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From my home to yours, I would like to extend my wish to you and your families to have a very
Merry Christmas!
I am grateful for each and every connection here on Active Rain and allowing me to open your "presence" each time we comment and connect on each other's blogs.
Merry Christmas from Plano, TX!
COLLIN COLLEGE, Plano,TX is offering an 8 hour Home Staging CE course February 7th through 16th 2012, Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM.
Please Note: This is the only session being offered for the Winter Term 2012. Next course offering will be in the Fall of 2012.
This fun, practical and highly informative Home Staging class is designed for the home seller, Realtor or ANYONE who would like to know more about marketing and preparing a home for resale using home staging.
Please note: Realtors: This course does NOT provide TREC MCE hours. However I do offer and teach a TREC approved separate 2 hour MCE course should your office be interested in that.
Learn directly from a working North Texas professional home stager the benefits of home staging and how staging a home can help you achieve a faster sales time and the best price for your home for sale in the North Texas market.
Please note: This Collin College home staging course is NOT designed for those interested in starting a home staging business.
This Frisco, TX home featured above sat on the market OVER 200 DAYS this year BEFORE STAGING and showed how you see it in the first photo. AFTER consulting and light STAGING with some accessories provided by Home Star Staging in key rooms of the house, these sellers SOLD their home in 27 DAYS for 97% OF the LIST price! Staging works!
REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW!
1. GO TO http://www.collin.edu/
2. LOCATE Continuing Education Courses at the left side of the page then find Workforce Development. Go to Real Estate.
3. Under Real Estate you'll find HOME STAGING
WHEN: Tuesdays & Thursdays February 7th through 16th, 2012 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM.
WHERE: Collin College Courtyard Center 4800 Preston Park Boulevard Plano, TX 75093-Call to register by phone: 972.985.3711
Address & Directions: 4800 Preston Park Boulevard, 75093 google map | yahoo map
Investment: Only $69 for 8 hours of fun, informational, and practical instruction from North Texas' own home staging expert!
Class instruction provided by Professional Home Stager and North Texas home staging expert
Karen Otto, RESA-Pro, owner of Home Star Staging www.homestarstaging.com
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Home Star Staging is a qualified, insured home staging company and we are always here for you North Texas!
- Affordable pre-list home staging property consultations
- Affordable post list "trouble shooting" property consultations - no matter how long a home has been on the market there are always ways to improve the chance of sale
- Affordable owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)
- Affordable vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)
- Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask!
- Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com
This wonderful post by my dear friend and staging colleague, Linda Barnett, speaks my language. Honesty is always the best policy and in some cases staging isn't in the budget however, clear direction on where the best return on a client's dollars are spent when preparing for a home sale can always be given in a home staging consultation.
Via Linda Barnett, Home Matters, Indianapolis, In (Home Matters, Home Staging Indianapolis, Indiana):
What do you make of a professional home stager that advises some of their clients not to stage?
Well, I certainly want to continue growing my business which may sound odd from someone saying they advise some clients that it is not in their best interest to stage NOW. But one of the founding principles of my business is to be trusted by my clients. I have always believed that every action I take today is either building or destroying my reputation for the future. So, from day one I wanted to be known as someone my clients could trust and rely on. With our real estate agent clients, TRUST is a huge factor, knowing that when they place their clients in our hands that they are placing their own reputation in our hands as well. That is a huge responsibility and one I think needs to be taken most seriously.
Seems like every day we hear stories from our clients that make us stop and evaluate where staging fits into the selling process. It is not realistic to make the comment that everyone should stage their home prior to putting it on the market. We all know where staging fits into the selling process, but we find ourselves asking more and more where staging fits in relationship to return on investment and budget constraints compared to everything else that has to take place in preparing the home.
On some occasions, I am asked to evaluate the best use of a set budget amount that the home owner has to spend and how to prioritize that investment to maximize their marketing potential. And the factors I have to take into consideration can be overwhelming at times. Some of those factors are related to the condition aspect of the property such as outdated light-fixtures, countertops, cabinets, faucets and hardware, old tired and outdated wall colors and/or wall treatments, worn carpeting, overgrown or sparse landscaping and the list goes on and on and on. When a home owner is considering all of this the question inevitably becomes “What’s the best use of our limited funds?
As an example, with a $2,000 budget, there are things on this list that must be addressed before the staging option should be considered. Placing my nice furniture and accessories in a home in dire need of new paint, new carpeting and upgrades will get me and my business $2,000 dollars but do little to increase the marketability of the home and therefore does little to increase the sales potential. My best advice in those rare cases is to put the monies into repairs and cosmetic fixes first and then if there is money leftover then and only then should you stage the property. Condition issues and repairs should trump staging when allocating funds for the potential sale.
A cold hard fact is that not all homes that are “for sale” will be sold. The statistics are really staggering concerning number of listing verses the number of homes that actually sell.
“How far do we have to go before it is a sellable product?” It appears that if you’re not competing in the top echelon of your market on price, condition, presentation, one would have to wonder if your product (house) is really competing at all. And then there is “How far do we have to lower the price to make it a sellable product?” I’m not sure that is relevant in many cases today because there are many sellers up-side down or close to it, with limited or no funds to bring to the closing table and are left with the “all of my options have been exhausted feeling”. So with great sadness on my part, often times I’m helpless to provide the solution so many desire and truly need to project their properties forward and toward the SOLD sign. I can and do recommend they trade some creative services like cooking, sewing, for storage space at their neighbor’s house or take on extra work to buy painting supplies, but I’m sure to them it’s an insignificant suggestion and not the answer they were hoping for. In reality, I sometimes have to turn them down on staging before the condition factors have been addressed because I know that it is in their best interest that I come to that unfortunate conclusion. How about you? Have you ever had to turn them down because you didn’t want to let them down?
Indianapolis Home Staging, Training and Redesign Company, Home Matters, is central Indiana’s expert when it comes to preparing and staging your home for the Real Estate Market. In business since 2004, Home Matters has successfully worked with thousands of home owners, realtors, builders and investors in creating beautifully, welcoming spaces that helps get homes sold. Home Matters team of professional home staging designers have been featured on FOX 59 news, WISH TV, Angie’s List Podcasts, Indianapolis Star, IBJ, Real Estate Life Style Magazine and other Central Indiana News Publications. Home Matters has the experience, expertise and the resources to assist you with all of your staging and redesign needs.
Our goal is quite simple; We create stylish…. warm and welcoming houses that captures the buyers attention from the moment they are introduced to the property. We focus on the buyer demographics, the selling features, lifestyle selling techniques and the strategic placement of furniture, accessories and art that translates to a powerful marketing tool!
With over 90% of buyers looking to the internet to search for their new homes, we understand the power of making your homes first impression work to your advantage. Photos of each staged room will give your prospects an idea of what to expect during their tour of your property. With your homes presentation in order, you will impress potential buyers right away!
Whether your home is vacant or occupied we are ready to help you “set the scene” so you can “seal the deal”.
For more information regarding our services, please feel free to take a look at our website and to see our work products. www.homemattersllc.com or contact us at 317-209-9801
 I've stayed a little quiet on this subject for the past couple of years but noticed a similar trend this year when RESA announced it was time for the Award Nominations.
The lack of submissions may be confusing to some but I believe there may be some unspoken reasons why many aren't stepping up to the plate and submitting themselves and their work.
Here are some of my thoughts:
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It feels counter intuitive to nominate oneself. When we're taught to play "nice" and put others first, it's often hard for us to want to share our accomplishments for fear of sounding "proud".
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A fee associated with the nominations keeps us away. Whether for budget reasons or it feels "odd" to "pay to play", it may automatically turn you off.
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The fear or feeling that the majority of your work & photos may not be "up to par" with what you've seen in the past, especially if your services are mainly geared toward working in owner occupied houses where you HAVE to use what's there.
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You may assume that there are many more qualified RESA stagers than yourself and what chance could you have if they haven't won in the past yet?
These are several thoughts that come to my mind and I'll admit that even I feel this way on some level!
But I continue to submit myself, in this second year although I did not make a finalist position last year.
Why you ask?
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Because I am proud of the work that I do! If I cannot express to others the value that I bring, how are they going to know the value in me and my services? It's not conceit or pride that is at work here in a negative sense, but a pride of ownership in the business and brand I am building and to write out my accomplishments for the year (and prior years) puts a lot in perspective for me to see how far I've really come.
- Yeah, the fee thing may be a little strange but I realize that there are many costs involved in getting this type of event off the ground and if it helps support the cause even if I myself don't win, I'm all about building up RESA and my colleagues for positioning ourselves as the staging association of choice! I've personally emailed Shell about this and she is willing to waive the fee for anyone that requests it.
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The majority of the work I personally do is in occupied homes. That has been growing for the past 2 years and I love it! But I have seen a trend in vacant properties in the
 nominations and finalist categories over the years and fully understand why. They do look better in most cases than having to utilize what a house may have and that is your only choice! I'd love to see an occupied home staging submission go toe to toe with a vacant! But even if not why let that stop you? A buzz is sounding about having separate catagories the next year to feature vacants and occupieds. While it may not happen this conference, share your voice and your work by submitting your best transformations whether they are occupied or vacant!
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The fact that there are so many others who are more qualified than me is a no brainer! I am constantly in awe and admiration of the work of my colleagues. I learn and grow by observing them and their work and it is my hope that others may say the same about me, no matter what I have to work with. The quality of my work continues to improve with each year! We all need to up our game!
A few tips I may add for the photo submission portion :
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Focus on taking your before and afters from the same spot in the room. It's often hard to tell how big of a transformation took place if it's not very similar in location.
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Consider hiring a professional photographer (or learn some techniques yourself) to take the after photos of some key rooms. It is not only great for your submissions but also for your website usage too! In some cases I've asked my Realtors to provide me with the after shots of the professional photos of homes I've worked on and in most cases they absolutely don't mind sharing!
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Be mindful of work throughout the year where you can show a positive transformation. I'll admit that not every property I stage would be put on my website or shared online based on the furnishings I've had to work with. However, these properties show sooo much better staged and ARE selling! And I'm providing a valuable service to my clients, just ask the Realtors I partner with.
So with this said, I hope those of you who may be feeling some of these same things will re consider your RESA Professional Stager of the Year 2011 submissions. It's a wonderful opportunity to share your work with your colleagues and build your brand and your reputation to boot.
Please feel free to share your thoughts too. As a RESA State President I am always happy to provide a platform for open dialog and suggestions. It's how we'll learn and grow together!
So, what are you waiting for? The deadline is THIS week! Don't forget the other catagories too!
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Everyone is invited
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US FOR AMERICA RECYCLES DAY
When:
Saturday November 12th from 10am to 2pm
Monday November 14th from 8am to 5pm
Tuesday November 15th from 8am to 5pm
Where:(Across the Street from the Plano ReStore)
United Electronic Recycling
1501 Summit Ave. Suite 1
Plano, TX 75074
Materials to be Recycled
We accept "All" electronic equipment, anything that can be plugged in to a wall or runs off of batteries. Computers, Laptops, Cell Phones, Key Boards, Mice, Speakers, Servers, Route. Monitors, wires, printers, copiers, stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, etc.
All FREE of charge!!
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There is still time to register if you are a MetroTex Realtor member for the Real Estate Staging for Realtors 101 MCE! The RESA Dallas Chapter is proud to join MetroTex to offer a 2 hr MCE credit home staging course exclusively for Realtors called;
Real Estate Staging 101: The Realtor's Guide to Real Estate Staging.
This course will be offered through the education department of Metrotex and taught by one of the RESA Dallas Chapter approved instructors. Registration may be done online or in person the day of the class (see flyer below for details)
As the RESA Texas State President I a honored to be teaching the first offering on October 26th, 2011 from 10 AM to 12 Noon! There will also be other member instructors of the RESA Dallas Chapter on hand to answer questions you may have after class. We're excited to bring our DFW Realtors this exciting and informative course!
Please check out the flyer for more details:
Today's client had completed some of the staging recommendations we had discussed during our 2 hour home staging consultation on Monday. In fact when he called to confirm further home staging services for his Mckinney, TX home with Home Star Staging he asked if I could reduce the rate based on the amount of work he did. From what he told me, I was able to estimate an hour less of time to complete our portion of it. I was very happy that he felt motivated and empowered to do some of the work prior to our staging appointment and he, as many home sellers are today, was on a budget.
Using almost 95% of the seller's own furnishings (no furniture rental required!), Home Star Staging offset those items with a few budget friendly accessories from our inventory. He kindly left us to our work today and when he came home he returned to a very different house!
After taking a tour of his newly transformed home he admitted that before I came he thought,
" I didn't know what else you could really do since I'd already done a lot."
With our team we actually did a lot MORE than he realized we could or would. It was a classic furniture and decor swap from different rooms of the house.
After seeing the transformation my client said,
"Now I know you know what you're doing and why staging is important!".
That just made my day!
I explained to him that I understood his feelings and I was grateful that he called us back. During the staging consultation I try to provide every detail I can to help a client stage a home themselves if they choose however once we're onsite to complete the plan, staging can evolve and becomes an organic process, and often things will change from what was originally planned. The work he had done was great, but it was not staging.
Seeing a home through the eyes of a home stager is much different than someone who is not and even with recommendations to work from it often takes the skill and talent of a professional to do the job right.
As I was about to leave one final question came from my client, he wanted to know once he moved if we could come and do this at his new place...of course!!
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 Selling a home in North Texas? Exceptional Home Staging services for Dallas, Richardson, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Carrollton,TX and surrounding cities.
- Affordable pre-list home staging property consultations
- Affordable post list "trouble shooting" property consultations - no matter how long a home has been on the market there are always ways to improve the chance of sale
- Owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)
- Vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)
- Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask! Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com
- Interested in learning how to start a successful home staging business in
 TX, OK or NW LA? I can help! I'm a course trainer for the Staging and Redesign team!
This is a great blog by my friend & fellow home stager Kathy Nielsen to share with any clients who you have that question why they need to paint and why a single interior color works best for selling.
Via Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC):
5 Reasons Why Choosing A Single Interior Color Works Best When Selling
As a professional home stager in Atlanta Georgia, one of the questions asked most often is what color should I paint the interior of my home. The second most frequently asked question is whether or not a single color is better or if multiple colors work best.
My advice to all sellers is to always use a single color. Here's why:
- A single color will help to visually expand the space
- The use of multiple colors can be distracting
- Multiple colors increases the odds that the buyer will NOT like one, or more, of the colors
- A single color is far more soothing
- A single color improves the flow of the home
Here are a few before and after pictures of a home where each room was a different color. As you'll see in the after pictures, a single color was chosen and used throughout:
Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392
RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011
Whether your home is vacant or occupied, this Atlanta Georgia Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen, understands what it takes to sell a home quickly. Her homes have graced the pages of several publications, appeared in TV commercials as well as on HGTV's hit program Sleep On it.
With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.
Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta
Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:
Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com
Blog: Atlanta Home Staging
   
I love Fall. The change in temperature and color sets the tone for sweater weather, cozy fires and early evenings with family and friends. To me it’s the most beautiful time of the year. As seasons change, so does my decor. I try to keep it simple yet showcase the colors and themes of the time of the year.
Here are my 6 simple tips for keeping your year round decor seasonal and simple whether you're staging to dwell or staging to sell:
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Keep a good base of ”move-able” furniture in each room. These pieces can work well in many rooms and are easily relocated from space to space. My move-able pieces include; book cases, sofa, side, entry and coffee tables, occasional chairs and small benches.
Simple Seasonal Fall Decor on top of my book case
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Invest in ”staple” accessory pieces that work year round. Think about serving trays, baskets, iron vessels, pots, big bowls, framed mirrors, chunky candles and candle sticks that can be decorated, moved and utilized for use in multiple rooms.
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Keep “blend”able colors, styles and textures in mind when selecting accessory pieces. Varying hues of browns, golds, greens, blacks (include grey & white here) and reds seem to work best in most decor schemes. Wood, iron, natural reed, glass, bamboo and many other textures should be considered when selecting pieces. Mixing and matching eclectic styles is always in! You CAN mix your grandmother’s antique sewing table with a modern lamp!
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When you keep a staple pieces that can work double duty it’s simply a matter of removing the past season’s decor from these pieces and replacing and re purposing with the current changing season’s versions.
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Don’t be tempted to go for the “cookie cutter” look you’ll find in your local major home furnishings and accessory stores. While they’re great for getting ideas & filling in what you already have, think outside the box and create a style that is all your own.
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Bring the outdoors in! From the changing leaves to bare branches, you can use what you find in your own garde
 n or on your daily walk for decorating pieces. Osage Oranges, pine cones, beach sand, shells, seeds, tall grasses, leaves and dried berries (make sure they’re non-toxic to people & pets) make wonderful additions to your seasonal decor. Get creative but most of all enjoy yourself and have fun creating your seasonal landscape.
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Exceptional Home Staging services for Dallas, Richardson, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Carrollton,TX and surrounding cities.
- Affordable pre-list home staging property consultations
- Affordable post list "trouble shooting" property consultations - no matter how long a home has been on the market there are always ways to improve the chance of sale
- Owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)
- Vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)
- Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask! Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com
- Interested in learning how to start a successful home staging business in TX, OK or NW LA? I can help! I'm a course trainer for the Staging and Redesign team!
COLLIN COLLEGE, Plano,TX is once again offering an 8 hour Home Staging CE class this time to be held on two Saturdays; October 29th and November 5th, 2011 from 9 AM to 1 PM.
Note: This is the only session being offered for the Fall Term 2011. Next course offering will be in Winter 2012.
This practical and informative Home Staging course is designed for the home seller or ANYONE who would like to know more about marketing and preparing a home for resale using home staging.
Please note: Realtors: This course does NOT provide TREC MCE hours.
Learn from a working North Texas professional home stager the benefits of home staging and how staging a home can help you achieve a faster sales time and top dollar.
Please note: This Collin College home staging course is NOT designed for those interested in starting a home staging business.
The home featured above sat on the market OVER 200 DAYS this year BEFORE STAGING and showed how you see it in the first photo. AFTER consulting and light STAGING with some accessories provided by Home Star Staging in key rooms of the house, these sellers SOLD their home in 27 DAYS for 97% OF the LIST price! Staging works!
REGISTER NOW!
1. GO TO http://www.collin.edu/
2. LOCATE Continuing Education Courses at the left side of the page then find Workforce Development. Go to Real Estate.
3. Under Real Estate you'll find HOME STAGING
WHEN: Saturday October 29th, 2011 9 AM to 12 Noon and Saturday November 5th, 2011 9 AM to 1 PM.
WHERE: Collin College Courtyard Center 4800 Preston Park Boulevard Plano, TX 75093-Call to register by phone: 972.985.3711
Address & Directions: 4800 Preston Park Boulevard, 75093 google map | yahoo map
Investment: Only $69 for 8 hours of fun, informational, and practical instruction from North Texas' own home staging expert!
Class instruction provided by Professional Home Stager and North Texas home staging expert
Karen Otto, RESA-Pro, owner of Home Star Staging www.homestarstaging.com
*****************************************************
Home Star Staging is a qualified, insured home staging company and we are always here for you North Texas!
- Affordable pre-list home staging property consultations
- Affordable post list "trouble shooting" property consultations - no matter how long a home has been on the market there are always ways to improve the chance of sale
- Affordable owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)
- Affordable vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)
- Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask!
- Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com
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Karen Otto, Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging www.homestarstaging.com
Plano,
TX
More about me…
Home Star Staging
Address: Plano, Murphy, Wylie, Richardson, Allen, Lucas, Fairview, McKinney, Frisco, Dallas, Carrollton, Garland, Rockwall, , TX, 75075
Office Phone: (469) 964-0516
Email Me
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