I Design Spaces Serving the Bay Area since 2003

When Planning your New Space, Hire a Stager!

Yup! You can use our Staging Services to help you plan out your New Space too.  Staging is not just for Marketing your Home for Sale, but also for Redesigning your home to Live!  We can help you utililize your current furnishings and accessories like you would never dream of using them.  We can also pick out new paint color, flooring, countertops and cabinetry and coordinate them so that they go well with your style and comfort level.     Keep this in mind even if you are renting.  At least while you are living in your temporary space, you will be able to enjoy a home that is spacious, functional, inviting and YOU!

So what is Home Staging?

So what is Home Staging? Home Staging goes beyond cleaning and decorating. Staging is what you do after you have cleaned, painted, made minor repairs and decluttered. It’s about creating a mood. Staging can make your house look bigger, brighter, warmer, more loving and most importantly, staging can make homebuyers want to buy your home.

Homes that sell fast in any given market share 3 similar facts;

1. They are priced competitively with respect to similar listings.
2. They show like model homes.
3. Their agents use powerful and strategic marketing combined with great photos.

In many cases staging your home involves subtle changes. Some cases require the dramatic renovation/repaint of a room but for the majority of circumstances, it is simple placement of furniture, good lighting, soft music playing and general decluttering of walls and counter space. If your home is vacant then it becomes even more important to have it staged. A vacant home is empty and cold while a staged vacant home is much warmer. Your Home Staging professional will have ‘props’ that highlight and focus attention on your home’s greatest features.

If you are going to stage it, do it the right way. Remember that you are investing your hard-earned cash. Using an Accredited Staging Professional is a must. Your home sells faster, it will get a better price and you can move into your next home quicker, taking advantage of this market and low interest rates.

Why Owners Can’t Stage

 

Many owners have the right instincts but they just cannot get past the environment they've been used to for so many years.

 

I took one look at the living room and said, "Um have you ever had the sofas in a different position? ( Typical staging no-no, sofa back was to the entry as you walked in the door.) She said, " Well yes, we tried them on either side of the room but just could not make it work.

Guess what? That's exactly what we did. We repositioned the rug, and switched the sofas ,(one was baby blue, one black, the black was in front of a black bookcase so , yep, no definition). The blue sofa went in front of the black bookcase and just popped. The reason the owner could not make it work was what I like to call a "spatial misunderstanding". They had simply never brought the sofas close enough! Once they were properly positioned the owner said " That's what I wanted it to look like!"  It was simple for me, but not so simple for her. She knew what was wrong but just could not figure out how to fix it. I also removed two chairs from the room and opened it up. 

So often owners have the right idea but don't know how to implement that idea. That is why there are Stagers!  

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Posted Jan 07 2010, 07:34 PM by Karen Eubank

Read more on one of my favorite websites:  http://energizedseller.com/blogs/keubank/archive/2010/01/07/why-owners-can-t-stage.aspx

Eleven Reasons Home Staging Works

I like this - I found on Energized Seller Site - by The Staging Fashionista

Helps a home show better
Offers better photos for online and printed ads
Makes a home stand out from the competition
Edits unnecessary furniture to make rooms more spacious
Sells homes
Typically helps a home sell for more money
Allows a home to be viewed by buyers as well maintained
Gives each room a focal point and a purpose
Increases foot traffic to a home
Normally helps a home appraise at a higher value
Gives a home a good first impression

Photo: by IDesignSpaces - Moorepark, San Jose

To see origin: http://energizedseller.com/blogs/mannie/archive/2009/12/19/eleven-reasons-home-staging-works.aspx

Staging Statistics

Based on a StagedHomes.com survey of over 1000 homes (55% Vacant, 45% occupied) across Canada & the Continental US prepared for sale by an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP®) accumulative from November 2008 through May 2009

ASP%20Home%20Staging%20Statistics

Kitchen Remodeling Adds Value When Selling Your Home!

Kitchen remodeling is a subject that many families think about. They want to remodel their kitchen, but they have no idea how to do it. If you are ever planning on selling your house, the kitchen will be a large area of priority. Buyers look at the kitchen before they think about any other room in the house. Many times, it is the kitchen that ends up selling the house. Therefore, the kitchen can add a lot of value to the total price of your home. Remodeling your kitchen in a way that creates value is critical.