Stage To Sell

Staging Under Construction

Posted on 12 November 2010 | Comments Off

I have had two stagings recently where we’ve showed up to the property, moving van full, staging crew ready to go, and walked into a full-on construction site!

Now you would think I would know better, seeing as how I posted this article back in 2008, warning other stagers to make sure their properties are “Stage Ready” before they show up. However, even the most experienced of us can sometimes slip when the agents and sellers are in a hurry to get a property staged and on the market.

So it happened (twice) that I found myself and my crew at a property that was simply not ready for us.

A couple of months ago, we were asked to stage a property that had been in the middle of a big remodel when the owner ran out of money before s/he could finish it. Our client purchased the home with the intent of quickly finishing the work and flipping it. While most of the construction seemed to progress fairly quickly, there were some issues with the electrical that the inspector refused to sign off on. Until he signed off, they couldn’t have electricity at the property. I informed the client of the reasons that we can’t stage without water and power and he assured me that the water would definitely be turned on in time, but that he wouldn’t have confirmation on the power until closer to the staging day. When I pushed him on this, he responded that the contractor knew my schedule, so I shouldn’t worry. Famous last words!

We arrived to the job site to find that not only was there no electricity (so we couldn’t steam any of the bedding or turn on any of the lights to take photos when we were done), but the contractors were actually still working. They were just beginning to install a large Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. The tub itself (which was quite large) had to sit inside the master bedroom while the workers  poured the concrete and waited for it to set before they could install the tub. Unfortunately that meant that my furniture delivery guys couldn’t get the bed, dresser and nightstands into the room!

After much back and forth, we compromised with the workers. They would move the tub into the very large master closet so we could install the furniture and stage the master bedroom. Unfortunately we still didn’t have power, so we couldn’t steam any of the bedding in the three bedrooms. We took photos, but they were taken with natural light only since none of the overhead lights or lamps worked.

After almost two months of me checking in weekly with the owner about when we could come back to do the steaming and photos, we finally got the go-ahead that they had power this week. We showed up on Wednesday only to find that, once again, the power was off (though it had been fully functional just the day before). The sad part is that the owner has paid for two months of staging rentals and hasn’t had the full effect of being able to show the property in its “best light” – pun intended. The Realtor has continued to hold open houses and to do showings, despite the lack of power, and the good news is that there may already be an offer on the table! That would be a wonderful result for this seller and I certainly hope it goes through. But lesson learned – or so I thought…

A mere month and a half later, I was asked to stage another property that was in the midst of a major remodel. In fact, this is what it looked like on the day I went to preview the home.

But the Realtor assured me that they would be ready for us in 8 days, which was how long we had before the staging date.

The good news is that we arrived to both water AND power! The bad news was that we also arrived to a house FULL of workers – electricians, painters, and more. The kitchen was full of appliances waiting to be installed. The tile guy still needed to grout the tile in both bathrooms and the kitchen, and there was a bunch of electrical work that still had to be done (fixtures installed, half-hot outlets set up, etc). To their credit, the construction crew was as accommodating as possible. They really tried to stay out of our way so we could work. But I had a four-person staging crew plus two delivery guys, and for much of the day, we were stuck waiting for workmen to finish so we could stage.

Luckily both of these stagings turned out great in the end, but let it be a lesson to other stagers not to repeat my mistakes. Confirm and reconfirm in the days leading up to the installation. And make sure you have a backup plan if you walk in to a construction site. You’ll be glad you did!

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Home Staging for Occupied Homes – Yes We Can!

Posted on 6 October 2010 | Comments Off

It’s a commonly held misconception that home stagers only work on vacant homes.

But what if you’ve got 3 kids, 2 dogs and a pet parakeet, and plan to live in your home while it’s on the market? You may think that staging is not an option for you. Now I can understand why you might think that, because there are stagers out there who refuse to work on a home unless it is completely empty and they can start with a “blank slate.”

Though it’s true that it’s easier for stagers to start from scratch so that we don’t have to incorporate your existing furniture with what we may need to bring in, there are home staging professionals (including myself) that actually enjoy working on occupied homes!

In fact, staging occupied homes is one of our specialties, and we offer a low-cost staging option that can give you the look of a staged home for a fraction of the price.

The way that I work with occupied listings is to start with a Home Staging Consultation. During a consultation appointment, I will spend 2-3 hours touring your home and making a detailed, room-by-room written report listing what can be done (using mostly what’s already in your home) to prepare it for sale. This might include rearranging furniture to highlight architectural details or views, de-cluttering, neutralizing the decor, painting or minor repairs.

In most cases, you can take this report, check off everything on my list, and there’s no need for me to ever come back to the property. Sometimes, however, there may be certain items that I recommend that you rent or purchase in order to complete the staging – art, accessories or even furniture. In that case, if you prefer to rent these items (and have no use for them in your new home), a professional stager can provide a quote to rent you the necessary items and set them up, putting the finishing touches on your home to really make it shine.

Here are some before and after photos of my most recent occupied home staging. Which photos would you rather see on the MLS?

The living room was a simple case of too much furniture. The large settee on the right in the before picture was HUGE and made the room feel tight and cramped. By removing it and spreading out the remaining matching pieces, the room felt more spacious. We also brought in throw pillows and art to tie in the colors in the rug, added a few accessories, decluttered a bit, and voila – a staged room!

Hmmm, what is that big thing hiding in the corner of the dining room in the before photo? Yes, you guessed it – a treadmill. Just the thing to stimulate your appetite while sitting down for a relaxing meal! We removed the treadmill and replaced it with a console table from another room in the house, set the table and now this room is staged and ready for the open house.

First of all, the master bedroom is supposed to be all about romance and relaxation. But there’s a huge TV blocking the biggest feature in the room – a romantic fireplace! Next we have an overabundance of family photos – a real “no no” when selling your home. You want potential buyers to picture themselves living in your house. If they see you and your family staring at them from every wall, it just doesn’t feel like home. And lastly, having your golf clubs and an extra vacuum in the room makes it seem as if there’s not enough storage space in the garage or laundry area for those items. We removed all those items, relocated the TV and played up the fireplace and seating area with new art and accessories. Now that’s romantic!

Once again, the main problem was too much stuff! Removing all the stuffed animals, the extra end tables, the personal photos and the exercise ball made the room feel not only more spacious, but also more “grown up.” This was a 4 bedroom home, but all the rooms (except the master) appeared very kid-like. We wanted to show that one room could still be a functional guest room or home office. Once all the extras were gone, we simply made the bed and added some art and throw pillows to complete the staging of this room.

All the bathrooms in this home had a matching detail in the tile that was quite lovely. But with all the crazy patterns in the bath rugs and different colors of towels, that feature was being lost. We had the seller buy some solid color matching towels, removed the rugs and toiletries and brought in a nice vase with flowers to complete the look. Now the features of this bathroom can be the star, rather than an afterthought.

So as you can see, staging even an occupied home can have dramatic results. And since we used the seller’s own furnishings and they did some of the work themselves, they saved a bundle!

If you’re going to be living in your home while it’s on the market, call a professional home stager in your area. For a few hundred dollars, you will receive  valuable, practical advice on getting your home staged and ready to sell. Your return on that investment will be many times what you pay, not only in terms of a better sale price for your home, but also in a quicker sale. Less time on the market means lower carrying costs for you and more $$ in your pocket.

Make sure to ask for references and before and after photos from the stagers you interview.

Happy selling!

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Staging Works! A Case Study

Posted on 14 September 2010 | Comments Off

Last month we were asked to preview a beautiful but vacant modern loft in Playa Vista. The Realtor had recommended that the property be staged as soon as she got the listing, but the owner didn’t want to spend the money – and he wanted to price it for what he paid for it, not what it was worth in today’s market.

So after 3 months of sitting on the market and $100,000 in price reductions, the seller finally agreed to stage it.

One of the issues with showing this home empty was that the second bedroom was directly across from the dining room and had no door.

According to the agent, most buyers of this floorplan had sliding doors installed to wall off the room and create privacy, but this one had not been upgraded in that way. So as potential buyers finished their tour, they inevitably asked “Where’s the 2nd bedroom?” When the agent pointed out the open space across from the dining room, which was visible from most of the downstairs, buyers balked.

The space also felt a bit cold, as modern spaces can tend to when they are not furnished.

Our first task was to create a division so that the second bedroom actually felt like a bedroom. We accomplished this with a simple room divider to create privacy. Adding bedroom furniture, as well as a desk, also helped buyers envision how they could use the space.

Next we added warmth with furniture, art and accessories.

Did it work? Well, after 3 months on the market, this place is now in escrow! I call that success.

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Los Angeles Home Stager Takes on Two New Affordable Housing Projects

Posted on 24 August 2010 | Comments Off

For over two years now, I’ve been working with two Affordable Housing developers in the Los Angeles area to design the common spaces for their multi-family residences.

This may seem like a strange job for a home stager, but I sort of “fell into” this line of work when I was asked to “stage” the common spaces in one of these properties for an inspection (read more about that here). That turned into a wonderful partnership with American Communities, with whom I’ve now worked on four separate projects (Witmer Heights, Carondelet Court, The Hobart and The Ardmore).  Since this type of work is so rewarding, I have been working to expand this part of my business and have now completed two projects with another developer, Abode Communities (Casa Dominguez and now Ivy Terrace).

I have been remiss in posting about Casa Dominguez, which garnered a good amount of attention for being the first LEED platinum certified affordable housing project in LA).

So this will be a 2-for-1 post about both Casa Dominguez and my latest project Ivy Terrace.

Casa Dominguez

For Casa Dominguez, located in East Rancho Dominguez, we were asked to bring in furniture, art and accessories for the entry, reception area and common room. We also furnished several offices and small conference rooms with office furniture and art. Since this was a green building, we went with a theme of natural materials in our use of artwork. Several metal and wood pieces were used (in addition to canvas art) to tie the spaces together.

As residents enter the building, they are greeted with beautiful art and plants.

The reception area offers comfortable seating in a beautiful surrounding while residents and potential residents wait to speak with management.

The community room offers a space for residents to meet and take part in on-site tutoring and classes.

Ivy Terrace

We have just completed work on Ivy Terrace in Van Nuys, where we were asked to furnish the reception area, a conference room, computer lab and several offices for management. Our theme for Ivy Terrace was to create the feeling of living in a garden.

As residents wait to speak with the on-site manager, bright reds and floral colors provide a welcoming feeling. Large comfortable chairs provide comfort and style.

For small meetings and classes, residents can take advantage of this bright and cheery conference room.

We couldn’t leave out the people who work here, so we brought in contemporary floral art for all the management offices as well.

Finally the community room provides an open space for classes, meetings and resident gatherings.

We are looking forward to working on many more of these affordable housing projects with these wonderful developers. Nothing could be more rewarding than designing spaces for such a deserving but often overlooked segment of the population.

Disclaimer: Please note that Stage to Sell is not involved with the design or architecture of the buildings themselves, or even – in most cases – picking finishes (with the exception of some paint colors). Stage to Sell chooses furniture, art and accessories only.

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Los Angeles Stager Takes on a Santa Monica contemporary…for the second time!

Posted on 10 August 2010 | Comments Off

In early 2008, I staged a beautiful vacant Santa Monica townhome. At the time, it was my favorite staging to date – very contemporary, hip and fun…not to mention, the agent wrote me the most glowing recommendation I’d ever gotten!

As things go in the “small world” of Los Angeles real estate, the buyer’s agent for that property loved my work and hired me to stage one of his listings…and another and another. That agent has been a steady client ever since and tells me he won’t take a listing unless the seller agrees to have me stage it! Aren’t those type of clients the BEST?

So last week this agent calls to tell me that his clients (the ones that bought that Santa Monica townhome) are now selling, and it was time for me to “work my magic” again! It’s not often we get a second chance to stage the same home, so I was excited – especially since it was such a great experience the last time! We both agreed not to mess with success (so to speak) and to keep the basics the same in terms of furniture placement, but I just had to mix it up a bit.

Check out these photos of the home how I staged it in 2008 and now how it looks today. Which do you prefer?

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Staging a Spanish Style Home in LA

Posted on 13 July 2010 | Comments Off

Last week we had the pleasure of staging a beautiful Spanish style home for Russell Roney of Zip Realty. This amazing pool home was built in 1924 and still has many of the original period touches, but it has been updated with new paint throughout and a granite/stainless kitchen. You can’t beat the location where you can walk to trendy neighborhood restaurants, shops and places of worship. Minutes from The Grove yet private enough to escape it all.

631 N. Martel, Los Angeles. MLS#10-463635

Call today for a showing! 323-697-5157

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Los Angeles Stager Takes on a Santa Monica Bungalow

Posted on 12 July 2010 | Comments Off

We just staged this beautiful home in Santa Monica for Rodeo Realty agent Revi Mendelsohn. The property was completely remodeled and is now ready for even the most discriminating buyer!

827 Wilson Place, Santa Monica

Contact Revi Mendelsohn at 310-963-7384 for a showing. Hurry, this one will go fast!

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Staging a Beautiful Los Angeles Craftsman

Posted on 10 July 2010 | Comments Off

A couple of weeks ago we were contacted by investors who had meticulously renovated a gorgeous 1919 Craftsman home in Los Angeles. They had brought in a few accessories to add a homey feel to the property, but there was no furniture (save for a too-small dining room table). Not surprisingly, they weren’t getting the buzz they’d hoped and – worse yet – no offers. So they called Los Angeles Staging Company Stage to Sell to up the “wow factor.”

We knew immediately why this home wasn’t selling. Despite its beautiful bones and spacious rooms, the layout confused even the most savvy buyer. With a very long and narrow living room, a small space right off the living room that no one knew what to do with, and 3 connected bedrooms on the top floor, buyers were stumped. All it took was the right furniture to help them figure it out.

In the long living room, we created two distinct seating areas – one to take advantage of the beautiful fireplace, and the other to be the TV watching area. Suddenly the spaciousness of the room didn’t feel so overwhelming.

Oh, and that awkward space off the living room (visible above through the opening)? Now it’s a library/office – a bonus to any home.

Now for the 3 adjoining rooms upstairs. When this home was built, they added doors that led from one room right into the next, and planned for those doors to stay open for light and flow and to give the space a suite feel. But for today’s buyers, that equates to fewer bedrooms (if indeed it’s used as a suite) and less privacy.

Since putting a lock on the middle door wasn’t an option, we used a door stopper to make sure the doors remained closed during showings. The 3rd room that was attached to the middle bedroom was very small, so we decided to stage it as a playroom off of a young child’s room. Now the open nature of that bedroom to the playroom seems more of a feature than a deterrent to buyers.

The master bedroom didn’t really need much help at all. This is a very large and bright room. We simply brought in the furniture, art and accessories to showcase it properly. Mission accomplished!

Now we’re just waiting to hear that this beautiful home is SOLD!

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Culver City Staging Success Story

Posted on 17 June 2010 | Comments Off

If you follow my blog, you may remember my recent post about Staging a Culver City home right in my own neighborhood. As a Home Stager in Los Angeles, it was such a pleasure to work so close to home! Well, I had to wait for it to close in order to share the good news, but here it is. This one sold in five days, in multiple offers, for $44,900 over asking! Not only is that good for my business, it’s great for my own personal property values!

Here is a testimonial from the Realtor. I’ll admit I got a little teary reading this one.

“I can’t say enough about Annie…not only is she a real professional, she goes beyond the call of duty… This home was vacant and the seller was out of state, so all the correspondence was conducted via email, and having a very particular seller, details were a big part of it…She did not disappoint either myself or my seller!  The staging was done on time and our first Broker’s open brought out a huge turnout due to the fabulous photos that I was able to post after the staging was complete in enough time to tantalize the buyers. We had four offers right away and it was in escrow within 5 days of hitting the market, I say that’s a REAL SUCCESS STORY! Thank you Annie once again for making me look good and doing what I promise my clients, have the home in the best condition you can, and they will come! Looking forward to the next opportunity to work with you!”

-Claudia Border, GRI

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Staging a Prime Westwood Condo

Posted on 2 June 2010 | Comments Off

Last week Stage to Sell was asked to transform a Westwood rental property into a prime condo, fit for its great location. First we recommended that the owner update the paint in the master bedroom and a few fixtures. Then we went to work bringing in furniture, art and accessories that would appeal to young professionals or students who might be looking to buy in this area.

Due to its proximity to UCLA, it is probable that this two bedroom condo might be purchased by a UCLA student (or his/her parents) for use while the student is in school. For this reason, we made sure it felt as if there was plenty of room for a bed and a desk in both bedrooms, in case the buyer wants to rent out the second bedroom to another student.

As a professional home staging company, it is crucial that we take into account who the target buyer is for any property. Then we must make sure that our furniture choices will appeal directly to the chosen demographic and make the property irresistable to our target audience!

Here are photos of this fabulous condo.

Property Address: 1840 Camden Ave #106, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Price:   $418,900

MLS #: 10-453691

Listed by: Grace Chow, Amazing Grace & Assoc. 310-476-7722

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