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Home Staging Tip #4: An Inconvenient Truth

By
Home Stager with California Moods Inc

If you haven't seen Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth", you must go out and rent it today. It will change the way you live and those you come in contact with. Real Estate Agents, Home Stagers, and Decorators, are inside peoples home's more than any other industry. We can all help save the planet by doing just a few small changes in our every day lives and in our work.

Trash areas: The majority of homeowners have trash issues. They are areas that get the least attention and cause the most harm to our planet. Home Stager's can advise on recycling by suggesting a system be put in place for easy separation. Adding that the containers should have tight lids, marked bins, and an appealing appearance, If buying new cans is necessary, then recommend it because most are in open area's that can be seen during a walk through.

Light bulbs: Home Stagers always cover lighting issues so this would be a good time to recommend changing out the light bulbs to the halogen type recommended. By doing this, we will be contributing to a good cause.

Go see the movie, you'll know what I mean. When I first saw it I didn't even want to use the gas in my car to drive home.

Stage It Forward! 

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Posted by

Namaste

Tina Parker
EXP Realty Canada Inc. - Halifax, NS
Managing Associate Broker

I live in a province that makes it law to recycle.  I also have the halogen lightbulbs throughout my whole house, but I'll tell you this much and you aren't going to like it, but when its time to put my house on the market I will be changing out all the lightbulbs for three reasons:

  1. They are expensive, so I am taking them with me.
  2. The lighting appears lower than normal wattage, meaning what is equivelant to a 60 watt bulb actually looks and feels like 40 watt.  So if you want somewhat normal light, you'll have to get the equivelant to 100 watt, which I don't remember what they are.
  3. Some of the bulbs are too big for the application, they look really funny/weird in my vanity light for example.

They are sooooo worth it though, I highly recommend so this it does make a huge difference.

Jan 27, 2007 09:39 AM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!
Tina - you are so honest! I don't like them either but what can we do? Does anyone know of some bulbs that emit more light? And the size and shape say "Ugly" but what can we do? They also care smart and caring. Thanks.
Jan 27, 2007 09:54 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
Sheron. I never thought of sprucing up the garbage can situation. What a great clue for REALTORS and for our clients. THX!
Feb 12, 2007 12:58 PM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!
Yer welcome...happy to help!
Feb 12, 2007 01:04 PM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
JUST because you called it and Gore won an OSCAR...here's to You, Sheron! We all win.
Feb 26, 2007 12:48 PM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!
Woohoo - I am thrilled that Al is getting the recognition he deserves! I don't want him to become president...I want him to stay focused!!! We all win! Bravo to you too.
Feb 26, 2007 03:23 PM
Dena Stevens
Rocky Mountain Realty - Canon City, CO
Putting The Real Into Realtor Since 2004
For me the bottom line is 'do the right thing'. As American consumers we buy way to much stuff, stuff we don't need, it gets tossed out, fills landfills, and we go out and buy more stuff.
Feb 26, 2007 04:07 PM
Maureen Graziano
Third Eye Home Staging - West Islip, NY

Sheron - great post.  I did not see the movie, but have read about it.  I will definately try to "keep green" in my staging work. 

Debra - Your comment about waterfront property is true.  Here on Long Island what you stated is already happening.  Many people who live on the water can not obtain flood insurance.  After disasters like hurricane Katrina, many insurance companies will not insure waterfront properties.  If they do, the premiums are huge.

Maureen Graziano

Feb 26, 2007 11:05 PM
Gena Riede
Riede Real Estate, Lic. 01310792 - Sacramento, CA
Real Estate Broker - Sacramento CA Real Estate (916) 417-2699
Sheron, Yes the movie was wonderful, we would all do well to take this seriously. Did you see the one on Iraq, yet?
Feb 27, 2007 02:09 AM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!

Hi Gena! What is the Iraq movie? No clue...fill us in!!!

How 'bout that Al Gore...I think a change is a commin' 

Feb 27, 2007 01:14 PM
Stefan Scholl
Buyer's Broker of Northern Michigan, LLC - Petoskey, MI
Northern Michigan Real Estate
Haven't seen the movie yet, but had to chuckle when I heard that Al Gore's electric bill is several hundred dollars a month!  Forget about halogen bulbs, go green with compact fluorescents!  I cannot understand why our government hasn't made a push for these.  In my opinion, they could go a long way towards solving our energy problems!
Mar 03, 2007 02:22 AM
Calie Waterhouse
Chandler, AZ
Community Builder
Grass?  What's grass?  I have a yard of rocks and cactus.  Talk about low maintenance and echo-friendly.  We even have a special word for it - "xeriscape" (zero maintenance)....  Video was fantastic. I learned alot!  Thanks, Sheron for sharing.
Mar 03, 2007 04:03 AM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!

Stefan - love that name. Thanks for the lighting tip. My electric bill last month was $599 and I was floored. I have a water pump and it uses electricity to pump the water as well as the electricity to run the washing machine. I am demanding that everyone in my household has to sleep in the same jammies all week long and they just look at me and say YUK! I have a half acre of crabgrass that needs a lot of water all summer so am going to tear is all out and go for Calie's look...rocks and cactus. I'm not kidding

Calie - love the xeriscape...am going for it this year!

Mar 03, 2007 04:52 AM
Tina Parker
EXP Realty Canada Inc. - Halifax, NS
Managing Associate Broker
I had to share this.  In today's newspaper editorial cartoon pictured a fluorescent compact bulb with a caption: "How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb?" LOL, this has to be the most clever point I've heard in a long time.
Mar 03, 2007 01:27 PM
Anonymous
Patricia Barta
Al Gore's electric bill was 30,000 a year that is not chump change.
Mar 03, 2007 11:04 PM
#25
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!
My goodness is he running a newspaper? Tina, it took me a minute to get the joke. 
Mar 03, 2007 11:40 PM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
Sheron...Looking forward to your entry into the GREEN is Red Hot Contest. Look for contest winners beginning March 15th! G O O D  L U C K! 

Tag your article GREEN AWARENSS , OK?

Mar 09, 2007 10:32 AM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!
I am going to need some luck on this one as I feel like I am not even 5% green! I need a handbook.
Mar 09, 2007 11:04 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
Hi Sheron...Dena posted a green terms article at ECO-All-Stars earlier this week..a bunch of good references at that  group, too.  GOOD LUCK!
Mar 09, 2007 02:20 PM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!

Here is a link to Al Gores website He is going before congress the 21st of March. Please sign the petition to save our planet. Here is what I received this morning.

On March 21st, I will testify before Congress on the immediate action that needs to be taken to end the climate crisis. Help me fill the committee room with 350,000 messages.

Can you commit to finding 10 friends to send a message to Congress demanding they take action?

Ask them to visit:

http://algore.com/cards.html

Dear Sheron,

On March 21st, I will testify before Congress on the immediate action that needs to be taken to end the climate crisis. At the hearing, I will deliver the 294,374 messages you signed, demonstrating that hundreds of thousands of people share my sense of urgency.

If an additional 55,626 people sign our message, it will be as though 350,000 of us are there at the hearing expressing our determination to convince Congress to act. Having served in the House and Senate, I can tell you that members of these committees would find this to be a meaningful and impressive show of support.

There are only 5 days left before the hearings begin, so please do not pass up this opportunity to join in showing the broad public support we need in order to solve the climate crisis. I know you have friends or family who care deeply about this issue but have yet to sign our message to Congress.

Ask them to help fill that committee room with 350,000 messages by visiting:

http://www.algore.com/cards.html

The reason Congress has so far failed to act is not because there are no solutions to the problem. Nor is it because the majority doesn't believe that the climate crisis is real. They have failed to act, because they have not yet faced a sufficient expression of political will on the part of the American people demanding they confront our climate crisis head on. You and I know that political will is a renewable resource, and enough already exists to start solving this crisis. We just have to communicate that forcefully to the political leaders of our country.

In the last two weeks alone 101,673 people visited AlGore.com and signed our message to Congress. This is an incredible demonstration of the energy behind this issue.

In my testimony, of course, I will speak about the scientific evidence for global warming - just reiterated six weeks ago by the world's scientists in the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But frankly, the debate on the science has long been over - except for a diminishing number of skeptics and deniers.

At this point, it is far more important to deliver your message about the urgency with which this crisis must be faced. Political leaders need to know that you intend to reward those who do the right thing and that you will work to replace those who do not.

That's why it's vital we fill up the hearing room with 350,000 messages.

Please ask your friends to sign our message to Congress today by visiting:

http://www.algore.com/cards.html

Together we are building a movement that has the potential to translate your strong feelings into effective change for our country. And we all know that when the United States changes - and offers leadership - the entire world will follow.

Thank you,

Al Gore

 

Mar 16, 2007 04:43 AM