home stager: 15 Ways to Responsibly Get Rid of Your Stuff - 04/22/14 08:38 AM
The other week, a colleague and I were talking about how challenging it can be to find a way to repurpose and recycle household items. Once you've outgrown an appliance or a dated electronic, it's time to consider where to put them besides out by the curb.
 
As a home stager, I run into this question all the time. Once the decision has been made to move, it can be overwhelming to decide what to keep and what to toss. 
 
But toss we must if we are to move successfully. Do you have any idea of how much movers … (90 comments)

home stager: Aretha Knew the Magic Word - 04/07/14 10:43 AM
 
I'm a professional home stager but I still remember gettting a wee bit offended when I was told I needed to make some changes to my own home by a realtor.
 
You may not be surprised, but that realtor did not get the listing!
 
It's rare I run into someone else giving staging advice but those few times,  I've nearly had to bite my tongue. Is it because I am sensitive? Not receptive to new ideas? I don't think so. I'm more than happy to consider a new angle but the key to acceptance is HOW the advice … (55 comments)

home stager: Banish those low ball offers and pesky pet odors! Pt.2 - 06/23/11 02:00 PM
Ah what a difference it makes when you decide to present your home as fabulous, not as is!It may not be the easy route to take, but when you do take the trouble to update your home as needed (master baths and kitchens should be on the top of your list), and make sure it's clean and organized (no giant waterfalls of clutter to greet buyers when they open your closet doors), you will reap the benefits.Your home will sell in less time and for more money because that's what it takes these days to get a home sold. Buyers are … (2 comments)

home stager: I've staged my home... now what? - 02/09/11 02:48 AM
Okay your home stager just left and your house looks great. You've done everything on your list.The house looks better than it ever has before. Everything that could be donated or sold has been (you're already plugging the tax deduction into your 2011 taxes). All that extra furniture has been put in storage and all the extra "stuff" has been boxed up and packed away too. The kitchen counter has been cleared off and the kitchen and bathrooms are spotless! Fluffy white towels are hanging in the master bath, the closets are organized (wow who knew color coordinating your hanging clothes … (16 comments)

home stager: 2011 Home Gain Survey Shows Home Staging Returns 299% ROI - 01/20/11 03:37 AM
If you haven't seen the new 2011 Home Gain survey here are the results:

 
Out of the Top 10 recommended improvements, STAGING is the No. 3 improvement home sellers should make when selling their home according to the national Home Gain Survey. The recommendations are based on ROI or return on investment for each improvement.
Staging returns almost 300% of a sellers investment. How is this return calculated? Increased sales price!
#1 Improvement is cleaning and de-cluttering
#2 Improvement is lightening and brightening
#3 Improvement is Staging
Actually most home staging incorporates those #1 and #2 improvements as well!
… (14 comments)

home stager: Do you REALLY want to sell your home? Take control. - 09/15/10 05:15 AM
If you really want to sell your home then you are going to have to make some changes. Changes to your lifestyle (no more leaving dishes in the sink or an unmade bed), changes to the way you view your home (it's now a commodity on the open market), and the biggest challenge of all is not taking it personally when someone doesn't love your home. Change can create stressful feelings in most of us. By nature we are creatures of habit. The habits we form help us create order out of our sometimes chaotic world!Moving is change, there is no … (16 comments)

home stager: Give your home some love and get some buzz back. - 05/04/09 01:46 PM
This is what makes it so satisfying to be a home stager. Today I got a call from the realtor. In less than ten days since I staged this home, they have received not one, but three offers for this property. Woohoo! Now there was nothing wrong with this home. It has a gorgeous updated kitchen and lush private backyard. But it has been on the market since November of 2008.
Before it was open and open to interpretation!

After there's a space for dining and entertaining!
While I was previewing it with the realtor before staging, the home was … (15 comments)

home stager: Don't break up with your Buyers before you tie the knot. - 03/13/09 07:50 AM
One of the challenges of marketing staging is coming up with a quick and easy way for our clients to grasp the benefits of staging their home. Call it the elevator speech, your value proposition or marketing you. When we go on a consultation with a client, or meet a real estate agent for the first time, part of the challenge is explaining the concept of staging so they "get it" and clearly see the benefits. Although statistics are very meaningful to me, when I quote them I often get the feeling my clients turn off.  When you are quoting numbers, … (8 comments)

home stager: Go with the flow! - 01/22/09 01:07 PM
One of the biggest challenges when staging a property is compensating for a bad floor plan. No matter how beautiful the home is if the rooms don't flow naturally into each other with space for a variety of furniture arrangements, your buyers are gong to be walking out the door to the next home for sale.Homes that have been gutted, remodeled and added onto are a good example.  The original floor plan gets updated from the small boxy rooms of the past into the open spaces we live in today... but sometimes flow and liveability get lost in the translation.
We … (2 comments)

home stager: How I "staged" an Interview room for the Lonestar Film Festival. - 11/13/08 04:44 AM
Well you never know who is going to need your staging services!  A couple of weeks ago I got a referral call from the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau. They were looking for someone to design and stage their meeting room to function as a media interview space for the Lonestar Film Festival which started here in Fort Worth yesterday. They weren't sure what they needed but they wanted it to look hip and modern. More MTV than Cowtown! Oh and there was virtually no budget as this is a non-profit. The first person I contacted was my rep, Diana,  … (9 comments)