Sheila's Blog

Real estate agents find new niche

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:32:30 -0500

This was and article in our local newspaper today. This sounds like a great idea and one that could catch on all over. I thought about us stagers doing this, it may work for consultations, but not on the staging day itself. Does any other city besides Portland do this?

AP Photo/JOHN KLICKER Kirsten Kaufman, foreground, a realtor for Prudential Real Estate, and new home buyer Emily Gardener tour a house in North East Portland in Portland, Ore. Kaufman has a monthly bike tour for people who want an alternative to driving when they look for homes to buy. Gardener, a first-time home buyer, was thrilled with the street access to the garage and bike storage and said it was a major reason for wanting to buy the house.

Agents pedaling to make the sale

Realtors begin to market to growing bike crowd.

WHITNEY MALKIN
Associated Press Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. - With gas prices high, bicycles flying out of stores and a buyers' market for houses, a handful of real estate agents around the country are touting the two-wheeled appeal of their listings.

Some even show houses exclusively by bike, wheeling through the neighborhood with potential buyers to show off bike lanes and bike-focused businesses and repair shops.

Clad in a purple helmet with plastic flowers dangling from her handlebars, Portland's Kirsten Kaufman is part of a new generation of agents eager to replace the stereotypes

of hauling clients around in fancy sedans or SUVs.

The mother of three started hosting bike tours earlier this summer, doling out energy bars and apricots to a growing trail of clients whose passion for pedaling weighs heavily in their choice of homes. Some are hard-core cyclists. Others are moving into the city to avoid increasingly expensive and onerous commutes.

"It's becoming more common to see families committing to driving less," said Kaufman. "I think it's a part of the market that will continue to grow as gas gets more expensive."

Over the summer, sales of homes dipped by more than 15 percent from last year, according to the National Association of Realtors, leaving Kaufman and other agents looking for ways to spark business.

Bike agents say pedaling with clients is providing that boost. Behind a niche market that represents only a sliver of national sales is a bigger trend - a fundamental shift in the way people think about buying homes.

Real estate agents and industry surveys indicate that home buyers are placing more importance on cutting their gas bills and commute times and that homes near urban centers, and subway, train and bus stops are selling faster than those in the distant suburbs.

In June, a Coldwell Banker survey showed more than 95 percent of agents say rising gas prices are a concern to their clients. More than three-quarters of clients say higher fuel costs are increasing their desire for city living.

"Living out in the suburbs just isn't a big deal anymore," says Matt Kolb, a bike agent who owns Pedal to Properties, a Boulder, Colo., firm. "People want to live, work and go to school within a six block radius - that's changing the way they look at property."

Pedal to Properties has five agents and a fleet of 48 cruiser bikes and big plans for nationwide expansion. Next year, the company will stretch into Oregon and Texas.

"For people who want to drive less, it just makes sense that they'd be looking for different things in a neighborhood," said 35-year-old Emily Gardener, a Portland-woman who has been trolling for a new house with Kaufman on the same bike she uses to pedal into the office each day.

"Kirsten was able to see things about places we were looking that I don't think a normal agent would have noticed," she said.

Circling neighborhoods in northeast Portland, the duo passed on a number of homes. Some were just too far out to ride. Others had no handy place to store the bike or were cut off from easy biking by hostile traffic.

Earlier this month, Bikes Belong, a cycling advocacy group, conducted a 40-state survey that showed more than a third of stores are selling more bikes, and more than 95 percent of shops say customers are citing high gas prices as a reason for transportation-related purchases.

Portland State University urban planning professor Jennifer Dill has studied how neighborhood planning affects cycling habits, and advises home buyers to look for homes in areas with gridded street patterns and to avoid cul-de-sacs.

"On a bike, you want to minimize stopping," she said. "You're going to want to look at streets with low traffic volume."

But most important, says Dill, is proximity.

Commuters in her Portland-based study rode an average of four miles into the office each day.

Even people who don't bike often are finding bike realty to have advantages.

After months of searching, Gardener and Kaufman found similar success - a two story fixer-upper with a sprawling backyard and turquoise trim - surrounded by safe streets and easy access.

"I saw the yard and the garage and I said, ‘I have to buy this house,"' Gardener said.

But not all agents and clients are cut out for this, cautions Eric Rojas, a Chicago agent who pedals to showings and plans to start urging customers to ride along with him.

"This is a hard job to do on a bike," he said. "You have to get the right people, and the day has to be nice - you have to be looking at property in the same couple mile location."

For some real estate agents the idea of biking with clients is just too casual.

"Anything client-involved should exclude a bicycle," said Portland real estate agent Charles Turner. "If you're meeting someone on location, you're not exactly business-presentable when you show up dripping with sweat."

But Rojas says his clients have learned to accept it.

"If they don't want a sweaty Realtor, then maybe they want someone else," he said. "Most people don't care - the last clients I took out bought an $800,000 house - they aren't exactly poor people living off the earth."

As the real estate market continues to slump, Rutgers urban planning professor John Putcher says more agents will turn to niche markets, but that bike agents have tapped into a potentially booming business.

As the popularity of bike commuting continues to rise, Kaufman says she's eager to see how far the wheels of her dark green Trek will take her.

"Ultimately I want to help people find a home that's going to work for them," she said. "This isn't about trying to green-wash real estate or profit from a niche market - it's about helping people make smart decisions, both for themselves and for the planet."

Is a home staging magazine a good idea?

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:55:51 -0500

I just had a thought. You know the NAR has its own magazine for the real estate agents? Well, how about a magazine for home stagers? My reasoning is this. There are a lot of staging groups on active rain. All the groups have great ideas. If I read from them everyday I would never get any work done because there are just too many.

I have five particular staging group blogs that I read on a daily basis. Why don't we find out the top five staging group sites are on AR and put together a magazine from those five sites. For instance, I always read the Stage it forward group blogs. If the vast majority of readers reads that blog that could be one of the contributors to the group.

This is just an idea. I can't read all the great blogs because like I said I would never get any work done. Maybe the magazine could contain staging forms that we could all use and benefit from. Or we could do a section on Midwest stagers and what is going on and the trends in staging. These are just ideas. What are your thoughts on a this?

Thanks. Sheila

Putting things into perspective

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:44:47 -0500

This week I was feeling sorry for myself because business has been at a stand still staging wise. I am the decorating editor for our local moms website. I was checking to see if I had any messages on my account there when I came across a topic that jumped out at me. The subject line said,"Help me." I read what the writer had to say and my heart melted and it got me to thinking that there are people in the world way worse off than me.

This person, LeeAnn is 27 and she has many kids. Her ID on the website is momofmanykids. I don't know how many she has but I assume it is a lot. Anyway, she has breast cancer, and she found out 2 weeks ago she has an enlarged heart. On top of this, she is trying to bury her daughter but is short $570 to pay for the grave. The funeral parlor doesn't pay for the grave. I didn't ask her how her daughter died or when, but the daughter can't be buried until LeeAnn gets the money.

After reading her message I emailed her and told her my heart went out to her. I was so upset the rest of the day. My problems are minisucle compared to hers. I can't even imagine getting cancer and then on top of that having to bury my child. She said she is selling off some of her stuff so she can raise money. Some of the moms on the website offered to do a bake sale. I don't personally know Lee Ann, but I have been thinking about her.

I know this topic has nothing to do with staging but since I am a stager and was feeling sorry for myself, I decided to write this blog because I realize that maybe others out there think they have it bad also. There will always be people who are worse off. It just got me thinking that things I thought really stunk in my life at that moment pale in comparison with what LeeAnn is going through.

I don't know her last name. She is just LeeAnn from Mishawaka, IN. a 27 year old mom who needs our prayers.

First postcard

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:42:57 -0500

Make a Smilebox greeting

Thanks to Connie T. for the great smilebox.com website. Thanks to everyone who emailed and sent me great advice. If you guys don't know about smilebox.com you should go there. I had a lot of fun making postcards and you can send these as emails, or print them, or send them to a blog. I feel much better after getting everyone's feedback. I will try the suggestions everyone gave. The smilebox.com is a lot easier to use than making a newsletter. It only took 5 minutes to make my postcard compared with my newsletter which takes a week or more to put together.

Moving and the effect on men and women.

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:58:51 -0500

I was listening to a radio program this morning on the topic of moving and how it affects men and women differently. The guest was saying that people move on the average 11 times during their lifetime. I have moved half of that and most of it was moving to and from college. The guest speaker went on to say that moving affects women and men differently. She said that men have new co-workers there to meet him and he is looking forward to the change, while a woman may feel uprooted or she may feel like her identity is lost. The speaker said that women "feel" the move.

I got to thinking about it and it sounded like they go through the same emotions as grieving from the death of a loved on. First there is the element of surprise and disbelief. The news was sprung on her and she still can not believe that they are to move out of state. She thinks that this is the house they will stay in until they die, but surprise! Her husband announces they are to move.

The next emotion is anger. She is angry at her husband for having to leave maybe the only home they have known and the friends she has made. Women take a long time to develop deep and lasting friendships but once these friendships are made, they are very deep. Having to move makes the woman feel like part of her is being ripped away.

She may go through anxiety and depression. She is thinking about all what must be done in preparation for the move itself like canceling the newspaper and transferring her children's school records. The man is looking forward to this new adventure and he does look at it that way. Women by nature are nurturerers and caregivers. The bond they have with their female relatives and coworkers is very strong. We are the glue that holds the family together. I don't know about other women but I for one hate change. I like the routine and the mundane. I like to know where I will be and how long I will be there. Uprooting a tree that has been in one place for many years may cause damage to the tree but unlike the tree, we can recover.

Women may go through a period of acceptance and adjustment for the upcoming move. She may finally realize it is beyond her control and she starts getting the kids readjusted to a new school and having them meet new friends. It is not unusual for a woman to grieve for a year or more after the move. Men have a hard time understanding this. Women are more in touch with their feelings so other women know this feeling of grief and why the woman is upset. Men need to be shown by example of how she is feeling and even then there is no assurance that they completely understand. Men have those feeling of sadness but I don't think they are in tune with those. They don't express their feelings like women do. A woman's outlet is crying whereas a man very rarely cries and especially not in the company of other men. Our makeup is dfferent and we were wired differently.

A woman may not have co workers who are there to greet them at a new job. Especially if she is a stay at home mom, this is extremely stressful. I know when I moved to a new state for 1 1/2 years after I got married, I felt like I didn't belong there and I was extremly home sick. I never did really fit in. Only when my husband and I moved back to Indiana did I feel much much better. I got reconnected to my family and friends and the roots started to grow once again.

Being a stager, I found this topic to be insightful. It helped me to be more sensitive to the plight of the sellers and better able to empathize with them. I understand the feelings I had and why I had them. I think I learned a great deal from this half hour radio show and I hope that you the readers have learned something also. Understanding where the sellers are coming from emotionally will hopefully make my staging job easier and make me a better person.

Scary scary.

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:44:52 -0500

There was an article in our local paper today about a realtor who got attacked as she was showing a house. It was a one time incident and nothing like this has happened in our city before. Luckily she was able to get away and call for help.

Is this a new way for criminals to rob and attack people now? This is really scary especially since we live in a city with about 150,000 people. Police are telling realtors to not show houses for now until this person is caught. Police also adviced realtors to show houses in pairs.

Maybe we should start carrying mace with us now. The realtor was attacked in a corner of the basement and she said she felt uneasy about showing the basement and the man told her his wife would be along but that was a lie.

Is anyone safe anymore? I know this is scary and thank goodness it was a one time thing, but this should not deter anyone from doing their job. Just take precautions. It is a sad state of affairs when we women now need to work in pairs so we don't get attacked.

Who knows how long the realtors won't be able to show houses is anyone's guess. I'm not a realtor but a stager and we need to take precautions now too. What gets me mad is that on top of all the business details we need to remember like if we brought the stepstool or if we have enough business cards with us, we have to remember to be cautious about some yahoo attacking women.

I know being cautious is a good thing and this incident taught me to be more aware of my surroundings, but it just ticks me off to no end when we need to worry about whether or not we will be attacked on the job. Criminals are getting more and more clever. We need to think one step ahead of them.

As the captain on Hill Street Blues always said, "Let's becareful out there".

Property listings on one website

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:09:19 -0500

Every Saturday our local newspaper has one sectiond devoted to homes and gardens. Today there was an article on Propsmart.com. This is an independent real estate search engine. You can sign up for an account to put your own listings on it or you can look at the top 25 US metropolitan areas.

This search engine compunds more than a million property listings from online sources and private sellers and makes them searchable with a google map based visual interface. The site also has an online community of buyers, sellers, and service providers that share their information which then in turn gives them more exposure and increases traffic to the site.

You can also sign up to get rss feeds in order to get updates of new listings. It is relatively easy to sign up with a free account. It looks like an interesting site and coud be a help for agents and we stagers. I thought maybe you guys could check it out. I had never heard of them until I read today's paper.

Top ten unique selling tactics

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:47:06 -0500

I thought you guys might like this article I got today in an email. Some seller's are getting really creative or (desparate) it sounds like

By FrontDoor.com | Published: 7/08/2008

Say goodbye to the days when baking a batch of cookies and putting out fresh flowers before an open house would be enough to sell your home. In today's market, it takes more than that to attract buyers, and frustrated home sellers are resorting to some unusual methods to get their homes noticed. From clever to downright bizarre, here are our top 10 unique home-selling tactics.

Hold an open house party.
Open houses are the norm when selling a home, but some sellers are upping the ante on the open house by offering wine, catered food, live music and prizes. A fancy shindig could start a buzz on your property and make your home memorable.
Take home staging to the extreme.
It's well known that staging your home can help it sell faster, but some sellers are taking staging a step further with an ancient Chinese philosophy. Feng shui stagers rearrange the elements of a home to improve its chi, or energy. Good chi makes potential buyers feel more welcome.
Help serious buyers with financing.
Many people who want to buy a home can't qualify for a standard mortgage right now, so sellers are offering a helping hand. Sellers have a few options when it comes to assisting buyers with financing, including offering lease-to-own deals, offering financing themselves, paying for closing costs or paying for points to lower the interest rate.
Have a little faith.
Burying statues or medals of St. Joseph in the earth is a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Most recently, home sellers have been burying the patron saint of family and household needs in their yards to help their homes sell faster. Thousands of sellers swear that a little divine intervention helped get a sale.
Throw in some extravagant extras.
In the past, a free big-screen TV was enough of an incentive to get your home noticed. Times have changed, and incentives are becoming more and more substantial. Sellers are throwing in all kinds of goodies, like free cars, vacations, pricey home upgrades and monetary incentives like a year's mortgage or a furniture stipend. One woman in Florida is even offering herself as an incentive -- she hopes to marry the man who buys her home.
Make your home a grand prize.
After conventional methods fall short, some sellers are holding raffles and essay contests and giving their homes to the winners. This method is sure to draw attention, but beware: Home lotteries are illegal in many states, so find out your state's regulations.
Get Web savvy.
If the traditional method of selling your home through a real estate agent doesn't appeal to you, you may find an alternative process on the Web. Some sellers are auctioning off their homes on eBay, while others are swapping properties through sites like Pad4Pad.com and DomuSwap.com.
Let your house do the talking.
After taking the traditional route of putting a For Sale sign in your front yard and placing an ad in the newspaper, try some hi-tech advertising. Some sellers and agents are using the Talking House radio transmitter, which allows you to record a customized message about the features of your home. Buyers can tune into a radio station to hear this message as they drive by your house.
Put your house on the auction block.
Auctions are no longer just for homes that have been foreclosed on. Sellers looking to sell their homes quickly are choosing the auction route. Keep in mind that the total costs of auctioning off a home are often the same or more than the costs of selling a home through an agent.
Let buyers sleep on it.
For serious potential buyers who are on the fence about buying your home, let them sleep on it -- literally. By letting buyers spend the night in your home, you're allowing them to get the full experience of living there. A trial run could be just what they need to sign on the dotted line. Be sure to consult with your real estate agent or attorney first.

Five creative ways to sell your home

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:40:51 -0500

I thought you guys might like this article I got in an email today. Seller's and agents are resorting to some really weird tatics to sell a house. Enjoy!

By Douglas Trattner, FrontDoor.com | Published: 1/14/2008

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Roberta Murphy's realty office was having an impossible time selling a breathtaking five-bedroom, five-bath Mediterranean in Encinitas, Calif. Despite sweeping vistas of the Pacific, not to mention a guest suite, five fireplaces and over 5,000 square feet of living space, no buyer was prepared to pony up the $2 million asking price.

That is, until the seller decided to toss in a shiny red Ferrari.

"In the current housing market, home sellers are resorting to more creative sales tactics because buyers are sitting on the fence," Murphy says.

As an agent with Villa Sotheby's International Realty in San Diego, Murphy has witnessed a rise in creative tactics sellers are employing to attract buyers. But not everyone can afford to toss in a sports car, trip to Hawaii or fancy furniture. Sellers desperate to unload slow movers should re-evaluate their listing price and consider these strategies.

1. Upgrade

"When you have a glut of inventory, your house really has to shine above the competition," says Adam Kaufman, a Cleveland-based agent with over $400 million in real estate sales. Buyers in today's market know they can be very particular. As a seller, Kaufman explains, you have to make a stellar first impression.

Kaufman strongly advises that sellers replace dated carpeting, strip wallpaper, install granite countertops and upgrade to stainless steel appliances.

"If a buyer walks through the front door and is dissatisfied in any way, he or she is off to the next house," Kaufman warns.

2. Stage That Home

"Sellers need to understand that the way we live in our home is not the way we sell our home," says Karen Hirschberg, a home stager in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

When Hirschberg is called in to help sell a house, she tells her clients to emulate a model home. With a model home, she says, everything from the landscaping to the interior is picture perfect and designed to attract the widest pool of buyers.

The first step in any home-staging is a thorough de-cluttering. Sellers should purge the house of all personal belongings, family photos and countertop appliances. Furniture should be rearranged so as to make the room appear larger. "Space sells," she says.

If the family has already moved -- and taken the furniture with them -- Hirschberg suggests calling in a stager to furnish the home. "People have trouble connecting with an empty house," she says.

3. Curb Appeal

"People make assumptions about the interior of a house based on the exterior," Hirschberg says.

Try these easy strategies for enhanced curb appeal:

Power wash the house
Lay a fresh cover of mulch in the flower beds
Paint the front door
Replace the address numbers

4. Ancient Chinese Secret

"Feng shui is something that sellers are beginning to appreciate more and more as a technique to sell their home. Especially within the Asian community," says Beverly Hills-based agent Joyce Rey.

If a house isn't selling, some believe the fault lies in a shortage of Qi (chee), or energy flow. Bringing in a feng shui expert to evaluate the home and make modifications to the placement and arrangement of items within is said to improve the odds of a speedy sale.

5. Going, Going, Gone

"Home auctions were all but nonexistent a few years ago, but they are more widely available now," says Roberta Murphy.

While a house auction is indeed a reliable way to sell a house quickly, there is no guarantee the seller will be pleased with the price. Also, warns Murphy, buyers are subject to home auction fees that can be as high as 8 percent of the sale price. And limited disclosure statements can be potentially disastrous.

My newsletter

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:02:32 -0500

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Home Staging News Behind the Stage July 15, 2008 Vol 1 Issue 1 Dear Friends,

It is now mid July and many people are enjoying sailing on the water. Summer home sales are in full swing. Are your clients "sailing" towards a new or existing home? StageStruck can be that rudder that steers your clients to that home. Staging and Redesign in a nutshell. Let me define these two terms for those who don't know what staging and redesign are. Staging has been described as a "defluffing" of a home that is going on the market. In other words, stagers take the best features of the home and repackage them in a way that will appeal to the broadest range of buyers.

Redesign is taking what the owner already has and rearranging it to fit the use of the room and the lifestyle of the owner. We"shop" in the owner's home looking for things to be used in the reconfigured room.

Benefits of Staging for Agents Home Staging has many benefits for both the seller and the real estate agent. For the home seller the benefits are: faster sale of the home, more money from the sale of the home, homes that are staged can sell for 6% more than non staged homes. According the the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, about a quarter of homes nationwide were sold last year after being staged by a professional stager. This is up from 10% five years ago. A nonstaged home will help to outsell the competition. For agents, staging can lead to more commission. National statistics imdicate that staged homes net 3% to 10% more on average than non staged homes. Staging is a value added service. For example, if the median price of a home is $241,00 and you the agent sell it for 3-10% more, this equateds to a $7,230-$24,000 equity gain or an average of $15,665 (based on a statistical study from 2004-2005 of staged properties nationwide). An investment in staging the home or listing it is less than a price reduction on the home or listing. This gives more money to the agent and the client. Also, the average real estate agent has 5 seconds to sell a home and 5 seconds to make an impact on the buyers when they first walk in the door. Staging ensures that the impact is a good and lasting one.

Home Trends for fall According to Maison & Objet, the salon of home decor, some of the trends we will see this fall are: 1. Bursting Roses everywhere. The bigger and redder the better. 2. Purple is out and Fuchsia is in. 3. Text Messaging words are in. They are on everything from pillows, wall lights, and candles. 4. See through structures. Steel wire chairs and furniture that look like bicycle baskets, and furniture made of cane weave with port holes are the new trends. I don't know about you, but if you sit on these in the summer, your back side will look like a belgin waffle from the imprint. 5.Strong yellow. Yellow anything as long as it exudes and screams, "Not pale yellow." The deeper the color the better. 6. Fractures. These are geometric shapes in an irregular pattern. Something like a honeycomb. These fractures are made into vases, tables, etc. Some of the patterns look like they are diamond shape or made to look like they are shattered. The texture emerges from the ridged pattern and not the material. 7.Ibride. This is part portrait and part furniture. They are married together to form one piece. 8. Aquatic themes; especially in lighting. These don't actually scream starfish, or plant. They are subtle images but you know they are supposed to be starfish. 9.Missoni. This is comic book style, over the top, and graphic. This fabric can be used as a sofa slipcover. To see any of the pictures of the above items, click on pointclickhome.com and type in fall trends in the search box. It will bring up a slideshow of the trends.

I hope you enjoyed this first edition of our newsletter. Continue to look for it around the 15th of every month. Sincerely, Sheila Swanson StageStruck

www.mystagestruck.com (574) 674-9764 Cell: (574) 252-1480. The owner of StageStruck, Sheila Swanson has been decorating for 20 years. She attended the Sheffield School of Interior Design and is also a graduate of the Staging Diva's online staging course.

Save 10% off the price of a consultation for your client when you set up their appointment. Agents, if make an appointment for yourself, you get 25% off the price of your consultation. Offer Expires: Sept. 15, 2008

Is the quality of your service going down as the prices are climbing?

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:43:22 -0500

Hello.

I was just curious to see if anyone has blogged on the quality of service and these times of higher prices. I remember seeing a blog on changing your prices, but I don't recall seeing one on the quality of service.

One example that I can give of where this is not true is when I accidently bounced a check and the grocer called to let me know and wanted to know when I would be in to take care if it. Usually when you bounce a check you get socked with a fee from the bank and a fee from whomever you wrote the check to. The manager said that his bank doesn't charge a fee and neither did he, so I just had to repay the check amount. I thought that was very nice and I never heard of anyone doing that .

I know in my contracts I put a statement in there saying that a bounced check will result in a $25 fee. It seems like maybe I should take this clause out of my contract and try to be a little nicer. How many of us have stood at a checkout line only not to be acknowledged by the checker. They don't say anything at all. Sometimes I say hi first and sometimes I wait until they do. I don't think this has anything to do with the quality of service going down as the prices climb.

I know that some businesses are really tightening their belts and some of the services they once offered are no longer present. Or some departments in stores are relegated to one person whereas there might have been 4 or 5 persons doing this job. I know they get hassled since they are the only ones working at that time. But it seems like today's home sellers want more in a home for as little money as possible and don't want to hire us stagers because of the up front payment. The quality of my services have not gone down.

I also know that the quality seems to go down on the phone rather than in person. You try and talk with some one only to play phone tag after having gone through all ten numbers on the phone. After going through all the numbers, the person you are tying to reach is out or on the other line. This is one instance where the quality of service is going down when the prices are shooting through the roof.

I suppose another example could be in busy restaurants. The staff gets busy and things are forgotten or rung up wrong. Still usually, they try really hard to do their job.

Has anyone run into this quality of service problem with higher prices? I certainly hope that the quality of service doesn't go down but it is nearly impossible with these trying times. There are however, exceptions to the rule.

Good idea or not

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:13:30 -0500

Daily Real Estate News | July 9, 2008 Staging with a Human Twist

In Las Vegas, where thousands of empty homes await buyers, many real estate practitioners are turning to professional stagers to prepare homes for sale and potentially generate more offers. But now there adapting a human twist.

Beyond just highlighting décor, some staging companies find house sitters, who pay anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent of the monthly mortgage payment in exchange for temporary housing.

The presumption is that an occupied home is more likely to generate offers than a vacant property, say real estate professionals.

The staging company covers the costs of relocating the sitter, who must undergo criminal background checks and cannot smoke or have pets.

Source: KTNV 13 Las Vegas (07/05/2008)

What do you think of this? Good idea or not? It might work for a big city but here in South Bend I don't think it would. Any thoughts?

Color in Decorating

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:21:45 -0500

Thanks goes to Mary Larsen for this page.

Color in Decorating

Warm Colors - Think the colors of the sun - red, orange, and yellow. When using a cool color on a wall, the wall will appear to advance, making a room feel a smaller and more intimate. Avoid using warm colors in a room that is already warm - viewing a warm color can actually make a room feel warmer.

Cool Colors - Think soothing shades of water - blues, greens, and purples. When using a cool color on a wall, the wall will appear to recede, making a room feel a larger and more airy. Cool colors are great in a room that is filled with sunlight, since viewing a cool color can actually make a room feel cooler.

Connecting Colors - Colors from the tans, browns, beiges, whites, and grays family. These colors work to connect rooms, as well as create a background for more vibrant color combinations.

Red - Hot and spicy and known to actually raise your heart rate. Red is great in a dining room (count how many restaurants you know that use red in their color theme) because it is thought to increase a person's appetite. It is also often used in bedrooms to add a sensuous touch. Many designers say that a bit of red should be used in every room in the house.

Orange - Orange has been known to actually make people feel nervous and edgy. It is a high energy color and is great as an unexpected color burst in a room. When decorating a room orange is much more daring than red. It can be used to energize a dull room, such as the laundry room or mud room.

Yellow - Though often thought of as sunshiney and happy, yellow is a very tricky color to use when decorating. It is very easy for yellow to have green undertones, which quickly turns the color to an almost sickly shade. Golden yellows and buttery yellows work best in decorating.

Blue - The color blue is known to physically lower a person's blood pressure and decrease a person's appetite. It is not advisable to use blue in a kitchen, since your decrease in appetite might make you think that the food you cook does not taste good. Blue and white is a classic combination and is re-interpreted in decorating trends every few years, as seen in wedgewood, country, and navy blue.

Green - The saying "green is serene" exists for a reason. As a dominant color in nature, green does double duty in that it is both energizing and relaxing at the same time. This combination makes green a perfect choice for offices. Also recommended for bedrooms and living rooms, as green is known as peaceful, rejuvenating, and refreshing.

Brown - In former design periods brown translated to "blah." Today brown is the new black and goes with everything. A rich, deep brown (think chocolate bar) can be used with most every other color - red, black, hot pink, orange, lime green, powder blue - you name it. Dark brown is versatile and can be worked into almost any color scheme.

Pink - Not just for little girls anymore. Pink has grown up with undertones of gray for a rich look or saturated to a hot pink intensity. Pink will always have a feminine quality and portray your softer side, so care must be taken when using it in rooms for mixed company so that a feminine/masculine balance is achieved.

Purple - Often associated with royalty. Every stage play that needs to portray a king and queen uses deep purple and gold, so if purple is overused in a home it is easy for it to feel "stagey." Use it sparingly to add a rich and dramatic touch to a room.

Black - Not just to designate the "bad buy" in a movie. Black is a fabulous accent in any room and has moved from accent pieces to upholstered pieces and even wall color. When using large amounts of black there is fine line between rich and luxurious and depressing - be sure to stay away from depressing. Black will always be considered a classic, in both contemporary and traditional looks.

White - Another classic. White feels clean, sleek, and sophisticated and like black can be used in both contemporary and traditional looks. When using large amounts of white it is important to use several different tones and textures to avoid a "boring" look

12 months of holiday clutter

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:36:14 -0500

Since the fourth was yesterday, I found an article on the 12 months of holiday clutter.

Beware the "Danger Days" that accelerate the accumulation of clutter.

JANUARY

News Years Eve

We insist on starting our year off miserable with too much liquor, rich food, tootie horns, hats, streamers, pages of unresolved resolutions and twenty-seven more calendars than we'll ever use.

FEBRUARY

Valentine's Day

This high holy day of accumulations rolls around just about the day the last piece of Christmas Clutter finally disappears. We only prepare for it a week or so in advance, but manage to swiftly replace the missing Christmas junk with frilly paper doilies, cheap candies stuck together in a gaudy dish bought for the occasion, over-frosted cookies that hang around for weeks in drawers and on shelves, shiny cupid-shaped cake pans to be tucked (or crammed) into storage for next year.... And who with a grain of romance in their soul could throw away empty embossed candy boxes with lace and ribbons?

APRIL

Easter

Think of all the awful Easter bonnets and broken Easter baskets, battered chicks and bunnies, baggies of plastic grass, and picked-over jelly beans stashed somewhere; along with the leftover egg coloring kits and peekaboo candy eggs that we'll never eat and never throw away.

MAY

Opening day of fishing

Full grown adults (especially the males) become insane weaklings on this day, so hide the checkbook. They buy assorted rods, reels, creels, lures, and hooks, fish fooling and finding gadgets, books and bait incubators, tons of real and artificial foodstuffs, attractants, repellents, and special fishing togs, 80 percent of which are expensive (and ultimately destined to dry-rot in the storage room).

JULY

Fourth of July

We always get twice as many sparklers, wienie buns, cooler, and charcoal briquettes as we need, and more suntan lotion that we could use in three summers- and then spend the rest of the year trying to keep it all out of sight.

OCTOBER

Halloween

We buy racks of creepy costumes, a bale or orange and black napkins, a six foot paper skeleton and witches for the walls, keep a 50 cent mask with our kid's first trick-or-treat candy crushed on it- and then at the after Halloween sale buy four more plastic lanterns to store till next year.

NOVEMBER

Thanksgiving

Got to have ugly miniature turkeys, six extra giant platters, assorted relishes in assorted little awkward display dishes, shedding centerpieces and door ornaments, and an extra meat thermometer in case the other three extras don't work. (And we'll keep those gap-toothed Indian corn ears and dried-up gourds into infinity).

DECEMBER

Christmas

Keep the wrinkled wrappings, crushed bows, and snarled ribbons, sagging Santa candles, frayed pine cones, faded wreaths, broken bulbs and tree ornaments, every tree stand we ever bought, nad the last two surviving pieces of the Nativity set (even if Joseph's head is missing).

Some others to beware of

Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, any opening day, reunions, graduations, showers, Election Day, St. Patricks' Day, Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays.

For some reason we can't just enjoy the spirit of the day; we have to "thing" it to death. It's as if we have to prove we're loving or patriotic or happy or thankful. But the proof is in the feeling, not in the accessories.

Taken from Don Aslett's Clutter be Gone.

Top things I learned when talking with a realtor about staging

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:30:35 -0500

I had a meeting with a realtor yesterday to discuss my staging business. I learned some things I did not know but am glad that I did so I can keep it mind before I do a presentation before a group of people.

1. Professionalism, professionalism, professionalism. This is a play on the saying, "Location, location, location." These people work with professionals who dress the part and carry themselves professionally everyday. I found out that it is not only important to dress and act the part, but also to have professional looking marketing materials. I had forgot to take in my portfolio and instead brought in an example of a thrown together foam core board with pictures of staging. It was not professional looking due to the fact that I had one week to put together a staging speech and needed an example of staging for a booth without having to bring in furniture. The foam core board was something all I could think of at the time. I know the board did not look professional but I was trying to show the realtor an example of what staging looked like.

2. Don't call them realators. They are realtors. Don't put in that extra syllable.

3. It is better to offer say a coupon for like 10% off something rather than to offer free services. The word free conjures up ideas that there is a catch.

4. Don't say "if" say "when". Like "if you hire me as a stager". Say, "when you hire me as a stager" there is no such word as "if".

5. The agent liked the brochures and my flyers. She suggeted I put together information to give to the agents. Wait a few weeks, and give out some more information. This is to establish that I am a professional who knows what I am talking about and to get my name circulating around their office.

6. Email newsletters and not to putthem into the realtors' mailboxes. Chances are if they are in the mailboxes they will be thrown away. The realtor said they always read email but they get too much paper and it usually ends up in the trash.

7. Concentrate on one or two offices at a time. Get well known there first. Focus on the big well known offices.

8. Make sure to state in my presentations and on any marketing materials that there is an urgency for staging. Have an interesting subject line in your newsletter so it will grab their attention.

9. Do not give the impression you are desparate for work even if you are. Again, this really refers to Number #1 where you need to look and act the part.

10. Make your pictures more valuable. Show how staging really changes the look of a room and why it is so needed in this field.

I am sure there are many more, but these are the things that really spoke to me. I hope this helps someone who is starting out in the business or those who really never thought about this much.

Preparation tips for making the home move in ready- from the eyes of a stager

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:30:32 -0500

Preparing a home to go on the market takes a lot of work! I have prepared a list of some of the things that we as stagers let our clients know BEFORE they put their home on the market. As I learned today-- it is the buyer who determines the value of the house.

1. Curb Appeal. This is the make it or break it deal. People determine within the first five minutes whether or not they are going to buy the home. Make sure the flower beds are weeded, add seasonal, colorful plants and flowers, replace address numbers or buy some if they are not obivious, make sure doorbell works, if there is a questionable screen door, get rid of it, paint mailbox, sweep front porch, clear out cobwebs, buy a new attractive welcome mat, put a wreath on the front door, paint or replace the front door, paint shutters, paint garage door, hide garbage pails, make sure all outdoor lights are working properly, make sure lamppost light is working properly; same for the front porch light, do any weeding, rake, mow the lawn.

2. Front entry. Air out the home for a few minutes. Any area rugs should be big enough to hold at least 3 people, if not, remove. Have a place for people to put wet umbrellas, boots, coats,etc. Turn on any lights in the entryway.Clean out coat closet. Get everything off the floor in the closet. Wash the floor or vacuum the entryway. Vacuum any carpeted stairs that lead to a second floor.

3. Living Room. Turn on all the lights, DECLUTTER, declutter, declutter, dust the furniture, clean the tops of any ceiling fans blades, wash the windows inside and out, vacuum, have a stager come in and rearrange the furniture and accessories in order to show the rooms at their best, air out the room for a few minutes, put away all valuables, hide the TV for the open house, close any amoire doors, entertainment center doors, etc, paint(here again a stager can be valuable. We know color and can pick out a color that should appeal to everyone and make the rooms feel light, and airy. Take down any family photographs, religious objects, weapons.

4. Kitchen. Remove any unneeded applicances from the counter, turn on all the lights, paint, remove wallpaper,clean off the outside of the refrigerator and dishwasher, wash floors, remove any area rugs, hide the fact you have pets and trash, clean out drawers and rearrange nicely, clean out under the sink, make sure the stove fan and light work, keep only 4 dining room chairs in the area and store the rest, organize pantry, remove all traces of food odors, pet odors, clean off all appliances, the top of the refrigerator, clean the inside of the refrigerator, dust, do dishes, remove and store any unnecessary extra dishes or cookware, clean off the stove hood, clean under the stovehood, play some soft music. Studies have shown that the best music to play during an open house is soft jazz.

5. Bathrooms. Wash all surfaces, close lid on toilet, turn on all lights, make sure grout is clean and caulked. Remove the medicine cabinet, add some greenery (again, this is where a stager comes in handy. We tend to all these things). Repair any broken tiles, make sure there are no leaky faucets, get rid of any lingering odors, put all stuff away on the bathtub like candles, toys, shampoos, etc. Get rid of things on the sink itself and just put some nice flowers. Replace shower curtain and liner, repaint, get rid of area rugs, vacuum the floor if there is wall to wall carpet in bathroom( a big NO NO by the way). Clean off sink stopper. You would be surprised out grungy and smelly those get.

6. Bedrooms. Turn on all the lights, hide the toys, remove any TVs, repaint, dust, vacuum, wash windows, make the bed, change the sheets, clean out the closets, get everything off the floor, turn on some soft music, clean out under the bed, get rid of dirty diaper smell if there is a nursery, clean off dresser tops, nightstands, make sure window treatment are open, remove any extra furniture, use attractive bedspreads, use fresh, clean window treatments, have stager rearrange room.

7. Basements. Brighten dull basement walls by painting and adding brighter light bulbs, paint steps, make sure handle rail is firmly secure to wall, remove any pictures on landing, remove rugs at the bottom of the stairs, use a dehumidifier if needed, open any windows and air out the basement, remove excess furniture, declutter, make space look and feel as big and bright as possible, remove cobwebs, wash floors, paint the floor if it is cement, clean out store rooms of extra stuff, arrange things neatly on shelves and keep stuff off the floor.

8. Backyard. Clean out the garage, shed, etc. Remove childrens' ride on toys, garbage pails, any recycling bins, remove any boats, cars, off the premises during the open house, clean out pool, mow the lawn, wed the garden, add any extra grass seed before the open house so that grass has a chance to grow and fill in bare spots, repaint the house, pressure wash the house, repaint the deck. have stager stage the patio or deck, put out colorful plants, remove any pets during the open house, trim any trees or bushes, clean out gutters, window wells, add mulch if needed, paint wooden swingsets, clean out birdbaths, remove traces of bird doo doo, put away any hoses, extra lawn furniture or equipment, clean off lawn furniture, sweep the deck or patio, remove any unneeded awnings, wash windows, remove wind chimes, hose off the air conditioner, remove any toys in the pool.

These are just some of the things that need to be done to get the home ready for the market. As you can see, stagers make it easier to do this job because we know how to package the home to show its best features, we can arrange the furniture and help with picking out colors for the home that will appeal to the greatest amount of people, we will give you checklists like this to make your move easier, as stagers it is our job to see that your home out sells the competition and we do this just by staging the home. It is move in ready and the sellers can relax knowing that they have done everything to ensure their house is and looks the best.

adding vflyer

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:04:44 -0500

Every home tells a story! Let StageStruck give yours a happy ending.

Location: Osceola, IN

StageStruck is a home staging and interior redesign company.

Information

Contact Information

Contact Reply Form

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View Other Flyers

Rates

Rate Details: Staging:Consultation $100-$200 1 Room- $125 2 Rooms-$150 3 Rooms-$200 whole house staging-$250

Other Details: Redesign:Consultation- $65 1 Room $50 2 Rooms $100 3 Rooms $125

Payment Methods: Paypal, Cash, Check, Money Order

Location

10423 Sunview Drive
Osceola, IN 46561

Profile

Service Area: Northern Indiana

Years of Service: 20

Service Type: home staging

Attributes

Specialties

color consultation, staging, redesign, accessory embellishment

Credentials

The owner is the chapter president of the Northern Indiana American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners

Benefits of Service

We involve you in everything we do

Clients

Many satisfied clients from all over our community

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VFLYER ID: 1733825

Hey HUD not a good way to treat the elderly.

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:33:56 -0500

There was a story in our newspaper today about an elderly 91 year old woman who was supposed to be kicked out of her hi rise home, but instead she has to give up her stove. I couldn't believe that someone would turn a 91 yr old into the street. She had been living in the same hi rise for 40 years.

Here is what happened. It seems that she was served with an eviction notice based on two incidents that happened in January. One involved a piece of meat she was cooking and it burned thus setting off the fire alarm. She didn't know that it was burning because she went to the aid of another hi rise resident who had a medical condition. The elderly woman said that there were other occasions when she had burned food and set off the smoke alarms.

About the same time as the smoke alarm incident, the woman was accused of making threatening comments to other hi rise residents involving weapons. She didn't deny the allegations, but argued that her comments may have been misinterpreted.

She was thus slapped with an eviction notice and set off a series of events that got the housing commission director his job. He said he had no choice but to evict her by saying that the hi rise is subsidized by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. He went on to say that this woman had violated HUD guidelines.

One of the local councilwomen was unhappy with the way the comissioner handled the situation as were some other people in the city and this led to the firing.

Anyway to make a long story short, the elderly woman ended up signing some legal documents stating that she can live in the hi rise but must give up her stove. Apparently this is OK with the woman but it somehow does not sit well with me.

First she was going to get kicked out but instead she loses her right to cook. This just seem right. How can someone kick out a 91 yr old woman and then deny her the right to cook. They could have had someone come in and supervise her or someone could come and cook for her.

This story made me mad but at the same time I am amazed that this woman is living on her own in her own apartment.I just needed to comment on this story because to me it seem like unjustice. That is my two cents.

Do you zolve?

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:06:44 -0500

I found a new website for realtors to network with one another. It is called zolve. Even though I am a home stager, I joined zolve in hopes to network with other people.

As far as I know, I am the first stager that signed up. Everyone else is a realtor. It kind of works like active rain only it just started but you can network and blog on it. You also earn points and if you have so many points, then I think you get listed on google on a top page.

I am still learning about this website and the web address is zolve.com. You guys can check it out to expand your network. Just thought you would like to know.

Staging inventory and an update on me

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:05:04 -0500

Hi everyone. This is just a little update on what has been going on with me. Last week I did a redesign for a client and tomarrow I am meeting with a virtual assistant. Friday, I am doing a redesign consultation.

I was reading about a stager who keeps towels in her inventory. Are we supposed to have inventory? I have a few accessories that I use, but does any one keep towels, sheets, kitchen linens etc in an inventory? If so, do you keep it in your car and tote it to every stage job? I don't have too much room in my trunk and I don't like to carry more than I need to.

I know for occupied homes you can use the sellers towels, but for vacant homes, do you buy the items and charge the homeowner or do you supply the needed items from your home? I haven't run into this yet, but I was just thinking about this especially since I was reading about this stager. I know there is only so much stuff to put in a trunk.

My paint fan decks are heavy and then there are the wooden floor samples, the tool kit, paper work, step ladder, etc. Do I need to set aside a shelf in my linen closet for towels and such? How many of you do this? Where do you keep your stuff?

What needs to go into this inventory? Linens, sheets, cleaning supplies, etc? I am just wondering and would appreciate any feedback. It sometimes feels overwhelming with all the things that are needed to stage a home. Has anyone got all this condensed into a rubbermaid tub and if so what is in there?

Also, I need to print up some bid contracts and estimates sheets, but I don't know what they look like or what needs to be put on them. If someone knows of a template for one, please let me know.

I found some really neat blank cards that could be used for thank you notes at the Ten Thousand Villages Store. They are homemade in places like Egypt, Bangladesh, and other places. One card is made out of homemade paper, some have native plants on them and there was a cute one from Africa that had two kids made out of copper wire that could be used as a decoration.

These cards cost about the same as a Hallmark card. They are very unique and I found an elephant one that I bought for my client who collects elephants. These make great thank you cards and notes and are not something you see everyday. We have a store in our town or you could go to their website.

Most of the cards were in the $3.50-$4.50 range. I think it is worth checking it out.

Are you going green?

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:12:36 -0500

I have been thinking lately about whether or not we can call staging "green". In redesign we use the home owner's personal items to redecorate with. In staging we can rent furniture and also use the home owner's things. I have been thinking if it is a good idea to mention on my website that my company is green.

With all this talk about global warming I have seen a lot of things going green lately. For instance, I have seen green cleaning supplies, green cities, green cars, green paint, green homes, green clothes, green office supplies, green food, green paper, green bottles, green realtors, green banks, green credit cards, and green building supplies.

I was wondering if anyone else lists on their website that they are a green company. I know that some clients are looking for this and I have a vendor list that has some green companies on them. Like where they can buy low voc paint and where to get reused furniture. I also have green business cards that I made out of paint chips and an ink pad.

I use green cleaning supplies, green medication, green food, green paper, and have some green clothes. I even use green pet supplies. I try and buy fair trade goods when I can and even my coffee does not hurt the rain forests.

My question is how many underground green advocates are they on AR and how many of you mention it on your website? Stagers, are you going to or does it matter? Do you think it matters to your clients? Please let us know.

This should put a smile on your face.

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:11:55 -0500

Latest scam! Be on your toes!

Police say gang is comprised of four members; one adult and three little ones.

While the three little ones, all appearing sweet and innocent, divert their 'mark' ( or intended target) with a show of friendliness, the fourth, the eldest, sneaks in from behind a persons back to expertly rifle through his or her pockets for anything valuable. Be on the alert!

Trade Show

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sat, 31 May 2008 21:56:26 -0500

Hey everyone! I just finished my first womens expo show. It was well worth the money. I got to speak twice on staging and I got some good leads. The hours were long though and it wasn't as busy as everyone thought it was going to be.

I did meet up with some other vendors who offered to loan me accessories free for staging. All I have to do is put their name on the cpunter so people know who furnished the accessories. Pretty good deal! I just need to find a house to stage now.

I held a drawing for a free room design and remembered the candy at my booth. The business cards that I made out of paint chips got rave reviews from everyone. I am so glad they liked them. It took me two days to cut up the whole paint fan deck. I laid the cards on the table and let everyone pick their favorite color.

Instead of bringing furnishings to display, I just made a small vingette on the booth table. It made clean up alot easier. I just made copies of my staging pictures and put them on posterboard so everyone could see examples of staging.

Hilde Santo Tomas from Trading Spaces was the guest speaker at the expo. I caught snatches of her talk while I was manning my booth. She was talking about the show Trading Spaces. It was interesting. However, the first time I gave my speech it was to five people. Today, I talked to two people. There was just no one there. We got to leave early because there just weren't any people which was weird because the show has been advertised for months.

We had to walk about eight million miles to the restrooms. You would think the builders of the hall would put the bathrooms close to the convention rooms.

I was so afraid I didn't bring enough brochures and flyers but it turned out that I brought too many. It is amazing how tired you get just sitting there waiting for people to come to your booth. We all got our exercise walking to the bathrooms and walking from the parking lot to the hall.

I haven't picked the winner yet of my drawing. I think I will wait until tomarrow to do that. I am pretty tired and it is late. Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know how the expo went. Thanks to all who gave me advice about those shows.

Still holds true today.

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:07:15 -0500

I collect 1930's and 1940's issues of American Home and also Better Homes and Gardens. Every once in a while I like to reread them. Today I was reading an article about something that sounded suspiciously like curb appeal. The article went on to say that they way your house looks from the street is important. This is curb appeal only it wasn't called that. They did not use the term.

These old magazines were full of good information that is still relevant today. For instance, I read an article on how to buy furniture and what to look for when buying it. They discussed dove tail joints, springs ties 8 ways, durability, etc. This is exactly what we look for or should when purchasing furniture. How many people even know what springs ties 8 ways are today?

The decorating wasn't all that different then; however they liked wallpaper and used it alot. One article talked about furniture arrangement and how it should fit your family (sounds like redesign). They did not like furniture "floating" in the middle of the room and suggested that big pieces go along the wall and not cattycorner. They dealt with corners by telling the reader to fill the corners with a round table or plants on brackets. In some of the pictures there is no conversation area in the living room and there is no hint of coziness. Although they do speak of conversation areas, some of the pictures would suggest otherwise.

During the Depression and WWII, everyone had to make do and so the magazines showed the creativity of some of its readers. One reader showed how he made patio furniture out of an old treadle sewing machine. Someone else used cake pans as a wall sconce.

Decorating was not the only things that was talked about either. One article on moles sounded like it could have been written today-not 70 years ago. The author of the article was talking with his neighbor (the neighbor had a mole problem). The author said that moles were actually benefical to gardens because they eat parasites in the dirt and aerate the lawn by digging. It is the gophers, voles, and mice that eat the vegetation. Moles do not eat plants.

The articles tell how and what to look for when buying sheets, what they did during gas rationing during the war, and a myriad of other things that can hold true today.

The old magazines may not have had the terminology that we do today, the ideas were and still are the same. It might benefit us to go and read these old magazines and see how the ideas of decorating like comfort, durability, conversation areas, curb appeal, gardening, et al are timeless; only the fabrics, price, taste, fads, and trends are different.

The Real Cost of Gas

Sheila Swanson (StageStruck Staging & Redesign) (StageStruck) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:39:46 -0500

Thanks goes out to fellow home stager Barb Jennings for this eye opening perspective:

The Real Story of Gasoline

This makes one think, and also puts things in perspective to other things we buy.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19 ..........$9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 .... $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ....... $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ...... $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ... $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 .. $123.20 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 .....$84.48 per gallon

And this is the REAL KICKER...

Evian water 9 oz $1.49..$21.19 per gallon! $21.19 for WATER and the buyers don't even know the source!

(Evian spelled backwards is Naive.)

Ever wonder why printers are so cheap? So they have you hooked for the ink. Someone calculated the cost of the ink at............... (you won't believe it....but it is true........) $5,200 a gal. (five thousand two hundred dollars)

So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on water, Scope, or Pepto Bismol, Nyquil or God forbid, Printer Ink!

Just a little humor to help ease the pain of your next trip to the pump...

And - If you don't pass this along to at least one person, Your muffler will fall off!!

Okay, your muffler won't really fall off...but, you might run out of toilet paper.................