home staging: You Don't Always Have Control of the Situation
- 06/08/07 03:25 PM
I'm actually away on 'vacation' for a few days of "r and r" up on Martha's Vineyard, but am occasionally checking on my e-mail and the activity on Active Rain... On the way up here, I was thinking about the job that I completed on Tuesday. It was a huge new construction in a very 'tony' area of Long Island. The interior work was mostly completed with the exception of fixtures, cabinet fronts, back-splash, and faucets. In addition some of the bathrooms were only tiled, so needed to be completed. The furniture was delivered on Monday, and I staged most of the day, … (11 comments)
home staging: SHOP 'TILL YOU DROP: the 'rules' have all changed!
- 06/02/07 11:45 PM
There was a time when I loved to shop! My favorite ‘haunts' were Marshalls, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Pier 1, Target, and Pottery Barn. Today, these stores are all still my favorites, however the ‘rules of the game' have changed. Now when I shop, it is for a ‘purpose' and instead of gingerly pushing my cart and perusing all of the many aisles, I shop as if I were a "woman possessed"! I arrive at each store with a list in hand. I may be shopping for accessories, silk plants, curtains, bedding...it all really depends … (18 comments)
home staging: Some Sellers Just Don't "Get It"!
- 05/29/07 12:57 PM
Yesterday, while driving to the train station (in lovely Greenlawn, Long Island) to 'deposit' my middle child, I passed by a local house that was originally an FSBO for many months. I remember dropping off some Home Staging marketing material when the sign first went up, and I never DID hear from the sellers. Then about 8 months later, while passing by on my way to the same train station, I saw a Realtors's sign which indicated that the house was now listed with husband and wife Realtors. I 'popped' into the first Open House to introduce myself and met the male half of the team. While I … (8 comments)
home staging: An Open Letter to the 'Vacant House' Builder:
- 05/27/07 03:49 PM
Dear 'Vacant' Builder, This is an Open Letter to inform you that, contrary to what you may believe, a Home Stager cannot stage your Vacant House when given only 3-5 days to put it all together! There is much involved in the process and I feel that it is my duty to inform you of all the work that goes on ‘behind the scene'. To begin with, the Stager needs to tour the house and determine how many rooms the Builder wants staged. Then, there is the matter of what kind of budget he is allotting for the project. While … (7 comments)
home staging: VACANT STAGING SUCCESS - HOUSE SOLD
- 05/26/07 05:54 AM
I realize that this may not be a big deal for most, but this is a monumental moment for me. My first staged 'vacant', located in Huntington, Long Island, just sold after two months! I feel like a proud parent! I spoke briefly with the builder yesterday when he called to give me the good news. He said that, although the buyers loved the look of the house from curbside (where it ALL begins!), it was the inside that the wife really 'connected' to. She loved the way that the rooms were set up and said that she plans on … (11 comments)
home staging: Garage Sales: A Wonderful Resource for Home Stagers
- 05/26/07 05:37 AM
As I was out doing errands today, it occured to me that all winter long I had looked forward to the Spring so that I could start frequenting Garage Sales. They are a terrific resource for inexpensive furniture and accessories which is good news for any Stager! I realized today that we're about to enter the month of June and I have not even been to one Garage Sale because I have been staging just about every weekend! Upon further reflection, I am aware that since I have suddenly become the "Queen of Vacants" on Long Island, I no longer have the need … (8 comments)
home staging: AN OPEN LETTER TO TODAY'S SELLER: JUST DOING THE 'OBVIOUS' WILL NOT SELL YOUR HOME!
- 05/24/07 06:09 PM
THIS IS AN OPEN LETTER TO EVERY SELLER OUT THERE WHO THINKS THAT THEIR HOME WILL SELL IN 'SPITE OF ITSELF'! Dear 2007 Home Seller: Times have changed in the Housing Market. There are more 'unsold' houses on the market than in years past. This, therefore, equates to a "Buyer's Market" which means that you are going to have to work twice as hard to sell your home. There are a plethora of newly-built houses out there with granite countertops, central air, central vacuuming, jacuzzi bathtubs, gas fireplaces, hardwood floors, 3-car garages, etc. that you are going to have to compete … (41 comments)
home staging: OVERDUE: What To Do?
- 05/23/07 11:56 AM
I am wondering how many stagers have had problems collecting their staging fees? I am finding that, as I become busier and busier, I have become a little 'lax' in collecting the signed contracts and fees associated with a staging. Let me explain: First of all, it seems that the seller or builder for the recent vacants that I have been staging have a deadline that must be met. They need the house staged quickly and before the 'next Open House'. They will call you on a Tuesday and want everything completed by the weekend. That just doesn't fly when you … (29 comments)
home staging: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: "Staging" an Open House
- 05/19/07 12:51 PM
While staging today, and during one of my 3 trips back to my house to pick up some more things for the house, I had this thought..... I thought about how the realtor might not know that each of the 12 lamps that I had placed throughout the house had lightbulbs in place and should be turned on in order to convey a sense of 'warmth'. I also thought about the ceiling lights, which had dimmers, and should be 'dimmed' in a way that they gave a warm feeling to the rooms without being 'garish'. I thought about music.....there should be classical music … (30 comments)
home staging: Coming Full Circle
- 05/12/07 01:06 AM
I have loved decorating ever since I was a child. While my friends were playing with Barbie dolls, I played with my dollhouse - emptying the contents a few times a week and completely redecorating and renovating each of the rooms. I used a lot of "outside the box" decorating ideas in those days. I would sometimes make the Living Room the Master Bedroom because I loved the idea of having a fireplace in that room. I often added a Bathroom by using the backs of large pieces of furniture to create the 'wall' that was needed to separate the rooms. … (19 comments)
home staging: An Interactive Blog: Can You Spot The $800+ In Accessories For This Staging?
- 05/11/07 01:23 AM
I consider myself a savvy shopper and more often than not, I purchase items at a discounted price. I have this adversion to paying full price when I can buy something that looks like I paid 'a million bucks' while only spending a fraction of the cost. This practice carries over to my purchasing tactics when shopping for my business. I shop the major discount stores such as Target, Home Goods, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, but also look for 'quality' items in places like Walmart and KMart. I frequent Bed, Bath and Beyond in order to purchase the numerous Entry Hall tables that … (38 comments)
home staging: Finding The Time To Get It All Done - or How Do You Cram 36 Hours Of Work Into a 24-Hour Day?
- 05/03/07 11:55 PM
It's official.....my Home Staging career has taken over my life! I am amazed to find that I am spending 97% of my time either shopping for new accessories, marketing, or mentally arranging furniture for upcoming jobs - which, by the way, are for the most part, vacant houses. I'm not complaining, mind you, because this is what I have wanted and worked so hard for. I have to be honest with you, however, that when I decided to become a Home Stager, I was not fully prepared for the amount of work involved in this career! Yesterday I happened to be at my local … (18 comments)
home staging: This Vacant Says "BUY ME"!
- 04/26/07 02:20 PM
OK - so, as requested, here are some of the Before and After pictures from the vacant house in Greenlawn, NY that I staged on Tuesday - you know...the one with the 'infamous' Scrabble Board! They say 'less is more' and 'pictures can speak for themselves', so here you go....
Now, the kitchen isn't in yet, nor are the bathrooms, so I'll be going back to finish the job in a few weeks when everything is in place. I have a few more 'tweaks' that I want to make in the Dining Room and with the window treatments....but … (23 comments)
home staging: STAGING with a 'twist'...a 'subliminal' message!
- 04/25/07 02:05 PM
While Staging the Family Room area of the Great Room in the house I worked on yesterday, I was looking for something to place on the coffee table in front of the couch. I had 3 oversized hardcover books in place, but needed something else - but what? I wanted to give the illusion of a family living in the house and enjoying not only the room, but being together as well. I took a short trip back to my own house to see what I could come up with (yes, that what we stagers do! Just ask Phyllis Pafumi who has … (20 comments)
home staging: STAGING: You Need To Hang Tough If You're Going To Make It!
- 04/25/07 01:11 PM
While staging a model home yesterday, I had a conversation with my rep from the rental company who had come out to the job site. She said, "Val, do you know who your competition is in your area?", to which I replied that I honestly didn't. I wouldn't know how to find out who they are or where they are located, and that, thankfully, I am too busy to care! My philosophy to date has been that there is more than enough business to go around to keep us all busy! This rep further stated that she had been receiving more inquiries than … (28 comments)
home staging: ERROR REPORT - Do you send?
- 04/17/07 12:20 PM
OK - I know that this doesn't really apply to Home Staging or Real Estate, except that in a way it does because we encounter this from time to time while working online! I was just changing screens and, as it often happens, the computer was exceptionally slow in responding, so I hit 'ctrl-alt-delete' in an effort to get out of the site and into another. Yes, 'tis true, I have little patience for slow online response because I am a multi-tasker and I travel through life at about 100 miles an hour! And so, that familiar little box 'popped up':
Okay - … (14 comments)
home staging: 1 Magnetic Car Sign "To Go"
- 04/16/07 09:39 AM
So, last Thursday evening my husband and I went to a new restaurant in town called "Smoking Sloes". It features a homemade Barbeque menu. Since Pulled Pork is one of my favorite dishes and almost impossible to come by on Long Island, I just had to see what this place was all about. When we arrived, the parking lot was starting to fill up which was a good sign (pardon the pun). I have to say that the food was fantastic! I noticed that the majority of people who came into the restaurant were picking up orders 'to go'. The young delivery … (5 comments)
home staging: They Love Me, They Love Me Not..They Get It, They Really Don't Get It!
- 04/06/07 01:02 AM
Lately I have been wondering why it is that I can give a presentation to a Real Estate office, who in turn become very excited about the prospect of using staging on their listings, and then never hear from them again? What happens after I leave? Do they 'file' the material that I give them in the "Circular File" (trash can)? Does it get buried under stacks of incoming listings? Does it go into a file or desk drawer with the 'intention' that they will use it when needed? Do they make paper airplanes out of the brochure and fly … (34 comments)
home staging: Those Elusive Vacant Houses - They Can Be Staged For Less Than You Think!
- 03/27/07 07:42 PM
I don't know about others, but until lately, I had a very difficult time landing the vacants. The truth of the matter is that the houses are either new, and in that case built on speculation, or the houses are 'flips' that were bought and reconditioned to sell for more money. In either case, the owner invests a lot of money - sometimes all that they have and then some (through partners, loans, etc). There is a way to make it work, however. By using a combination of rental furnishings and the stager's own furnishings and accessories, an agreeable price can be … (57 comments)
home staging: Trends that will be popular with Home Buyers in 2007
- 03/25/07 12:28 PM
I just finished reading an article which spoke about trends that are going to be popular with home buyers this year. The writer cited Mark Nash, who wrote "Real Estate A-Z for Buying and Selling a Home" and "1,001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home" as the source for the list which included the following interesting concepts: - Use 'engineered stone compound' for kitchen counter-tops in lieu of granite which is more expensive - Avoid installing those above-counter bowl sinks in the bathroom as they are difficult to maintain and keep clean - Use glass tiles for kitchens and bathrooms in lieu of ceramic because of … (25 comments)
I'm actually away on 'vacation' for a few days of "r and r" up on Martha's Vineyard, but am occasionally checking on my e-mail and the activity on Active Rain...
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