Home Staging Blog

I don’t think I need to say more…

With all the fires going on already, both wild and industrial, I thought I should remind everyone about those air filters in your home.  They will really will do a lot to protect you from toxins in the air in your home.  A small thing, but worth the few minutes to keep your air as clean as possible.

At least that’s what the gentleman told me as he opened the door for me at the market this morning whilst fondly gazing at the lake.  I thanked him for the news and did my best to act like I knew what he was talking about and tried to match his excitement, but in that moment, I was more concerned with getting the half and half for my coffee. 

For me, early morning joy is having a great cup of coffee and enjoying the views of the lake, but the fishing up here is supposed to be great.  In fact, I hear there was an 8 1/2 lb. bass caught just last weekend in the fishing derby.  Now that is something I can relate to.

I’m up here to help with the Open House this weekend, so if you are looking for a great vacation home or a spot to retire where you have access to tons of outdoor activities, come on up.  It is a gorgeous weekend here, and the folks are friendly.  They might even share a few fishing tips with you.

Don’t you just love getting up in the morning with your first cup of coffee to enjoy watching the world through your window as you prepare for the day?  The windows in your home or office are the eyes in your space.  Keeping them clean and sparkling will give you the best perspective and will let you shine back to the world brightly.

The way you live in your private spaces day to day is reflective of how you live in the world.  How you see the world and how you are seen.  Keep your windows clean and in good working order. 

And an extra fyi, if you suddenly develop an eye infection, take a look at the windows in  your home and make sure none of them are broken or damaged.  Get them cleaned and pay attention to the tracks where dirt and dust can accumulate.  Sometimes fixing the simplest things can create the best results.

You want to have a great outlook on life and want to show all that you have to offer, so start with clean windows.  The condition of your home can be reflected in the condition of your health.  Keep your home healthy knowing that it will support your body for great health.  With clean, fresh windows, your home will shine and so will you.

This isn’t going to be a pretty post, so those of you looking for pretty pictures and sweet words, move on to another article!

But if you are going to invest your time, money and effort into home staging because you really want to get your home sold, then read on and avoid these silly mistakes that can cost you.

I get to see a lot of homes as they go through the process of being on the market as you might imagine and most of these homes, vacant or occupied, remain in pretty much the same condition throughout - as it should be.  But I’ve seen some things that should never be when someone is trying to sell their home. 

So here’s a list of things not to do when selling your home:

• Never clean your home. 
• When something breaks, don’t fix it.  Un-maintained homes are attractive.
• Toilet broken - who cares?  Buyers don’t have to go the bathroom do they?
• If your stager leaves music playing for the buyers, turn it off.  Buyers don’t need no stinking music do they?
• Toilet overflows?  Leave it that way- it’ll warn buyers not to use the bathroom.  Leave a mop in the bathroom for the buyers to clean up the foul mess, just in case they missed the obvious clues.
• Tape broken toilets closed, that way the buyer will know they need repair and that you have no intention of doing it for them.
• Leave all of your Open House paraphernalia all over the kitchen counters.  Buyers like clutter.
• Turn your kitchen counter into the self-serve coffee station like the one at the local mini-mart.  Leave everything sitting out throughout the entire listing.  You never know when you might have another open house; after all, if you put it all away in the cupboard you’d just have to take it out again!  Who invented cupboards anyway?
• Your home stager is too neat.  Smash the pillows, dirty the towels, crumple the beds, move the chairs so they are in some bizarre location, and bring in some trash; you know, make it looked lived in and like you are not expecting any buyers to come over.  Leftover pizza remnants are particularly effective.
• Don’t bother replacing dead plants or watering the grass.  You just have to care for them anyway.
• Augment your home staging with grimy, leftover, dirty candles.  They add ambience.
• Turn off every light.  Buyers only look at homes in the daylight.  Oh, and never leave a porch light on.
• Buy fresh flowers for your first open house.  Leave them sitting out right next to your empty flyer box and then never come back until you take the home off the market.  The rancid water is a real impact maker on buyers and their agents as soon as they walk in the front door.
• Let all of the junk mail flyers pile up on your door, fence, driveway and porch.  That way buyers will know ahead of time who offers home pizza delivery, who to call for gardening services and who the neighborhood real estate agents are.

There are a few more that just aren’t fit to print, but as you can see, these are just plain silly mistakes.  Silly, but ugly.  Sellers, I know you want your homes sold because you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. 

Before you put your home up for sale, realize that your home is going to be “marketed”.  Be prepared to maintain and care for your property until it is sold.  Talk to your agent and make sure that they will be personally visiting your property from time to time too.  They should want your property to be in tip top showing condition every day.  Be diligent to make sure your house shines above the competition everyday it is on the market, not just the day the stager is there.

Home staging is an investment.  It is far less than a price reduction and can pay you back handsomely.  Just like brushing your teeth, a little polish each morning will keep you smiling, hopefully all the way to your next home!

It’s Earth Day and here in Los Angeles, people are finding ways to celebrate like never before.  There is a part of Wilshire Blvd that has been shut down to auto traffic to allow for foot traffic only, and from what I hear, it is creating quite a mess.  Not the best way to celebrate what should be a day of conservation.

There are plenty of other things you can do than drive down and create additional traffic in a busy area of town looking for a parking place so you can walk around for a few blocks.  EarthDayLA.org has a list of events that might better suit you.

Many local grocers are giving out free reusable grocery bags.  Now that is pretty cool.  So if you need to pick up a few groceries this week, why not do it today and pick up some reusable shopping bags while you’re at it?  And hey, why not carpool with your neighbor?  Celebrate Earth Day 2008 with a friend and make it Earth Day, every day.

You just saw a gorgeous Westwood home in the heart of the Wilshire Corridor, and here is another.  This time it is a three bedroom unit!  Also with gorgeous views from virtually every room, this Westwood home is another must see.

You can contact the Westwood agent to make an appointment.  I don’t think there is anybody who knows this area of Los Angeles better than him, so do be sure to have any questions ready.

Simple home updates make a huge difference in how well a home is going to show to buyers.  Fresh paint, removing old wallpaper, new light fixtures, replacing damaged bath fixtures, replacing soiled carpet…these changes will give your home a well cared for and fresh look.  Having a clean, fresh palette to stage with will make your home stand out above the competition and help give you the edge you need to get your home sold.

 The dark, cracked mirrors in this home made the entry dark and buyers would feel cramped as they entered this home.

Removing the mirrors allowed the light to shine in and created an inviting space to greet buyers as they enter to tour this home, an investment well worth the time, money and effort.

If you feel daunted by the task of doing these simple updates, imagine how a buyer would feel walking in for the first time.  Smart real estate agents will encourage you to make these changes in order to get you the most money on your investment.  Remember, it is the small things that make a huge difference in how well your home is going to show. 

I had the chance to watch HGTV’s “25 Biggest Real Estate Mistakes” last weekend.  They featured tips for both buyers and sellers in today’s real estate market.  I shared a few of the top tips with a local real estate agent who felt some of his clients would find the show helpful.  He asked if I could share the information with them.

I checked out their schedule and they will be airing “25 Biggest Real Estate Mistakes” again this weekend.  You can check their schedule here and watch all 25 tips for yourself.  I know you won’t want to miss any of them, and I think all of you will want to catch the top 5!

And for those of you who are impatient and want the #1 tip right now, scroll on over to HGTV’s list of mistakes to avoid and check out their #1 real estate tip for yourself .

A question asked by one of our clients a couple weeks ago was why I don’t use potpourri on any of our home staging projects.  My answer is simple, because potpourri is dead, dry stuff.  You don’t want that hanging around your home mucking up the energy do you?

In Feng Shui you want to create healthy, vibrant energy.  So even if you are staging a vacant home for sale and are going to be using silk plants so that you won’t have to worry about returning to water them, you want to use plants that represent plants and flowers in their healthy growing state.  Avoid using dried flowers or potpourri that were once living and are now in their declining or decaying state.

If your goal is to add a bit of fragrance, consider adding scented candles or oils to a room.  You can also add sachets with essential oils.  Choose healthy fragrances.

So whether you are staging a home for sale or making changes in your home to support positive change in your life, choose healthy, living plants for your environment.  When you use silk plants and flowers, choose those that represent health, growth and vibrance.  The energy of what you choose to place in your home will be reflected back and expressed as the energy in your life.