I often tell my clients that having their home for sale is not a natural lifestyle as everything has to be kept in tip top shape at all times.  It’s a new year and the perfect time to be resolved about selling your home for top dollar.

Involve the whole family in keeping a routine that keeps your house clean and clutter-free on a daily basis.   

Sometimes it is much easier to implement staging techniques than to actually maintain them.

. Now that the holidays are over it is imperative that all remnants of the festivities and other seasonal décor is completely removed and packed away. And that means the outdoor lights and decorations as well!

The problem with this is that your house will suddenly feel drab and a bit barren.  But you can transform your home into a warm, cozy and inviting space by doing a real estate redesign.

By applying the following tips your family will enjoy spending time by the fire on those long, wintry nights AND potential home buyers will emotionally respond to the newly created ambience.

• Rearrange the furniture to create intimate seating arrangements
• Create a good traffic flow
• Cover the floors with rich, dark area rugs such as Oriental ones
• Add a touch of black to ground the room and for a touch of sophistication (try a black lampshade or paint a small accent piece of furniture)
• Choose warm, warm, warm colors
• Add corduroy floor cushions stacked by the fireplace
• Place a basket filled with birch logs and sugar pinecones
• Toss more pillows and chenille throws on sofa and chairs
• Buy stacking baskets with lids to contain family room clutter
• Add vanilla or cinnamon scented candles and place throughout the house
• Replace a few light bulbs with amber tinted ones to create a wonderful soft glow to your rooms
• Use accessories sparingly but what you do use should have a dramatic impact
• Soften cocktail table or sofa table with a piece of rich fabric that compliments your décor
• Add live greenery
• Place copper pieces on countertops that will gleam under kitchen lights
• Keep a large bowl of fresh pears or apples on table or counter
• Spruce the bathrooms up with new shower curtains and fluffy hand towels

And even though the north winds howl you will have to brave the elements to make certain the outside of your home is just as appealing as the inside.

• Keep snow and slush cleared from door and on walks
• Eucalyptus wreaths are excellent winter choices to hang on the front door
• Add color to the landscape with large potted winterberry shrubs
• Choose planters that match your home’s style to fill and layer with a variety of fresh evergreens and large sugar pinecones (replace greenery as needed)
• Buy an attractive but sturdy new door mat
• Strategically place spot lighting to highlight shrubbery and light walkways
• Replace any door hardware that is showing any tarnish or wear
• Tighten anything “flapping in the wind”
• Hang a feeder in the back yard to attract colorful birds
• Cover the grill
• Make sure there are no summer items laying forlornly around the outside

Now go back inside and reward yourself with a cup of hot chocolate and daydream about selling your house and moving to Florida!

A family with their home for sell during the holidays cannot be expected to refrain from decorating.  However the home can reflect the festive season without overwhelming the space and can actually enhance the home’s appeal.

Here are a few quick ideas:

• Add a welcoming holiday door wreath
• Follow the outdoor holiday decorating scheme of the neighborhood (i.e. decorate if everyone else does or don’t if the neighborhood doesn’t)
• Use less ornament collection within the home
• Don’t over-crowd the rooms
• Use holiday décor that compliments the setting
• Stick with one theme
• Use amber-colored lights to infuse a rich warm golden glow to rooms

Consider hiring the professional stager or interior redesigner to come in and make your space truly magical.  This service will generally start with a consultation to determine the scope of the job.

Take this opportunity to evaluate your existing holiday décor and what can be used from this inventory. 

If new accessories are to be purchased then this will be the time to determine what to buy, who is doing the shopping (you or the stager) and a dollar amount set for your budget.  

To avoid any misunderstandings you will also want to make sure that you understand and agree with the stager’s fees for his or her services.

Staging for the Holidays is just one more example of why the stager must possess solid design principles.

In addition to the basic design elements the professional stager will know how to apply the following principles into their staging or redesign:

• Adding texture, why and where
• Coordinating patterns
• Determining and applying formal or informal degrees
• Selecting Holiday theme
• Selecting color scheme
• Threading the color scheme
• Repetition of elements
• Using proper scale and proportions

Feel free to contact Victoria Palmer with any of your staging or decorating dilemmas.  Visit her websites at www.NationalRedesignInstitute.com and www.Urbane-Interiors.com

I provide my clients with TWO lists. The first one is the follow up of the consultation. This is a bulleted list that addresses each room with a set list of items that need to be addressed.

An example would be:
Living Room
• Stretch and clean carpet
• Replace broken blind
• Remove large recliner to provide better traffic flow
• Update and add additional lighting as discussed
• And so forth…

Categorizing by space (i.e. Family Room, Billy’s Bedroom) and keeping the list abbreviated in content, you will be providing your client with a doable plan of action. It also provides a handy checklist for the homeowner and helps them stay on track.

The second list is referred to as the Maintenance List. Start by discussing this at your initial consultation. Encourage your clients to enlist the help of the entire family, especially any teen-agers in the home. Explain that everyone should be involved and have the same game plan – which is selling the home quickly and for more money! Even very young children can be given responsibility for a chore or two.

Explain that by following the Maintenance List on a daily basis the home will always be presentable for realty showings. In addition, these action items need to be addressed in every morning before leaving the home for work and school.

Here is an example of how to maintain that unnatural lifestyle:

Bedrooms
Make beds
Hit the clothes hamper
Tidy surfaces
Empty any open trash cans

Bathrooms
Hang towels – do not leave on floor
Clear sinks and vanities
Store personal items away
Wipe down vanity countertop
(For quick clean up keep a glass cleaner and paper towel under bathroom sink)
Empty any open trash can
Remove all dirty clothes
Put toilet seat down

Family Room
Tidy all surfaces
Pick up toys, games, remotes, magazines and any left-over snack remains
Fluff any toss pillows
Fold throws
Close entertainment center doors
(For quick clean-up keep a small swivel type sweeper handy in coat closet)

Kitchen
Load dishwasher – do not leave any dirty dishes or pans out
Put small appliances away
Clear countertops and wipe down
Wipe fingerprints from fridge
Clear and clean up any eating surfaces
Sweep floor and wipe up any spills

Front Porch or Steps
Sweep debris
Keep any snow or ice removed

While this list covers most major areas of the home it actually does not require that much time to accomplish. Again, with encouragement on your part, a family can divide the chores and only forgo about 15 minutes of extra sleep!

As stagers it is our job to give our clients as many tools as possible to help them achieve their goal of selling. What is interesting is that I have had clients continue to use the Maintenance List after moving into their new home!

This story has inspired me to always be very aware of how I conduct myself and how I train other stagers to conduct themselves during staging consultations. Always treat the home seller with kindness and respect.

Handle those sticky situations such as smelly kitty litter odor with tact – don’t simply state that the house SMELLS!

You don’t want to put your client on the defensive, make them angry or make them feel like they are complete slobs.

There are a few simple ways of addressing issues that will keep everyone happy while still making your point!
An example of this is to always tell your client how critical it is to have a clean home – make sure they understand that this is something you talk to ALL your clients about– and do this immediately upon entering the home. Don’t move forward until you have stated this fact!

Don’t wait to remember how important a clean home is until you happen to see unbelievable grime ringing the tub! Stating that information at that time only makes the cleaning issue “personal.” Now your client feels accused, judged and found guilty!

Another issue I have is the stager that puts the seller on overload with their rapid litany of all the substandard things going on in that home – and in addition, adding the things the seller must do in order to get the home in a more saleable condition.

Reassure your client that you are going to submit a written report which will highlight all the things that need to be addressed. This also alleviated the fear that they are going to miss some valuable information during the consult and it will also save you considerable time!

Put your report in a bulleted format under separate headings and avoid any extra verbiage. If presented in such a format, the sellers can use this as their check-off list as individual tasks are accomplished. An abbreviated example follows:
Living Room
• Carpet needs stretching
• Replace broken blind
• Remove broken ceiling fan and replace with new
• Create better traffic flow (as discussed)
Billy’s Room
Using their child’s name in lieu of referencing it as “the little bedroom” adds that personal touch – you cared enough to remember their son’s – and honestly, how hard is that?
• Paint walls and woodwork
• You get the picture

Educate your client so they understand that the maintenance might be the hardest part of the staging process. Living in a staged home is NOT a natural lifestyle!
Assist them by providing a courtesy “Daily To Do List.”
By setting the alarm only 10 or 15 minutes earlier, each family member can contribute to tidying the home before leaving for work and school.

A top-notch stager is going to go the extra mile for his or her client and realtor-and this is what will bring you future staging opportunities.

So until next blog, just remember, don’t make your client cry!
Victoria

Victoria is the Director of National Redesign Institute which offers career training in Interior Redesign, Home Staging and Interior Decorating. She has recently launched these career choices as cost-effective long distant learning programs for the student’s convenience.
Victoria is also the owner of Urbane-Interiors which is a traditional full service decorating firm that serves the Kansas City metropolitan area.
A well-known decorator, speaker and author, Victoria, has recently been asked to speak for the Home Builders Association of Kansas City at their fall home show at Bartle Hall, Kansas City, Missouri.
Dedicated to providing her alumni and the National Redesign members with continued support in their businesses and ongoing education within the field, Victoria continually strives to offer them related industry resources, conferences and tools.
Victoria also offers E-Books to learn to Stage Like a Pro or How to Redesign a Room in your own home. In addition there are CD’s available for purchase to help stagers give turn-key presentations. For more information and ordering instructions please visit the Resource Page located at www.NationalRedesignInstitute.com. Also visit Victoriia’s other company at www.Urbane-Interiors.com www.NationalRedesignInstitute.com andwww.Urbane-Inteiors.com.

Many of the shows are staging very high end homes and using furnishings and accessories that are very expensive. The stagers have access to unlimited inventory and open ended budgets.    While still other programs are showcasing major remodeling of bathrooms and kitchens while still coming in under a set budget of only several thousand dollars!

Staging the average home lies well within the middle of these two described scenarios.  

Hopefully the following will bring a more realistic understanding to what value staging brings to the table.  In addition, to help simplify awareness of the 4 major staging levels available, that fits the average home, lifestyle and budget.

Level One – Full Staging for the Vacant Home

This would be the vacant home that the seller is willing to fully stage.  In other words, to make the empty home appear as if someone is actually living there. 

The effect is comparable to a new home display model.  

The stager can either work from their own inventory to furnish the home or select these items from a furniture rental company. Or it could also be a combination of using the stager’s inventory and additional rented pieces from the rental store.  Bottom line, the stager will install the selections which will include delivery and pick/up fees plus a monthly rental charge for the furnishings and accessories. Fees will vary according to your stager and geographic area; however, most do charge a 3 month minimum. 

Level Two – Full Staging for the Owner Occupied Property

In this case, your stager can help you stage your home using your existing furnishings and accessories.  You pay for the consultation and the actual staging and then it is up to you to keep it that way!

Your initial consultation will include tips and advice on how to enhance your property to its fullest potential. They can guide you with suggestions of what to remove from each room and what can be used to showcase and give your home that “Wow” factor!     

The professional stager will be able to help you choose appropriate neutral updates or changes you might wish to implement.

A good stager can also assist you in understanding how to create conversation areas, where to clear up traffic flow issues, where to hang artwork, how to make the best impact with accessories and where to place your lighting. 

Your stager is usually an invaluable resource for products and services that you might need to prepare your home for sell. Very much like, redesigners, stagers offer a friendly, less intimidating, and much more cost effective service than traditional design consults.

There are many variables with this Level Two option.  You can choose to implement your stager’s ideas or hire them to professionally stage the entire home or only one room.  Oftentimes, the stager will include a “Courtesy Shopping List”.  This could consist of inexpensive purchases that could give huge enhancing benefits to your home. 

Again, you can choose to ignore the list, shop for these items yourself or hire your stager to make these purchases for you.   With so many variables you will understand why fees vary depending on what you choose to do yourself or what you choose to hire done.

Level Three –  Vignette Staging

This level can be implemented very inexpensively and done in the vacant home or for the owner occupied home that has an empty room or two.

A properly placed vignette does not need to be elaborate in order to take the cold edge off of an empty room.  A very popular vignette would consist of a chair, a side table, lighting and rug to set it all on.  Add a plant for life and the right accessory and voila! 

Or place an ottoman near the fireplace with a tray holding (empty) wine bottle and 2 glasses.

A vignette staging is versatile, can be placed in one or many rooms and is very easy to set up and maintain for you or your stager.

Level Four -  Highlight Staging

Recently one of my former students asked me to help her understand how she could incorporate this staging style as one of her offered services.  Basically, I told her that “highlights” are whatever she could take to the property in one or two laundry baskets!

Highlighting can be done with the addition of a few books, plants and accessories placed on any built-ins.  Accessorizing spaces such as a fireplace mantle or built-ins showcases the architectural elements of the home.  Adding bright spots of color with tea towels, decorative plates on stands, small lamp and plant on counter tops brings the kitchen to life.  Adding decorative soaps, hand towels and fresh, new shower curtain in bathrooms instantly eliminates that cold, clinical feel. .  Use a tray or basket to hold spa items and place on or near the Jacuzzi.   

Highlighting inventory and ideas are endless and best of all give a huge impact for very little money or effort

Victoria Palmer is the director of National Redesign Institute which gives career training in Interior Redesign, Home Staging and Interior Decorating.  She is also the owner of Urbane Interiors which offers traditional design services in the Kansas City metropolitan area.