2015 Statistics on Home Staging

Week 14 & 15

We're getting down to the wire in our challenge and it's time to start thinking about some of those final details with staging. If you're thinking about calling a Realtor, do yourself a big favor and

CALL A HOME STAGER FIRST!

This week, I challenge you to grab your camera or phone and go around your home taking a few shots of your rooms. It's such a great perspective to see your house through the camera lens. 

I snapped these photos of house I staged last week. The photographer was on his way over but I wanted to ensure I had everything in it's most photogenic place.

The other little project tackled last week was fixing some heating baseboard covers. These things are the worst because they such a huge pain to replace. I found these covers at Home Depot and they actually did the trick! They're not exactly inexpensive but they save so much time and headache.

A home stager will make sure your home is prepped and ready for a Realtor to come through and give you their highest and best evaluation for a selling price. 

To fully understand the power of home staging, a major study came out this month from the National Assoc. of Realtors called 

2015 Profile of Home Staging

Here are my favorite highlight, but make sure you read the study. 

Week 13: Home Staging Essentials

Now that we've gotten through most of the prep work, or at least have help scheduled and on the way, it's time to get staging. Remember, the goal in staging is to merchandise your house according to your Buyer's preference. With that said, there are some key decor pieces that translate well in any house, regardless of price. These pieces are what I call the "staging essentials". Whether you have a tiny apartment or a luxury residence, these key pieces are relevant. The only catch is that the decor should be worthy of the price point. As the price increases, the furnishings follow.

Buyers are looking for a new, fabulous reflection of themselves, not a worn out version of you.

Ready, set, let's take the tour room by room.

{You can find a decorative bowl and similar decorative jar at Homegoods}

The key here is cleanliness. Nice new white towels and a clean, simple faux floral. A nice pop of color in the floral is good however, think spa color. Stay away from red, roses, old faux flowers and multi colored vases.



These are the basic staging essentials. What about the bedroom? What about the dining room? Sure, those rooms should be staged appropriately. As a matter of fact, if it's out, it should be purposefully staged. The basics in staging are the "must-haves". If the house is vacant, these are the essentials to help the home sell faster. If the house is not vacant, these are the key elements to pay close attention to. It may seem silly but keep in mind, the dollars are in the details. These basics will go a long way in staging your home to get top dollar in the marketplace. Happy Selling!!

Week 4: Home Staging Challenge

Welcome to week 4! 

This is the week to gather our list and the information we acquired from last week, and start organizing a timeline.

This is where we can start making our list look more organized in a spreadsheet. Hopefully you have lots of notes added to the original Master List. I like to organize on an Excel tracker so I can add some color for "like" action items. You can see, I've also added a date, however, I like to think of dates in terms of weeks unless I have an exact date scheduled for an install or appointment.

Taking the original list and duplicating it onto a spreadsheet can help bring to action some little items you may not have noted on your first list. Such as, "Cut trim on-site at Home Depot".

I also like to color action items that should be done together. For example, while switching off the breaker to replace a light switch in the mudroom, I will also switch out the pendant lights in the kitchen."- I colored both of those yellow to remind me to do them back to back.

Painting the walls and ceilings should be left for later, after any demolition work is completed. The timeline is meant to meet YOUR schedule. For example, if you're renovating a bathroom, you may be at the mercy of your contractor. That's okay, the goal of this spreadsheet is to make a note of every action item and ensure you have a plan for it.

Use this week to check off a group of 10-15 items. Keep like jobs together.
I'm going to be making a trip to Home Depot this week to purchase any needed trim pieces, electrical supplies, and also getting a few quotes on Kohler pieces. (I have a bath and basement reno to do)
I'll be filling in timelines as I source each item.

During this week, I'll be blogging about some "go-to" products from places like Home Depot & Lowes. Also, some ideas on wallpaper strategy. - Stay tuned!

And since we all have to be thinking about the new house as well, here is a little new house motivation to remind us what we're doing this for. ~

 

 

"Do not go where the path may lead, 

go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

{If you would like a copy of the excel template used for the spreadsheet, email me at sfast@nestaging.com}

Week 3: Home Staging Challenge

Here we are, week 3 in our challenge! At this point you may find your head spinning with a million things that you know need to be done however, let's take a little breather here and simplify as possible. 

Our houses didn't get this "lived in" in a week, 

so let's take small steps that pack a big punch.

Most of the home staging tips you'll find on the web are about staging do's and don'ts, re-arranging, and making things pretty. At this stage of our process, we are focused on cleaning, eliminating, cleaning, packing up, cleaning and improving the structural features or the "condition"of the house. Did I mention cleaning??

{If you think you finished your packing & cleaning, your closets better look like this}

WEEK 3 BENCHMARK: {Making a MASTER To-Do list}

If you spent the last week editing out old clothing and packing up unnecessary items, you were likely reminded of every "I need to..." that has been uttered from your mouth in the past year(s). Well, many of those things may get done as a bonus to preparing to sell however, what's important to note is not to get distracted by off-list tasks. Making a list with timelines will ease that urge and keep you on track.

Here is this week's task: This week we are going to organize a MASTER list of staging prep. This will take a couple of hours to do. {Try to keep moving without getting stuck when things come up.}

You'll need: 

• A measuring tape
• Notebook & Pencil
• You can make this list into a pretty spreadsheet if you want however, as a tip, you want to be able to take this list with you and make edits/notes etc. so keep it simple and accessible. {Styling an Instagram shot of your perfect spreadsheet is a waste of valuable time- just sayin' :) }

We are going to take a very thorough tour of the house, making notes of each room and what needs to be addressed, focused on the CONDITION of the home. We'll get to the additional packing, re-arranging furniture, and staging at a later time. We want to start our house tour on the exterior of the home. With that said, it's about 10 degrees outside here with snow on the ground, so the exterior may be saved for a warmer day if needed. 

So grab your tape measure and your notebook and let's get started.

Make 3 columns on your paper.

AREA                TASK               FOLLOW UP

EXTERIOR: 

• Inspect the trim and any parts of the home that need repair or paint. Look for rotting trim, mossy spots or cracks in the siding. Do your house numbers need to be updated? Take a good look at the front door and trim. Give special attention to this because while the Realtor is opening the lockbox, this is where buyers will get their first opportunity to make a close inspection of your home. 
• Check for broken gutters.
• Look for foliage that is touching the house or trees that need to come down. 

Make a note of things that need action like "get rid of swingset" or "clean out the shed", but don't get caught up in actually cleaning the shed at this moment. Keep moving forward. 

Your list might look like this:

The "Follow Up" column is to make note of who will do the task. If YOU are the one doing the task, I leave that one blank or put in parentheses where I'll get something I need. For example: (HD) means Home Depot.I like making a note of where to get the item because later, when I'm out getting my supplies at Home Depot, I can just look down the list for anything marked (HD)

INTERIOR:

• In every room, start at the door and inspect along the trim, the wall and look at the ceiling. Note any holes in the walls or areas that need painting. Check each door for open/close functionality.

• Check the light switch plates for dirt spots, check the doors for cleanliness and condition. 

• Carpets need to be cleaned. Is the carpet out of date or a color?  { Badly worn, out of date or bright colored carpets should be replaced before coming on the market. Offering a buyer a credit to pick their own new carpet or a discount off the price is far less effective and will always end up costing you more money and slow the selling process.}

• Check drapes, mini-blinds or shades. Do they function properly? If not, measure the windows for replacement. { Basic drapes can be inexpensive to purchase. Check here for ideas if you need new ones. Swags and valances should probably be removed}

Via Micheal Hampton. Hang rods high and drapes should "kiss" the floor.  More ideas here

• Check the fireplace. 

• Check tile grout, sink and plumbing function.

• Check for loose cabinet doors. 

Make notes of things you may need, like "New dresser" or "New rug" however, don't worry about re-arranging the furniture at this point. You'll notice more things that need to be packed or removed and you can certainly continue that process on a daily basis. 

For areas or rooms that need a renovation, make a special section for that space and make notes of each thing to be done. For example: "Find a contractor" or specify what needs work and who.

Continue this process throughout the entire house. When finished, you may actually feel relieved that it's not as bad as you thought or you may want to jump off the nearest bridge but either way, 

YOU HAVE A PLAN!

Our task for this week takes some serious thought and planning. Start making calls to contractors. Get pricing for things you need and make notes of how long it will take to get installation etc. Select paint colors and finishes or get help scheduled to do so. Don't wait to start making selections because some items (like cabinetry, flooring, tile or even a sofa) could take weeks to receive. Get the details on each and every task until you have a solution for each one. We will organize these timing details in a new column next week.

I especially recommend that you hire a professional home stager to help you with this process however, if you insist on going it alone, remember...keep it neutral!

When should you ABSOLUTELY call a professional home stager to help?

• If you plan to repaint a room a new color.

• If you are selecting any new finishes for carpet, flooring, tile, counters, cabinets.

• If you are changing your lighting.

• If you are purchasing new furniture for staging purposes.

The cleaning and organizing should continue ongoing. Take away a bag a day. Pack and store. 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask here or on Facebook.

Keep that momentum going!

The Best Exterior Lighting for Selling Your Home

Nothing perks up the front of a house like sparkling entry lights and a fresh coat of paint on the door. When you're selling your home, the entryway is where your buyer begins their emotional roller coaster of either "oohs & ahhs" or "mehs and blahs".

Every home staging consultation we do begins at the front door. (well actually, the front yard but...) This is where the buyer begins making their list of what needs to be changed or what is just right. The easiest way to "get it right" is to start with updating the exterior lighting. The catch is, you're selling, so you certainly don't want to spend one dime more than necessary to get a good impact. (Save your money for your new home!)

In the North East, we tend to see more traditional, Colonial homes and whoa have we seen our fair share of "builder brass" wall sconces. My tip for staging is to buy lights that are medium to large in size and keep it super simple. Wondering what color?
A black finish is ALWAYS a safe bet. And stay true to the style of your house. If your house is craftsman style, buy a craftsman light. But Colonial does not mean "Colonial". (see photo above)  The new traditional is simple, sleek and doesn't have ornate curly designs. 
I'm also not a fan of stained glass or frosted glass. A clear glass sparkles like a diamond.

Today's lantern lights are a great way to mix old world and transitional design. I love how they did their house number in a nice modern font, mixed with a killer black door in this photo below.

If you've never updated your exterior lights, now could be a great time to give your house some new jewelry. If you've got a porch light in addition to wall sconces, even better! I love big hanging lights and coordinating sconces together. It makes such an impact.

If you're buying a new home, hopefully, the sellers have already checked this off your "need to change" on your new house list. However, if not, buying a really fabulous light can be an easy way to add personal style to your new home. This one from Urban Electric is one of my fave's.

If you're selling, here is a list of great exterior lights that won't break the bank. (These aren't my favorite lights for your new house, this is a list of lights with a good look for a great price) Remember not to buy the small size, go bigger. And keep in mind, your entry should be worthy of your list price. If your home is over $600k, you should have some worthy lighting. :) 



Here are some faves: (Updated 8/30/2017)