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Your House may be Due for a little Cosmetic Surgery (call your House Doctor)

By
Home Stager with Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR

does your house need some help?It happens to the best of us ... we get a little older, and signs of age start to creep up slowly but surely.

A wrinkle here, a worn out part there, blotchy colors, and suddenly you're tired and feeling your age .... sigh .... it happens.

Don't worry ~ with a little "cosmetic surgery" you'll be as good as new.  And it won't cost a fortune, I promise! If you're about to put your home on the market, all you need is a little cosmetic help from your professional home stager -- Think of us as your House Doctor.  Here's what we can do for your tired and dated home:

  • We'll walk through your home with you (your agent is welcome to join us) and give you sound and cost-effective advice on how to best prepare your home for selling.  This process usually takes two hours (sometimes longer).
  • Painting fresh, neutral colors is an instant "face lift" for a home ... buyers LOVE to find a home that's move-in ready. We can tell you all the best colors to use for today's buyers (hint: it's not white!)
  • Is your home suffering from dated window coverings that have seen better times?  No problem, we'll suggest that they be removed (along with the old hardware too). We want buyers to see a light, bright space so they can imagine themselves living here. Today the best window coverings are simple ones that let in a lot of light. We can tell you what to buy for a reasonable cost, and where to find them.
  • We see a lot of dated, worn out light fixtures in homes on the market.  Buyers don't want to bother changing them out -- and they might just say, "let's go to the next house on our list" so let's take care of that right now.  Fixtures in brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze are classic favorites.  Use whatever finish works best with the other elements in your home.  Especially important are the entry, dining room, living or family room, master bedroom, and bathroom light fixtures.  Let's change those first!
  •  Is your flooring old, creaky, cracked, or faded?  If so, let's freshen it up with something new! If you have hardwoods hiding under old carpet, surgically remove it and reveal the beautiful asset underneath.  Replace carpeting that's worn and past its prime.  Consider new tile, vinyl, bamboo or Marmoleum flooring ... buyers will be relieved it's one more thing they don't have to tackle.
  • Check your kitchen appliances.  If they're old and  look like rejects from the scratch & dent place, it's time to consider replacing them.  There's no need to buy top-of-the-line unless your home is in the upper price ranges.  Decent quality that's new or near-new is a smart option.

your home may need cosmetic help  

  • Sometimes your house needs just a "tweak" or two to bring it up to par -- and your furniture may need to be thinned out and some of it put into storage so that buyers can see how spacious the house really is.
  • Remember that with all cosmetic procedures, it's important to be sure your home is *sparkling* clean, top to bottom ... especially windows, kitchens, bathrooms, doors (every surface has to shine).
  • Last but not least, we'll talk about curb appeal and how important it is for buyers.  They'll decide right away if they even want to see the inside.  Some of your landscaping may need radical surgery ... some of it just a little pruning.  Is the grass lush and green, or is it pale and thinning?  Either way, we can tell you  how to fix it FAST.


Don't be afraid to take the first step -- contact your local professional home stager for a consultation.  We promise, you won't even need pain medication -- it's a completely pain-free process.   For a very reasonable fee, you'll save time and money making sure your home stands up well when compared to others in your market area.  Looking good can lead to a faster sale!

Posted by

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Room Solutions Staging offers expert home staging services in Portland, Oregon to homeowners, real estate agents, and builders. Our proven home staging techniques will help reduce your property's market time and maximize your equity. We'll prepare your property or listing to look appealing to your target buyer for the online photos as well as for in-person viewings. Our owner and principal stager Maureen Bray is a nationally-recognized home staging expert who enjoys sharing her passion for staging with others.  To schedule a Verbal Staging Consultation filled with our staging tips and advice, contact us @ 503-246-1800.

Room Solutions Staging

Licensed • Insured • Accredited • Certified

 

 2014 Top Ten Professional Stager of the Year - U.S.

2013 Top Ten Professional Stager of the Year - U.S.

2012 Professional Stager of the Year - Western U.S.  

Houzz Customer Satisfaction Award - 2015 and 2016

Angie's List Super Service Award - 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014

~  Past President of the Real Estate Staging Association National Board ~

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Comments(44)

Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Hi Mike ~ you hit the nail on the head -- elbow grease is powerful and CHEAP!!  Thanks for joining into the discussion.

Aug 12, 2010 08:17 AM
Angela Clark
Tony Clark REALTORS - Owensboro, KY
CRS, Realtor, Broker

Nicely stated Maureen! 

Aug 12, 2010 10:16 AM
David Okada
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Manhattan, NY
Service-Beyond Your Expectations

I am in the process of selling my mom's condo and I did everything you suggested and did the plaster repairs,painting etc. myself. Great tips, just need to purchase a new floor lamp which has seen better days.

Aug 12, 2010 10:31 AM
Sally Weatherley
EXIT STAGE RIGHT - Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Home Staging, Home Stager Vancouver, B.C

Maureen - So true.  A facelift can make a person look ten years younger, and a "spacelift" can make a dated house look much more contemporary.  You, Maureen, are in the top of your field - the Surgeon General of the staging field, so to speak.  Great advice here. 

Aug 12, 2010 10:59 AM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Hi Angela ~ Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

Hi David ~ It sounds like you're not only a good Realtor but also a good son!  Good luck with the sale, hope it gets snapped up quickly.

Hi Sally ~ Well I've never been called the Surgeon General but I love your sense of humor LOL!!  I'd like whatever can make me look 10 years younger, by the way  :-)

Aug 12, 2010 02:31 PM
zeta cross
Smart Green Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Getting Greener Makes Your home worth more!

Amen. I love the "facelift" analogy. I love the phrase "thinning out your furniture." As Starr Osborne says in her book Home Staging that Sells, sellers should store or get rid of half the furniture they normally live with!

Aug 13, 2010 04:09 AM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

hi Zeta ~ most of our seller clients have a bit too much furniture that blocks the flow in a home that's on the market, so we advise thinning it out.  When they move on to their new home, they can have it all back again!

Aug 13, 2010 03:32 PM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

I call it the "bangs before botox" treatment... simple, pretty painless cosmetic change... major return on investment! Love this blog Maureen!

Aug 14, 2010 11:12 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Great post.  Yes, there a many simple and inexpensive ways customers can spruce up their home.  You're right, you don't need to spend s fortune.  Looking forward to learning more from you, so I just subscribed to your blog.

Aug 15, 2010 04:27 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I love Karen's expression "bangs before botox" - too funny!  What a great post, I wanted to "suggest" but it is already featured.  Well done!  I'm off to buy my lab coat...

Aug 15, 2010 11:06 AM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Hi Karen ~ Your comment "Bangs before Botox" is hilarious -- love it! 

Hi Debbie ~ We can all learn so much from each other.  Your posts are so helpful on good flooring options -- thanks for sharing!

Hi Sharon ~ Lab coat, surgical gloves, and the other all-important tools of the trade :-)   Thanks for taking time to comment.

Aug 15, 2010 11:18 AM
Cathy Lee
CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA
ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

What a HOOT!!! I love this one Maureen. Never a dull moment.  Great post!!

Aug 15, 2010 03:56 PM
Beth Lester
Beth Lester Designs - Torrance, CA
Home Staging & Interior Decorating

You are so clever, Maureen.  Very cute!

Do you ever work with Sondra McFeters at Exit in Portland?  She's a good friend from high school.

Aug 15, 2010 05:45 PM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Hi Cathy ~ I'm glad you enjoyed it, I think it's fun when we can use humor to get a point across....

Hi Beth ~ Many thanks!   I've not had the pleasure of meeting Sondra yet, but I'd like to contact her to see if I could be of help to her clients in the future.

Aug 15, 2010 05:58 PM
Susan Laxson CRS
Palm Properties - La Quinta, CA
Realtor in San Diego, CA & Naples, FL

Definitely call in the experts - great post!  ~ Susan

Aug 16, 2010 06:47 AM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Hi Susan ~ as professional home stagers, we love to help our homeowner and Realtor clients prepare their homes for selling.  Thanks for your feedback!

Aug 16, 2010 08:10 AM
David Peterson
Synergy Staging ~ specializing in vacant home staging - Portland, OR
Home Stager Portland OR-Synergy Staging-Portland Oregon

Maureen - Fun post!  It's been a while since I've been on AR and it's time to get back.  Glad to see you've been so busy creatively posting.  The staging consultations are the most cost effective to help your home look better and seel faster!  We seem to be getting more and more requests for these lately.

Aug 19, 2010 01:46 PM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Hi David ~ Good to see you back on A/R, thanks for commenting on my post.  Yes it's true that we can really help our clients with these consultations.  So many of them are overwhelmed at the thought of selling and not sure which tasks to tackle.  Our advice really gives them a roadmap doesn't it?  Let's have lunch -- See you soon!

Aug 19, 2010 01:54 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Maureen- this was an excellent post (but I'm not surprised).  I think this is perfect advice for ANY homeowner.  And, if they continued the maintenance there should be less to do when they sell their house.  Having had bangs for as long as I can remember, I subscribe to the Karen- bangs- before- botox theory.  Now, I'm off to get some spackle restylane to refloat my walls  face.

Aug 28, 2010 02:19 PM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Hi Kathy ~ LOL about the bangs (why do you think I've had them for years? :-)

You're right, homeowners who do a few updates each year will have so much less to do when they decide to put their home on the market ... plus they'll have the added advantage of having it enjoyed the updates themselves, while they're still living there.  That's what I've started doing too!

Aug 28, 2010 02:29 PM