Special offer

The Seasons are Changing. Giving Home Sellers the Advantage in Oakhurst CA and Everywhere USA

By
Home Stager with Certified Staging Professional

The Seasons are Changing.  Giving Home Sellers the Advantage in Oakhurst California and Everywhere USA. 

Many locations in California do not experience seasonal changes.  However, in Oakhurst California mountain communities that is not the case.  We have seasons and many buyers want to experience what they have not had in other locations. 

You can help potential buyers "see" what your seasons have to offer by leaving some photographs of your listed property. 

FOR EXAMPLE...My home is not for sale but IF I were to list it, I would leave the following for buyers to view.  Share photos of your property and it's highlights throughout the seasons.

  Dream Home Staging and Decorating, Oakhurst CA

If we were to list our property in the summer (middle photo above) buyers would see an abundance of brown grass, pine cones and dried pine needles.  In the summer they would miss the greens of spring (left photo)and the white of winter (right photo). 

We know that some buyers actually want to experience a limited amount of snow and the last photo shows them that.  They also might not understand that we are very lush and green in the spring. 

Late summer buyers would also miss the glory of our gardens, so I would show them what they could experience:

Home Staging, Oakhurst CA 

 

 

The abundance of hummingbirds that frequent our feeders

 

 

 

Home Staging Oakhurst CA

 

 

The beauty of the hundreds of daffodils that burst forth every spring, frequently followed by a spring snowfall. 

 

 

 

 

The glory of our lush green gardens.

Home Staging Oakhurst CA

And it's specimens

Home Staging, Interior Decorating Oakhurst CA

      Home Staging Interior Decorating, Oakhurst CA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our vibrant red maple and yellow catalpa that we enjoy every fall.

Home Staging, Interior Decorating, Oakhurst CA

There is much more that our property and yours has to offer and it makes good selling sense to NOT leave it to the potential buyers imagination, just as it is with professional home staging.  

The majority of buyers cannot visualize what the interior or exterior of your property can be, so show them. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Real Estate Home Staging, Interior Decorating, Fresno CA

 

Dream Interior Redesign and Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service, licensed and insured CSP ® Professional Home Stager , Interior ReDesign/Decorating Specialist, consulting and training company. 

Locally serving the California foothill and mountain communities of: Oakhurst, North Fork, BassLake, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Wawona and Mariposa.  Also serving areas of: Fresno, Clovis and Madera, California and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

  • Professional staging of vacant and occupied properties
  • Color and Design Consultations
  • Virtual and Conceptual Staging Worldwide 
  • CEU (Continuing Education Units) forCalifornia Real Estate Agents as an approved RESA instructor (Real Estate Staging Association).

Click here to see short slideshows with examples of our work. When the first show is over, click on OTHER SHOWS to see more. 

 Visit our website at http://www.dreamredesigns.com for more information or call 559-877-2442

Real Estate Home Staging, Fresno CA

Comments(26)

Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Thank you Maureen.  I do have to learn to appreciate it more.  When we bought this property it was just granite and grass, so I'm happy with how I've been able to transform it. 

Nov 03, 2011 06:12 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Janet, southern cal. and many of our coastal areas have no seasons either.  Where I was raised I didn't know what it was like to have seasons and now I don't want to live without them.....especially when we can escape to Hawaii from time to time.  Thanks for your comments!

Nov 03, 2011 06:15 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Valerie, glad to hear that you do that.  It's something I've always done plus a fact sheet for things unseen.  I don't understand why more people don't do this and everything else that they can if they really want to sell.  Thank you for commenting. 

Nov 03, 2011 06:18 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Sharon, I believe that showing and telling people what may be unseen, at any one time, just makes good selling sense.  I always suggest this to sellers but surprisingly few do it and I don't know why.  Doesn't everyone have pictures of their home?  I appreciate you commenting, thank you. 

Nov 03, 2011 06:20 AM
Shar Sitter
Rooms With Style - Minneapolis, MN
Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, M

This is so true Ginger! In MN when the house is for sale in the winter and everything is buried under 30 inches of snow, it is so important to show pictures of the gardens and landscaping. My pet peeve is when the MLS photos of the outside do not reflect the correct time of year. 98 degrees in July and the outdoor photos on MLS have snow everywhere.

Nov 03, 2011 10:52 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Shar, I hear you and when I wrote this blog I was considering all of my staging colleagues in climates much more severe than us in the winter.  When I watch HGTV shows and the buyers are looking at homes in severe winter climates I often wonder, how can they imagine what the exteriors/curb appeal really look like?  I also agree with your pet peeve regarding those MLS photos and especially when they have a date stamp on them that shows that the photo was taken long ago...duh, what are they thinking??  Thank for your thoughts!!

Nov 03, 2011 11:02 AM
Sally Weatherley
EXIT STAGE RIGHT - Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Home Staging, Home Stager Vancouver, B.C

Ginger - Well, knock me over with a feather - I'm feeling very ignorant.  I just assumed that all of California was hot and that snowfall was just a fantasy.  It never occured to me that you would receive snow in the mountains (duh). 

Yes, this is great advice.  What does the home's yard look like in each season.  This could really be a selling feature. 

Nov 03, 2011 04:15 PM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Sally, LOL.  It makes me think of my first visits to your city and discovery of a ski mountain overlooking the Vancouver...I was very surprised and ended up skiing there many times when visiting your area...frequently when I lived in Oregon.  Our Sierra Mountains get an abundance of snow, thank goodness or California would blow away in a dust storm due to no rain for months on end.  Glad to help with your geography lesson and thanks for commenting. 

Nov 04, 2011 04:14 AM
Janice Ankrett
Burlington, ON
Staging Professional

Ginger, this is such good advice. The picture of the humming birds would sell it for me. If a person with a pool is selling with the pool closed for the season they really need to show pictures of the garden with the pool open.

Nov 04, 2011 09:12 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Janice, thank you.  Our hummers would surely win you over as we've counted up to 35 here at one time.  It's a chore keeping the 6 feeders full during the spring and summer.  Winter we're usually down to a hardy one of two.  Yes, photos of the pool and it's staged surroundings would certainly be important too.  If you were here now you probably wouldn't notice our sizeable pond plus the ducks and geese that frequent it. 

Nov 04, 2011 11:49 AM
Beth Lester
Beth Lester Designs - Torrance, CA
Home Staging & Interior Decorating

You are brilliant, Ginger.  Here in Southern California I never even think to have owners do that.  Let's see, does the color of the ocean change with the seasons?  :)

Nov 05, 2011 05:48 PM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Well Beth, brilliant isn't an adjective I'm use to hearing, but thank you.  When the June gloom arrives at the coast, I would certainly want some So. Cal photos with sun in them, especially if there's a view.  I can remember many Christmas's spent outside on the patio because it was 80+ degrees in the Valley.  AND I do remember a lot of leaves (I had to rake them) in the fall but they were rarely colorful.  I appreciate you commenting!

Nov 06, 2011 03:55 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Had to come back to tell you that while cleaning the upstairs windows today I notice some great "Fall" shots of my yard that I should take from that vantage point.  Thought of your post and advice!  Not sure I would have given it a thought if not for you.

Nov 06, 2011 05:25 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Sharon, glad to hear that.  Now when and if you decide to list your property, potential buyers will know what you have to offer.  I imagine that winter looks quite different than now???

Nov 06, 2011 06:44 AM
Michelle Finnamore
Toronto GTA, Alliston, Newmarket - Vaughan, ON
Preparing your property for sale

HI Ginger, you and I think alike, although like Sally, I thought you didn't get snow in any great amount. You certainly live in a beautiful part of America.

I suggest to my clients that they create a DVD of their images and play them on their big screen tv when they have open houses. Boy do we get good comments and results using this method to show all four seasons of living in that particular home. We also try to show whatever local attractions there might be- farmers market, shopping, school sporting events, conservation area etc. Works like a charm.

Nov 06, 2011 08:05 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Thanks Michelle.  Your DVD plan is awesome but since agents here don't do Open Houses (seriously) and since most sellers are clueless about helping sell their homes, I really cannot imagine them doing this but I'm going to plant that idea in my head for future reference.  Thanks for sharing. 

Nov 06, 2011 10:49 AM
Tessa Skeens
Hampton ReDesign, Home Staging and Redesign - Grand Junction, CO
Staging For Realtors, Builders & Investors

Hi Ginger -  this is a great twist on marketing with photos the right way!

Much better than leaving a listing photo up that shows your home has been on the market since there was snow on the ground when its actually the peak of summer! It's also a good way to show out of state buyers who may have no idea of what seasons mean in your part of the country. I like it :)

Nov 07, 2011 02:50 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

So true Tessa.  I think that it's time to write a blog to remind agents that if they're taking a new listing, NOT to take photos that have Christmas trees/decorations in the house or in the yard and leave them on MLS beyond the holidays.  Thank you for you thoughts and for commenting!! 

 

Nov 07, 2011 03:33 AM
Amy Bly
Great Impressions Home Staging/Interiors - Montville, NJ
Styling Homes for Selling and Staying

What beautiful photos, and a great reminder for me to tell my clients -- it's something I've heard before but unfortunately have forgotten to bring up. BUT when we bought our vacation, now rental, home a few years ago, the previous owner left photos of the house's lake view in different seasons, and it really helped sell us on the home! You live in a beautiful area, as you mentioned on FB -- now I get it!

Nov 14, 2011 03:13 PM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Amy, thanks for the affirmation.  Put it on your list to tell clients and they will appreciate your advice even more.  Followup to this blog coming soon. 

Nov 15, 2011 02:31 AM