Professional Home Staging Blog

Holiday Staging Tips

2010-11-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

The question comes up all the time “Should we list a home during the holidays!” Not only should it be listed, but it should be staged. Let’s look at some facts.

The real estate market is no longer just seasonal, where families wait for the summer to move because of their school aged children. According to the US Census Bureau more people, especially those over the age of 45, are moving after the school year has begun. Empty nesters for example tend to move in late fall and late winter. Many of these buyers are actively looking for homes during the holidays, and they are serious.

Non traditional buyers are an increasingly important factor in the home buying market. According to the National Association of Realtors 18% of home buyers are single women, 11% are single men and 5% are unmarried couples. Adding to this increasing market are year round school families and corporate transfers. To the sellers the winter months can be advantageous because there are fewer homes on the market. Less inventory can mean less competition.

Taking in the romance and sentimentality of the holidays with a professionally staged home gives you the recipe for a successful sale. Staging during the holiday appeals to all the senses. Here are some holiday staging tips to remember.

* Sight: Use amber-colored lights that give off a rich warm glow. Switch out your regular white light bulbs to create a warm feeling. Use seasonal items, such as poinsettias, evergreen branches and colored ribbons. Avoid displaying any religious icons.

* Touch: Add velvet and silk to table tops for softness. By seeing smooth textures the brain registers the feeling of warmth and softness.

* Sound: Play gentle well known music without words. The music makes the buyer feel light and happy and sets the mood.

* Smell: Simmer cider with orange slice and cinnamon. Avoid using artificial spray as many people have reactions to the chemicals. Fresh cut evergreen branches are another great idea.

* Taste: Believe it or not. YES! The sense of smell contributes to the sense of taste. Treat the prospective buyer to some chocolate chip cookies or cinnamon muffins. Bake one hour before a showing.

Homes do sell during the holidays! Professionally staged homes stand out from the crowd. Buyers spend more time in a home that has been staged for the holidays. The prospective buyers will envision spending their next holiday season in your holiday staged listing.

Understand the Many Uses of Home Staging

2010-03-25T04:22:00.000-07:00

You may of heard about home staging services, yet don't fully realize all of the tasks home staging professionals can address for you. Consider the following implementations:

- Home staging professionals can also be regarded as interior designers. Many people have difficulties dressing the interior of their home. Staging professionals facilitate the process so you're able to dress your home beautifully without any impediments. Home designers love the process, so a client can be as involved or distant from the interior design process as they would like.

- Real estate agents and private owners seek the help of professional home staging services when trying to sell a home. Beforehand, a home's interior may adopt the style of its owner, lacking the zest needed to appeal to future, potential buyers. Professional home staging services can dress your home to attract your target market.

- There are so many colors an owner can implement into their home's interior. Home staging professionals can provide color consultations to help the home owner achieve their desired outcome. Get suggestions regarding your paint, fabric, flooring, and furniture. Professionals use their experience to achieve a color harmony throughout your home.

- Builders may want to complement their foundational work with interior design work in order to make the new homes more appealing to buyers. Home staging professionals can dress new home models so they seem more inviting and warm to potential buyers.

- Model homes are leveraged to give potential buyers a sense of how new home models will look. In addition to the general layout, potential buyers can be influenced by how the home is dressed. Emulating the look of a lived-in home makes the model appear more realistic and can further prompt a buyer to action.

Home Staging Secrets

2010-03-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

I truly believe that staging sells! When buyers walk into a well styled, clutter free, visually appealing home, they easily see the potential and beauty in the house. Not only can it help get a house off the market quickly, it can help bring in offers closer to the price you wish to obtain.

Check out this article for some of the many secrets that home staging professionals bring to up the sale of your property...

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/13-home-staging-secrets/pictures/index.html

Understanding Home Staging Services

2010-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Homes can be considered products such as shoes, jeans, flowers, etc. It is the seller's job to present the product in an appealing manner in order to entice buyers to react. A house on the market may need to look differently than a home that is settled by a family. In order for real estate agents to make a sale, the home must look inviting and receptive to a large pool of people rather than exhibiting the style of one family. How are real estate agents able to appeal to potential buyers? Home staging services is the answer.

Home staging and design is performed so the house can compete with others on the market, and ultimately, outshine the competition in alluring buyers. Regardless of price and location, home staging professionals use a set of guidelines to review your house for compliance. Based on preset standards, necessary changes are made and a certificate is granted.

A home staging certificate is attractive to real estate agents because this tells them that the home is ready for show. Agents understand that a beautifully-staged home is going to sell faster and look more appealing to potential buyers.

The worth of interior design home staging is easy to prove to real estate agents, yet some homeowners are not aware of the advantages. Some homeowners may be under the impression that showing their home as it is can entice buyers; they may believe their own sense of style and interior decorating is enough to intrigue any buyer in the market. This is not always or often true. Such a belief can cost the homeowner time and money regarding the sale of the house.

Many houses on the market have been modified by professional home staging services. These houses are in a good position to sell quickly in comparison to a home that looks cluttered, overwhelming, and 'lived in'. Of course, the buyer may understand it is a previously-owned home, yet they want to envision it as a 'new' home. Home staging and design makes the home appear brand new rather than used.

Are you looking to sell your house? Has your home been on the market for too long? Think about improving the look of your 'product'. Think about using home staging services.

Professional Homestaging and Design on YouTube!

2010-01-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

Professional Homestaging and Design has posted their first video on YouTube.

The video contains various photos of rooms that we have staged and is intended to help provide examples of our work for our clients.

Click the link below to watch the video on YouTube right now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r1n7MNd9KY

Floor to Ceiling: GREEN

2010-01-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

When preparing your home for sale, keep in mind that many buyers are thinking green – not only in terms of how much “green” they need to give you but how much “green” they’ll be getting back with their new home.

There are several ways to help improve your green thumbprint in your home.

Starting from the ground up, there are currently several green and sustainable options for stylish and durable flooring. Bamboo, cork, leather, sustainable/ reclaimed wood, recycled tile, and stained concrete are just a few of the options available to you. These varying materials and product styles allow you to create the ideal atmosphere for your particular style of home to make it appealing to the most buyers. Not only are these items stylish, they are also good for the environment AND the health of the residents of your home. Carpets not only give off toxins, but also can aggravate allergies.

Moving up to eye level in your home, if your budget allows, it is recommended to purchase EnergyStar appliances. You can create added appeal and dollar signs to your potential offers with energy efficient refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and/or microwave. More information on EnergyStar appliances can be found at www.energystar.gov.

More budget friendly options for creating a green environment in your home are as simple as refreshing your home with a few coats of zero/low VOC paints and using compact fluorescent bulbs to light up your home. Volatile organic compounds release as toxic gases into the home when painted. Zero to low VOC paints cut down on these gases and make your home more appealing to buyers. Replace incandescent bulbs with CFB’s in overhead lighting/fans, task lighting, table lamps, and exterior lighting for biggest impact. CFB’s save money in the long-run and come in many new styles/hues to help you light up the home of your potential buyer’s dreams.

Doing one or all of these green improvements to your home will help you bring in the most green with every offer you receive.

For staging green options, check out Professional Home Staging and Design. They offer many environmentally friendly techniques and services to get your home sold fast!

The Importance of "The Pause Effect"- Part 1

2010-01-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

The "Pause Effect" is what I like to call the 2-5 seconds extra a potential buyer spends looking at a certain MLS listing photo over others posted online.

With potential home buyers spending hours clicking through photos online, what can a listing agent do to make the potential buyer "pause" on theirs?

To find this out I went to the source, potential buyers.

While speaking with potential buyers in the Raleigh/Durham area, I asked "What makes you "pause" when looking at photos online as opposed to just clicking through?"

I received various responses, here are some of them:

"When I see an empty room I just look at wall color, flooring, and size, then click"

"If the photos look blurry it irritates me and I probably won't even look at the rest of the pictures"

"I like seeing how they (the owner) decorated their house to see if my furniture would fit"

"I'll pause to look at the trash they have piled up"

After receiving the initial responses from the potential buyers, I asked them about the importance of the decor specifically.

Here are some of the responses I received:

"Sometimes you can tell how old a home is by the decor"

"If they don't have nice furniture I'll sometime pause to tell my husband to come look at how bad it is"

Taking these critiques into consideration, you now know that their are two types of pauses that can occur: Positive and Negative.

In part 2 of this blog I will delve deeper into how to create a Positive Pause Effect and the positive results that will occur!

If you are looking to sell your home and want to increase your "Pause Effect", we can help. Professional Home Staging and Design is experienced in creating a look to sell!

Add "Green" to Your Interior Design Palette (literally)

2009-12-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

Adding "green" to your interior space can be challenging, but it can also be a creative and fun experience. Today, more and more manufacturers are working closely with designers to develop a wide range of options in environmentally friendly materials that are recycled, reclaimed, organic and/or renewable. For every product used in an interior environment, there is usually a greener option that can be used such as eco-friendly paints.

There is a world of color waiting for you when it comes to eco-friendly paints. And the color Green is one of them. In the Chinese art of Feng Shui, Green is the color of renewal, fresh energy and new beginnings. Green is very nourishing to your health, it calms your nerves and balances your whole body by bringing healing Feng Shui vibrations from Nature. When working with Green color in Feng Shui, it is important to have at least several different shades in order to maximize its Feng Shui energy effects.

Many of the most popular names in the paint industry now offer more environmentally safe options. The main concern in paint is the VOC level (Volatile Organic Compounds) found in paints, coatings, and adhesives. VOCs affect the indoor air quality of an environment because they contain toxic substances that can be hazardous to our health.

Although the low-VOC or no-VOC paints may be a bit more expensive, they are well worth the peace of mind. It is refreshing in more ways than one to know that the air you breathe in a newly painted room won't make you sick.

As you can see, there are many ways to be "green" in an interior space, and hopefully we have provided you with one of many ideas that will inspire you to create a space that not only looks good, but is also healthy and eco friendly green interior design.

Make a Wreath as a Home Staging Project

2009-11-10T05:16:00.000-08:00

Home staging services can help you with a lot of projects. One of them is interior design home staging. Many people seek help with interior design because it can be an overwhelming project, yet some things can be performed with ease - much to the surprise of many clients. One do-it-yourself project is designing a seasonal wreath. Read the following tips below to help you with this home staging project.

A seasonal wreath can be placed on your main door, above the mantle, or upon any wall comparable to a picture. You can purchase a large or mini wreath at a local farm or craft store. In addition, you can purchase miniature trinkets to place on your wreath, or you can use outside elements or present, home decorations to adorn your seasonal wreath.

Professional home staging takes time, but this interior project can take less than an hour or so. Use a hot glue gun to fix desired elements to your seasonal wreath. For instance, for winter, think about using snowflake decorations; lights from a holiday tree; ornaments from a holiday tree; a miniature Santa with reindeer; as well as seasonal flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The possibilities are limitless! Some mothers prefer to place past holiday cards or pictures from their children to their wreath.

A comprehensive home staging project is better left to professionals, but there are minor, do-it-yourself tasks that can be performed with ease. Wreaths can be maintained or changed due to season, holidays, birthdays, etc.