home staging tips: Don't Let Your Staging Be Like a Bad Comb Over. - 03/14/18 04:37 PM
Don’t Let Your Staging Be Like a Bad Comb Over.

Many moons ago we had a friend who was so much fun and a mainstay of our group. However, he had a bad comb over.When you first met him it was a big distraction. I always wondered who he thought he was fooling.

When you’re preparing your house for sale remember that staging is not just about the “D” (declutter) word.

Getting your house in order to sell is also about eliminating any Distractions and Detractions that would prevent your buyer from seeing all of the possibilities of your house.

Trying to conceal … (58 comments)

home staging tips: It’s Not Too Late to Begin Spring Cleaning. - 02/22/18 03:49 PM
It’s Not Too Late to Begin Spring Cleaning.

We may still be in February but it’s time to think about spring cleaning.
Spring is the time to begin anew...start fresh. There’s no better way than to begin at home. Here are some tips to get you started.
 
1.Edit
There are many organizers who will suggest that as you transition from one season to another, it’s a good time to dispose of clothing and items that you didn’t use during that season.

For example, look at your cool weather clothes (winter if you’re up north). If you kept passing over them when you went to … (25 comments)

home staging tips: Are You Waiting to Reduce Your Price Before Investing in These Staging Tips? - 01/25/18 04:28 PM
Are You Waiting to Reduce Your Price Before Investing in These Staging Tips?

Many sellers make the mistake of setting a list price that may not be realistic.  After all, it’s a seller’s market so why not maximize your investment?
 
Cleaning...Painting...Editing...Storing...Repairing
 
But as is often the case, buyers too have done their research and they need to see the value in the investment they are making.
 
There are things you can do to improve the perceived value of the home before you put that For Sale sign out there.

Why in the world would you want to spend needless days “at the ready” to … (29 comments)

home staging tips: Home Staging Tips-Appeal to the Senses. - 01/21/18 03:55 PM
Home Staging Tips-Appeal to the Senses.
 
Have you ever walked into a home and within a few minutes just sensed that it was right for you. You had a feeling...right?

It’s not just square feet or the number of bedrooms that will sell a house. There’s that intangible that a buyer feels that can help move them closer to the “I like it” side.

When your house is on the market it’s important to set the mood for the buyer. Help them sense that this is the home for them.
Once you’ve cleaned and repaired, updated and edited, it’s time to add … (22 comments)

home staging tips: After 10 Years of Staging...Where Is It Going? - 01/18/18 04:58 PM
After 10 Years of Staging...Where Is It Going?
 
After being in the Home Staging business for just over 10 years, I have seen many changes. The basics are the same but just as in any other business, things change.

The Basics are still important…
~Removing distractions
~Removing detractions
~Improving the condition
~Letting the buyer see the liveability of the property
~Making the property appeal to a wide range of potential buyers

What I see changing…
1.More agents are using home staging...at least the idea of it. Many I know have a stager that they use for all of their listings. The important thing I see is that it is … (50 comments)

home staging tips: No...That’s Not Why We Use Rugs. - 01/15/18 03:50 PM
 
Or, Hide and Seek Won’t Work When Selling Your Home.
 
This wasn’t the first and I’m sure it won’t be the last time that a seller asks me if it is all right for them to use a rug to cover up something.
 
The other day a seller called for a consultation. They had some furniture and accessories but wasn’t sure if they would need more accessories to help with the presentation.

He asked if I had a rug that would cover the floor in a room that was damaged by the recent hurricane.
 
What I told them was that while … (31 comments)

home staging tips: Staging is Something You Should Be Doing While You're Still Living In Your Home! - 01/11/18 03:54 PM
Staging is Something You Should Be Doing While You're Still Living In Your Home!

A comment I hear from almost every seller on my Staging Consultations is that they are hesitant to spend money on a home they’re going to be leaving.
 
I get it! However, if you want to protect the investment you have in your house, it’s important that the condition of your property reflects your asking price.
 
That said, this thing called Staging is something that all homeowners could and should be doing while living in and enjoying your home.
 
For example…
Paint
If it’s been 10 years or more since … (46 comments)

home staging tips: Have Stuff? Here’s What It Does… - 01/08/18 03:52 PM
Have Stuff? Here’s What It Does…

This is the time of year when everyone has there “to do” list...join a gym, get a new website, lose weight. And one that is usually on everyone’s
Top 5 list is to rid themselves of things they no longer wear, use, or want.

This is especially true if you plan on selling your house. It’s been hammered into you by your friends, neighbors, and your agent that you need to get rid of all of your STUFF!
 
 
Some call it decluttering. I like to use the word edit. And, as of late, we’ve been using another … (35 comments)

home staging tips: Holiday Decorations and Selling Your Home. - 11/30/17 03:43 PM
Holiday Decorations and Selling Your Home.
 
It wasn’t hard to notice that holiday decorations have already announced the holiday season. In fact, I saw Christmas trees and outdoor decorations out on the floor at the Big Box Home Improvement Store Before Thanksgiving (and shortly after Halloween!)

This is such a fun time of the year...unless you have your home on the market!
 
But just because you are selling your home doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate or give your home some festive spirit.
 
Below are 6 tips to remember when your home is for sale during the holidays.
 
1.Don’t block your buyers’ view
Your buyers … (49 comments)

home staging tips: How to Show Your Buyers There’s Enough Room! - 11/05/17 05:52 PM
How to Show Your Buyers There’s Enough Room!
 
Selling your house is like selling anything else...you have to show your buyers what they want. And one thing that all buyers want in their new home is space.

Ask any agent and they’ll tell you that some of the questions they hear while showing a home are about room...Is there enough room for the bed? Will the garage hold our cars? I’m not sure if our dining room table will fit in here!

This is especially true here in Palm Beach County where many buyers are right-sizing and transitioning to homes that are easier … (25 comments)

home staging tips: How to Prepare Your Home for Our Snowbird Buyers. - 10/18/17 05:21 PM
How to Prepare Your Home for Our Snowbird Buyers.
 
Inventory is still tight but if you plan on selling your house, you still need to make sure that it is market-ready and that the condition warrants the asking price!
Some of the buyers are snowbirds-those who have their primary residence up north and hope to enjoy the warmth of our winters here in Palm Beach County during the winter months.

Here are 6 tips to help prepare your home for your snowbird buyers.
 
1.Think like a snowbird
Don’t think of your home as your house that you’ve loved and lived in for … (48 comments)

home staging tips: Don’t Scare Away Your Buyers This Halloween! - 10/05/17 03:18 PM
Don’t Scare Away Your Buyers This Halloween!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Just this week as I was leaving our neighborhood, I saw that many of my neighbors had already put out their spider webs, witches hats, pumpkins, and mummies.
 
But, what if your house is for sale?

The same principles of staging apply, even during a holiday season.
Keep it Simple
Keep it Clean
Let the Buyer See the Space
 
 
1. Just because you have it doesn’t mean you have to use it.
Through the years we tend to collect decorations for all of our holidays. We begin with one faux pumpkin one year … (19 comments)

home staging tips: Curb Appeal After Hurricane IRMA - 09/18/17 05:21 PM
Curb Appeal After Hurricane IRMA
 
We’ve been walking in our neighborhood and driving through others to witness the damage caused by Hurricane IRMA. And while we’ve seen very little structural damage, what we saw was toppled or split trees and palm fronds and leaves everywhere.
 
If your house is currently on the market or even if not, now is the time to address your curb appeal for now and down the road.
 
First- if you haven’t yet, photograph your house inside and out to show any damages to it.
 
If your house is on the market, contact your agent if you … (35 comments)

home staging tips: Preparing your house for sale-How to make it easy! - 08/24/17 08:11 PM
Preparing your house for sale-How to make it easy!
 
It’s stressful selling your house!  Agents, home inspections, painting, cleaning, not to mention buying a new home and getting ready for the home you’re moving to.
 
And then that annoying cable show is telling you that you have to stage your house too! Knock down this wall, remove the cabinets, replace the countertops.
 
Well yes, all of the updates would have been nice but sometimes it just doesn’t fit into the budget or timetable.
 
Let me give you the one thing you can do (well there are many but this one is important) that … (49 comments)

home staging tips: How Are You Greeting Your Buyers? - 08/17/17 04:04 PM
How Are You Greeting Your Buyers?
 
How often have you heard that you only get one chance to make a good first impression? Yes, it’s become a bit overused but it’s because it’s true.

When you decide to sell your home, it’s important to remember that first impressions do count.
The first impression usually begins with what they see on the internet- via an MLS feed or an agent’s website.
 
And buyers aren’t the only ones your house needs to impress. Agents are looking as well. They don’t want to waste their buyer’s time so they will scrutinize what they see before … (77 comments)

home staging tips: Well Yes...Every House for Sale is Worthy of Staging. - 08/09/17 02:50 PM
Well Yes...Every House for Sale is Worthy of Staging.

Home stagers are accustomed to hearing an agent or seller say that the home is only worth $x.00 dollars and probably not worth staging.

That’s a bit like saying you saw a $20 bill on the sidewalk but it wasn’t worth picking up.
 
No one wants to throw money away, but that’s what you’re doing if you don’t make every attempt to get your house in the best condition you can before you sell it.
 
I have consulted on a home that at best was going to list under $80,000, a condo that … (49 comments)

home staging tips: You Still Have Time- 5 Things You Can Do Now To Prepare Your Home For Sale - 08/06/17 04:26 PM
You Still Have Time- 5 Things You Can Do Now To Prepare Your Home For Sale
 
It may be only August but the Snowbirds will be heading back in just a few months. If you even think you might want to sell your home, here are 5 things you can do now to get the jump on the season.
 
1.Make an honest assessment of the condition of your house.
You’ve been looking at your house every day for years now. You probably walk by items that need addressing every day but you never even notice.
Trust me, though, your buyers will.
Look at the … (29 comments)

home staging tips: Rightsizing Storage Tips - 07/27/17 04:33 PM
 
Rightsizing Storage Tips
 
For many of us, when it comes to moving into a smaller home - or as others have called it-rightsizing-the hardest thing we face is where to put everything.
Even though we’ve (hopefully) divested ourselves of what we no longer use or need, there are still items we need and want around us.
 
Here are a few tips for creating storage and space for your treasures:
 
Use Dual Purpose Furniture
Today’s benches and cubes can be used to:
Seat extra guests
Double as a cocktail table
Store extra items such as throws, pillows, games, books.
 
 
Large baskets and fun boxes
You know those cute covered boxes … (40 comments)

home staging tips: Neutral Doesn't Have to Be Bland... - 07/19/17 09:45 AM
Neutral Doesn’t Have to Be Boring...
 
At a recent consultation, my client was apprehensive about staging her house. She’d been told that she would have to neutralize everything and wasn’t sure she wanted her house to end up looking bland.  

I totally understand her apprehension because we tend to think of neutral as bland. And as we know...bland does nothing to evoke any kind of emotion.
And when selling your house,  you WANT your buyers to get a good feeling about your house...to feel the same thing you feel when you come home from a hard day at work or after being … (44 comments)

home staging tips: Just Like Us, Our Homes Have to Stay in Good Shape - 07/12/17 03:27 PM
Just Like Us, Our Homes Have to Stay in Good Shape.

Over the many years I’ve been helping people prepare their home for sale, one of the hardest things to tackle is getting the home in shape after years of unintentional neglect.
 
It can be overwhelming when your agent or stager gives you a suggested list of updates and repairs.
 
Houses are just like us...it takes work to keep them in shape.

Whether you’re planning on selling your house soon or down the road, there are key things you can do to keep your house in good shape.
 
Assess your kitchen
This is the … (32 comments)

 


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