America's Top Model {Homes}: Point William, Lewis Smith Lake House

Don't you just love the feeling of moving into a new home? The excitement of a new house is great enough, but moving in before the holidays must take that excitement to a whole new level. The new owners of this fabulous Alabama model home are getting ready to experience just that.

Nestled in the Point William, Smith Lake community, this model home offers killer views and plenty of stylish inspiration for design lovers. The styling in this home offers some great examples of subtle tricks of the trade in staging a home for sale. Grab a coffee and let's take a tour of a few favorite spaces in this cozy dream house.

The dark grey color and 4 lite design on these windows are on trend for new construction. Grey and black windows are coming on strong in exterior color. I also appreciate how they skirted the deck with a simple horizontal pattern, painted the same color as the deck.

The family room offers up lots of great ideas. The dark paneled ceiling is such an interesting touch. I love how the dark molding along the ceiling creates a shadow effect, almost as if there is a recessed area between the ceiling and the wall. It's such a great idea to make the ceiling trim dark. I think most people's first instinct would be to do the ceiling trim color the same as the floor trim.

Neutral colors are always best to use in staging. Rattan decor, reminiscent from the 70's,  is making a huge comeback. The key is to mix it in with modernized decor. You can find some great pieces on Etsy. But before you overpay, make sure to check your local Craigslist. Just search "wicker".

SHOP ETSY

Hanging a grouping of art around the wall thermostat is a great way to disguise it.  I also love the use of different sized accent tables around the room.

This kitchen is pretty with the gray island. (another big trend in kitchens) I can't help but think what a fabulous addition it would be to add some AMAZING pendant lights. I would pick something like this...

Staging Tip: Make sure to hide away trash cans and paper towel rolls when having your photos taken.

These views are to die for!

Another fun use of space with a vintage wicker peacock chair.

That stair landing makes you want to see what's around the corner!

Seriously.

One of the things that stand out to me here is such a beautiful Master Bedroom without the typical "Lake House" theme. The view of lake is better complemented with this romantic traditional design.

The use of a desk doing double duty a side table is one of my favorite staging tactics. This room is a great example of staging to demonstrate use of the space and define the room.

Another great view to wake up to. 

What do you guys think? Imagine decorating this house for the holidays!

Congrats to the new owners! 

{all photos are from FlexMLS. Listed by Justin Dyer) 

America's Top Model {Homes}

The new home arena has taken home design to a new level this year. Model homes used to be jam packed with heavy custom drapery, tons of knick-knacks and plenty of painted focal walls. Buyers today are taking design cues from social sites like Houzz and Pinterest and coming to the showing with big expectations. What are the trends for new construction? As professional merchandisers, we stay on high alert for new home trends in design. Based on buyer feedback, we take copious notes on short term vs. long term design trends. Regardless of budget, I like to look to America's most gorgeous model homes for the best examples of these trends. And with some creative due diligence, we can all take this major inspiration with us when creating our own fabulous home.

Here is one of my absolute favorite homes of 2015. In fact, it's in my top 10 favorite homes ever. From the amazing Utah Valley Parade of Homes, this home, built by McEwan Custom homes, was decorated by Alice Lane Home. This unbelievably gorgeous home shows off some of today's top trends in home design. Here's a look inside and out...

{via}

Black windows are a strong trend in new homes. Taking inspiration from steel windows, fiberglass and vinyl windows trimmed in black with untraditional mullions are a budget friendly alternative.

Custom stained wood floors are a popular request for today's buyer. There are plenty of alternatives to expensive custom flooring and the good news is, from dark stains to light, the trend is to make your own own style.

Mixed cabinet colors are a hot topic in kitchen design. Grey and white are a safe bet and if you're investing in a new kitchen, you should get on board with unlacquered brass finishes. If you're still not ready to commit to the brass vibe, make sure you design with the ability to switch your hardware later.

 {shop this wallpaper}

Wallpaper has made a huge comeback and shows itself most in small bathrooms and unexpected places like the laundry or pantry. It's a great way to add personality to your space without creating a big removal project when it's time to make a change.

 {shop hardware}

Unique hardware is coming on strong. This is great way to give big box cabinetry a custom look.

Free standing tubs are replacing the big jacuzzi tubs. Those big jacuzzis seemed like a great idea until you had to fill the tub. I love how the decorative screen in this bathroom creates a major wow factor.

Not ready to go all brass? Mix it up with a combination of gold, silver and black. 

Don't forget the ceiling! As if this room wasn't fabulous enough, the wallpapered ceiling takes it to a new height!

Decorative framed mirrors are the way to go in every bathroom. From Homegoods to Horchow, the options are endless for a great mirror. I also love this example of simple staging in the bathroom,

I love how a simple striped towel can go a long way in styling a space. 

 {Shop this towel, and hook}

Built ins have never looked so good. I just love the white on white with book styling and pops of brass. Simply stunning.

All photos via Alice Lane Home Blog.

And last but not least, the most amazing backyard ever. That slide is the icing on the cake.

To see this home with details, visit the blog of Alice Lane Home. It is so impressive and chock-full of ideas for the home. They also have an amazing store where you can find the most stylish decor. Some truly talented people there.

The Home Staging Hype- Whats The Point?

I was prepared to offer up some products I used this week in the Staging Challenge, which I will do, but I got a little derailed from my post due to a nasty client email. I thought I'd take this opportunity to do a post on the matter at hand.

Should You Hire A Home Stager?

Here's a little backstory on us. 

I started my home staging business in June of 2006. Prior to launching my business, I was a Realtor. In 2008, I added 12 Home Staging Professionals to my team, including Jennifer, whom is still going strong with me today. We have staged ALOT of homes. Hundreds of homes. I promise on my soul that only a handful of homes have not had a successful sale. Many of those were either so over-priced that they never got a showing, or the home was in a terrible state. 

I'm not saying that every staging has gone like a happy-go-lucky HGTV show, since many of our clients are going through a life change. Many of them have found themselves in a tight financial predicament, going through a divorce, experiencing a death, etc. We've had a few tough experiences trying to help people work through the changes made to their home but overall, we have never had an official customer complaint.  Until December of this year. It's been rough to experience one of our hardest working stagers be completely harassed by a Bully but I'm trying to keep in mind how lucky we have been to have 10 years without a complaint. And let me share with you a couple of examples of the integrity of my team. 

Jennifer Colvin: I received a call from Jen saying that she just left a home staging where the client has cancer, she's a young mom with kids and trying to sell with little time to live. Jennifer donated the consultation, design time, all of the staging items for free and staged her home at no cost. 

Kelli Webber: I've watched Kelli be completely composed in the face of a major professional change while still wishing only good things for everyone involved. 

These ladies are the real deal and I am TRULY blessed to have them on my team and in my life. If you have the pleasure of working with them, I can assure you, they will bend over backwards to help you.

Long story short, I try to find value in every experience and this experience, has led me to this post. 

What should you look for in a home stager?

Why should someone hire a home stager?

What if the staging doesn't work?

Should I invest in renting decor or use the money 

to update features in the house?

With the (unknowing. :)} help of some insight from Jennifer, Kelli and 10 years of staging experience, I have put together some answers to shed light on these questions. 

I realize how these questions are especially important for many reasons.

TIME IS MONEY!

{and} MONEY IS MONEY!

How do you weigh your options?? What should you look for in a home stager?

Q- WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN A HOME STAGER?

SF- When you hire any person for their professional expertise, you want to make sure they are in fact a professional. A home stager is a product merchandiser, a "visual expert", if you will. If I were hiring a home stager, I would make sure they have the following:

• A website with a good portfolio of their own work. As a "visual expert", if they cannot properly merchandise themselves, how can they merchandise your home properly?
• At least 2 years experience in a (very) related field. ie: Realtor, Designer, Builder. Hiring an inexperienced stager can result in costly mistakes and unnecessary improvements. If they are making suggestions for kitchen renovations, ask to see photos of kitchens they've done. Ask for photos! There is not a legitimate designer/stager out there that does not have some great photos of their work. 
• Lives and or commonly operates work in the area in which you are selling. Asking your Ethan Allen designer who lives on the other side of the country how your home should be staged will not likely provide accurate advice for your marketplace.
• Talks about your "target market or audience" in the interview process. Your target market plays the utmost importance in the staging process. Your stager needs to operate by those lifestyle drivers when making decisions for your home.
• If you are leasing furniture they should provide you with a contract. Read it and read it again.

On the matter of licensure and home staging designations, in my personal opinion, I do not feel like these are necessary to be a successful Home Stager. There is NO legal licensure for home staging professionals. Are those designations helpful for home stagers? I would say "yes". Are they necessary? I would say "no".  There have been many factors in building success in my staging career. My corporate business background, my real-estate background, my sales ability and an innate design ability. I certainly don't think there is one set of "courses" that can teach the staging business. With that said, having taken a few of the most common staging courses, the course I got the most value out of was earning my MIRM designation with the National Association of Home Builders. 

That one was a DOOZY and no joke. You need some real experience to get through the requirements. (That's why there are so few people that have it. HIGHLY recommend it!)

Q- WHY HIRE A HOME STAGER?

SF- A Professional Home Stager is simply hired to help you merchandise your home for sale. Your Stager will make recommendations based on your home's TARGET MARKET. The goal of home staging is not to "decorate" the house. The goal is to merchandise your home according to buyer preferences. Also, keep in mind that the Home Stager is trying to work with what you have. Does that mean that you wouldn't be better off buying all new stuff? Well, probably all of our houses would look better with all new stuff but that's not a realistic plan. Your Stager is likely trying to work with what you have, prioritize the main rooms and add some affordable decor items.

Your Home Stager can help you implement those recommended changes to the best of their ability but ultimately, it is up to YOU whether or not you choose to make and maintain the changes. Your Home Stager is not a home inspector. It's like the difference between a car "detailer" and a car "mechanic". (sort of.)

Q- WHAT IF THE STAGING DOESN'T WORK? IS THERE A GUARANTEE?

SF-  I am not aware of any Home Stagers that offer a guarantee. This is because there are many other factors that dictate the sale of a home. Showings or buyer traffic quite often is dictated by external factors such as economic conditions.  Interest rate fluctuations can drive more or less potential homebuyers into or out of the market. We do not assume risk with the staging because many things are out of our control once the staging is in place, including: 

• Price point -- we don't play a role in setting the price for your home and thus we can not guarantee that your home is at the place the market dictates
• Cleanliness - we have returned to many staged properties over the years where homeowners let the property go during the selling and it was an obstacle for the selling process.
• Time of year - Buyer traffic is seasonal. Check the average DOM (days on market) in your town to gauge how much time your house might do on the market. Statistically, staging your home can cut this time in half. 

Ultimately the above factors, in conjunction with your agency/agent will drive your traffic.  Make sure to give your home a fair amount of time to sell and most importantly LISTEN to your Realtor. Your Home Stager and Realtor will try to anticipate the feedback and the process but none of us have a crystal ball. If feedback comes up from your buyers, take it and try to remedy it. Don't waste valuable time blaming people for this or that. 

Q- SHOULD I INVEST IN RENTING DECOR OR USE THAT MONEY TO UPDATE THE PERMANENT FEATURES OF THE HOME?

SF- If your home has outdated permanent features that could hinder the sale of your home, I would recommend talking to your Real Estate Agent and a Professional Home Stager to get the answer to that question. It depends on the circumstance. Any changes made to your home while selling should be neutral colors and very sparingly. If your Home Stager suggests you paint or install anything of a color, (like a blue carpet or paint) I would get a second opinion. The hype about "add a pop of color" should ONLY come in through accessories. Unless you are using a professional model home merchandiser, I would be very careful with tackling strong colors in the staging arena.

Buyers are savvy people and for the most part, the staging decor only goes so far before they notice any under lying issues. For example, the house may be looking good but then the buyer opens the oven and sees a disgusting layer of grease that leads them straight out the door. The home inspection may also bring up some issues that your Home Stager did not uncover. 

This is all of course my own opinion however, I am hopeful that it might shed the tiniest bit of light into the staging process. I would love to have questions from readers and for anyone to share their concerns so feel free. I know there are also plenty of stagers that like us, have a Bully client every once in a while and have to try and do what's best to work professionally around that. 

We love our job here and hope that together we can grow a community of people trying to live their dream, create a safe and loving place to live, and have lots of fun along the way.

Happy Selling! xoxo