Fellow AR-ers....help me write my next column - COLUMN(S) POSTED NOW!!!!!

Hi everyone!  (SEE BELOW FOR THE COLUMNS....I HAVE POSTED BOTH OF THEM BELOW)

I am doing something a little different for my column this weekend and I want YOUR input!!

I have been writing a column for my paper for almost a year now....whew...that's A LOT of tips to give out every Sunday! I am going on a mini-vacation this weekend (PRAISE THE LORD)....so I thought I would "take a vacation from my column" and let my fellow home stagers help me out! :) Ok, Ok...I am really just so busy trying to get things wrapped up before I go out of town, but hey...good excuse, right? HA!

In all seriousness, sometimes it's good for us to get a fresh perspective on the following topic. So.... everyone answer this question:

What are the TOP FIVE things that stand in the way between buyers selling their homes when it comes to staging? (For a lived in home).  OR... the TOP FIVE things hindering the sale of a home.

I'll pick 10 answers and feature them in my column, give you the credit for them and I'll mail you a copy of this Sunday's paper for you to keep!

I may be in Little Rock, AR, but you never know! My readers may have friends or family stretched out across the country and Canada. :)

I look forward to seeing what you all have to say! Oh, and my deadline is TUESDAY. Geez.

THANKS!
Amber
 
UPDATE.....

HI EVERYONE- As soon as I can get my editor to email the articles, I am going to post them here. I still plan to send all who gave me ideas a paper-copy as well! :)

THANKS SO MUCH!
Amber


COLUMN ONE:
Set Up to Sell
June 29, 2008

Coast to coast: Professional stagers from around the country offer advice to sellers

You know, I go on and on about what homeowners need to do to get their homes ready to sell. Well, this week I am doing it a little differently. I have taken a poll of sorts from fellow staging professionals around the country via an online real estate community called ActiveRain.
I asked my peers to name the top things homeowners need to do to get their homes ready to sell, as well as the top things that stand in the way of a seller getting a home sold. I got some great feedback!
In this week’s column, I’ve included several tips from professional stagers across the country to help homeowners prepare their homes for the market.

“We tell homeowners that they need to remove the ‘imprint’ they have made on the home,” said Cari Pilon of Smart Stagers, Brighton, Mich. “The challenge for them is recognizing that imprint.”
The following tips can help, she said:
• Neutralize decor. Remove collectibles, personal photos, pet-themed decor, wallpaper and borders. Also neutralize paint colors.
• “Edit” furnishings. Just because the love seat matches the sofa doesn’t mean it should stay in the room. It may be better to remove some furniture, tables, extra lamps and accessories to open up a space.
• Don’t make the entire home a play room. Many people don’t want to pack away their children’s toys and “neutralize” their room decor. They are afraid to compromise their children’s way of life by packing away toys or painting over a mural. The truth is, many children will not even notice the missing toys or care that the mural is gone — it is the parents who are attached.
• Accept the facts. People want the best of both worlds — they want their home to sell, but they do not want to change the way they are living. The truth of the matter is homeowners who make the sacrifice and accept the fact that they have to make accommodations when selling their home are the ones who will be successful in selling their home.

Tori Lynn Ross of Ross Designs, Omaha, Neb., offers the following advice:
• Update light fixtures, at least the ones in the main living areas such as the entry, living room, dining room and kitchen.
• Remove any wallpaper from the walls and repaint them in a neutral color.
• Pre-pack all personal photos.
• Clean all of your home’s light fixtures, both interior and exterior.
• Clean and possibly replace caulking around sinks, tubs, showers and toilets.

Cheryl Giliam of Just Heavenly Decor and Design, Hickory, N.C., sets three goals for her clients:
1. Be sure there is enough general, task and mood lighting to show off the home to its best advantage.
2. Pack away about 75 percent of your “stuff.” The home will feel much lighter and more open.
3. Keep your home “show ready” after staging is complete (achieving goal No. 2 will make this much easier).

Be sure to “tune in” next week to learn how to overcome obstacles that can hinder the sale of your home.

Set Up to Sell is written by Amber Langston and produced by the Homes Arkansas section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. If you would like to receive advice about staging your own home to sell, send questions to lgarner@arkansasonline.com. Selected questions and responses will appear in future columns. We cannot, however, provide individual responses to each request.



COLUMN TWO
Set Up to Sell
Sunday, July 6

Sellers must leap ‘hurdles’ when marketing their home

In last week’s column, professional stagers from across the country offered advice for preparing your home to sell in today’s market. This week, let’s tackle a few obstacles that can stand in the way of successfully marketing and selling your home.

Melissa Marro of First Impressions Home Staging and Interior Design, Charleston, S.C., said many of her clients have had trouble dealing with the following “hurdles” when selling their homes:
• You have got to realize that your home is not “yours” anymore, but rather a commodity with a sale sign and a price tag.
• Some sellers balk at investing the time and effort in making basic improvements — such as wallpaper removal — because it is “too much work.” If you don’t want to do the work, neither will potential buyers. On the same note, don’t balk at having your home professionally cleaned and carpets shampooed.
• Don’t store everything in the garage or in a spare room. Spring for a storage unit and reduce the clutter.
• Many sellers want to “try out the market” before staging. Most prospective buyers will view a home within the first few weeks after it hits the market. After that, traffic slows considerably.
• Many home sellers have difficulty pricing the home correctly in the beginning. Make sure your home is priced comparably to other, similar homes in the area.

From Michelle Molinari of Feature This Home Staging, Lafayette, La.:“It’s my belief that the biggest hurdle for homeowners is re-setting the energy of the house to embrace the next owner. This phrase means clinging to the house emotionally and preventing productive change by keeping the ‘vibe’ of the house firmly entrenched with the current owners. Home sellers cannot let themselves become territorial.”

Elaine Manes of A Wonderful Space, Denver, Colo., said these things are hurdles for her clients:
• Not being ready to “let go” of the house
• The accumulation of too much stuff
• The home is too outdated
• The home needs cleaning and repairs
• Furniture is not arranged to optimize space

Teresa Mills Schremm of Looking Fine by Redesign, North Olmsted, Ohio, says she’s seen sellers struggle with these issues:
• Foregoing competitive market analysis — ultimately, not knowing what their home is worth.
• Not interviewing several Realtors and choosing the right person for the job.
• Not making the simple yet necessary updates such as painting, wallpaper removal and new fixtures and lighting.
• Not staging the home so that it appeals to the broadest number of buyers.
• Not realizing that the home is no longer a “home,” but a “product.”

From Karen Dembsky of Peachtree Home Staging, Atlanta, Ga.: “For the more veteran home sellers, I think it is harder to understand how the Internet and home photos have increased the need for cosmetic sophistication that’s now influencing purchase decisions. All the way back to ancient times, land has been the prized commodity for ownership, trade and wealth. For the first time in the history of man, property now (for the most part) must be ‘marketed’ in order to return wealth.”
Lori Kim Polk of Artful Journey Designs and Staging. Sacramento, Calif. says the following are her clients’ biggest obstacles when placing their homes on the market:
• Not being educated well enough on the power of staging and/or preparing the home for sale.
• Realizing that the house is no longer their home — it is a property for sale.
• Not having time to do needed work.
• Not pricing the home correctly the first time.
• Not investing the time and money into making home upgrades needed to compete with other homes for sale in the area.
• Not realizing that the way they live in their homes is different from the way they need to sell the home.

So there you have it — great advice from experts all over the country. I couldn’t help but notice that home sellers everywhere struggle with the same problems. Staging is not so different everywhere else. In fact, these principles and thoughts are really across the board in our industry.

Set Up to Sell is written by Amber Langston and produced by the Homes Arkansas section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. If you would like to receive advice about staging your own home to sell, send questions to lgarner@arkansasonline.com. Selected questions and responses will appear in future columns. We cannot, however, provide individual responses to each request.