New show - Will it be the real deal?

Do you watch HGTV?  I confess - it's my favorite channel.  I've seen advertisements for a new show, "The Stagers", premiering next Sunday.  The DVR is already set and ready to record the show in case I miss it.  I am excited to see how it portrays Home Staging.  I must admit I am disappointed that some programs depict staging as putting time and money into renovations.  Staging is not that extensive and is giving viewers a false impression.  "True" staging of an occupied home creatively utilizes items that are already in the home and can cost as little as $80. 

If you live in Canada, you may have already seen the first episode.  If so, what did you think?

"The Stagers" premiers July 20, 2008 10:00 PM ET/PT

Copyright 2008 Simply Staged, LLC  All rights reserved.

Fourth of July Treat

Have you clicked to view the recent video on the AR home page?  I did and it was a Fourth of July treat.  Wow!! Those young girls are talented and they're mostly preteens!

I double-clicked the video image and it brought me to YouTube where I quickly found an even younger impressive 7 year old singing our national anthem.  Anthony Gargiula even got applause before ending the song when he hit the high note of "free".  He gets my applause too.  If it was audio and not video I never would have bellieved the singer was a 7 year old!!  Another Fourth of July treat of an impressive rendition of tour National Anthem!!

God surely has blessed these young ones with amazing vocal talent.  Hope you enjoy their renditions of the "Star Spangled Banner".

Copyright 2008 Simply Staged, LLC  All rights reserved.

Another WZZM13 Super Saver this Thursday: Inexpensive House Updates

The last WZZM13 Super Saver I helped with was such a success (top rated newscast of the month) that Derek Francis is doing another Super Saver segment dealing with your home.  (Yea! Let's try to boost the real estate market!)  This time, the segment covers "Inexpensive Ways to Add Value to your House".  Last week, Derek called and asked if I would help with the segment.  (Who'd have thought that I would make it on TV once, let alone a second time?)  I jumped at the opportunity and also recommended he interview Kris, a real estate investor.

I know Kris and his experience updating houses since I have staged (with furniture) five homes that he has flipped.  Like Kris, I keep up with products (including their pricing) along with current trends to better consult home sellers with the process of affordably updating their homes to sell faster.  Also, as an interior decorator, I have fun helping homeowners select design elements for their homes whether building, remodeling, or merely making minor updates. 

To shoot the footage for the WZZM13 segment we all met at a house that Kris flipped and I staged (picture below).  Kris walked through the house with Derek pointing out and explaining the many fixes that he put into the house.  I then sat down and had a further conversation with Derek about changes homeowners should concentrate on first whether staying in their home or putting it up for sale.

The segment reveals many quick and inexpensive updates.  Sorry, but I'll keep them a secret until the airing.  If you know someone that wants to update their home through minor changes or to get their home ready for sale, you may want to tell them about the broadcast.  The segment aires Thursday, July 3, during the 6:00 evening news and next Monday, July 7, during the 6:00 morning news.  Hope to see you, and you, and you... (Remember Romper Room?  Sorry, but I couldn' resist.)

Copyright 2008  Simply Staged, LLC  All rights reserved.

Is the Market on an Upswing?

It seems the greater Grand Rapids real estate market is on an upswing.  EVERY vacant house we staged so far in 2008 has closed or is under a pending sale. 

I'd love to hear your 2008 success stories!  Here are some of mine...

This house was under contract within a week of staging.  Simply Staged has staged 5 houses for this a real estate investor.

This house sold to the first person that viewed it after it was staged and it had been on the market a few months prior to stage.  The builder is a new builder in the area and wanted to take pictures for his website.  The house sold so quickly he never got professional pictures but boy was he excited!

Here's a testimony from yet another happy seller: "Thank you so much for your assistance with the staging of our home in Kentwood.  Prior to staging our house had been on the market for over 3 months and we only had one scheduled showing.  After staging, we saw a tremendous increase in activity.  Everyone had very positive comments.  Most importantly, we now have a sale pending.  Thank you again for all your help!"

I have several other success stories for 2008 but let's hear yours!!

Copyright 2008 Simply Staged, LLC All Rights Reserved

THIS WEEKEND: Celebrate City Life

                                                              Above Image Courtesy of grmag.com

Want to learn more about what downtown Grand Rapids has to offer in city living?  The fourth annual Parade of Downtown Living is THIS WEEKEND.  This is a great opportunity to view several downtown condominiums and to see how our city is growing and changing.

To start your tour, you may park in any of three lots for free:

• City Lot Area 7 - south of Michigan and north of Pearl
• Northwest lot behind Boardwalk Condos - enter off Mason Street between Ottawa and Monroe
• Southwest lot adjacent to Fairmount Square - on Hollister Street just south of Cherry behind Greenwell

Once parked just look for one of the buses marked "Parade of Downtown Living".  The buses run the loop every 20 minutes.  This year there are city tour guides on each bus to familiarize you with our wonderful city and to update you on the various downtown Grand Rapids living choices.

The event is sponsored by Grand Rapids Magazine and National City Bank and all proceeds go to Dwelling Place.  The cost is $10 per person and you may purchase a wristband at your first condo stop.  The wristbands are valid for all three days of the Parade and are also good for discounts at other stops on the tour.  Some participating restaurants will even donate a portion of your tab to Dwelling Place.

Map Image Courtesy of mlive.com

Copyright 2008 Simply Staged, LLC All Rights Reserved

Laughter is a Good Medicine... And Can Even be Constagious

Have you ever visited the website Bad MLS Photo of the Day? If not, take a look and I can almost guarantee it will give you a chuckle.  And you don't even have to be in the real estate profession to experience the humor.

As I scroll the pictures on the website, I begin to smile, then it builds to a chuckle, and eventually I find myself laughing out loud especially as I read the captions to the pictures.  Then the laughter catches on and I find someone peering over my shoulder joining in on the fun.  Isn't laughter a great gift we can share with others?

Take a look and see if it doesn't lift your spirits.  I'd love to know your favorite. 

This is my favorite: #391, it takes home staging a bit too far!

Photo Courtesty of Athol Kay's Blog: Bad MLS Photo of the Day.

Copyright 2008 Simply Staged, LLC All Rights Reserved

Statistics? I've Tracked Them and Here They Are...

Boy, have I been busy...  Sorry for the delay in blogging.  Between Home Staging , de-staging, Sunday School crafting, my aging mom, and my family, life has been a whirlwind lately.

Many of you have left comments to my blogs asking about Home Staging statistics.  I have had the privilege of staging 29 vacant homes in my 3 years of staging here in the greater Grand Rapids area.  From those stagings I have computed statistics based on the date of stage to the date of de-stage.

I wish I could access the MLS database to get information I need to formulate more specific statistics.  Since I am not a Realtor and am only an affiliate member of GRAR, my fingertips cannot get me to the information that Realtors can access.  I would love to be able to formulate stats about how long each home had been on the market prior to stage since many had been on the market 6 to 12 months prior to stage.  I would also like to expand the stats to include list price at stage versus final sale price, days from stage to accepted offer, etc.

 In the last 3 years, I have staged 29 vacant properties and here are some of the stats:

• Average Staging Length:        91 Days
• Median Staging Length:         87 Days
• Minimum Staging Length:      27 Days
• Maximum Staging Length:   208 Days

The homes that took the longest to sell were homes that Realtors commented should have been listed at a lower price to begin with.

Here is a list of sold properties that I staged this spring and have already sold:

Copyright 2008 Simply Staged, LLC All Rights Reserved

2008 Spring Parade of Homes Starts May 21

Wednesday, May 21 - Saturday, May 31
Tuesday, Thursdays & Fridays     6 - 9 p.m.
Wednesdays, Saturdays & Memorial Day     1 - 9 p.m.

The Parade of Homes is an excellent chance to ...

• Experience first-hand what local builders have to offer
• Get Ideas for building a home or remodeling your existing home
• See current trends in decorating or design
• Learn more about the latest gizmos and gadgets for your home
• Tour a variety of new homes for the fun of it!

Photo taken from the HBAGGR website.

Can You Give Me Some Insight?

Most of what drives my business here in West Michigan is Staging vacant homes, but I am wondering why more people here don't call upon professional Home Stagers to stage their occupied homes?

When I started Home Staging almost three years ago, I was surprised to find that most Realtors in West Michigan were turned off or offended by the fact that I even suggested Home Staging services for their clients.  The response I often got was, "I already do that for my clients" or "I don't need that."  As the market declined, I started to notice a little shift as a few Realtors began to see the advantage of calling in professionals to Stage their listings.

When setting up a staging appointment, I suggest a client first read my Home Staging: Room by Room Series before I come to stage their house.  That way, they can tackle the basics of preparing their home for sale: cleaning, de-cluttering and what-not.  I then focus on the psychological art and science of home staging including furniture placement, repositioning of items, color selection, and other ways that enable the house to communicate to a potential buyer.  Strategical placement of items is key and most people are not skilled in this aspect of home staging. 

My questions is, why don't more homeowners and Realtors in West Michigan call in the experts to stage their occupied homes?

I have a handful of Realtors that pay for a 1-2 hour consultation as part of their marketing plan.  For Realtors, it only costs $60 for a one hour consult plus a travel fee.  That's a small investment considering staged homes in West Michigan sell in half the time and for 6-8% more than a comparable unstaged home.

Thanks for reading!!

Copyright 2008  Simply Staged, LLC  All rights reserved.

Were the Realtors Statistics Given on the Super Saver Last Week Correct?

Did anyone see the WZZM 13 Super Saver last Friday evening or this Monday morning titled, "Sell Your Home and Cash In"?  The Realtor interviewed said,

"Your home is worth about 15%-20% less than it was a few years ago," says Faber. "That's a difficult number to swallow.

View Transcript of the Super Saver Segment

It sure is a difficult number to swallow but my question is, is it an accurate assessment of the West Michigan real estate market?  Is so, we have to keep reminding homeowners that there's no better time to sell and move up to a higher priced home.

Here's the way the 15% statistic plays out for someone moving up using former valued homes of $150,000 to $225,000:

If selling in a 15% down market a homeowner is actually saving $11,250 by selling and moving up now versus in a flat market.  The savings is even more when compared to an up market.  

So, homeowners, if the 15-20% statistic is real, now is a great time to move up and turn your losses into gains!

Copyright 2008  Simply Staged, LLC  All rights reserved.