Professional Real Estate Photography…Important or Not?

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How important is photography in the selling of my home?

Very!  It is your first showing to the world.

A homeowner contacted me and was concerned that after six months his vacant home was not getting any showings.  He asked if he should stage it and I said that it would absolutely help with showings.  His Realtor did not think it would make a difference because the home was so newly updated.  I encouraged him that it would make a big difference online because potential buyers would see the beautiful updates and schedule a showing.

About a month and half after I staged his home he called me very disappointed that he still did not have any extra showings since it had been staged.  I was sitting in front of my computer and quickly looked up his address.  It was still showing the vacant photos.  I explained that he should look online to see for himself that the agent never took new photos of the staged home.  He became very upset that he had spent money on the staging and after a month and a half new photos were never taken.  He fired that agent and hired a new one.  New photos were taken and put online and the home sold a week later.

THAT is how important photos are in selling your home.

I suggest that you demand the photos taken of your home be professional and not taken by the agent or a friend.  There are professional photographers that are exclusive to real estate.  It will make a huge difference in selling your home.  We have all looked online and have seen those home photos that had people in the mirrors, dirty dishes in the sink, and clothes on the floor.  Yes, it does make us laugh, but it also makes us pass by that house.  You see the mess, not the beautiful home.

A VERY Important thing for you to remember, as I previously mentioned in my past blog Should I stage my Vacant home? …  You have Three chances to sell your home:

  1. The online listing.
  2. When they are at the home.
  3. THE MOST Important!  What they can remember of Your Home above anyone else’s!!!

Stagers dress your home for the sale.  The photography is how it is presented to the buyer for the first time.  We all know how important those first impressions can be.  You are paying your Realtor to market your home, so make sure that you are getting the best for your money.

Great Stager.  Great Realtor.  Great Photographer.  Equals a guaranteed sale of your home.

 

Final Thought….  “Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.” – Sally Mann

Fall Ahead…Take Back the Spring!

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It’s that time of year…when the Minnesota State Fair ends and the kids go back to school. With the cooler weather filling the air, you may be looking forward to hunkering down and settling in for the winter.

I HAVE A BETTER IDEA!

If you’re looking to put your home up for sale next spring, start to prepare now. Why wait until that last snow is melting and fresh spring invites you outside. “Spring Cleaning?” HA

Don’t look around your home and get overwhelmed.

You may be thinking, “Where do i even begin?”

When you’re stuck inside on those frigid snow days, commit yourself to cleaning out a drawer. Organize a closet. Refold your towels and sheets in the linen closet. Soon, you’ll realize you are doing more and more everyday.

Come springtime, your home will be organized and ready to pack. You can get outside and enjoy the warming spring weather. Things will go smoother, and you can then calmly prepare for your home staging!

Final Thought…

SOLD.

PANTONE color of 2017 – GREENERY!

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The PANTONE name is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.  The Pantone Color Institute announced their pick for 2017.  

” A refreshing and revitalizing shade, Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings.”

“Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s green revive, restore and renew.  Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.”

Everyone will begin to see Greenery more and more in fashion, magazines, on commercials and in all advertising.  It will become a familiar feeling.    We want to use Greenery in our staging to invoke a memory to the future home buyer.  We want them to remember this home.

You want the home to be mostly neutral with touches of color. Never overdue one single color in a space, it will overwhelm and give an unfavorable look.  Remember, you are trying to sell the home, not the furniture.  Greenery is nature’s neutral.  It is trans-seasonal and will blend well with neutrals, pastels, brights, metallics and even the two 2016 colors of the year, Rose Quartz and Serenity.  So no need to replace all of the accents and artwork that you have, just add in a few new ones on trend.  Make a room pop by using a cream couch and a Greenery pillow.  Revive a room with an artificial plant or potted grass.  You want that future home buyer to feel as if they’ve just walked into a page out of their House Beautiful Magazine.  They dream of buying that home.

Final thought…Greenery is the color of Hopefulness.  Rejuvenation.  Fresh New Beginnings.  Letting go of technology and reconnecting with Nature.  We all know what kind of world we are living in:  uncertain and stressful.

We could All use a little more Greenery in our lives.

 

 

Not All Stagers Are The Same

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Staging is quickly becoming a mainstream career.  Home staging wasn’t even heard of twelve years ago when I staged my first home.  A real estate agent friend of mine living in California told me how they staged there, and I thought I would be good at it.  I mentioned this to another real estate friend who soon found me my first home to stage.  I now do it more then full time.  About 1200 homes last year, and this year will be even more.

With all of the television shows discussing or showing staging, I no longer need to explain to people what it is I do.  Most just comment on how fun it must be!  It really is a very fun and satisfying career, but also very hard work.  Which brings us to this topic, that not all stagers are the same.  I run across many stagers that charge a large amount of money for not so great furniture.  Some even buy from craigslist.  In fact, my operations manager was selling his 10 year old used furniture and was contacted by three different staging companies wanting to purchase it.  All I could think was, “Nooooo”!  Staging is to give a home that updated look, not to just decorate it with any old couch or chair and some throw pillows.  It is super important that the stager you choose has a portfolio of their work.  You want to know that all of the furniture they use is their own.

Now, I am not saying not to choose a stager that is new to this business, just be clear on your expectations.  You should expect that they provide unused furniture and are willing to purchase a special piece if your home needs it.  Do they offer a wide variety of accessories,  understand furniture placement for every type of home, have the knowledge of the best lighting to show your home at its best.  Are they willing to make your home be important.  To stop the car on the road because they can’t drive any further and trudge the rest of the way through deep snow just to get the photos of your home so they can stage it correctly.  (as I actually just did today.  No joke)  🙂  …and all of the other subjects that I touch on in my blogs.

Lastly, I know that your neighbor, family member, or friend may have a strong opinion on how your home is staged, but let your stager help you with the final look.  Value the unbiased opinion of a stager on the final layout and decoration.  We see thousands of homes every year and want yours to show its true potential.  It does not need to scream “You”,  it needs to show how that awkward space or small room can be used.  How an older home can look fresh, or a smaller one look large.  Remember, you are not decorating the home that you plan on living in, you are having it staged to show off its best potential and features to its future owners.

Final Thought…Pick a stager that is committed and passionate enough about their career/business to have acquired the knowledge and tools to stage your home properly.

Lighting Up the New Year!

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Lighting within your home is very important, especially in a vacant home with no overhead ceiling lights.  The most important element to lighting is that it is balanced and casts no shadows.  Using a 60 watt bulb is usually best, but a 75 watt may be better in a really dark or extra large room.  After Furniture placement, make sure the lights are kitty-corner from each other and not all on one side.  If they must be on one side, then consider placing a floor lamp across from them to create the desired balance.

It is much darker during the winter months so light your home as much as possible.  It will create welcomeness and warmth, instead of feeling scary and unfamiliar.  Some rooms may have just one dim ceiling light, this could be a good opportunity to add table or floor lamps.

Lighting is also important for photos.  Walk through each room to see if the light looks balanced.  Does it feel warm and inviting?  Take a picture with your phone to see if there are shadows.  If the light is unbalanced, it will show a flash to one side of the room.  Have you noticed in homes online that are not lit properly look dark and dingy.  You may not be able to see in a corner, or distinguish room from room.  You want to highlight each room so the potential buyer can see everything that your home has to offer.

Final Thought…  “A good intention, with a bad approach, often leads to a poor result.”  Thomas A. Edison

Wall Paper, Paint, Wood Paneling Oh My!!!

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“What were they thinking?”

We have all thought this Exact thing looking at interior paint color choices.

Now this is where you have the choice…do you make a simple change, or leave people with this frightful, poor color image.

Paint is an important key factor in neutralizing a home.  Having bright or dated color is very distracting and unpleasing to potential buyers.  Neutral, light colored paint can freshen up up any room.  A neutral color will offer continuity and consistency throughout the home.  It will have the buyer seeing its potential, not its sudden and drastic wall color changes.  I recommend a flat finish paint because it hides imperfections and provides easier touchups.  As mentioned in my previous blog, Preparing Your Home for Sold, Chintz and Revere Pewter are smart color choices.

The dreaded wallpaper is a must to remove!  Many sellers do not want the hard work of removing it.  Well, neither does the potential buyer.  Wallpaper can be a deal breaker.  If  you choose to leave the wall paper,  you could be significantly reducing your selling profit.  A possible buyer is not always looking for a home that needs updating.  There have been many improvements to wall paper and removing solutions over the years.  Many options are available to help you remove it safely, easily, and without wall damage.  Do not let a potential buyer pass your home by because of unpleasant and dated wall coverings…even if it’s Italian!

Wood paneling makes a lot of us cringe, but it may be a permanent wall.  A simple and inexpensive solution would be to paint it.  Creamy white tends to look best.  Use an oil based or a satin impervo paint, these will give it a natural appearance.  They lay thicker on wood giving it a richer look.

Final Thought…  Have your home buyer feeling…There’s No Place Like Home

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Preparing Your Home for Sold!

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As mentioned in my Previous blog, Staging Can Show the Maximum Space in Every Room, you should be realistic about the space in each room and do a few simple things throughout the home to prepare for showings.  You should deep clean your home as if a snoopy, pickiest of picky family member is coming to stay with you!  All flooring and carpet should be cleaned and free from stains.  If it is deeply soiled or really old, you may want to look into replacing it.  Walls should be cleaned and freshly painted.  I suggest using Benjamin Moore Paint in chintz or revere pewter.  Wash all windows and make sure blinds or drapes are clean and working properly.  Buyers are usually concerned about the quality of windows, so they will be checking.  Vacuum vents and ceiling fans.  Here are a few suggestions for these specific rooms:

Kitchen – Clear all countertops of anything that is not needed for daily use.  Place mail into a drawer rather than out on the counter.  Vacuum inside of each drawer and place new drawer linings.  Keep refrigerator clear of photos and magnets.  Remove any expired items and keep only minimal leftovers, this will make it appear larger.  Make sure it is cleaned top to bottom and smells fresh.  Leave a Baking Soda Fridge-N-Freezer box in in the refrigerator and freezer.  It will eliminate odors.  Ninety percent of homes are sold with refrigerators and everyone will look in them!

Bathrooms – Scrub bathroom from top to bottom.  Clear all countertops and toilet tops of miscellaneous items.  Remove all medications and valuables and store in containers that only you can access.  All towels should look fresh and clean for each showing.  Keep shower products and bathing accessories in small bins that you can bring in with you when you shower and remove for showings.  Update any hardware that is broken, loose, or missing.

Bedrooms – All bedside table and dresser top items need to be tucked away.  Place them in small containers and keep under the bed so that they are easily accessible by you.  Hang all clothes in a closet, do not leave a robe hanging over the door or the bed.  Never leave out anything of value.

Closets – Everyone wants to see the closets they may possibly own, so yes, they will look in them.  They will either see how much stuff you have, or how much room they could fill with heir own things!  Remove and pack away all of your seasonal items.  Having the hangers match looks very organized and is extremely pleasing to the eye.  Do not forget to paint the insides of the closets when you’re painting the home.

According to a recent study, eighty percent of buyers said storage is one of the most important items on their checklist.  Go through every closet, cabinet, drawer, and nook and cranny in your home and get rid of anything that hasn’t been used within a year, or put it in storage!  Think of it as pre-packing for your new home.  Getting a storage unit outside of your home is usually the easiest way for this transition.  It frees your home of excess items and gives it the feeling of more open space.  Space that potential buyers are looking for.  That way, after your home sells, you are already half packed.  For your showings each day, wipe down all counters and surfaces, turn on lights, and open all of the blinds and curtains to brighten up your home.   Dark and dirty spaces will turn away a potential buyer.

Learn more about measuring the proper placement of your artwork, rugs, drapes and more in Susan’s upcoming blog post, By The Numbers.

For additional help with flooring, painting and other home services, head to my website, Kariel Staging & Decor .

Final Thought…  Preparing your home in this manner could make the difference between Sold or Sitting on the market!

 

Puzzled by a Ceiling Light… Hang in There.

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Why would they put that light there?  A question many people ask themselves when they are looking at homes.  Even tougher, all of the homes without ceiling mounted lights in certain rooms.  An issue I will address more in my blog, Properly Lighting a Dark Space.  My conclusion is this…

Most homes are built with the chandelier centered to the windows or smack dab in the middle of the room.  I am convinced that very few builders think of furniture placement as they are installing the electrical wiring.  So now you, as the home owner, are faced with where to put that dining room table.  You try to place it directly under the chandelier, but then the chairs are snug up to the patio door or the kitchen island.  Frustrating!  How do you address this?  Another great question for your home stager!  My advice to the home owner is to take down that chandelier and put in a ceiling mounted light.  No-one will notice how off centered it is.  My advice to home builders and investors, call a staging company.  Like us, Kariel Home Staging.  Ask us where the best place for the light fixture would be.  I understand having to follow the National Electrical Code (NEC) for safety, but can’t we all get along?  🙂  We carry a very large inventory of dining room tables, and can advise you to the best place for lighting.  If you are located in the Minnesota Metro Area, we will stop by for free.  That way, your potential home buyers won’t be so perplexed on how they will fit their furniture into your homes.  The lighting will blend so well with the staging that it will make a very positive and lasting impact on potential buyers.  Your homes will Shine!

Final Thought…

Home owners can make a simple fix to a very common issue.

Home builders could possibly work with us to design and build homes with efficient lighting better suited for furnishing.

 

 

Giving a Room a Purpose!

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Does your home have that catchall room that holds all of your miscellaneous pieces of furniture and things you have collected over the years?  Or maybe a weird space that still puzzles you as to what it’s for?  You want to show a possible buyer all of the potential that each space in your home has to offer.  Homeowners sometime think that adding that extra desk or crib to the master bedroom will show how much extra space that room has.  Wrong!  Now all that potential buyer sees is less room.  We, at Kariel Home Staging, can walk into a questionable space or that catchall room and find its purpose.  We assess the home to find what it may be lacking; more sitting space, a small office, a child’s play area.  A better solution for that extra desk would possibly be behind the couch as a sofa table?  There are many solutions, it just takes an unbiased eye to see them.

When selling your home, you must give every room a purpose.  Buyers walk into a home and instantly assess each room.  Do you want them to see wasted space…leaving them puzzled and confused.  Or should you show them how great that extra area is by giving it a purpose!  Don’t leave potential buyers guessing if your home is the one.  Wondering if they will have the space they will need.  Questioning if that small loft is useless, or the extra room in the basement with no windows is for nothing.   Show them that every inch of your home will fill their needs.  That your home will be the space they need for their things, their family.

We are here to help you do just that!

Final Thought…   “Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.” – Joseph Campbell

 

The Short and Simple Truth…Furniture Placement is Key

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Blocking off any room with furniture will only mask its true potential.  Furniture placement plays the key role in showing potential buyers how great your home can look.  It can make a small room look larger, a darker one look brighter, and overall the entire home more inviting.  You want buyers to walk in and Feel like they are Home!

Find out more on this in my upcoming blog Giving a Room a Purpose.

Final thought…  Why the short blog?  Because pictures are worth a thousand words!

 

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