I recently have signed up with a new window treatment company called B&W Window Fashions, website is www.horizonshades.com.  They have a wide selection of all different treatments, and offer beautiful sample books that are useful when doing windows.  For those of you who do a lot of redesign work, you know the dramatic effect new windows can provide.  I especially am loving the natural woven blinds that now come in a huge assortment of weaves and colors.

This is a redesign we did using only what the owner had.  We painted the bedroom, hung art, and rearranged the furniture.  The shades were the only new purchases.

Before -bland, windows have no impact:

Here we've installed Natural Woven Roman shades and arranged the furniture - the window treatments warm up the entire feel of the rooms

This bedroom was stark and cold looking.  The window shades and paint come to the rescue again

Mel

I like to inject some personality and color into my stagings.  In this home, the existing furniture and bedding was ho hum and this created a blah sort of presentation.  Salazar Staging brought in black and some red to punch up the look.

Here is the bedroom before we staged:  Not bad - just a little dated

Introducing BLACK into the mix

The bathroom was 'okay' but needed something

BEFORE

So we brought in a little more black

Mel

Congratulations to Melissa Marro!  This is the kind of story that brings a warm feeling to us stagers!  I am so happy that your efforts paid off so beautifully and that you were able to form such a great working relationship with this agency. We hope you will keep us posted on the results of your staging and working together with savvy agents.  It sounds like you have  all put together a very effective agent/staging partnership and we wish you all a wonderful amount of success.

I'm re-blogging to my local agents to share your amazing day and fantastic results!  Thanks for the great post,

Mel

This charming 2 bd/2bth home has 100 yards of lake front on the NON-LILY pad side of the lake.  It is full of upgrades and is staged by Salazar Staging & Custom Interiors (www.salazarstaging.com)

$430,000
# STORIES: One              
BEDROOMS:2
BATHS: 1 ½
TOTAL SQFT: 1344
YEAR BUILT: 2009

Want to see inside? For slideshow:    238 Admiral

Contact: Hunter Croan  - Keller Williams Realty
Direct (830)221-6969
Fax (866)723-8022

As a dog owner myself, I know how hard it is to keep a house fur-free.  Of course this is necessary when a house is on the market.  I came across a tool (Target) that is amazing!  The FURMINATOR removes so much fur from cats and dogs  that it leaves you wondering how they are still covered with enough hair to stay warm - and it goes to show you why so much fur is a flyin on a daily basis.  But boy oh boy, does it help in the ongoing fight against hairy floors and furniture.

Two words of warning-

Use this outdoors as it makes a hairy mess, literally.

Do not wear black unless you're into the mohair look!

This is an excellent tool to recommend to your pet owning clients who need to keep their homes immaculate while on the market.

Mel

We stagers are often contacted initially over the phone.  We speak with the caller and gain information and cover the basics of setting up that first face to face appointment.  Often times, we will set up meetings that take place a good drive away.  Most of the time, everything sounds good and we trust 'the voice' on the other end of the line.

But what about when something just doesn't seem right?  Sometimes, it's just our little inner voice we have inside that warns us that something seems off.  I had such a call last week, from a client wanting to meet next week.  Although she gave me her name and address (55 minutes away), she just didn't sound truly interested in meeting.  Sometimes you can't put your finger on it, it's a vibe or their tone or just a little something that doesn't ring true.

I follow up my first contact phone calls with an email, sometimes laying out the staging or redesign process, describing the process, listing the costs and re-confirming the appointment time.  I did this for the caller, and did not receive an acknowledgement.  I wrote her again a couple days later and again, no response. 

So I decided to 'weed her out' - I sent an email explaining that because her location was nearly an hour drive from my office, I would like a $15 REFUNDABLE confirmation fee.  I figure if a client is not willing to front $15 that they will receive back, that client is most likely not worth the drive and time. 

I've not heard back and was unable to reach the client on the phone.  I will not go to this appointment, but wondered what others think.  Have you ever felt uncomfortable with a caller, or just not felt right about an appointment?  What do you think of the confirmation fee?

Mel

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