https://activerain.com/blogs/joycedahlbeck My Staging works! Staging helps every home look and feel better! Potential buyers can see and feel the difference. My Staging Blog will convey what a Stager does to create this feeling. en-us https://activerain.com/blogsview/2299034/dallas-cowboy-cheerleader--shattered--dream The cute little house in the suburb of Ft. Worth, nestled among the tall trees along the Trinity River seemed a port of refuge waiting patiently if needed. It will be needed, the hope of it anyway (we are still in the option period). The dream of becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader was related with an announcement at Christmas from our newly wed daughter (they had run off to the Justice of the Peace...we had told her to stay away from pre-med boys...). She said "Mom there is something we need to tell you". So right then there were huge question marks floating through my mind that all seemed to transform into cherub baby faces which in turn made visions of my own self as a potential grandma! Uugh! I feel to young to be a grandma! Is it too late to put the baby back? This agony went of for some 24 hours as we were suddenly busy (with what I can't remember) that we couldn't even sit down and talk about that "something". Finally in a remote rented cabin in the picturesque mountains by Ruidoso she announced that she was trying out for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. For some reason she had been afraid to tell me, had I been that dramatic of a mom when she was growing up? But I was like, "Phew, is that all? You're not pregnant? I don't have to be a grandma yet? Then there came the reruns of CMT cable channel's DCC Reality show. We were able to pull in enough 3G power in our remote location to our computer to play the show that I had never seen before. There bouncing across the screen in their birthday suits (practically) were a gaggle, group, herd(?) of blonde, cute, bodacious girls who all looked like my daughter. This is a daughter, by the way, never, ever gave us a moment of trouble her whole life! At 24 she has been a elementary school teacher with 3 years under her tiny belt teaching at some of Ft. Worth's toughest schools. She volunteers at a race horse rescue and has started her own online cake ball/cupcake business to earn extra money to work her husband through medical school. Just last week I was at a committee meeting where a mother was bragging about her daughter who is in seminary. Hmmm, what was I to do, say "Well, yeah, my daughter is trying out for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!" But don't get me wrong, I was proud, I told most everyone who would listen, the grocery carryout boy, my coworkers, the washing machine repair guy and on and on. So then came yet another announcement that she had been chosen to be on CMT's DCC Reality show! Cool, but didn't they interview some of the parents? Oh, oh...we had planned on going. But a fortunate wrinkle had popped up into our plan. Our 16 year old daughter's Prom had been scheduled for the night before 5 hours west in our big little town. Our son-in-law had to be out of town for a med school thing, so that left my husband and I to divide and conquer! We decided that I would stay home and help our 16 year-old primp for prom and would meet the limo along with the other parents. Dad would go to Dallas with our cheerleader to meet the cameras that wanted to interview her and film her walking into the Cowboys stadium with her significant family member (dad). Then, my 16 year-old and I would fly to DAL first thing Sunday morning. So bleary eyed after only 4 hours of sleep, we arrived in Dallas and were picked up by a smug husband. He was now a reality TV show star. We wanted to take his smugness down a notch, but we couldn't contain our excitement and listened while he told the fun story of their early morning film session while we drove to Ft. Worth to look at the house we are buying. We had thought that if our married kids are paying rent, they might as well be paying us while we invest some money that is currently making zippo interest in a money market account. While killing time waiting for our cheerleader, we drove around the neighborhood of our potential new purchas looking for those pesky Barnett Shale natural gas pumping stations that are said to cause grasshoppers to drop from the sky and contaminate water so bad that you can actually ignight the water. We did find the two stations that were said to be near by. One we found seemed to be ill-placed across the road from a private prep school. It seemed to be fairly impotent, no dead birds or vegetation although there was a large area of gravel (where vegetation would not survive?) and scary barbed wire topped 8 foot fences. For the other one we had to look a little harder for. Across the Trinity on down the Interstate off a never traveled access road we did find a fenced off entrance to a wooded field with warning signs. Yup this was it, lots of warning signs cautioning us not to smoke, not to enter, not to breath. The gravel road leading from the gates disappeared into the wooded field. Slightly assauged that at least those stations weren't in their backyard, we headed back to the Cowboys Stadium to see if the girls got a lunch break. Fat chance we discovered. They work those girls hard, and don't feed them either - was this a passive aggressive move to get them used to being skinny? Since we discovered we had another 5 or 6 hours to kill my husband wanted to go to the Rangers game which was conveniently playing a block away. Speaking of passive aggressive! So being the best dressed in the Rangers crowd we snagged the last of the standing room only seating, which seams to be a misnomer. Swept along in the crowd that were pint sized little leaguers who had all gotten Ranger jerseys since they were under the age of 13, we wandered around the stadium. The four hours and 6 innings passed uneventfully, except for that I discovered 65 calorie beer can be substituted for water, and we received a text from our cheerleader that she will be out at 5:15. We decided to leave the game early and hike to our car. On the way to the car we saw what our 16 year old called a "grassy knoll" by a lake that she wanted to sit by. Now you have to understand, we are a bit tree deprived as well as green grassy knoll deprived, and water deprived for that matter, since we are from West Texas. So lounging on the grassy knoll by the lake pondering how the duck got so mossy, we were able to get a hold of our son-in-law who just flew into DFW and made plans to meet him at the Cowboys Stadium a half hour later. Parked at the Cowboys stadium amongst other hopeful friends and family members we all waited. Guards behind the fences watched us, just in case a crazed mom ran screaming into the building I guess. Every once in a while an escapee cheerleader would come to the window to pantamimread and read lips through it with a significant other. Finally they lead all of the 300 or so girls out in a pack 100 feet beyond our reach behind the gates. I'm sure we all looked like war prisoners reaching out through the metal fences, with our cell phones snapping pictures. Where was our daughter? Oh there she was toward the end. They were positioning the girls they had chosen for the reality show up to the front of the crowd! She saw us! Perks for being on the show, she could be up front! Then came the announcement, via a huge white board faced toward the girls, away from us. The unveiling, screaming, cameras rolling. Where was she? All the camera guys were around her, only her! What was her reaction! We couldn't see her little body in the mass of people and cameras. The rest of the girls celebrated their way or sadly walked their way to the gate entrance to be met by family and friends. Our daughter's mass of cameras and TV show producers impeaded her progress toward us. Why her, did she make it? Or was she to be the sad ending of a cheerleader tryout girl who everyone thought was going to be a poster girl and make it. After the long wait for the camera mass to escort her to the gate we were finally able to see her beautiful face with sad, red eyes. My heart broke, reliving another time when hers broke, I just wanted to hold her. Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Mon, 16 May 2011 03:31:12 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2299034/dallas-cowboy-cheerleader--shattered--dream https://activerain.com/blogsview/2218462/eeeeeee-gad--staged--really- That is what I thought when a Realtor placed his interior pictures of his listing on the Internet! I'm not only a Stager I am also a Realtor so I am used to this sub-par acceptance, but this was just down right bad! This is a beautiful home on the outside, but once inside the furniture left to "stage" the home was shocking! It looked like the sellers left in a hurry to get away from the furniture! Proper Staging creates a warm and welcoming environment for potential buyers. This poor attempt at Staging was, I am sure, to save money, but its negative effect is not creating a mass market appeal, but a mass exodus! Not to mention giving Staging a bad reputation. Proper Staging cost less than you think and is more effective than you can imagine!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:56:49 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2218462/eeeeeee-gad--staged--really- https://activerain.com/blogsview/2201770/dirty-jobs Ok, Katy Perry's plastic bag just blew by again! Not uncommon for our west Texas town. I ran over the same plastic bag earlier. But what in the world do I do if I have out-of-town clients who have scheduled to shop for homes on a dusty/windy day like today! Skipping the lip gloss and donning the goggles, we just have to grin (with our mouths closed, don't want west Texas grit in our teeth) and bear it! I remember 8 years ago when we flew into Lubbock on that cool,  dusty day, we were moving here and our girls looked out the very bumpy plane window (on a very small balsa wood plane) and couldn't see the ground (due to the dust storm) until we touched down. They thought we were moving them to H E double toothpicks! So, many sand blasted years later (and a few orange Styrofoam yard snowman) we have managed to deal with it. Hosing down after a dust storm is kind of helpful, but usually creates mud. Speaking of mud, sometimes instead of rain we get mud falling from the sky. Usually an eerie purple cloud rolls in from the west as a precursor. Back to showing homes in a dust storm. Avoiding this scenario is usually best. Many a potential client has decided to stay in Antarctica because of the harsh conditions when looking at homes here. As one local meteorologist said, the day after a dust storm is beautiful with pristine air. Evidently the sandy dust "cleans" the air. How does one prepare a home to be shown during or after a dust storm? Don't skip a detail. It is important that the home for sale look like it has not been affected by the penetrating dirt, super home of sort. Clean, clean, clean. From the dust vents to the windows, the red dusty cobwebs (which spring up overnight creating a haunted house effect) to the dust drifts by the front door (they can harbor field mice seeking shelter). It all needs to go. Oh yes, and the prickly 4 foot diameter tumbleweed must be dislodged from the hedge and chucked in the dumpster too. We do this because we don't want the home to look abandoned. This could be a daily chore depending upon the time of year. But most important we do all of this because we don't want to scare off any potential new West Texans, misery loves company.Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Tue, 22 Mar 2011 07:47:00 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2201770/dirty-jobs https://activerain.com/blogsview/2156746/staging-mojo Proper staging sells homes! Occupied homes, with a proper staging consultation given, can show just as amazing as a vacant home that has been staged. Creating a mass market appeal that says "Buy me!" It all boils down to "staging mojo" or the home's own style or self confidence. I believe that the home should be staged in the style that the home dictates. Otherwise, we are heading into personal taste specifics which limits our buyers (to those with similar tastes). We have to be careful when choosing a Stager for this reason. Accredited Staging Professionals are trained to pick furniture and accessories that will reflect the selling points of the home, or the home's style - mojo. Some stagers move the same furniture and accessories from home to home, regardless of the style of the home. That does not reflect proper staging and does not sell homes. Not to mention the bad rap that staging gets. Ensure that your Staging Mojo is showing through on all of your Staged listings by using only Accredited Staging Professionals who were trained by the Real Estate Broker who came up with and trademarked the concept of Home Staging.Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:51:17 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2156746/staging-mojo https://activerain.com/blogsview/2155499/katy-perry-s-plastic-bag-is-here- It has blown in on our brown winds that we have here in west Texas and is caught on a high branch in the tree in the front yard of my Staging. Up too high to snag with an extension squeegee (I tried) and on too little of a branch to support my skinny teenager (I tried). Don't be jealous, half of our fair town's trees have their own plastic bags, usually Walmart. I don't know what mine is, its white, filled with air and has aspirations to float back to Bloomingdales in Dallas on the next strong gust of west wind. But I am sure it is the one that Katy Perry sings about in "Firework" ya know...ahem (me, me, meeee -just warming up the vocals) "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through wind..." OK little plastic bag, lets go! You are ruining my street appeal!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:44:47 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2155499/katy-perry-s-plastic-bag-is-here- https://activerain.com/blogsview/2153531/yo-dog--get-back---stager-comin- In my Staging carreer I have delt with a lot of wierd and funky stuff, dogs included. But these dogs are wearing me down! All I can say is thank god for Beggin' Strips! You know the doggy treats that make your hands smell like bacon? So, I am currently staging a wonderful newer garden home where staging will help tremendously. But the dogs in the yard at the garden home next door bark constantly. But we are making headway. At first I thought that all the staging in the world is not going to sell this home with those dogs barking all of the time. They are fairly little guys but when they see a car park in front of the house they set up a racket! My first thought was to talk to the owner, but I remembered at one time there was a "For Rent" sign out front and the tax records confirmed this. Then I thought I would just come to an understanding with the people living there...who seem to never be home or if they are they don't answer their door bell. So short of letting them out and sennding them on their way down a busy street, I decided to be more creative. Train the dogs! Yup, dog trainer I am. Not really, I'm a Stager but that requires thinking out of the box. So every time I arrive and there is a few seconds of relief from their barking, I send two Beggin' Strips over the fence, which keeps them quiet while munchin'. I really do believe that they are getting better. The truth is in the pudding when I drive a different vehicle, my F150 truck, up and park. They can probably smell me though, as my hands permantly smell like bacon. Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:34:13 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2153531/yo-dog--get-back---stager-comin- https://activerain.com/blogsview/2151011/fools-rush-in Proper Staging by a Accredited Staging Professional is necessary! Today everyone thinks themselves a Stager, but Staging requires experience and training. A certain amount of time is given to specifically chose furniture and accessories for each home to emphasize the style of the home while still creating a mass market appeal. I do this by using only tried and true Staging techniques. Please use only trained and experienced Stagers who won't use your home to sell their furniture or worse yet to store their furniture. A properly Staged home by an experience professional will sell faster and often for more than if the home had not been Staged (or Staged properly).Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:21:35 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2151011/fools-rush-in https://activerain.com/blogsview/2127416/blah--blah--blah Staging blahs? No way! Proper staging does incorporate neutral colors for a mass market appeal. But a pop of color always shows up in smaller quantities, like a pillow, flowers, candles and etc. Eliminate "The Blahs" and stage to sell!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:17:36 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2127416/blah--blah--blah https://activerain.com/blogsview/2117877/bam--staged-then-sold- Yes that happens! Even in this market, every type of home. From the starter home to the luxury home, occupied to vacant. Staging is now a mandatory standard due to this market we are in. With the number of homes now slashing prices to snag the few buyers out there, each home needs to look its best. Staging can accomplish that feat. Staging creates a mass market appeal through neutralizing taste specific decorating so each potential buyer through the home can envision themselves living there. As the saying goes, it only takes one showing to sell the home! Make your first showing count, by having it staged by an Accredited Staging Professional and price it competativly with others in the market.Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Fri, 04 Feb 2011 02:11:38 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2117877/bam--staged-then-sold- https://activerain.com/blogsview/2114215/baby-its-cold-outside--dumde-dum-de-dum-dum-dum Its the perfect time to invest in a vaca...nt Staging! You thoughtI was going to say vacation didn'tyou! Well a vacation is a heck of a lot more fun but a heck of a lot more expensive than Staging! Warm up your vacant listings with Staging, which costs less than you think and is more effective than you can imagine! The payback will be enough to let you go on vacation. Studies show that Staged homes sell faster and often for more than if they hadn't been Staged. Hmm, that little place on the beach by Quepos in Costa Rica sounds really good now.Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:35:41 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2114215/baby-its-cold-outside--dumde-dum-de-dum-dum-dum https://activerain.com/blogsview/2112466/warming-up-vacant-listings On a cold winter day, showing vacant listings can be chilly, even here in Texas! Just turning up the thermostat will not take the "echoey" chill from a home. There's nothing like a warm seating arrangement, rugs and towels to help warm up a empty home. But, not just anything can be thrown into a vacant home. Accredited Staging Professionals know the proper Staging techniques, colors and accessories to create a warm and inviting home. So not only warm up a vacant home with Staging, but warm up to a quick sale!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:57:04 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2112466/warming-up-vacant-listings https://activerain.com/blogsview/2102176/fear-factor You're pinned to the wall with the glare of a desperate man, his wife wringing her hands in the background. Your life is on the line, your reputation, your company's reputation... How many times have you felt like that? This is even before mentioning that their house is a train wreck and they need to have it staged! Price reduction suggestions alone can inflict fear into even the most seasoned Realtor none the less mentioning that you think their house needs de-cluttering. Not for the faint of heart. But bringing in a Stager (or even mentioning one) does not have to feel like a life threatening experience. It is for the good of all, and presented so can even garner a quicker sale often for more than if the seller had not staged. So everyone wins, even the buyer. Or better yet, present it as a most valued gift to your seller and they will love you! Staging costs less than you think and is more effective than you can imagine!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Thu, 27 Jan 2011 02:39:30 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2102176/fear-factor https://activerain.com/blogsview/2090915/staging--like-in-the-movies- Yes! There is now a movie out about a Stager! Amy Adams plays a Stager gone to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Year! Thus the name, Leap Year. Go figure, of all the occupations that the writers could have given her, Stager topped the list. I wonder why? Could it be that Staging shows are big now not only on HGTV but other cable channels? Could it be that Staging has been around for awhile, especially in California? (We moved from Burbank to Lubbock, yes Lubbock - don't ask why - 8 years ago). Even well known author (and actress) Fannie Flagg wrote about Staging several times in her new book "I Still Dream About You". (The Protagonist in the story was a Realtor) There you go, us Stagers are credible! So is Staging, because it works!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Fri, 21 Jan 2011 07:29:06 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2090915/staging--like-in-the-movies- https://activerain.com/blogsview/2088334/talkin--dirty I am talkin' dirty...the listed homes I just saw werea mess! As a Stager who is a Realtor I do get to see homes that are listed and being shown without Staging! And these Realtors know about Staging because I have given presentations at their companies (one of these listing agents was an ASP!). I think what it boils down to is that they are afraid to bring up the "S" word. I'm not takin' dirty now, "S" is for "Staging". Don't want to offend the seller and tell them they are messy and dirty... That is why there are Stagers. We do the "dirty" work. We tell the sellers that their homes are messy and dirty tactfully. The Realtor just refers us to them, tactfully, several ways. The Realtor can offer my Staging Consultation (only $50) with their listing package, or they can suggest that a personal Stager come by and see if the furniture is positioned correctly, etc. After dealing with hundreds of clients, I have developed non-threatening ways to suggest Staging techniques. I too was a seller (8 times over) so I know how people feel. Also, as a Realtor, I still am in touch with what buyers are looking for and what sells. So I am suggesting that you talk dirty with your sellers and suggest a Stager, or better yet, include me (or a Stager in your area) in your listing package!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:00:44 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/2088334/talkin--dirty https://activerain.com/blogsview/1940378/that-vacant-look Just like my teen's look she gets when I start lecturing about talking on the phone and driving...but with the front of the your listing! Looking vacant is a sad thing, not to mention dangerous! Several vacant homes around my fair city have been broken into for their built-in audio/visual equipment and etc. The front of the house needs to be just as warm and welcoming as the inside. This can be solved with a few easy steps. A very intuitive Realtor called me to help with a listing in a wonderful new neighborhood. She knew that a little Staging would help in the main living areas. She was so right. But as I drove up with my "buyer's eye" I noticed that the front of the home looked, well, vacant. Honestly, if I was a buyer it would take some convincing for me to tour this home, because it just didn't have the necessary curb appeal. This big, beautiful home just wasn't showing to it's potential, not only on the inside but the out. I had fun standing back and envisioning shutters (very inexpensive to buy and easy to put up), large numbers in the big space by the front door, an exterior entry rug, and a planter by the front door with seasonal flowers (or an evergreen tree depending upon your winter climate). Ta da! Instant curb appeal with just a little time, effort and a few bucks. So, don't get caught looking vacant!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:26:43 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1940378/that-vacant-look https://activerain.com/blogsview/1915380/we--like-goldfish--grow-to-our-space--- As a Stager and Realtor, I just listed our own personal home in July and closed the first of October, which initiated a move - to a 2,000 sq smaller home! We were living in a 5300 square foot home, just 3 of us along with a Chihuahua and small puppy, somehow we filled the place up with too much furniture and stuff, me a Stager! Fortunately the buyers wanted to buy everything downstairs in the theater and most of the 500+ sq family room. That still left us with 8, yes 8 pickup truck loads to Goodwill and several trips to our storage unit. Just over 8 years ago the 4 of us were happy as clams in our 900 sq appartment in Burbank. When we bought something and brought it home, something had to go out. Somewhere along the line we lost this train of though. With renewed diligence we are going to institute this mantra again. With this recent move in mind, I now have new first hand experience to tell my sellers when giving them their Staging Consultations, as I did yesterday. Our luck with goldfish has varied over the years, some did grow as we got bigger bowls, some just ended belly up...Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:01:36 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1915380/we--like-goldfish--grow-to-our-space--- https://activerain.com/blogsview/1820987/staging--more-than-just-for-the-vacant-home Let me put to rest a common misconception. Staging is not just for vacant homes! Staging actually benefits the occupied home best! As a REALTOR and Stager, I would love to show only Staged homes! My dream is for every home on the market, especially occupied homes, is to be Staged. Then, as a REALTOR, I will have the confidence that each home I show will show its best. No embarrassing messes, clutter and unusual furniture placements. Occupied Stagings are very reasonably priced, usually use the seller's own furnishings and gets the seller's packing, because they are going to move anyway, right? The Stager's trained eye can help the sellers know what the selling point of each room is and what to go ahead and pack up to help each room show bigger, better and brighter. Every home can benefit from Staging, even one that is professionally decorated. Staging differs from decorating in the fact that Staging prepares a home for sale, depersonalizing and creating a mass market appeal for all buyers, all genders in all age groups. So if you are not Staging all of your listings, contact a Stager in your are and get your listings Staged and get them sold fast! No Stagers in your area? Contact me, I can give an online Staging Consultation with good pictures!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:02:10 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1820987/staging--more-than-just-for-the-vacant-home https://activerain.com/blogsview/1812264/to-the-dogs--selling-homes-with-dogs--and-cats- Wow! We just discovered "Doggy Daycare"! I am sure that we are late with this and the majority of the masses already know, but if you don't it is a godsend. As a REALTOR and Stager, we have listed our own home. As I do in my Staging Consultations I usually go over a Showing Plan which includes pets if the sellers have any. You know, reducing the pets' footprint so to speak. Like picking up dog toys, litter boxes etc. (dog poop too). But now there is "Doggy Daycare". My little city isn't super big, but I presume most small cities will have at least one establishment that has a doggy daycare. You can drop your dog(s) off for a few hours while the REALTOR has an Open House and you can be stress free to go out to eat, golf, shop or whatever! Or, if no doggy daycare is available we have discovered nail trims and grooming or bathing! These are also on a drop off basis so you can still hit the links while your REALTOR shows, I mean while the REALTOR sells your home! Hmm, now for cats. I once did a Staging Consultation for a home that had 7 cats, 8 litter boxes. There were cats every where I turned around, really! While the home was on the market we decided to downsize the number of litter boxes to 4. So when there was a showing scheduled the owner would stack up 3 of the litter boxes and put them in the garage while the 4th lived under the laundry room sink with the door open. Then they would close the litter box's cupboard door and they were ready for showing! As a REALTOR, I have shown many potential buyers that have pets themselves, but funny enough, don't want to buy a home that has pets. So...I don't know...but, Just some pet thoughts that are fresh on my mind while we have our home on the market. Any one want an old black Chihuahua named Mr. Darcy? How about a 30 pound Pom/Chi mix named Bella that looks like a 5th grade girl dressing as a 5 year old (OK, so it must have been a big Chihuahua)? Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:49:08 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1812264/to-the-dogs--selling-homes-with-dogs--and-cats- https://activerain.com/blogsview/1777311/now-more-than-ever-before--staging-to-sell- Now more than ever first impressions must work! I have heard so many REALTORS comment that they are getting little to no showings! Oh my gosh! So they really need to get the offer from the one or few showings that they do get! True, we can't drag buyers off of the street, but we can "catch" them when they do come in off the streets. As not only a Stager but also a REALTOR I do feel for these listing agents! But it only takes one potential buyer! Staging their listings toward the mass market will not only open up the number of potential buyers but will create a warm and welcoming environment for those few buyers who do end up looking at the home and will then make an offer - so Stage to get the offer! A Staging Consultation of an occupied property consists of an Accredited Staging Professional meeting with the seller in the home and going room by room to discover each room's selling points. Then the Stager can usually use the home owner's own furniture and accessories to help each room show its best. This may require that the home owner pack up a few extra items and store those boxes in the garage, but hey!...they are moving any way...they will have to pack up sooner or later! But, with Staging, it is always sooner! Usually it goes like this:  The Stager enters a room, then decides the selling points or features of the room. Then, with their experienced eye, the Stager can help the seller decide the room's furniture arrangement that will best show off those features. Eliminating furniture and accessories if necessary to create a feeling of more square footage, light and warmth. In addition, creating a more mass market appeal by packing up all personal pictures, awards and anything else that may not be in a model home, such as dirty soccer socks on the floor in the kids' bedroom or the electric bill on the desk. Hoped I helped!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:46:50 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1777311/now-more-than-ever-before--staging-to-sell- https://activerain.com/blogsview/1642616/sell-fast--stage-first This seller realizes that Staging first will help her to sell fast! She called me Sunday morning to say she had gotten the job, which is in another city, so she needed an "emergency" Staging Consultation so she could get it listed to sell fast!More and more sellers and Realtors are realizing the benefits of Staging first to sell fast. I would rather not be a rescue, I'd rather perform preventative medicine and Stage before listing for the fast sale! Staging Consultations and competitive pricing are the two main ingredients for a quick sale. Recently I have been doing more and more up front Staging and my clients are benefitting!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Thu, 13 May 2010 02:34:30 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1642616/sell-fast--stage-first https://activerain.com/blogsview/1626189/what-a-girl-wants--selling-listings-fast-with-staging- What we want and what we need are two different things, my Mom always said. Bless her practical heart this Mother's Day. What we want is to get our listings sold! For me that pretty much lines up with what I need.  Staging is so easy and inexpensive how can we not Stage? Staging always helps and never hurts. Occupied Stagings helps potential buyers envision themselves living in an already occupied home. Simple and effective steps of Staging can make this a reality. Some of them are: 1.Always encourage your sellers to get out and sweep the front step. First impressions you know. 2. Encourage your sellers to have their garage sale first before the sign goes in the front yard! 3. Clean sells! (inside and out) 4. Get packing! Have your sellers get those personal pictures packed up, because they are moving soon anyway. 5. Reduce the pet footprint (so to speak). 6. 3 item rule! No more than 3 items on a surface area. 7. Showing Plan (see earlier blog). Just implementing these easy Staging Steps will go a long ways in helping your listings to get sold, fast. Yes, mom, often what we want and what we need are two different things. But, not in Staging!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Mon, 03 May 2010 02:50:32 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1626189/what-a-girl-wants--selling-listings-fast-with-staging- https://activerain.com/blogsview/1615194/exterior-staging Today's dust storm had me rethinking exterior Staging. After I drive up and park at an Occupied Staging Consultation appointment I take a moment to notice the curb appeal of a home. What could help the home have irresistible curb appeal? Where I live takes this to a whole different level. I assess what is currently blowing away, what could be anchered down, and how to help the sellers create curb appeal. Dusty cobwebs here are not a sign of abandonment, but a daily reality. I encourage Sellers to get out every day and sweep their front step and attack cobwebs that pop up overnight and become dusty in our relentless wind. In addition, medium sized flower pots (small ones blow away) can do wonders for curb appeal. Just a few by the front door will welcome potential buyers and add a splash of color. Fresh mulch (to replace the stuff that blew away) is cheap and easy. Really it is the most bang for your Staging buck! It covers a multitude of sins and helps hold in the moisture. Here sometimes the bigger the better, although the kind that doesn't float away is good for when we have a deluge. Also, although they may be needed, tangles of garden hoses just do not do a whole lot for curb appeal. Wrangling those hoses in and storing them in the garage until needed is a cost free way of creating curb appeal. Power washing never can hurt and can always help! This is the best way to freshen a front step. Then adding a new exterior entry mat is a two fold small investment. It helps ground the front door and also helps reduce the amount of dirt that comes into the clean and freshly Staged home. Step back, maybe even go accross the street and look at the front of the house, would you buy it?Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:23:48 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1615194/exterior-staging https://activerain.com/blogsview/1609144/staged--with-children Children do make it a challenge to sell a home and pets too, I know from our own personal home sales. But, it is possible! It is even possible to live in a Staged home with children! Two words: Showing Plan. I create showing plans for all of my Occupied Staging Consultation sellers, with children or without. Pets too. Often Realtors call the day before asking the seller for an appointment. But sometimes it is only two hours before and sometimes they are sitting out front at the curb with clients in the car! I know, because I am also a Realtor. It just happens this way, but Sellers really do not want to miss a potential buyer who is on the way to the airport to go home. Once the home is Staged the Showing Plan can be implemented and the home ready to show in 15 minutes. A showing plan for a family with young children may be as follows: pick up and stash toys, slide all makeup/tooth paste etc. in drawers, close toilet lids, stow bath mats, turn on all lights, open all curtains/blinds, make beds and tidy kitchen. Walk out the door and don't forget the baby! A Showing Plan for a Staged home with pets may be: pick up dog poop, wipe paw/nose smears off glass back door, put dogs in kennels (or car), put away all pet paraphernalia (toys, beds, food and water bowls etc) to reduce pet foot print so to speak, de-lint/de-fur furniture and deodorize. Take pets and go! Showing Plans work best when the home is already Staged, so the implementation time is reduced because the work is already done. Such as the number of toys to be picked up is lower because some of the toys have been packed up ready to be enjoyed again at the new home. So I know now that the home I Staged on Saturday with 3 children under age 4 will be ready to show in 15 minutes due to our Showing Plan!Joyce Dahlbeck, Accredited Staging Professional Master www.stagedhomesoflubbock.com Joyce Dahlbeck, ASPM, REALTOR (Staged Homes of Lubbock) Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:12:31 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/1609144/staged--with-children