Home Staging Blog

In Feng Shui, your front door is the mouth of ch’i (energy).  As ch’i enters your door, it will travel through your home and feed your spaces with life giving energy.  To ensure ch’i is encouraged to fill your home with its vitality, make sure your foyer is welcoming.  A few key cures will keep you in top shape, ready to welcome great energy, great opportunities and fill your home with joy!

 Your front door should be easy to locate, clean and always in good repair.  As you enter your home, the area should be well-lit and feel comfortable in size-not cramped or crowded.  A small table to rest your things on is perfect and adding fresh flowers here will enourage the ch’i inside.

If your entry is small, you can make it feel larger with a mirror.  The mirror should be large enough to reflect you and your guest’s entire head.  Be careful with the placement of the mirror though, you don’t want to startle guests by their reflection as they enter your door.  In this case, you can hang artwork with “an open view”.  A nature scene with a wide open view would be perfect here.

If you walk into your home and look straight out the back of your home, chances are the energy is running through your home too quickly and not getting a chance to energize all the spaces.  To slow down the flow of ch’i, you can use furniture placement, potted plants or a small screen to create a meandering path to the back door rather than a straight shot.  You can also place artwork on walls in the room closer to the door to attract the eye and the energy to linger within the front rooms of your home, allowing the ch’i an opportunity to circulate through the other areas before moving on.

When your front door opens in to bright welcome spaces, your home feels inviting.  Inviting energy into your home is much the same as inviting guests, the more welcome and open you are, the more generous and giving the ch’i is.  So give your foyer a little love, a little extra light, and open the door to fresh energy in your life.

Home staging combined with simple home updates, smart pricing and effective marketing will get your Los Angeles home sold fast.  I’ve seen it happen over and over and it can happen for you.

A case in point, we recently staged a home in Westwood, a busy area of Los Angeles close to UCLA, the 405 Freeway and nearby to both Beverly Hills and Santa Monica beach.  Prior to our staging this property, this home had been on the market for 9 months with no offers.  The homeowner decided to hire an agent who specialized in the area with whom we work with on a regular basis.  The agent explained to him the importance and the value of staging a home for sale along with our success rates together and the homeowner agreed to have me come by to take a look at the property.

Upon entering the home, I was met by an entry that had dark smoked glass mirrors on the walls and ceilings.  It may have been cool at one time, but it definitely was not a buyer magnet today.  In fact, it not only did not attract buyers, it turned them away.  The rest of the home was in need of a thorough cleaning, new paint and carpet cleaning, the heavy, dated draperies needed to be removed and the few remaining furniture items that had been left behind from when the owner moved out needed to be attended to.

The agent, knowing that these updates and the home staging would bring the homeowner a faster sale, impressed upon him the value of going forward with the work before putting the property back on the market.  The client agreed.  The agent coordinated between the owner and the contractors to get the work done.  For $1,000.00 worth of paint, carpet & cleaning and $1,800.00 to have the entry mirrors removed, the walls repaired and painted, the home was now ready to be staged properly.

We staged this home, the agent added some fabulous live plants for the outdoor balconies and had it professionally photographed.  Within 20 days, this home was in Escrow with 8 offers and sold for $10,000.00 over the listing price.

Does home staging and a few simple updates make a difference in how quickly a home sells?  I know it does.  Are you doing all you can do to get your home sold quickly and for more money?

Our crew staged 3 model homes in Toluca Lake this past week.  These model homes are ready to be seen and are scheduled for open house this weekend.  Each home is gorgeous and unique in its layout, so be sure to check out each one to find the home that best suits your needs.

These units feature a delightful courtyard in the front of the building.  We added a lovely little bistro table for two.  Once the landscaping has matured, this will be a gorgeous place to sit and relax with a cup of coffee.

Let us know if you are interested in one of these staged homes.  We are happy to provide you with any further information.

Showing your home to strangers is a tough job.  Real estate agents are going to be coming in with buyers that will be making quick assessments of your house and one of the first rooms they will see is your living room.  Trust me on this, having your kid’s toys on display with Elmo greeting them at the door is not going to make a great impression.

An adult’s memorabilia collection can be a sensitive subject when it comes time to pack things up to stage a home, and toys can be an even bigger issue for kids.  Make it easier for them and find a great storage container that matches your decor that can hold a few of their favorites discreetly.  Remove all remaining toys out of the main living areas and return the spaces to adult rooms.  Whether your buyers have children or not, they want to feel like they are buying a grownup’s house, not a nursery school.

If your kids have toys that they have outgrown, discuss with them the option of gifting them to younger children who can enjoy them now.  If their bedrooms are too full of toys and are looking crowded, pack some up and let them know that when they get to their new home, all of their toys will be waiting there for them.  Be sure to label the boxes with the kids so they know you are taking good care of their favorite belongings.

And give Elmo a little hug and tuck him in gently

If you’ve never been to San Marino CA, do yourself a favor and pay them a visit.  It is a great town close to busy Pasadena, the Rose Bowl and just close enough but not too close to Los Angeles.  We staged a great home there last week and spent some time on this quiet street.  It is perfectly close to Starbucks and some great little shops.  The home has a great 4 bedroom, 3 bath floorplan in a classic tradition.

If you are looking for a great home in the East end of the Los Angeles area, do be sure to check this one out.  Just give us a call and we can get you all the details so you can see it for yourself.

Staging a home for sale is no longer a new concept, and in today’s real estate market, it is more important than ever.  Home staging makes every home show better, so if you think that home staging is for other homes, think again; home staging works for everyone, including you.

Home staging is not limited to vacant homes, new construction or homes that are filled to their overflow capacity.  Every home can benefit from home staging because home staging is the process of taking your family home and transforming it into a marketable property that appeals to the widest range of buyers.  A staged home will photograph better, making your real estate agent’s photos on the MLS listing, virtual tours or real estate shows and their flyers more attractive.  And (a fringe benefit), living in a staged home is actually easier to maintain while on the market since you have most likely packed up a lot of extra items. 

 Sounds good, right?

 

Home Staging will improve your marketing results

Talk to your real estate agent about the details of your home before putting it on the market.  Identify any possible trouble areas.  Consult a professional home stager to discuss your project.  Share with them your agent’s thoughts and any concerns you may have.  In addition to the staging information, your stager will have ideas and guidance on any minor repairs that need to be made and on how to best show your home. 

If you have an occupied home, you will need a consultation and possibly a proposal for any rental items, if needed.  If you have a vacant property, most home stagers will provide a home staging proposal at no cost.  Most home stagers do their best to be respectful of your budget, so be candid about your needs up front, but be sure you are choosing the most qualified stager for your project.  Don’t make the mistake of choosing a stager based upon cost alone.  There are cost effective ways to get the most out of your home staging dollars whether they are invested in a staging consultation or a full blown staging installation. 

Make your home look its model-beauty best and let home staging work for you!

Got a great question from someone today looking for some Home Staging Telecoaching advice:

Do you enjoy living in your living room?  Is it comfortable, well lit and conducive to lively conversation?  Or is it one of those fake living rooms that everyone just passes by and no one uses?  Living rooms are an important room in your home, so if you have not been using yours, start using it now and see the change in the quality of your life once you do.

You should feel relaxed and comfortable in your living room.  It should be reflective of your personality and tastes.  The living room is a place to gather for conversation, so be sure the furniture is arranged in such a way as to encourage interaction.  Family and friends should enjoy being in the room.  If you have a fireplace, you can make it a focal point, but be sure that the furniture is still arranged facing each other rather than everything facing the just fireplace.

Photo courtesy of Adamo Photo

The living room is representative of wealth, and everyone is looking for ways to improve their feelings of prosperity.  By using this room and enhancing the energy here, you will see improvements in how you feel about your quality of life.  Using all areas of your home will create balance in all areas of your life.  Be sure that your living room is fun, comfortable and feel the energy moving!

In business, it makes sense that when someone performs a service, they get paid for it.  In real estate, agents get paid a commission for their services, contractors get paid for the work they perform at a job site and home stagers get paid for the work they perform and for the rental of the furniture and accessories they provide.  And while there are some agents with controversial business models that we all know about, lately, I’ve seen some home stagers making pretty strange offers that really make me question what they are thinking of for their business.

I have to wonder when someone offers to “stage for free” in exchange for living in a property, what the situation is for the person offering the “free” service.  Is it truly their business model to “stage for free” in exchange for free housing?  Or, are they out of storage facilities for their inventory?  Or, maybe they’re attempting to farm out their adult children and store inventory at the same time?

I had someone call me today and ask if I’m hiring people to live in my staged jobs.  I hate to think I have a suspicious nature, but I couldn’t help but think, “Does this person not have a place to live?  Does she think people need to pay someone to live in a home to have it show well?  Does she think home staging involves food in the frig, used toothbrushes and laundry?”  Hmmm…

Well as the conversation progressed, it turned out this particular young lady did need a place to live.  She admitted that if she didn’t find a gig living in a staged home, she was going to have to go back to her hometown back East.  Apparently, she had read something in the LA Times that lead her to believe that home staging means having people in a home.  Maybe she’s just been watching a bit too much TV.

The reality is, most real estate agents do not want people in a home when it is being shown.  Buyers want to have the freedom to explore a home and not feel as though they are invading someones privacy.  If buyers are interested in a home, they want to open closets & cupboards and take a look under the sink.  Dirty laundry and discovering someones personal toiletries is never pleasant, no matter how much you love a house.  If you’re the seller of an occupied home, managing these things is tough enough; you don’t need to hire someone to bring their toiletries to your unoccupied home.

So before you get lured by “free” home staging services, consider the value.  The purpose of staging your home is to have it show its best, not to have it occupied with people.  You want it looking good so it will sell, not so you can have someone hanging out with their toothbrush and laundry.

They should be!  Well, maybe not in a knock ‘em, sock ‘em sort of way, but they should be excited about your home and eager to make it their own.  That’s how it was for this seller in Mission Hills whose home just sold.

How did he get these buyers so excited?  Well, he did the prep work necessary to get his home looking its very best for market.  This home was a great home to start with, but he put the polish right where it needed to be.  He freshened up the landscaping and painted both the interior and the exterior, so buyers no sooner than pulled up to the curb and they were able to get excited by what they saw. 

Before, this  home was great, but a little overgrown in some places and in need of some fresh color in others.

                                   

 Now that’s what I call fresh and happy curb appeal! 

Inside, he replaced the dated kitchen and bathroom flooring, old light and bath fixtures and even went the extra mile with new appliances in the kitchen.  This home has one of those entry doors with a window, so as buyers stand on the front porch, they can a see corner of the living room and the view of the amazing back yard.  We simply vignette staged this corner of the living room to frame the view and set the mood for what was awaiting them once they walked in.  We also staged the kitchen & baths and added accent items in a few key places.  And as any of you who have worked with me know, music is a key part of my staging, so of course we set the mood with music.

These colors worked great for the previous owners, but probably wouldn’t work well for all buyers.

                                            

These soft paint tones are soothing, fresh & appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Kitchens are important rooms to buyers.  Simple updates make a huge difference.

                                            

Fresh paint, new grout, new appliances & flooring, a new light in the eating area and just a few colorful accents make this kitchen buyer friendly.

I had the opportunity to host several Open Houses here and I can tell you that every single buyer that walked in that door paused, took a breath and you could read it all over them that they were in love.  Each buyer took their time exploring every nook and cranny.  Some wanted to buy the silk floral arrangements and accent items with the house.  Many relaxed on the chairs in the backyard.  And some buyers didn’t want to leave until until they were sure all other buyers had left the property.

The best compliment is when people walk in and say “Now this is a home, you know what I mean?”  Yes, I do. 

While the seller initially priced the home high for the neighborhood and only had a couple agents stop by, once he finessed the price to match the market value and buyers were coming in droves, he ended up with 8 offers in a weekend and multiple backup offers and selling it for slightly over his final asking price.  Think it’s unique to Mission Hills?  Nope.  We staged a San Gabriel home for my friend Irina who sold that home with multiple offers in the first two weeks of listing.

That’s the power of properly preparing your home for sale, staging it effectively and pricing it correctly.  If you don’t have buyers battling each other over your home, take a look at each part your marketing.  Is your home looking its best?  Is it priced right to get buyers interested enough to drive over to look at it?  Is it being marketed so that agents and buyers are excited about it?  Is it easy to be shown? 

Make the sale of your home a knock ‘em, sock ‘em success!