have taken what the owner's already had and made it buyer ready.

• Lightening and brightening with a paint choice they had already made for a good portion of the home unified the spaces
• Furniture was rearranged and re located from other areas
• The final touch was great photography by JRM Photography that gives buyers more depth and vision on the MLS as to the potential of the house. The photos invite them from the internet to come visit the property in person. When over 80% of buyers are first shopping the internet how could you NOT consider professional photography for the highest impact?

Proudly serving Collin County and North Dallas Realtors, Sellers & Investors, Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

What does $125 in North Texas get you for Home Staging?

 ALOT!

Home Staging does NOT have to be expensive.

Many Professional Home Stagers provide many levels of service at different price points.  Budgets are always considered when I speak to my clients and I am well aware of being cost conscious especially in today's economy.

I'd like to share with you two testimonials I recently received from local Realtors® I've been working with.  I started working with these Realtors® this year and they have committed to contacting me for a verbal home staging consultation for each of their new listings.  For $125 and up to 2 hours, Home Star Staging provides this service to home sellers in North Texas.

Any home, in any price point can benefit from a home staging consultation.  In my professional opinion this service should be considered a standard part of a Real Estate transaction, just like a home inspection has become after a home has an offer, a home staging consultation can be seen as the "aesthetic inspection" that can get offers on the table!

Home Staging does NOT have to be expensive.

 As evidenced below, the value of a Home Staging Consultation far exceeds the investment.

For pro-active sellers who are motivated to do the necessary work to prepare their home for sale and with the guidance of a Professional Home Stager TARGET those areas that need addressing (no more guessing games), the results are amazing!

NORTH TEXAS REALTOR® TESTIMONIALS

"I have to tell you that the home you helped stage [verbal consultation] at Old Shepard Place in Plano had an offer in 2.5 days! The other home you staged hasn't been listed yet. But both clients were so satisfied with your suggestions & assistance that they commented they loved the way their homes felt after staging & promised to never go back to the clutter again."

C.Hahn, Realtor®, Coldwell Banker Plano, TX

 
"You have done an excellent, fabulous job on my listing. You probably provided 30-40 times of value, for the price I paid [verbal consultation]. You have exceeded my expectations by a great extent. I am going to utilize your services for all my professional and also, personal needs. For a person as skilled as you are, you have absolutely no airs, you are very flexible, friendly and personal which makes you wonderful to work with."

S. Chaparala, Realtor®, DFW Realties

Realtors® Home Staging Consultations are a great service to recommend to your sellers and set your listings apart from the competition!

Proudly serving Collin County and North Dallas Realtors®, Sellers and Investors Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

DFW Home Staging Professional's Spring Fling in Photos - Fundraiser, Fun & Friendship!

Yesterday we had a great time at our annual DFW IAHSP Fundraiser.

Once again it was co-hosted by our valued and much appreciated business partner CORT Furniture Rental at their Inwood Showroom.

Kathy LaMarr, CORT Rep. extraordinaire & our local home stager supporter & innovator, once again out did herself.The food, showroom and tables-capes were great! Thank you Kathy for arranging that!

This once a year free event, is open to the public and benefits our Chapter's philanthropies. This year we have chosen Promise House as our project for World Wide Staging Service Week 2008.

So far we've raised close to $3,000 from the benefit!

All proceeds go to Promise House  and the IAHSP Foundation which furthers the cause of other worthy organizations throughout the country.

It was great to see Lorrie Semler a fellow Active Rainer! We got a good chat in and shared a cookie (yes Lorrie, I ate the other half and then some....;-) We also put on the calendar a tentative date for an Active Rain gathering locally. Check out Lorrie's Blog for more info.

The Silent Auction Items were great. Here some of our DIRC Board and members checked out & won some of the items.  

The food was really fantastic!For those that missed it, you could've eaten really well last night!  Spicy meatballs, bow-tie pasta salad, mini stuffed potatoes, a mountain of chips and salsa, shrimp cocktails in cocktail glasses, mini canapes and tons of chocolate frosted brownies, chocolate chunk and to die for peanut butter cookies.

Thank you to all who attended! We truly appreciate your support!

Join us! DFW Home Staging Professionals host Spring Fling today Weds. April 30th, 2008

Just a quick reminder to my fellow DFW RE colleagues that we'd love to see you at our annual fundraiser today to benefit our wonderful organizations. 

Below are the details.

I'll be there all afternoon and if you're in the area, stop by, I'd love to say hi!

The Dallas Regional Chapter of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (DIRC) and the  Forth Worth Regional Chapter of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (FWIRC) along with our valued business parter CORT Furniture Rental, are co-hosting a fundraising event for World Wide Staging Service Week 2008 benefiting our philanthropies.

Along with the IASHP Foundation, DIRC & FWIRC are also raising awareness and money to benefit Promise House, Dallas, TX.

The Mission of Promise House (from the Promise House website)

"The mission of Promise House is to stabilize and offer hope to youth and families in crisis through emergency shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, transitional living, street outreach, and education, all free of charge. Most of our clients come from the North Texas area and struggle with problems including homelessness, abuse, family problems, runaway behavior, drug/alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, truancy, and delinquency.

Promise House is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charitable organization governed by a Board of Directors. It is licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services."

Please come support this event to; network, shop, enter a fabulous drawing, bid on the Silent Auction, eat and have a great time in support of a worthy cause!

Details below. Bring a friend or 6!

Cort Furniture Rental www.cort.com 14215 Inwood Rd Dallas, TX 75244 (972) 386-2981 Get directions More information »

Curb appeal and blind dating = 2 of a kind

Analogies are great. They help us understand why something that may not seem important to us at first glance really is. Let's use an analogy for curb appeal when selling your home and why it is so important to buyers.

Let's compare it to blind dating. Bear with this and you're likely to understand why.

Think of yourself as going on a blind date and the anticipation you feel before meeting that mysterious someone.

• They sound great on the phone,
• They looked attractive in a photo online
• They were readily giving you lots of information about themselves via emails.

You're nervous but excited at the chance to meet that special person that you've already gotten to know a little about.

Could this be the person of your dreams, a soul mate, heck a partner for life? Or worse, they aren't who they said they were. The photo is really their best friend and everything they wrote in the email was made up or it's a Glamour Shot and the photographer caught their one and only best angle and major airbrushing was used!

You start to get nervous as you drive to your destination to meet this person. Scary thoughts are running through you head. You pull into the park where you've arranged to meet. You scan the area and see lots of people. You could leave now you tell yourself. There are joggers and Frisbee players, lots of normal looking people around and you begin to relax. It's not so bad, any one of these people could be your date and they all look pretty decent. Your blind date approaches wearing the green shirt they said they would be and whew! You're relieved, excited even is more like it. They're even better than you imagined and the sinking stomach feel has changed to butterflies and rainbows. This is going to be a great date after all!

OK, can you see now where this may be going? Let's put it in the context of a home buyer. Let's see where this blind date of sorts will lead this time.

• The buyers have gotten the details for your home (their date) 
• They're now headed with anticipation to see the property (the house of their dreams maybe).
• They've seen photos online and expectations are high (do they even have air brushing for houses?).
• They drive through the neighborhood and see one house after another of beautifully manicured lawns and seasonal plantings. It is springtime and everything is in bloom.
• They are happy with what they see in the neighborhood. Could this be the house of their dreams?
• As they approach your home they start to get a sinking feeling.
• How come this house doesn't have a manicured lawn and seasonal flowers? (they didn't know weeds could look like grass in a photo)
• Why is that shutter hanging from the side window ?(the best angle must have been photographed)
• How many kids and pets do these people have? (we didn't know you were married & lived with animals)
• There's so much stuff on the lawn! (geez can't you clean up for company?)

How would you feel upon arriving at this house? Their decision may be made right then and there.

They tell the Realtor to drive away and never even step foot inside the home. The buyers flee before even giving it a chance. As surprising as it may seem this is something that does happen more often than you may think.

Curb appeal is the very first impression that a buyer will have upon previewing your property. Make it a lasting one.

Even people driving through a neighborhood may want to see a property based just on exterior curb appeal. Make sure you present the exterior of your property in just as good of condition as the inside of your home.

In some cases curb appeal can truly make or break the sale of a home.

Below are some helpful tips to give your home that butterfly and rainbow feel and make the best impression on the first date.

10 Tips for Top Notch Curb Appeal

1. Maintain regular watering, mowing, weeding and edging schedule
2. If grass is sparse consider re sodding areas as needed.
3. Keep trees and hedges trimmed away from the house (consult with an arborist for best time of year to   prune mature trees). If you can't see the house you can't possibly sell it.
4. Freshly mulch all beds.
5. Seasonal flowers are always a welcome addition but keep in mind water restrictions in your area.
6. If house, shutters, siding or front door need repainting or repair do it. A fresh coat of paint says, "Look at me! I've been cared for!" and gives a good return on your investment.
7. Keep lawn art, toys and yard equipment out of site. Roll hoses up neatly.
8. Pressure wash roofs, walk/driveways and sidewalks if needed. Clean exterior and interior windows, screens and tracks as well.
9. Keep porch or entry way free and clear of unnecessary obstructions.
10. Invite buyers in with a welcoming wreath (nothing busy) and freshly potted plants on the porch (no more than 2 in uniform pots). A new door mat (not personalized) is also recommended

Think of curb appeal as a great lipstick, put it on well, kiss your buyers hello and leave a lasting first impression! You're sure to make a lasting impression on your first date with buyers....

Copyright 2008 Home Star Staging

Check out this blog along along other great ideas at www.energizedseller.com