Home Staging Blog

Folks, if you haven’t noticed, the real estate market has changed, even here in Los Angeles.  If anyone is aware of the changes, it is the real estate agents who deal with it day in and day out.  The agents are out there working with both buyers and sellers, seeing the inventory, seeing what is selling and seeing what is sitting on the market unsold.

And more than that, they are in the position of getting feedback from buyers and agents that are looking at their listings.  A responsible agent will in turn get this information back to the sellers so they are aware of what is happening with their property and how well it is being received.  He will also provide the sellers with recommendations of what they can do to have their property stand out among that competition and have it become a sold property rather than one that just lingers on the listings and is used to sell the neighbor’s homes.

While on a home staging consultation this weekend, I was with just such an agent who had a client whose home has been on the market that has not sold.  It has been getting showings, no offers, and the feedback has been that the property is dated and does not show well.  The agent recommended staging the property and the homeowners were immediately on board for the home staging.  But when it went beyond the staging and into updating the paint colors, replacing dated light fixtures and the discussion of possibly painting kitchen cupboards and updating their hardware, there was some serious resistance and even accusations that the agent just wanted an easy sale.

Agent just wanted an easy sale?  My heart went out to both the sellers and the agent.  These sellers were obviously not aware of current market conditions.  The agent let them know that it wasn’t an easy sale for him he was looking for, but a closed sale for them.  The market is different now than it was a year ago and far different than two years ago.

In the big picture, paint, carpet, hardware, staging, these things are inexpensive.  Price reductions are far more costly.  Properly preparing your home, having it look its best and staging it to show well along with proper pricing (at the beginning of the listing) and effective marketing will give you the best advantage to get it sold quickly and at the best price, in any market.

If you are lucky enough to have an agent that provides you with information on what you can to do to get your home to stand out among the competition for relatively low cost in order to get your home sold fast and to “make his job easier”, then you’ve hired the right agent.  After all, having a quick sale at the price you desire and a smooth close of Escrow is what it’s all about, right?

With all the attention home staging has been getting the past couple years, some homeowners are beginning to think that staging is all it takes to get a home sold in today’s real estate market.  Home staging, while dramatic and effective, is only one part of a complete marketing plan.  Make sure you have an agent that knows and understands your particular neighborhood and its market and has the skills and knowledge to get your home the exposure it needs to get it sold.

When choosing an agent, make sure you choose an agent who is experienced and reliable.  One who understands the need for and effective ways of marketing your home to generate maximum interest and get it in front of the most buyers possible.  Think beyond an open house!  Your agent will provide you with the information you need to make a wise decision on pricing and will keep you up to date with any feedback from both other agents and prospective buyers. 

Ask questions, educate yourself on the strengths and qualities each person is able to bring to your transaction.  Staging your home and having it look great will definitely give you an advantage, but only if buyers are coming to see it.  Choose an agent that can help you price the property to get it sold, creatively market your home for maximum exposure and who will be there for you with your best interests at heart throughout the entire transaction.

Just as in achieving anything else, balance makes the job easier.  Use home staging as part of a complete marketing plan to get your home sold quickly and for top dollar.

Home Staging has been in the news lately to be sure and just this past week, the San Fernando Valley Business Journal featured a cover story on the subject.  It was pretty exciting for us to be allowed to take part in this interview.

Mark Barna  of the SFV Business Journal interviewed several home stagers in the Los Angeles area as well as a local developer and a real estate agent.  Staging definitely makes a huge difference in how well a home shows and how buyers respond to a home.  Take a moment to check out his article here. 

Mark has put together some great perspectives from local home stagers, agents as well as a client that has worked successfully with staging as both a seller and a buyer.  If you have any further questions about how home staging can help you, contact an experienced home stager in your area. 

Need a referral?  Contact us and we are happy to assist you in finding a qualified home stager in your area.

Have you been feel grumpy lately?  Lethargic, worn out or maybe just a little air-headed?  Maybe it is time to take a look around your environment and determine if you need to make some adjustments to the energy in your home and workplace in order to make positive changes in your life.

Sound like hocus pocus?  No way.  Energy is all around you and in you.  The quality of the energy you surround yourself with is what is reflected in the quality of your life.  Just as you need energy to get through your busy days, so too do you need quiet stillness to replenish and recharge while you sleep.

Have you ever walked into a room where an argument has just taken place?  Has it felt as though “you can cut the air with a knife”?  You know what I mean.  Now imagine walking into a spa, soft sounds of nature with flutes playing, water sounds,  gentle voices and soothing touches.  A very definite energy coming at you, yes?  These types of subtle energies have a definite effect on you. 

Now picture walking into a busy control room, full of computers, lights, printers, wires; all types of work going on.  Busy, busy, busy.  Lots of electricity to keep things pumping.  And then picture standing near in a forest, near a brook, sitting on a rock that has been warmed by the sun, a cool gentle mist moistening your face as the sun sets.  How do you feel between the two?  Does one feel more peaceful, restful, nourished while the other makes you “wired”?

Finding balance in your environment will help you find balance in your life.  Too much fast moving energy can make you feel frazzled and frayed.  Too much slow moving energy will make you feel sluggish, tired and overwhelmed.  And some energies can have serious deterimental effects on your health and well being.

Find an energy consultant to assist you in gaining balance in your home and workplace.  An energy consultant will help you determine areas in your home that may have electrical, plumbing or subtle energy imbalances and provide guidance in resolving these issues.

For more information, please feel free to give us a call.  An energy adjustment may be all you need to get that attitude adjustment you’ve been looking for.

Related Posts:  Staging Your Home?  Start With a Positive Attitude

Home staging is about putting your home’s best face forward.  It is about using furniture to create the best flow of traffic, using light to create both ambience and functionality, and accessories to create the right mood.

When selling a home, there is something that home staging is not designed for.  Hiding flaws.  As a homeowner, you are required to disclose any flaws to the buyer.  Do not be tempted to use rugs to hide large stains on the floors or art to hide holes in the walls.  While staging a home will always make a home appear more pleasing and will make those little scuffs and fingerprints that are in every home fade to the background, it is not to be used to hide damage from buyers.

If your carpet is worn and stained, better to just replace it.  If that is not in the budget, have it cleaned.  If your wood or vinyl floors are in need of repair, do so if possible.  Rugs can be used under furniture if they fit into your design, but using a large rug for the sake of hiding damage is unacceptable.  While some clients may think it is better to cover the damage for showing purposes and then tell the buyer about it later, you should always consider that as long as a buyer knows about it up front, right at the beginning, they are going to find it less offensive than if they think someone was trying to hide it from them.

Same goes for any damage to walls.  Do not hang artwork or mirrors to cover holes or other damage.  Artwork is used to complement the home, not hide the defects.  Does your home have a less than lovely view?  Filter the view rather than completely blocking it using sheer curtain panels or by placing a silk tree inside the window to draw the eye inward.

Stage your home to show it off.  Think about how each room best functions and how it can best be used and what pieces are going to serve it best.  Use staging for the purpose of setting a scene of the lifestyle your home offers.  Design a home staging that is set for success and you will succeed.

Have you ever considered home staging but thought it would never work for you because you are still living in your home?  Does the idea of having to pack up and rearrange your things for the sake of showing your property turn you off?  Do you think that the way you have been living in your home up ’til now is the best way to show your home?

Well think again.  Staging a home does not mean it has to be uncomfortable for the homeowner, but most often it does mean that some changes need to take place to have it show its best. 

With the greater inventory of homes for sale, you want your home to feel like one that a buyer can move right into.  You want your home to feel warm and inviting yet not crowded.  You want your home to stand out from the competition. 

Does that mean you have to eliminate everything that you love and enjoy about your home?  No.  But it does mean that you need to stand back and take a look at how your home appears to a stranger’s eyes as they first view your house.  And you just might discover after staging it, that you can enjoy it more yourself.
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“Does home staging really make a difference, even in today’s market?”  A question I am often asked and one that I am certain is on the minds of many more.  I can use the words from a couple of my clients whose homes just sold to answer this.

A client who had their home on the market last year while the real estate market in Los Angeles was hot, was certain their home would sell in no time.  They placed it on the market at the end of spring, watched while their neighbor’s homes listed and sold, listed and sold; their home languishing still unsold in the fall.  They reduced their price several times and then took the home off the market, disappointed and surprised that in such a hot market their home did not sell.

This year, they decided to consult with us before putting it back on the market.  We discussed painting their home and chose new paint colors.  Their home did not need to be completely painted, but they did paint the main living areas.  They sold some of their older furniture that they had since they first married and we staged their home using a combination of items they already owned and added key furniture and accent pieces from our inventory to complement those pieces and their home. 

Within one week of listing, their home was in Escrow.  Not only in Escrow, but at the price they desired and the terms they desired.  Does home staging make a difference?  It certainly does to this couple.

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If you are one of those lucky homeowners that actually has a bedroom that you don’t use, but it seems to have become an extra storage shed, have faith.  You can easily transform that space back into a bedroom that buyers will easily identify with rather than be turned off by.

This is a classic home stager’s money saving trick, but it works, and works well.  Take a look around that spare room and identify what pieces in there will work as a nightstand, chest of drawers, etc., find a lamp and if you have a bed already, great!  If not, air mattresses are an inexpensive (and lightweight) way to create a bed that will easily accomodate full linens.   Oh and if you can’t find a lamp in that spare room, take a look inside all your closets or garage, chances are there is probably one there you forgot about that you can use.  If not, repurpose one from another room.

Use a double height air mattress on the bottom, cover it with the dust ruffle and add the single height air mattress on top with the sheets and comforter or bedspread.  Add pillows and there you have a bed where you once had nothing but a mess.  You can use artwork to create a “headboard” to complete the look.

Quick, easy and inexpensive.

Don’t let buyers wonder what a room is for.  If you have a bedroom that is nothing but a storage space, do yourself a favor and show to buyers that it is a usable bedroom.  Buyers want to know where their money is going.  Show them what your home has to offer.

Oh, and the bonus, now your guests have a place to sleep besides your sofa.