Home Staging & Curb Appeal

3 Home Staging Tips for the Spring Real Estate Selling Season

It is almost the start of the spring selling season in Minnesota. The art of staging a home - the visual preparation of a residence for sale in the real estate marketplace - could be the key to helping your home sell. Whether your househas been on the Twin Cities real estate market for a year or is just being put up for sale for the first time, now is a good time to do some home staging for when potential buyers come to call.

1. Do your research. Take some time to evaluate the staging of other homes, whether its through photographs online or by attending open houses. This is a great way to get ideas if you're not sure what a staged home should look like.

2. Clean, declutter and depersonalize. Staging is more than just making your house look good. It is about creating situations where buyers can "mentally move in" or visualize living in your...

What Do Enchiladas Have To Do With Staging?

In today's busy world, time is at a premium for hardworking people. "Multi-tasking" has been engrained in our daily habits so much that it is almost second-nature. For example, at this moment I am writing a blog, updating my Facebook status, planning three vacant staging projects for next week, and cooking enchiladas for dinner (beef, not chicken).

Staging your house while juggling kids, work, and the dog may drive busy sellers over the edge. In situations like this, it is essential for these sellers to have a "plan of attack" when preparing their house for sale. It is the goal of ...

The Happiest Place on Earth?

Disney World is considered (by the Disney Corporation), the "Happiest Place on Earth." If you have ever been to the parks, you can reminisce how mouse ears, fairy princesses, and non-stop cheery music create a magical world that most children, young and old, cannot resist.

Over-zealous mouse fans can unintentionally turn Disney charm into a home staging nightmare when trying to imitate the Magic Kingdom in their own room...

Snow White, Bambi, and a myriad of characters turn this room into a cluttered sight. Notice there is no furniture, no decor, just walls full of a busy print. Therefore,...

Home Staging Precautions

Working as a Minnesota home stager, everyday I tell homeowners to "remove the clutter," "pack away personal photos," and "hide the dog." All these suggestions help to create a desirable atmosphere in the house. However, there may be other "desirable" items in your house that we do not necessarily want buyers to enjoy.

TOP FIVE HOME STAGING PRECAUTIONS
rxpic_1701) Move OTC ephedrine tablets and all prescription medications to a personal dresser.
2) Keep personal papers containing your financial information in a secure location.
3) Place kitchen knife blocks inside the cabinetry for Realtor safety.
4) Empty jewelry boxes or remove entirely.
5) Remove house and car keys from key hooks.
...

Falling in Love... with a House

After several blog postings of home staging tips, techniques, and examples, it was time to revisit WHY home staging helps houses to sell. So, put on your lab coats, we are dissecting the science behind the falling in love with a house.

THE HUMAN BODY: Several chemical and physical reactions occur in the body when it encounters something it loves - pupils dilate, heart rate increases, and endorphins (happy hormones) flood the blood stream. Now, this may all seem very "unromantic," but these reactions trigger an emotional response which creates a memorable experience for buyers who are visiting your house. ...

A Closet Shopper

Staging a house during a recession may make sellers cringe at the thought of spending money just to "decorate" a house. Although some purchases may be beneficial, most homeowner can shop for free in their very own cupboards and closets. Take a look at some no-cost decorating/staging ideas below. BATHROOM COUNTER DECOR: -Rolled hand towels -Basket of mini soaps, lotions, or perfumes -Candles

The photo below displays two hand towels arranged on the counter for added color and softness to this area.

KITCHEN COUNTER DECOR: -Large pepper mill and salt shaker -Jars of flour, sugar, etc. -Glass vase with various color beans -Platters from...

A Case for Good Balance

Home staging has been identified as a key component to preparing houses for sale. Professional stagers have been known to beautifully redesign a living room within minutes of stepping into the space, leaving home owners scratching their heads and muttering, "Why didn't I think of this before?" The truth is, there is a fine art (yes, art) to the act of rearranging furniture and setting home accents in "just the right place." More than having good taste in decorating, stagers follow proven design principles that show off the individual layout of a house and highlight the features of each room. To accomplish these tasks, stagers perform a "balancing act" that equally distributes visual weight around the room.

In the photo below, the buffet and glass cabinet AND art work AND lack of space on the opposite wall create an over-crowded and unbalanced room that weighs heavy to the right. Off-centered...

Six Degrees of Home Staging - Wayne Newton

For die-hard home stagers and staging fanatics around the world, home staging is believed to be linked to any profession, celebrity, or life event with-in six degrees. For our first attempt, let's start with an easy one...

Wayne Newton and Home Staging

  1. Wayne Newton is known as Mr. Vegas
  2. Vegas's long-running top show was Siegfried and Roy
  3. Siegfried and Roy are famous magicians
  4. Magicians are known for their sleight-of-hand tricks
  5. Sleight-of-hand uses misdirection to bring attention to a desired area
  6. Attracting attention to desired areas is a key component in home staging
The master bedroom shown the photo below has several angles with low ceiling points. Having no other point-of-interest, the eye is immediately drawn to these low-set roof lines. Home buyers (especially those over 4'10") may view this master bedroom as a series of...

The Holidays Are Over... Now What?!

Once the presents have been opened and the guests have gone home, your house may need extra attention to return it to prime showing condition.

  • REMOVE HOLIDAY/SEASONAL DECOR: Pine garland, snowman decorations, and ornamental lights should be packed up no later than the second day in January.
  • CLEAN UP: Paper scraps, champagne bottles, and expired leftovers should be tossed to keep your house looking tidy.
  • REDUCE OLD INVENTORY: As your children collect new toys from Santa, pack away some older items to reduce the amount of clutter in their bedrooms. *This tip may be applied to the adult children of the house as well!
  • REMAIN POSITIVE: Even though the selling process can be quite stressful, retaining a positive attitude will help to decompress the pressure in your home. Instead of complaining about the showings or the lack thereof, use your energy to be proactive in the sale of your house.
Let the New Year bring in a fresh...

Holiday Staging Tips

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa Tidings, and Festivus Greetings to all!

Selling a home? No matter what holiday you are celebrating, staging your home during this time of the year can be hassle-free by following these simple guidelines:
  • CURB APPEAL: Without going Clark Griswold on your roof, tastefully use exterior Christmas lights to stir up warm feelings in your buyers. Now that our days are shorter, it is important to use artificial lighting to set the mood.  Avoid using large outdoor displays.  Inflated snow globes may look neat, but buyers will have a hard time looking past it and may miss your landscaping and other exterior features.
  • USE MINIMAL...