Last week we staged a fabulous one bedroom condo in a prime Georgetown location, right across the street from Rose Park.  This unit has a really wonderful open floor plan with a full kitchen and eat-in area, but what we really loved was the living room with the transom lights and access to the beautiful communal courtyard.

Before we could stage, however, we needed to do some painting.  The previous owner had painted the walls for how they lived there, but it was what I call "style specific" and would probably not appeal to the general buying public.  After some careful research, I found a lovely grey for the kitchen that would work with both the countertops and the tile floor, and a very light and airy taupe that complimented the grey.  The overall effect was not only a clear definition of space, but also a lightening and brightening of the entire condo.

The interior space could also be deceiving without furniture in the rooms, especially the living room and bedroom.  When the rooms were vacant, it was hard to imagine just exactly what furniture could go where, especially in the bedroom - would a queen bed fit?  Again, after careful research, I found the perfect rental furniture that met the necessary requirements.  We were able to put a sofa and 2 comfortable upholstered chairs in the living room with two end tables and a cocktail table, while still allowing space to open a storage closet and the door to the courtyard.  And yes, a queen bed and 2 nightstands fit quite easily in the bedroom.  It's all a matter of scale. 

Here are some of the before and after pictures:

You can find the rest of the photos here. If you are interested in showing this great Georgetown condo, you can find the listing information here. 

All the Best,

Monica

Over the past 3 years I've done quite a few consultations and proposals for home owners who rent their properties but have decided to sell them rather than continue renting.  The situation is usually that the renters have moved out already, or are getting ready to move out, but sometimes they're still there when the house or condo goes on the market.  This last scenario can create some difficulty in selling the house.  Renters have no vested interest in getting the property sold, and they're probably not amenable to having people come through the view the house.  Not only do they have to pack, but they have to keep all of their belongings neat and tidy for potential buyers, and they aren't even benefiting from the sale.  Offering them an incentive such as a reduced rate on the last month of rent is always an option, but even still...  What if there was a conflict between the renter and home owner?  Would they mention this to the potential buyers?  The whole situation just doesn't sit well.  Having seen a similar situation as just described (no conflicts in this case), I think it's just better to wait until the renters are gone.  There's going to be touch up painting and cleaning to be done anyway.

We staged a house on Monroe St. NW, Washington, DC last spring that was a rental property with a few furnishings, but had been unoccupied for a month or so before the home owner called me from Seattle and asked for a proposal to stage it. 

There was very little interest in the property and she was getting concerned.  Not only did we stage it using the furnishings that were left as well as adding some end tables and other items from our inventory, but we also arranged for the house to be professionally cleaned (windows, too!) prior to staging it. In the end a new rental contract was signed less than 2 weeks later (the home owner decided to rent instead of sell) - a happy ending for everyone.

The week before Christmas we staged another former rental property.  As soon as the renters had moved out, we came in to stage.  I liked some of the decorating ideas of the previous occupants, and copied their ideas where it would benefit the overall presentation of the townhouse.  The major differences, though, were that the rental furniture I had chosen was more to scale and in more complete groupings, such as coordinated end and cocktail tables, and a complete bedroom set in the master bedroom.  This makes for a more complete and polished look, and helps potential buyers to envision themselves living in the house.

This latest staging is located at 1652 Beekman Place, NW, Unit D, a gated community right off of 16^th Street NW, and across the street from Meridian Hill Park. 

If you'd like to see what Preferred Staging can do for your listings, just give me a call at 703-851-2690. 

All the best,

Monica

Look what a small investment can do!

A few weeks ago I did a 2 hour walk through consultation for a home owner that has lived in the house for 45 years.  The house has been very well maintained, but as we see all the time with older clients who are downsizing, updating hasn't been a priority over the past few years.  The house does have a lovely remodeled kitchen, but some other rooms needed attention.  

The best example was the wood paneling in the basement. The dark paneling absorbed all the light in the room, making it feel like a cold, dark cave - and really dating the house.  Once the paneling was painted an off white, some furniture removed and other pieces moved, and some art work rehung, there was a huge difference - it hardly looks like the same room!

Spending even a little money on such updates and for staging is sometimes a hard pill for homeowners to swallow.  We really need to educate home owners that home preparation is truly an investment that they will receive a return on when the house sells.  The return will either be a better listing price, (is it better to sell the house "as is", or at market value?), and a faster sale, which in the long run will reduce mortgage payments, utility costs and general maintenance and upkeep of the property.  A faster sale also means less marketing dollars Realtors have to spend.  

Check out these statistics from HomeGain.com for ROI on home improvements for sellers:

According to the survey, painting, decluttering and reorganizing the basement will bring a nice return to the home seller - and all for about 2 days of work!

All the Best,

Monica

"Its Not MY Job" - Part 2 is the continuation of the story started in "Its Not MY Job" Doesn't Get You the Job, or My Respect".

More of the story- the owner of the property had passed away (yes, I wrote a previous blog where another house was staged under similar circumstances), and if I remember correctly, a lawyer representing family that lived out of state was executor of the estate and found the Realtor.  The Realtor was smart to realize that odd shaped rooms with interior elements that were out of date would need staging (e.g., full length mirrors along walls, etc.).  It was the estate that paid for the staging services and furniture rental.

What I couldn't understand was if the estate was willing to pay for an upgraded kitchen and master bath, why not a new lighting fixture in the powder room and for a cleaning service?  I wasn't expecting the Realtor to actually clean, but to at least get a cleaning service in there.  I specifically mentioned having the property cleaned prior to staging when I initially saw the property, and was told that since work wasn't done yet in the kitchen and bath, it wouldn't be worth having the property cleaned.  Well, of course - that makes perfect sense.  But was that forgotten when the work was done?

I also don't believe that the Realtor was acting as the general contractor in having the work done in the kitchen and bath.  It never came up in conversation, such as, "I have to call the plumber...", or "The tile guy told me he'd be back on Monday...".

Upon seeing the condition of the property on staging day, I was suddenly put in an situation where decisions on how to move forward had to be made immediately.  I had a team of stagers unloading accessories, and a truck full of rental furniture on the way.  There was to be an open house in a few days, so putting a complete stop on the staging seemed a drastic measure.  I politelyreminded the Realtor that the property was to have been cleaned, and that pushing a broom around really wasn't enough, and that we would need to do some spot cleaning and wiping down of things before putting in the furniture and accessories.  And that's when I got the "it's not my job and its not your job either and don't do it because you're not going to get paid for it just like I'm not getting paid for extra work" response.

Remember - the reponse was in regards to them removing 6 nasty blinds and throwing them away, and pushing 2 triangular shaped end tables into a closet. 

Maybe I hit a nerve.  Maybe the Realtor was having a bad day, or was getting a lot of pressure from the estate.  Or maybe they just didn't want to be there that day. 

Regardless, after the Realtor left, we did wipe down some surfaces like kitchen counter tops and built in shelves.  We also cleaned the grimy mirrors, as they were so bad there was a smudged reflection in them.  The "after" photos would have looked horrible.  Unfortunately we couldn't do anything about the windows, which was really too bad as the view was of a lovely park.  And here's the kicker - my photos were to be used for the listing photos! 

It didn't take us very long - all we did was some simple surface cleaning - but the wood floors remained dusty and dirty, and there was a layer of "ick" all over the place. 

Well, the Realtor was thrilledwith the results.  And the presentation of the property was impressive enough to at least one other Realtor from Sotheby's who gave me a call for a bid on one of their properties a few weeks later.  I'm sorry to say, though, that after 3 months the property had not yet sold and we were asked to destage.  I didn't follow the property after that, so I don't know when it sold.  I'm sure it did - it was in a desirable neighborhood - but I don't know when.

All the Best,

Monica

“It’s not MY job” doesn’t get you the job, or my respect. Allow me to elaborate.

Not too long ago Preferred Staging was hired to stage a small vacant property. I did a consultation with the Realtor prior to the staging and made a few suggestions, some “stronger” than others. For example, the light fixture in the powder room was not only about 25 years old, but it was filthy and missing a few light bulbs. I strongly suggested a new, updated fixture – something from Home Depot or Lowes that wouldn’t cost more than $50 or so, and would have really made a huge difference.

There were also some odd and very old modern end tables that were to be disposed of. I was told that they would be removed prior to staging day, along with the old, yellowed and disintegrating roller shades on the windows.

Finally, the entire property needed to be thoroughly cleaned. The entire kitchen and master bath had been updated (so why couldn’t they have updated the powder room fixture, too?), and there was a lot of dust and dirt everywhere. It clearly states in our contract that the property must be cleaned before staging, which I pointed out to the Realtor.

Staging day arrives, and the Realtor is there to let us into the property. They were a nice person - even helped us with the first load from the van. But as the morning progressed I started to think otherwise about them.

The Realtor had arrived shortly before us to remove the yellowed roller shades and throw them away, and to move the nasty modern tables into a closet. But the property had not been cleaned. Well, a broom had been pushed around so the floors were OK, but there was a thick layer of dust on shelves, mirrors were grimy, windows were so filthy you couldn’t clearly see out of them, and there was a layer of dust on every surface. And the nasty powder room fixture was still there.

I mentioned to the realtor that it clearly states in the contract that the property should have been cleaned before staging, and that before we put our rugs and other accessories on the floors, books and items on the shelves, and accessories on the kitchen countertops, we would have to spend some time doing a quick cleaning and wiping down. What’s the point of staging with beautiful furniture and accessories if the rooms are a mess? Staging isn’t going to hide it. Any serious buyer is going to notice the dust everywhere and the fact that you can’t see out the windows.

I was firmly told not to clean a thing. It was NOT my job to do it. Well, this just ruffled my feathers to say the least. Not only was the contract not honored, but my company’s name was going to be associated with this property, and the fact that it was filthy and grimy would be attached to Preferred Staging. Guilt by association. Not only that, but I would have had a hard time putting my well maintained accessories on dust and dirt.

What blew my away was what the realtor said next. In essence, they said, "I've already gone above and beyond my job by removing and throwing away the roller blinds and moving those tables to the closet.  I'm not getting paid for that, so you shouldn't do anything you're not going to be paid for, either." 

Ahhh. So this Realtor had the work ethic of doing the minimal amount of work necessary.  They were "just doing their job" as it is understood in its most basic form.  If they were asked to do anything above and beyond listing the property and showing it, I'm sure they didn't do it, or complained about it as they did to me.  Now I understood why this Realtor had only one other listing besides the one we were staging. (Yes, I do check out who calls me, don't you?  If anything I want to know what they look like so I can recognize them when we first meet.)  I'm sure their attitude and approach to real estate is why they aren't a "big dog", and furthermore, I lost all professional respect for them.

This Realtor is truly the only one of the hundreds of Realtors I've met that had this attitude. 

Virtually all of the Realtors I work with go far beyond what is "required" of them.  I've worked with Realtors who have helped me stage occupied homes by completely reorganizing the closets (clothes, linen and pantry) and ironing all the bedding.  There are other realtors who I've seen work with a cleaning crew by doing the dishes and running the vacuum.  Then there are those who stop by a house every day to pick up the mail and turn on the lights so that a vacant house doesn't look vacant.

It is these Realtors who are the most successful.  Not only do they provide excellent customer service, but they're also making their jobs easier to market the house it top condition.  These Realtors realize that this is not just a business transaction but a significant emotional and financial event in the lives of their clients. 

And I love working with these Realtors and their clients.

All the Best,

Monica

One of our favorite houses that we staged back in November sold (not too bad with the holidays and a snowstorm in December!), and destaging was scheduled for Monday, February 8^th. 

With the arrival of "Snowmaggedon" (as President Obama called it) that weekend, no one was moving come Monday (see "The Winter Olympics Need My Snow!!")  The furniture rental trucks were buried at the warehouse, and only 3 drivers were able to make it in.  Things were better on Tuesday, but the driveway and front walk to the client's house hadn't been cleared of the 25+ inches of snow yet. 

(A bit of background: The original owner of the house had passed away last year, and it was up to the family to sell the house.  The executer of the estate lives in the Northern Virginia area, but not close enough to stop by the house on a regular basis.  So snow removal was a bit of an issue, and had to be taken care of via hiring someone by phone.)

Then came Round 2 on Wednesday the 10^th.  Not as much snow as 4 days prior, but blizzard conditions with 25-45 mph winds, freezing temperatures, and white outs.  It was brutal out there, and no one was going anywhere, not even my dog. (Those mailboxes were completely dug out the day 2 days before.  Check out the drift up to the front windows on the house in the back; its about 2 feet of snow on top of a low hedge.)

Finally, the furniture pick up and destaging was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.  Main roads were clear, the trucks were out, and Preferred Staging was ready to go! The only question remaining was if the driveway and front walk had been cleared.

We were assured on Thursday morning that the snow removal would be taken care of and we would have access to the house by 1pm.

We arrived shortly before 1pm, and indeed the drive and walk were cleared... but only wide enough for a car.  (Remember, the snow removal had been arranged over the phone.)  The street itself was plowed to only one lane, and the driveway was plowed to a perfect "T" with the street with sharp and high corners of snow at the edges of the drive.  It looked like the hired plow had backed into the neighbor's driveway across the street and just drove straight into the client's driveway to clear the snow.  I could certainly get my van into the driveway (and eventually into the garage which made loading so much easier), but I knew the truck wouldn't make it.

First things first - we needed the key to get into the house.  Now, the lock box was on the back door, which certainly wasn't a problem.  All that was required of me was to trudge through the 25 inches of snow around the side of the house and to the back porch.  Thank goodness the realtor showed up while we were destaging and moved the lock box from the back to the front door so locking up was easy!

Back to the truck and our driveway problem.  The truck arrived about 10 minutes after us, and it was impossible for it to get into the drive.  Staying out on the street wasn't an option, as the street ends in a cul de sac and the truck would have totally blocked traffic.

As luck would have it - and I really do mean LUCK - there were 2 bobcats and a backhoe down the street clearing the snow from the intersection and drains.  I sent our Senior Preferred Stager, Lynn, to flash her brightest smile and see if one of those bobcats would come down to our drive and clear the snow for us.

Five minutes later she's back.  "He's coming down the street and will do it for 20 bucks!"

As luck would have it AGAIN, the bobcat operator was a truck driver by profession and knew exactly what our problem was and how to take care of it.  In 20 minutes he had cleared the way for the truck to back safely into the driveway so the 45 pieces of furniture in the house could be removed.  What was also great was that cars coming and going could pull over into the now opened areas to allow others to pass.  So it was a win-win for everyone!

Just goes to show the great lengths - and depths -  a good staging company will go to for its clients!

P.S. - We're supposed to get another 3 inches tomorrow.  Yea. 

All the Best,

Monica

You've seen it on the news... Washington DC and the surrounding metro area is virtually paralyzed. 

I can remember only one other time in recent memory when the Federal Government shut down due to snow, and that was back in 1996 when I worked for the National Park Service.  We had 2 days off, and that was unheard of.  I think its going to happen again this week, as we are now under a storm warning (not a watch, which means it could happen, but a warning, which means it will happen).  The National Weather Service is predicting another 10-20 inches on top of the 31 that we've already had (at least where I live, west of the city.  See my previous blog for some snow pictures - and comments from Vancouver, where there is NO snow.)

The problem is that the sun has been out for 2 days and its melting the top layer of snow, but then it all freezes overnight.  So now we have packed snow with ice on top.  Great for sledding, as my kids can attest to.  Not so much for driving on side streets. 

Schools have already been closed for the rest of the week, and of course there is no school next Monday, President's Day.  After this week, schools will have had 9 snow days.  Luckily, Loudoun County has the equivalent of 15 extra days built into their schedule, so highly unlikely the kids will have to make up any of those days.

Well, even though the non-essential part of the government is shut down, the rest of us have to keep working.  As my father used to say, small business people are the backbone of our economy, so we just have to keep plugging along.

I've certainly been busy today - more than I thought I would.  I've been scheduling new appointments, and rescheduling others for this week.  This forced house arrest has allowed me to focus more on my marketing strategies for the spring.  I've also been able to tend to my inventory, which sometimes gets pushed to the end of the priority list.  And I've been able to spend some more time here on AR, reading blogs, gathering new ideas, always learning something new.

Oh, yes... and we are indeed preparing for the next onslaught!

I recently read where there was no snow predicted in Vancouver, site of the Winter Olympics, between now and February 12th, and that they have to truck in snow from other locales.

HELLO, VANCOUVER!  YOU CAN HAVE MY SNOW!

Of course that's not feasible, as I'm in Northern Virginia.  But as of 11:00am today, we've already had 27 inchesout here in the suburbs of Washington DC, with at least 6 more inches to fall before it's all over.

As I'm sure you're well aware, the Washington DC metro area is in the midst of a massive snowstorm - perhaps the worst in recorded history for this area.  The most to have fallen was 28 inches in January of 1922 in Washington DC.  We will definitely surpass that - at least here west of the city! 

Its also believe that the biggest snowfall for this area was way back in 1772, when both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson wrote in their diaries about a 3 foot snowfall.  Of course, this was before records were kept, but I tend to trust our Founding Fathers.  Hey, wasn't young George supposed to have said, "I cannot tell a lie"??

Here are some other photos for those of you who are snow starved.

This is what greeted me when I opened my garage door.  I backed my van into the driveway to make it easier to get out (when and if I ever get out):

No mail for us for the next few days... and snow and ice on the lamp post:

 But you've got to admit, it is pretty...

Staying warm and cozy in Northern Virginia!

All the best,

Monica

I recently read where there was no snow predicted in Vancouver, site of the Winter Olympics, between now and February 12th, and that they have to truck in snow from other locales.

HELLO, VANCOUVER!  YOU CAN HAVE MY SNOW!

Of course that's not feasible, as I'm in Northern Virginia.  But as of 11:00am today, we've already had 27 inchesout here in the suburbs of Washington DC, with at least 6 more inches to fall before it's all over.

As I'm sure you're well aware, the Washington DC metro area is in the midst of a massive snowstorm - perhaps the worst in recorded history for this area.  The most to have fallen was 28 inches in January of 1922 in Washington DC.  We will definitely surpass that - at least here west of the city! 

Its also believe that the biggest snowfall for this area was way back in 1772, when both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson wrote in their diaries about a 3 foot snowfall.  Of course, this was before records were kept, but I tend to trust our Founding Fathers.  Hey, wasn't young George supposed to have said, "I cannot tell a lie"??

Here are some other photos for those of you who are snow starved.

This is what greeted me when I opened my garage door.  I backed my van into the driveway to make it easier to get out (when and if I ever get out):

No mail for us for the next few days... and snow and ice on the lamp post:

 But you've got to admit, it is pretty...

Staying warm and cozy in Northern Virginia!

All the best,

Monica

Staging vacant homes are always a lot of fun for Preferred Staging.  It's a great creative challenge to walk into an empty house and then envision how it will look furnished and accessorized.  Although it's not quite as simple as it sounds.  Room measurements, zones (like space between furniture, walking paths, dining versus living, etc.), floor and wall colors, windows placements, and natural light all have to be taken into consideration.

We staged this fabulously renovated 1937 townhouse on 4^th St. SE in Washington, DC.  The developer had really made this a showcase house with a huge kitchen, wonderful modern baths, a spacious master bedroom, and beautiful hardwood floors.  The front and back yards and patio are perfectly landscaped, too.

The approach to staging row houses like this one is to consider the long and narrow living space and the presentation.  How we stage to present a house may not necessarily be how the new owner is going to arrange their furniture to live in the house.  Our goal is to stage the house with the best possible layout and arrangement so the house shows well, and potential buyers can see not only how much space there is, but also what furniture and how much furniture can fit into a room.

Of course, if a buyer walked in on staging day, they would probably stand there shaking their head wondering how we're going to make it all work.  It's CHAOS (or in home owner parlance, Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). But it's all controlled creative chaos - yes, we actually know what we're doing! - and at the end of the day the final results speak for themselves.

Before:                                                                     During:

After:

Check out this house and others that we've staged at our Gallery.

All the best,
Monica