http://activerain.com/blogs/staged2sellny en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/1284627/home-staging-a-habitat-house <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;">What do Home Stagers and a Habitat House Have in Common?</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;">&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/9/9/4/ar125553709049992.jpg" height="188" alt="" width="250" style="vertical-align: text-bottom;" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;">Well, in this case, the Stagers are designing and furnishing the interior (and exterior!) of a newly-built Habitat house!</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana; color: #666600;">In an effort to give back to the community, the Central Long Island and the Metro New York chapters of the American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners (ASHSR) are decorating a Habitat house that was just completed in Bay Shore, Long Island.&nbsp; All 10 ASHSR designers, as well as Feng Shui consultants and a Curb Appeal specialist, are donating their services.&nbsp; The Long Island Board of Realtors is sponsoring the house itself, which is actually an interesting 'tie-in' since Home Stagers, Feng Shui consultants, and Curb Appeal specialists generally work closely with Realtors when preparing a house for market.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> CORT Furniture Rental is gifting all of the furniture for the house with the exception of the Dining Table and Chairs which Tiffany Furniture in Farmingdale, NY has generously donated.&nbsp; Most Home Stagers, here on Long Island, rely on CORT when furniture is needed to furnish a vacant house. <br /> &nbsp;<br /> The house itself contains 3 small bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room and eat-in kitchen.&nbsp; It was built upon the foundation of another house that had been torn down.&nbsp; I suppose that would qualify the house as a 'recycled home'.....<br /> &nbsp;<br /> All of the designers who are working on the project are in the process of soliciting for Walmart, Visa or Master Card gift cards which will be used to purchase household accessories/necessities ( bedding, draperies, towels, and all of the other items that make a 'house' a home).&nbsp; Everything that is brought into the house, or planted in the yard, will be 'gifted' to the new owner, the Barnes family.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Georgia Barnes is a hardworking, single mother of three children - her two oldest children are in their twenties, working and supporting themselves on Long Island.&nbsp; Georgia has been employed as a dietary aide in a NassauCounty nursing home for the past nine years.&nbsp; Accoring to her supervisor, "Georgia is extremely reliable, never tardy and is very detail-oriented."&nbsp; She currently lives in Huntington Station with her twelve-year-old son, Barachel, in the basement apartment of a relative's home.&nbsp; Though her current living situation has provided Georgia and Barachel with a sense of stability, the apartment is cramped and she has long wished to become a first-time homeowner.&nbsp; The partnership between her and Habitat is making this wish a reality! <br /> &nbsp;<br /> ASHSR will host a reception for invited guests and media on Friday, November 6, 2009.&nbsp; The following day, Saturday November 7th, is "Dedication Day".&nbsp; The Barnes family will surely be surprised to find that their home is 'move-in ready'!<br /> &nbsp;<br /> If you are interested in making a contribution towards the household necessities, please contact either myself (516-982-2671) or Les Scheinfeld at HabitatSuffolkCounty (631-924-4966 x105) prior to October 16, 2009.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:26:55 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1284627/home-staging-a-habitat-house http://activerain.com/blogsview/1058786/staging-a-home-in-huntington-long-island-new-york-with-existing-furnishings <p>As the unofficial 'queen of vacants' on Long Island, I love the challenge of working with the seller's own furniture and accessories.&nbsp; For this particular home, we simply added a mirror, 2 framed prints, some window treatments, 5 accent pillows and faux greenery.</p> <p>When the seller upgraded the kitchen, he enlarged the space and, as a result, ended up with this small, windowless&nbsp;'Living Room'.&nbsp; This is the first room that you saw when you walked into the Entry Hall. &nbsp;Before staging, it wasn't a defined space but, rather, was used as a&nbsp;storage space.</p> <p><img title="Before of Living Room Huntington NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/5/2/6/2/ar124121301926252.jpg" height="600" alt="Before of Living Room" width="800" />&nbsp;</p> <p>We 'borrowed' a chair from the Den, 'spiffed up' a console table with Old English scratch cover and turned it into a writing desk, pulled up the rug &amp; brought in a smaller area rug from another room, hung artwork that we found in the house and the purchased mirror (Homes &amp; Garden $40 at Walmart) to add depth and reflective light to the room, brought in a console cabinet that was in the Dining Room, and added a lamp from the Master Bedroom and various accessories (including 2 purchased faux plants from Walmart and a $8 throw pillow from Christmas Tree Shops).</p> <p><img title="After of Living Room in Huntington NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/0/2/0/7/ar124121356170208.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" /></p> <p>Here are a few more 'after' views:</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/4/3/0/7/ar124121403470348.jpg" height="272" alt="" width="363" style="float: left;" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/7/9/2/5/ar124121432452972.jpg" height="272" alt="" width="363" style="float: right;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The Dining Room only needed some 'light staging'.&nbsp; We cleared out the console cabinet, shelf unit, 2 chairs, a table leaf, and the parrot print on the wall.&nbsp; We also de-cluttered the china closet and table.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/6/9/4/3/ar124121472034965.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" style="float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;We added new matching prints ($5 each at Walmart!) and potted orchards to add some color.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/9/5/0/5/ar12412148950598.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" style="float: left;" /></p> <p>The Den was a bit of a challenge because the sofa had to stay.&nbsp; We removed the area rug and replaced it with a cream-colored shag to coordinate with the cream-colored chair that we brought in from the old Living Room.&nbsp; 2 purchased accent pillows and greenery were added while the mantle was decluttered and then enhanced with candlesticks that were found in another part of the house.&nbsp; The sheer curtains were removed in order to open the view and a framed print belonging to the owner was hung over the sofa.&nbsp; Sadly, the tv had to stay and we left instructions for the owner to reposition it in the corner.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/4/7/9/ar124121558797419.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" style="float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/0/7/2/ar124121584327047.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" style="float: left;" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/0/7/7/8/ar124122050087701.jpg" height="272" alt="" width="363" style="float: left;" />&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/5/9/9/6/ar124121603469954.jpg" height="272" alt="" width="363" style="float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Here are some before and afters of the dining area in the kitchen:</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/9/3/0/ar124121648603911.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" style="float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/1/1/8/2/ar124121654828117.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" style="float: left;" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/8/4/3/6/ar124121668963487.jpg" height="272" alt="" width="363" style="float: right;" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/1/9/8/ar124121660589192.jpg" height="272" alt="" width="363" style="float: left;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As you can see from the photos above, simple changes make all the difference when presenting a house for sale.&nbsp; This 'product' is now ready to compete with similar houses in the Huntington area that are currently on the market.</p> <p>At <strong>Staged 2 Sell </strong>we 'set the stage for your successful sale'!</p> <p><strong>Val Allocco, a certified (HSE), professional Home Stager, is the&nbsp;founder &amp; owner&nbsp;of Staged 2 Sell NY which was established in early 2006 and serves all of </strong><strong>Long Island</strong><strong> (</strong><strong>Nassau</strong><strong> and </strong><strong>Suffolk</strong><strong> </strong><strong>Counties</strong><strong>) as well as the boroughs of </strong><strong>Brooklyn</strong><strong> and </strong><strong>Queens</strong><strong>.&nbsp; She is also the Metro New York Chapter President and Central Long Island Chapter President of ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners).</strong></p> <p><strong>Val has taught Adult Education courses on "Staging Your Home To Sell" and has also been a featured speaker at numerous Home Selling Seminars on, and around, </strong><strong>Long Island</strong><strong>.&nbsp; She is available for seminars and other real estate related presentations and can be reached at 516-982-2671.</strong></p> <p><strong>Please visit <a href="http://www.staged2sellny.com/">www.staged2sellny.com</a> for more information and examples of our work.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Fri, 01 May 2009 17:37:44 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/1058786/staging-a-home-in-huntington-long-island-new-york-with-existing-furnishings http://activerain.com/blogsview/879334/about-those-mls-photos-or-lack-thereof- <p>I have been going through listings online that are more than 60 days old and felt compelled to blog about something that is blowing my mind!&nbsp; Out of the 13 listings that I have gone over, 5 of them have absolutely NO photos posted - not even the outside of the house!&nbsp;</p> <p>Below&nbsp;is an example of one of the listings (I removed the some of the information in order to protect the privacy of the Realtor and the Real Estate office).&nbsp; I apologize that it has definitely lost something in the 'translation' from downloaded file to being posted here - but I am not very good at all this technical stuff and I basically just wanted to let you see what I saw.</p> <p>The first thing that comes to mind, for me at least, is WHY are there NO photos?&nbsp; Does the house really look that bad?&nbsp; Why would a Realtor take&nbsp;a listing and not market the house to the fullest extent - and wouldn't that include ONLINE photos that capture the interest of potential buyers?</p> <p>As a Real Estate Stager, some of the things that I see on MLS drive me insane; I want to get right over to those houses that aren't showing well and do everything in my power to 'right every wrong'!&nbsp; I see photos of rooms that are vacant and you can only guess what the room is that you are looking at.&nbsp; Then I see photos of rooms that do not show the full potential or purpose of the space.</p> <p>A Real Estate Stager can help in all the instances above.&nbsp; We will come to the house and either instruct the seller on what needs to be addressed in order for the property to show at its best, or do the work ourselves.&nbsp; We have access to furniture and accessories for those empty rooms that will not only help to show the purpose, but will make potential buyers want to move right into them!&nbsp; We take wonderful 'before and after' pictures that can go right onto MLS, which takes some of the burden off the Realtors.</p> <p>A Staged home will show better, both in person and online.&nbsp; Maybe it's time to call a Stager to help sell your listing!</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/7/0/3/8/ar123185874683079.jpg" height="360" alt="empty room" width="480" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/7/3/1/6/ar12318588161373.jpg" height="360" alt="mls photo" width="480" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/9/7/5/ar123185701557968.jpg" height="471" alt="example of multiple listing" width="612" style="vertical-align: text-bottom;" /></p> <p><strong>Val Allocco, a certified (HSE), professional Home Stager, is the&nbsp;founder &amp; owner&nbsp;of Staged 2 Sell NY which was established in early 2006 and serves all of </strong><strong>Long Island</strong><strong> (</strong><strong>Nassau</strong><strong> and </strong><strong>Suffolk</strong><strong> </strong><strong>Counties</strong><strong>) as well as the boroughs of </strong><strong>Brooklyn</strong><strong> and </strong><strong>Queens</strong><strong>.&nbsp; She is also the Metro New York Chapter President of ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners).</strong></p> <p><strong>Val has taught Adult Education courses on "Staging Your Home To Sell" and has also been a featured speaker at numerous Home Selling Seminars on, and around, </strong><strong>Long Island</strong><strong>.&nbsp; She is available for seminars and other real estate related presentations and can be reached at 516-982-2671.</strong></p> <p><strong>Please visit <a href="http://www.staged2sellny.com/">www.staged2sellny.com</a> for more information and examples of our work.</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:30:11 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/879334/about-those-mls-photos-or-lack-thereof- http://activerain.com/blogsview/875490/do-some-sellers-have-blinders-on-when-it-comes-to-their-home- <p>And, speaking of "blinders", how many houses have you gone into that still have Levelor blinds on most every window?</p> <p>I recently toured a vacant house that has been on the market for more than a year.&nbsp; Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will show you what I found in this $800,000+ house that was built in the late 1970's and is located in an extremely 'tony' area here in Northport, LI, NY...</p> <p><img title="vacant house - Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/5/4/4/4/ar123163159144456.jpg" height="600" alt="" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/6/5/3/ar123163712635676.jpg" height="600" alt="living room of house in Northport" width="800" /></p> <p>Here is the Living Room complete with raised platform which originally 'housed' a Baby Grand piano.&nbsp; A brass and glass etagere and the white sectional were left to 'stage' the room.&nbsp; Notice the vertical blinds on the window and the mirrored radiator.&nbsp; Under the wall to wall is sub-flooring (sorry about the Realtor and her daughter in the photo!).&nbsp; My suggestion was to remove mirrored wall, Levelors, carpeting &amp; platform (replace with more neutral wall to wall),the Etagere and patch &amp; paint the walls.&nbsp; Cost to seller for a professional to do the job: <strong>$695.00</strong></p> <p>I would prefer using more 'up to date' furniture, but would work with the sectional if need be.&nbsp; The cost to rent&nbsp;furniture that would make this room more appealing to potential buyers: $445&nbsp;per month based on 3 month rental and $260&nbsp;per month&nbsp;for a 6-month lease.</p> <p>Remember that the asking price for this house that has been on the market for more than a year is in excess of $800,000.&nbsp;</p> <p>Let's move on to the Dining Room, shall we?</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/2/0/1/1/ar1231632111026.jpg" height="600" alt="dining room of Northport house" width="800" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/7/3/8/5/ar123163215558378.jpg" height="600" alt="alt shot of dining room Northport home" width="800" /></p> <p>I should mention that back in the 1980's this house was quite the showplace and built-in Mica was very big (but then again, so were shoulder pads and "Dynasty" and neither of those things are part of our lives in 2009)!</p> <p>I had my contractor price out removing the built-in shelves, carpeting, blinds, 2 leaves from the table&nbsp;and the credenza from this room and patch &amp; paint the walls.&nbsp; All totaled it came to <strong>$420 (including paint).</strong></p> <p>The estimate&nbsp;to rent&nbsp;6 Parson chairs was $150 per month&nbsp;for 3 months rental and $114 per month&nbsp;for a 6-month rental.</p> <p>There was the most wonderful Family Room complete with fireplace, skylights, and a wall of windows that looked out to a large, private yard that included an in-ground swimming pool.&nbsp; The major problem with this room was a large, custom build Mica cabinet that housed a large-screen TV.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/5/5/5/ar123163322955562.jpg" height="600" alt="family room Northport house" width="800" /></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/3/7/9/4/ar12316339849739.jpg" height="600" alt="family room Northport house" width="800" /></p> <p>Aside from the carpeting, the major problem in the room was the dated Entertainment Center and the fact that the Fireplace, which should have been the focal point, was dwarfed by the large sectional and secondary to the TV unit.</p> <p>So, once again, I had my contractor price out dismantling the Entertainment Unit, resetting the electrical outlets in the wall behind the unit, removing the&nbsp;wall-to-wall, and painting the wall behind the TV unit. <br />Total cost:<strong>$445.00</strong></p> <p>I could work with the sectional, if need be, but adding&nbsp;appropriate furniture &amp; furnishings would create a room that would be more appealing to today's buyers.&nbsp; The monthly rental fee would be $285 a month based on a 3-month rental and $193&nbsp;per month for the 6-month lease.</p> <p>So, let's do the math, shall we?&nbsp;</p> <p>Total renovation fee was $1,560 for all 3 rooms.</p> <p>Total furniture rental fee based on 3-month rental: $880 per month for all 3 rooms</p> <p>Total furniture rental fee based on 6-month rental:&nbsp; $567 per month for all 3 rooms</p> <p>If the seller opted to make the needed changes and rent the furniture for 3 months, the total cost (includes 3 months rental) = $4,200</p> <p>If the seller made the needed changes and rented the furniture for 6 months, the total cost (including the 6 months rental) = $4,962</p> <p>It's a "no-brainer" which option gave more 'bang for the buck'!&nbsp; Based on a selling price of $800,000,&nbsp;any of the options&nbsp;cost&nbsp;much&nbsp;less than 1% of the selling price.&nbsp; What do you think the next price reduction will be on this house - $4,000?&nbsp; No way!&nbsp; With that price point, it's going to be in the $20,000 to $50,000 range!</p> <p>The seller opted not to accept any of the services and instead will do the work himself.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Val Allocco, a certified (HSE), professional Home Stager, is the&nbsp;founder &amp; owner&nbsp;of Staged 2 Sell NY which was established in early 2006 and serves all of Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) as well as the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.&nbsp; She is also the Metro New York Chapter President of ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners).</strong></p> <p><strong>Val has taught Adult Education courses on "Staging Your Home To Sell" and has also been a featured speaker at numerous Home Selling Seminars on, and around, Long Island.&nbsp; She is available for seminars and other real estate related presentations and can be reached at 516-982-2671.</strong></p> <p><strong>Please visit <a href="http://www.staged2sellny.com/">www.staged2sellny.com</a> for more information and examples of our work.</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:23:44 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/875490/do-some-sellers-have-blinders-on-when-it-comes-to-their-home- http://activerain.com/blogsview/690052/the-home-consultation-report-how-it-works-by-staged-2-sell-new-york-long-island <p>I absolutely love preparing the <strong>Home Consultation Report</strong>;&nbsp;it is&nbsp;such a simple and effective tool to employ when selling a house.&nbsp; The best news is that our <strong>Staged 2 Sell NY</strong> report is completely affordable for anyone who might be putting their house on the market in <strong>Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens, Brooklyn or Manhattan, NY.&nbsp;</strong>When the suggestions/directions are followed properly, the result can be the same as if you hired a Home Stager to do the work for you.</p> <p>So, you may ask, what exactly is this report and what will a <strong>Home Consultation Report</strong> cover?</p> <p>The <strong>Staged 2 Sell NY Comprehensive Home Staging Report</strong> begins curbside where it addresses the overall &lsquo;curb appeal' of the property.&nbsp; Special attention is given to the exterior appearance and entry.&nbsp; Aside from flower beds being weed-free, bushes trimmed, the lawn mowed and any debris (leaves, twigs, litter) removed, the front door should have a fresh coat of paint, shiny hardware and a welcoming wreath.&nbsp; Seasonal flowers (that are planted in containers) at the entry help to infuse some color and warmth.&nbsp; A new &lsquo;welcome' mat will add to the appeal. The driveway might benefit from a top-coat of asphalt or fresh stones.&nbsp; In addition, we make sure that there is adequate outdoor lighting and that light fixtures&nbsp;are updated, shiny and clean.</p> <p>Once inside, each room is assessed for color, focal points and/or architectural features, furniture placement, traffic flow, flooring and lighting. Just a word about lighting here: natural light is best and all windows need to be super-clean and free from heavy window treatments.&nbsp; The assessment includes every area of the home and special attention is paid to closets, attics, garages and basements because those are places where clutter tends to accumulate.&nbsp; Prospective buyers want to see that there is ample storage for all of their 'stuff'!</p> <p>Many times while giving the consultation, and always with the seller's permission, we might begin to move some furniture and/or remove some of the accessories.&nbsp; By doing this, the homeowner can begin to see how small changes can result in a completely different look - one that enhances the room's positive qualities.&nbsp; It is usually at this point that the client "gets it" and becomes excited about the changes that we are making.&nbsp; It is always gratifying to watch their excitement build.&nbsp; We often hear the seller remark "I never would have thought to do that...the room looks so much better!"</p> <p>Depending on the size of the house, the walk-through generally lasts 1 &frac12; to 2 hours.&nbsp; At <strong>Staged 2 Sell NY</strong> the cost for the Consultation is purposely kept low so that the service can be affordable to all.&nbsp; Many times the Realtor will "gift" the report to their client as part of their service and we always give the agent a 20% discount when they pay for the Report.&nbsp; As one realtor recently told me, "I would rather invest money in a comprehensive report that will help the seller to prepare the house for sale than spend money on newspaper ads".</p> <p>Within 24 hours of the Home Consultation, we e-mail the client and realtor a detailed report that is broken down by room/area and addresses each necessary change in priority order.&nbsp; Think of it as a &lsquo;blueprint' for the seller with which they can do all, or part, of the staging themselves, or we can do some of all of the work for them.</p> <p>I can tell you that this report is extremely effective in helping the house to sell more quickly and for a higher price than if left &lsquo;unstaged'.&nbsp; We have had amazing results from homes that have been prepared for market by this method.&nbsp;When the seller understands and follows the Consultation Report, the results are truly amazing!</p> <p><strong>Val Allocco, a certified (HSE), professional Home Stager, is the&nbsp;founder &amp; owner&nbsp;of Staged 2 Sell NY which was established in early 2006 and serves all of </strong><strong>Long Island</strong><strong> (</strong><strong>Nassau</strong><strong> and </strong><strong>Suffolk</strong><strong> </strong><strong>Counties</strong><strong>) as well as the boroughs of </strong><strong>Brooklyn</strong><strong> and </strong><strong>Queens</strong><strong>.&nbsp; She is also the Metro New York Chapter President of ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners).</strong></p> <p><strong>Val has taught Adult Education courses on "Staging Your Home To Sell" and has also been a featured speaker at numerous Home Selling Seminars on, and around, </strong><strong>Long Island</strong><strong>.&nbsp; She is available for seminars and other real estate related presentations and can be reached at 516-982-2671.</strong></p> <p><strong>Please visit <a href="http://www.staged2sellny.com/">www.staged2sellny.com</a> for more information and examples of our work.</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:35:10 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/690052/the-home-consultation-report-how-it-works-by-staged-2-sell-new-york-long-island http://activerain.com/blogsview/680311/home-staging-rental-vs-purchased-furnishings-for-vacant-and-newly-constructed-houses-by-staged-2-sell-new-york-long-island <p>For those who are looking to sell a <strong>"Vacant" </strong>or <strong>Newly Constructed House</strong>, here in <strong>New York</strong> and on <strong>Long Island</strong>, here is some pertinent information regarding <strong>Home Staging</strong> and <strong>Rental furniture</strong>&nbsp;vs. Purchased home furnishings:</p> <p>When I visit a newly constructed or vacant house for the purpose of providing a proposal for staging with rented furniture, I begin by touring the house and taking pictures of the rooms that need to be staged.&nbsp; Normally, only the impact rooms (Entry, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Great Room or Family Room) need to be furnished in order for buyers to see the purpose and potential of each room and have a point of reference as to what size furnishings the room can hold.&nbsp; In the case of older houses, however, many times the bedrooms are very small and it is difficult to visualize the size and amount of furniture that the room can hold.&nbsp; In those cases, I always suggest that at least the Master Bedroom be staged with a Queen-sized bed and dresser or chest of drawers.&nbsp; As you can see in the photo below of a house that I staged in <strong>Oyster Bay, LI,</strong> a staged room actually shows larger than if left empty!</p> <p><img title="Master Bedroom Oyster Bay Cove Long Island before staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/7/3/3/5/ar122088468653375.jpg" height="600" alt="Master Bedroom before staging in Oyster Bay Cove Long Island New York by Staged 2 Sell New York" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><img title="After staging by Staged 2 Sell New York &amp; Long Island" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/3/5/6/2/ar122088511226537.jpg" height="600" alt="Oyster Bay Cove, Long Island, Master Bedroom after staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>Once I return to the office, I download the photos and begin planning what each room will require in order to highlight the architecture and focal points of the space.&nbsp;&nbsp; A lot of care and thought go into this process; not only do I need to choose unique and appropriate furnishings, but I need to be mindful of the cost for each.&nbsp; I am able to &lsquo;shop' for the most competitive pricing because I work with all three big rental companies in the tri-state area.</p> <p>When all the necessary furnishings have been chosen, I present the client with a written proposal which details each piece of furniture and the monthly rental cost per item.&nbsp; State tax and Damage Waiver fees are added to the overall monthly fee, as well as a one-time delivery/set up/pick up fee.&nbsp; The total monthly cost to rent furniture is usually a bit of a jolt for most clients because they find it hard to believe how all those small &lsquo;per item' monthly rental fees can add up!</p> <p>I realize that the monthly furniture rental fees might&nbsp;have a little bit of 'sticker shock'&nbsp;for some people, and that is understandable.&nbsp;The good news is that the rental fees are paid on a monthly basis and can be charged to a major credit card. What I ask my clients to take into consideration is what the overall investment will be and then to think about how much the first, or next price reduction on the house will be (not to mention that after the first few weeks on the market, a house becomes 'market worn' and will receive fewer showings by other agents).</p> <p>Then I ask them to consider this:&nbsp; More than 80% of today's home buyers start their search online and if the photos depict empty rooms, or even worse show only exterior pictures of a house, chances are that the viewer will move on to the next listing.&nbsp; The most memorable houses are those that make an eye-catching impression which entices buyers' interest. Staged rooms&nbsp;help buyers to visualize the true potential of&nbsp;the house.&nbsp; When buyers tour the house,&nbsp;rooms that are strategically furnished&nbsp;help them to connect&nbsp;to the home on a personal and emotional level; they will remember that&nbsp;house throughout the home searching process.&nbsp; Remember that once a potential buyer has toured a home and has not made the necessary connection to it, you have lost that 'audience'....they will not come back again because they have already formed a negative opinion.</p> <p>The <strong>newly constructed houses</strong>&nbsp;of today's market offer all kinds of amenities and quality craftsmanship and yet&nbsp;they are difficult to sell...just look at how many there are on <strong>MLS</strong> in <strong>Nassau and</strong> <strong>Suffolk Counties</strong> here on <strong>Long Island</strong>!&nbsp;</p> <p>When a vacant, newly constructed house is <strong>staged</strong>, potential buyers are more apt to connect to the home on a more personal level; they can actually envision themselves living there!&nbsp; As part of my staging, I always include specific 'props' for different rooms, such as an open book with a pair of reading glasses perched on top and strategically placed on a coffee table in the family room...or faux vegetables in a bowl next to an open cookbook in the 'prep' area of the kitchen...or an&nbsp;'interrupted' game of Scrabble in the den.&nbsp; Without being too 'viewer specific' (everyone prepares meals, plays games and reads books), I want the buyers to see that this could be 'their' room...'their' HOME! &nbsp;It is that connection that will ultimately sell your house!</p> <p>When it comes to the <strong>builders</strong>, if the idea of spending a few thousand dollars on <strong>rental furniture</strong> does not strike them as a good business investment, I tell them that perhaps they might want to consider doing what some other <strong>Long Island builders</strong> have done, and that is to buy the furniture and then either reuse it in other <strong>models</strong> or sell it with the house (quite often the buyer loves the way the room looks and asks if they can purchase some, or all of the furniture).&nbsp;&nbsp;The overall cost to purchase the furnishings usually works out to be in the same ballpark as 3 months rental fees for the same amount of furniture and accessories.</p> <p><strong>Val Allocco, a certified (HSE), professional Home Stager, is the&nbsp;founder &amp; owner&nbsp;of Staged 2 Sell NY which was established in early 2006 and serves all of Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) as well as the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.&nbsp; She is also the Metro New York Chapter President of ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners).</strong></p> <p><strong>Val has taught Adult Education courses on "Staging Your Home To Sell" and has also been a featured speaker at numerous Home Selling Seminars on, and around, Long Island.&nbsp; She is available for seminars and other real estate related presentations and can be reached at 516-982-2671.</strong></p> <p><strong>Please visit <a href="http://www.staged2sellny.com/">www.staged2sellny.com</a> for more information and examples of our work.</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:20:26 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/680311/home-staging-rental-vs-purchased-furnishings-for-vacant-and-newly-constructed-houses-by-staged-2-sell-new-york-long-island http://activerain.com/blogsview/678318/home-staging-for-vacant-new-construction-houses-by-staged-2-sell-new-york-long-island <p>I have been working with <strong>builders</strong> of <strong>newly-constructed homes</strong> for some time now.&nbsp; The houses that are being built<strong> in </strong><strong>Nassau</strong><strong> and </strong><strong>Suffolk</strong><strong> counties</strong> here on <strong>Long Island </strong>are spectacular!&nbsp; They have wainscoting on the walls, tongue-n-groove moldings, tray ceilings, spa-like baths, top of the line stainless steel appliances and a myriad of other special features.&nbsp; Once completed, the house is only lacking one thing and that is &lsquo;personalized appeal' which is achieved through <strong>Home Staging</strong>.&nbsp; This specialized form of staging creates an environment which is specific to the buyer and one where they can identify themselves with the house and actually envision themselves living there!</p> <p>For decades now, builders have employed a special selling technique in the form of <strong>Model Homes </strong>and have paid large sums to Interior Designers to come in and furnish every room in order to give the house a &lsquo;home like' feel.&nbsp; Today's builders, however, have discovered that the same effect can be achieved through <strong>Home Staging</strong>, but at a fraction of the cost!</p> <p>Some builders prefer to stage only the &lsquo;impact rooms' such as the Entry, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Great Room (usually combined).&nbsp; They would rather rent furniture and have the Stager supply the accessories as opposed to purchasing the furnishings.&nbsp; For builders who can recycle the furnishings in their other newly-constructed houses, it is more cost-effective to buy everything and either use it again in another house, or let the home buyer purchase whatever might appeal to them.&nbsp; At <strong>Staged 2 Sell NY</strong>, we are adaptable and can either stage all the rooms or a portion of such.&nbsp; We always work within the seller's budget.</p> <p>I recently staged just such a <strong>Model Home</strong> in <strong>Hauppauge</strong><strong>, </strong><strong>NY</strong><strong> (</strong><strong>Suffolk</strong><strong> </strong><strong>County</strong><strong>)</strong> for <strong>Forestbrook Homes of St. James.&nbsp; </strong>The house is the model for a new community call "Horseshoe Estates" and is located off <strong>Blydenburg Road,</strong> which is<strong> just minutes from the L.I. Expressway</strong>.&nbsp; This house is ideally located - even the airport is within a few miles!&nbsp; This builder creates quality homes and every detail has been attended to.&nbsp;</p> <p>It was the builder's decision to purchase the furnishings as opposed to renting.&nbsp; This was a very wise decision on his part because for less than $10,000, he was able to buy all the furniture and accessories (including area rugs, artwork, window treatments, lamps, and all other props) for those impact rooms AND pay for the <strong>staging</strong>!&nbsp; When I shopped, each piece of furniture and every other item were specifically chosen not only for this house, but also for his other houses, many of which are much larger with substantially higher ceilings; this way he can choose to use everything in another Model or just sell part, or all, with the house.</p> <p>I would like to show you photos of each staged room; by the way, I always stage at least one bathroom and it is usually the &lsquo;Powder Room' on the main floor.</p> <p><img title="Staged by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/4/6/0/7/ar122075179970643.jpg" height="600" alt="Dining Room Horseshoe Circle Hauppauge NY" width="800" style="float: left;" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="Staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/6/5/2/2/ar122075215822565.jpg" height="600" alt="Living Room Horseshoe Estates, Hauppauge, NY" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><img title="Home Staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/4/5/3/1/ar122075224113542.jpg" height="600" alt="Kitchen Dining Area Horseshoe Estates Hauppauge NY" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="Home Staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/3/2/1/2/ar122075232921239.jpg" height="600" alt="Great Room of Horseshoe Estates Hauppauge NY" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="Home Staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/3/2/3/8/ar122075242583237.jpg" height="600" alt="Kitchen &amp; Great Room Horseshoe Estates Hauppauge NY" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="Home Staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/0/5/0/4/ar122075254940508.jpg" height="600" alt="Half Bath Horseshoe Estates Hauppauge NY" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p><img title="Home Staging by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/6/3/6/2/ar122075262026365.jpg" height="600" alt="Entry Hall Horseshoe Estates Hauppauge NY" width="800" style="vertical-align: middle;" /></p> <p>These new houses are being billed as "This NEW Luxury Community offers two standing model homes as well as 13 additional places to build your own! Our models feature full brick fronts. 5/6 bedrooms, 3/4.5 baths, 2 car garage,9 ft first floor ceilings, hardwood flooring,custom trim and molding,designer kitchen cabinetry,professional appliances,fireplace,full basement, in-ground sprinklers (front), central alarm, central air conditioning and central vacuum systems. Beautiful paver driveway and walkways! This prestigious Community backs the Hauppauge Hamlet Golf Course! LOW,LOW TAXES of $9996.00! Visit our current model located on lot#9! Directions - Rt 347 East to Mt. Pleasant Rd. South - turns into Blydenburgh Rd. - Entry to complex on Left!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>For more information or a showing, please contact the realtor, <strong>Catherine Lindstadt of Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate of Northport, NY @631-266-6113</strong>.&nbsp; Catherine and I will be co-hosting <strong>Open Houses in September</strong>, so please call her for more information.</p> <p><strong> <p><strong>Val Allocco, a certified (HSE), professional Home Stager, is the&nbsp;founder &amp; owner&nbsp;of Staged 2 Sell NY which was established in early 2006 and serves all of Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) as well as the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.&nbsp; She is also the Metro New York Chapter President of ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners).</strong></p> <p><strong>Val has taught Adult Education courses on "Staging Your Home To Sell" and has also been a featured speaker at numerous Home Selling Seminars on, and around, </strong><strong>Long Island</strong><strong>.&nbsp; She is available for seminars and other real estate related presentations and can be reached at 516-982-2671.</strong></p> <p><strong>Please visit <a href="http://www.staged2sellny.com/">www.staged2sellny.com</a> for more information and examples of our work.</strong></p> </strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:07:51 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/678318/home-staging-for-vacant-new-construction-houses-by-staged-2-sell-new-york-long-island http://activerain.com/blogsview/673454/appropriate-posts-to-this-group <p>Hello All, and I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for joining this group!&nbsp; I admit that it has not been managed well for some time since I took a sabbatical from Active Rain in order to attend to some other areas of my life.</p> <p>Now that "I'm back", I really need to get this group back to its original intention and that is to extoll the virtues of staging those vacant houses and the newly constructed homes.&nbsp; As a result, I am going to have to remove some posts, and I'm really sorry for that!&nbsp; I applaud everyone's enthusiasm in writing and posting and don't want to have to do this, but unfortunately, that is the purpose of having specific groups...they are created with the intention of focusing on a certain aspect of buying, selling, or prepping houses for sale.</p> <p>I hope that those affected will understand.</p> <p>Val</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:37:49 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/673454/appropriate-posts-to-this-group http://activerain.com/blogsview/661144/the-home-staging-fairy-strikes-again- <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Good Grief - I can't believe that it has happened, yet, again!</p> <p>On Friday I went to a model, here on Long Island, that I recently staged with furniture and accessories I had chosen and purchased for the builder.&nbsp; When everything was delivered 2 weeks ago, I noticed that there were scratches on a table leg as well as on an end table.&nbsp; I reported this to the delivery men who quickly called the company to set up an appointment for a repair person to visit the house and correct the imperfections.</p> <p>So, on Friday, while I was waiting for the repairs to be made, I casually walked through the staged rooms.&nbsp; Almost immediately I began to see the small changes: chairs moved a little further into the room; kitchen counters rearranged; table settings moved; a little &lsquo;tweak' here and there on the mantel.... and I began to wonder - <em>who did this</em>?&nbsp; Was it someone who came to look at the model?&nbsp; Was it a realtor who had nothing to do at an Open House?&nbsp; Was it the builder...or one of his workers?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Just exactly WHO is this &lsquo;Home Staging Fairy' who comes into staged houses and does this sort of thing?&nbsp; You see, this has happened to me before and on more than one occasion!&nbsp; I've spoken to other stagers and they have had this happen to them as well.&nbsp; Aside from it being somewhat annoying to be &lsquo;second-guessed', I also find it rather amusing to learn that there are so many &lsquo;would be' stagers out there (thanks a lot HGTV)!</p> <p>I have a message for these &lsquo;invisible helpers' who think that they are performing &lsquo;home improvement' service....enough already!!&nbsp; Listen...every time that I stage a house, I &nbsp;leave interesting pictorial books on the coffee table along with my &lsquo;trademark' pair of reading glasses...why not just sit and read and &lsquo;take a load off'....just please, <strong><em>stop trying to &lsquo;upstage' the stager!</em></strong>&nbsp;</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:16:21 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/661144/the-home-staging-fairy-strikes-again- http://activerain.com/blogsview/431074/is-a-price-reduction-preferable-to-paying-for-necessary-changes- <p><strong></strong>&nbsp;As chapter president of the Metro NY Chapter of ASHSR, I am responsible for holding monthly meetings where area stagers can share ideas about the industry and work together to improve it.&nbsp;&nbsp;As it happened, I had a conversation with a realtor prior to tonight's 'teleconference' in which we discussed a seller's reluctance to make necessary changes in order to improve their 'product' when it is placed on the market.&nbsp;&nbsp; Since this topic was fresh in my mind, I wanted to discuss it with my peers.&nbsp; While no solution was reached during our &lsquo;meeting' this evening, we did determine that Stagers must continue to educate the general public and find ways to provide information that will enlighten and motivate sellers to stage prior to selling.</p> <p>In light of what was discussed this evening, you can imagine my surprise when I later read my e-mail and found one from a client who was in the process of signing a lease for rental furniture for a very small bungalow that I was to stage on April 1st.&nbsp; In this letter she informed the furniture rental rep and myself&nbsp; that "after going over the final figures in the current market we will not be staging".&nbsp; Quite honestly, I don't really understand what she meant by the 'final figures in the current market', but I believe that I might understand what is happening out there.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have a theory that many sellers are reluctant to make any changes to the house that would require an outlay of cash (maybe due to economic conditions) but are not opposed to selling the house for a lower price.&nbsp; I think it might also &nbsp;have something to do with the equity that has accrued over the years and the 'mindset' that the seller&nbsp;will still make a profit.&nbsp; Of course Realtors and Home Stagers know that any investment made to present the house in a more favorable light will not only hasten the sale, but also help it to sell for more than it might fetch in its current state.<em> </em></p> <p>Although houses in California have been successfully staged and sold for almost three decades, here in the Northeast and other parts of the country, it remains a relatively new concept or, in some instances, the 'unknown'.&nbsp; We're still trying to figure out how to introduce the service to everyone and teach sellers how effective staging is when trying to sell a house.<em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p> <p>I would be interested to hear what others think about this topic and what suggestions you might have as to how Home Stagers AND Realtors can educate and inform the public in a way that will motivate sellers to do what is necessary to present a better &lsquo;product'.</p> <p>3/20/08:&nbsp; I just received this opinion from a colleague and I think it really sums it all up beautifully:&nbsp;</p> <p>"Here is my theory on it~ A seller does not recognize the price reduction because it is not "real" for them, they don't have any of the money yet so in their minds how can you lose what you don't have. Where as Writing a check or agreeing to a charge on your credit card becomes a "real" loss for them.</p> <p>I had a scenario with my nephew's car where if we had a body shop fix a few dings and repaint we could have gotten more for it. We decided to sell as is, take the loss rather then put more money into it.</p> <p>I'm not sure if people can admit or want to admit that it is not the "smart" choice. We all want to think that we are making wise financial choices.</p> <p>I think it is that simple".</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:32:41 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/431074/is-a-price-reduction-preferable-to-paying-for-necessary-changes- http://activerain.com/blogsview/426004/and-now-for-something-completely-different-buying-the-furniture-vs-rental-fees <img title="Staged 2 Sell NY staged circa house" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/5/0/3/ar120571649230547.jpg" height="300" align="left" alt="Circa 1600 house" width="400" />I recently staged a vacant Circa 1600&#39;s house on the North Shore of Long Island.&nbsp; Although I worked up a detailed proposal for rental furniture befitting that style of home, the owner/investor opted to purchase the furniture instead of paying the approximately $1200 per month rental fees for living room, bedroom, kitchen and library furniture. <p>I must tell you that I was somewhat skeptical as to what it would cost to buy all of that furniture, but I had a rare afternoon of &lsquo;freedom&#39; and was excited to see if we could pull this off!&nbsp; </p><p>The client and I went to a long &lsquo;corridor&#39; of furniture stores which is located here on Long Island.&nbsp; We began our search at &quot;Raymour and Flanagans&quot;, but found that the furniture on display was not appropriate for this type of home and it was a little &#39;pricey&#39;. &nbsp;We went to Bob&#39;s Discount Furniture and &lsquo;hit a home run&#39;!&nbsp; We found an 8 piece bedroom set complete with queen sized sleigh bed for $999; a 7 piece living room ensemble (with 2 Tiffany-styled lamps) for $1499, and a kitchen table (marble and glass) with 4 wrought iron chairs for $499.&nbsp; All that we needed was a loveseat and chair for the library.&nbsp; </p><p>While my client was handling the financial and delivery portion of the sale, I went out to other stores in search of an appropriate loveseat and upholstered chair.&nbsp; It was quite by accident that I discovered a perfect chair as I was leaving the first store.&nbsp; It was marked down to $399, it was striped&nbsp;and I loved it!&nbsp; I made a note of the style number and price and drove to a furniture store called &quot;The Place&quot;.&nbsp; I was approached by a saleswoman who proved to be very helpful in narrowing down the choices to those items that fit my needs.&nbsp; I don&#39;t think that it took more than 5 minutes to find exactly what I was looking for.&nbsp; I called my client who had just left &quot;Bob&#39;s&quot; and asked him to come over and look at the loveseat.</p><p>When my client saw the loveseat, he eagerly approved and paid the $379 that it was marked down to.&nbsp; Since the ensemble contained 2 striped pillows that looked very much like the fabric of that $399 chair, I asked if we could take one of the pillows with us.&nbsp; The saleslady said that it would be fine, and when the order paperwork was complete, the client and I drove over to the store where I had discovered the chair.&nbsp; As soon as we walked in, I could see that it was a perfect match, and so that became the final purchase of the day.</p><p>All totaled, with delivery and tax, my client spent approximately $4500 and the furniture is his to use in other houses.&nbsp; It took us about 2 hours to chose and buy all of the furniture.</p><p>Since my design tastes always ran toward traditional, I had plenty of accessories of my own that would be perfect for this house.&nbsp; I also had 8 chairs that I &lsquo;rescued&#39; from a Chinese Restaurant that was being demolished.&nbsp; Once they were reconditioned and recovered, they were just what I needed for the dining room. &nbsp;There was only one &lsquo;glitch&#39; with the newly purchased furnishings and that was because the doorway to the library was very narrow and the loveseat would not fit through it.&nbsp; I had an antique loveseat in my possession that I no longer use, and even though it wasn&#39;t what I originally wanted in that room, it still worked AND it fit through the doorway!&nbsp; We actually ended up using the loveseat in a &lsquo;family room&#39; located off the kitchen.&nbsp; It was never my intention to stage that room, however once the loveseat was placed there, I just had to give the room a complete staging!&nbsp; I&nbsp;needed to &lsquo;borrow&#39; quite a few things from my own home, but the room really came together and actually became one of my favorite rooms in the house! </p><p>Here are some Before and After photos - the last picture is from the &#39;family room&#39;:</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/1/6/9/1/ar12057166419617.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/6/2/0/7/ar120571672170265.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/3/4/5/ar120571676254389.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/7/7/0/6/ar120571682160778.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/4/3/8/6/ar120571687368345.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/1/3/7/ar120571691873111.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/4/6/0/9/ar120571695690645.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/5/8/1/3/ar120571700431852.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/4/3/2/ar120571704723499.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/4/2/0/8/ar120571709180249.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/0/1/2/0/ar120571713802106.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/8/0/0/2/ar120572166520081.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/8/5/2/3/ar120571721332583.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/8/6/0/5/ar1205717250685.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/1/8/9/8/ar120571738589813.jpg" height="225" align="left" alt=" " width="300" /><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/5/8/2/3/ar12057175132858.jpg" height="225" alt=" " width="300" /></p><p>Staged 2 Sell NY specializes in Vacant House Staging.&nbsp; Call today and let us &#39;set the stage&#39; for your successful sale!</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:24:48 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/426004/and-now-for-something-completely-different-buying-the-furniture-vs-rental-fees http://activerain.com/blogsview/425389/what-it-takes-to-sell-a-house-in-2008-part-3 <img title="Living Room staged by Staged 2 Sell NY" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/9/9/9/ar120568541999953.jpg" height="265" align="left" alt="Staged Living Room" width="400" /> <p>This is the final installment of my article on&nbsp;what it takes to sell a house in 2008.&nbsp; Because there is so much to address, this&nbsp;section is longer than the others, but it is full of very important and useful information, so please be patient and read on.&nbsp; Even if you haven&#39;t read Parts 1 and 2 of the series, I trust that you will learn something here.&nbsp;</p><p>&lsquo;the way that you need to <strong><em>live </em></strong>in a house....&#39;</p><p>Here is the most difficult aspect of selling your house - <strong><em>living </em></strong>in it while it is on the market.&nbsp; Aside from painting and any renovating, the second most important detail that must be attended to is &lsquo;presentation&#39; of the &lsquo;product&#39; (your house). </p><p>&nbsp;Realtors have long maintained that the house should be &lsquo;clutter-free&#39;.&nbsp; So, what then is &lsquo;clutter&#39;?&nbsp; Well, aside from the &lsquo;obvious&#39; (paperwork, magazines, piles of &lsquo;stuff&#39;), a &lsquo;cluttered&#39; room might also mean that it has too much furniture and too many accessories.&nbsp; Think of a Model Home, or think about rooms that you see depicted in magazines; they contain a few pieces of furniture, a few lamps, and well-placed framed artwork and accessories (greenery&amp; area rug are accessories too).&nbsp; The &lsquo;wow&#39;factor is achieved through thoughtful placement of the furniture/accessories and a few &lsquo;punches&#39; of color with window treatments, area rug, accent pillows, accessories, or even in the artwork on the walls.&nbsp; Most of us have <strong><em>too much</em></strong> in every room of our home; too much furniture, too many accessories, too much &lsquo;stuff&#39;!&nbsp; Remember that most people like to have their favorite things around them....some more than others.</p><p>When presenting your &lsquo;product&#39;, every room must be &lsquo;clutter-free&#39;.&nbsp; In addition, you want to accentuate the positive features of the house.&nbsp; If there is a fireplace, you want that to be the focal point of the room; if it is the view from a window, then the focus needs to be placed there.&nbsp; One of the most important services that a professional Home Stager provides is the ability of knowing how to arrange furniture and accessories so that potential buyers can not only see the special features of each room, but also can make that all-important emotional connection that helps the buyer to fall in love with the house and envision themselves living there.&nbsp; In the end, that is what <strong><em>sells </em></strong>the house; the buyer has to see that the house will work with their lifestyle.</p><p>So, what stays and what goes?&nbsp; </p><p>Well, unless you have a &lsquo;home theater&#39; or other room especially designated as a place to watch TV, there is no place in your &lsquo;product&#39; for a large-screened TV!&nbsp; This fact is so important and I cannot tell you how many houses I have gone into where the seller has neglected to remove that large item.&nbsp; I&#39;m not asking you to get rid of it, but rather to remove it or put it in a suitable area until the house sells.</p><p>Toys...can we talk about them for a minute?&nbsp; Every child needs the stimulation and enjoyment that toys can provide, however most children have too many and they not only take up valuable space, but also distract a buyer&#39;s attention from the more important features of the house.&nbsp; For the relatively short amount of time that it <strong><em>should </em></strong>take to sell your house (and we&#39;ll talk more about that later), the kids can live with less.&nbsp; Keep a <strong><em>few</em></strong>favorite toys in an accessible area and supplement &lsquo;play time&#39; with more quality time doing things as a &lsquo;family&#39;.&nbsp; You will be spending at least 3 hours together out of the house during those frequent Open Houses while your &lsquo;product&#39; is being sold.&nbsp; You can go to the library or a family-friendly bookstore such as Barnes and Noble and spend time reading (to the younger children) as a family.&nbsp; You don&#39;t have to buy anything, you can just sit in the comfy big chairs or at a table in the Caf&eacute; area.&nbsp; Of course if you have infants and toddlers, you will be taking &lsquo;scenic tours&#39; by car, going to the park, or strolling through your local mall.&nbsp; </p><p>I encourage clients with children over the age of 4 (where reasoning pretty much begins) to involve them in the selling process.&nbsp; Take them to a few Open Houses and explain what it takes to sell a house. Make it a game, if you must, and award points for the child who is keeping his or her &lsquo;product&#39; (their room/space) in the best selling condition. Since you will more than likely be looking at new homes for your own family, the younger family members can also be included in that process.&nbsp; Children today are a lot more savvy and resilient than we were as kids!&nbsp; They &lsquo;get&#39; it!&nbsp; </p><p>Collections, Family Photos, Personal Items....</p><p>In a nutshell, any and all of the aforementioned items <strong><em>distract </em></strong>the buyers&#39; attention from what is most important....the house and all of its unique qualities.&nbsp; I have gone into homes where there have been so many items in each room, that I could not remember something as simple as whether the floors were carpeted or hardwood.&nbsp; Aside from the distractions, any type of personal &lsquo;statement&#39;, whether it be the d&eacute;cor or personal items, keep potential buyers from &lsquo;connecting&#39; to the house on their own personal level.&nbsp; What they see is &lsquo;someone else&#39;s house&#39; and the buyers almost get a sense that they are intruding!&nbsp; That is hardly the feeling that you want your house to convey; you want each and every potential buyer to feel that the house could easily be theirs.&nbsp; You want them to visualize themselves waking up in that wonderful master bedroom each morning and making coffee in that fabulous up-to-date kitchen!</p><p>When it comes to personal items that are used on a daily basis, they can easily be stored out of sight in a closet or cabinet if each family member keeps their items in a basket.&nbsp; This includes toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. as well as personal effects like homework, mail and keys.&nbsp; Try to charge cell phones, laptops and other items at night and store the adapters out of sight when not in use.</p><p>Laundry &amp; Dirty Dishes.....</p><p>While your house is being marketed, it must be cleaner than clean!&nbsp; All surfaces, accessories and windows must sparkle and nothing should be left lying about; this includes laundry and dirty dishes. There are so many products on the market today which shorten cleaning time (Swiffers, Clorox wipes, Windex wipes to name a few) and if used on a daily basis, the house will always be in &lsquo;showing condition&#39;.&nbsp; There is also something to be said for &lsquo;being up to date&#39; with the laundry; you should never have more than one load that needs to washed at any given time.&nbsp; In that case, it can always sit in the washer until you have an opportunity to turn it on.&nbsp; For those who have a dishwasher, the problem of what to do with those dirty dishes is solved, however for anyone who must wash &lsquo;by hand&#39;, it is imperative that you clean, dry and store away the dishes/pots as soon as the meal is completed; we&#39;re talking not even a drain basket on the counter!&nbsp; </p><p>Pets...</p><p>I am a lover of all the creatures on the earth - I have 4 dogs and a bird at the present time and I&#39;ve had my share of turtles, fish, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, cats, and even hermit crabs while the kids were growing up.&nbsp; I don&#39;t make the rules here, so please take what I am about to say as a simple fact of life and Real Estate; not everyone likes pets.&nbsp; Some people have allergies, and others have phobias (like snakes).&nbsp; There are odors that are emitted from certain pets (generally from caged/contained animals).&nbsp; All in all, it is best to keep pets out of the house while it is being shown.&nbsp; This may involve having someone care for the pet(s) in their own home until your house sells.&nbsp; One thing is for certain and that is that it is very difficult for most buyers to embrace or relate to a house full of animals/creatures!&nbsp; A final note here:&nbsp; make sure that all traces of the pet(s), such as feeding and water dishes, are stored out of sight.</p><p>Odors...</p><p>Many Realtors recommend baking something in order to create a pleasing smell.&nbsp; I don&#39;t think that hurts, but who honestly has the time to do that every time that the house is being shown (not just the Open Houses)?&nbsp; If the house is kept clean, as recommended above, that should help to create a clean scent.&nbsp; Cooking certain foods (fish, and many&nbsp; ethnic foods) will increase the chances of the house having a certain &lsquo;odor&#39; that some people may not be accustomed to.&nbsp; My advice is to avoid cooking those type of meals before showings (if possible).&nbsp; I also recommend that the house is &lsquo;aired out&#39; on a daily basis - even on the coldest days, a few minutes of fresh air coming into the house will not be harmful.&nbsp; Try to stay clear of sprays and &lsquo;plug-ins&#39; which only &lsquo;mask&#39; the odors and may even affect buyers who are sensitive to that type of smell.</p><p>Pricing the house to sell.........</p><p>Through my involvement with many Realtors I learn all kinds of interesting information about the Real Estate industry.&nbsp; One situation that is of serious concern to most Realtors is that in which the seller insists that the house sell for a specific price/price range. &nbsp;I can only hope that what I about to say will help today&#39;s sellers to understand the importance of not only trusting your Realtor implicitly, but allowing the agent to do that which they are trained and qualified to do.&nbsp; Realtors know their industry.&nbsp; They are well aware that the house down the street from yours might have sold for an exceptionally high price, but they would also understand the reason(s) why.&nbsp; A good Realtor will do a large amount of &lsquo;prep work&#39; before coming to look at your house.&nbsp; They will provide you with what is called a &lsquo;comparable market analysis&#39; which will include what houses similar to yours are listed for and what others have sold for.&nbsp; The final caveat that I must convey to you is that your house has to be appraised by the mortgage lender and the selling price needs to be realistic enough to meet what the bank determines as the house&#39;s value.&nbsp; If not, that could be a &lsquo;deal breaker&#39;, so please listen to your Realtor and understand that they <strong><em>want</em></strong> your house to sell as quickly and profitably as possible! The talk is that the &lsquo;market&#39; is in bad shape, however houses <strong><em>are </em></strong>selling <strong><em>if </em></strong>they are <strong><em>priced right </em></strong>and <strong><em>presented well!</em></strong></p><p><strong>Best wishes for <em>your </em>successful sale!</strong></p><p>For your Home Staging needs in Manhattan, Long Island, Nassau County,&nbsp;Suffolk County, &amp;&nbsp;Queens, Staged 2 Sell NY can &#39;set the stage&#39; for your successful sale!&nbsp; Call us today for a free estimate.</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:05:33 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/425389/what-it-takes-to-sell-a-house-in-2008-part-3 http://activerain.com/blogsview/425273/what-it-takes-to-sell-a-house-in-2008-part-2 <img title="Kitchen updated with paint &amp; accessories" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/8/2/4/6/ar120567916664288.jpg" height="285" align="left" alt="kitchen updated with paint &amp; accessories" width="380" /> <p>In Part 1 of this ongoing article which takes a look at how to sell your house in 2008, we discussed <strong>&#39;why&#39;</strong> sellers must create a &#39;product&#39; in order to sell in today&#39;s Real Estate market.&nbsp; Part 2 will deal with the<strong> &#39;how to&#39;</strong> aspect for preparing your house for a successful sale.</p><p>Here comes the important stuff.....</p><p>The first thing that I advise the seller to do is to go online and check out the competition on MLS.&nbsp; Between the photos, virtual tours and house specifications that are part of every listing, you can get a pretty good &lsquo;sense&#39; of the home.&nbsp; Given this information, the seller must honestly and realistically look at their own &lsquo;product&#39; to see how it compares to comparable houses.&nbsp; We are not just talking &lsquo;apples to apples&#39; (e.g. number of rooms and special features like a fireplace), but the condition of their house is of paramount importance.&nbsp; Rooms must not only be freshly painted (wallpaper/wallpaper borders and stenciling is pass&eacute; and is generally a huge &lsquo;turn off&#39;), but the paint color must be neutral - why, &lsquo;neutral&#39;?&nbsp; Remember that today&#39;s buyers don&#39;t have&nbsp;much &#39;down&nbsp;time&#39;, and because of inflated prices (not only in Real Estate, but in all areas of life these days), may not have the financial ability to renovate or re-decorate.&nbsp; Potential buyers need/want to be able to move right in and continue with their busy lives.&nbsp; Please also keep in mind, that although the house that they are buying may not be newly constructed, to the buyer it is still a &lsquo;new house&#39; and, as such, is expected to be delivered as such.</p><p>It is unfortunate that quite often the seller has already painted and made renovations before I am called in.&nbsp; Why do I say &lsquo;unfortunate&#39;?&nbsp; Well, because many times the paint color is either too cold (we&#39;re talking those white walls and trim!) or too bold.&nbsp; If you stick to a warm &lsquo;neutral&#39; paint color, such as a warm &lsquo;camel&#39; or &lsquo;khaki&#39;, you give the buyer the &lsquo;blank canvas&#39; that they need in order to &lsquo;paint their own dreams&#39; of living in the house. Remember, you are selling the house and will be living elsewhere.&nbsp; It doesn&#39;t matter if the &#39;end product&#39; does not reflect your personal taste (you really don&#39;t want it to!) but it <strong><em>does </em></strong>matter that it appeals to most potential buyers!</p><p>With regard to flooring, hardwood sells and carpeting is too &lsquo;high maintenance&#39;.&nbsp; If you have hardwood floors under that wall to wall, don&#39;t invest in new carpeting, but rather pull it all out and refurbish the floors.&nbsp; If your house does not have hardwood floors and the room(s) must be carpeted, choose a neutral Berber (please do not install commercial carpeting in your house!) or other low pile type. </p><p>Kitchens and baths are very important to today&#39;s buyers and must, at the very least, give the impression of being updated (the kitchen in the above photo belonged to a client who &#39;updated&#39; with paint, new knobs, lighting fixtures and appliances).&nbsp; Cabinets can always be painted and given new hardware (nickel or brushed steel are a good choice) and, thanks to stores like Lowes and Home Depot, you can get a silestone or granite countertop installed at an affordable price.&nbsp; I don&#39;t have a Lowes in my area, so I am not aware of their policies, however I do know that Home Depot offers &lsquo;no payments and no interest until January 2009&#39; on any purchase of $299 or more.&nbsp; This might be a good way to take care of those important improvements that you need to make in order to bring your house up to current standards and Home Depot offers all kinds of installation.&nbsp; You can get your flooring needs taken care of there and purchase new appliances (stainless steel for the kitchen is the way to go these days).&nbsp; If your bathroom(s) needs updating, quite often just replacing the sink and vanity, removing the old medicine cabinet (and replacing with a wooden-framed mirror) and updating lighting fixtures can make a huge difference.&nbsp; Naturally, it goes without saying that the floor must be suitable and the walls should be freshly painted (no wallpaper and remember a &lsquo;neutral&#39;, warm color).&nbsp; One further note:&nbsp; make sure that all of your installed lighting fixtures are not outdated or too d&eacute;cor-specific. &nbsp;Today&#39;s buyers like the bathrooms to have that &lsquo;spa&#39; look. Again, you can get some great replacements and/or accessories at very affordable prices at your local Home Depot or Lowes.</p><p>Part 3 will be the final installment of this article and will address special circumstances (children, pets and those &#39;big screen&#39; TVs) as well as how to live in your house while it is being shown.</p><p>For your Home Staging needs in Manhattan, Long Island, Nassau County,&nbsp;Suffolk County, &amp;&nbsp;Queens, Staged 2 Sell NY can &#39;set the stage&#39; for your successful sale!&nbsp; Call us today for a free estimate.</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:21:44 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/425273/what-it-takes-to-sell-a-house-in-2008-part-2 http://activerain.com/blogsview/425202/what-it-takes-to-sell-a-house-in-2008-part-1- <img title="Under Contract" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/7/9/8/4/ar120567643348977.jpg" height="300" align="left" alt="sold home" width="400" /> <p>There is a saying in the Home Staging industry which states that &lsquo;the way that you live in a house, and the way that you <strong><em>need</em></strong> to live in a house in order to sell it, are two different concepts&#39;.&nbsp; In my years of experience as a Home Stager, I have found that the majority of&nbsp; today&#39;s sellers do not completely understand what this message implies nor how it would apply to <strong><em>their</em></strong> situation.&nbsp; <strong>In a series of articles</strong>, I hope that I can get every seller, or potential seller out there, to see what it takes to sell a house in 2008. </p><p>Let&#39;s start with the easy part: &lsquo;the way that you live in a house.....&#39;</p><p>In the movie, Steel Magnolias, the character named Clairee points out that &quot;The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize&quot;.&nbsp; Let&#39;s face it, we are &lsquo;nesters&#39; and we like to have our &lsquo;comfort things&#39; around us.&nbsp; We also tend to surround ourselves with items that make us feel good.&nbsp; It is for those reasons that our homes are an extension of who we are.&nbsp; Some people enjoy a certain feeling of &lsquo;sparseness&#39; in their home and call it a &lsquo;clean, crisp&#39; look.&nbsp; Like anything else, this can be taken to the extreme where the house is practically devoid of &lsquo;personality&#39; and conveys an almost clinical impression.&nbsp; Think of a house with all white walls, white furniture, glass and chrome tables and no color whatsoever - not a plant or &lsquo;tchotchke&#39; in sight.&nbsp; Then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those who have &lsquo;too much&#39; in their home; too much furniture, too many collectibles, and an abundance of accumulated &lsquo;stuff&#39;.&nbsp; Thankfully, most of us fall somewhere in between these two extremes.</p><p>&lsquo;the way that you need<strong><em> </em></strong>to live in a house <strong>in order to sell it</strong>.......&#39;</p><p>Okay, so here is where the confusion seems to begin; what does that statement really mean?&nbsp; In order to explain this, I need to digress for a moment and point out some facts about today&#39;s Real Estate market.&nbsp; I am not just talking about the difficult market that we are finding ourselves in these days, but rather the shift in how houses are marketed in this millennium - that&#39;s right, we are no longer living in the 50&#39;s, 60&#39;, 70&#39;s, 80&#39;s or 90&#39;s.&nbsp; Those &lsquo;good old days&#39; are long gone as is the simplicity of those times. In the &lsquo;old market&#39;, painting and cleaning up the house would suffice.&nbsp; As long as it looked &lsquo;presentable&#39;, it would sell.&nbsp; Buyers would look past any &lsquo;defects&#39; and visualize what they could do to make the house fit their lifestyle.&nbsp; It was almost a &lsquo;given&#39; that once you moved in, you would be painting and &lsquo;fixing up&#39; for quite some time.</p><p>Fast forward to 2008.&nbsp; Most of us spend our lives &lsquo;multi-tasking&#39; because we have way too much to accomplish each and every day.&nbsp; We are busier today than ever before and inflation has forced the majority of us into the work force. In the interest of saving time, most of today&#39;s buyers begin their search for a new home on the internet.&nbsp; If you have ever gone online and visited your local MLS listings, you are aware of the abundance of houses that are available in a given area.&nbsp; Many of those houses are newly constructed and others have been completely updated. &nbsp;Both offer a substantial amount of amenities. These houses are the biggest competition for all of the others for they &lsquo;set the standard&#39; against which the comparison begins.&nbsp; Which brings me to another important aspect of Real Estate today - sellers need to &lsquo;market&#39; their house in order for it to sell!&nbsp; So, what does <strong><em>that </em></strong>mean?&nbsp; Well, in order to &lsquo;market&#39; (sell) something, you need a &lsquo;product&#39;; in the case of Real Estate, that &lsquo;product&#39; is your house and it has to &lsquo;meet or beat&#39; the competition!</p><p>So far we have discussed the &#39;why&#39; aspect of today&#39;s market; Part 2 of this article will address &#39;how to&#39; prepare your &#39;product&#39; so that it will sell more quickly and for the&nbsp;highest possible price.&nbsp; Stay tuned. </p><p>For your Home Staging needs in Manhattan, Long Island, Nassau County,&nbsp;Suffolk County, &amp;&nbsp;Queens, Staged 2 Sell NY can &#39;set the stage&#39; for your successful sale!&nbsp; Call us today for a free estimate.</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:34:03 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/425202/what-it-takes-to-sell-a-house-in-2008-part-1- http://activerain.com/blogsview/347488/-setting-the-stage-for-a-successful-sale <p>I recently stopped by an Open House for a 'vacant' which had been <strong><em>Staged 2 Sell</em></strong>.&nbsp; My intent was to take a picture of the exterior because I had forgotten to do that in the hustle and bustle of the 'staging day'.&nbsp;&nbsp;I had not intended to go inside, however there were no cars in the driveway, which is a clear indication that the realtor was alone, AND the realtor was standing at the window.&nbsp; I felt compelled to go inside to at least introduce myself and explain that I merely wanted an outside photo of the house for my portfolio.</p> <p>It was a gloomy, rainy Sunday afternoon.&nbsp; When I stepped inside, I immediately noticed that there were very few lights on, and those that were, came from the inexpensive ceiling fixtures and not from the numerous table lamps that were placed strategically throughout the rooms. When I bring lamps into a staging, I ALWAYS make sure that there is a light-bulb inside so that the lamp can be instrumental in setting 'the mood'.</p> <p>&nbsp;There was a beautiful gas fireplace in the great room which should have been lit in order to showcase the warmth and ambiance that it emitted&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;There were candles on the dining table, coffee table, fireplace mantel and on a sofa table; unfortunately, none were lit.</p> <p>Briefly put, even though the house was of the finest construction and all of the rooms on the first floor were staged with purpose, on this particularly dreary day, the house still 'lacked'&nbsp;<strong><em>ENERGY</em></strong> - that all important component that attracts us to people, places and things!&nbsp; Without '<em>energy'</em>, there is no 'life'.&nbsp; This principle applies just as much to houses as&nbsp;it does to&nbsp;all living things.</p> <p>I learned a very important message that day and I would like to share it with all of the <strong>Home Stagers and Realtors </strong>here on Active Rain.&nbsp; From now on, every house that I stage will come with 'showing' instructions that will include permission to light the candles that I have brought in.&nbsp; In the case of occupied houses, I am now instructing the seller about the importance of 'setting the mood' for showings by lighting fireplaces and candles (only those located where no passerby can accidentally knock it over or brush by it and be burned).&nbsp; In the 'vacants' where I have the owner's permission, I will leave a butane lighter (with instructions on what to light) by the area where the realtors drop their cards.&nbsp; I will also be certain to get the builder's/owner's permission to use the gas fireplaces during showings and each Open House.&nbsp; I will then make certain that each realtor who shows the property is aware of that.</p> <p>I feel that I need to include <strong>A WORD OF CAUTION </strong>here<strong> </strong>for obvious reasons:&nbsp; <strong>Always be certain that all flames are extinguished completely </strong>before leaving the premises!&nbsp;</p> <p>There is one remaining thought that I would like to leave with the <strong>Realtors</strong>, and that is to consider bringing in some soft background music, a carafe of tea or coffee (the boxed coffee from Dunkin' Donuts is easiest and they provide cups, stirrers, napkins and sweeteners - you need only to purchase a small container of milk while there) and perhaps a tray of cookies or 'munchkins'.&nbsp; The music will add to the '<strong><em>energy</em></strong>' and the coffee and dessert will keep&nbsp;prospective buyers&nbsp;in the house longer (which gives them additional time to fall in love with it!).</p> <p>It is the&nbsp;LITTLE things, after all, that can make a BIG difference - and that difference could very well equate to a SALE!</p> <p><strong><em>At STAGED 2 SELLNY our mission is to 'set the stage' for your successful sale!</em></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:55:03 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/347488/-setting-the-stage-for-a-successful-sale http://activerain.com/blogsview/346685/can-i-shoot-my-way-out-of-this-a-re-design-dilemma- <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/5/0/0/3/ar120092351630051.jpg" height="300" align="left" alt=" " width="400" />I recently had a challenging 're-design' project (please note, this house WAS NOT on the market, but the owners simply wanted the room done over).&nbsp; The husband was an avid gun collector (as you can see), loved his recliner and 42" TV.&nbsp; This room was at the far end of the "L-shaped" kitchen, which in essence made it a 'great room' (which really wasn't all that great!).&nbsp;</p> <p>After speaking to both husband and wife, I learned that the guns, levelor blinds, TV and carpeting had to stay.&nbsp; The wife wanted the room to reflect some of her personality and also wished for a place to display the family photos and some collectibles.&nbsp; The budget that I had to work with was limited.</p> <p>My first concern was finding something that could contain the television system and also provide some shelving.&nbsp; In addition, since the leather sectional and all other furnishings would be parted with, I needed to find suitable seating and tables.</p> <p>We have a 'corridor' of furniture stores and warehouses here on the Island, and&nbsp;I began my search there.&nbsp; The first store that I went to was having a huge sale on floor samples.&nbsp; When I walked in, I immediately saw an Entertainment Center which was on sale for $599.</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/3/2/8/3/ar120092477038235.jpg" height="300" align="right" alt=" " width="400" /></p> <p>It had just about everything that was needed:&nbsp; shelves for display, room for a large TV, and storage for all of the components behind the glass door (glass is important because the cable box, VCR/DVD player, etc. all need to be able to receive signals from the remote).&nbsp; There was additional storage for tapes, dvd's, etc.&nbsp; The width of the unit was 74".</p> <p>I didn't love the gold accents on the glass doors, however since the custom-made fireplace screen was black and gold, this could work!</p> <p>I took a picture and wrote down the dimensions and price.</p> <p>I found a few other possible choices for entertainment centers, sofas,chairs, and tables and took photos of each.&nbsp; This store actually had some nice framed prints on sale as well, and I noted the prices of each.</p> <p>My next stop was a Raymour and Flanagan's, but when I pulled into the parking lot, there was not a space to be had, so I continued down the road.&nbsp; I went into a store that looked promising, however when I explained to a salesperson that I needed to take pictures and notes for my client, I was told that was not allowed.&nbsp; I thanked her and left.&nbsp; There was a Bob's Discount Furniture store located next door, and I found myself cringing at the thought of what the 'quality' of the furniture might be if it was 'discounted'.&nbsp; I thought about it for a moment and then figured, 'what the heck', I'm here so I might as well go in and check it out.</p> <p>I am SO THANKFUL that I did that!&nbsp; I have to tell you that the quality was pretty decent and the prices were about half of other furniture stores.&nbsp; There was a large selection and I was told that you could get delivery on 'in stock' (not customized) furniture in 3-4 days.&nbsp; One of the things that I liked best was that, although there were at least 20 salespeople in the store, they left you to peruse by yourself.&nbsp; Customers were instructed to seek out help if needed.&nbsp; We women tend to be more tolerant of salespeople, however my experience has shown that most men disdain them!&nbsp; So, that was a positive because my clients would more than likely end up there at some point in time.</p> <p>I took lots of pictures and made copius notes on sizes and prices.&nbsp; About halfway through the store, the battery in my digital went dead (poor planning on my part - I should have charged it fully before heading out!), so I asked a salesperson if there might be photos of the furniture online.&nbsp; I was told that there were, so I continued to note the 'name', dimensions and prices of suitable furniture.&nbsp;I came upon&nbsp;a set called "The Hamptons" which featured a sofa, loveseat, chair, end&nbsp;and coffee tables.&nbsp; I immediately&nbsp;'felt' the connection! The couches and chair had stripes&nbsp;in varying shades of blues and beige.&nbsp; The tables were black and very 'Pottery Barn' in style. I thought about how awesome they would look with that black entertainment center and how the style would tie in nicely with the fireplace, guns, and yes - even the levelors!&nbsp; The best&nbsp;news was the pricing: $549&nbsp;for each sofa; $349 for the chair and $149 for the&nbsp;matching ottoman.&nbsp; The 3-piece table set was $399.&nbsp;</p> <p>Mind you that this photo does not show the tables that were featured in the store,&nbsp;and you cannot fully see the detail as to the colors in the fabric, but you can get a general idea of the style.&nbsp;</p> <p>I did so well at "Bob's" that I opted to call it a day and get back to my office to download and e-mail the photos and information to my client.&nbsp; I began to formulate a plan of design as I drove back.&nbsp; Those levelors were definitely going to be a challenge!&nbsp; What could I do to 'soften' them and tie them in with the design as well as address those windows that continued into the kitchen?</p> <p>I wondered it it would be possible to put something over the top to add some texture and color?&nbsp; But what and how?&nbsp; I went online and did a search on 'cornices' and learned that they were not terribly difficult to make.&nbsp; The trick would be to find someone who could do the actual construction of the 'box' itself.&nbsp; I knew that I could easily cover it with batting and fabric.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/8/3/7/5/ar120092991857383.jpg" height="300" align="left" alt=" " width="400" /></p> <p>Then, there was the issue of the guns..what to do with them so that they could fit into the design?&nbsp; I hoped to come up with a solution that would make them less prominent and free up the mantle and wall for some artwork or mirror and accessories.</p> <p>I e-mailed some of my contemporaries for suggestions and, bless them, they had some great ideas (and some funny remarks - one warned me to be careful because one of the guns was missing from over the fireplace!)&nbsp; I&nbsp;was&nbsp;comforted to hear&nbsp;that my idea about the cornices was not so far-fetched.&nbsp; I learned of a website where one could purchase gun-racks that held up to four each.&nbsp; That would enable me to come up with a plan for a wall display somewhere other than over the fireplace.&nbsp; A gun cabinet was also suggested, and while I LOVED that idea (I had never thought about that since I am not a 'gun person'), there would be no place to put it in this particular room; mind you, I would have loved to see a gun cabinet contain all those rifles in another part of the house!</p> <p>I met with my clients on Saturday and we went over all of the pictures and pricing.&nbsp; We took measurements and I shared my preliminary design plan.&nbsp; We made some adjustments for their preferences and it suddenly all came together.&nbsp; Both husband and wife LOVED the black entertainment center and I cautioned them that it was a 'floor sample', therefore if someone were to walk in and buy it, that would be that.&nbsp; The husband, who is not a 'shopper' by nature was suddenly stricken with a sense of urgency to go buy that unit!&nbsp; He wanted to call the store and give them his credit card over the phone so that they wouldn't sell it to anyone else!&nbsp; I suggested that they go to the store and see it in person in order to make sure that they really liked it.&nbsp; I also wanted them to go to Bob's and see the "Hamptons" set up close and personal.&nbsp;</p> <p>There was still an issue about the recliner as the husband wanted it, or something like it, to be included in the overall plan.&nbsp; The wife wanted to be able to sit next to her husband occasionally and, since that was his favorite seat in the room, therein was the problem.&nbsp; I instructed them to visit the new LazyBoy outlet which had opened on that 'furniture corridor' and let me know if they found anything that they liked.&nbsp; I said that for now, at least, the blue recliner that was in the room could stay until we found a suitable replacement.&nbsp; At least the blue would work with the colors in the sofas and the recliner was in surprisingly good condition. I noticed that the husband positively 'beamed' when I said this!</p> <p>At this point, we had a 'game plan' and my clients were thrilled with all of my efforts and suggestions.&nbsp; I took my leave so that they could get busy with their shopping!</p> <p>Oh, what is the 'game plan' you might ask...well, it is this:&nbsp; The entertainment center would be centered on the long wall.&nbsp; Two sofas would be positioned facing each other; one off the wall with the angled fireplace and the other 'floating' on the opposite side of the open floorplan.&nbsp; There will be a coffee table in between the two and end tables on either side of the sofa to the right of the unit.&nbsp; There will be a floor lamp next to the other sofa and the ficus tree will be placed in the undefined 'corner' behind it (and to the left of the entertainment unit).&nbsp; My clients loved the idea of the cornices for each of the four windows that have the levelors, so that is a 'go'.&nbsp; They even know of someone who can construct the 'boxes' and then I will do the rest.&nbsp; They are considering the gun-racks, so the fate of what will be over the fireplace is still in question.&nbsp; Since the kitchen was just painted (a very bright yellow), we had to choose a paint color that would blend and yet still give the room a fresh look that would compliment the colors in the furnishings.&nbsp; We finally narrowed the choices down to two different shades of a neutral beige. Either will work well, so I am leaving the final decision up to the owners.&nbsp; While discussing options for wall decor, two amazing signed, matted and framed prints were produced and they will fit perfectly into the design.&nbsp;</p> <p>When I left I saw two very happy people who were anxious to go shopping and get on with the redesign.&nbsp; It is always a 'challenge' when you have two differing tastes and you need to produce a design plan that will satisfy both.&nbsp; I feel that we achieved that balance, in spite of the guns!</p> <p>I'll update you when the room is complete.&nbsp; Stay tuned!</p> <p><strong><em>Staged 2 Sell NY offers Home Staging, Redesign, Organizing and Special Event Decorating as part of its service. Call us for your 'design' needs today!</em></strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:48:49 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/346685/can-i-shoot-my-way-out-of-this-a-re-design-dilemma- http://activerain.com/blogsview/341058/all-in-good-time-a-message-to-my-fellow-home-stagers <p>After reading Craig Schiller's post today, <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/340437/Where-is-that-Staging">Where is that Staging Waldo?</a>, I felt compelled to write my first blog of the new year as well as my first since November.</p> <p>I would like to start by sharing a portion of my response to Craig's blog for anyone who may not have seen it:</p> <p>"I, too, have taken an honest and hard look at my life and decided that, as committed as I am to the Home Staging industry, I needed to find&nbsp;a 'balance' and take some time to live as 'normal' an existence as this business will allow.&nbsp;</p> <p>Further, I agree that the Staging industry, as a whole, has some challenging obstacles to overcome.&nbsp; Your Stage It Forward Round Table discussion groups are becoming a positive force that are helping us to move forward.&nbsp;When we 'network' together, we add 'strength' to our cause. Home Staging is&nbsp;gaining recognition as a viable method to help <em><strong>secure</strong></em> and <em><strong>assure</strong></em> the sale of houses that might otherwise never get a second look!</p> <p>Like yourself, I have in no way turned my back on this business, and I continue to try to move the industry ahead through my involvement in ASHSR as Chapter President of the Metro NY Chapter.&nbsp; Through monthly meetings (very much like the Round Table meetups), tri-state area Home Stagers will network and continue the 'good fight' that you and a few other industry professionals have begun - to educate and inform Realtors, Sellers, and the general public about the virtues of Home Staging."</p> <p>Burn-out is a by-product of&nbsp; us trying to &lsquo;do it all' and be &lsquo;everything to everyone'. &nbsp;Type A's, like myself, are driven to succeed.&nbsp; We are blessed with great tenacity, and when we believe in something, we are much like a dog with a bone - we will not give it up!&nbsp; &nbsp;In spite of being over-achievers, which can be a very good thing when you are in the &lsquo;pioneering phase' of a business, we often forget that we have limitations.&nbsp; We are only human after all!</p> <p>The most profound idea that I can impart to my peers, who are working so diligently to propel the staging industry forward, is to "take time"....time to enjoy the things that this life has to offer. &nbsp;Take the time to connect with your loved ones at least once a day. &nbsp;Spend time with your family and friends.! &nbsp;You can lose all of your money and gain it all back, but TIME can never be regained - once it is gone, it is gone! &nbsp;Appreciate the beauty all around you.&nbsp; Enjoy your good health while you have it</p> <p>I've heard it said that "when all is said and done and our &lsquo;time' is up, it is unlikely that any one of us will wish that we had WORKED longer or harder"..... so true!</p> <p>Staging It Forward,</p> <p>Val</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:28:03 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/341058/all-in-good-time-a-message-to-my-fellow-home-stagers http://activerain.com/blogsview/277560/tri-state-round-table-meetup-nov-16th-2007 <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/5/9/4/4/ar119532939944956.jpg" height="300" alt=" " width="400" /></p><p>Foreground: Donna Dazzo, NY; Claire Andia (AFR NJ); Rhonda Cosaluzzo (AFR NJ); Left to Right Back Row: Val Allocco NY; Julie Maher, CT; Linda Pollock, NJ; Susan Smith, CT; Phyllis Pafumi, NJ; Juliet Johnson, NJ; Kathy Mohr, CT; Nancy Maurer, NJ; Katherine Timms (Realtor NY); Sarah Carter DuHaime, NJ; Missing from photo: Maureen Henry, NY (she had to leave promptly at 2)</p><p><strong>Well, we pulled it off - the first SIF Round Table Meetup in the northeast!</strong>&nbsp;There were 11 Home Stagers in attendance; 3 from NY, 3 from CT and 5 from NJ.&nbsp; I brought a realtor from Huntington, Long Island who is very &#39;pro-staging&#39;, and she was able to help us to&nbsp;see things from a realtor&#39;s perspective.&nbsp;Two reps from AFR joined us for the meeting, but mainly sat on the sidelines unless the conversation was directed toward them or the use of rental furniture.</p><p>We met at the <strong>American Furniture Rentals </strong>showroom in Secaucus, NJ, and AFR provided us with meeting materials, refreshments and lunch!&nbsp; They also collected our business cards before the meeting, and after lunch held two drawings for framed prints.&nbsp; Susan Smith won a lovely set of two framed prints and Katherine Timms, our realtor &#39;panelist&#39;, won a vibrant print (which I hung for her when we returned to her office later in the day).&nbsp; She was delighted and I was happy that she was able to take something &#39;tangible&#39; back with her!</p><p><strong>Maureen Henry</strong>, true to form, baked the most awesome cookies you have ever tasted and needless to say, they were a big hit!&nbsp; She really IS &#39;the cookie lady&#39;!!!</p><p>I think that I can speak for all who were part of this monumentous&nbsp;occasion, that probably the biggest thrill of the day was actually meeting one another in person!&nbsp; Isn&#39;t it amazing how we have all connected through blogging and commenting on blogs here at Active Rain?&nbsp; I have had this experience of meeting AR members before, but it never ceases to amaze me how &#39;connected&#39; we really all are!&nbsp; When&nbsp;you finally get to &#39;meet&#39; one another, it seems as if you are running into an old &#39;friend&#39;.</p><p>We worked from the SIF Round Table agenda, but being that we had a limited amount of time and we were a very &#39;chatty&#39; group, we did tend to go &#39;off subject&#39; more than a few times!&nbsp; We pledged to go home and jot down our individual answers and then send them to Susan who generously offered to compile them into a sensible form and e-mail it back to everyone.&nbsp; In future blogs I&nbsp;will be addressing the various topics and our collective insights into each.&nbsp; </p><p>Just an aside here: When Phyllis and I finished our staging training course (where we first met) and started our businesses in early 2006, we had a &#39;dream&#39; and that dream was to connect with other Home Stagers from the area and band together as a means of support, encouragement and resource-sharing.&nbsp; Given that Home Staging was so new to the northeast, we spoke about ways to get the message out and have our voices be heard.&nbsp; Having two voices is better than being a single voice, however in order to make an impact, you need a strong presence.&nbsp; We spoke of establishing a &#39;metropolitan&#39; area professional stagers group (we would refer to it as &#39;MAPS&#39;), but being new to the industry, we did not know where to find others who shared our beliefs.&nbsp; Yesterday a &#39;light bulb&#39; went off and Phyllis and I realized that perhaps the time has come for that dream to be realized.&nbsp; We are not, however, limiting the membership to the &#39;metropolitan area&#39;, but it could encompass the Tri-State (NY, NJ and CT) area (&#39;TAPS&#39; or &quot;Tri-state Alliance of Professional Stagers&quot;).&nbsp; Phyllis and I spoke for more than an hour last night about this - she even came up with a slogan: &quot;Tapping into resources that can help you to grow your business&quot;.&nbsp; Such is the power of SIF and these Round Table Meetups!</p><p>I want to&nbsp;publicly thank&nbsp;all those who made the tremendous effort to attend this &#39;meetup&#39;; many drove hours in order to be a part of the Round Table.&nbsp; I also want to acknowledge <strong>Kathy Mohr</strong> who brought her laptop and diligently took notes!</p><p>AFR has invited us to come back and do it all again; in fact, they would like to host a few of these a year in the hope of keeping the lines of communication open between the Home Stagers and the Rental Company.&nbsp; We discussed the possibility of holding another &#39;meetup&#39; in January or February - before the busy season starts to &#39;kick in&#39;.&nbsp; Stay tuned for information on that.&nbsp; We did have about 6 Stagers who were not able to join us for this meeting and I am hopeful that with enough advanced notice, they will be able to be a part of the next Round Table.&nbsp; For now, I have promised to keep them &#39;in the loop&#39;&nbsp;by way of&nbsp;e-mailed information and inclusion in group e-mail &#39;discussions&#39;.</p><p>For those of you who have not yet committed to hosting a Round Table in your area, I want to tell you that it is SO worthwhile!&nbsp; There is only a little &#39;prep&#39; work that has to be taken care of, and you should definitely approach your furniture rental companies about the possibility of them &#39;sponsoring&#39; the event.&nbsp; After all, if we as Home Stagers are successful, they will be as well.&nbsp; For more on another Round Table Meetup - this one in Chicago - read Craig Schiller&#39;s post: <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/277251/It-s-CLEAR-21" rel="bookmark">It&#39;s CLEAR... 21 SIF RoundTables Across North America Are Going to REFRESH Our Industry!</a> </p><p>Staging (and &#39;Tapping&#39;) it Forward,</p><p><strong>VAL</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:39:16 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/277560/tri-state-round-table-meetup-nov-16th-2007 http://activerain.com/blogsview/267153/home-staging-and-the-recession-real-estate-and-realty <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There was a Reuters article, posted today on Yahoo, which spoke about the possibility of an economic recession and how it is partially fueled by the mortgage crisis.&nbsp; &nbsp;Of course other key factors would include rising oil prices, sluggish retail sales and falling prices on homes for sale.</p> <p>As a Home Stager, I have noticed a decrease in business for the months of September and October; so far November hasn't produced all that much revenue from stagings either.&nbsp; Oh, don't misunderstand me, I still get the phone calls asking for information on &lsquo;how it works and what it costs', however there are fewer &lsquo;bookings' and more "I'll get back to you" promises.</p> <p>I am painfully aware of the state of the Real Estate market, and am sympathetic to the plight of realtors in general.&nbsp; Most reports state that this trend will continue throughout 2008, and perhaps beyond, while the market &lsquo;corrects itself'.&nbsp; I have been told by realtor friends that many of the newer realtors cannot work under these conditions and they are being forced out of this career and into a job that will actually produce a steady source of income. On the other hand, I am discovering that more than a few realtors are beginning to attend classes on Home Staging and using the resulting information to &lsquo;stage' for their clients as part of their &lsquo;service'.</p> <p>Now, I know that in the past we have &lsquo;discussed' how time-consuming and strenuous the actual act of &lsquo;staging' is, and, as a group, we stagers have wondered how a realtor can possibly &lsquo;do it all'?&nbsp; The realtors that I know are hard-working, conscientious, and detail-oriented and spend a great deal of time while researching data for every market analysis that they prepare for potential clients.&nbsp; When you factor in the work involved in getting photos taken, virtual tours compiled, visiting new MLS listings, and the time spent showing the house, as well as holding the numerous Open Houses that will ensue, one has to wonder where any professional realtor (&lsquo;worth their weight in salt') could possibly take on the many demands, expense and tribulations of Home Staging?&nbsp; In addition, does the realtor really want the responsibility of advising their client, the seller, of all of the &lsquo;negatives' about the &lsquo;property' that need to be addressed (and that might include &lsquo;strange' odors)?</p> <p>Another issue that has come to the forefront, is that with home sale prices falling, sellers feel that they are already making a huge concession in the selling price (as opposed to the prices that were realized in a better market) and are very reluctant to &lsquo;invest' money into a house that is already &lsquo;losing money'! &nbsp;Of course, nothing could be further from the truth!&nbsp; Houses that were sold in the years leading up to mid-2005 were very fortunate to bring in &lsquo;over-the-top' prices, however the houses that are on today's market are, for the most part, still bringing in a healthy profit for sellers that have lived in their houses for a certain period of time.&nbsp;</p> <p>If I can get only one point across to anyone who is selling their house and NOT considering Home Staging, it would be that EVERYTHING is different in today's Real Estate Market - not just pricing!&nbsp; Today's seller must do more than &lsquo;de-clutter, clean and paint'! &nbsp;In order to compete with the many newly-constructed homes that are so prevalent in this market, occupied houses (and any &lsquo;vacants' that are the result of an early &lsquo;departure' or a &lsquo;flip') must show EQUALLY as well.&nbsp; This translates to updated kitchens and baths, and rooms that &lsquo;show' as &lsquo;spacious.&nbsp; How many sellers can be objective enough to ascertain that their house is &lsquo;up to par'?&nbsp; How many have the &lsquo;skills' that it takes to turn &lsquo;ho-hum' into &lsquo;WOW'?!</p> <p>Home Staging is a FIELD.&nbsp; Real Estate is a FIELD.&nbsp; We need to blend these fields, with a professional at each &lsquo;helm' that combines the TWO into ONE equally successful story!</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:28:16 -0600 http://activerain.com/blogsview/267153/home-staging-and-the-recession-real-estate-and-realty http://activerain.com/blogsview/232034/home-stagers-teaming-up-with-realtors <p><strong>THIS POST IS FOR LAURIE, WHO SAID THAT 'DRIVAL' IS FINE WITH HER....</strong></p> <p>I would like to share with my fellow Home Stagers, my feeling about the importance AND joy of working with local realtors (or at least <strong>A </strong>realtor!)....</p> <p>I 'met' <strong>Laurie Mindnich</strong> (<a href="http://www.optionsrealty.com/">http://www.optionsrealty.com/</a>) here&nbsp;on Active Rain.&nbsp; Since we were both based here on the "Island", there was an instant bond...let's face it - there aren't very many of&nbsp;us 'active' Active&nbsp;Rainers who live and work in the area.....</p> <p>Laurie contacted me because she had (apparently) read some of my posts here.&nbsp; She had a house 'out east' on the Island (translates to an hour or more ride for me) and would I be willing to come and do one of my 'Consultation Reports'?&nbsp; Well, yes, I <strong>do </strong>travel around the Island and into Manhattan, so I naturally wanted to not only do my 'thing' (Consultation Report), but more than that, I was excited to meet another 'Rainer' and a Realtor one at that!</p> <p>To my delight, on the day of the 'consultation', I met not only Laurie, but also her wonderful partner <strong>Sean</strong>.&nbsp; I could not have asked for better 'clients' than their sellers, who were so motivated, that we started making changes in the house as we moved from room to room!&nbsp; I am happy to report that Laurie and Sean call me whenever they have a new listing and I go and help the sellers to 'prep' the house by touring the property and giving my assessment.&nbsp; Laurie and Sean are, without a doubt, two of the most innovative realtors that I have ever met!&nbsp; I will not divulge their secrets, but suffice it to say that they really pull out all of the stops and do a lot of 'outside the box' thinking when it comes to presenting their properties!</p> <p>I would like to encourage you all to <strong>make some connections.....</strong>find out who from AR is located nearby, or seek out a local realtor who is open-minded, and 'team' up!&nbsp; I am so glad that I have mine!</p> <p>Now, Laurie, about those vineyards......heck yeah!&nbsp; I just LOVE grapes!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>VAL</strong></p> <p><strong>p.s.&nbsp; okay Laurie...I wrote a post!!!</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:39:01 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/232034/home-stagers-teaming-up-with-realtors http://activerain.com/blogsview/205927/testing-whether-we-can-post <p>I&#39;m just testing this to see if I can post something here - otherwise I&#39;ll send a group e-mail.</p><p><strong>VAL</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:18:30 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/205927/testing-whether-we-can-post http://activerain.com/blogsview/204088/my-contribution-ideas-for-titles <p>OK, group...this is my 3rd attempt to post this blog!&nbsp; The first time I hit &quot;post&quot; and it went to cyberspace...the second time it came out all wrong, and now I&#39;m going to give it one more try!</p><p>So, I was to work on titles with Phyllis.&nbsp; I came up with the following, but still love Phyllis&#39;s idea of &quot;<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/172701/Home-Staging-It-Ain" rel="bookmark">Home Staging - It Ain&#39;t Just About Rearranging Furniture</a>&quot;!!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><u><strong>- Home Staging 101</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- The Phenomenon of Home Staging Across North America</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p><strong><u>- All About Home Staging&nbsp;Through The Eyes Of&nbsp;Stagers&nbsp;Across North America </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- A Home Staging Primer For Sellers</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- A Home Staging Primer For Realtors</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Staging Your Home For A Successful Sale</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- So You Want To Be A Home Stager</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- The Art Of Home Staging</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- To Stage Or Not To Stage: That Is The Question</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Staging A House To Sell In Today&#39;s Market</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u>- Why Stage?</u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Stage It To Sell It!&nbsp;</strong></u></strong> &nbsp; </p><p>I also went through all of my blogs and came up with the following as being suitable for each category.&nbsp; If we decide to use any of these, I will rewrite to include the ideas from the comment section of each post.</p><p><strong><u>For Home Stagers:</u></strong> &nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/194377/A-Staging-Catastrophe-or" rel="bookmark">A Staging Catastrophe - or Do You Really Think Home Staging Is Easy?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/156518/Issues-with-the-Staging" rel="bookmark">Issues with the Staging, or YOU CAN&#39;T WIN THEM ALL!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/155539/Staging-When-the-House" rel="bookmark">Staging When the House is not Complete</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/155500/Staging-A-House-Without" rel="bookmark">Staging A House Without Walls</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153169/Is-It-possible-to" rel="bookmark">Is It possible to Give Away the Store?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153131/When-You-Are-Asked" rel="bookmark">When You Are Asked to Give a Seminar....</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153117/Networking-Meetups-Time-Well" rel="bookmark">Networking &quot;Meetups&quot;: Time Well Spent?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/145332/Let-s-start-at" rel="bookmark">Let&#39;s start at the very beginning ( a very good place to start)....Vacant Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/141217/PERHAPS-MAKING-THE-CELL" rel="bookmark">PERHAPS MAKING THE CELL PHONE YOUR BUSINESS PHONE IS NOT SUCH A GREAT IDEA???</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/137238/HOME-STAGING-WORKS-Another" rel="bookmark">HOME STAGING WORKS! Another &quot;Vacant&quot; sold......</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/136556/Realtors-and-Home-Stagers" rel="bookmark">Realtors and Home Stagers Partnering to Sell</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/125601/Special-Circumstances-When-The" rel="bookmark">Special Circumstances: When The Client Has Alzheimers</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/119142/You-Don-t-Always" rel="bookmark">You Don&#39;t Always Have Control of the Situation</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/111223/The-Work-Leading-up" rel="bookmark">The Work Leading up to The Actual Staging is The Hardest Part!</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/109192/An-Open-Letter-to" rel="bookmark">An Open Letter to the &#39;Vacant House&#39; Builder:</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108173/Garage-Sales-A-Wonderful" rel="bookmark">Garage Sales: A Wonderful Resource for Home Stagers</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/102741/STAGING-THE-VACANT-With" rel="bookmark">STAGING THE VACANT With Discounts!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/96139/An-Interactive-Blog-Can" rel="bookmark">An Interactive Blog: Can You Spot The $800+ In Accessories For This Staging?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/83955/STAGING-You-Need-To" rel="bookmark">STAGING: You Need To Hang Tough If You&#39;re Going To Make It!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/65026/Those-Elusive-Vacant-Houses" rel="bookmark">Those Elusive Vacant Houses - They Can Be Staged For Less Than You Think!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/48082/THE-MURAL" rel="bookmark">THE MURAL....</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/42989/Religious-Artifacts-and-Symbols" rel="bookmark">Religious Artifacts and Symbols</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41198/Follow-up-to-Missing" rel="bookmark">Follow-up to &quot;Missing the Mark&quot;</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/34434/Home-Staging-Cleaning-the" rel="bookmark">Home Staging &amp; Cleaning the House</a> <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">T</a></p><p>he HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/30639/Self-Promotion-Ease-up" rel="bookmark">Self-Promotion: Ease up on the Realtors in 2007! (Resolution #2)</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/30527/Magnetic-Car-Signs-are" rel="bookmark">Magnetic Car Signs are the Way to Go! </a></p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/29628/MAILERS-MARKETING-MARVELS-or" rel="bookmark">MAILERS: MARKETING MARVELS or MARKETING MISTAKES?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/21060/Great-Expectations-or-What" rel="bookmark">Great Expectations...or What Do You Mean&quot;How am I Going To Fix That Tie&quot;?!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/18815/Always-LISTEN-to-your" rel="bookmark">Always LISTEN to your Gut and Proceed with Caution!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/17312/STAGERS-VISITING-OPEN-HOUSES" rel="bookmark">STAGERS VISITING OPEN HOUSES PT. 2</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/16404/Hello-Realtors-What-Does" rel="bookmark">Hello Realtors, What Does It Take?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/15056/Vacant-Homes" rel="bookmark">Vacant Homes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/Call-Me-Crazy-But-I-Love-The-Marketing-Aspect-of-Home-Staging-?13780" rel="bookmark">Call Me Crazy, But I Love The Marketing Aspect of Home Staging</a> &nbsp; </p><p><strong><u>For Realtors</u></strong>: &nbsp; <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/110914/Some-Sellers-Just-Don" rel="bookmark">Some Sellers Just Don&#39;t &quot;Get It&quot;!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/109192/An-Open-Letter-to" rel="bookmark">An Open Letter to the &#39;Vacant House&#39; Builder:</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/106937/AN-OPEN-LETTER-TO" rel="bookmark">AN OPEN LETTER TO TODAY&#39;S SELLER: JUST DOING THE &#39;OBVIOUS&#39; WILL NOT SELL YOUR HOME!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/102772/THINKING-OUTSIDE-THE-BOX" rel="bookmark">THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: &quot;Staging&quot; an Open House</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/70848/They-Love-Me-They" rel="bookmark">They Love Me, They Love Me Not..They Get It, They Really Don&#39;t Get It!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41735/Seller-Reluctant-to-Make" rel="bookmark">Seller Reluctant to Make Changes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">The HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28675/Stage-This-The-Bunny" rel="bookmark">Stage This! (The &quot;Bunny&quot; Master Bedroom and We&#39;re Not Talking &quot;Playboy&quot;!)</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28070/How-Many-Sellers-are" rel="bookmark">How Many Sellers are &#39;Sold&#39; on the concept of Staging?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/18815/Always-LISTEN-to-your" rel="bookmark">Always LISTEN to your Gut and Proceed with Caution!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/16404/Hello-Realtors-What-Does" rel="bookmark">Hello Realtors, What Does It Take?</a> &nbsp; </p><p><strong><u>For Sellers:</u></strong> &nbsp; <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/106937/AN-OPEN-LETTER-TO" rel="bookmark">AN OPEN LETTER TO TODAY&#39;S SELLER: JUST DOING THE &#39;OBVIOUS&#39; WILL NOT SELL YOUR HOME!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41735/Seller-Reluctant-to-Make" rel="bookmark">Seller Reluctant to Make Changes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">The HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28070/How-Many-Sellers-are" rel="bookmark">How Many Sellers are &#39;Sold&#39; on the concept of Staging?</a> </p><p>I&#39;m done travelling for a while and getting back to &#39;business as usual&#39; after a busy summer.&nbsp; I will be happy to help in any way that I can with this project.&nbsp; Just let me know what you need me to do.</p><p><strong>VAL</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:27:46 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/204088/my-contribution-ideas-for-titles http://activerain.com/blogsview/204087/my-contribution-ideas-for-titles <p>OK, group...this is my 3rd attempt to post this blog!&nbsp; The first time I hit &quot;post&quot; and it went to cyberspace...the second time it came out all wrong, and now I&#39;m going to give it one more try!</p><p>So, I was to work on titles with Phyllis.&nbsp; I came up with the following, but still love Phyllis&#39;s idea of &quot;<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/172701/Home-Staging-It-Ain" rel="bookmark">Home Staging - It Ain&#39;t Just About Rearranging Furniture</a>&quot;!!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><u><strong>- Home Staging 101</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- The Phenomenon of Home Staging Across North America</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p><strong><u>- All About Home Staging&nbsp;Through The Eyes Of&nbsp;Stagers&nbsp;Across North America </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- A Home Staging Primer For Sellers</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- A Home Staging Primer For Realtors</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Staging Your Home For A Successful Sale</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- So You Want To Be A Home Stager</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- The Art Of Home Staging</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- To Stage Or Not To Stage: That Is The Question</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Staging A House To Sell In Today&#39;s Market</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u>- Why Stage?</u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Stage It To Sell It!&nbsp;</strong></u></strong> &nbsp; </p><p>I also went through all of my blogs and came up with the following as being suitable for each category.&nbsp; If we decide to use any of these, I will rewrite to include the ideas from the comment section of each post.</p><p><strong><u>For Home Stagers:</u></strong> &nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/194377/A-Staging-Catastrophe-or" rel="bookmark">A Staging Catastrophe - or Do You Really Think Home Staging Is Easy?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/156518/Issues-with-the-Staging" rel="bookmark">Issues with the Staging, or YOU CAN&#39;T WIN THEM ALL!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/155539/Staging-When-the-House" rel="bookmark">Staging When the House is not Complete</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/155500/Staging-A-House-Without" rel="bookmark">Staging A House Without Walls</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153169/Is-It-possible-to" rel="bookmark">Is It possible to Give Away the Store?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153131/When-You-Are-Asked" rel="bookmark">When You Are Asked to Give a Seminar....</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153117/Networking-Meetups-Time-Well" rel="bookmark">Networking &quot;Meetups&quot;: Time Well Spent?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/145332/Let-s-start-at" rel="bookmark">Let&#39;s start at the very beginning ( a very good place to start)....Vacant Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/141217/PERHAPS-MAKING-THE-CELL" rel="bookmark">PERHAPS MAKING THE CELL PHONE YOUR BUSINESS PHONE IS NOT SUCH A GREAT IDEA???</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/137238/HOME-STAGING-WORKS-Another" rel="bookmark">HOME STAGING WORKS! Another &quot;Vacant&quot; sold......</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/136556/Realtors-and-Home-Stagers" rel="bookmark">Realtors and Home Stagers Partnering to Sell</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/125601/Special-Circumstances-When-The" rel="bookmark">Special Circumstances: When The Client Has Alzheimers</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/119142/You-Don-t-Always" rel="bookmark">You Don&#39;t Always Have Control of the Situation</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/111223/The-Work-Leading-up" rel="bookmark">The Work Leading up to The Actual Staging is The Hardest Part!</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/109192/An-Open-Letter-to" rel="bookmark">An Open Letter to the &#39;Vacant House&#39; Builder:</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108173/Garage-Sales-A-Wonderful" rel="bookmark">Garage Sales: A Wonderful Resource for Home Stagers</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/102741/STAGING-THE-VACANT-With" rel="bookmark">STAGING THE VACANT With Discounts!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/96139/An-Interactive-Blog-Can" rel="bookmark">An Interactive Blog: Can You Spot The $800+ In Accessories For This Staging?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/83955/STAGING-You-Need-To" rel="bookmark">STAGING: You Need To Hang Tough If You&#39;re Going To Make It!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/65026/Those-Elusive-Vacant-Houses" rel="bookmark">Those Elusive Vacant Houses - They Can Be Staged For Less Than You Think!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/48082/THE-MURAL" rel="bookmark">THE MURAL....</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/42989/Religious-Artifacts-and-Symbols" rel="bookmark">Religious Artifacts and Symbols</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41198/Follow-up-to-Missing" rel="bookmark">Follow-up to &quot;Missing the Mark&quot;</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/34434/Home-Staging-Cleaning-the" rel="bookmark">Home Staging &amp; Cleaning the House</a> <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">T</a></p><p>he HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/30639/Self-Promotion-Ease-up" rel="bookmark">Self-Promotion: Ease up on the Realtors in 2007! (Resolution #2)</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/30527/Magnetic-Car-Signs-are" rel="bookmark">Magnetic Car Signs are the Way to Go! </a></p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/29628/MAILERS-MARKETING-MARVELS-or" rel="bookmark">MAILERS: MARKETING MARVELS or MARKETING MISTAKES?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/21060/Great-Expectations-or-What" rel="bookmark">Great Expectations...or What Do You Mean&quot;How am I Going To Fix That Tie&quot;?!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/18815/Always-LISTEN-to-your" rel="bookmark">Always LISTEN to your Gut and Proceed with Caution!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/17312/STAGERS-VISITING-OPEN-HOUSES" rel="bookmark">STAGERS VISITING OPEN HOUSES PT. 2</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/16404/Hello-Realtors-What-Does" rel="bookmark">Hello Realtors, What Does It Take?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/15056/Vacant-Homes" rel="bookmark">Vacant Homes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/Call-Me-Crazy-But-I-Love-The-Marketing-Aspect-of-Home-Staging-?13780" rel="bookmark">Call Me Crazy, But I Love The Marketing Aspect of Home Staging</a> &nbsp; </p><p><strong><u>For Realtors</u></strong>: &nbsp; <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/110914/Some-Sellers-Just-Don" rel="bookmark">Some Sellers Just Don&#39;t &quot;Get It&quot;!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/109192/An-Open-Letter-to" rel="bookmark">An Open Letter to the &#39;Vacant House&#39; Builder:</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/106937/AN-OPEN-LETTER-TO" rel="bookmark">AN OPEN LETTER TO TODAY&#39;S SELLER: JUST DOING THE &#39;OBVIOUS&#39; WILL NOT SELL YOUR HOME!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/102772/THINKING-OUTSIDE-THE-BOX" rel="bookmark">THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: &quot;Staging&quot; an Open House</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/70848/They-Love-Me-They" rel="bookmark">They Love Me, They Love Me Not..They Get It, They Really Don&#39;t Get It!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41735/Seller-Reluctant-to-Make" rel="bookmark">Seller Reluctant to Make Changes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">The HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28675/Stage-This-The-Bunny" rel="bookmark">Stage This! (The &quot;Bunny&quot; Master Bedroom and We&#39;re Not Talking &quot;Playboy&quot;!)</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28070/How-Many-Sellers-are" rel="bookmark">How Many Sellers are &#39;Sold&#39; on the concept of Staging?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/18815/Always-LISTEN-to-your" rel="bookmark">Always LISTEN to your Gut and Proceed with Caution!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/16404/Hello-Realtors-What-Does" rel="bookmark">Hello Realtors, What Does It Take?</a> &nbsp; </p><p><strong><u>For Sellers:</u></strong> &nbsp; <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/106937/AN-OPEN-LETTER-TO" rel="bookmark">AN OPEN LETTER TO TODAY&#39;S SELLER: JUST DOING THE &#39;OBVIOUS&#39; WILL NOT SELL YOUR HOME!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41735/Seller-Reluctant-to-Make" rel="bookmark">Seller Reluctant to Make Changes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">The HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28070/How-Many-Sellers-are" rel="bookmark">How Many Sellers are &#39;Sold&#39; on the concept of Staging?</a> </p><p>I&#39;m done travelling for a while and getting back to &#39;business as usual&#39; after a busy summer.&nbsp; I will be happy to help in any way that I can with this project.&nbsp; Just let me know what you need me to do.</p><p><strong>VAL</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:27:38 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/204087/my-contribution-ideas-for-titles http://activerain.com/blogsview/204085/my-contribution-ideas-for-titles <p>OK, group...this is my 3rd attempt to post this blog!&nbsp; The first time I hit &quot;post&quot; and it went to cyberspace...the second time it came out all wrong, and now I&#39;m going to give it one more try!</p><p>So, I was to work on titles with Phyllis.&nbsp; I came up with the following, but still love Phyllis&#39;s idea of &quot;<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/172701/Home-Staging-It-Ain" rel="bookmark">Home Staging - It Ain&#39;t Just About Rearranging Furniture</a>&quot;!!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><u><strong>- Home Staging 101</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- The Phenomenon of Home Staging Across North America</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p><strong><u>- All About Home Staging&nbsp;Through The Eyes Of&nbsp;Stagers&nbsp;Across North America </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- A Home Staging Primer For Sellers</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- A Home Staging Primer For Realtors</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Staging Your Home For A Successful Sale</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- So You Want To Be A Home Stager</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- The Art Of Home Staging</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- To Stage Or Not To Stage: That Is The Question</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Staging A House To Sell In Today&#39;s Market</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </u></strong></p><p><strong><u>- Why Stage?</u></strong></p><p><strong><u><strong>- Stage It To Sell It!&nbsp;</strong></u></strong> &nbsp; </p><p>I also went through all of my blogs and came up with the following as being suitable for each category.&nbsp; If we decide to use any of these, I will rewrite to include the ideas from the comment section of each post.</p><p><strong><u>For Home Stagers:</u></strong> &nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/194377/A-Staging-Catastrophe-or" rel="bookmark">A Staging Catastrophe - or Do You Really Think Home Staging Is Easy?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/156518/Issues-with-the-Staging" rel="bookmark">Issues with the Staging, or YOU CAN&#39;T WIN THEM ALL!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/155539/Staging-When-the-House" rel="bookmark">Staging When the House is not Complete</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/155500/Staging-A-House-Without" rel="bookmark">Staging A House Without Walls</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153169/Is-It-possible-to" rel="bookmark">Is It possible to Give Away the Store?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153131/When-You-Are-Asked" rel="bookmark">When You Are Asked to Give a Seminar....</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/153117/Networking-Meetups-Time-Well" rel="bookmark">Networking &quot;Meetups&quot;: Time Well Spent?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/145332/Let-s-start-at" rel="bookmark">Let&#39;s start at the very beginning ( a very good place to start)....Vacant Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/141217/PERHAPS-MAKING-THE-CELL" rel="bookmark">PERHAPS MAKING THE CELL PHONE YOUR BUSINESS PHONE IS NOT SUCH A GREAT IDEA???</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/137238/HOME-STAGING-WORKS-Another" rel="bookmark">HOME STAGING WORKS! Another &quot;Vacant&quot; sold......</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/136556/Realtors-and-Home-Stagers" rel="bookmark">Realtors and Home Stagers Partnering to Sell</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/125601/Special-Circumstances-When-The" rel="bookmark">Special Circumstances: When The Client Has Alzheimers</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/119142/You-Don-t-Always" rel="bookmark">You Don&#39;t Always Have Control of the Situation</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/111223/The-Work-Leading-up" rel="bookmark">The Work Leading up to The Actual Staging is The Hardest Part!</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/109192/An-Open-Letter-to" rel="bookmark">An Open Letter to the &#39;Vacant House&#39; Builder:</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108173/Garage-Sales-A-Wonderful" rel="bookmark">Garage Sales: A Wonderful Resource for Home Stagers</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/102741/STAGING-THE-VACANT-With" rel="bookmark">STAGING THE VACANT With Discounts!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/96139/An-Interactive-Blog-Can" rel="bookmark">An Interactive Blog: Can You Spot The $800+ In Accessories For This Staging?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/83955/STAGING-You-Need-To" rel="bookmark">STAGING: You Need To Hang Tough If You&#39;re Going To Make It!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/65026/Those-Elusive-Vacant-Houses" rel="bookmark">Those Elusive Vacant Houses - They Can Be Staged For Less Than You Think!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/48082/THE-MURAL" rel="bookmark">THE MURAL....</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/42989/Religious-Artifacts-and-Symbols" rel="bookmark">Religious Artifacts and Symbols</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41198/Follow-up-to-Missing" rel="bookmark">Follow-up to &quot;Missing the Mark&quot;</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/34434/Home-Staging-Cleaning-the" rel="bookmark">Home Staging &amp; Cleaning the House</a> <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">T</a></p><p>he HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/30639/Self-Promotion-Ease-up" rel="bookmark">Self-Promotion: Ease up on the Realtors in 2007! (Resolution #2)</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/30527/Magnetic-Car-Signs-are" rel="bookmark">Magnetic Car Signs are the Way to Go! </a></p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/29628/MAILERS-MARKETING-MARVELS-or" rel="bookmark">MAILERS: MARKETING MARVELS or MARKETING MISTAKES?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/21060/Great-Expectations-or-What" rel="bookmark">Great Expectations...or What Do You Mean&quot;How am I Going To Fix That Tie&quot;?!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/18815/Always-LISTEN-to-your" rel="bookmark">Always LISTEN to your Gut and Proceed with Caution!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/17312/STAGERS-VISITING-OPEN-HOUSES" rel="bookmark">STAGERS VISITING OPEN HOUSES PT. 2</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/16404/Hello-Realtors-What-Does" rel="bookmark">Hello Realtors, What Does It Take?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/15056/Vacant-Homes" rel="bookmark">Vacant Homes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/Call-Me-Crazy-But-I-Love-The-Marketing-Aspect-of-Home-Staging-?13780" rel="bookmark">Call Me Crazy, But I Love The Marketing Aspect of Home Staging</a> &nbsp; </p><p><strong><u>For Realtors</u></strong>: &nbsp; <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/110914/Some-Sellers-Just-Don" rel="bookmark">Some Sellers Just Don&#39;t &quot;Get It&quot;!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/109192/An-Open-Letter-to" rel="bookmark">An Open Letter to the &#39;Vacant House&#39; Builder:</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/106937/AN-OPEN-LETTER-TO" rel="bookmark">AN OPEN LETTER TO TODAY&#39;S SELLER: JUST DOING THE &#39;OBVIOUS&#39; WILL NOT SELL YOUR HOME!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/102772/THINKING-OUTSIDE-THE-BOX" rel="bookmark">THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: &quot;Staging&quot; an Open House</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/70848/They-Love-Me-They" rel="bookmark">They Love Me, They Love Me Not..They Get It, They Really Don&#39;t Get It!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41735/Seller-Reluctant-to-Make" rel="bookmark">Seller Reluctant to Make Changes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">The HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28675/Stage-This-The-Bunny" rel="bookmark">Stage This! (The &quot;Bunny&quot; Master Bedroom and We&#39;re Not Talking &quot;Playboy&quot;!)</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28070/How-Many-Sellers-are" rel="bookmark">How Many Sellers are &#39;Sold&#39; on the concept of Staging?</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/18815/Always-LISTEN-to-your" rel="bookmark">Always LISTEN to your Gut and Proceed with Caution!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/16404/Hello-Realtors-What-Does" rel="bookmark">Hello Realtors, What Does It Take?</a> &nbsp; </p><p><strong><u>For Sellers:</u></strong> &nbsp; <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/108184/VACANT-STAGING-SUCCESS-HOUSE" rel="bookmark">VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/106937/AN-OPEN-LETTER-TO" rel="bookmark">AN OPEN LETTER TO TODAY&#39;S SELLER: JUST DOING THE &#39;OBVIOUS&#39; WILL NOT SELL YOUR HOME!</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/41735/Seller-Reluctant-to-Make" rel="bookmark">Seller Reluctant to Make Changes</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/32200/The-HGTV-Dream-House" rel="bookmark">The HGTV &quot;Dream House&quot; and Home Staging</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28987/How-To-Sell-Your" rel="bookmark">How To Sell Your Home In Today&#39;s Changing Market</a> </p><p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/28070/How-Many-Sellers-are" rel="bookmark">How Many Sellers are &#39;Sold&#39; on the concept of Staging?</a> </p><p>I&#39;m done travelling for a while and getting back to &#39;business as usual&#39; after a busy summer.&nbsp; I will be happy to help in any way that I can with this project.&nbsp; Just let me know what you need me to do.</p><p><strong>VAL</strong></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:26:55 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/204085/my-contribution-ideas-for-titles http://activerain.com/blogsview/195791/some-scenes-from-japan <p>Before I leave this great city, I thought that I would share a few sights with you.....I&#39;ll be back in the States tomorrow and look forward to finding some time to catch up with you all!<br /></p><p><img title="Japan: Old and New" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/2/5/1/6/ar118908666261523.JPG" height="600" alt=" " width="800" /></p><p><strong>Japan - Old and New...you find Temples in the midst of the bustling city</strong> </p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/9/3/6/3/ar118908684436395.JPG" height="600" alt=" " width="800" /></p><p><strong>Japanese Style...clean lines, yet elegant</strong>.&nbsp; This is actually the lobby of the apartment building where we are staying.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/2/0/6/0/ar118908701606023.JPG" height="600" alt=" " width="800" /></p><p><strong>Shopping in Akasuka....the equivalent of our &#39;Flea Market&#39;</strong></p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/4/6/9/ar118908712096464.JPG" height="800" alt=" " width="600" /></p><p><strong>Now, here&#39;s a familiar sign!&nbsp; Yes, they are located all over Japan!</strong></p><p><strong>AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, This one&#39;s for you, Carole!&nbsp; The infamous &quot;Lucky Cat&quot; with left paw raised which symbolizes &#39;waving in success&#39;!</strong> <br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/0/0/2/2/ar118908721522006.JPG" height="600" alt=" " width="800" /> <br /></p> Val Allocco, HSE; ASHSR - Home Stager for Manhattan, Brooklyn & Long Island (Staged 2 Sell New York & Long Island) Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:07:08 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/195791/some-scenes-from-japan