home staging tips: Staging Stories…There’s Uncluttered and Then There’s Blah
- 03/20/24 05:23 PM
Staging Stories…There’s Uncluttered and Then There’s Blah
Years ago an agent I’d met through the Women’s Council of Realtors referred her seller to me. We were still in the early years of staging when not everyone knew what staging was.
And there were some who having been shown the advantages of a well prepared home, did not want to call upon a stager until the house had been on the market for a while.
This particular property had been on the market and while it had showings, was not getting any offers. The agent said that it was priced right, had been updated, … (15 comments)
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home staging tips: Staging Thoughts
- 02/07/24 02:23 PM
Staging Thoughts
Even though I’m retired from home staging, I still believe in its ability to help sell a home.
This week Dick Betts wrote an excellent post about virtual staging. When it first made its entrance I admit I was skeptical. At that time it was less cost-effective than it is now. My one “must” (besides FULL DISCLOSURE in the listing) has always been that large photos of the virtually staged room must be front and center for a potential buyer to see.
As I expressed in my comment, when homes were going under contract within days of the listing, it made … (20 comments)
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home staging tips: How To Decorate When Your Home is For Sale
- 11/27/23 02:18 PM
How To Decorate When Your Home is For Sale
When providing Home Staging Consultations for sellers during the holidays, one question they have is…
Can I still decorate for the holidays?
My answer has always been YES… with one caveat…KEEP IT SIMPLE
Creating the feeling of home with a holiday spirit can help your buyers picture themselves there. Remember…buying a home is not just about the numbers. An emotional connection plays a key role.
The goal is to add light touches of “HOLIDAY” in your home without overwhelming the buyer. They still need to see the SPACE!
OUTSIDE
~Avoid going overboard! Well-placed holiday plants and a welcoming wreath … (21 comments)
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home staging tips: Throwback Thursdays…Staging Stories
- 07/26/23 01:54 PM
Throwback Thursdays…Staging Stories
Years ago I received a call from an out-of-town seller whose condo had been on the market for quite a while. He’d had tenants in it for years but now that it was vacant, he’d decided to sell it.
The seller heard of staging and thought that might be the answer. After a few questions, I learned that it was well-priced and in a good location however, it needed some updates.
The seller never met the agent and when he expressed his frustrations, the agent suggested he lower the price.
Upon the suggestion of a friend, the seller finally looked at his … (18 comments)
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home staging tips: A Throwback Thursday Staging Story…Don’t Wait
- 07/13/23 06:36 AM
A Throwback Thursday Staging Story…Don’t Wait
One of my favorite staging consultations was one I never gave. Years ago I received an inquiry from a seller whose home had been on the market for a year. (This was in a good market!)
When I asked him why he thought his home had been sitting for so long, he mentioned he thought it might be that he needed new carpet which had been stained by his dogs, as well as other maintenance issues he had not addressed.
He had not painted the house in more years than he could remember.
I told him that there were … (28 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tips…Budget Friendly Tips for Staging Your Vacant Home
- 07/10/23 05:30 PM
Home Staging Tips…Budget-Friendly Tips for Staging Your Vacant Home
What can a seller do if staging their vacant home with rented furniture or virtually would stretch their budget?
Contrary to what many may think, home staging is not only about moving your furniture around or even bringing leased furniture in.
Staging involves making sure that your home is shown in its best light. Staging helps buyers see the potential your home offers.
So…what can you do??
~Make sure your exterior and your landscaping are in order. If you aren’t around to make sure it’s maintained, make sure your agent, friend,or neighbor will be your eyes.
That means…
- … (20 comments)
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home staging tips: What are the Keywords Your Buyers Are Using For Your House?
- 05/24/23 03:38 PM
What are the Keywords Your Buyers Are Using For Your House?
When I started blogging, I learned about Keywords or Tags. These carefully chosen words direct search engines to what the searcher is looking for.
We all utilize keywords of a sort in whatever we do. For example, when we’re out walking and meet someone new, I may “tag” him as tall man with white hair to help me remember him.
Keywords or tags are what we assign to people, places, or things to help us remember them.
So it is only natural that buyers (and agents) assign Keywords to describe a house … (21 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tips…Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Stage Your Home
- 01/16/23 04:55 PM
Home Staging Tips…Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Stage Your Home
The real estate market has shifted. So, what does that mean when it comes to preparing your home for sale?
It means that now more than ever, the home that you present to your potential buyers needs to make the absolute best first impression.
You can’t put the For Sale sign up and wait to see how it goes before you decide to prepare your home for sale. And with 97% of buyers utilizing the Internet to search for a home, that means your home also has to be camera-ready!
In the Buyer’s Market in … (19 comments)
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home staging tips: Tips for the NEW YEAR To Sell Your House
- 01/04/23 03:56 PM
Tips for the NEW YEAR To Sell Your House
It’s still not too late to sell your house and move into your next dream home. Yes, the market has changed but what it takes to sell your home hasn’t.
Remember, price, location, and condition all play a part in influencing a buyer’s decision to make an offer on your house. You can’t control the market or your location, but you can control how your buyer sees and perceives the value of your property.
Start the New Year out right by following these home staging tips.
Neutralize your house. This does not mean … (23 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging-Too Many “Cooks”...
- 12/19/22 07:03 PM
Home Staging-Too Many “Cooks”...
A post by Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400 “Leave Mama Home” reminded me of a situation I had during a home staging consultation.
The seller was going through a divorce and had to sell the home she had loved for many years. For moral support, she’d asked her good friend to the consultation.
Home staging was relatively new. And, there were several shows on cable tv that focused on staging.
While I’m sure that her friend was trying to be supportive, she interrupted me every step of the way, trying to show me that she’d watched the shows on HGTV and … (24 comments)
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home staging tips: Holiday Decorating When You’re Selling Your Home
- 11/28/22 05:48 PM
Holiday Decorating When You’re Selling Your Home
Thanksgiving was last week, so the holidays are right around the corner. Many have already decorated their Christmas tree and hung their outdoor lights.
This is one of my favorite times of the year; nothing makes it more festive than holiday decorations.
Many sellers ask if they can still decorate their house for the holidays…and the simple answer is YES.
Just remember the basic principles of styling your home for sale…
Let the buyers SEE your space Allow the buyers to feel and see themselves living in the house.
Tips for Decorating Your Home for the … (21 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tips…Creating a Focal Area
- 10/26/22 04:30 PM
Home Staging Tips…Creating a Focal Area
When your home is on the market, first impressions count. This is nothing new.
Photos are even more important than ever now! Buyers begin their search online, eliminating homes that don’t catch their eye.
Besides removing the excess in your house, addressing repairs, and making sure that your home is spotless, YOU can help your buyers see what you love about your home by creating focal points for your rooms.
Focal points draw the buyer into a room and make them want to see more. Focal points are the stars of the room. Distractions…such as too many things … (21 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tip…Leave Out the Post-It Notes!
- 10/10/22 04:45 PM
Home Staging Tip…Leave Out the Post-It Notes!
Recently Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400 wrote a post that shared how she makes it a point to be at every listing appointment for her properties. This may or may not be what works for you, however, her post reminded me of a staging consultation I did many years ago.
The listing agent reached out to me because this property had showings but no offers. Initially, the seller and agent thought the home would sell quickly so wanted to skip suggestions for preparing the home for sale.
The seller could not have been more gracious. Her beloved … (23 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tip…Don’t Let Your Halloween Decorations Scare Away Your Buyers
- 10/03/22 01:33 PM
Home Staging Tip…Don’t Let Your Halloween Decorations Scare Away Your Buyers
Just because your house is on the market now doesn’t mean that you have to pretend that it isn’t Fall or that Halloween is around the corner.
Home has become even more of a sanctuary for many of us and that’s not a bad thing to convey to buyers.
What you want to remember, though, is the principle behind staging or styling your home for sale and that is to allow potential buyers to see the space…the liveability of the property.
Below Are Tips That Won’t Scare Your Buyers Away.
-Talk To Your Agent First
They … (24 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tip...Buy for Where You Are Now, Not for Your Dream-Home-To-Be
- 09/26/22 01:32 PM
Buy for Where You Are Now, Not for Your Dream-Home-To-Be
Have you ever walked into a home and your first reaction was that the furniture was too big for the room? It happens to many of us.
We think we’re saving money by buying furniture for our dream home, not for the one we’re living in now. That dream home will have a larger family room, master bedroom, and dining room, so why not save money and buy it now?!
One of the families I worked with already had their dream home planned out when they moved into their current home. They wanted to … (38 comments)
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home staging tips: Agents…Here Are 4 Ways a Home Stager Can Make Your Job Easier
- 08/31/22 01:47 PM
Agents…Here Are 4 Ways a Home Stager Can Make Your Job Easier
Like many professions, home staging has adapted and grown since I first became a stager in 2007. Using programs to virtually stage a vacant home, for example, has improved and has become more affordable. I’m very much on board with that.
However, just in case you’re unsure if staging fits in with your business profile, let me share 4 ways it could help.
FOR SELLERS…
It’s never easy telling your sellers that they have too much stuff, or that it has odors that will turn off potential buyers. You’re hoping to build … (27 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tips…One BIG Reason Why Staging Is Important
- 08/22/22 05:59 PM
Home Staging Tips…One BIG Reason Why Staging Is Important
If homes are selling why do we need to stage it? This is a question that has been asked of agents and stagers these last few years.
It’s understandable since in the last few years homes have entertained multiple offers and are selling at or above the list price.
Visually styling your home to appeal to buyers, though, is a tool still being used by a great number of experienced agents.
What’s the Big Reason staging is important? It has to photograph well and look good online!
90%+ of home buyers will begin their search for a … (35 comments)
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home staging tips: Are You Forgetting These 6 Areas When Staging Your House to Sell?
- 08/17/22 02:25 PM
Are You Forgetting These 6 Areas When Staging Your House to Sell?
Even in a seller’s market, how your home looks to potential buyers could impact the sale price.
While it’s true that preparing your home for sale is similar to getting ready to have company over for dinner, there’s an extra step in staging you may be missing...buyers WILL open pantries, and closets and look in your garage!
Don’t Forget These 6 Areas When Preparing Your House for Sale…
THE UTILITY ROOM…
Don’t laugh…you know that this is the catch-all room in many homes.
What you can do…
*Pack up or dispose of cleaning supplies you … (43 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging…What NOT to Expect
- 08/08/22 05:17 PM
Home Staging…What NOT to Expect
Styling your house for buyers when it is for sale has never gone away, even in a seller’s market. However, with changes in some markets, sellers may want to consider putting more effort into ensuring that their house appeals to as many buyers as possible.
By now almost everyone is familiar with the concept of home staging…making sure that their home and all of its possibilities are shown to prospective buyers.
If you’ve never used the services of a home staging professional you may be leery so here’s what NOT to expect from a home staging professional…
Home Stagers Are … (34 comments)
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home staging tips: Home Staging Tip-Can Your Home Be Too Neutral?
- 07/25/22 01:32 PM
Home Staging Tip-Can Your Home Be Too Neutral?
By now, home sellers know the importance of making sure that potential buyers will be able to see the liveability of their homes. Buyers need to see the space. This is why agents and stagers suggest that owners edit what they have.
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400 wrote an excellent post about “looking for the personality in your home search.” It’s so important that besides allowing your buyers to see the space, we let them FEEL your home.
Whenever I go into a home, whether it’s to purchase, stage, or just any home, I always … (43 comments)
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Staging Stories…There’s Uncluttered and Then There’s Blah
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