Dramatic Spaces Home Staging and Design

I was visiting some open houses today and I wanted to share my experience.  As a home stager I have the distinct advantage of looking past the dated furniture and wrong placement of it, clutter, ugly wallpaper, poor workmanship of home improvements, cold floors and personal belongings.  As a potential buyer my instinct is NEXT!!

When looking for a home the majority of home buyers are looking for near perfection.  One of the thoughts I had from most of the homes was this place would need work. Now there were a few that could be move in ready, but for me as a potential buyer there were things I would need to do for it to stand up to my expectations.

In a 2 hour time span I was able to visit 5 open houses.   All homes were in the price range I was looking for, with the exception of one which I spotted on my journey and decided to drop in.

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Believe it or not the real estate season is slowing down.  Spring is the time that most sellers put there house on the market and there is a flurry of activity.  What if you missed this hot selling/buying period and your home is still on the market or you haven’t even listed it yet?

I went on MLS the other day, as I frequently do, and it is unbelievable the amount of little red dots that pop up.  Those little red dots show the location of all the houses for sale in a particular area (I know you know this).  I often wonder what these homeowners are feeling at this time. Are they totally stressed and freaking out or just feeling it’s okay, someone will eventually come along and want my house.

My guess is most homeowners are experiencing the stress and the freaking out feeling.  Whether to fret or not depends on your selling strategy. You do have a selling strategy, don’t you?

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At this time of year, spring, many homeowners are working on their gardens and lawns. What do you do if you don’t have a green thumb and you have a lawn that needs to be revitalized. I have come across this great recipe called fat grass recipe that will give your yard a thick, luscious look that will have the neighbours envious. If you are selling your home it will boost your homes value. Don’t be put off by the name. It does exactly as the names says.

I have used the fat grass recipe and it works wonders. When you are using the driveway as your hard surface I suggest you put a tarp down or a large piece of plastic to keep it contained. It is not necessary if you want to water down the driveway, however if you live in an area where there is a watering ban you can simply pick up the tarp and shake the excess dirt away on your lawn.

This is a cheaper solution than buying sod, so depending on your budget or time this can be a great solution for the do it yourself (DIY) homeowner.

Once your lawn is back in shape you can put a planter or two at your entrance way and place a hanging basket inside. How simple is that!

To take it a step further, you can use a hanging basket, but this time take it out of the basket and place it in the centre of your pot. I like to use a tall plant in the centre to give it height. If you want a lower profile, just make sure your centre plant is taller than your surrounding plants. Now take several cascading or lower plants and fill them around your centre plant, preferably enough of the same plant to fill the area. Don’t forget to take these out of the baskets.

Keep in mind that containers need to be watered frequently unless you use a product that retains moisture made specifically for container plantings (of course you can’t do this if you are simply placing the basket in the container). You also need to keep in mind how much sun your entrance will get. Buy shade plants if it is on the shady side and sun plants for a sunny area.

Now all you need to do is make sure the area is clean, no clutter and without a lot of expense or effort the front of your home can be stunning. The simple details are usually what makes the most impact. If you are selling you want visitors to want to get out of their cars to see more.

Home renovations or home improvements are a lot of work and finishing a basement can be a daunting task. When it comes to drywalling anything that can make the job a little bit easier is a welcome addition to your tool box. I have come across two products that can really make a difference.

First, here is a drywall scoring square by Johnson which helps you make a cut along your drywall piece that is straight and exactly where you want it to be.

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Are you wondering if home staging can increase your list price? It absolutely can. It all boils down to the condition of your home. Now the amount of increase depends on the difference in the look before and after the staging. Remember, we are really looking at perceived value and when a home is presented as top notch it is perceived as higher in value. The better condition your home is in the more money buyers are willing to pay for it.

If your home has everything taken care of down to the last detail, then it compares to a model home. Have you ever been able to negotiate the price of a model home? No, but in these model homes do you see repairs needed, painting that needs to be changed or dirt, even clutter? No and this is why the can ask the prices they ask. People know it is new, clean and ready to go and are willing to pay what builders are asking for.
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If you are thinking about selling your home in the near future I have a challenge for you. I want you to take a look at how other homeowners, with comparable homes in your area, are presenting their homes to sell. This will help you understand what is necessary in preparing your home so that it will sell quickly and for a higher price.

Have fun with my challenge!!

Robin

P.S. If you have taken my challenge I would love to hear about your experience. Just leave your comment below.

I came across this great online-only decorating magazine and just had to share it. Lonny launched yesterday, October 1st providing inspiration and connecting readers to products and resources that are used in their issue. It includes budget friendly inspiration, fashion, DIY project ideas and a renovation section. Their mission is to make design accessible to everyone. They encourage their readers to make choices in their home that lead to happiness instead of following what everyone else is doing.

I am a firm believer that good design can be affordable with a little creativty and inspiration. Cost effective decorating can be found in any space, whether it be a mansion or tiny apartment. Editor Michelle Adams and her co-founder Patrick Cline began with a vision that in todays tough economy it is important to provide easy access to budget friendly ideas that inspire readers to take action and make their space feel special and make it their own personal style.
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