home sweet home staging: Stage That House for Higher Appraisals - 03/31/10 11:29 PM
From my page on www.mioaklandcounty.com (more "investigative" than "bloggy"!) ...
 
If you are still on the fence about the value of professionally staging a home for sale, here is another benefit to consider:  staged properties command higher appraisals.
Certified Residential Appraiser Linda Shurtliff, owner of Troy, MI-based Reliable Residential Appraisals, LLC agrees.  “A staged home has much more appeal than an unstaged home.  A staged home has no clutter, very few personal items and appears clean and welcoming.  A home that is well-maintained, has good functional utility including strategic staging of furniture, has fresh paint and is clean will appraise higher than one … (12 comments)

home sweet home staging: HomeGain Announces Top 12 Home Improvements for Sellers ... STAGING IS #2 !! Or is it #1?? - 11/05/09 02:38 AM
HomeGain announced the results of their 2009 home improvement survey.  These are the top 12 DIY projects that give the biggest ROI for home sellers.  Here's the link to the article: 
http://www.prweb.com/releases/homegain-real-estate/home-improvement/prweb3164374.htm
 
HERE ARE THE TOP 5:
1. Cleaning and de-cluttering ($200 cost / $1,700 price increase / 872% ROI) 2. Home staging ($300 cost / $1,780 price increase / 586% ROI) 3. Lightening and brightening ($230 cost / $1,300 price increase / 572% ROI) 4. Landscaping ($320 cost / $1,500 price increase / 473% ROI) 5. Repairing plumbing ($385 cost / $1,250 price increase / 327% ROI)
Home staging … (14 comments)

home sweet home staging: Stage Rooms for Their Intended Purpose When Selling a House - 09/10/09 12:04 AM
Reblogged from my page on www.mioaklandcounty.com and http://mioaklandcounty.realestatetomato.com/
 
 
When potential buyers view a house for sale, they need to see rooms presented as they were intended.  The master bedroom shouldn’t be an exercise room, the bathroom shouldn’t be a pet station, the garage shouldn’t be a storage unit, and unless you have more than 3 bedrooms, resist the urge to make one an office.
This is especially important when it comes to dining areas.  People want to see where they will gather for meals and entertain their loved ones.
I recently staged a 900 sq. ft. house for a … (16 comments)

home sweet home staging: Don't Underestimate "The Neighbor Factor" When Selling a House - 03/13/09 11:07 PM
Reblogged from my page on http://mioaklandcounty.com/blog/category/home-staging/
 
We know that the three most important factors for a successful real estate sale are location, price and condition.  While the seller can make changes to the price and condition of a property to hasten a sale, no one can amend the location.
What happens when the location of the house itself is desirable, but the neighbors are not? 

Everyone has a story.  The neighbors who don’t mow their weed-infested yard.  The RV parked in the driveway year-round.  The garbage cans left out for days after pick-up.  The home improvement project that was … (8 comments)

home sweet home staging: No way! Best Blog of 2008 Nominee? A humble request for votes! - 01/16/09 12:43 AM
I have never in my life asked anyone to vote for me for something.  Well, I did run for president of my sophomore class in high school, but with a campaign slogan of "Herb's The Word!", I really didn't expect to win anyhow. 
So, I found out today by Google Alert that I'm in the running to make it to the next round of "Real Estate Undressed"'s Best Blog of 2008.  Here is the link:  http://realestateundressed.com/2009/01/08/magnificent-7-nominees-2nd-group/
I am quite tickled by this.  It was one of the first blogs I ever wrote for www.mioaklandcounty.com and I'm very honored that the blog … (20 comments)

home sweet home staging: Staging Rules for Selling Your Home During the Holidays - 12/19/08 01:03 AM
Reblogged from my page on http://mioaklandcounty.com :
While the holidays will be just a memory and an extra bag of garbage for pick-up in a couple of weeks, these weeks could be crucial for those who are actively listing and showing their houses.  Buyers who are braving the elements and interrupting their holiday commitments to view houses are serious about finding their next home.  Be sure your house is show-ready and tastefully decorated. 
Maureen Francis gave some great advice in her earlier post Selling Your Oakland County Home During The Holidays.  This home stager would like to expand on her words of … (3 comments)

home sweet home staging: A Home Stager Gives Thanks - 11/26/08 09:05 PM
Thanks to Amber, whose post http://activerain.com/blogsview/806795/I-am-thankful-forGORILLA-GLUE inspired me. 
Reblogged from my page on http://mioaklandcounty.com/blog/category/home-staging/
Today is Thanksgiving, a perfect time to pause, reflect and give thanks for all of the blessings we have in our lives.
As I reach 4 1/2 years of owning a home staging business, I realize I have much to be grateful for.  I have met some incredible people along the way, many that I am proud to call "friend".  I've made a few mistakes, but have learned so much.  The real estate market has changed since 2004, but I see glimmers of hope daily.  Maureen Francis … (4 comments)

home sweet home staging: The Power of Decluttering - 11/04/08 09:49 PM
(Reblogged from my page on http://mioaklandcounty.com/blog/ )
Take a quick look at this photo:

What did you see?
Did you notice:
The beautiful bay window? The window seat? New high-grade carpet? A fireplace to the left? Plenty of room to put a proper desk? The incredible wooded view outside the windows? The french door? Neutral wall color? Probably not.  Like most potential home buyers, you likely noticed only the clutter, disorganization and plethora of toys.  And the flat-screen TV sitting in the window!  If you were searching the internet for a new home, chances are you would not be in a big … (16 comments)

home sweet home staging: Freebie Staging for a Friend......A Labor of Love! - 10/27/08 01:44 AM
One of my oldest and dearest friends is listing her home in South Lyon's Hidden Lakes for sale.  I've known Marilyn since high school, which incredibly means that I've known her longer than I haven't (we don't need to do the math, do we?). 
As she is a single mother to a 5 year old girl and has a busy schedule as a flight attendant, she needed help getting her home ready to sell.  She asked if I would stage it for her, and I happily agreed without hesitation.  Diane, another high school friend, made the hour-long drive with me to assist.  … (18 comments)

home sweet home staging: Coldwell Banker slashes prices by 10% during a 10-day sale...does this make sense? - 10/06/08 08:58 AM
This is one of the more perplexing things I've heard lately. 
Coldwell Banker is holding a clearance sale!  For 10 days this month, buyers can get 10% off any listing.  No negotiating.  10%, right off the top of the asking price.  UGH!!  Wouldn't a grand or two invested in staging the property be way cheaper for everyone? 
Here's the article:  http://www.inman.com/news/2008/10/6/coldwell-banker-promotes-price-reductions
The seller loses, the agent loses, the neighborhood loses and the entire real estate market loses.  And of course, we stagers lose potential clients. 
I know they want to move properties, but isn't there a better way? 
(11 comments)

home sweet home staging: Staged "Lite" and SOLD Within a Week - 09/14/08 01:09 PM
This gorgeous Franklin Village house sold in less time than it took to finish staging it!
Staged "Lite" with a small budget from a Relo company...meaning accessories (5 bathrooms!), an inflatable bed and 2 table/chairs sets only.  No major furniture anywhere.  The offer came in close to it's $675k asking price. 
The Relo company is happy, the Realtor is happy, and I am ecstatic!  Although this means I'll be destaging soon, and that's never fun.
Note:  Photos taken with my phone and not great--the colors are all off.  My camera had gone missing (darn teenagers!).
  
   
   
   
                                                                             ^This … (67 comments)

home sweet home staging: I Wanted to Stage My Vacation House! - 07/30/08 08:10 AM
I spent last weekend in beautiful Lexington, Michigan on Lake Huron with my high school friends.

Two of my friends stayed in a camper, which is not my cup of tea.  I stayed with my third friend in a mobile home which belonged to a friend of hers.  It was the second house from the lake and afforded us a great view of the lake and the magnificent sunrises.  The weather was perfect, the lake warm and the company delightful. 
So what does this have to do with staging?
The home we stayed in was for sale, along with several … (16 comments)

home sweet home staging: Don't Let Your Furry Friends S(p)oil a Sale! - 07/09/08 11:10 PM
Dogs are people too, right?  Not when it comes to selling a house. 
As hard as it may be to accept and implement, when a property is on the market all traces of your beloved pets should be out of sight.  This includes the food dishes, toys, cages, pet beds, litter and yes, the pet itself.
Now before you label me anti-animal, let me assure you nothing is further from the truth.  My household has included pets of all shapes and sizes for two decades.  At one point, I was Zookeeper (and Proud Mama) to a dog, five cats, two guinea pigs and numerous … (19 comments)

home sweet home staging: Dr. Phil Is In Your Bathtub?? - 06/23/08 11:40 PM
Tooling around the web this morning, I happened upon Home Inspection Nightmares on the This Old House website.  Here's the link:  http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20206857_20470627,00.html
Well, now I've seen everything.  This was #2 on the list:

As stagers, what would we say about this? 
My first thought was that it might be a cool selling feature.  But then I immediately wondered about the safety factor.  Obviously, the home inspector did too, as it was considered a Home Inspection Nightmare! 
Now, I just think it's creepy!  I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want Dr. Phil in MY bathtub!
(19 comments)

home sweet home staging: Home Sweet Home Staging Celebrates 4th Anniversary with a Feature, a Tag and 2 Sales! - 06/07/08 12:10 AM
It's been quite a week for Home Sweet Home Staging, LLC.
Since last Friday, a post about me was featured in the Week in Review, I've been tagged, the 4th anniversary of owning my home staging business was celebrated, and 2 houses that I staged have had offers.  I bid on another job yesterday that sounds very promising, and one of my favorite Realtors (whose granddaughter rides horses at the same barn as my daughter) told me she has another job for me. 
Since I started Home Sweet Home Staging, LLC on June 3, 2004 I've watched the home staging business … (7 comments)

home sweet home staging: It's Hard to Sell a House in the Dark! - 05/22/08 01:27 AM
Yesterday I wrote a lengthy post about how busy we've been at Home Sweet Home Staging the last couple of weeks, and outlined one of the projects nearing completion in Birmingham, MI (one of Detroit's most prestigious suburbs).  I finished the text, clicked on the "insert image" button and POOF!  My text completely disappeared!  Aaaaack!!! 
My post gave details about the house (1950, vacant, 4 baths, and full of exquisite dark wood walls and trim), the budget (not much), the fact that is is bank-owned (i.e. no rental furniture allowed, NO WATER), the cleaning involved (TONS, which ate up most of the budget … (10 comments)

 

Marianne Sweet

Home Sweet Home Staging, LLC Rochester Hills, MI

Rochester Hills, MI

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Home Sweet Home Staging

Address: Rochester Hills, MI

Office: (586) 212-8400

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