Style with Comfort

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

GREEN PRODUCTS: WHERE TO FIND THE BEST ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE

There are many ways to be eco-friendly when staging a home. And believe it or not, they don’t always involve spending more money than you would on regular products, or any money for that matter. And remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. If you do one thing and one thing only, it’s still helping the environment. And finally, don't forget that you are staging and not decorating, which helps you budget as well. And yes, there is a difference between the two.
Here are my top tips for staging in an eco-friendly way.

Reuse Items You Own. Some items in your home way just need an update. Do you have mismatched furniture? Paint them all the same color to unify them. Have your sofas seen better days? Add some slipcovers. Do your dining room chair cushions have stains? Consider recovering just the fabric portions. See Window Treatments in this blog for ideas on how to get inexpensive fabric).

Remember the Cottonelle toilet paper covers they were giving away with proof of purchase of their TP? I turned mine into a tissue holder that matched my color scheme.

Copyright 2011 by Kristen DiNobile

Repurpose Pieces You Have.
Think about how you can use what you have in a new way. For example, if you have a tall, narrow bookcase that is no longer useful to you, consider turning it on its sides, add a cushion or throw pillows and you’ve got a bench for your entry or wherever else you may need one. The shelves, now vertical, act as dividers for storage.

This started out as a plain white shade. With some leftover paint and some masking tape, it got a whole new look.

Purchase Used Items.
Shop at garage sales, the Salvation Army, or at the homes of family and friends. Any time you can save something from being throw into the dumpster, you are doing something eco-friendly.

Buy eco-friendly products.
Many retailers sell items that were made with earth-friendly materials or environmentally friendly ways. If you buy anything wood, make sure it was made from forests certified by FSC. When painting, use those with low or no-VOC.

Seventh Generation is just one company that offers eco-friendly products.

Dispose of items properly.
When you stage in an eco-friendly way, it’s also about what you do. If you are throwing things away, make sure you are doing so in an appropriate way. For example, don’t throw paint cans in with the regular trash. If you are unsure, visit Earth 911. Enter the product you need to throw away, along with your zip code, and you will receive a list of places that will accept your items.

This is just a sampling of ideas. There is so much more I’d love to share you with. But I hope you can at least take away an idea or two from here or use something I’ve said to spur an idea of your own. Staging in an eco-friendly manner does not have to be difficult.

WINDOW TREATMENTS: HOW TO FIND WINDOW TREATMENTS FOR STAGING

When I work with clients, I often find that choosing paint colors is one of the most intimidating aspects of decorating or staging a home. Another area many clients fear is choosing window treatments. I have to agree that these choices can be difficult because the options are overwhelming for both.

As if these areas weren’t confusing enough, when you throw the concept of staging into the picture, it becomes even more intimidating. As with paint, the choices you make when decorating can be very different than the selections you’ll make if you’re staging. Here, I’ll help you find solutions for picking the best window treatments without spending a lot of money.

The only time I’d recommend splurging on a treatment is if it’s something you plan on taking with you. Staging with window treatments is different, and much cheaper, than decorating with window treatments because staging is only temporary.
Here are my suggestions:

Purchase inexpensive treatments at local retailers or online stores.
Borrow treatments from family or friends. Just like comforter sets and throw pillows, curtains are another thing that most of us have way more of than we could possible use at once.
Modify existing treatments. These can be those you purchased or those you already have.
Make your own.

You don't always need to have pairs of window treatments. This shows not only how you can use one panel pulled to the side, but also how you can combine shades with curtains.

Regardless of which of the four you choose, here are some examples that come from one or more of the 4 suggestions above. Oftentimes you’ll combine methods. And since you are most likely living in your home, you probably have some sort of treatments up already. So keep in mind that you probably won’t need to address every window and may even be able to do simple modifications to what you have. For what you should and shouldn’t keep up, read my article Window Treatments and Home Staging.

However, when trying to stage a vacant home, this can be a bit more difficult in terms of time, effort, and money. If this is the case, just focus on the main rooms. It will vary based on the actual home and the neighborhood. I would say you definitely want to make sure that the bedrooms and living room or family room have them. Basically, think about rooms where buyers might want or need privacy or darkness.

Modify Existing Panels
Purchase inexpensive panels, shop in your own home, or borrow some from family and friends. If they don’t fit into the décor, see if you can find inexpensive fabric pieces and add them along the bottom of the panels, or make a wide stripe across the middle. Another option is to add a border to the inside edge of each panel. You can use any type of ribbon or decorative trim. Use stencils to cut out circles, flowers or other shapes from a coordinating fabric. Attach these to the basic panels.

Now I know you much be thinking two things.
1. I don’t know where to get the fabric.
2. I can’t sew.

For fabric, you can use old sheets or blankets that are stained and dirty. Just use the good pieces. Scarves and bandanas are great options too. You might have pillow covers, older curtains, or even pieces of clothing that you don’t wear anymore. All of these would work.

Finally, you can rummage through the clearance rack at fabric stores. Pieces are often sold for very cheap because they are such small pieces that they can’t be used for large projects, but are perfect for small additions to your curtains. One final idea is to turn twin flat sheets into window panels.

Okay, what about the sewing part? First, let me confess that I can’t sew, yet I have made curtains, bed skirts, sheets, and I have also hemmed pants. How? I have used either hem tape -- 0ne of my favorite staging products -- and fabric glue. It’s simple to use and just about anyone can do these projects with them.

If your curtains are too short, instead of attaching the border along the bottom of the entire curtain, start it at the bottom of the curtain and let it hang off the panel so it’s adding length. Just make sure to measure correctly.

Install simple shades.
This works if your windows are a standard size or treatments can be cut at the store for little or no charge. Avoid custom unless you have money to spare.

Fabric shades are simple to install. Don't limit yourself to whites or creams either. Window treatments are a great place to use accent colors.

Combine outer panels with inner sheers.
You can purchase a double rod system, which is not expensive to purchase or difficult to install.

Sliding Doors
For sliding glass doors (and even all windows for that matter), avoid those metal vertical shades (or horizontal shades for windows). Almost all buyers hate these. Most important here is to make sure that not only is the door still fully functional, but it’s not an annoyance to open or close either.

There are other options for sliding glass doors besides vertical blinds.

Unique Windows or Doors
Tricky doors and windows that may be a unique shape or cover a whole wall require special solutions, which I’ll cover in an upcoming article or blog.
Here are three options for non-standard windows that aren’t too complex.

For a corner with a window on each wall, purchase corner rods, which are not expensive.
For a window that is flanked by bookshelves so there is no room for a rod, consider ceiling rods. (Look for a cool idea for using these to make a canopy feature in your bedroom in future posts).
For other tight spaces, use rods that swing out. These work for a variety of purposes.

Some windows may need custom treatments due to the size. Here's just one idea for a bay window.

These are just a few examples. For lots of ideas, visit my Boards on Pinterest: Home and Garden Products & Décor, as well as Decorating Ideas & Inspirations. Keep in mind that some of these are too much for staging and are more for decorating. But there are also ideas for basic, simple treatments, as well as tricky window solutions, and you can use these photos to get ideas for your own home.

VISIT OPEN HOUSES: THESE ARE GREAT PLACES TO GET IDEAS FOR STAGING

You can find open houses in your area just about every weekend. Depending on where you live, some areas of the country do them on Sundays, some on Saturdays, and some do them both days. Times vary as well. Check your local paper, online papers, real estate agency websites, or other places where open houses are advertised in your area.

Many people are hesitant to visit open houses for fear of being “harassed” by the agent hosting the open house. Just be honest. Tell them you are just beginning your search and prefer to just browse on your own. Explain that you are already working with an agent. You can even tell them you are staging you home and your agent suggested visiting homes for ideas. The agent will most likely be flattered that you chose his/her listing to look for ideas. And, since you aren't a contender for buying, agents will spend their time with other serious buyers who visit.

Bring a notepad with you. If you are still not sure about your home’s listing price or would just like to reinforce what your think or what your agent suggested, visit comparable homes to your own. Make sure to grab the listing or flyer, or at least jot down the basics, such as price, square footage, number of beds and baths, acreage, and any special upgrades or amenities.

If you are looking for ideas for staging your home, you might also want to consider a unique approach I explain in my article, Using Staging Principles to Buy a Home. It might seem a bit out-of-the-box, but I think you might want to give it a try in your own home search.

If you are just looking for staging ideas, don’t worry whether the home is comparable to yours. Keep in mind that you want to make note of what you like and don’t like. Both of these will be helpful to you. You might see something that looks unattractive and then realize that you have the same thing in your own home. Now you are looking at the home as if you were a buyer and you can more clearly see the types of complaints buyers have.

It’s also okay to visit homes that are not staged. It will really reinforce why staging is so important.

If you can, visit some that are vacant too. You'll really be able to see why all home should be staged -- even vacant homes.

Jot down features you like or ideas you think might work in your home. Even if you don’t use these exact ideas, they will often spark other ideas. Even more important, notice those features you don't like or what you find unappealing. The photos below show some of these unattractive features.

Here are some examples. This first shows a homea staged beautifully. The rest show those with features that missed the mark, or homes that weren’t staged at all.

This home was recently staged and has already received multiple positive comments from buyers.

You may be wondering why this picture is here. It is an absolutely gorgeous home! However, when selling a vacant home, it needs to be staged. Can you image what this home would look like staged? Instant offers!

What's wrong here? Fake fruit! Never use fake fruit when staging. It looks tacky.

This example breaks a few staging rules. First, refrigerators should be cleared off completely. Second, there are personal and religious photos displayed.

This last example shows that is is possible to de-clutter too much. This space looks too cold and stark. It needs to be warmed up. Even a few towels would help.

TYPES OF BULBS: HOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT ONE FOR YOUR FIXTURE

I’ve talked about how lighting is so important when staging your home. Most of us understand how important interior lighting is when staging a home. And while this post focuses mostly on interior fixtures, don’t forget that it is also important to address the exterior lighting of your home when you are staging.
Here, I just want to give a very brief overview of the three main types of bulbs you may use for fixtures in your home.

Incandescent
This is the image that pops into your head when someone mentions light bulb. Most of us grew up using these and probably still do. Incandescent bulbs are very inexpensive but don’t last as long as other types.They use a lot of energy and are the least efficient type of bulb.
Did you know that incandescent bulbs are slowly being phased out?
So what does that mean for you? You’ll need to use one of these other types of bulbs.

The familiar incandescent bulb that most of us grew up with.

Copyright by 2008 Thomas Brightbill

CFL
Most of you think of these as the spiral bulbs that have become very common over the years. CFL stands for compact fluorescent. In the beginning, the light was harsh and it turned many people off from using them, despite their benefits. They may cost a bit more, but they last much longer than incandescent and they are not energy hogs. Over the years, they have really improved to the point that they give off light almost identical to a typical incandescent. Some of the other problems they have addressed and are still working on include: the look and style of the bulb; which fixtures can use them; being able to be used in 3-way fixtures; and working with lights set on timers. There are also many other improvements and upgrades in progress. As time has gone by the prices have come down a bit. The only thing some people see as a negative is the fact that they can’t just be thrown in the trash because they contain mercury, which is considered a toxic substance. But don’t panic. It’s not harmful to use the fixture.
If one does break however, here’s what you should do. However, most places that sell them, especially major home improvement stores, will take them for recycling. You can also visit Earth 911 to find locations for disposal of CFLs, as well as other products that can’t be thrown away with household trash.

A CFL, or Compact Fluorescent Bulb, is more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs.

Copyright 2008 by Sfhazwaste
LED
These bulbs are showing up more and more each day. I really started to notice these more and more during the holidays. I saw LED holiday lights everywhere last year and this past season. LED stands for light emitting diode. They are the most efficient and don’t contain any toxic substances. They last longer than both incandescent and CLF bulbs. However, they are the most expensive.

Here is an example of LED lighting. Many lights are now being made with LED bulbs.

When shopping for bulbs, remember that a 40 watt incandescent is not the same as a 40 watt CFL or LED. Most manufacturers will list the comparable bulb on the box. You can also find conversions charts online.
Remember, when deciding which bulb to buy, consider your wants, needs, budget, type of fixture, and whether or not your fixture takes the type of bulb you are considering.

For selling a home, it’s obviously not worth the investment to purchase LED bulbs for fixtures that are staying with the house, as these can cost $40 or more. For fixtures you intend to take, the choice is yours. While it’s okay to want to be green and use the most eco-friendly products when staging, you might need to make some compromises when staging your home. Remember, you can decorate your new home any way you want.

However, your goal when staging your home is to show it at its best. If a spiral CFL bulb sticks out from under a chandelier, you might want to consider an incandescent or other CLF style while your home is on the market. Overall, I would recommend that you choose the bulb that works best for that fixture, looks the best, and gives off the right amount of light. And of course, make sure that you never exceed the manufacturer’s recommended wattage.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

CONVINCE RELUCTANT OWNERS TO STAGE

Some sellers are extremely reluctant to spend more money on a home that they are planning on selling. You ultimately have to get to know your clients and their personality so you know what types of explanations to use with them. Start out by reassuring them that you are a qualified stager and have helped many clients in the past. Let them read an article about hiring stagers, such as How to Hire a Qualified Stager. Let them interview you to reassure themselves of your qualifications. But here are some ideas to start with.

Give them examples of success stories you’ve had.

Show them statistics on the rate of return on investment for staging.
This works great with those who understand finances.

Explain to them that by spending 1-2% of the asking price, they will get back much more than that when they sell the home.

Plus they will sell quicker. My favorite statistic to use here is that “The cost of staging is less than the amount of the first price reduction.”

And give examples. If they are selling for $200,000, the cost of staging will be about $2000. The staging alone will help them not only get that asking price, but probably even more. Also, most homes do experience a price drop, anywhere from $5000 to $10000. Which would you rather spend?

Staged homes show better online.

This leads to more people wanting to see the home, leading to more potential offers. It’s all a numbers game. Somebody who gets 50 showings is much more likely to get an offer than someone who only gets 5 people through the door.

Staged homes look better so people have a hard time finding reasons to offer less money.

The home looks great and is priced competitively. They’ll have a hard time finding a justification for offering less.

Buyers would have a hard time finding something wrong with this home. Everything has been updated.

Homes that are not staged don’t show well.

Potential buyers will nickel and dime away at the asking price. Normally by this point, you are so annoyed and just want this to be over so you agree to the reductions. There’s a high probability the deductions will amount to more than the $2000 you could have spent staging.

Who's ready to put in an offer? Would you visit this home if you saw this picture (and other similar ones of the home) online? Even if you looked past the messiness, would you give these sellers a full price offer?

Staged homes will attract more serious buyers

Staged homes will attract real estate agents who can’t wait to show the home to their clients.

Staging gets you a head start on the dreaded task of packing.

You’ll already have gotten started and everything will be organized and ready to go for the rest of your stuff.

Offer to take them to staged homes (if you have any currently on the market).

If not, show them any that are on the market that are comparable to their home. If possible show them one staged and one non-staged home to illustrate the difference.

Take reluctant sellers to a staged home either via appointment or open house or (see tip below) have them host an informal open house with feedback cards.

Host an informal open house and invite family and friends and even agents.
Have them (anonymously if you or they wish), complete a survey or questionnaire.

Ask them to list the negative features, positive features, suggestions for improvements, any deal breakers that would keep them from buying the home, and what they think the home is worth now as it is (not yet staged).

Offer to undo the staging if they are really unsatisfied.

I have never had this happen and I haven’t heard of it happening from others.

Hopefully, one of these strategies will work with your client. You might also want to go over the CMA with them again, and point out the difference in the suggested listing price based on whether the home is staged or not. If you are still struggling and need some fresh ideas, please feel free to contact me for further suggestions that are personal to your specific clients.

SAMPLE DIY STAGING WALL ART AND OTHER ACCESSORIES

When you are staging your home but are looking for those last few accessories or final pieces, here are some inexpensive ways to get those items or similar ideas. I say accessories because these are sometimes the hardest to find because the ones we own are usually very personal and style-specific items. Once we take those down during staging, we don’t have much left to fill the empty spaces. Here are some ideas you can use or that might even lead you to think of others. Remember, you want to make your home look like it's worth the asking price derived from the CMA, but you obviously don't want to spend that much. How do you do that? You use hard work, creativity, and thinking outside the box.

Wall Art
Hang empty frames in a creative arrangement.

While these canvas prints were purchased at JC Penney, you could use them as an inspiration to create your own. It can be similar or something totally different. You could even just draw branches.

Another idea is use a canvas (like the one above, but blank) and then use stencils to make your own wall art. You can use purchased stencils or print them from the Internet. Use spray paint to create designs on the blank canvases. Usually nature and animals are safe themes. Here are some ideas.
Daisies and Poppies Wall Art Set of 3 Live, Laugh, Love Wall Art Pieces
A less expensive option is to use wall art decals. Quality ones look just like real photos from a distance. Or you can buy the vinyl pieces at craft stores and create your own scene. Here are a few from JC Penney. 9 Leaf Impressions Wall Decal
Turn some nature pictures into black and white photos so that the fit into any room style or color scheme. Flowers Wall Art
Create your own art by taking pictures of nature and then framing them. Use the frames that originally held those personal photos and then swap them back out when you get to your new home. You can use photos from nature, wallpaper pieces, fabric scraps, scrapbooking paper … the list goes on. You can even paint old or worn out frames.

Other Ideas
Try making a headboard out of a curtain rod and curtains. You can take it a step further, as shown in the photo below.

Place branches in a tall vase. You can also create simple vignettes with evergreen braches in winter and flowers in warmer months. You can even just use greens, such as grass and large leaves.

Have a lamp that’s seen better days? Find a new shade or upgrade the one you have. You can add ribbon borders to the top and bottom. You can wrap the shade in an updated fabric. The details are too much to get into in this blog, but you can find them throughout the Internet.

Still need more ideas? You can visit garage sales and get items that are very inexpensive and may just need a bit of cleaning and some paint. Also, check out my DIY Projects for Home and Garden on Pinterest.

Keep an open mind and think outside the box.

RENTING FURNITURE: COMPANIES AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Renting furniture for staging is something that many sellers have not heard of and so they don’t understand how the process works. Did you know it's even helpful to rent furniture to stage a rental? Once you’ve explained the information to them, you are going to need a company for renting the furniture and any accessories you need. Here is a place for you to start.
These are not recommendations. There is no way for me to have the knowledge to recommend companies across the country. Although, as staging grows in popularity, many companies are expanding into various locations. But there may also be local companies who'd love your business too.

Cort They do have a feature that allows you to enter in your zip code. They also offer individual pieces, as well as entire room sets.
Brook Furniture Rental Brook has a home staging section that caters to furniture rental for this purpose. You can search by zip code. They have been in business for over 30 years.
AFR Furniture Rental This company also has a separate section for renting for staging.
Rent-A-Center They also rent appliances, computers, and electronics.
Furniture Rental Source FRS also has a section devoted to home staging. They also offer a search by zip code and a Quick Quote feature.

Start by asking friends and family members or coworkers if they have any suggestions. You could also ask your stager or real estate agent as well. As with everything, always follow these guidelines. Do your research. Get everything in writing. For more information, read my article Furniture Rental on About.com.

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

Search This Blog