Archive for June, 2009

Eco-Friendly Decorating Choices

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

pbgreenbedding
Somehow I almost missed the fact that several large retailers including Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn are now offering Eco-Friendly choices. In fact, I was shocked to see just how much is out there. Here are a few items that I found.

At Pottery Barn, their are a ton of beautiful organic towels in brilliant colors, seemingly endless bedding options in organic fabrics in solids and beautiful patterns. They also have a gorgeous Pieced Pine Oval mirror, soy candles and furniture. Check out www.potterybarn.com to see more. I simply searched using “eco-friendly” to see their offerings.

At Crate & Barrel they have a few new furniture options that are made of bamboo and constructed using traditional Chinese joinery techniques which use no nails or glue. Check out the Del Re Bed, the Bento Four Drawer Chest, and the Archer Bed (this bed is STUNNING!). Find them online as well at www.crateandbarrel.com.

Next, I found an organic mattress. I had no idea such a thing existed!! Naturpedic makes an “ultra organic” mattress which is waterproof and filled with an organic cotton filling. This filling is unbleached, undyed, and grown without pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. Check them out at www.naturepedic.com

Lastly, Alsons has created a water amplifying shower head that makes you feel like you are taking a normal shower but using 20% -40% less water. Love that!! The shower head comes in adjustable and non-adjustable models. Available at www.alsons.com

There are a ton of other green decorating products out there and we are going to be bringing you more of these going forward!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Green Decorating, green staging, hiring a decorator, hiring a home stager | No Comments »

A High Price to Pay

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

dscn48381

There are two major things home owners need to keep in mind when attempting to sell their homes. The first one is to not be so eager to get your house off the market that you over price it entirely, causing it to not only spend more time out there, but in essence, create more appeal for your competition. Home buyers may pass it by completely for something more affordable. Pricing too high will pigeon hole your listing into a category that excludes potential buyers, especially for online searches, where home buyers select specifics for a home, including the price range. Why would a buyer consider your home over a similar one in the same area that is listed fifty thousand dollars less?

Two major disadvantages face the seller by doing this. First, buyers will not want to pay the asking price, so their offers will come in low. Second, by initially pricing your home high may eventually cause you to have to drastically reduce it later. This causes the seller to lose their initial advantage and create more time that their house has been on the market.

The other major element to consider is, of course, staging. More than ever it is difficult to determine what will sell and what will sit. It is imperative to know what will sell. Home owners can take the first steps to preparing their homes by completing unfinished projects and fixing broken or old things in the home, but other than that they should take the time to consult with a professional home stager for the rest. Home stagers help the sale on so many levels. They help to depersonalize the home, remove access clutter, help individual rooms complement each other, prioritize accessories, and utilize a confusing or odd layout. Most importantly, they enhance the listing photos.

Homes that sit on the market are primarily due to home sellers who do not implement all the right marketing strategies in the beginning. Strategies that will produce appeal right away, rather than decreasing the asking price and advantage in the end.

 

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Selling Your Home | No Comments »

Going Green!

Monday, June 15th, 2009

More and more companies understand the need to enforce more eco-friendly products into their line of work. The building industry is one of the most important forums to implement these changes. Builders all over are producing their homes with energy saving and recycled materials. Our company, as well, is working towards offering our clients the option of using and applying “Green” products and practices in their homes. Whether you are educated about what green products you want to use or need help choosing the right ones, we can help with whatever design needs you are searching for. We are striving towards implementing design elements, such as paints, light bulbs, carpets, etc. into more of our design and staging practices. We can even help people choose energy and water saving appliances in their homes that will not only help the environment, but also save home owners money! There is no better time to start moving in the eco- friendly direction. With ever house that either is created from green materials or incorporates green elements, is a house that can begin healing what we have all helped to destroy.

New England Staging Group has been working with green builders and other professionals to create a network of green vendors to offer our customers. We have been educating ourselves with the proper materials and products to offer homeowners and we are dedicated to helping our clients make their houses more environmentally friendly homes.

 

 

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Green Decorating, hiring a decorator, hiring a home stager | No Comments »

Sell Your Home in the Limelight. Better Yet…How About the “Green”-light?

Monday, June 15th, 2009

water-saving2-plant-phoenix-lg

lime-light [lahym-lahyt] -noun

the center of public attention, interest, observation, or notoriety

The tune around town…most any town today…is that it has become a struggle to sell a home. The housing market in 2009 is certainly not a shadow of any from recent years gone by. We have read all of the headlines…listened with our cups of coffee to the early morning news anchors…and yes…it is true. It has become true. It is NOT a SELLERS market anymore. Woah! That snuck right up on us didn’t it?

Accepting that fact, we are now on a different channel…a reality tv show in which we have found it necessary to be creative and proactive when selling our homes. We need to separate our house from the competitions’…generate an unparalleled interest in our property, which will force a prospective buyer to find no other choice but to submit an offer on our exclusive exhibit. While there are many characters that need to be in place in order to have the right combination to sell a home…staging and price being two of those leading ingredients…there is one additional area that has been drawing a lot of attention lately, and can help to truly make a home stand out above the crowd. If you haven’t guessed it already…like Fenway Park has known for years…it is what I like to call the “Green” Monster.

“Green” homes are what many buyers are interested in today. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), as much as 90 percent of home buyers think that energy efficiency is a very important factor when shopping for a home. The National Association of Home Builders Remodelers (NAHBR) says 72 percent of consumers report energy-efficient features in a home would influence their purchase decision. As a seller, by investing in some green remodeling up front, and tailoring the marketing of their home appropriately, one can drastically increase the visibility of their home in the marketplace…and thus multiplying their chances of taking the center stage in prospective buyers’ eyes.

Once the decision has been made to market your home as a “green” home, the task now is to implement those green changes. This does not need to be an Everest of projects. There are simple things that can be done, which will help to increase efficiency in the home and reduce utility costs. A few striking adjustments that can be made:

- Install appropriate insulation in area to be remodeled

- Install high-efficiency windows

- Purchase Energy Star-rated appliances

- Install low-flow water fixtures

- Upgrade to Energy Star-rated water heater, or a tankless water heater

- Purchase the highest efficiency HVAC system you can afford

- Install energy-efficient lighting such as compact fluorescents

Once these changes have been made, be sure to track your utility bills and showcase the differences to prospective buyers as they view your home. Any savings to potential buyers will draw attention to your home, especially when compared to energy-hogs down the street. Also, be sure to highlight the areas in which the buyers can’t see, such as any insulation that has been installed. These are all key features that will help to draw that buyer in, and secure the interest.

As we continue on with this unusual yet dramatic and entertaining market, we will continue to find alternative ways to set ourselves…and our homes…apart. The vital thing to remember, is we need to go with it…we need to keep moving, and keep growing with the changes. At the same time…if we can…why not do it in a way that will help the environment too. Stand out in the “green”-light…be not afraid.

Lauren DuPaul is a licensed Realtor with Keller Williams Metropolitan in Bedford, NH. To contact Lauren, call 603.305.7006 or email her at Lauren@NHHomePro.com. Feel free to visit her website at www.NHHomePro.com .

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Selling Your Home, green staging, home staging tips | No Comments »

Real Talk

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Being a Realtor in this market can be challenging. Knowing what strategies to use to get houses sold is a key factor and can give you a jump on your competition.  Aside from knowing how to price a house properly in this market, I have learned that it is extremely important to make that house stand out from the rest. Buyers have so much inventory to choose from right now and you need them to be drawn to your house. I have found that professionally staging a home will not only help to get buyers into the home, but can also help to get the home sold quicker. I have even noticed that it can help sell the house for asking price, even in this market.

A company that I use, that I find has a tremendous track record and has helped me stay ahead of the game in this market, is New England Staging Group. Their expertise, professionalism and knowledge of what buyers look for has helped me get my listings sold quickly. Not only does the staging look phenomenal, but they are experts at taking professional listing photos. They know just the right angles and shots to take to make the home look appealing. After all, the pictures are what make a buyer decide if they want to actually go view the house. I have listed houses in this market, both staged and unstaged and I will tell you that the staged houses sell in almost half the time. I want to thank Julie and the New England Staging Group for all of their help and I look forward to growing our relationship in the future.

 

Bill Burke is a realtor with Keller Williams Metropolitan Realty in Bedford, NH. To contact Bill, call the office at (603) 232-8282 or (c) (603) 548-5315. He can also be reached by email at billburke@kw.com. Visit http://www.billburkehomes.com/ for more details.

 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Selling Your Home, hiring a home stager | No Comments »

Stage it Forward

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

The New England Staging Group proudly belongs to Stage it Forward.

Stage it Forward is a group of almost 2700 stagers nationwide that are dedicated to making the staging industry more unified and mature through networking, sharing, and educating each other.  To be honest, the staging industry is a bit of a mess right now and it is virtually impossible for our clients to differentiate between a quality, successful stager and someone who really has no clue.  Hopefully this group can help change that.

There are few consistencies among stagers these days.  Pricing, training, client service, and business philosophies vary incredibly from stager to stager.  In the end, it is really the consumer I feel badly for.  How can any client make an intelligent decision about which stager to hire?  There are all sorts of accreditations that supposedly lend credibility to a stager’s quality and professionalism.  But how are our clients supposed to sort through them all when frankly I cannot keep up?

The good news is that all of this frustration has driven one Chicago-area stager to a solution or at least the start of what I hope is the solution.  Craig Shiller has started the Stage it Forward forum on ActiveRain which is a free online community dedicated to all businesses related to Real Estate.  Members of Craig’s forum even held round-table discussions throughout the country last year with one goal in mind - creating unity and uniformity in the staging industry.

New England Staging Group contributes blog submissions to this group and is volunteering to be part of any efforts to bring discussions or other forums for stagers to our area.  We also want to help with other efforts to bring the staging industry together.  We believe that by sorting through the nonesense (yes, I said it!!) we can, in the end, all be better stagers and educate our clients and potential clients in a more consistent way as to the benefits of staging.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in hiring a home stager | No Comments »

Staging is Not Just De-Cluttering!

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Often times when I am describing staging to a potential client or Realtor I really focus on the de-cluttering aspect of my job.  Interestingly, I just realized that the single most important thing I do is actually add in items from my own inventory.

Let’s face it, the majority of us wish our homes looked like a page from Better Homes and Gardens or the Pottery Barn catalog but somehow we just do not get there because we actually live in our homes (imagine that).  That is where staging comes in.  We provide all of those “boutique” accessories that will give your home that “WOW!” factor, that very desirable “designer” look.

An inventory of accessories is one of the factors that distinguishes a professional stager from someone who might just be doing this as a hobby.

The video below illustrates why staging cannot just be about removing items!!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in hiring a home stager, home staging benefits, home staging tips | No Comments »

Whose Project is It?

Monday, June 1st, 2009

kitchen1I had lunch with a very nice guy who works for a design build company based out of Londonderry on Friday.  At one point in the conversation we started to discuss each of our company’s approach to client projects.  I explained that my process is simple.  By using pictures from magazines, books, etc I help my clients identify the look they are going after.  Then we discuss budget and timeframe for implementation.  I told him that essentially when a client hires me to help them decorate their home, I believe my job is to show them how to create the look they want within their budget.  My likes and dislikes really never enter into the picture.

My lunch partner was suprised to hear this even though his company has a similar philosophy.  Many of you are probably surprised to hear this as well.  Of course this approach is not for everyone or every client.  I have worked with many clients who wanted no part in the design process, they didn’t tell me colors they like or dislike, never gave me a budget, and frankly never identified any kind of direction for the project other than when they needed it completed.

The point is simply that if you are decorating your home, you need to decide what kind of client you are.  Do you know the look you are after but need help making it happen?  Or do you want to be surprised on the day of delivery?  Neither answer is wrong, unless you hire a designer that doesn’t help you accomplish your goals.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in hiring a decorator | No Comments »

The “Fake” Out

Monday, June 1st, 2009

Now it is true that there is a market out there for home stagers, but to find the right one, one that isn’t going to waste your time and your money, well that can be a little harder. The last thing that a homeowner wants when trying to sell their home, and sell their home fast, is to waste time and money on a “fake” stager. A homeowner needs to be able to tell the difference between a true, dedicated stager and one that decided to take a class a few hours a week and obtain some fancy initialing after their name. There are some things that can help a homeowner ensure that they are getting their money’s worth when decided to hire a stager.

First, when trying to sell or promote any product, it has to have a professional presentation for itself. A professional stager will have taken the time to invest in their own company.  Look for elaborate portfolios that highlight their talents and work. Promotional items, such as business cards, flyers, and websites. Websites are key. Often if someone is surfing the web, looking for a particular service, they will pick the one that has a professional website, with pictures, testimonials, educational background, over a one page, simple display. Ask for references and evidence that their staged homes have sold in the past.

Second, the education factor. You wouldn’t hire someone who calls themselves an “engineer” to build your house if they don’t have the degree to back it up. Although there may be people out there that have the creative ability to beautifully stage a home, do you really want to take your chances that they will be able to make a big enough impact that results in you selling your house, over someone who has taken the time to focus their studies on the specialty of design and staging? Not only should you hire someone who understands the ins and outs of staging, but you should also make sure that that person understands Design as well. Someone who has educated themselves in the design field, not only knows what things work well together to create an overall appeal, but their schooling has armed them with the tools to design to sell. Engineers can’t just throw up four walls and hope that they will support the whole structure, they need a formulated plan that pulls and supports from many different areas to balance out the entire arrangement.

Thirdly, a stager is not just a stager. A homeowner needs a person that has knowledge of the market, in good times and bad. Just because someone can make a house pretty doesn’t mean that that alone can make it sell.  Houses themselves need to have realistic price tags. Your stager should have an understanding of real estate and the areas that their homes are being sold in. Not only does that help in the design aspect of things but also if you are targeting the right audience.

Tags: , ,
Posted in hiring a home stager | No Comments »