DECLUTTERED THOUGHTS OF A HOME STAGERby Sue Proud, ASP®, IAHSP®, GCIRC
Yep. The fever has hit me again. I’m obsessing over mid-century modern furniture right now, so I thought I’d take you along on my quest to find my only prescription; a mid-century modern piece in need of a facelift.
I walked into Goodwill last week and this gem was just waiting for me. I could hardly contain myself when I looked at the tag and saw that it had been there a week. That meant an automatic 50% off. SCOOORE! I practically skipped to the register.
Now that my treasure is home, I’m facing the same ‘ole dilemma. To paint or not to paint? That is the question.
Should I revitalize the stained wood to honor its mid-century roots, like this beauty from RetroLuxeHome?
I’m so inspired by Christopher White’s gorgeous work …
and this piece from Centsational Girl.
How about this painted and stained piece from Llave Designs?
My dresser has some fairly deep scratches and gouges that are making me lean toward painting, or a paint and stain combo, but I’m still not 100% sure.
In future posts, I’ll take you through my steps to give this piece new life. But before I get started, I’d love some suggestions. What would you do?
I’m Sue Proud, Owner of PROUD HOME Staging, LLC and an Accredited Staging Professional® in St. Charles, IL. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post.
We would love to hear from you… please leave your comments and questions below or Contact Us directly about your Home Staging and Design needs.
DECLUTTERED THOUGHTS OF A HOME STAGERby Sue Proud, ASP®, IAHSP®, GCIRC
OK. I’ll admit it. I don’t like scary things; scary movies in particular. Ever since I saw my first horror film where zombies were aimlessly walking to feast on the living, I try to avoid scary things. I attempted to improve my ‘cool’ factor when I was growing up by watching Hitchcock thrillers, like Psycho and The Birds, but their haunting images stayed with me. Something about sitting in the dark and having the livin’ daylights scared out of me is not my idea of a good time. Ever.
So why am I on the psychiatrist’s couch telling you about my childhood? Because oddly enough, those same frightening feelings came over me recently when I read a Realtor’s response in an online chat regarding home staging. A savvy homeowner was looking for recommendations for a staging professional who serviced her area. The Realtor’s response?
“I have never been a fan of staging. It does not sell anything faster and seems to be a complete waste of time for maybe 90% of all property. No one can point to stats that show staging shortens the selling time. Just price it correctly or at least gradually lower the price if it is not selling and eventually you get offers. This business is not that complicated.”
NOW THAT’S SCARY.
Imagine that this is your Realtor.
He’s sold plenty of properties. You trust him and value his opinion. But does he have your best interests in mind?
He lists your home and doesn’t say a thing about staging your property. Why mention it? He knows you think buyers will love your home as much as you do. He wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize his relationship with you, so better not risk ruffling any feathers having that conversation.
The problem is that he has not taken the time to educate you about your home now becoming a house; an item to be staged and marketed to be sold.
But he’s the professional and the fact that he doesn’t mention staging, you don’t think it makes that much difference in the sale of your home.
Do you think he’ll share that his marketing strategy for your home is to continually drop the price until it sells? I seriously doubt it. It’s a strategy that takes money directly out of your pocket.
In the meantime, your property sits…and sits…and sits. You continue to put your life on hold, pay months worth of mortgage payments and become increasingly frustrated. So this is a Real Estate professional? This is really frightening.
The truth of the matter is, this guy is the exception, not the rule. Most real estate agents understand the value of home staging, are professional and deserve your respect. They know home staging can impact your profit and the amount of days your property stays on the market.
So, if you are thinking of putting your house up for sale, don’t let the whole process frighten you. Seek out a sensational Realtor® who uses an Accredited Staging Professional®. One who values you and your property. One who knows what it takes to market your home so that it stands above all the other properties. One who knows that staging properties results in a quicker sale for the best possible price.
Have your house be the Treat, not the Trick for any potential buyer who walks through your door.
What are your Home Staging success stories?
I’m Sue Proud, Owner of PROUD HOME Staging, LLC and an Accredited Staging Professional® in St. Charles, IL. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post.
We would love to hear from you… please leave your comments and questions below or Contact Us directly about your Home Staging and Design needs.
DECLUTTERED THOUGHTS OF A HOME STAGERby Sue Proud, ASP®, IAHSP®, GCIRC
Artwork hung too high. (Source)
Have you ever walked into someone’s home and known that a tall person or someone on a ladder made the decision where to hang the artwork? Have you gone into a room and felt uncomfortable, without really knowing why? Something just wasn’t quite right, but you couldn’t put your finger on it.
As a professional home stager in St. Charles, IL, it is critical to be able to identify these and other issues in a room to eliminate this uneasy feeling and instead make a house embrace whomever walks through its doors. It’s knowing and applying the basic rules of design to a space that will eliminate these uncomfortable feelings.
Rug too small. (Source)
How high do you hang wall art? What size rug do you need? How do you know what size light fixture to select? These are some of the questions I repeatedly get asked by clients. Having the answers to these and other design questions in the form of a quick reference guide will make your decorating easier and create the results you desire.
I’ve compiled this information to create my Cheat Sheet for Home Decor. You can use it before going shopping so you know the dimensions you need to fit your space. No guess-work. It’s all there in black and white. Using these guidelines will help you pull your spaces together like a professional.
I’m Sue Proud, Owner of PROUD HOME Staging, LLC and an Accredited Staging Professional® in St. Charles, IL. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post.
We would love to hear from you… please leave your comments and questions below or Contact Us directly about your Home Staging and Design needs.
DECLUTTERED THOUGHTS OF A HOME STAGERby Sue Proud, ASP®, IAHSP®, GCIRC
Thinking about selling your home and not sure if you need a professional Home Stager? This is an easy way to find out. Stand in the doorway of each room in your home and take a photo with your cell phone. Now look at the photos you’ve taken and ask yourself, “If I saw these rooms online, would I want to go see this house enough to make an appointment with the Realtor®?”
Now look at the photos you’ve taken again and ask yourself:
Do I notice the decorative things in the room instead of the room’s space?
Do I notice the worst features of the room instead of the its best?
Do I notice the backs of furniture more than the way to circulate through the room?
BEFORE Staging – First thing you see is the back of the couch and too many decorative items.
AFTER Staging – Now you can see how spacious the room is and the fireplace focal point. Pulling furniture and accessories from other rooms provided the right balance.
Do I notice bold jolts of color on the walls instead of neutral color(s) throughout to create flow?
Do I notice dimly lit areas instead of overall even lighting?
If you answered Yes to any of these questions, you need a professional Home Stager.
Home Staging is more than just cleaning and decluttering a space. That’s just the beginning. A professional Home Stager knows how to utilize design elements and principles to highlight the very best features of your home so that it will appeal to the largest group of buyers. Professional Home Stagers can prioritize which items you should address first for the best return on your investment.
Your home is quite possibly your largest investment. Before putting it on the market, don’t you want to make it look exceptional so that you can get the best possible price?
I’m Sue Proud, Owner of PROUD HOME Staging, LLC and an Accredited Staging Professional® in St. Charles, IL. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post.
We would love to hear from you… please leave your comments and questions below or Contact Us directly about your Home Staging and Design needs.
DECLUTTERED THOUGHTS OF A HOME STAGERby Sue Proud, ASP®, IAHSP®, GCIRC
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“You had me at hello.” Dorothy uttered those five, simple words to Jerry in the movie, Jerry Maguire. She was hooked. She was connected. She was in love.
Do you think your house connects with prospective buyers at their first “hello”? Does your outside entry immediately hook buyers so they feel it is their home? From the minute they view the exterior, either on-line or in person, you want to make them fall in love with your house in Geneva, IL.
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To evaluate your entry, you need to be objective. You need to have a fresh perspective about the product you are trying to sell. Most people rarely go through their own front entry, so take a photo of yours and view it as if you were seeing it for the first time. What do you notice? You can bet that prospective buyers will notice every detail and will decide within seconds whether to explore more of your property or move on.
There are 5 home staging tips for outside front entries that will make buyers fall in love with your Geneva, IL house:
1. Create a Focal Point with Color
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Paint or re-stain your front door a color that compliments the architecture, exterior color(s) and location of your house. Select a color that reflects current exterior color palettes without being too trendy or personal.
Use pots filled with colorful plants that repeat the same colors found in your yard or on your front door. Repeat no more than three colors or it will make your entry look busy and distracting. Select the number of pots needed to create balance for the entry without blocking the front door or making it seem like a jungle. You want to have plenty of room for buyers and Realtors to easliy get into your house.
Need ideas for winter? There are winter exterior home staging ideas on Pinterest.
2. MakeBuyers Feel Welcome
Purchase a doormat that is, at a minimum, the width of your door frame, including any screen or storm doors.
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Select a doormat that compliments the architecture/color of your house and preferably one that says “Welcome.” Stay away from anything too personal, such as monograms, team affiliations and sayings.
Select a mat thickness that allows the screen or storm door to move freely across it when opened.
If space allows, add a bench, a couple of chairs or a bistro set and accent them with colorful outdoor pillows in one of the colors you’ve selected to repeat.
3. Update Your Entry Hardware
Your front door hardware should be the same color and finish as is found in the rest of your house and in excellent condition.
Does your doorbell work? Are your house numbers and mailbox worn or dated? Replace broken items and repaint worn hardware to instantly convey your house is a well maintained property.
4. Examine Your Light Fixtures
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Are your light fixtures the right scale? A good rule of thumb for the front door fixture is for it to be 1/3 the height of the door if there is only one and 1/4 the height of the door if there are two (one on each side of the door). Fixtures that are too small make buyers wonder what else you have skimped on in your house. NO WIMPY LIGHT FIXTURES!
Do you have the correct bulbs? Use bulbs with a warm white lightand the correct wattage for the fixture. Incandescent light, 60-75 watts total, is ideal for most decorative exterior wall fixtures and post lanterns. With that being said, make sure you have plenty of light to highlight your entry at night. Check the fixture label so the maximum safe wattage is not exceeded.
5. CLEAN EVERYTHING!
Windows, light fixtures and hardware need to sparkle. The door and trim need to be (or at least look) freshly painted or re-stained. Cobwebs and any insects need to be gone. Frequently sweep the entry to keep it looking spotless.
Are you ready to use these 5 home staging tips for front entries to make buyers fall in love with your house?
I’m Sue Proud, Owner of PROUD HOME Staging, LLC and an Accredited Staging Professional® in St. Charles, IL. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post.
We would love to hear from you… please leave your comments and questions below or Contact Us directly about your Home Staging and Design needs.
