real estate: Top 25 Popular Sherwin Williams Paint Colors
- 11/09/12 09:06 PM
Fellow Home Stager Kathy Riggle nailed it in her recent blog! These are great colors for Home Staging. Nice and neutral, grays and beiges; proof that a staged home never need be boring.
Wishing you a quick sale!
Kathy Strader, ASP www.MemorialStagedHomes.com Kathy@MemorialStagedHomes.com
My apologies if anyone else has posted this information. Sherwin Willliams is my favorite paint, and my Account Executive Nubia Heinz recently shared their most popular colors. Thought I would pass it on, as some of these are my staging stand-bys also!
www.StagingSmartNSold.com provides Houston home staging expertise … (6 comments)
real estate: Five Tips for Sellers
- 11/06/12 08:56 PM
Five Tips for Sellers (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
It’s no secret that I believe every seller should consult with a Home Stager but the truth is, there are so many things you can do without me. Below are five simple things you can do on your own to prepare your house for sale. You should still consider consulting with a Home Stager but if you do these things the Home Stager can help you will less obvious issues.
*Declutter! When rooms, closets and cabinets are cluttered, they leave potential … (3 comments)
Kathy Strader, ASP www.MemorialStagedHomes.com Kathy@MemorialStagedHomes.com
Forget about what you can be pre-approved for. Figure out what you are comfortable with in your budget. Don't get sucked into a higher priced home just because some banker says that they will loan you the money for it. Only you can decide how much money you choose to spend on housing. You … (0 comments)
real estate: The Housing Market is Pretty Good, Why Stage?
- 09/04/12 10:24 PM
The Housing Market is Pretty Good, Why Stage? (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro) It is pretty easy to make the argument for Home Staging when the market favors the Buyer. The reasoning is that the house will sell faster if it is staged. So what if houses in your neighborhood seem to be selling within about 3 or 4 months like they are in much of Houston, TX? Is Home Staging worth it? If you can afford the extra mortgage payments and you’re not in a hurry to move on, maybe not. Of course … (10 comments)
real estate: “I Stood in Your House While People Looked At It”
- 08/28/12 11:47 PM
“I Stood in Your House While People Looked At It” (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro) When leaving the grocery store I noticed a For Sale By Owner (a.k.a. FSBO) periodical. Since it caught my attention, I thought I’d take it home and look it over. While flipping through, I noticed an ad with a smug looking woman with her arms crossed and a box saying, “I stood in your house while people looked at it. That’ll be $16,000 please.”
My first reaction was to think that if all your … (16 comments)
When it comes to selling your house, there are just some things you can’t control. Disturbing news if you’re a control freak, but you can’t very well change the location of your property, right? There also isn’t much you can do about market. Strong or weak, it is what is. If we each had the power to fix the economy, I’m pretty sure it would have already been taken care of. We also have to let go of any notion we may … (4 comments)
real estate: This Photo Will Not Sell Your Property ((Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
- 08/01/12 03:17 AM
This Photo Will Not Sell Your Property (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro) Sellers often believe that after they sign the listing agreement with an Agent, they just need to sit back and wait for the Agent to sell the house. The truth is, selling a house is a team effort and you, the Seller, are a part of the team. After all, no one has as much to lose if the sale of the house is delayed or it doesn’t sell at all.
One very important step Sellers should take … (0 comments)
real estate: Hurry Up and Wait (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
- 07/11/12 01:03 AM
Hurry Up and Wait (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro) Clearly, there is no room for those who dawdle in the Real Estate business. Customer demand coupled with intense competition requires us to not only be on time, but early. It is the nature of the business, I accept that. What I am beginning to wonder is if we are training clients how to treat us? You know what I’m talking about. The client wants information on a house right away or they tell you they need to move forward quickly and even … (0 comments)
Most Realtors® believe that Home Staging works but are hesitant to suggest Staging to their clients. Sometimes it is because they are afraid of suggesting the Seller spend more money preparing the house for sale, some do not want to suggest Staging for fear of offending them. Still others believe the house they’ve listed is too small to make home Staging practical. The fact is; it is a rare house that would not benefit from Staging.
When a … (2 comments)
real estate: Are You the Client that Makes My Job Difficult? (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
- 06/06/12 02:24 AM
Are You the Client that Makes My Job Difficult? (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro) Last week I did a Comprehensive Staging Report for a wonderful couple. They had already done quite a bit of work toward preparing their house for sale and made it very clear that they were open to any suggestions I had. In order to show the house at its very best, they were willing to sleep on air mattresses at the house they were moving to in order to leave the bedroom furniture behind. The agent was at the appointment … (0 comments)
real estate: Are Feelings Hurting the Sale of the House? (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
- 04/17/12 09:58 PM
Are Feelings Hurting the Sale of the House? (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro) No one that I know in this business wants to hurt their clients’ feelings. After all, clients can always choose to not work with us so offending a client can definitely have an impact on our wallets. I’ve been wondering lately, is it possible that our fear of hurting our clients’ feelings may actually result in hurting the sale of the house? It takes guts to tell someone that the home that they love is dated. You have to … (4 comments)
real estate: Price Reduction is NOT a Marketing Strategy (Perspectives on Real Estate and More From a Home Staging Pro)
- 04/10/12 10:20 PM
Price Reduction is NOT a Marketing Strategy (Perspectives on Real Estate and More From a Home Staging Pro) If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a dozen times and it still catches me off guard because it makes no sense. Either a Home Seller or an Agent will say, “If we don’t get an offer, we’ll just do a price reduction.” WHAT???? Is that really your marketing plan?
Hey, I’m no fool and I know that sometimes a price reduction is necessary, but shouldn’t you go into the process of selling a house by giving … (5 comments)
Any talented Home Stager will tell you that Home Staging is much bigger than just placing furniture. Everything done is for a purpose. Not only are we trying to draw attention to the features of the house, we are also distracting (not hiding) from features that may be perceived as negative. Our goal is to draw buyers in so that they become emotionally involved with the house. Emotion results in offers. One of the ways I use to emotionally draw buyers into the … (0 comments)
real estate: Do Not Get Your Feelings Hurt! (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
- 03/20/12 11:11 PM
Do Not Get Your Feelings Hurt! (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro) Ever since I earned my Accredited Staging Professional designation and became a part of the Real Estate industry, I’ve gained a new respect for Realtors®. There is so much more to the job than listing a property with the local multiple listing service. Yes there are some real losers in the business, but that is true of any industry. When you are ready to sell your house, it is critical that you work with an Agent that has a great … (0 comments)
real estate: Lots of Showings But No Offers
- 03/19/12 12:01 AM
This blog from Tom Branch is an excellent explanation of why your house may not be selling even though a lot of buyers are looking at it. Price and presentation are the most important things to get right when it comes to selling your home!
Wishing you a quick sale!
Kathy Strader, ASP www.MemorialStagedHomes.com Kathy@MemorialStagedHomes.com
"I had lots of showings but no offers." I hear those words time and time again as I talk to sellers with recently expired listings. Most of the time they blame their agent for not generating an offer. One … (0 comments)
real estate: I Could Tell You, but I’d Have to Charge You (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
- 02/28/12 08:25 PM
I Could Tell You, but I’d Have to Charge You Have you ever read an article or blog and felt the timing and topic was so perfect that surely it must have been written just for you? That is how I felt after reading No, You Can’t Pick My Brain; It Costs Too Much by Adrienne Graham. A colleague had posted it on LinkedIn and based on the responses, I am clearly not alone. It happens all the time. Agents, sellers, and friends want to “pick my brain” and since I really enjoy talking about Home Staging®, it … (13 comments)
real estate: “You Spot It, You Got It.” (Perspectives on Real Estate and More from a Home Staging Pro)
- 01/31/12 11:10 PM
“You Spot It, You Got It.” It happened twice in three days. I try to ask a question, and the person I’m speaking with assumes they know what I’m going to ask so they interrupt me to answer. I can tell by the answer I’m given, that the person I’m speaking with doesn’t understand what I’m asking. Again, I attempt to ask; I’m interrupted, answered (incorrectly), and summarily dismissed. The first time it happened, it was a colleague I was speaking with. Although perturbed, I chalked it up to bad timing and believed that perhaps she was distracted. … (5 comments)
It is no secret that more and more buyers are searching for their next home on line. Many start their Internet search before they even contact an agent. This is your opportunity to sell your house BEFORE buyers ever step foot inside. Photographs of your house are your first chance to create an emotional tug on the buyer. You not only want buyers to choose to visit your house, you want them to actually look forward to seeing your … (2 comments)
Isn’t that what everyone says? “You can’t sell real estate this time of year.” Don’t believe it! The market is slower during the holiday season, but property does move. The very first house I ever staged was listed for sale in November and had an offer the first weekend on the market. The sale closed just a short time later in December. Of course the sellers and the agent, not to mention the stager, were thrilled. Just … (2 comments)
A colleague recently told me that she had been told on more than one occasion that Home Staging is pretentious and phony. Pretentious and phony? My feelings were hurt. That anyone could think that what I do is anything but honest and of value was very troubling. I could not get the exchange out of my mind so I decided to take a second look. The only thing to do was think back to my marketing studies way back when. As a Home Stager, I am part of the Real Estate industry. … (9 comments)
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