Stage To Sell

Worthwhile Updates When Selling a Home

Posted on 3 August 2009 | 3 responses

I recently Staged a beautiful home in Los Feliz, California. It was a large home, had a gorgeous outdoor covered terrace with amazing city views, and had a view of the Griffith Observatory out the Living Room window. When I arrived to preview the home, the Realtor told me the home had initially been listed at $2 million. With the square footage and views I mentioned, that wouldn’t seem completely outrageous. However the moment I stepped in the door I knew this home was not a $2 million dollar property. Why? Let’s start with the vertical blinds…

Do these blinds scream luxury home to you? No, they didn’t to me either. First thing on the list to go: vertical blinds. For budgetary reasons we could not install custom window treatments (especially on the large bay window in the front of the room), but simply removing the dated blinds helped immensely. We used inexpensive tension rods to add drapes to the side windows and left that beautiful bay window free and clear so buyers would be able to see the Observatory when they looked out.

On a side note, there was an issue with buyers having to look at the busy traffic passing by out the bottom half of that front window. Solution? We brought in two ultra-high-back chairs to block the lower half while opening up the beautiful hillside views above.

As I continued my preview of the home the next thing I noticed was the powder room and its dueling vanities.

See that cute built-in vanity? Now granted it’s not the latest in bathroom decor, but it was clean and had some charm. But what’s up with the other vanity that butts up against the first one? It makes this room look like a botched makeover. I suggested they rip out the wood vanity and replace it with a pedestal sink. After all this is a powder room – no storage required.

Now isn’t that better? We used the homeowner’s stool that had been relocated to the kitchen, some art and decorative accessories to bring out the room’s charm.

If you follow my blog, you may already know one of my many mantras: “Paint the paneling!” So you can imagine what I thought when I walked into this bonus room near the pool. This was a huge room with an attached bath and laundry room and a separate entry. A perfect place for a mother-in-law, a guest or a renter. But with all that dark paneling and the outdated ceiling fan it was completely unappealing.

They painted the paneling and replaced the fan with a ceiling mounted light fixture and voila! Now, I would never have chosen white as the color – too stark. But hey, at least they painted! With furniture, art and accessories, we’ve just added tons of value to this space.

These were all relatively simple and inexpensive changes that made a HUGE difference in the saleability of this home.

The result?

We finished Staging on the Sunday of July 4th weekend. They had their first offer by that Wednesday and another shortly thereafter. We have already picked up our furniture less than a month after the initial Staging because the buyer was so anxious to move in!

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Another Staging Success Story – Cheviot Hills Spanish

Posted on 23 July 2009 | Comments Off

As a professional Home Stager, it is always such a pleasure to work with clients who  take your advice and roll with it! Such was the case with a recent occupied listing in Cheviot Hills. The couple living in the home were retiring and moving to Palm Springs, so they wanted to sell their beautiful Spanish style home…quickly!

The agent, Randy Troup of Coldwell Banker Brentwood West, often hires me to do Staging Consultation reports for his sellers. I preview the property and spend a couple of hours giving the sellers detailed recommendations of low-cost things they can do to (using mostly what they already have in the home) to Stage their property for sale.

I met with this lovely couple and gave them quite a list! Their home was actually quite beautiful to begin with, but there were many things I recommended they do in order to enhance its appeal to buyers. For instance, though the home had plenty of square footage, it only had one actual bedroom inside the house (there was a guest house out back). The second room inside the home was being used as an office, despite the fact that there was a full suite of offices (which housed the client’s landscape design business) off the garage. So my first recommendation was to transform this office into a usable bedroom. We brought in a camping bed which the owner Staged with her own bedding, and we brought in a dresser from another room to complete the look.

This home also had a huge laundry room downstairs. Unfortunately it had a concrete floor and felt very cold and industrial. So we brought in a rug that was rolled up in the storage area and some unused storage cabinets (which the homeowners Staged with some of her folded towels and laundry supplies) to make this space more inviting.

One of the most important transformations, however, was in the kitchen. Though the kitchen was quite large, it was a bit labyrinthian in its layout. In the very back next to the back door, the owners had a HUGE china cabinet that reached from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. It was chock full of their extra dishes, vases and other items that wouldn’t fit into the kitchen cabinets or in the dining room. As I pointed out, having a huge piece like this in the kitchen (rather than in the dining room where we might normally expect it to be) clues buyers into the fact that there might not be enough space in the dining room. In truth it wasn’t the square footage that was lacking in the dining room, but the fact that the room’s walls were actually curved! Though the unique shape gave the room a beautiful look, it precluded the owners from putting any sizable storage pieces in the space. So rather than draw attention to something which might have been viewed as a negative, we removed the large cabinet and added a small table and chairs in its space, creating a new feature… eat-in kitchen!

The homeowners worked really hard to prepare their home for sale, tackling every “to-do” on my Staging list. They did it all themselves and though they were a bit exhausted, I assured them that all their hard work would pay off. Well, I was right!

In the first 10 days on the market, they had 6 offers on their home. They have since moved on to their new Palm Springs abode and are true believers in Staging to sell!

(Photos ©2009 PostRAIN Productions)

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Staging For Small Spaces – A Case Study

Posted on 8 July 2009 | 4 responses

A couple of weeks ago I got a call to Stage a “cute little bungalow” in Hollywood. Now whenever you hear those 3 words together in Los Angeles you have to know this is going to be a tiny place. But I was completely unprepared for just how small this one was! At 500 square feet this is now officially the smallest home I’ve ever Staged!

Yes I said 500 square feet! The home consisted of a tiny living room, a small bedroom and bath and a surprisingly large kitchen (for such a tiny home).

Now if you’ve ever read any of my other posts on Staging loft style spaces, I’m always saying there are 3 important things that buyers are thinking about when they walk into a small or an open floor plan type space:

1) Where will I eat?

2) Where will I watch TV?

and

3) Where will I work?

If you can’t show a buyer a space for each of these 3 things they are never going to purchase the home.

Well you may have noticed I didn’t mention a dining room in this place, so #1 was something to be tackled.

Though the kitchen was relatively large and did have a bar for a couple of stools, that wasn’t a comfortable or realistic space for eating an actual meal. So we had to utilize some of the already small living room for a dining space. You’ll see in the photo below how we accomplished that by using a small scale drop leaf dining table and 2 chairs in front of a beautiful window.

Now for #2 – the all important TV…

There wasn’t much of a choice as to where to place the TV in this home. There was only 1 wall that was long enough to hold a sofa, which meant that the TV would have to go opposite that wall. Luckily there was enough space on that wall for a console table and a 42″ plasma.

On a side note, as if this wasn’t a tough enough room to Stage, on the opposite side of the sofa you’ll notice a heater vent which stuck out into the room so the sofa could go no further than this heating unit, effectively cutting off some usable corner space. On the up side, it’s a convenient place to set down your drink.

So this is how the entire room (including living/dining and TV space) looked once it was Staged.

Now for the last crucial element for Staging a small space…a place to work!

Since there is no 2nd bedroom in this bungalow, a full home office space was out. Luckily the previous owners had given us something to work with:

This cabinet was built for a small TV (in fact the top shelf was built on a slant which made it very tricky to get my vase and plate to stand up straight). But on the bottom there was a pull out keyboard tray and a space for a small chair or ottoman. Home office space – check!

Since I know you’re dying to see the rest of the home, here are a few more photos. As I mentioned the kitchen is quite large and the bedroom and bath were a good size as well.

Though this was a challenging space to figure out, I was very pleased with the outcome. What might have scared buyers off when it was empty is now a completely livable, warm and inviting home. It just needed a touch of imagination!

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Some Thoughts on Trees and Selling a Home

Posted on 10 June 2009 | Comments Off

Spring is my absolute favorite time of year in Los Angeles because the jacarandas are in full bloom, showcasing their gorgeous purple flowers all over town. I love walking down streets like this one in my neighborhood at this time of year.

Towards the end of the blooming season, however, the trees tend to get sparser and most of those purple blooms end up on the lawns and driveways of their owners. In fact today, as I was on my morning walk, I spotted many a lawn completely covered with fallen flowers. Loving the jacaranda as I do, I happen to think of this carpet of purple on the lawn as beautiful, though perhaps a bit melancholy as it marks the end of my favorite season. However, today I began to think about it from a home buyer’s perspective.

If I had been house hunting a few weeks ago I would’ve been immediately drawn to any home with a healthy flowering tree in the front yard. In fact, all things being equal, the tree alone might have swayed me to make a purchase. So let’s say I made an offer. Now we’re past the inspection period and deep into escrow and I decide to drive by my newly purchased home. Whereas when I made my purchase the tree was in its full splendor, now most of those beautiful flowers are covering my new lawn. Yes it’s still pretty, but now something else comes to mind… Boy, it’s going to be a lot of work to rake up those flowers every year! Not to mention they’re going to get all over my car.

Now this problem doesn’t apply only to jacarandas (or other similar flowering trees). What about those huge ficus trees that line the street and park in my neighborhood? We have several of these on the way to my son’s school and when the ficus berries are falling, it’s like an obstacle course trying to get to school without getting a sole-ful (a shoe sole, that is) of those darned things! Once again, if you’re a home buyer this brings to mind thoughts of sidewalk sweeping and cleaning your shoes with a steak knife… not a pretty picture.

So my Staging revelation for today is that if your home is on the market and you’ve got dropping flowers or berries, you should take the extra time to rake the lawn and scrape the sidewalk before any showings so as not to bring up thoughts of unwanted maintenance in the minds of your potential buyers.

Enjoy these final days of spring – summer is almost here!

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Staging Works: West Los Angeles Condo in Escrow 1st Week on Market!

Posted on 27 May 2009 | 4 responses

Since we have been so busy Staging lately, I was remiss in posting about our latest project – a lovely condo in West LA that we Staged on May 15th. Blogging about it was on my “to-do” list for today, but when I checked my email this morning I got the following email from the Realtor:

“I am happy to tell you that I got an accepted offer on the Pelham condo in the first week. It’s in escrow & inspection and I’m looking for a backup offer.”

It must have been fate that I hadn’t yet blogged about this project, because what better news to share than this Staging Success Story! It’s one for the record books. Though this was considered a vacant Staging (everything had been moved out before we came to Stage), my before pictures only show how this condo looked when I first previewed it.

BEFORE

First we chose new paint to lighten the walls, sheer curtains to let in exterior light and lamps to brighten the room. Next we completely reversed the furniture arrangement so that the fireplace was the focal point, while at the same time solving the problem of where to put the TV (which is of utmost importance to home buyers). Then we added art and simple accessories to appeal to all types of buyers. Lastly and most importantly, we showed this room as a living room – and ONLY a living room – with plenty of room for conversation and entertaining.

BEFORE

The dining room had both an adult table AND a kids’ table, both of which were covered with stuff. The chandelier was too small for the room, and the china hutch overpowered the space.

STAGED

By adding a console table in place of a kids’ table, we show that the space (although open to the living room) can be a large and functional dining room with extra room for a buffet or china hutch. Replacing the chandelier with an inexpensive larger one, and placing a mirror on the wall behind the table, makes the space feel bigger.

BEFORE

The master bedroom was pink and crowded and felt anything but restful.

STAGED

Painting the walls a neutral color allows buyers to bring in whatever bedding or art they already own, knowing it will work in the space. Replacing the tall and bulky armoire with a regular dresser and mirror brings the room down to scale and makes the bed the focal point. And lastly, replacing the huge chair that used to sit to the right of the bed with a smaller scale chair in the far corner of the room makes this room feel much more open and spacious.

BEFORE

The seller’s friends had told her to leave the expensive wallpaper in this tiny powder room rather than paint.

STAGED

I disagreed. Enough said.

BEFORE

This tiny room in the entry to the condo was confusing – was it a library, a home gym or a storage space?

STAGED

Now the agent can list this as a 2 Bedroom PLUS an office! Voilà – added value!

For more information and photos of this gorgeous condo, check out the property website.

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Staging a Beautiful New Model Home in Culver City

Posted on 18 May 2009 | 6 responses

Well as a Stager there’s nothing I enjoy more than Staging homes close to home! If you happen to forget something, it’s just a quick trip to the storage facility, and you’re never stuck in traffic on the way home. So I was thrilled when we were hired to Stage a model unit for a beautiful new townhome development in my very own Culver City!

When I first previewed this property, my biggest concern was the size of the 2 main living spaces. The townhome had both a formal living room and a family room on the main level, but both rooms felt very small, especially without furniture in them.

The formal living room wasn’t as much of an issue because those rooms tend to be used only rarely. But the family room was open to the kitchen and dining room, and was going to be the heart of this home where the family gathered to watch TV and relax. But because of a layout issue and patio door placement, there was not much room for a lot of seating.

As you can see from the photo, there was another issue – a strange bump out next to the patio door that significantly shortened the amount of space we had along that wall for seating.

Luckily I was able to find a small scale sectional sofa that fit PERFECTLY in the space! It looked almost as if we had it custom made.

With a strategically placed floor vase, that odd bump out didn’t feel so odd. And we even had room for an accent chair across from the sofa.

We were so happy with the way this job turned out and look forward to this building selling out quickly! If you’re interested in learning more about this home, click here for additional info.

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The Power of Home Staging: Bachelor Pad to Loft Chic

Posted on 17 May 2009 | 4 responses

Earlier this week we Staged a beautiful Hollywood Loft at The Broadway on Hollywood & Vine. The owner is a young professional businessman who had beautiful furniture, but almost nothing else. The condo certainly wasn’t cluttered, and the furniture was in the right place. But something was missing. The Realtor on this job has great taste and knew immediately that this listing needed some Staging help.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the unit was that I didn’t see a desk anywhere in the space.

In tiny loft-style units, a buyer has to be able to see 4 important things:

1) Where they will sleep

2) Where they will eat

3) Where they will watch TV

and

4) Where they will work

If any one of these factors is missing or confusing to a buyer, you have just lost the sale. It’s hard enough for most buyers to feel like they can comfortably live in such a small space, but if you don’t solve these 4 basic questions for them they are never going to buy.

So the first thing we did was to create a small home office vignette using furniture the owner already had. Then we added that feminine touch – throw pillows on the sofa, art on the walls and decorative accessories on the surfaces. Now this former bachelor pad is Staged to Sell!

Click here for more information on this property.

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A HUGE Thank You for Voting for Stage To Sell… P.S. We WON!!

Posted on 5 May 2009 | Comments Off

Well, after all my shameless plugging, the votes are in and thanks to YOU, my company Stage to Sell has been named one of the winners in StartUp Nation’s Leading Moms in Business Competition for 2009!

This contest really struck a chord with me because when I became a working mom five years ago, I was amazed at how difficult it was to run both a family and a business. It is often a thankless job and the hours are quite long! Of course as any mom knows, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Being a mom-preneur has given me a newfound respect for my own mother who worked from the time I was a baby, but always made sure I felt 100% loved, taken care of and special. Many moms don’t have the option to stay at home full time for financial reasons, and many choose not to for their own sanity (and that of their kids!). But regardless of their reasons, ALL working moms deserve recognition and respect for having two full-time jobs. That’s why I entered this competition and that is why I am so humbled and honored to have been chosen as one of the winners!

Thousands of moms entered and, like me, found that reaching out for votes to customers, vendors, friends, family and social networks was not only kind of fun, but it also gave us a new and unexpected way to generate positive buzz around our business. So many of you took time out of your busy days to vote for me once, twice, and in some cases every single day. Some of my followers on Twitter even re-Tweeted my requests for votes so that people I didn’t even know were out there voting for me! It was an amazing experience and one that I won’t soon forget.

I encourage any mom who owns her own business to enter this competition next year. As I have proven to myself, you never know what can happen!

Click here to read the full press release, and thank you again for making this dream a reality!

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A Security Solution for REOs

Posted on 24 April 2009 | Comments Off

I recently wrote a blog entitled “Squatters Increasingly Calling Foreclosures Home” about advocacy groups that are actively helping homeless people around the country move into foreclosed properties that are empty and all but abandoned by the banks that own them. This was a very controversial topic, and many of my readers had strong opinions on one side or another of the issue. There is concensus, however, in the feeling that the banks are not doing enough to secure their REO properties. Well now there is a solution, at least for those in the Los Angeles area.

This week I was at the weekly team meeting at the Keller Williams office in Marina del Rey pitching a free Home Staging for Success course I’m going to be giving there next week. One of the agents, Reggie Potts, came up to talk to the group about a new company he’s launching called REO Secure. REO Secure will do everything from installing smoke detectors to rekeying the locks, boarding up the windows and strapping the water heater. The company is based in Culver City, but they serve the whole LA area.

If you know an agent, bank or asset manager that has REO listings, please forward this important information along to them. And if you’re ready to call REO Secure, their number is 310-251-1773.

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Squatters Increasingly Calling Foreclosures Home

Posted on 10 April 2009 | Comments Off

According to an article from yesterday’s NY Times, though squatting in vacant homes has long been an issue on a smaller scale, with so many vacant foreclosures on the market, homeless advocacy groups around the country are now actively assisting homeless families to take up residence in these foreclosed properties. And overwhelmed police departments are not helping much in the eviction process.

The groups say that they have sometimes received support from neighbors and that beleaguered police departments have not aggressively gone after squatters. “We’re seeing sheriffs’ departments who are reluctant to move fast on foreclosures or evictions,” said Bill Faith, director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, which is not engaged in squatting. “They’re up to their eyeballs in this stuff. Everyone’s overwhelmed.”

The issue is a controversial one. Advocates see these vacant properties as an opportunity to ease the growing homeless problem in a declining economy. Though some of these groups operate secretly, others are out in the open, trying to secure legal means to move their clients into these abandoned properties.

Anita Beaty, executive director of the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, said her group had been looking into asking banks to give it abandoned buildings to renovate and occupy legally. Ms. Honkala, who was a squatter in the 1980s, said the biggest difference now was that the neighbors were often more supportive. “People who used to say, ‘That’s breaking the law,’ now that they’re living on a block with three or four empty houses, they’re very interested in helping out, bringing over mattresses or food for the families,” she said.

The organized homeless groups are also having to compete with more traditional individual squatters.

“We had a move-in that we were going to do one day at noon,” he said. “At 10 o’clock in the morning, I went over to the house just to make sure everything was O.K., and squatters took over our squat. Then we went to another place nearby, and squatters were in that place also.”

Mr. Rameau said his group differed from ad hoc squatters by operating openly, screening potential residents for mental illness and drug addiction, and requiring that they earn “sweat equity” by cleaning or doing repairs around the house and that they keep up with the utility bills.

I have to say this issue has me torn. I’ll admit I am a fairly left-wing liberal who appreciates the effort on the part of these advocacy groups to try to find a workable, though temporary, solution to a growing problem that no one else seems to be addressing. I feel for these people who, for reasons that may be beyond their control, have found themselves and their families homeless and unemployed in a dire economic climate. At the same time I work in the real estate industry and feel for the agents who represent these properties. I feel the banks are not doing enough to properly secure and maintain these foreclosed homes. They often leave them in a dilapidated state and just “hope for the best” in terms of a sale. Rather than investing a small amount in paint, carpet, Home Staging (and some sort of security system) in order to sell these properties quickly, they let them linger on the market and become targets for squatting.

What are your thoughts?

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