Introduction to Home Staging

I have been in the process of staging my home, and I get that storing cereal boxes and other foods above your refrigerator can be considered unsightly and is a staging no-no. But when I remove everything from above the refrigerator, the kitchen looks very bare and the refrigerator seems too big for the space. Is there anything I could put up there (a plant or vases maybe?) that will spruce up the kitchen a bit? Links with photos would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The answer from "I buy and sell houses" is correct. You don’t want to draw attention to the refrigerator. Although they’re useful, it’s not what you want your potential buyers focusing on. You want them to focus on the best parts of your kitchen, whatever they may be. That’s the key to staging, you have to highlight the best features and play down the worst.

The refrigerator won’t look bare to the people viewing your home as they haven’t seen it any other way. You’re used to having boxes up there so to you, it looks empty. It’s just not what you’re used to seeing so it seems obvious to you. To your potential buyers, it will just seem open and clean. A plant or some flowers would be better suited for your dining room table, or even an entry table.

One thing I want to point out from the other answer, only have your table set with plates and glasses IF you have attractive dinnerware that doesn’t look "used and abused". You want to give the best impression and don’t want strangers looking at your scratched or chipped plates. If you have a nice set then by all means have them on the table!

The point of staging is to make it appear open, fresh, and clean and like it could easily be their home.

Some basic tips:
- Take all family pictures down – you want them picturing their family in the house, not yours. Keep the frames up if you want, but put a simple photo inside of something non specific.

- De-clutter EVERYTHING. Surfaces look much better mostly clear with one little touch then they do covered with decorations. You want to give the impression there is plenty of space to be had in this house.

- Don’t leave too many small kitchen appliances on your kitchen counters. Put them all away except one so the counters look spacious.

- Pick up anything off the floor, especially clothes and random items.

- Try to organize the closets as much as possible so they seem bigger as well as the kitchen cabinets. Buyers usually open at least one and you don’t want them to think they’re too small and won’t hold much.

- Clean all the windows and keep the curtains pulled back so plenty of natural light can come in. Buyers like bright houses.

- Use something to make your home smell fresh but don’t use anything with too much fragrance as different smells are offensive to different people. Just pick something that has a clean/fresh scent.

- Don’t forget to put personal items in the bathroom away. Buyers don’t like seeing someone else’s toothbrush or bath sponge when shopping for a house.

- Do whatever you can to help all rooms not feel so "full". If buyers see that you’re running out of space and the rooms or whole house seem packed, then they will think they will have the same problem. Buyers like space and more space!

Good luck!
Brit

My husband and I are buying a home that only the outside is done. On the inside the stud walls are up, but that is it. We will have to do everything from electrical to sheetrock. I have 3 small daughters (7, 4, and 2) and want their rooms to be beautiful. I need help designing and decorating the bathrooms and the kitchen.
Anyone with good website addresses,please help.

hgtvpro.com
hgtv.com
bhg.com
DIY.com
the website for This Old House
some of the homesteading websites have forums with info. like finishing interior walls and decorating

Selling your home? This is the time of the year many owners place homes on the market for sale. Today’s current real estate environment is considered a “buyers” market. To the potential sellers this reflects that there are more homes for sell than there are buyers, so there is strong competition in selling your home. Not only are you competing with other re-sale homes, you are also competing with new home sales where builders are offering great incentives to the buyers.

Did you know that Staging your home for sale reaps a 251% average return on investment and that cleaning and de-cluttering your home offers a 973% average return on investment? You can learn more “Tips on Getting the Best Return for Home Improvements” at http:soundmoneytips.com/article/7277. With so much to gain from these investments let’s talk about the true benefits and action items to take to have one of the most sought after home on the market.

First, realize that selling your home is completely different than living in your home. It is imperative that you emphasize the features of the house more than the personality of the owner. Your ultimate goal is for potential buyers to visualize it as their home, not yours. Therefore, placement is crucial in maximizing a room’s size and structural features, while adding warmth, color and interest with your furnishings will allow your home to compete with all the model homes.

It is time to de-clutter your home. The old saying “less is more” is especially true when selling your home. Remove all the clutter you have in your rooms, closets, garage and cabinets by storing items in attics, at friends, in storage units or POD’s. You need to have your home detailed and cleaned. Buyers inspect everything and cleanliness is monumental in their impression of your home and the care you have taken of it. Clean the closets, the cabinets, the appliances and the baseboards. Pay special attention to make sure bathrooms and kitchens are spotless. Use fresh linens constantly, and now is the time for potpourri and scented candles.

You should consider hiring a Professional home stager. They come in with a detailed check list of items that potential buyers will be inspecting. A Home Staging professional starts at the curb and goes through your entire home making recommendations on changes and enhancements. They leave the list with you enabling you to do the work, or schedule a time to come back and physically stage the home to look like a model home with the furnishings and accessories you already own. Their recommendations can include removing clutter and family photos, adding updated floral and silk greenery, rearranging furniture, adding lighting, artwork and accessories to appeal to a buyer’s sense of openness and making the presentation of a wonderful place to live.

Buyers are looking for well kept homes they perceive as warm, inviting and roomy. By making a couple of small investments in de-cluttering and staging your home you are more likely to sell your home faster and at a higher sales price allowing you to move on to your next wonderful adventure.

Renee Lambing
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/real-estate-staging-benefits-98242.html

Home Decorating can be a challenge. But, if done properly, very rewarding. Beware though, there can be pitfalls to such a do-it-yourself project. So before you start any home decorating project, weigh up the pros and cons.

Choose Materials Carefully

The variety of materials now available offers you considerable choice when it comes to the style in which you decorate your home. What is practical in your area? Will a decorative wallpaper present a pleasing appearance? Or perhaps you prefer a veneer or a fabric wall covering? You may conclude that a simple coat of paint will provide the look you prefer. Before finally deciding, take into account the practical aspects. These include the cost, the durability of the finish, the ease of installation, and the time and effort needed to maintain and clean the walls. All of this has to be compared with what it would cost to have professionals do the work.

The color of your chosen decorative material is also important. Will it blend with other features of the room? If the room is usually cold, a warm shade of paint will create the sense of warmth. Light blue or green hues will make rooms that are on the warmer side of the house seem cooler. Dark or poorly lighted rooms can be brightened with light-colored finishes.

A kitchen often gets hot of course. Therefore, some prefer a cooler color, to `cool down` the room. A bathroom, on the other hand, is a place where a `warmer` color, a red, or brown, for example, will create a warmer feeling.

Very small rooms suit pale, cool colors. Coat low ceilings with a pale paint, and contrast with slightly darker walls to create an illusion of height. If you choose dark colors bear in mind they absorb heat and have more moisture problems than lighter shades. Dark paint fades quicker, so it’s difficult to touch up.

Planning and Preparing the Key

The secret of successful decorating is good preparation! Professional decorators take time and effort to prepare surfaces for painting, in comparison with the time it actually takes to do the job. If you are doing it yourself, do not skimp on time and effort when getting ready. You should aim for a surface that is dry, smooth, and clean.

Repair damaged surfaces by filling in cracks. Then rub down the repaired surface with glasspaper or sandpaper to achieve smoothness. Before you begin to paint, wash the surface with a damp cloth to remove dust from the wall plaster, and allow to dry.

What about your plan of action? Will anyone else in the family be able to provide help, whether it`s in the preparation, or in the painting, and/or wallpapering itself? And, there`s nothing worse than getting partway through and finding that you have insufficient materials to complete the job. And if the stores are closed you can`t just go out to buy more. So, make sure you have all the tools and decorating materials you need to finish the job.

Correct Care Of Brushes And Rollers

1. Bend and thoroughly work the bristles of a new brush to remove dust and loose bristles.
2. Avoid dipping the brush too deeply into the paint. (Cover only between one third and one half of the length of the bristles to prevent excess paint from becoming embedded in the stem.)
3. Clean the brush after use. Use mineral spirits for oil-based paint and warm water for latex, or water-based, paints.
4. Store clean, dry brushes in clean paper to absorb remaining dampness and help keep the bristles in shape.
5. Follow a similar procedure with paint rollers, making sure to dry any metal parts completely to prevent rust and consequent paint discoloration next time you use them.

Geoff Cummings
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/decorating-your-home-requires-good-planning-723550.html

Does anyone know if any state colleges in either Florida or California offer courses in Acting and Special Effects Makeup for the stage, screen, or both? Thanks. If you could, please name the school, and it wouldn’t hurt to post a link to the school’s site. Thanks!

Also, if you know of any colleges that aren’t necessarily state colleges, feel free to name those as well.

Thanks so much!

I live in California and my brother goes to 2 college one in Los Angeles and one in Long Beach.And I heard that Long Beach City College teach you these stuffs.And Long Beach State also teach you these stuff.Good Luck!

My house is for sale, and I am very excited and looking forward to the move. When families come to look at the house, I would like it to look inviting and warm. So, what are some good ways to "stage" the house to sell?

Paint the inside with neutral colors
Depersonalize every room (that means take down all photos and anything that makes it YOURS) they want to visualize their stuff in this place
Ever walk through a model home? Maybe go take a tour this week, see how they have things set up That would give you some good ideas
Since it is spring, if it is warm enough where you are, plant some flowers, clean up the yard and make sure you have curb appeal that draws people IN and wanting to know more about your house

The most important thing though is to price your house correctly. If you are priced too high, you are going to have to come down anyways, and you may be sitting on the market longer than you need to

Are there any other homes in your neighborhood like yours for sale? What is their price? Check out your competition

Biggest mistake people make is they do not de clutter or de personalize things. Also, show the rooms for what they are intended to be used for.

Expect people to open up closets and cupboards. I saw last night on a show to try as best you can to empty out closets and cupboards to show people how much storage space they would have!

Also, clean up the garage.

I am desperate for details on home staging… anything anyone knows will help. thanks!

home staging is a coined term that you can actually get sued over believe it or not, so when marketing your home, never use that term, use newly showcased instead. I showcase homes because the fee to get the license to be a stager is too nominal for what it’s worth in these times.

The big thing is to de clutter the home and to rid of/hide any photos, personal affects and toys of all things, kids toys are big turn offs. if you have a child’s room set up to look like it, you should immediately work at getting that room to look like a spare room or office, or a room for an older teen in the sense that kids rooms really throw people off.

all wall paintings should be hung at eye level. big mistake that is made that really makes a room look off. do not make a tv viewing area a focal point.

strip wallcoverings that are out dated and paint a neutral beige or gray tone. it is ok to have accent walls in the home to carry the eye throughout.

furniture rental companies can also help stage your home ifyoure in a pinch for the right furniture.

remove clutter in the kitchen most of all this is the no. one selling point of a home.

Home Staging shows on hg are really true to form.

good luck.

I would really like to start baking cakes. People tell me my cakes are to die for and I decorate them so pretty but the cakes from a recipe that is in a cookbook . I don’t want to get into trouble…so my question is "can I start a home business decorating cakes with recipes that i didn’t make up?

You cannot patent recipes. You can however infringe on the intellectual copyrights of the recipe. Ingredients cannot be copywrited…only the process or instructions. Avoid this by (A) not giving the recipe out and/or (B) changing the wording of the instructions. I would be more worried about having a home-based baking business without going through the proper health code channels. That wuill certainly get you in more trouble than thinking that someone will taste your cake and say…I KNOW WHERE THIS RECIPE CAME FROM!! Tell people your recipe is a secret.

If you’re selling in winter, there are a lot of things you can do to encourage buyers to keep coming back. These tips will help you provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere in your home and encourage buyers to stay longer than they would otherwise.

Keep your home scrupulously clear of ice and snow. Remove ice and snow from the roof and ensure the gutters are clean. The last thing you need is someone slipping and falling in or near your house; it doesn’t say much for the perceived safety of the property. Ensure that there is safe parking that is easy for the buyer to access.

Stage your home like you would for any other time of the year: remove dirt and clutter. Make sure that your general cleaning includes the windows – inside and out, so that nothing appears dirty. Homes can get dirtier and appear a lot dingier in winter, so be extra diligent about the cleaning. A clean, warm house is the first step to a perfect winter Home Staging.

If at all possible, arrange showings in the daytime, to allow the natural light to brighten your home. Also make sure that you have ample outdoor lighting in case there is a showing just before or after dark. The path or sidewalk to your door should be generously illuminated. Consider stringing cheap but attractive Japanese-style lanterns or other inexpensive lighting along a dark path or walkway.

Put attractive looking welcome mats on both sides of the door to help minimize mess and drips. Make sure there is adequate accommodation for coats, hats and other belongings that need a temporary home while the tour is being conducted.

Keep your home just warm enough to be comfortable for someone in a sweater. Most people will be wearing coats or long sleeves at this time of year; set the thermostat to a temperature that will keep them in the house rather than rushing outside for the coolness of a freezing night or the warmth of their car heater. A fireplace can add some extra warmth and also provide a cozy ambiance, if it is safely contained, supervised and extinguished.

A few hours before your prospective buyers are due to come, open some windows and doors for a change of air. This will keep the home smelling fresh and avoid stale smells. A regularly aired-out home also doesn’t tend to attract lingering odors.

You may also want to introduce a smell or two traditionally associated with winter cheer. Chocolate chip cookies smell heavenly and, left for your guests to enjoy, may leave a lasting impression. Other winter smells are apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh baked bread. Hot cocoa left out can also encourage guests to stay around for longer.

Use soft, thick coverings and throws on beds and couches. If you are repainting, try for warm colors that emphasize the comfort of your home. Hang thick, plush robes in the bathrooms. Use fabrics and colors that feel luxurious on the skin and look good to the eye.

A little work on your part to bring the warmth and comfort of your family home out for your prospective buyers can reward you with a quicker sale. Don’t hesitate to do a little extra to make your home appear inviting this winter; it can really pay off!

Stacy Neir
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/staging-your-home-for-a-winter-sale-690324.html

No matter whether the real estate market is going up or down, there are some things you can do to almost guarantee that your home will sell faster, easier and for a little more money than compared to a similar house in the same street.

However there are some big real estate selling mistakes that many home owners overlook that could affect their ability to sell their properties. Let’s look at some of the biggest real estate selling mistakes home owners make.

1. Poor Condition

Selling real estate that is in poor condition will mean an instant reduction in the potential price you could have set for the sale. Trying to market a home that is in poor condition or a home that has obvious maintenance issues that have been ignored is a sure way to put off many potential buyers.

People will automatically assume that if a house has any minor maintenance issues showing, then there must be bigger maintenance issues beneath the surface. Take some time to complete any repairs or maintenance on the home.

2. Real Estate Staging

Selling real estate is about trying to attract potential new buyers into thinking a property is the right place for them to raise a family and build their own memories. Most people who sell their homes overlook the importance of real estate staging prior to a showing. Giving your house a quick wipe over with a cleaning cloth and putting the dishes away is not enough.

Buying a home is an emotional purchase for most people. Buyers want to walk into a home and feel good. They want to imagine how their own furniture will look in each room and how their own decorations will brighten up each room.

Taking some time to freshen up paint with a light, neutral color and then removing all your personal finishing touches, such as your family photos, kid’s toys and some ornaments will make each room in your home look more spacious and more open. If you have big bulky furniture, either re-arrange it so each room appears bigger or borrow smaller furniture from friends and family.

3. Street Appeal

People selling real estate often overlook the importance of street appeal. Many home owners spend a lot of time fixing smaller maintenance issues within the home, but only take a moment to run a lawn mower over the yards.

Potential buyers want to be able to drive up to the front of a house and immediately feel that the home is appealing and attractive. Overgrown trees and shrubs obscure the house from the street. Prune them back or cut them down. Open up the yard with border plantings to make the land plot seem bigger than it really is from the street.

Selling real estate is all about appealing to buyers in such a way that they feel comfortable paying money for your property even when other properties might not be selling. An inexperienced agent may tell you to reduce your price, but the reality is people who sell real estate can actually increase their price if they’re willing to put in some work to appeal to potential buyer’s emotions.

Roger Vetruba
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/top-3-real-estate-selling-mistakes-736738.html