Going GREEN – The Natural Way and the Faux Way

I just read an HGTV article about going green the natural way… so to speak.  No, its not about using chemical free cleaners or HEPA filters, but rather the natural air cleaning qualities of house plants.  Yes, house plants.

I grew up with lots of house plants, and have always had plants wherever I lived.  I guess I inherited my green thumb from my father, who grew up on a self-sustaining farm and even now, in his early 80′s, is still an avid gardener.  And one of the first things you learn in science class about plants is that they absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen – a very compatible relationship with humans and animals, to say the least.  So it just always seems natural to me (pardon the pun) to have plants around the house.

What intrigued me the most about the article, though, are the psychological and intangible benefits that house plants seem to offer.  People report feeling less stressed, can work and solve problems better, feel more attentive and think clearly when plants are around – even images of plants seem to have the same effect.

So how does this apply to home staging and presenting houses for sale?

Well, I’m already predisposed to bringing a bit of the outside into the house.  I naturally incorporate this fondness for greenery in the houses that I stage, and not just with a beautiful floral arrangement here and there, or a fichus tree in the corner.  Plants and flowers often end up in kitchens and baths, but also on end and cocktail tables, and often on nightstands.  I’ve never know anybody who doesn’t like a plant (just like I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like a donut), so there is no hesitation to place a plant in a variety of locations throughout a house.  (The images below are of a HUGE master bath where I created a “magic garden” – my most elaborate use of greenery yet.)

Of course, when staging both vacants and occupieds, I use faux greenery- preferably silk (by the way, FAUX is NOT a 4-letter word!).  For home staging, silk greenery has obvious multiple advantages.  They can be arranged and rearranged to fit the location and placement, and best of all, they don’t need to be watered and won’t die. 

I’d be pretty foolish if I though that potential buyers viewing one of my staged homes didn’t know that the plants are faux.  But I do believe that the benefits of the presence of house plants mentioned in the article – feeling more attentive and thinking more clearly – could very well be a part of the decision making process of buying a house.  One of the goals of staging a house is to create an inviting atmosphere for buyers and to help them envision themselves living in the house.  In my opinion, house plants go a long way to help achieve that goal.

All the best,

Monica

Preferred Staging

703-851-2690

Don’t Pack Away the Personality or the Charm!

I was on a consultation a couple of weeks ago for a Realtor who hires me for every house she lists. I really like this Realtor, and she always seems to have the nicest clients – mostly young families that are moving up to a larger house.  Such was the case with this consultation.

I met with the wife, who is currently a stay at home mom.  If I didn’t know any better, I would never have known that there were 2 boys under the age of 3 in the house.  The house itself was spotless and completely decluttered. (And the boys were very well behaved!)  She was a dream client.

What made it so easy to work with her was that she already understood the value of staging, and she and her husband had already made great strides in preparing the house for sale.  They had already packed away personal photos and sentimental items, and put into storage those items they didn’t immediately need as well as about half of the boys’ toys.  They had cleared out closets to make room to store what needed to remain at the house.  All repairs were made, walls were freshly painted, and little maintenance touch ups were planned for this weekend, including washing all the windows.  

The only problem was that when it came to decluttering, they went a bit too far.  Not much – just a bit – which is something I often see. In the zeal to declutter, and the fear or concern that various furnishings or wall art may be too style specific, or that people won’t like the current owners’ furnishings and style and therefore not like the house, sellers put away too much and the house is left lacking that special touch of personality and charm – the very elements that can help sell the house.

Of course we wanted to use what the seller already owned or could borrow from friends and family.  So some art work will be put back into the living room, which will really add charm to the space.  White candles will be replaced with gold ones for warmth, and a large faux plant will be added to a shelf to add some life and color.  Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – “faux” is NOT a 4-letter word!  And in this case, it’s the perfect solution for this mom, as she doesn’t have to worry about dirt on the floor or broken pots or ripped up leaves if her boys get to the plant. 

If you find you have clients in a similar scenario, where they need to declutter but aren’t sure what to keep and what to pack, a walk through consultation may be the solution.  A trained and experienced professional stager can provide the guiding hand needed to help keep the personality and charm in a house.

All the Best,

Monica

Preferred Staging

703-851-2690

But WHY Won’t You Give Me a Quote Over the Phone?

Imagine this phone call:

(ring, ring) Caller: “Hi, I want to put my house on the market in about 2 weeks. It has 4 bedrooms and 2 and a half baths. How much would you list it for?”

I highly doubt any agent is going to give a quote over the phone to this hypothetical client. Obviously, not only do you need to see the property, but you also need quite a bit more information before you can make a fair evaluation of the property to price it correctly.

Would you ask a painter, contractor, or anyone else to whom you intend on paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars to provide you a quote over the phone without having them first see the work that needs to be done?

Staging is no different, and is this is why Preferred Staging doesn’t give quotes to stage properties over the phone or through an email without first having seen the property and evaluate what is needed. Just like a Realtor determining the correct market value of a house, we need to take into account all the variables. Is the house vacant or occupied? How many rooms need to be staged? How big are the rooms? Do we need to take measurements? What is the layout of the house? Is it an open floor plan? Is the house traditional or contemporary? Where is the placement of the windows and doors, and how much natural light do the rooms receive? What colors are the rooms? Do they need paint, and would you like us to recommend colors? You get the idea.

Take for example a house in Arlington that we staged last year. It had a living & dining area, a den (of sorts), 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, kitchen and separate laundry area. The tricky part to this house was that it is only 750 square feet – total. (I’ve been told its one of the smallest houses in Arlington.) Had we not seen the house to understand the layout and traffic flow and taken measurements, we would not have been able to stage it properly and present it to its best advantage, which eventually led to it being sold in just 10 days.

We professionally stage all of our properties so that they will not only show to their best advantage, but will also stand head and shoulders above the competition. Preferred Staging prides itself on the quality of our work, quality of our accessories, and our attention to detail, and our success can be seen in how quickly our staged homes sell. Like you, we just can’t achieve this level of professionalism and success through a phone call or email.

All the Best,

Monica

Preferred Staging

703-851-2690

Georgetown Condo Staged to Show the Best Washington DC has to Offer

Last week we staged a fabulous 1 bedroom condo in a prime Georgetown location, right across the street from Rose Park.  This unit has a really wonderful open floor plan with a full kitchen and eat-in area, but what we really loved was the living room with the transom lights and access to the beautiful communal courtyard.

Before we could stage, however, we needed to do some painting.  The previous owner had painted the walls for how they lived there, but it was what I call “style specific” and would probably not appeal to the general buying public.  After some careful research, I found a lovely grey for the kitchen that would work with both the countertops and the tile floor, and a very light and airy taupe that complimented the grey.  The overall effect was not only a clear definition of space, but also a lightening and brightening of the entire condo.

The interior space could also be deceiving without furniture in the rooms, especially the living room and bedroom.  When the rooms were vacant, it was hard to imagine just exactly what furniture could go where, especially in the bedroom – would a queen bed fit?  Again, after careful research, I found the perfect rental furniture that met the necessary requirements.  We were able to put a sofa and 2 comfortable upholstered chairs in the living room with two end tables and a cocktail table, while still allowing space to open a storage closet and the door to the courtyard.  And yes, a queen bed and 2 nightstands fit quite easily in the bedroom.  It’s all a matter of scale.

 

 

   

You can find the rest of the photos here. If you are interested in showing this great Georgetown condo, you can find the listing information here.

All the Best,

 

Monica, ASP

monica@preferredstaging.com

703.851.2690

Preferred Staging

the art of home preparation

Luxury Home Staging in Alexandria VA and Georgetown

Two of my favorite properties this year were staged in just the last two weeks. Both high-end townhomes in Washington’s historic districts.

1118 North Pitt Street in Alexandria:

 

The other home is 1529 33rd Street, NW in Georgetown:

In discussing the target market with the Realtor, we decided to stage the newer home in Alexandria in a more classic style and the older home in Georgetown was more staged in a more contemporary style. Both worked incredibly well. You can see all the before and afters in our gallery.

All the Best,

Monica, ASP

monica@preferredstaging.com

703.851.2690

Preferred Staging

the art of home preparation

Alexandria, VA and Arlington, VA: Two Very Different Properties

We staged one of the premier properties in Old Town Alexandria (608 Oronco Street, Alexandria VA 22314)earlier this month. This one was owner-occupied and we were brought in to assist in neutralizing the home. The home owner had many works of fine art that we suggested be placed in storage. A home needs to feel like a home, not an art gallery.

We also staged 4141 North Henderson Road, Arlington, VA 22203, Unit 107. This poperty is already under contract, so we will be back soon to destage. As I have said before, staging is bitter sweet: we love creating wonderful environments so buyers become emotionally attached (as we do) to the property, but then we have to undo it a month later.

You can find many more before and afters in our gallery.

If you have a listing that is in need of a transformation, please give us a call.

All the Best,

Monica, ASP

monica@preferredstaging.com

703.851.2690

Preferred Staging

the art of home preparation

Two Arlington, Virginia Homes Staged to Perfection

This has been an unusually busy summer for Preferred Staging. Usually, June and July can be counted on for a bit of a rest, but this year we have seen a great deal of activity. The market in DC appears very active, with days on market coming down to normal levels for well priced homes that show well. Staging addresses both of those areas – certainly the presentation of a home is improved by staging – but the value is also enhanced as staging helps people become emotionally attached to a home and less aggressive in negotiations.

Much of the activity we have seen is in the upper end of the market, where homes are being placed on the market in advance of the jumbo mortgage change coming this fall. These higher end staged homes are selling remarkably fast.

Two examples:

2320 N Tuckahoe Street, Arlington, Virginia was a challenge. A mixture of old and new contruction and renovated throughout, the home had two doors in the front of the home. We kept it light and airy to really provide the buyer a sense of the roominess and flow between the older portion of the home and the addition.

The second was an occupied staging (2616 18th Street South, Arlington, Virginia 22204). Usually, for occupieds, we conduct consultations and the home owner follows our instructions.

Occaissionally, the home owner wants more assistance, so we bring in some accessories and small pieces to complete the look.

If you have a listing that needs a little extra help, or a full vacant in need of staging, give us a call. We never charge for our bids. 

All the Best,

Monica, ASP

monica@preferredstaging.com

703.851.2690

Preferred Staging

the art of home preparation

Washington DC Condo with Odd Spaces Staged and Sold

One of my favorite things about staging is the occaissional “challenge” space. You have all had a listing that broke the mold, a home that was unique in so many ways. We staged one such residence about 3 weeks ago.

Washington DC is not know for its lofts, so when you get a newly renovated, high end loft in the District, it takes a different type of creativity than your typical condo. Fortunately, Preferred Staging has a deep talent pool of stagers to leverage.

This project took the special talents of our senior stager, Lynn Gillis, to really make this space shine.  We also had to take into consideration the unique layout of this space, which was once an old school house, with high windows and doors.  To make the use of this unique space, the builder also added some rooms on top of other spaces to literally create a loft within a loft.  Talk about unique!

  

  

  

(more before and afters)

Scale was also an important factor in this staging, not only with the proper furniture but also with the right amount of accessories.  It would have been easy to cram all sorts of accessories into the nooks and crannies of this property.  However, staging is not about showing off what you can do, but showing a potential buyer what they might do. We stage not only to the property, but to the buyer as well.  Know your market. Stage to the market.

All the Best,

Monica, ASP

monica@preferredstaging.com

703.851.2690

Preferred Staging

the art of home preparation

The Washington Post Got it Right…Home Staging is a Top 10 Must Do to Sell Your Home

We recently quoted in a Washington Post article on the top 10 things your need to know about buying and selling a home. The real estate market here in the Washington DC metro area has been fairly strong these past couple of months, with well priced and well presented homes selling faster than the national average. Speaking to our Realtor partners, we are no where near a seller’s market, so home owners still need to focus on the fundamentals to sell quickly and for the most money.

Specifically, the Post said that staging, especially for vacant proerties, was well worth the investment. They quoted Realtor Rachel Valentino of Keller Williams as saying, “Besides new paint, staging is the best return on investment you can make.”

Realtors, justifiably, have differing opinions on the benefits of staging. I think what is indisputable is that staging improves the presentation of a vacant property. Builders spend upwards of $100,000 to stage model homes. They know that a furnished home shows better than a vacant.

What is open for debate is: How much staging is worth? That question is tough to answer. Here’s one stat, that we can point to…Preferred Staging has staged and helped sell over $16 million in realestate so far this year. On average, Preferred Staging’s projects have sold for 97.5% of the asking price. According to Zillow, the average price reduction for the Washington DC area is over 6%. So, we can say that Preferred Staging homes help sellers save 3.5% of their home value. If staging typically costs about 1%, that is still 2.5% left over for the seller. An additional $10,000 to $15,000 in the seller’s pocket after staging costs…Not too shaby.

For the Realtor, Preferred Staging staged homes typically sell in less than 28 days. That is less time and money you spend marketing and showing. Staging helps your sales “velocity,” allowing you to manage more listings per year and helping you improve your statistics so you win more listings from prospects.

Bottom line, we agree with the Washington Post. Staging is a top 10 must do!

All the Best,

Monica, ASP

monica@preferredstaging.com

703.851.2690

Preferred Staging

the art of home preparation

Preferred Staging Featured on Washington DC’s Fox 5

We had the distinct honor of being featured on Fox 5′s morning program today. They came out with us as we transformed a Washington DC vacant home into an inviting home!

You can see the segments here.

All the Best,

Monica

703.851.2690

Preferred Staging

Look What A Small Investment Can Do!

Look what a small investment can do!

A few weeks ago I did a 2 hour walk through consultation for a home owner that has lived in the house for 45 years. The house has been very well maintained, but as we see all the time with older clients who are downsizing, updating hasn’t been a priority over the past few years. The house does have a lovely remodeled kitchen, but some other rooms needed attention.

The best example was the wood paneling in the basement. The dark paneling absorbed all the light in the room, making it feel like a cold, dark cave – and really dating the house. Once the paneling was painted an off white, some furniture removed and other pieces moved, and some art work rehung, there was a huge difference – it hardly looks like the same room!

Spending even a little money on such updates and for staging is sometimes a hard pill for homeowners to swallow. We really need to educate home owners that home preparation is truly an investment that they will receive a return on when the house sells. The return will either be a better listing price, (is it better to sell the house “as is”, or at market value?), and a faster sale, which in the long run will reduce mortgage payments, utility costs and general maintenance and upkeep of the property. A faster sale also means less marketing dollars Realtors have to spend.

Check out these statistics from HomeGain.com for ROI on home improvements for sellers:

According to the survey, painting, decluttering and reorganizing the basement will bring a nice return to the home seller – and all for about 2 days of work!

All the Best,

Monica