In the world of Staging, there are heros....Jennie Norris is one such hero: http://www.sensationalhome.com/ I think you will agree with me that in her following article Jennie has hit the nail on the head, not once, but five times:
Here are FIVE things you will NEVER hear me say:
1. You have no taste!
2. What were you thinking!
3. These woods or colors don’t match.
4. Your things are outdated.
5. You need to replace all your things to get a Buyer.
1. Your taste is your own.
Home Staging is not about the “things” in your house. It is about featuring the house and the floor plan for the Buyer. Your things may be worn, may be a bit dated, but that’s OK. We are not selling your furniture. The Buyers have furniture – they just need to see if it will fit and so they use your furnishings to get an approximation of scale and size visually, and this helps them mentally move in to your house.
2. Your things are what you enjoy.
Who am I to come and tell you that you have the “wrong things” in your house? If you like a particular color or collect certain things, that’s your choice. Again as I have learned from Barb Schwarz, “The way you live in your home, and the way we market and sell a house are two different things.” So I focus on things that could be potentially distracting to Buyers. When people are walking through your house, they do get easily distracted by photos, collections, and anything that is too “incredible” to leave out – as that becomes the only thing the Buyers remember about your house. So, you do have to make changes to Stage your house for sale, but they are not done to criticize you or your belongings.
3. Matchy-Smatchy.
Your furniture woods don’t have to match – in fact we don’t’ really need to focus on that at all when we Stage your house. People that come and tell you that “your things are all wrong” are focusing on the “stuff” and not the space. They must not have gotten the memo that the “eclectic look is in” and we can do wonders with what you have by simply reducing, rearranging, and possibly refreshing with a little “WOW Factor” inventory.
4. Most people don’t replace their furniture every season so guess what – their things are “outdated.”
My own house has things we’ve owned for 10 years or longer. I am not going to replace all my furniture any more than you should be expected to. That is not realistic. A house that is dated can still be Staged and reflect the best way for Buyers. Of course, if you have dated fixtures and colors, those are easy fixes for Selling and as your Home Stager, I am going to suggest making improvements as your budget allows. However, if you tell me you don’t have any extra money, then I am going to successfully work with what you have and make it look the best for Buyers. That is what I am trained to do as an ASP® – I use my Creativity and Ideas to Stage – and don’t just rely solely on your money to replace and upgrade everything.
5. Please don’t fall into this trap.
Even if you have a very high end house – don’t fall into the trap of “you must remove all your things and we will bring in rental furnishings to get your house sold.” Now if your house is vacant, yes, you do need to rent some things. But if you have furniture in your house, I can work with that. I may bring in some added “pizzazz” with décor or key Staging items, but I am never going to tell you that all your stuff has to be removed in order to sell. Anyone that does that is focused on money and not the goal of selling your house. It makes me cringe inside when I hear that some Sellers are being gouged in the tens-of-thousands of dollars to Stage their house with some supposed “stager” (usually some other profession cloaked in the guise of Staging) – that convinces them the only way their house will sell is with all new stuff. Ouch.
When you want an honest assessment of what to do to put your house on the market to get the best price in the shortest time, please make sure to work with an Accredited Staging Professional® (ASP®) Home Stager or a ASP Master.
You can find an ASP on the http://www.stagedhomes.com/ directory or http://www.iahsp.com/ membership directory. ASPs are licensed and insured to do business in the areas where they serve and are specifically trained to prepare houses for sale.
Don't you just love how Jennie thinks? I know I do! And I am proud to be part of a professional organization that holds such high standards of ethical behavior. Life isn't all about the bottom line....and neither is staging.
If you reside in the greater Seattle region, I would be happy to assist you or your client in preparing your house or listing for sale.
My commitment to all my clients – one that any ASP will share - is that I will provide an honest assessment and work with your budget and timeframe to successfully Stage the house for sale.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
What is Staging....Why do you need an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP)
What is Staging and Why Do You Need an Accredited Staging Professional®?
The moment home owners decide to put their homes on the market the properties they’ve lived in effectively become products. Their real estate agents assess a sales price, devise a marketing plan to get the home sold and prepare to put the listing in the multiple listing service.
Especially given today’s market conditions, homes will compete against a huge inventory of available homes. Now more than ever, especially in the current buyer’s market, it’s extremely important to make a listing stand out in the marketplace.
The moment home owners decide to put their homes on the market the properties they’ve lived in effectively become products. Their real estate agents assess a sales price, devise a marketing plan to get the home sold and prepare to put the listing in the multiple listing service.
Especially given today’s market conditions, homes will compete against a huge inventory of available homes. Now more than ever, especially in the current buyer’s market, it’s extremely important to make a listing stand out in the marketplace.
So what can consumers and their agents do to catch the attention of home buyers?
They need to:
Make the first impression of the home positive and inviting.
Enable buyers to envision themselves living in the home.
Show the full potential of the home.
Make the home visually appealing for online listings.
In short, sellers and the real estate agents representing them need to Stage their homes with the assistance of an Accredited Staging Professional®.
Defining Home Staging
Home Staging is professionally preparing homes for sale, so that they appeal to the most amount of buyers and generate the highest price in the least amount of time on market. Staged Homes traditionally present themselves better than the competition by being clean, clutter-free, and ready to show to prospective buyers.
Home Staging is NOT decorating, fluffing, interior design or redesign. Instead, Home Staging is detailing, de-cluttering, depersonalizing and preparing a seller’s home to give it a “model home” appearance so that the potential buyer can “see” themselves living in the home.
Introducing the Accredited Staging® Professional®
Accredited Staging Professionals® are dedicated professionals who have studied and learned the proven and powerful techniques of Staging® homes with two primary goals: sell faster and for a higher price.
Accredited Staging Professional® have successfully attended and graduated from the ASP® course and have passed a required thorough examination on preparing homes for sale to earn the Accredited Home Staging Professional® Designation.
Accredited Staging Professionals® are committed to the principles and practices of marketing properties as Staged Homes
By their membership and participation in the International Home Staging Association, IAHSP®, ASPs® are held to professional ethical standards as they follow the IAHSP® Home Staging Code of Ethics.
Must pass a detailed written examination in the ASP® class. The test is 10 pages in length and created by Barb Schwarz, The actual Creator of Home Staging
ASPs® are taught to follow the below in the ASP® Course as they earn their ASP® Designation:
Renew yearly their detailed ASP® License agreement of membership with Stagedhomes.com, the World’s Leader in Home Staging Education
Agree to and uphold the ASP® Code of Ethics
Agree to and Uphold the ASP® Consumer Foundation of Service Creed
A Business license for their ASP® Staging Business as an ASP® Stager.
A Real Estate License if they are an ASP® Real Estate Agent.
Staging Insurance as an ASP® Stager
Error and Omissions insurance as an ASP® Real Estate Agent.
A Sales Tax ID number in the state where they work as an ASP® Stager
A commercial Checking account for their Business
To continue their education by returning to additional ASP® Courses to stay up to date in the Home Staging Industry and their ASP® Designation.
Hold current active membership in The International Association of Home Staging Professionals®
IAHSP® and the ASP® Designation are the benchmark association and designation and have been established and strongly built over many, many decades of time. This helps the public know that ASPs® are the true proven leaders in the Home Staging Industry as they serve their clients and consumers where they live and work.
About the Accredited Staging® Professional, ASP®, and Master®, ASPM®, Courses:
The Accredited Staging Professional® Course and the Accredited Staging Professional® Master Course were created by Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging, President and CEO of Stagedhomes.com and the International Association of Home Staging® Professionals. Schwarz developed the concept of Home Staging® in the early 1970’s and has since educated more than one-million people on the subject. She is a nationally known and award-winning speaker, author and trainer.
About Stagedhomes.com:
Training one person at a time; Staging® one home at a time; and empowering one family at a time through the magic of ASP® Home Staging®. We are dedicated to change what worked yesterday for what now excels today, and that which opens the way to tomorrow through the world of ASP® Home Staging® and Training at Stagedhomes.com
About the International Association of Home Staging® Professionals® Foundation, IAHSP®:
The International Association of Home Staging Professionals® (IAHSP®) Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging®, organizes the annual World Wide Staging Service Week, when local chapters around the United States and Canada participate in a week-long event to improve the lives of others through the magic of Home Staging®. Past benefactors have included improving such places as the Ronald McDonald House, nursing homes, schools, women’s shelters and assisting individuals who may be in need of selling their homes or businesses.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Your house is for sale...Congratulations!
Your home is not for sale, but your house is! Congratulations!
You’ve made the decision to sell your house! You will soon realize that now is the time to prepare yourself to move into the marketing mode because you will soon be presenting your home to your market…the home Buyer.
Getting Mentally Prepared
• Your home has become a product. It can be difficult to think of a home as a mere product, but it helps to do this in order to get top dollar and sell it in a reasonable amount of time.
• That product is your house. Your home will become the new residence you choose—How exciting!
• You want to sell that product.
• As with any product for sale, your house will have to be marketed.
• Before you can market it, you must determine how you will package it.
• You want to package your house so that it is attractive to customers (in this case, the home Buyer) because you want them to choose your house and not the competition. To gain an edge in your marketplace, you must be priced right and look better than the competition! The best, proven way to package your house and gain that competitive edge is to…
STAGE IT!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Quick Tips for Staging Your Home
Bedroom Before:
The homeowner has decorated to her taste...personal decorating is a wonderful thing to have in your bedroom...when you are not selling your home. Remember, staging is not about "decorating"!
Bedroom After:
It isn't always required to paint before staging...we can neutralize the paint with soft choices in the material...bringing in neutrals will give the eye a place to rest while de-personalizing a very personal space.
Before you show your home to any potential buyer be sure to go through your whole house with your agent to finish the Staging process. Meanwhile, here are some quick tips to help you start.
Follow these general tips and your home will look better than the competition. Staged Homes sell faster and/or for more money!
INSIDE
• Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items. In general, a sparsely decorated home helps the buyer mentally ‘move in’ with their own things.
• Rearrange or remove some of the furniture in your home, if necessary. Many times home owners have too much furniture in a room. When it comes to selling your home, thin out overcrowded rooms to make the rooms appear larger.
• Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn’t been used for three months…put it away! Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, magnets, pictures, etc.
• In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from the countertops, tub, shower stall and commode top. Keep only the most necessary cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels in one or two colors only.
• Take down, reduce, or rearrange pictures and objects on walls. Patch and paint all walls, if necessary.
• Review the house interior, room by room, and:
1. Paint any room needing paint.
2. Clean carpet and draperies that need it.
3. Clean windows.
• If you need room to store extra possessions use the garage or rent a storage unit.
• Leave on certain lights during the day (your agent will show you which ones). During showings turn on ALL lights and lamps.
• Play light FM music every day in the house, for all viewings.
Get ready to move... START PACKING!
OUTSIDE:
• Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., to the garage or, if applicable, take them to the dump.
• Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss. Make sure they are swept & cleaned.
• Look at all plants. Plants are like children…they grow so fast. Prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows: “You can’t sell a house if you can’t see it!”
• Remove any dead plants, weed all planting areas and put down fresh mulching material.
• Keep your lawn freshly cut, edged and fertilized during the growing season.
• Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as little planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbeques, toys, etc.
• Check the condition of the paint on your home, especially the trim and the front door. The first impression, or ‘curb appeal,’ is very important.
IN GENERAL
Try to look at your house “through a buyer’s eyes,” as though you’ve never seen it before. This exercise will help you see what needs to be done. Any time and money invested on these items will usually bring you the return of more money and a quicker sale.
Working together, you and your Accredited Staging Professiona™l make a WINNING TEAM!
www.StagedHomes.com
Follow these general tips and your home will look better than the competition. Staged Homes sell faster and/or for more money!
INSIDE
• Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items. In general, a sparsely decorated home helps the buyer mentally ‘move in’ with their own things.
• Rearrange or remove some of the furniture in your home, if necessary. Many times home owners have too much furniture in a room. When it comes to selling your home, thin out overcrowded rooms to make the rooms appear larger.
• Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn’t been used for three months…put it away! Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, magnets, pictures, etc.
• In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from the countertops, tub, shower stall and commode top. Keep only the most necessary cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels in one or two colors only.
• Take down, reduce, or rearrange pictures and objects on walls. Patch and paint all walls, if necessary.
• Review the house interior, room by room, and:
1. Paint any room needing paint.
2. Clean carpet and draperies that need it.
3. Clean windows.
• If you need room to store extra possessions use the garage or rent a storage unit.
• Leave on certain lights during the day (your agent will show you which ones). During showings turn on ALL lights and lamps.
• Play light FM music every day in the house, for all viewings.
Get ready to move... START PACKING!
OUTSIDE:
• Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., to the garage or, if applicable, take them to the dump.
• Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss. Make sure they are swept & cleaned.
• Look at all plants. Plants are like children…they grow so fast. Prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows: “You can’t sell a house if you can’t see it!”
• Remove any dead plants, weed all planting areas and put down fresh mulching material.
• Keep your lawn freshly cut, edged and fertilized during the growing season.
• Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as little planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbeques, toys, etc.
• Check the condition of the paint on your home, especially the trim and the front door. The first impression, or ‘curb appeal,’ is very important.
IN GENERAL
Try to look at your house “through a buyer’s eyes,” as though you’ve never seen it before. This exercise will help you see what needs to be done. Any time and money invested on these items will usually bring you the return of more money and a quicker sale.
Working together, you and your Accredited Staging Professiona™l make a WINNING TEAM!
www.StagedHomes.com
Sweet Endings
I went on a consultation...spent an hour with a delightful homeowner....walked the property inside and out and came up with an extensive list of recommendations for getting her property ready for going on the market.
Not all consultations end with a signed Agreement....some homeowners are DIY all the way, but I think there should be a sweet ending to every Blue Ribbon Experience :)
...Don't you agree?
Call me, we'll do a walk about :)
Not all consultations end with a signed Agreement....some homeowners are DIY all the way, but I think there should be a sweet ending to every Blue Ribbon Experience :)
...Don't you agree?
Call me, we'll do a walk about :)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Staging Advantage
Home Staging is the very best proven way to get top dollar for your home as you prepare it for sale.Homes that are Staged with an ASP Professional Home Stager sell faster and for more money! This is because Staging sets the scene throughout the house to create immediate buyer interest in your property. This will then lead to your home selling for the highest possible price in today's market.
Remember, "The way you live in your home, and the way you market and sell your house are two different things." This gives you "The Staged Homes Advantage®"
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
What is Staging
What is Staging and Why Do You Need anAccredited Staging Professional®?
The moment home owners decide to put their homes on the market the properties they’ve lived in effectively become products. Their real estate agents assess a sales price, devise a marketing plan to get the home sold and prepare to put the listing in the multiple listing service.
Especially given today’s market conditions, homes will compete against a huge inventory of available homes. Now more than ever, especially in the current buyer’s market, it’s extremely important to make a listing stand out in the marketplace.
So what can consumers and their agents do to catch the attention of home buyers? They need to:
· Make the first impression of the home positive and inviting
· Enable buyers to envision themselves living in the home
· Show the full potential of the home
· Make the home visually appealing for online listings
· Make the first impression of the home positive and inviting
· Enable buyers to envision themselves living in the home
· Show the full potential of the home
· Make the home visually appealing for online listings
In short, sellers and the real estate agents representing them need to Stage their homes with the assistance of an Accredited Staging Professional®.
Home Staging is professionally preparing homes for sale, so that they appeal to the most amount of buyers and generate the highest price in the least amount of time on market. Staged Homes traditionally present themselves better than the competition by being clean, clutter-free, and ready to show to prospective buyers.
Home Staging is NOT decorating, fluffing, interior design or redesign. Instead, Home Staging is detailing, de-cluttering, depersonalizing and preparing a seller's home to give it a "model home" appearance so that the potential buyer can "see" themselves living in the home.
· Accredited Staging Professionals® are dedicated professionals who have studied and learned the proven and powerful techniques of Staging® homes with two primary goals: sell faster and for a higher price.
· Accredited Staging Professional® have successfully attended and graduated from the ASP® course and have passed a required thorough examination on preparing homes for sale to earn the Accredited Home Staging Professional® Designation.
· Must pass a detailed written examination in the ASP® class. The test is 10 pages in length and created by Barb Schwarz, The actual Creator of Home Staging
· Accredited Staging Professionals® are committed to the principles and practices of marketing properties as Staged Homes
· By their membership and participation in the International Home Staging Association, IAHSP®, ASPs® are held to professional ethical standards as they follow the IAHSP® Home Staging Code of Ethics.
ASPs® are taught to follow the below in the ASP® Course as they earn their ASP® Designation:
· Renew yearly their detailed ASP® License agreement of membership with Stagedhomes.com, the World's Leader in Home Staging Education
· Agree to and uphold the ASP® Code of Ethics
· Agree to and Uphold the ASP® Consumer Foundation of Service Creed
· A Business license for their ASP® Staging Business as an ASP® Stager.
· A Real Estate License if they are an ASP® Real Estate Agent.
· Staging Insurance as an ASP® Stager
· Error and Omissions insurance as an ASP® Real Estate Agent.
· A Sales Tax ID number in the state where they work as an ASP® Stager
· A commercial Checking account for their Business
· To continue their education by returning to additional ASP® Courses to stay up to date in the Home Staging Industry and their ASP® Designation.
· Hold current active membership in The International Association of Home Staging Professionals®
· Renew yearly their detailed ASP® License agreement of membership with Stagedhomes.com, the World's Leader in Home Staging Education
· Agree to and uphold the ASP® Code of Ethics
· Agree to and Uphold the ASP® Consumer Foundation of Service Creed
· A Business license for their ASP® Staging Business as an ASP® Stager.
· A Real Estate License if they are an ASP® Real Estate Agent.
· Staging Insurance as an ASP® Stager
· Error and Omissions insurance as an ASP® Real Estate Agent.
· A Sales Tax ID number in the state where they work as an ASP® Stager
· A commercial Checking account for their Business
· To continue their education by returning to additional ASP® Courses to stay up to date in the Home Staging Industry and their ASP® Designation.
· Hold current active membership in The International Association of Home Staging Professionals®
IAHSP® and the ASP® Designation are the benchmark association and designation and have been established and strongly built over many, many decades of time. This helps the public know that ASPs® are the true proven leaders in the Home Staging Industry as they serve their clients and consumers where they live and work.
The Accredited Staging Professional® Course was created by Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging®, President and CEO of Stagedhomes.com and the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Schwarz developed the concept of Home Staging in the early 1970's and has since educated more than one-million people on the subject. She is a nationally known and award-winning speaker, author and trainer.
Stagedhomes.com Training one person at a time; Staging one home at a time; and empowering one family at a time through the magic of ASP® Home Staging.
We are dedicated to change what worked yesterday for what now excels today, and that which opens the way to tomorrow through the world of ASP® Home Staging and Training at Stagedhomes.com
The International Association of Home Staging Professionals® (IAHSP®) Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging®, organizes the annual World Wide Staging Service Week, when local chapters around the United States and Canada participate in a week-long event to improve the lives of others through the magic of Home Staging. Past benefactors have included improving such places as the Ronald McDonald House, nursing homes, schools, women’s shelters and assisting individuals who may be in need of selling their homes or businesses.
The International Association of Home Staging Professionals® (IAHSP®) Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging®, organizes the annual World Wide Staging Service Week, when local chapters around the United States and Canada participate in a week-long event to improve the lives of others through the magic of Home Staging. Past benefactors have included improving such places as the Ronald McDonald House, nursing homes, schools, women’s shelters and assisting individuals who may be in need of selling their homes or businesses.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Gaining Ground
So it is that life comes at us...sometimes in giant leaps...and sometimes in baby steps.
I am reminded that this new life of mine is coming in baby steps. First the idea to stage, then the decision to register...and make plans to attend the training..and pay attention...and ask questions...and contribute, and finally to graduate.
Then the sorting of all the new information into a new set of steps all its own. Sort and settle on a company name, design my logo, create the cards, design a brochure...and on and on the list of steps goes.
And somewhere in there is the actual work of Staging...but where does it all fit together. And when does the dream slide over into reality? I wonder, I ponder, I plan, and still, I wait.
Yet in between the steps, I do! I actually DO!
I make the decision to go! I become an active member of my professional community. I answer the call to assist and I show up.
I make the decision to contribute. Contributing is more than merely showing up. It's taking the risk of putting a piece of my heart out there. It's the risk of the unknown, again. It's experiencing my first day of real life Staging. It is tiring, exhausting, exhilarating, and invigorating. And in the end it is knowing that I have found my Bliss.
I make the decision to be involved. I get invited to be on the Board. To give of my time, my talents, my energy, and my heart. Perhaps in this particular venture I am a novice, and still in the grander scheme of things, I am experienced in the pieces that make up the whole..so I say, "Yes!"
And one wonderful day, when the first of my "to do's" can be checked off as "done", I get the call to solo...and a Consultation is mine. The call has been mine to make. The appointment on the calendar bears my name. The card I leave, the brochure I drop off, the first and last impression...are all mine.
I am not yet soaring, nor am I flying. I don't even imagine I am yet running or even walking, but crawling?...I most definately am crawling.
And this my friend, is advancement.
This is certainly forward movement.
And this is absolutely gaining ground.
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