Home Staging Blog

I did something I haven’t done in a long time this past weekend.  I took a few days off and spent them relaxing and having fun!  Somehow, one of our trusty Bungee Cords snuck on the trip with us though, and geez, did it come in handy.

Coco, our adorable pup went up to Cambria with us for the weekend.  After a stroll along the boardwalk, we retired in our room to relax and prepare for a drive up to Carmel.  But when we got up, the leash was no where to be found.  Not wanting to delay getting started on the drive, we just headed up the coast, certain we could pick up a leash at one of the stops along the way.

 But at none of the stops we made did they carry a leash!  When I spotted a lone Bungee Cord holding the folding chair in place I knew the problem was solved.

Coco wasn’t too sure what to think at first, but after a few minutes of walking around Big Sur on a Bungee Cord leash, she was sold.  She was perfectly happy to continue the weekend with the Bungee Cord.  I never knew when I invested in those packs of cords how handy they would turn out to be.  Just make sure you don’t strap anything down too tight-we found out the hard way they take off like rockets!

Maybe I should put some in my Saab too - you never know what new use we might discover…

I’ve received several inquiries this past week about whether or not the furniture and accessories we use are available for sale.  Most Home Stagers will make their inventory available to buyers if asked.

 The purpose of Home Staging is to show the home in its best light.  Having beautiful pieces to work with helps, but the furniture is not the focus, the house is.  However it is important to keep the scale and proportion of the furnishings appropriate to the size of the room. 

I have visited homes with some truly amazing furniture, but because they were not in scale with the home, neither the furniture nor the home could be appreciated.  Home Stagers will choose furnishings that will complement the home and in so doing, will also allow the furniture’s beauty to shine. 

So if you see something special in a home for sale that you would like to purchase for your new home, just ask your agent to find out if it is available for sale.  The goal of the Home Stager is to get the home sold, but if someone loves the dresser too, they might consider selling it. 

I’ve received several staging tele-coaching questions the past couple weeks regarding small back yards and how to make them feel larger. (By the way, when sending a Home Staging tele-coach question, it helps if you include a picture so you can get a more personalized answer!)

I suggest that you approach a small yard just as you would a small room.  That is to layer it, give it dimension; draw the buyer’s eyes in to the space.  Just be sure not to overcrowd it.  And give it a focal point.  Something for the eyes to rest on.

The use of plants in varying shapes, sizes and colors yet with uniformity will give your outdoor room a sense of balance and harmony.  Keep the taller specimens towards the back and layer them until you have smaller ones along the edge. 

You can also use nice potted plants if you have a lot of concrete.  Avoid using lots of little pots.  Instead, choose a substantial pot and create a beautiful arrangement within it.  The look will be clean and professional.  And the larger the pot, the less you have to worry about them drying out quickly.

Happy Birthday Amy!  Another great reason to celebrate today!  We had the opportunity to bring the family together to celebrate Amy’s 24th.  Grandma Shirley even drove down to spend the day with us!

 Amy Stages with us part time and we fondly call her “The Beauty”.  She’s definitely the sparkle at each job she helps us with.  Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s hard working, creative, generous and by the way, she’s my youngest daughter.  A very special young lady indeed.

Happy Birthday Amy!  Enjoy the rest of the day!  Love you!!!

Mom

xxoo