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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope you enjoy the article,

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

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

Here are some pictures:

Julie Dana

www.thehomestylist.com,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Julie Dana, The Home Stylist

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

 I hope you enjoy it!

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

Here is the "BEFORE" photo:


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

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


Directly from Zinserr website:

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

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

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

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


Here is the "AFTER":




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

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

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

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

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

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