Val's Blog: Long Island & New York Area Home Staging including Nassau and Suffolk counties

This is the final installment of my article on what it takes to sell a house in 2008.  Because there is so much to address, this section is longer than the others, but it is full of very important and useful information, so please be patient and read on.  Even if you haven't read Parts 1 and 2 o...

In Part 1 of this ongoing article which takes a look at how to sell your house in 2008, we discussed 'why' sellers must create a 'product' in order to sell in today's Real Estate market.  Part 2 will deal with the 'how to' aspect for preparing your house for a successful sale.Here comes the impo...

There is a saying in the Home Staging industry which states that ‘the way that you live in a house, and the way that you need to live in a house in order to sell it, are two different concepts'.  In my years of experience as a Home Stager, I have found that the majority of  today's sellers do no...

I recently stopped by an Open House for a 'vacant' which had been Staged 2 Sell.  My intent was to take a picture of the exterior because I had forgotten to do that in the hustle and bustle of the 'staging day'.  I had not intended to go inside, however there were no cars in the driveway, which i...

I recently had a challenging 're-design' project (please note, this house WAS NOT on the market, but the owners simply wanted the room done over).  The husband was an avid gun collector (as you can see), loved his recliner and 42" TV.  This room was at the far end of the "L-shaped" kitchen, which...

After reading Craig Schiller's post today, Where is that Staging Waldo?, I felt compelled to write my first blog of the new year as well as my first since November. I would like to start by sharing a portion of my response to Craig's blog for anyone who may not have seen it: "I, too, have taken a...

Foreground: Donna Dazzo, NY; Claire Andia (AFR NJ); Rhonda Cosaluzzo (AFR NJ); Left to Right Back Row: Val Allocco NY; Julie Maher, CT; Linda Pollock, NJ; Susan Smith, CT; Phyllis Pafumi, NJ; Juliet Johnson, NJ; Kathy Mohr, CT; Nancy Maurer, NJ; Katherine Timms (Realtor NY); Sarah Carter DuHaime,...

  There was a Reuters article, posted today on Yahoo, which spoke about the possibility of an economic recession and how it is partially fueled by the mortgage crisis.   Of course other key factors would include rising oil prices, sluggish retail sales and falling prices on homes for sale. As a H...

THIS POST IS FOR LAURIE, WHO SAID THAT 'DRIVAL' IS FINE WITH HER.... I would like to share with my fellow Home Stagers, my feeling about the importance AND joy of working with local realtors (or at least A realtor!).... I 'met' Laurie Mindnich (http://www.optionsrealty.com/) here on Active Rain. ...

Before I leave this great city, I thought that I would share a few sights with you.....I'll be back in the States tomorrow and look forward to finding some time to catch up with you all!Japan - Old and New...you find Temples in the midst of the bustling city Japanese Style...clean lines, yet eleg...