In our line of work, we stagers run into a lot of dirty old wood floors.  It's expensive to have them buffed and polished.  I have found a product that really shines them up very quickly and easily.  Once the floor has been lightly damp mopped, jJust pour some out on the floor and work it in with a wood floor cleaner - the kind with the terry cloth.

I had used this product years ago and was upset when it disappeared from my local grocery store.

And then while I was in Walmart the other day (stager heaven) - there it was - sitting on the shelf, the bottle gleaming with promises of shiny wood floors with scratches greatly diminished.

I picked up three bottles with fear that this wonderful product would disappear!  I ran home to try it, worried the formula had been changed.  But to my delight, it was the exact wonderful product it had been all those years ago. :-)

So get yourself over to Walmart and pick up a bottle of Quick Shine.  Put it in your tool box and you will love the results.

Mel

Earlier today, I wrote a blog about bright paint colors being a turn off for many buyers. 

I showed some before and after examples of some rooms where repainting greatly impacted the presentation. 

Now I wanted to show an example of clients who wouldn't listen.   These clients have had their home on the market for 8 months and I met with them about 1 month into their listing.  At that time, I told them emphatically that their entire house needed to be painted.  They wound up painting one room only.  They have since vacated the premises, which most likely leaves the paint to be even more overwhelming. I'm sure they're wondering why they're still on the market.

You tell me!  Don't you get frustrated when homeowners refuse to take your advice?

What you can't see in this picture is the niche on the left wall - it's very large and painted bright red!

Give me strength!

Show us your non-listeners!

Mel

  Bright colors are highly personalized and can leave many buyers cold.  In this first picture all you see is RED~

So we neutralized with paint and changed out the dated mirror for a fresh new look that will appeal to more buyers

This entryway was the first thing buyers saw when entering the home.  This could stop buyers in their tracks !

With  more neutral paint colors, buyers can enter the home without pause!

This bright kitchen looks dated and confused!

Toning down the paint, removing the wallpaper , and bringing in the butcher block completely changed the look of the kitchen

Neutralizing colors, whether that includes removing wallpaper or just repainting, is one of the least expensive and most dramatic ways to update rooms. 

Mel

A lot of our customers and potential customers, along with REA's and builders, want to know that we stand behind our work.  When we submit a proposal with the costs laid out, some sellers feel they're 'taking a chance' by investing up front in staging services.  Stating the facts about previous staging successes that show shorter stays on the market and higher offers, doesn't seem to satisfy everyone.  So, we at Salazar Staging & Custom Interiors, decided to offer a guarantee.  We are going to try this through the end of the year and see if this helps convince sellers that we absolutely believe in our work.

Our staged homes have an average market stay of less than 60 days, especially when staging has been done BEFORE pictures are taken and BEFORE an open house is held.  We are, in fact, so sure that our staging will help move properties, that should a listing not sell within 60 days, we will give the third month of staging at absolutely no charge. 

And ask yourself, which would you rather show?

An unstaged, 'let's just try it as it is' ~

OR

It is very important to us that we offer more than a hopeful maybe, and that we will stay with our clients until they sell.

Please call today for a consultation and a proposal that comes with a guarantee!

Visit our site at www.salazarstaging.com or call us at 830/626-8967

Happy Selling,

Mel

The majority of bedrooms have no real focal point.  Dressing the bed (and windows in some instances) becomes very important as the bed takes on the 'lead' in the room.  With kitchens and bedrooms so important to most buyers, it's necessary to make sure these rooms look as good as they can.  Salazar Staging carries a full inventory that includes bedding and window treatments.  Here are a few bedrooms we've spruced up.

BEFORE

Here is a room that was low on appeal mainly due to the dated bedding and stock window treatments found in many homes.  Although the owners didn't have it in their budget to change out the blinds, by adding some sheers, and changing out the bedding, they softened the look of the room as well as giving it an updated look.

AFTER UPDATES

OLD, WORN OUT BEDDING MAKES THE ROOM LOOK OLD AND WORN OUT

A FRESH NEW UPDATED LOOK

SOME BEDS LOOK BARREN AND VERY UNINVITING, THEREFORE THE ROOM LOOKS UNINVITING

When a house goes on the market, it's important that all the rooms be 'dressed'

Mel

A couple of weeks ago we staged a small lake house where the owners had done all sorts of expensive upgrades.  The home was so cluttered though, you could barely make them out.  The only way upgrades are appreciated is if they're visible!

Here are a few:

A kitchen full of granite and great cabinets - who knew?

Once we decluttered and cleaned up, the beautiful counters and cabinetry shined!

Can you find the great pedestal sink?

Decluttered -Look how pretty!  And now you can notice the hardware and the mirror.

Great Granite Wetbar - but totally lost

We moved the random shelf supports on the back wall and reaccessorized - Now this is a great selling point

Staging by Salazar Staging & Custom Interiors - 830-626-8967

After photos by Jason Collins

Home after home I see, there is a messy room or part of a room, that is the 'home office'.  Although we all need our home offices and many of us solely work out of our own, this area must be addressed when putting a house on the market. 

Here are a couple office make overs - where the office is still useful, but a lot less distracting.

This office space was in the sitting area of a master bedroom.  There was no other room to move to, so we moved the desk over so it's more tucked away.  We cleared up the clutter and removed as much of the furniture as possible.

The result from the change is that this space is a lot less intrusive and doesn't distract from the main bedroom area as much.   The folding screen not only defines this area a bit more but was a great place to tuck cords behind.

Here is an office that builders used while the house was on the market.  They did not play up this room and as you can see in the after, it was spacious and a very beautiful space.

SHOW US YOUR HOME OFFICE MAKEOVERS~

Mel

all photos are property of salazar staging & custom interiors.

In another blog I started recently, http://activerain.com/blogsview/1309578/disrespect-for-staging-when-a-client-trashes-your-design I discussed an alarming situation where a builder client rearranged our furniture layout.  His arrangement was very detrimental, in our opinion (view blog for pictures).  The comments this blog drew, included a lot of people sharing that they have fines or extra fees outlined in their contract, for this type of action. 

This led me to wonder about collecting such fees.  I would love to hear stories of others when they go to collect fees such as:

LATE FEES - for rent not paid on time

DAMAGED OR MISSING ITEMS - self explanatory.  When we pick up our inventory, if things are broken and/or missing OR sun damaged (this one is important - you can lose a good rug through one sunny staging)

MOVING INVENTORY - if you have it outlined in your contract that the clients are not permitted to rearrange things or move them to another location

BREAKDOWN FEE - we charge a flat rate for this since it entails several hours, truck rental and assistants. We include in our contract that this is due on the date of the request for breakdown.  We used to say this was due at breakdown, but found that more times than not, when we reached the breakdown date, we had not received this payment.   We alleviated a lot of chasing down this fee by collecting it a little in advance.

I know from a lot of blogging, that the majority of stagers like myself,  have detailed contracts that cover these various situations but wonder how you go about actually collecting the fees.

So far, this is how we do it - When we do a staging, we require either a retainer check in the amount of one month's rental or a credit card authorization.   If they opt to put up a retainer, we hold this check and deduct fees at the time of break down.  The credit card option is where we keep an authorization on file and have the client sign the clause that states fees will be charged to this card.  Be careful on this one, we have, on more than one occasion, gone to charge fees and the card has been cancelled or is no longer valid.

Please share your 'chase' stories!

Mel

Whether you've sold 10 houses or are selling your first, I have a list of reminders that really help you stay on top of everything while your house is on the market.   I give this to all my sellers and they really appreciate this as it keeps them on task as they go through the selling process.   It tells them what to do daily, weekly and what to keep an overall eye on.

TIDY-UP TIPS

This checklist will help keep you on track so that you will be ready to show your home to a potential buyer at a moments notice.  Remember, you are SELLERS not DWELLERS!

DO THIS DAILY:

•ü  Make the beds.

•ü  Get clothes off floors and into a hamper or back on hangers....overcrowded hampers...stuff into washer or dryer temporarily.

•ü  Hang towels and wash cloths on towel bars to dry.

•ü  Give tubs, showers, sinks and ovens and range tops a light scrubbing after use.

•ü  Wash dishes or put them in the dishwasher as soon as the meal is done.

•ü  Sort and file or dispose of mail as soon as you get it.

•ü  Find a home for EVERYTHING.  Newspapers into the recycling bin or trash, coats and shoes into the closet, dirty clothes into the hamper---

NO EXCEPTIONS!

•ü  Put away personal items, such as eyeglasses, magazines, and books on the nightstand and lotions and toothbrushes on the bathroom vanity.

•ü  Clean the litter box, pet areas & cages and pet soiling.

DO THIS WEEKLY:

•ü  Tend to the yard (mow, rake, water, & pick up debris).

•ü  Dust, vacuum, and sweep bare floors ( do more often as needed).

•ü  Lightly scrub refrigerator surfaces and shelves and oven.

•ü  Shake out, launder or vacuum throw rugs.

KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON:

• Windows & light fixtures.  Clean as needed...they need to sparkle. Even light bulbs need dusting.
• Laundry. Don't let it pile up in a heap on the floors or in the laundry area.
• The dishwasher. Empty is as soon as dishes are clean.  Letting clean dishes sit there encourages dirty ones to pile up in the sink and on the countertop.
• Food bowls & litter boxes for pets. Put them in an out-of-the-way place.  Not visible in the kitchen.  Keep the area around them clean.  Remove entirely during an open house or showing to potential buyers.
• Odors. Avoid cooking foods that leave strong odors, such as bacon, fish or garlic.  If they can't be avoided turn on vents and open windows and light a fragrant candle to mask smells.
• The thermostat. Try to maintain a comfortable temperature level so the home isn't overly hot or cold.  68 degrees is usually comfortable.
• The garage and basement or carport. It's easy for these spaces to become the new home for items you've cleared from other rooms.  If these spaces are overly crowded and you simply cannot part with things permanently, rent a storage unit so that you don't give the buyers the impression that the house lacks storage and space. 

 This list has been provided to you by Salazar Staging & Custom Interiors

www.salazarstaging.com

830/626-8967

Previously, I had this titled, What to do When A Client Rearranges your Staging.  But as time went on and comments came in, we realized this is a bigger issue.  - DISRESPECT for staging.  Many of us stagers, me included,  have had a lot of challenges in attempting to reach agents, builders and homeowners.  We come into contact with so many people who think they can do what we do because they've watched some decorating tv shows.  Nothing is farther from the truth as we who stage know that there are specific reasons why we arrange furniture and layout wall art, etc the way that we do. 

Salazar Staging & Custom Interiors did a very large, multi-room staging in San Antonio.  We were particularly pleased with the way our furniture fit perfectly in the family room.   We were just recently referred to the site where this listing is posted.  It took several weeks for the builder client to send the MLS# and he had no interior shots on his website.  We were AGHAST at the poor quality of the photos, even our own shots were much better.  But what really was a rotten surprise is that they completely rearranged the family room.  This RE-DO by the client, is a perfect example of a lack of understanding of the very basics of staging.

It is written in our contract that no inventory is to be removed from the property, but now it's clear that I need to add, OR MOVED WITHIN THE HOME.  We lay out furniture in a very specific manner and that's what we're paid to do.  For this owner to go in and change everything is just wasting his money.   How do other stagers deal with this maddening, presumptious re-arranging?

Here is how we had the arrangement:  Our furniture layout allowed for an open feel to the rooms and allowed for a good flow between the kitchen and morning room.  Our large wall art brought interest to an otherwise big, beige bore and tied in with the furniture below it.  This is a pretty narrow room, but our arrangement gave it the most spacious look it could have.

This is how they rearranged it -Note the wall art looks randomly placed, there is now a chair in front of the fireplace and the back of the couch that you see from the kitchen, completely cuts the room in half.  The lamp and chair  obliterate the fireplace. Not to mention, this is a poor quality shot with papers/clutter in the foreground.  I ask you, which photo/arrangement would you be more drawn to?

EVEN SOMETHING AS SMALL AS PILING UP THROW PILLOWS, CAN CHANGE THE QUALITY OF THE LOOK

HERE IS HOW WE HAD THE PILLOWS

AND HERE IS HOW THEY TOOK THEIR PICTURES