Julie Dana's Projects and Ponderings Blog

Building Community with Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:06:55 -0600

This week the TV show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was in Buffalo, NY. Buffalo is often called "the city of Good Neighbors" and the proof is the Buffalo show has had more volunteer sign ups then in any other city in the county. The extra workers meant that extra properties, not just the selected TV house, can have mini-makeovers. In the surrounding blocks; yards were raked, porches were painted, and new roofs put on. This neighborhood had definitely seen better times and finally got a much deserved boost.

I was fortunate enough to help them on Monday. I was assigned to the "community revitalization team". Yes, I raked lawns and scraped old paint off a house. I was a part of something that could possible turn that whole area around. The team I was on was proud to do this work and felt great about our contributions.

Not to diminish this part of the day in any way but...

A little before lunch our group was asked to be extras in a scene the on-site director was shooting. In the scene, Ty Pennington was demonstrating how a piece of furniture will be made and included in the new house. They blocked out the scene, rehearsed, tweaked, and re-shot the scene a couple of times. In two of the takes, Ty was standing right beside me! Yep - I was elbow to elbow with him! And yes, he is as energetic and goofy as he appears to be.

In case you didn't know - No, he does not do a lot of the physical manual labor but he did seem to know a lot about the woodworking and creative process that goes into creating a room. (above photo not taken by me)

With all my luck, my part will be on the cutting room floor but that's OK. Helping the area, assisting those who need help and just being part of this terrific program was enough for me.

It was a great day. I definitely plan on going back later in the week. I enjoyed helping the community and shooting a scene was a fun bonus - slight compensation for my blisters.

Realtor Magazine on holiday decor while selling

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:16:08 -0600

The Realtor Magazine recently published on article on selling during the holidays.

The article, Holiday Decor That Brings Out the Best, by Barbara Ballinger highlights key points such as

add tasteful, generic decorations
trade non-seasonal for seasonal decorations
keep up decorations for a limited time
use timely marketing materials.

It is a great article to share with those selling right now. It gives sellers and Realtors specific suggestions on how to balance enjoying the holidays without compromising being ready to sell.

Hope you enjoy the article,

Julie Dana, an Accredited Staging Professional, and lover of tasteful holiday decorations.

Staging a house over a million: my first but hopfully not my last

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:23:19 -0500

This blog could also be titled 'What I did on my summer vacation'. A realtor who regularly uses me for staging consultations hired me this summer to help with "flipping" a house that now is so gorgeous will list at over 1 million. It was hectic, scary and most of all fun being able to pick out all the lighting fixtures, granite, hardwood flooring, and paint colors. In this area (Buffalo, NY) staging house in this price range is not that common.

Here are some pictures:

Julie Dana

www.thehomestylist.com,

US News & World Report article: Secrets of Staging

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:36:16 -0500

Recently, the US News & World Report did an overview article on home staging.

Check it out here: Secrets of Staging: Sell Your House for More, Quickly

You just never know where articles on home staging will be found. As the economy and housing is ...er...settling, I predict even more positive press will be published on the benefits of home staging.

Julie Dana, The Home Stylist (www.thehomestylist.com)

Vehicle Marketing - tips and suggestions

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:08:07 -0500

A recent blog by a Karen Otto caught my attention: "CAR"keting" - using your vehicle for marketing your business"

I thought I would add my 2 cents with tips and suggestions.

1. The lettering is only on the windows. My hubby is a car fanatic and did not want lettering on the vehicle body. By putting it on the windows, it can be scraped off without damaging paint. In fact this is my second van, the first one had lettering also and we simply scraped it off when we got the van ready to sell (yes, we staged it). Because the image has open spaces, I can easily see out the windows.

2. The style of logo and lettering is the same as my website. (www.thehomestylist.com). As you know, consistency of marketing image is very important. If someone sees the van then finds me on the web, they will say "..yep this is what the van looked like - this is the correct website"

3. The vehicle says a little bit of what I do. I know people will probably not read it all while driving down the road but will read it when parked at the grocery store, movie theater parking lot etc. It also has a "call to action" to encourage people to act (My van says" Save Money! Call Today")

4. For my marketing dollar, this is a real bargain. Similar lettering on my last van cost about 300 dollars and lasted 4 years. I am just careful in the winter when I brush the snow off the van (I live near Buffalo, NY). Prices in your area may vary. The signs are on both sides of the van plus website only on the upper back window.

5. I know it is working. I have had people say to me

"I saw one of your vehicles in Williamsville the other day". If they think I have a fleet instead of just one - great!.

"You were at the neighbors the other day. Can you come to my house?" Of course

"Can I have a business card?" In the parking lot of Target - it is very common.

I highly recommend having a vehicle that has a marketing message. It works 24/7, 365.

Julie Dana, The Home Stylist

Have you increased your rates due to gas prices?

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:18:30 -0500

As a small business owner of a home staging and interior decorating business, I keep a close tab on my bottom line. I try to keep a good balance of giving value to my customers but also making sure I make a profit. I don't usually aim to make a huge profit but as you know the purpose of having a business (and not a charity) is to make money.

As the cost of gas has increased dramatically in the last few months, I have had to increase my prices. When almost all of the profit from a job goes into the gas tank and not the bank - something had to change.

Have you had to raise your prices due to the high cost of gas? Have you modified your business practices because of the cost of gas?

Ultimate Winter Curb Appeal

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:39:01 -0500

I just had to share this photo I took last week. It is a house not far from mine in the western New York/Buffalo area. It is not for sale but they now have excellent curb appeal. The gate, fence and even the lions are totally made from snow. I guess when you get lemons - make lemonade (or when you get snow in March...)

Yes, I think it is cool but let's hope in melts soon. I want spring!

PS. It did not cost anything to draw attention to this house. (I feel a marketing idea brewing.) And if you want to "try" a fence before you buy, here is one way to do it.

Buffalo decorator transforms a room for TV

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:36:53 -0600

A local TV channel (WIVB Channel 4 Buffalo, NY) was doing a series on "Banishing the Winter Blahs". They asked me, Julie Dana of The Home Stylist, to do an uplifting room makeover as one of their tips on making yourself feel better during the heart of the winter. The TV segment aired on Feb. 20th.

It was a fun project to work on and was basically a mini-redesign. I only brought in a rug and some accessories. These minor style elements made a major impact. Here is the article Home Stylist helps cure winter blahs link and on that page is a "video on demand" button.

I hope you enjoy it!

The solution for when wallpaper disobeys

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:46:21 -0600

Don't you hate it when do-it-yourself projects don't go as planned? Removing wallpaper can be a nightmare - especially when chunks of drywall come off with the wallpaper. In this project, more than half the wall was down to brown paper layer of the old drywall. (not a good feeling nor an attractive sight)

Here is the "BEFORE" photo:

Is the solution to skim coat the whole wall? NO.
Is the solution to just put up new drywall sheets? NO.
Is the solution to put up paintable wallpaper? NO.

I was desperate and began researching what to do. I found this product: Zinsser's GARDZ .

Directly from Zinserr website:

GARDZ High Performance Sealer is a unique water-base sealer for porous and potential problem surfaces. It is formulated to deeply penetrate and dry to a hard, moisture resistant film that seals and binds down porous, chalky and crumbling surfaces, paints and texture finishes.

GARDZ is recommended for: damaged drywall, new drywall, spackling and joint compound skim coats, plaster, calcimine, uncoated wallpaper, wallcovering adhesive residue, texture paint, popcorn ceilings and builder's flat paint.

GARDZ takes the "problem" out of problem surfaces. It penetrates even multiple layers of drywall facing paper and even chalky, builder's flat paint and dries to a rock-hard, water-resistant finish that protects surfaces from damage during the next redecorating project.

I thought this stuff was too good to be true. But I can tell you from personal experience. GARDZ ROCKS!

Here is the "AFTER":

Sure there was still some patching and sanding but Gardz was a lifesaver. I highly recommend it.
Now...on to the next project!

Western New York's Roycroft Campus

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:09:44 -0600

A delightful place to visit is East Aurora, New York 's Roycroft Campus.

Are you familiar with the Roycroft Movement? Here is a little history:

The Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, NY was home to a significant cultural movement that influenced the nation. In the late 1800's, an artistic revolt emerged in the United States against the societal changes and restrictions ushered in by the Victorian Age. Inspired by leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement in England, William Morris and John Ruskin, the nascent cultural movement that developed in the United States in part at Roycroft was response to the mass production of the applied arts. The Arts and Crafts movement that grew out of this reaction to the control and mechanization of the workplace was a forerunner to the workers' rights movement and a loosening up of society restrictions in behavior and dress. The Roycroft Campus is the best preserved and most complete complex of buildings remaining in the United States of the "guilds" that evolved in the United States as centers of craftsmanship and philosophy.

If you would like to visit the Campus, take a tour, or read a blog centered on Roycroft campus and East Aurora, check out http://www.roycroftcampuscorporation.com/index.html

East Aurora is also the home of Vidlers 5 &10 and Fisher-Price. It is a great place to live or just visit for the day. Just be sure to visit the Roycroft Campus. Stop by the artisan gift shop called The Copper Shop and have a gourmet meal at The Roycroft Inn.

Great MSN article on staging!

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:46:40 -0600

I was interviewed about a month ago for a MSN article on home staging. The reporter also asked for before and after photos. The article went live today. (My website almost crashed with so many hits!)

I think the article turned out well and the before and after photos (some mine, some from others) showed some good examples.

10 tips on staging your home to sell

It doesn't take long for a prospective buyer to form an opinion about your house. Here's how you can tilt the odds in your favor by making your home appeal to the widest clientele possible.

Here is the link to the article: http://realestate.msn.com/Selling/Article2.aspx?cp-documentid=5797784

What is the difference between model home staging and vacant home staging?

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:55:42 -0500

This may seem like a silly question but is there a difference between how you stage a model home and how you stage a regular vacant house?

The reason I am asking is one model I recently saw, from a well-known builder, had a girly castle mural painted in one bedroom and a wallpaper border in the laundry room.

Both of which I would never do if regular staging.

Can someone tell me how you model stage versus regular stage? What is the difference?

Thanks!

Ellen DeGeneres Show wants photos of real estate agents!

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:46:50 -0500

The other day I was watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She showed photos (OK most were really bad photos) of real estate agents. She calls it Ellen's Real Realtors. She is looking for more submissions.

Send yours in. Send in an office mates. Ya know you wanna!

Here is more information from The Ellen Website:

Ellen's Real Realtors
Why do real estate agents feel the need to put their pictures up next to the property they're selling? Does it help make the sale? Ellen showed us photos of her favorite real estate agents now she wants to see pictures of your Realtors. Send them in. Maybe Ellen will post them on the site.

Linda Griffith
St. Pete Beach, FL

Here is the link to the page on Ellen: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/realtor/

Making a name for yourself

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 10:02:35 -0500

I have had many people contact me regarding starting their own home staging or decorating/redesign business. The number one concept I try to teach them is that in order to succeed you need to treat this as a BUSINESS. And no matter what you call or name your company - YOU are its brand identity.

One of the best books to help you with that mindset is called "Make a Name for Yourself: 8 steps every woman needs to create a personal brand strategy for success" by Robin Fisher Roffer

I highly recommend this book to newbies and anyone interested in strengthening their brand.

Giving a room a clear purpose helps to sell the house

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:55:08 -0500

I recently worked with a couple who were busy professionals with no children except for the 4 legged kind.

They live in a three bedroom house. The master bedroom was nicely done. One spare bedroom was an office. The other spare bedroom was well...I guess...maybe it was.... can't really tell...storage area? It was the "catch-all" room. Sound familiar to anyone ?

As they put their house on the market, I counseled them to make sure to turn that "catch all" room into a clear purpose. Buyers like to know what exactly the room is. Also if buyers toured this house as it was they would only remember one bedroom. Staging helps to show the full potential of a house by giving a clear purpose to all the rooms.

Here is the before and after photos. What room gives you that "BUY" urge?

The cost for this transformation? The room was painted but all other items were already in the house.

Staging with a clear purpose doesn't need to cost a lot.

PS: The "after" photograph was professionally photographed by Stephen Smith of Iron Images.

SMALL budget staging makes BIG difference

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:23:32 -0500

Staging a vacant house on a very tight budget can be done. This small house (1,300 square feet) that needed a little attention got help from staging.

The living room BEFORE had no personality. Buyers might think "will my furniture work in here?" Buyers can now see its potential.

BEFORE AFTER

Buyers had no idea that this room is the perfect dining room until staging showed them:

BEFORE AFTER

Can you even tell that this is a bedroom - let alone where the bed would go? With Staging, the bedroom comes alive.

BEFORE AFTER

Vacant staging can help you sell your house. Don't leave it up to the buyer's imagination. Show them!

Review of Barb Schwarz's Home Staging Business Book

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:43:19 -0500

I want to start the review by disclosing that I am an Accredited Staging Professional trained by Barb Schwarz's company Staged Homes.

I can sum up the book, Building a Successful Home Staging Business:Proven Strategies from the Creator of Home Staging by barb Schwarz by dividing it into three parts.

The book is about 1/3 self promotion about Barb Schwarz and taking her classes. Even though I have taken her class, I know other excellent home stagers that have taken other classes or some that have not taken training classes at all.

About 1/3 of the book is about starting a business. This is a critical part of success. I think other more indepth books on starting a business and marketing it would give you more detailed information.

The other 1/3 is helpful home staging industry specific tips. Most of them are common sense. If you do not know you need to form relationships with real estate agents - this is not a business for you. I think the sample documents in the back of the book are helpful for a new home stager.

So, Yes parts of this book are helpful but it is not the only resource you need.

What is your opinion?

Stainless Steel Appliances? Does this work?

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:48:21 -0500

I have heard of a special paint that can transform regular kitchen appliances to a stainless steel look. If anyone has personally used this product, I would really like to know what you thought. It sounds really good but maybe too good to be true??

It is called Liquid Stainless Steel.

Here is a couple photos from their website:
Before:

After:

Here is the link to this product called Liquid Stainless Steel: http://www.liquidstainlesssteel.com/

Please let me know if you have personally used this and what you thought of it.

Kitchen makeover - no cost, big impact

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:02:08 -0500

In Staging it is about creativity and using what you have but making it better. But as you probably know, removing what you have can make just as much of a difference. Some people think that staging is expensive but I have dramatic before and after photos that transformed a kitchen AT NO COST.

BEFORE:

Does this look familiar to any one?

AFTER:

This kitchen has much more appeal and will be easier to sell. Don't you think?

How much money was spend on this dramatic makeover? Yes, zero dollars spend.

It is amazing that many homeowners just don't see how their home looks to potential buyers.

I am really a Complete Idiot!

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:50:23 -0500

I just want everyone in the Active Rain Community to know about a great home staging book.

It is the best book on home staging as it tells you why to stage. It gives step by step and room by room advice for staging, decluttering, cleaning, minor repairs, and making the home memorable. It has over one hundred photos from real houses that really needed to be sold. It was just published February 2007.

How do I know so much about this book and why do I like it so much? Yes, I am a little bias - I am the author.

I have two sons and they think it is just hysterical their mom wrote an idiot book ;)

If you are interested, you can purchase the book at most major books store nationwide

and on my website: The Home Stylist - Style Store

My first active rain post - glad I am here!

Julie Dana, ASP: Staging for Buffalo, NY area (The Home Stylist) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 18:17:59 -0500

This is my first blog post on Active Rain. I have been a blogger for about a year on my other site INSIDE THE HOME Stylist. I just found Active Rain and I am thrilled about the great tips, information, and camaraderie I have found.

I started my business, The Home Stylist, (thehomestylist.com) over 5 years ago. I specialize in decorating and home staging guidance for the do-it-yourselfer. The Buffalo, NY area is known for its frugal mindedness so "full-blown" home staging has not really caught on. I do comprehensive home staging consultations and cost effective advice. (I hope in the future to offer rental furniture but it is not a business savvy move - not just yet anyway). I also offer do-it-yourself interior decorating plans for clients who want a fresh look.

A unique service that I offer is online consultations for interior decorating and home staging. Clients send me photos or video of their home and I give them professional recommendations. For the real estate agents where there are no home stagers nearby- I am here!

I am glad to be a part of Active Rain!