Divorce Home Staging - Eh, What?

Had the pleasure of lunching with Julie Audet, a caring and sensitive Family Law Lawyer who is putting together a unique concept to make important separation and divorce information readily available to unfortunate individuals going through this difficult time in their lives.  Her website, http://www.familylawinabox.com/ is very interesting and she will be adding more information over the next while that will be an affordable alternative for many seeking legal information.  All this brought me back to a time long ago when I was in this unfortunate situation.  This is actually how I first became aware of what was needed to sell a house.  I was a typical newly single parent living in the family home that needed to be sold to settle our affairs.  I didn't want to move, nor did the kids.  This was our home!  So I really didn't put much effort into preparing the home for sale.  I liked my blue flowered wallpaper even if it looked like PeeWee Herman's playhouse (my former sister-in-law affectionately labeled this) and I wasn't going to change it.  The new owners could.  I kept the house tidy, but let our dog greet prospective buyers.  I broke most of the Home Staging rules; in other words, I sabotaged any sale.  I didn't want to move.  My realtor was kind and patient, but likely quite frustrated with me.  Anyway, the house eventually sold at a loss and we moved. 
So fast forward many years and several houses later.  I've worked as a counsellor with many separating and divorcing individuals/couples over the years and have come to learn lots about what happens emotionally during this time.  I still facilitate "On Your Own Again" groups and "Parenting After Separation" workshops occasionally through Family Services a la famille Ottawa and have come to know that the family home can become a real emotional battleground that impedes any successful house sale and in effect keeps the couple from moving on in their separate ways.
I was looking for ways to successfully intervene with couples selling their homes, when the newly formed CSPI (Certified Staging Professionals International Business Training Academy) offered a course through DivorcethisHouse(TM).com with lawyer Kelly Lise Murray looking at the Best Interest of the House(TM) model.  This innovative approach fit in very well with my own experience and training and I have embraced the mediator approach keeping both parties of  the couple in the loop, educating them with how to get the best from their house sale, freeing them to go their separate ways.  It is often difficult for waring couples to communicate directly and effectively about the sale of the family home.  My role is to educate, validate and communicate so that the house gets sold as quick as possible and for the most money and the couple learn to detach from the house and each other.  A very rewarding role indeed!
Please contact HomeReady Home Staging for more information about this approach if you or someone you know is going through this difficult time.  homeready@homereadyhomestaging.ca, 613-894-4155.  I'd be happy to help!

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Create a Welcoming Entry that attracts Buyers

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Create a Welcoming Entry that Attracts Buyers
 Alice T. Chan


Whether you're selling your home or not, creating a welcoming entry to your home just makes coming home a little nicer. When you are preparing to sell your house, it's especially important to set the tone for your buyers and help create those warm and fuzzy feelings you want them to have as they imagine themselves "coming home".

Here are 5 quick and easy ways to create a welcoming entry that attracts Buyers and the best part is...they're no cost or very low cost upgrades!

1) Clean up - remove any miscellaneous clutter, power wash the area, and remove all the cobwebs and dust.

2) Freshen up the front door - paint it, refinish it or at the very least clean it. This is the focal point of the entry so don't think they won't notice how tired it looks...they will!

3) Get a new doormat - a coir or seagrass mat are the best choices because they are durable and visitors can clean their shoes on them upon entry. Avoid anything that has a lot of holes which can be a hazard for women wearing heels and stay away from the foam type mats or anything too cutesy. Definitely forego the 'GO AWAY' and 'WIPE YOUR PAWS' messages...not exactly a welcoming greeting!

4) Add a topiary or a large, tall pot of colorful flowers - this adds color, frames the space and adds that natural plant life element that most everyone likes.

5) Update or add light fixtures - whether it's a wall sconce or a hanging pendant, light fixtures are like jewelry in a space. It's also very functional. While the house is on the market, leave the porch light on. You never know what time of day an interested buyer may drive by to see your house. Having the light on creates a warm and inviting feeling that rivals the cold, dark alternative.

Choose 2 or 3 from the list or combine all 5 tips for maximum results. You'll have them at Hello.




Home Staging entrepreneur Alice T. Chan publishes the "Set the Stage for Home Selling Success" e-zine. Get your F*REE Home Selling Success Formula e-course at http://AliceTChan.com.

What is this Space?

What is the purpose and function of this space?  Can you guess?  Well prospective buyers can't either and really you don't want them guessing.  When you are selling your house the spaces within need to plainly let the buyer looking know what they are looking at and what the space is used for.  The picture here is a rather extreme example but is one that many homeowners make and don't rectify when selling.  This is the master bedroom but when space is short homeowners often double up the function of the room so that it does double often triple duty.  So then what are the messages given to the prospective buyer.  Yes, there isn't enough space here for my needs either and I thought there were 4 bedrooms. . . hmm!   This next picture clearly lets the prospective buyer know what they are looking at.  Yes, no mistaking that this is the Master Bedroom.  No clutter of office/den/whatever you guess it to be. 

Master Bedroom - same view as above!

Now what do you think about this space?  Again the purpose and function of this space is confused and so will be buyers looking at your property.  Is it an office, a den, a family room?

Well it is actually a family room and has a wonderful view to the back garden.  However, all that buyers will see here is the office clutter.  After being staged, the function of the space became clear although the owners still insisted that they needed a small desk for their computer.  Well, OK.  The house sold in three days over asking!  

 

View into the Family Room after.  The small desk is more discreet.

The final example here is that of a wasted space that was being used for storage mainly.  It is just inside the front door and off to the side.  When staging it is often a good idea to give the prospective buyer an idea of what they might use the space for other than just storage.  

Just the spot for a chair for reading in the sun and let's move the desk into the alcove behind the staircase so that you might also have a place to write or use your laptop. 

                

Reading nook after

                      Now the prospective buyer will have no difficulty knowing what they can use this space for.  The purpose and function have been clarified.

Small desk in the corner

What Makes Me different?

I pride myself on what makes me different.  I value being with my clients and associates so much that I usually turn off my phone when I am with them so that I can fully attend to them without interruptions.  I find it very annoying when I am with someone and in the name of "good customer service" they are constantly attached to their phone.  I find it highly insulting actually to be in the middle of a conversation to realize that the other person is actually reading their latest text message.  Come on now!  Or their phone is constantly ringing and they say "Oh, I just have to get this quickly".  OK, what were we talking about?

I always return calls when I leave a clients' appointment to others.  I think that waiting a bit doesn't really hurt.  One can be too accessible and no, I don't take my phone into the bathroom and I don't talk when driving (usually).  Clients give me feedback that I don't rush them, that I pay full attention to them and this is what I am striving for.  Being "client-centered" means just that; being present fully when there with them.  Thank you Carl Rogers - I knew that some of those psych courses would pay off!  Actually it's just good common sense and respect for others!  So be assured that when we are meeting you will have my full attention.  How else will I get to know you and understand what your needs are?

I Like to Create Beauty in Homes. . . but

I love nature and I love to create beauty in homes both inside and out.  However, I am now faced with a dilema.  Wasps have decide that one of my gardens was prime real estate for them and they moved in.  Don't blame them you know, I like it too.  So what to do.  I first noticed this nest a week or so ago when trimming some overgrowth.  I actually bumped right into it. Boy did I move quickly as wasps flew all around me.  Guess they didn't like the intrusion.  I received only two stings, but felt very insecure as previously I have been told that I am allergic and must use an epipen and go straight to the hospital.  Well the nearest hospital is 20 minutes away and I was all alone.  No epeipen either as the latest advice is that I really don't need one as I only swell up and don't experience breathing difficulties.  So this was a test.  (I guess I passed as I'm still here writing this).  I swallowed a few allergy pills and went out to look at the nest again; this time from a safer distance.  The wasps had attached their home to the side of one the the plant supports and it was the size of a small hardball. 

A few weeks later and the nest has grown to the size of a small canteloupe.  So I have made a decision.  My garden is becoming too overgrown so the nest has to go.

I feel like such a home wrecker!  If I could only transport the nest into the field or somewhere else where we could all live in harmony, but alas, this is not to be.  I bought wasp spray and one of these nights my husband will be out there spraying away (what, you thought I would do it, not in your life!).  Sorry wasps but location, location, location is sometimes not all it's cracked up to be (wasp, lol)!

"Living in Your Home" Re-Staging - The Master Bedroom

The bed bumps into you as soon as you enter the room.

This Master Bedroom needed a makeover.  My task was to make an appealing and calm retreat with very little budget.  This is the goal of re-staging to re-use, re-purpose, re-arrange and re-organize.  The owners liked the paint colour so this was one of the areas not needed to be looked at.  The layout of the room was awkward.  The bed bumped into you as soon as you entered the room.  Not very inviting.  And as you can see, the bedding colours dated back to the 90"s.  Also, there appeared to be too much stuff everywhere; books and magazines mounted up on the bed-side tables spilling onto the floor and way too much clutter to have the room be the haven they desired.  So the room was stripped down to the bare essentials - just the furniture.

Too much clutter spilling onto the floor.

The bed is now the focal point of this room

The first thing to do was to look at the layout.  What did the homeowners want the focus of this room to be.  To give them a hint, they were shown pictures of other Master Bedrooms and they soon realized that moving the bed around to the far end wall would place it as a welcoming focal point as soon as you entered the room.  The dresser with the triple mirror was then moved around to where the bed used to be and everything was moved down the walls a few feet to effectively utilize more of the room space.  The only purchases that needed to be made were new bedding in a soft sage and new lamps. Other items were re-purposed from other areas of the home.

The less cluttered look makes the room appear more peaceful

View of the other side of this Master Bedroom

Simple changes, big difference.  This is what re-   staging can do for your home at very little cost.  For more information about "Living in Your Home" Re-Staging, contact HomeReady Home Staging.

             

What Home Buyers Want

What Home Buyers Want


by: ashleywhittenberger Sunday, June 20th, 2010

Author: ashleywhittenberger





Ashley Whittenberger is a chronic entrepreneur, business consultant and speaker who has learned to successfully balance her left brain with her right. As President and CEO of several companies Ashley knows exactly how to harness her creativity, vision, business savvy and leadership skills to inspire others to “play a bigger game” in life and business. You can learn more about Ashley at www.ashleywhittenberger.com.



In a recent study of home buyer preferences conducted by Avid Ratings Co featured in on one of our favorite blogs, Styled, Staged & Sold, we learned a lot about what today’s new home buyer is looking for. How does this relate to properly packaging, marketing and staging an existing home when going on the market? First of all, we can probably assume that these preferences would be applicable to those purchasing pre-owned homes as well. Since the definition of staging includes “preparing a property to appeal to the most number of buyers as possible” and this study shows us what most buyers are looking for, BINGO! We’ve got the ingredients for our action plan right before our eyes. Thanks to this study, we know where focusing our attention will yield the best ROI when staging a home to sell. Ready to get started? First let’s take a look at the Top 10 Features Buyers Want in a New Home:

1. Large kitchens with an island.



2. Energy-efficient appliances and high-efficiency insulation and windows. (These were the most sought-after “green” features from buyers.)



3. Home office or study



4. Main-floor master suite



5. Outdoor living room



6. Ceiling fans



7. Master suite soaker tubs and oversize showers with seating areas



8. Stone and brick exteriors



9. Community landscaping with walking paths and playgrounds.



In this blog series, we’re going to dig a little deeper and see how we can take this helpful information, and use it to help us in staging a pre-owned home. After all, you’ve got to be able to compete with new homes and well as other pre-owned homes if you’re putting your home on the market. This is a beauty contest you won’t want to lose!



Stay tuned for our next blog entry where we’ll discuss Item #1: Buyers want to see large kitchens with an island…



Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Ashley Whittenberger is the Principal and Chief Decorating Officer of Interiority Complex. You can visit Interiority Complex, access the free article archive of design prescriptions or learn more about home staging and creative design therapy at www.myinterioritycomplex.com. Ashley lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, son, two dogs, and two cats, and she is proud that she has learned to successfully live and thrive with her compulsive and chronic rearranging and re-designing disorders.







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