Rooms in Bloom Blog

The Joys of having a Partner

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:50:21 -0500

My partner Alana and I started our business nineteen months ago with a great combination of design background/experience, an inventory of home decor accessories .. and a passion for making spaces beautiful. We were lucky and landed some great contracts right away and with lots of smart marketing, hard work and combined efforts we have made Rooms in Bloom a well known name in the real estate community.

Along the way we have had numerous people make well meant comments on the fact that we are partners in what is usually a solo career. Profits are split down the middle and when you're starting a young company that can be a tough reality.

My partner and I see that - we have lived it - but we don't share a moment's regret for choosing to be partners. Everyday we say to each other - and to others - that we cannot imagine how other stagers make it on their own. We both bring to the table so many different strengths and the combination has made it possible for us to handle many different facets in our growing business very quickly. We both handle consultations - for the first year we did them together because we felt it was a learning process we needed to both experience - and now we are busy enough that we can do them separately. Our approach towards staging is different as well - but in the end we both arrive at the same design from different perspectives. We aren't afraid to voice a different opinion and sometimes its those small changes that make the difference between a good staging design and a great one. We support each other tirelessly and joke that we need to move our families into one huge home so we can cut down on our phone bills!

When one of us is sick (or our kids are sick) the other one picks up the slack without pause. When we're feeling down or we're just not feeling the design, we've got someone to talk to who "gets it". We offer each other different points of view and we respect each other's opinion and point of view which means we are open to things we might never have considered on our own. From our perspective, if a staging business survives and becomes successful it will grow and the designer will have to take on new staff or a partner at some point. Better to start with a partner, grow together, develop the business together and share in twice the success!

In two weeks we will be furnishing two model homes. Getting ready for that big day is not something either one of us would have wanted to tackle on our own. Not only that, we wouldn't have wanted to accomplish it alone. Sharing the success just makes it all that much sweeter.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

New Website and Logo

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:02:41 -0500

I am very pleased to announce that my partner and I have a new logo and website! When we started our business just over a year ago, we chose a standard logo and I designed and wrote our website. It worked really well for us however over the past few months it has become more important to us to showcase our work with a more elegant and polished image.

We are very proud of the new website and hope you will take the time to have a peek!

www.homestagingdesign.ca

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Realtors: Talking to Your Clients about Home Staging

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:34:16 -0500

My last post was about home staging from the point of view of the seller. I tried to illustrate the fact that sellers while they might have a glamorized idea of what home staging is, they don't really understand how it works. In addition, it's vital that home stagers understand a seller's anxiety and trepidation on having professionals come through and critique their home. Putting sellers at ease is key to getting their trust and to ensure that they understand the stager's vision and be open to suggestions.

Now its all about realtors. Currently, this is the toughest part of the equation although the why that is, baffles me. We partner with many realtors however their feedback when we first start working with them that even when they offer staging consultations as part of their services, they don't know how to "offer" the consult or how to explain to their clients about why they are bringing in a home stager. Right away, they find that their clients are on the defensive, wondering what is wrong with their home that they would need to have a professional come in. The realtors either don't know how to explain why it is they offer home staging or they don't explain it and give the client the option of opting out altogether.

So, I am now offering a script to the realtors we partner with. I have blogged before about why realtors should partner with a home stager however it seems we need to take that one step further.

I understand, to a certain degree, why a realtor might not be confident in their approach to home staging. However, its a powerful tool and when you're doing a job if there is a tool available to make your job easier and less stressful, why wouldn't you use it?

So here's what I suggest to realtors who use home staging as part of their listing services:

Bring it up right away and be candid that you use home staging for all your listings - be sure to mention why you use it and this is going to be your *staging pitch* so it needs to be personal and it needs to be genuine! Your client needs to understand that you're not attacking their personal design style, but that all the characteristics which make the home so distinctly theirs, are the ones which should be addressed. A neutral, clean and appealing home sells fast as buyers are looking for turnkey homes without the personal decor touches. By doing this, you cement the partnership you have with your stager in the eyes of the seller - and its essential for setting the right tone for the stager to walk into. Not only will your clients be more receptive to suggestions but they will be more willing to do more to ensure the house shows well.

Insist that your home stager communicate with you after the consultation. Make sure you are sent a copy of the consultation report so that you a part of the preparation process. If your clients want to stage themselves then you should be prepared to keep track of what's being done - and what's not being done. Unfortunately, it does happen that when a realtor brings in a home stager as opposed to the seller bringing in the stager, that the seller isn't as open to suggestions and is less inclined to follow them. Don't be swayed by this! You made a decision to offer home staging as part of your services and although you cannot force your clients to do any or all of the recommendations, you do want to make sure that you don't just "give up". If your sellers are not interested in doing any changes, list the home and gather feedback - all the while being consistent in mentioning key suggestions for changes. If the home is not selling, revisit the staging report and suggest that the sellers either do the changes themselves or call the professionals back in to do it for them. Sellers need to understand that there is a direct correlation between the appearance of a home and how fast it sells. Choosing to work with home stagers means you want your listings to be bright and appealing - and that they bring in the buyers who are willing to pay more money for homes which are turn key.

Be persistent and have confidence that offering home staging *will* make a difference in the quality of service you offer and the fact that it will have a positive impact on your business! The realtors we partner with all rave about our services and gush about our designs to their clients. The results? Their clients are much more open about home staging and because so much of real estate business comes through referrals, odds are high that new clients will already know and expect you to offer home staging AND they will be aware of the difference it made which immediately adds credibility and a level of polish to your reputation. The results are far reaching and when you forge that strong partnership with a home stager, you create a business relationship that will be beneficial and rewarding for many years to come!

Now, if you don't currently work with a professional home stager, you should start your research. Not all stagers are created equal, in fact anyone with a yen for decorating can be a stager. Staging courses are blitzing the media and while its good for stagers to have that training - don't assume that means they are capable of handling all types of staging jobs.

Here's some great things to look for:

Portfolio - This is the KEY in looking for a stager. Many inexperienced stagers offer either stock photos (photos used by their course or photos of other stager's work) and pass them off as their own. In addition, if the stager has few pictures and they are obviously of only one property - don't dismiss them out of hand - but carefully look at the photos. If you can see distinct transformations and get a sense of their creative style then consider them. If the stager cannot explain the changes between the before and after photos, tread carefully. Ideally, you want an experienced stager with a varied portfolio which clearly shows the transition in the homes they work in.

References and/or Testimonials - Ensure that the stagers have at least three solid references or client testimonials. This is a great way to ensure that the home stager has had some experience and has pleased his/her clients.

What do they offer realtors? - We have an extensive realtor package which we offer as part of our overall services. Our realtor partners recieve preferred pricing on consultation and staging time as well as taking priority when they call us. We are always searching for ways that we can improve the services we offer our realtor partners and make a point to touch base with them often to ensure they are happy with the partnership.

Once you do find a home stager which fits your needs, foster that relationship and grow together. There is no end to the benefits for you, the stager .. and all your clients.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Home Staging: From the Client's Perspective

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:12:21 -0500

Okay, so I thought I would write a few blog posts from the different perspectives of the people directly involved in the home selling process. This first one is going to be written from the perspective of the sellers - and trust me after talking to many of them and hearing their reactions (good and bad) and knowing how I would feel as a seller, I think I can make this believable. Why am I writing this? Because after listening to both sellers and realtors I realize there is a lot of miscommunication, misunderstandings, and trepidation which shouldn't be there when it comes to home staging! So here we go.

Alright, so you've picked a great realtor, you've discussing pricing and the listing date and you've signed on the dotted line .. and he casually tells you to expect a call from a home stager within the next day or two as home staging is part of his listing services. Blink, blink. Home staging? What's that? Your mind is frantically trying to figure out what he's talking about and when you remember because you just saw "the Stagers" on HGTV the other night, you clue in and look around the room a little wildly. Your gaze hits the small piles of papers your husband left out last night, a few of the kids toys on the floor and think .. I need home staging? You glance over at your husband and see the blank expression on his face and feel panic start to well ..

Your realtor has noticed you glancing around and he clears his throat, not quite meeting your gaze while you try to figure out if you're supposed to be offended or not. So, you decide to ask anyway.

"So you think my house needs home staging?"

Your realtor shifts in his chair, a little flustered at your question and then proceeds to tell you that he offers home staging with every listing and that it has nothing to do with me personally. Great. Doesn't really inspire you about home staging but at least he's not thinking your home is a complete dive. If you're lucky, you'll get to see a brochure about home staging and some background on why he thinks home staging is so important. If you're not lucky then at this point he'll simply point out a few things which should go away and leave the rest for the stagers. You've already noted those things but what you didn't see was that the bookshelves are crammed with books and pictures, that as you look in the kitchen the counters are covered with small appliances, dishes, lots of "rooster" themed figurines which match the rooster clock and plate set hanging on the wall. You don't see it, because to you, your house is perfect - and it is - but you can't see what a home stager could possibly do that you can't do yourself.

The next day, the home stager calls and you talk to her for a few minutes, listening as she introduces herself and chats about the benefits of home staging. She sounds nice, and its part of what your realtor offers, so you book an appointment with her for the following evening at 7pm. You get off the phone and wander around the house, trying to envision what changes you will have to make - and then you start feeling anxious because after seeing "the stagers" and looking up home staging online and seeing all those pictures of those "perfect" homes and you know you simply can't maintain a house which looks like that.

Throughout the course of the next day, prior to the stager arriving, you work tirelessly to clean the house and get it ready for the consultation. Laundry is done, rugs are vacuumed, counters are cleaned and obvious piles of clutter are put away. All great things. Then you start to get even more anxious and wonder if the stager is expecting more from your house so you pull out the candles you have stocked away and create little tableaus on your coffee tables. Still looking for ways to make sure your home impresses, you set the dining room table and kitchen table with plates, stemware, cutlery, napkins with either pretty napkin holders or napkins arranged fussily in wine glasses. Glancing at the time, you realize the home stager will be there at any point and you run around, looking in every room and wishing the consult was over because you think your house looks great and that buyers will love it .. and the doorbell rings.

You rush back downstairs and open the door to greet the home stager who is smiling and offering her hand to you. You shake it and ask her to come in, thinking she doesn't look like any of the stagers on HGTV and wondering if she is going to be getting her own show .. and she pulls you back by telling you what a lovely home you have.

She sits down with you for a few minutes and she asks about your home, listening quietly and then she talks a little about home staging and why its important. She talks knowledgeably about what buyers are looking for and as you listen, you realize that your blood pressure has gone down and you're not feeling quite so anxious. She takes out her portfolio and suggests you take a look at it while she is going through your home .. and then she asks for a tour. Feeling more anxious, you take her through your home, however as you go from room to room, she offers compliments on various items and you begin to feel better because you love your home and are justifiably proud of it. After the tour, she explains that she works alone, going back through your home and making lists of recommendations which will help your home appeal to as many buyers as possible. You retreat to the living room and wait, picking up her portfolio and thumbing through it. You are impressed by her photos and its evident that she knows what she is doing because there are visible transformations with each set of pictures. You read her brochure and even look her up online, feeling more and more impressed because her website is full of great information and is very professional and appealing. You look at more pictures and glance around the room, all of a sudden excited to hear her suggestions for making your home appealing to buyers - because that's the end goal and you'd love to have multiple offers for it.

Once she is done, she comes back and sits down with you and your husband. She offers to walk you and your husband through your home and discuss some of her recommendations. She smiles a lot and compliments several pieces of furniture which makes both of you feel better and then she talks about paring down some of the items in your hutch and buffet. You're unsure, however she talks about how its going to really show off the few items she wants you to showcase and you - seeking reassurance - go and take out everything but your favourite wine glasses and crystal bowl on one side of the buffet. She helps you re-arrange them and when you step back, you see exactly what she means. Next she convinces you that the tables don't need to be set, that a great centerpiece with some bright florals or a candlescape and you start to get into the spirit. Next she takes you in the kitchen and talks about taking down all the rooster accessories, the magnets and pictures on the fridge and keeping the counters clear of almost everything .. and suddenly you see what she is getting at. In the next few rooms, you suggest things and you see her eyes light up and her smile widen as she nods encouragingly. Your husband is looking at you, nodding himself, and then when the consult is over and you're shaking her hand and thanking her, you feel so much lighter. She promises to have the step by step report to you the next day so that you have a checklist to use and you think, this is great .. now we have a plan!

You walk around after she has left, taking down things she discussed and moving furniture to new locations and you think .. wow, she's right! You think back to your original conversation with your realtor about home staging and wonder what got you so concerned. Then you realize .. its because there wasn't really an explanation about home staging, which is why you got so worked up and worried that somehow your home was lacking in some way. You get into bed and talk with your husband about all the different changes, both of you a little excited, and then you go to sleep, eagerly anticipating the report and all the things you can do tomorrow to make your home show its best so it sells fast and for as much money as possible.

I could go on here, but you get the idea. I have been on the seller's end of things and I wish that someone had talked to me about home staging. I knew that my house had to be clean but because it was my home, I never saw my decor items, personal colour choices, everyday clutter as problems. As a professional home stager, I encounter people every day with the same mindset. In the last while, I have gone to quite a few consult appointments which are the result of the realtors we partner with and meet clients who are anxious, on guard and unsure of what to expect. Through the course of conversations, I get the very strong impression that the realtors we work with, while they are offering consults with us, they aren't offering much in the way of information about home staging or about my company in particular. They aren't showing the brochures I had printed up for this very reason or the small photo portfolio we give every one of them. This stuns me. In a lot of situations, our clients are so anxious that they have spent hours staging their homes themselves .. before we get there. Having to tell them to undo what they've done is stressful for us because we can see how proud they are of it.

So, I thought I would write a candid, offbeat and hopefully humourous view of the process to showcase the clients often go through before we get there. I am hoping that by doing this, and then writing of the same process from both the realtor and home stager's points of view that everyone involved can get broader view of the situation. We don't want clients to stress and fret and spend hours staging before we get there. I hope that by writing this, I can get some feedback on things we can all do to help make this experience better for everyone involved. If you are a seller and you are reading this, and your realtor does offer home staging as part of his listing services, we encourage you to ask him about it. If he doesn't offer pictures of information or even a website then ask him to provide it. If your realtor doesn't offer home staging .. maybe you should ask him if he will!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Dealing with a "Dated" Home

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:18:37 -0500

My partner and I were called in to do a consultation at a home last week. My partner's aunt raves about us (we helped her sell her home in less than a week) and the lady we were doing a consult for is a close friend of my partner's aunt. This lady was candid with my partner and told her several things:

1) Her home had gotten the feedback that it was dated and a lot of work. To be candid, it's a lovely home however its very personally decorated. From murals in the ensuite and main bath of a beach in tuscany to stylized paint in the connecting hallways and stairway to paint/wallpaper combinations of many of the rooms. In addition, the living room is being used as a music room and the sellers have 3 huge TV's in the family room, basement and master bedroom. The artwork is predominantly chinese and the sellers have tons of things .. and they are everywhere.

2) She called a local Haverhill stager to come in before she knew about Rooms in Bloom. The stager came in, walked around and came back the next day with a "quote" which comprised a lined piece of paper with a few notes on it and a total of $8,000 to update the home. She told the sellers they had to change out all the countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms to granite, paint every room, rent furniture and .. more. None of which was on the "quote". And the quote didn't include the staging fees .. there was no price for that as far as we could tell.

3) The realtor is anti-staging. He knows its dated and has told the sellers not to do anything. There is a conditional offer on the home which expires July 31st - for significantly less than what our sellers feel their home is worth. They are willing to do the work required however until the conditional offer expires they can't do anything beyond cosmetic touches. The sellers are frustrated. They want their home to sell and they know by doing nothing they are losing equity in their home. They "get it" and are frustrated that their agent doesn't.

My partner met with the sellers last week and they opted to work with us than Haverhill. We went through today, de-cluttered, took down the asian art and replaced it with our neutral artwork and decor accessories, moved furniture around and made the home feel more modern. We couldn't help the paint/wallpaper issues at this point however we hope by neutralizing the home that buyers walking through will get a better sense of the potential of the home.

The lady who hired us was very emotional when we left and hugged us, thanking us for our help. We know if the conditional offer does expire that on August 1st we will be back, looking at the home with fresh eyes and the ability to deal with the paint/wallpaper issues in order to create a cohesive staging design. We hope that our client gets another (better) offer after our efforts today so they don't have to go through that renovation process however we can also see how the home will look once the decor has been updated and know that once buyers get a glimpse of the home re-done, they will be fighting to buy it!

We hope we can get the agent to see just how much easier the process would be if there weren't comments about how dated the house is and how much work it would be to update it. Pricing the home right is vital however the presentation has to justify the asking price! We all know that buyers will pay more money for a home which is "turn key" so advising clients to do nothing is losing them money and decreasing his commission! Staging isn't expensive and all of our clients would emphatically state how vital it is to the real estate process. Investing some money so that presentation of a home justifies its asking price results in fewer DOM, more interested buyers, the strong possibility of multiple offers and a higher selling price.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Model Condo: Staged & Stunning!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:26:00 -0500

I just want to thank everyone who responded to my blog post about hanging things on exposed brick walls - they were all really helpful! The builder however was really against "anything" being hung there so we worked around it and here is the finished product!

You can view more of the "Before & Afters" at our Facebook Fan Page @ http://www.facebook.com/ads/manage/#/pages/Kitchener-ON/Rooms-in-Bloom-Home-Staging/19265825355

This condo was just over 500 sq feet and when you have such a small space its vital to ensure that NONE of it is wasted! We were concerned because the living room space was tight and there was this huge space as you entered the condo, right around the kitchen. We didn't want buyers to wonder what to do with the space so we came up with a great solution!

Below is how we handled the focal wall in the living room space without hanging anything. We think it turned out beautifully!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Beautiful Branchton Home - Staged & SOLD in 3 Days!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:16:03 -0500

We had the opportunity to work with some great sellers at a stunning home in Branchton. After doing a consultation for them, we advised them on everything from paint colours to new lighting for the dining room and powder room. We then came in and staged last week with some great rental furniture, our home decor accessories and combined them with the seller's existing furniture.

The results? Spectacular! I have created a great slideshow on Flickr for anyone who wants to view it and here is the link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roomsinbloom/sets/72157619783432236/

And the backyard is simply to die for ... I'm trying to convince my husband we need to buy this home! LOL! Its one of the downfalls when you work in the real estate industry and can appreciate beautiful homes that every once in awhile you tumble into love with a property. Well this one's "it" for me! We'll see ..

Here are a few pics below to give you an idea of the home:

UPDATE: This home sold in 3 days for 99.4% of the asking price! The sellers opted, against the advice of their Realtor to list it $30K above the suggested listing price - and boy did that pay off! The buyer loved the home so much she stretched her budget by 100K to buy this home! The sellers are so thrilled that they have asked us to redesign their new home!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Stratford Home Polished Up!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:57:10 -0500

We work with several realtors in Stratford and we got called in to stage at a home where the home owner had done a lot in the way of renovations. It was actually the mirror image of a vacant home we had staged in the area with the exception that our client had blown out the back of the home to add a gourmet kitchen, a great room, another bathroom and office. The realtor we work with said the home had great bones, it just needed some "tarting up" as the occupants were men and there was very little in the way of cohesive and modern design elements.

So - here are a few pics of the home. We think it looks great!

This room had a sofa, loveseat, 2 large armchairs, coffee and end table set plus floor lamp. We took out the loveseat, floor lamp and re-positioned the chairs so that we created a cozy conversation area. We also found matching table lamps within the house and re-united them in this room. End result? Space looks larger, more contemporary and very inviting.

Below is the Great Room:

Again, lots of furniture. We had a fireplace which should be the focal point but which was overwhelmed by furniture and competing with the TV for attention. Below is our solution:

By removing extra furniture pieces, shifting the TV into the far left corner and moving the chaise across from the sofa, we create a cohesive and inviting room. In addition, the fireplace is now "the" focal point in the room with the addition of a great tiled mirror and some contemporary accessories. What's not to appreciate here?

Another "Before" shot ...

And here is the "After" ...

Below is a picture of the fab kitchen - we just LOVE it!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Why Home Staging is crucial for Internet Listings (or Speed Dating for Houses as we call it)!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:47:25 -0500

My partner and I recently did a presentation for a Home Buyers & Sellers Seminar this past week and one of the things we talked about seemed to resonate strongly with our crowd. That is the importance of home staging to a home's pictures online, which is the place to shop for a home these days.

We call shopping for a home online "speed dating". Its very similar to going out to one of those speed dating events where you have only a certain amount of time to impress another person enough that they want to get your contact information in order to see you again. The home buying process is changing dramatically and we stress to our clients, realtor partners and sellers that 92% of Buyers are shopping online first! If your home's pictures don't impress them them within seconds they are on to the next listing with no hope of you ever even getting them to visit your house. In order to get their attention and keep it, your pictures need to reflect the upgraded lifestyle they are searching for.

For example, if you came across the following pictures, which one would you want to contact the Realtor about?

And yes, the above pictures are the *same* room however if the sellers had not brought in Rooms in Bloom and decided to just go with what was there, we're pretty sure the house would not have sold the first day it was up for sale and for the full asking price (which it did). The sellers in this particular case were very market savvy and knew without being told that work had to be done before the house went on the market. This is not always the case, in fact, its not often the case.

Pictures are crucial. They are the deciding factor between having a Buyer flip through listings online and having them make an appointment to see your house. We see so many pictures which do not in any way complement the home and these pictures are put up by sellers and realtors alike. This is a shame because after visiting some of these listings, many of them had so much potential which is not showcased online.

So how do you impress those discerning and internet savvy Buyers? Here are a couple of tips:

Have your home professionally staged. 90% of Sellers cannot objectively view their own homes and therefore cannot see the clutter and too personal decor choices which turn off Buyers. Professional Home Stagers are trained to objectively view the home exactly as a Buyer would and they know what Buyers are looking for so they can skillfully maximze a home's focal areas and minimize its weaknesses. Home Staging costs less than a price reduction once a home is listed for sale and it builds equity so that when it sells there is more money for the next home. Home Staging isn't about decorating to suit one family's tastes - its about preparing a home so that it appeals to all tastes which then ensures the house will sell faster with more offers. Why wait for that one Buyer who will appreciate one person's design style? It just doesn't make sense. With home staging, ensure your property is remembered hours, days and even weeks later.

Have your home professionally photographed. Once your home has been staged, ensure that the pictures taken are done so by a professional. Rooms in Bloom works with professional photographers for every staging project and offers them to the realtor and sellers at a great price. This way you have the best looking pictures possible and you will capture the attention of every Buyer, regardless of whether they are shopping online or in person.

So just like you would dress up for that speed dating event, make sure that if you are listing your home for sale this spring that you dress it up to appeal to as many potential Buyers as possible. With so much competition out there its important to stand out from the crowd!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Waterloo - Vacant Home "Before & After" Pictures

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 23:44:28 -0500

Rooms in Bloom staged a vacant home in Waterloo this past week. We took an awkward layout and made it seem both cozy - and contemporary!

We have contracts for five other vacant homes in upcoming weeks. After forwarding RESA's staging statistics to many Realtors, we have gotten a phenomenal response!

Please let us know your feedback on our pictures!

Living Room "Before"

Living Room/Dining Room "After"

Dining Room "Before"

Dining Room "After"

Family Room "Before"

Family Room "After"

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

A really interesting consultation ...

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:39:59 -0600

My partner and I were called this week to do a consultation on a listing, by a realtor who had never used our services before. This realtor had never used a home stager but after viewing our website and viewing some of our brochures left at his office, had decided to call us.

We arrived at the property - well drove right past it because the sign was buried in the snow and what was showing, was plastered with more snow. One of the first things we did was use our car brushes and clear off the sign so it was at least obvious the home was for sale.

The realtor was charming - my partner would say "yummy" with a great voice and lots of enthusiasm for staging. We found out during the course of conversation that the realtor felt he had been too lenient on the sellers - not really putting his foot down about getting repairs done, about insisting that cleaning and de-cluttering be done.

Our first impressions were that it was a good sized house on a great lot. The area was prime and the house had certainly been shown enough to get at least one offer - it had had 40 showings in just under two months. Not one offer however and we quickly discerned why that was.

First - the overwhelming amount of personal items - from an amazing amount of personal phots on almost every wall in every room. Cut outs of cats, fake ivy draped everywhere, furniture awkwardly arranged throughout the house and a complete mix of decorating styles. It was very overwhelming to look at. In addition, the carpeting in the living room and up the stairs throughout the upper level was dusty rose. The paint colour, which was quite neutral, had pink undertones so the overall effect was of pink - everywhere.

Feedback on the home indicated that most buyers felt the home was too dated and too small for the price point - and too much work. This is something we address with so many sellers - making sure rooms have "just enough" furniture and that the overall decor is neutral without overwhelming tones of any color. Buyers will pay more for a home which doesn't require that they rip out all the carpets and have to paint every room. We know eventually they *will* paint, however most don't want to have the pressure of doing so right when they move in.

The final sticking point was the basement. With walls crowded with personal photos, and an open area with furniture spread around the edges and no discernable purpose to the room - buyers would end up being totally confused and overwhelmed by the space. Its never good to leave it up to the buyers to figure out the purpose of a room. Always, always define it for them. That way they will be able to envision their own items in the space - otherwise they will just shake their heads and move on. Also - personal photos are important to keep and use when you are living in a home - but not when selling it.

We told the realtor that with some de-cluttering, different furniture arrangement, neutral artwork & decor, and a neutral carpet - this home would appear much larger, much more functional and be incredibly appealing. He wanted to start right away! The hard sell will be the sellers who don't want to put an ounce of effort or money into the house - however they want to sell desperately. Realistically, without these changes, this house doesn't stand a chance of selling anytime soon and for even close to the asking price. We fully anticipate having to do a "tough sell" for these home owners however, as we tell other sellers, you need to be prepared to do what it takes when it comes to selling their homes.

One thing we know for certain however, is that the realtor is now sold on our services and is now convinced how important it is to use professional home stagers to help get every listing prepared properly for sale.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Vacant Home Staging Basics

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:52:05 -0600

This is an article I wrote which is being featured not only in Rooms in Bloom's newsletter, but several other Realtor newsletters in our area. I just thought I would share. Also - if anyone else has any input on how they handle inquiries about the feasibility of staging vacant homes, I would love to hear what you say. For us, we get inquiries daily which is why I thought I would write this short article.

Vacant Home Staging Basics

Yesterday, my partner Alana and I received our third inquiry from a Realtor about what was involved in staging an empty house they had listed. This particular house had gone on the market at the beginning of December and had received very little interest. The family had already moved out and left nothing behind. We were asked by the realtor, did we think it was worth it to stage the house to garner fresh leads and interest from buyers? Well, you tell us what you think. Of the two photos below, which one would you rather market or buy? Which one do you think would give buyers the best sense of room proportions and house potential?

Yes, maybe after viewing the pictures it seems fairly common sense to invest the money in staging as the results are spectacular. However, the cost of vacant home staging can be quite prohibitive for realtors and sellers alike. We strive to point out however; we live in an age where buyers are incredibly discriminating. People expect the home they will be will buy to mirror something they have seen on HGTV so the staging cost needs to be factored into the basic house selling budget. It's important to realize that only 10% of buyers have the ability to realize a home's potential - regardless of whether it is staged or not. That means if a house isn't showing well, then the sellers are missing out on connecting with 90% of the people walking through the home. With those kinds of statistics, sellers can't afford not to stage their homes.

Vacant home staging is an essential way of getting buyers to connect emotionally to a house. Stark, empty rooms only tell potential buyers that this house is unloved and fails to project the image of a lifestyle which someone will want to buy into. This is why model homes are always furnished. Empty models are just empty rooms. When someone buys a home, they are buying into a lifestyle, envisioning their new lives within the walls of that house. Furniture gives buyers an excellent sense of a room's proportions in addition to defining the spaces so that there is never any guesswork as to what a room's purpose is. In addition, if that house also has any design flaws, required repair work or obvious faults, there is nothing to distract a buyer from focusing on that particular element. For example, we staged a huge home recently which was beautiful but had acres of white carpets which desperately needed to be cleaned and stretched. Without furniture, there was nothing to distract buyers from thinking of how much money it would take to make the carpets livable - or to replace them altogether. This home had sat on the market for six months before we staged it, and then within two weeks of staging it received multiple offers.

So what exactly is involved in staging a vacant home? First, there is the initial consultation where professional home stagers will come out and view the home, take measurements and create a room by room design. Yes, there is usually a cost associated with this service however it is an essential part to the process. The second step is to decide how much of the house you want to furnish. Depending on the house and the layout, you may or may not have to furnish every room. We stress main living areas, master bedrooms and bathrooms as those areas garner the most interest from buyers. Some homes, due to their open concept design would look awkward unless all connected rooms are staged. Your home staging professional will be able to advise you on exactly what should be done to create the overall effect you need to lock in people's interest and emotions.

This means that once furnished, the seller will be paying a monthly cost to continue to rent the furnishings. This cost is a percentage of the overall cost of the items being rented and can range from $36 for a set of lamps to $250 for a complete bedroom set. This cost should go down for subsequent months as long as the home staging company has negotiated those terms with their furniture rental company. Rooms in Bloom always tells their clients that after the first month's rental, the furnishings cost goes down 10% for each subsequent month.

When we talk to our clients about staging their vacant homes and they balk at the cost, we caution them to view the big picture. If their house sits on the market for 120+ days (national average according to the statistics from the Real Estate Staging Association), can they afford the carrying costs for two homes? Of course there is never a guarantee that staging will ensure the house sells, however staging has been proven to help sell a home in a third of the time than an un-staged home. Selling a house is stressful at the best of times, but using the tools at your disposal to give your property the best possible chance at selling fast and for top dollar can't be discounted.

So, you decide - which house would you be drawn to from the pictures below? This is the tangible effect staging has on potential buyers. In an age where people want the house of their dreams but are less willing to put in the work to achieve it, staging fills the gap and gives buyers what they are searching for.

Heather Cook, Rooms in Bloom Stylist, January 2009.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Vacant home staged and SOLD!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:07:41 -0600

Back in September, we were contacted by a realtor's office whom we partner with and told that one of their clients needed our staging expertise as he had a vacant home on the market and it wasn't getting much interest - and had in fact been up for sale since the beginning of June.

We did a consultation and staged after some issues with the home owner (he was against staging as he didn't want to spend any money). We staged at the end of October and the house got three offers within three weeks and then sold firm! We just de-staged and the realtor was so impressed that he signed an exclusive contract with us!

Here are some pictures of which we are incredibly proud!

Formal Living Room "Before"

Formal Living Room "After"

Formal Dining Room "Before"

Formal Dining Room "After"

Family Room "After"

Kitchen "After"

Master Bedroom "After"

We were sad to take this all down but the staging worked! We are thrilled for the home owner who finally sold his home and the new owners (we are helping them stage their home) who are very excited to live here. We have already been booked to come and re-design this house once the new owners move in.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Why should a Realtor partner with a Home Stager?

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:13:44 -0500

Ever since we started our business, we have been very blessed in working with knowledgeable and really savvy realtors. From the start, these realtors weren't asking why they should use our services for their listings - they were telling US why! I find that incredibly refreshing after encountering other realtors who just can't see the merit in home staging.

A lot of the realtors who don't see the merit, are also unable to see past the expense of hiring a home stager to do consultations for their clients. We offer special realtor rates to agents who use our services on a regular basis - as many other home staging companies do. This makes it affordable to include a home staging consultation in with the other services realtors offer and it sets them apart - especially where we live because home staging is not as prevalent yet.

When we chat about the benefits of offering home staging consults as part of a realtor's services, we generally give the following reasons why it's so important:

Offering a home staging consult tells the client right away how committed the agent is to ensuring that the house sells fast and for top dollar
Emphasizes to the client the importance of the home's appearance and creates an understanding that there is definitely a strong connection between the listing price and the readiness of the house prior to putting it on the market
Allows the realtor to maintain strong client relations as a third party critique distances the agent from the recommendations being made but also ensures that the items which need to be done, will be done so that the realtor can sell the house quickly and for as close to the asking price as possible.
Helps in all the marketing a realtor has to do in order to get the home sold - the property will look good both online and in person so the house, statistically speaking, will have fewer DOM
Will impress clients - especially the ones who are increasingly cognizant of how vital appearance is. We work with home owners all the time who are HGTV savvy and who are willing to put some money into their homes in order to get them sold. This is not a trend which is not going to disappear anytime soon - it is the real estate service in the U.S and is gaining increasing popularity in Canada.

Establishing a partnership with a great staging company as well will give realtors referral clients because we do a lot of work with clients who are getting ready to list and who haven't yet contacted an agent. We refer these clients to agents we have a great relationship with and it has worked out profitably for them when they get a listing that's already ready and the clients are eager to work with them because they have worked with us!

We are aware that not every listing requires full staging. Some listings just need a stager to go through and create a report for them to follow - but at least the clients have that report and if that's all the money that is spent then is a really inexpensive way to ensure the house looks great! When more than a report is required and real work needs to be done on a listing then choosing a home staging company which has great professional trade resources is a vital. Our company, Rooms in Bloom, works with a great team of trades which we use when our clients need more than just staging.

Partnerships are vital in any profession however in real estate, when people's lives are put on hold while they are selling their homes, everyone involved in that field needs to support and work with each other to help ease the stress. We always maintain that home staging is a powerful tool which should be utilized so that everyone benefits: the sellers, the buyers, the realtors and the home stagers!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Stunning Stratford House

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:09:29 -0500

We were called in to stage a vacant house before it went on the market - the home owners had been advised by a savvy realtor to do so. We were called and the result? A beautiful home!

We have a great slideshow of the pictures at www.roomsinbloom.org under the featured homes section. I tried loading pictures however I kept encountering errors and got frustrated - sorry everyone - but please do take a look!

Family Room "After" - Before we started all there was in this room was a giant fish tank! We worked with the paint colors and created a wonderful oasis.

Living Room/Dining Room "After" - We had to work with the pine log wall, stone fireplace and existing paint colors. Luckily, it all came together in a very harmonious end design. This room reminded us a lot of a log cabin and we loved the idea of snuggling up on the couch with a steaming hot chocolate and a roaring fire.

If you'd like to see more photos - I'm only going to load up these two as I keep having issues with this feature - you can see the entire slideshow on our website under "featured homes".

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Lovely Bungalow - Staged & Sold in under 10 days for 98% of Asking Price!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:47:08 -0500

This house is a lovely bungalow which we were called in to help with before it went on the market. The home owner was an older lady who had moved to a nursing home and her relatives who lived outside the country were put in charge of getting the house sold. Our first impressions of the house were a lot of wallpaper, clutter and religious items. We were hired to stage but also to manage the wallpaper removal/painting project, general repairs and to de-clutter the house.

Once done, the house was neutral and appealing to a wide range of buyers - and within 10 days a young family had snapped the house up!

Small second bedroom. This room actually contained a double bed and the larger bedroom contained this single bed. We switched them and then had all the patterned wallpaper, flowery border and religious effects taken down.

Second bedroom "after" we were finished.

Master Bedroom "before" but also after we had the pink wall colour neutralized and the flowery border removed.

Master Bedroom "After"

Dining Room Area "Before"

Dining Room Area "After"

Living Room "Before"

Living Room "After"

All in all, we were really pleased with how the house turned out. We believe that by removing all the wallpaper/borders and staging the home simply we allowed buyers to see the potential and charm of the home.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Vacant House Staged to Perfection!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:19:41 -0500

We got referred to clients in Guelph who had had their house on the market since June however it hadn't had any action. A lot of the feedback was negative because the rooms seemed really small and buyers couldn't imagine their furniture fitting into the space. The home owners had done a lot of work updating the space with neutral paint color, new flooring and updated fixtures in the bathroom.

We came in and added furniture and purpose to each room, even a small room which previously seemed like wasted space and we staged as a small home office!

We staged the Master Bedroom upstairs in the loft area and it turned out beautifully. Previously buyers didn't think they could actually use it as a bedroom.

Lovely Bathroom with some simple touches - a framed print to complement the mirror and lovely small acessories to soften the room.

Front bedroom - we knew this room could support at least a double bed and we were right!

The smallest bedroom and our personal favourite! Love the sunburst mirrors!

Living room is lovely and spacious!

A great shot of the dining room and living room.

This is the smallest room and a breezeway to the upstairs. It was too small to be a bedroom and was dismissed by buyers as 'wasted space'. Not anymore!

Our home owners are thrilled with the results and they had two showings afterwards where the buyers stood in front of the house for over 45 minutes each. This is very different from the other showings where the buyers just jumped in the car after seeing the house and raced off! Apparently one of the couples has asked to see the house again today - so who knows??

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Labour of Love: House Looks Beautiful and Sold within 24 hours of first Open House!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:26:11 -0500

We were called in by the home owner to help get this beautiful home in tip top shape before going on the market. We were hired as project managers and home stagers so we have overseen every step of this process and both my partner and I are a little sad that it's over. We're wildly elated for the home owners who listed the property privately as within 24 hrs of their first open house they got an unconditional offer for full asking price - but we're sad to say goodbye to this labour of love. This home was built in 1917 and is just abrim with character, detail and potential. We love it!! I joked that if my husband and I were considering buying the house ourselves!

You also have to understand that the house when we first saw it was in need of repairs, new floors, de-cluttering and new paint. The home owners had four university aged children who had kept all their possessions in the house and it helped contribute to the overall well-lived in atmosphere. In order to try and make order of all of the household items, home made shelving units in every room which took away from the size of the rooms and all the shelving units were overflowing with possessions. It was very overwhelming. We had to see past all that to what we knew the house could be - because honestly, the house had awesome potential. The home owners who loved their home knew this, which is why they contacted us in the first place!

The front of the house "after" our landscapers came in and removed the solid wall of ground cover, trees blocking the front porch and added a lawn in front of the house.

Living Room "after" we had the wall colour neutralized (it was a reddish-orange hue which is a great personal colour, but doesn't appeal to everyone) and took away all the excess furniture, musical instruments and excess clutter. Our furniture layout and accessories simply bring into focus the gorgeous wood trim and original stained glass windows.

The dinette "after" we had the make-shift desk taking up the whole wall where the pew rests, taken away. We also had the flower border and bright pink wall colour neutralized. We replaced the chipped flooring with this neutral laminate tile and staged the room simply with a bistro set so the full beauty of the room shines through. Those windows look out on a gorgeous backyard and it's a perfect spot to begin your day.

This is the Master Bedroom "After" our staging efforts. I included two shots because we are thrilled with how the room turned out. Previously the room had built in shelving units on the wall with the window and a window seat with heavy curtains. By taking that away, neutralizing the wall colour (it was yellow - a great personal choice - just not always a great staging choice) and staging with simple and lovely accessories, the size and beauty of the room is apparent.

This is the sunroom adjoined to the Master Bedroom "After" we had the entire room emptied of stacks of boxes and excess furniture. We had the floor and walls repainted, the heavy drapes taken down and then staged with simple furniture and accessories. We Love this room and the windows now open up on the magnificent views from the room. We also want to state that this room was used during the summer as a sleeping area (the home owners felt they were sleeping among the trees) and that at the time we initially viewed it, it was temporarily being used as a storage area. The home owners were savvy enough to know that showing the room this way wouldn't allow buyers to appreciate the space as they themselves had appreciated it.

There are more pictures and if you would like to see them, simply send me an email. There were two other bedrooms, the kitchen, the bathroom and the loft which we had redone as well. All in all, this was an arduous and multi-week project and the end results are stunning.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Beautiful Little House - Great "Before & After" Shots!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:33:44 -0500

We got called in to help get a great little bungalow ready for sale about two and a half weeks ago. The owner is an elderly lady who is now living in a retirement home and her family is selling her house for her. As part of our services, we also manage projects like having all the wallpaper taken down and all the rooms freshly painted. We de-cluttered, staged and voila! The house shows beautifully!

Living Room "Before"

Living Room "After"

Master Bedroom "Before"

Master Bedroom "After"

2nd Bedroom "Before"

2nd Bedroom "After"

Bathroom "Before"

Bathroom "After"

Dining Room "Before"

Dining Room "After"

We are going to post the rest of the pictures on our website www.roomsinbloom.org so be sure to take a peek in the coming week!

This house is currently for sale and can be found at http://rex.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=1572875977&s=KWR&t=KWR

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

"Blossom" Package made the difference!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:12:53 -0500

We were asked a little over three weeks ago to go in to a house which had been listed for over 90 days without selling and do what we term as our "blossom" package. Basically that includes 2 hours of our time and a set amount of merchandise - and we usually go into the house sight unseen. It's a great pick me up for houses which aren't selling and not expensive either for agents or home owners.

For this particular property we moved furniture, took down family photos, de-cluttered and added splashes of color to otherwise bland rooms. The agent Loved it and is sending us into another stale listing early next week ..

Well we just got word this week that 13 days after staging, the house sold!

I do have pictures - on our Facebook Fan page for Rooms in Bloom. I just can't seem to upload them here so if you would like to take a look, here is the website:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waterloo-ON/Rooms-in-Bloom-Home-Staging/19265825355

My apologies, I will get better at this!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Convenience is so appealing for clients!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:21:26 -0500

This past week, my partner Alana and I got contracts signed for two staging projects which are slated to finish in the next three weeks. For each of these projects, we went in like usual and did full consultations with detailed recommendations and presented these reports to our clients. I should mention that we have noticed a growing trend towards convenience - ie. clients want us to take care of the recommendations and bring in the professionals to give quotes and do the jobs.

These last two were much much bigger than what we'd dealt with before. In fact, with very minor exceptions both clients signed on to do an expansive list of renovations which needed to be done as both homes hadn't really been kept up. We were hired to do both the staging and the project management of both houses - and this is a trend we definitely see continuing. We're very lucky in that we work with a great team of professionals who give Rooms in Bloom great prices which we can then pass onto our clients. It's great to be able to say during a consultation that yes, these items need doing and we can bring in professionals who will give you affordable quotes. We also encourage clients to get outside quotes - so that they can be involved and know they are getting the best price - however many are choosing not to do that. They like the convenience of having us do it for them and are confident in our abilities.

Both Alana and myself are happy to offer these additional services. We were out doing just a staging job this past week and afterwards we were pumped because this is the area we love - and we know we are good at it. As much as we enjoy the project management, the purity of staging is what keeps us going!

So, here's to convenience as long as at the end of the projects we can do what we do best - staging!!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Home Staging Training - Ideas and Advice?

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:32:06 -0500

I recently got a call from a friend of mine who, after trying many home based businesses, has decided that home staging is *the* business for her. She has enrolled in the Haverhill course and is studying feverishly to get her certification. She asked me for tips and advice about getting started in the business - and then asked me if I would hire her once she was done. I responded politely that at this point my partner and I weren't considering hiring additional stagers, but that might change as the business grows. My main problem was that although I like this person, I have watched her start (enthusiastically) different businesses and then grow disenchanted with them after only a few months time. She is paying quite a bit of money for this course too - $1000 or thereabouts - however it seems to be somewhat of a standard from the courses I researched.

I have let this particular friend use my home to do her "staging" projects and while listening to her talk about what she is being taught, I began to wonder which staging course is the best one. Or is there a "best" one out there? With my background and degree in interior design & decorating, I haven't personally taken any of the home staging courses. Which isn't to say I won't in the future - I like to keep up with current trends and am always interested in learning new ideas, tips & tricks - however I wondered what everyone's opinions were on the various courses that are available out there now.

The ones I have personally looked up are:

Certified Staging Professional (CSP)

Accredited Staging Professional (ASP)

Decorating Diva (Online courses through Debra Gould)

Haverhill

QCDesign School

.. just to name a few!

With so many of these courses springing up, how do you tell which one has the best value for your money ? Is it better to take an online course versus a 3 day seminar? Is cost a factor or does it contribute at all towards the quality of the course and materials offered?

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Staging sealed the deal!

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:33:37 -0500

Funny story.

Got a call from a real estate agent I had met about two and a half weeks ago. We had met at a networking event and we had chatted about my company and what kind of services we offered. This agent called me on a Monday evening, said she was doing a realtor's open house the following morning and could I come in and do a little staging to help the house look presentable. Of course, I had never been to the house, never met the sellers .. nothing.

I agreed to come in, however I couldn't actually get in until half an hour before the open house. With the speed of super woman and the help of my partner, we managed to de-clutter the main floor and accessorize the living room, dining room, kitchen and all the bathrooms. The realtor was stunned at the results and we joked that if this is what we could do in half an hour, with house sight unseen, imagine what we could do if we planned it out??!!

Anyhow - within four days of our staging efforts, the house sold for full asking price and everyone was thrilled. We have an appointment with the same realtor next week for another listing - however this time we're planning it out!!

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

Introductions

Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:05:24 -0500

I would just like to take a quick moment to introduce myself, and my company to the active rain website! My name is Heather Cook and my company, Rooms in Bloom, is a Home Staging company based in Kitchener-Waterloo.

My partner, Alana Merritt, and myself have a very strong background in interior decorating and creative design. We have been creating beautiful spaces for friends/family/colleagues for years now and realized that there is a definite demand for what we do! For us, it's a labor of love, and we thoroughly enjoy working with clients to help them realize the potential in their homes as they start the selling process. We have been told on numerous occasions that sellers didn't realize their homes could look this good - that once we had peeled back the clutter and staged the house they fell in love all over again with their home!

We have some great stories, some funny stories - and both Alana and I hope to share that with everyone who frequents this website. If you have any questions, or would like to know more about our company, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design