May 24th, 2013
If you’re planning to sell your Westchester County house sometime next year, don’t make this mistake!
48 hours ago this tree was in full bloom, its white flowers gently gracing this pathway, on a beautiful, sunny day. Today it’s remaining flowers are few, the rest are in various stages of decay, plastered to the walkway by a heavy rain.
Three days ago this azalea bush was a brilliant burst of color, an unambiguous sign of spring. Now 
it’s transition mirrors the day- blah and non-descript.
Buying is always about the future, about hope and promise, and what could be. It’s never too early to start planning to get your Westchester County house ready for sale.
While your Realtor will usually be responsible for having the listing photos taken, why be at the mercy of the weather or the available lighting at the time of the appointment? Instead, The Refreshed Home recommends picking a few scenic spots, or views from/on your property, and keep your smartphone/camera handy to record it’s best days, it’s most beautiful moments for your buyers to embrace and appreciate.
A number of years ago I worked with an agent on a wonderful listing way up on a hill in the north country. The outside was a huge selling point: Spacious wrap-around decks with great views, a generous patio that was beautifully landscaped. There was a pool, koi pond, thoughtful and mature plantings throughout.
Early in the conversation, he had the forsight to advise his sellers to capture these photos throughout the year. They got that delicate lacy first frost on the ornamental grasses, the hummingbirds at the feeder, the unobstructed mountain views on the clearest of days, the setting summer sun, filtering through the pine trees. He used some in the MLS listing, but put them all on a DVD which he played on a loop on the monster TV in the Family Room during Open Houses and showings, probably even emailed them to potential buyers who contacted him about the property.
That was forward thinking at the time…but today’s photographic and video technology is quality, and so much more accessible. And IMO a decent picture of something compelling that evokes positive feeling is better than no picture at all. Think of expanding the topic to what makes your neighborhood special…an upcoming holiday parade or nearby summer fair? Kids building snowmen, or playing in a nearby playground? The applications-and benefits!-are many, and the effort is minimal.
Tags: listing photos, Prepare you house for sale, Selling your Westchester County house, the refreshed home
Posted in Advice for Sellers, Dollars and Sense, Home Selling and Home Staging, If It's Free, It's For Me | No Comments »
October 14th, 2011
What A Red Door Means In Scotland
Months ago I had come across this great post..sent myself a link to the page, marked it with purple flag (meaning urgent follow-
up, HA!), then it slid right off my radar. Until this past week, when talk of door-painting suddenly seemed to become a very hot topic.
What Does Your Front Door Say About You is a broad look at some of the colors that front doors are painted, and what they mean. Went back, re-read the post, then trolled around Susan’s own site, and it was absolutely delightful.
Between Naps on the Porch is a blog Susan Herin created out of love for all things home: Decorating, tablescapes, recipes-you name it.
I like it for several reasons-it’s professional, detailed, creative and tasteful. Like M*****, without the whole smug-thing. And this was before we had even e-connected, she is just as delightful. live and in person!
Visit, enjoy, even bookmark, and may a red door be in your future, too!
Tags: choosing paint colors, listing photos, Marie Graham Westchester County Decorator, trivia
Posted in Decorating, GTK, Home Selling and Home Staging, Smiles | No Comments »
September 23rd, 2011
Let’s Get Your House SOLD! Staging For The Average Homeowner
The classic cereal commercial -where two older brothers did not want to try this new breakfast cereal-and instead, gave it to their younger brother, wanting him to go first-reminds me of the reaction I get when it’s time to talk about preparing a house for the market.
Sellers and agents each have their ideas of what it is, and how it works, but it’s still perceived as this dicey territory, and many seem to want to see some buyer interest first….well, if that was working out for you, chances are you wouldn’t be reading this post.
Buyers have a lot to choose from out there. Staging-or preparing your property for the market is a business decision, and a commitment made by people who really want to sell.
Yes, the goal is to make the house look as good as possible, but at the refreshed home, a good solution takes a number of things into consideration: the agents’ pricing and marketing strategy, the local market, and the sellers needs, goals and expectations.
If you have a property you want to -or need to sell-come to the John C. Hart Library on Thursday October 6th, at 7PM. We’ll discuss this mysterious entity known as Staging, learn how to see a property through the eyes of a buyer, and send you home with things you can do to put your property’s best foot forward. Hope to see you there!
Tags: home selling, home staging, listing photos, local events, Marie Graham Westchester County Home Stager
Posted in Appearances and Events, Home Selling and Home Staging, Reality Check, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2011
Will Buyers Remember YOUR House??
When preparing a house for sale, some projects involve getting rid of the red flags-the immediate and obvious turn-offs no buyer wants to see.
But more and more I am seeing projects in need of green flags.
Whether it’s an HGTV-obsession, sellers trying to save money and pre-stage before they call a real Stager, or over-zealous but well-meaning agents, friends or neighbors- there are lots of neat, clean, sanitized and B-O-R-I-N-G properties out there.
Nothing stands out, nothing engages, nothing inspires. Nothing to cause a buyer to remember a house.
That may see like a contradiction of the ‘de-clutter, de-personalize’ mantra that many chant, but de-personalizing a space does not mean stripping away all personality.
YES-preparing a house for sale means packing away what is unsuitable, distracting, inappropriate. ANYTHING that will otherwise get in the way of the seller getting the most traffic (online, AND foot) and the best price for their property, in the shortest time.
Depending on the market, your goals and expectations, it can also mean making changes, or bringing things in that will make the property shine, and catch a buyer’s eye.
Now that lenders are loosening some of the thumb-screws, and balance has been creeping back into the market- a property buyers WANT will be the property that gets SOLD.
It’s not enough for buyers just to be able to see themselves in it, there needs to be BUYER LUST. They want it, gotta have it, can’t stop thinking about it. There are workable solutions at almost every level of the market, which is why you want to talk to me.
So-so showings, low-ball offers, no online traffic? Your life on hold, waiting for your property to sell? Well, you know what hasn’t worked….
Help buyers remember your house. Now is the time to start the conversation. Better the space, sell your house, and get on with your life.
Tags: buyer lust, home selling, listing photos, Marie Graham Westchester County Home Stager, taking action
Posted in Home Selling and Home Staging, Ruminations, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
July 16th, 2011
Reality Check: Listing Photos Buyers In Westchester County Will See This Week-Bad Walls
Walls are the largest surface area in any room, so besides paint color, whatever else you may put on the walls is a very important decision. 
Art, properly placed, can make a small room feel bigger, and make big furniture seem smaller.
It can help balance a room, influence traffic flow, create interest where none exists, or call more attention to something you really want to highlight.
Poorly placed, or in poor taste, it can be all buyers will remember about a space. Here are some examples of what Westchester buyers will see this week.
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This art does little to enhance the room, these pieces are too dominant, and compete for attention. It makes the ceiling seem low, and the room feel claustrophobic.
There is little chance a buyer will remember a thing about this house other than it’s the one with the giant contemporary eyeball over the sofa.
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These are not groupings, they’re just a bunch of stuff hung on the walls over a period of time.
Groupings are not an add-as-you-go project.
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Instead, they are best planned and installed at once, tightly spaced and balanced, and centered on a wall space, or over a piece of furniture.
Ideally there is some empty wall space all around it, to give it a neat and important look.
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Am I the only person that finds this picture disturbing?
All this aggressive personality is very territorial, and has no place in a listing photo.
That it is here, and taking up valuable space on MLS says there are larger issues that need to be addressed with both parties before this house can ever hope to be sold.
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Home Stagers create great visuals, as well as great relationships to support both seller and agent during the selling process.
I am here to help you sell your house, which is why I run this series, and continue to make this offer: Claim any of these phtos as your own…yes (sigh) even the last one…and I will Stage your house for up to a half-day for FREE> REALLY.
Tags: listing photos, Marie Graham Westchester County Home Stager, start the conversation
Posted in Home Selling and Home Staging, Reality Check, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
July 5th, 2011
Reality Check: Listing Photos Westchester Buyers Are Seeing 7.5.11
It would appear the pendulum has swung all the way over for some Westchester sellers regarding the need for walls to have color. YES< all the way over.
Using 2 or more different colors on the walls in a space is a highly personal decision. It could work to add value in a Staging situation…here is a job from a few years ago…$$$ condo in a big building with lots of competition. The owners never painted, it was one big vanilla room.
These photos taken from the LR, looking towards the entry(where painter started cutting in) and the kitchen, on the right side of the room.
Two gender-friendly, complimentary colors added value by defining separate areas-BM # HC 95 Sag Harbor Gray in entry and common space, HC# 113 Louisberg Green in kitchen; they also made the testosterone-infused black leather upholstery seem more manageable.
Color, when used well, guides, directs and influences us. Decisions on which wall and what colors should address a larger issue-like echoing a floor plan, or bringing balance to an unbalanced or over-furnished space. Chosen badly, the result is…well, these rooms.
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Doors and surrounding trim make up about 20 square feet of a wall, so that’s significant. These sellers are loosing dollars because vibrant yellow doors against sky blue walls chop up and visually reduce a space substantially.
It’s very hard to see this room as anything other than a nursery, which means SMALL and cute to most people.
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How many colors do you count here? Gotta wonder, what was the intent? It’s very disruptive, like being in a kindergarten class with all the kids screaming LOOK AT ME!!
As we spoke of last week, the sky blue is outdated and should go anyway, but a better decision would have been to have the far right wall and the adjacent wall going up the stairs be the same, so it’s a more gentle transition.
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The coice of walls and the sharp contrast of colors contradict what you want to establish in this room.
The impact of big bright windows is lost, and by using different colors in back of 2 pieces of furniture that match, a generous space holding the main conversation area is trivialized, and value is lost.
Neutral colors that complimented the furniture would have been a better choice.
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Sellers and Agents: Walls are a room’s biggest surface area, and present the most opportunity to set the tone. They are the canvas buyers see in listing photos.
I am in the business of helping Sellers and Agents getting their properties sold. To that end, my offer stands: if you claim any of these properties as your own, I will spend up to a half-day Staging your property, for free. REALLY.
Tags: choosing paint colors, listing photos, Marie Graham Westchester County Home Stager, painting a room
Posted in Decorating, Home Selling and Home Staging, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
June 24th, 2011
Reality Check: Listing Photos Westchester Buyers Are Seeing 6.24.11
Right now there are just under 7600 single residential properties on the market in Westchester County: 4742 single family houses, 1859 coops, and 996 condos.
There are also over 200 planned Open Houses scheduled for this weekend. While the efficacy of Open Houses continues to be a hot topic, listing photos are a constant. Photos that untold pairs of buyers eyes will scour, photos that will be the 24/7 advertisement for your house.
With so much to choose from, potential buyers might give your photos mere seconds before deciding to find out more, or move on.
Being able to see your property through the eyes of a buyer is the first step to successfully preparing your house for the market. SO-as part of a continuing series, let’s look at some of the things Westchester buyers will be seeing this week:
Bubble-gum pink in a Master BR (SERIOUSLY-pastels are out of date, period, and a warmer tone would have softened the contrast of all the wood)…
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Leftover nursery color paint in the Master Bath (again, a warm neutral would be more sophisticated, while increasing the perceived value of this bathroom upgrade)
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Institutional white in a basement…kiss of death in photos. Seems all that’s missing are some bars on the window. Are you thinking ‘gee, what an inviting bonus living space for the kids!’ ?
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More nursery blue. And this is NOT the same house.
Blue is a cool (some would say cold) color. EXTTREMELY bad choice for rooms you want to feel warm and inviting. It is also unappetizing-food does not look good around this non-stop blue.
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QUICK-CLOSE YOUR EYES!
OK< now you can look again. Is there anything else you remember about this room? Nope, me neither. That’s a BIG problem, when that’s what you’re trying to sell.
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The sellers probably wanted to brighten up a dark space, but they went overboard.
Efffects are hard, garish, and unflattering to most any skin tone. Subconsciously, we stay out of rooms we don’t feel our best in.
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It’s always easier to see the mis-steps of someone else’s property, and the spirit of these posts is one of illumination. My job is to help you sell your house, more quickly, and for the best price. Bad, extreme or overly personal choices of paint color not only turn buyers off, they date, and devalue a property.
TO THAT END-I repeat my offer: Claim any of these photos as your own, and I will do up to a half-day of Staging, free of charge. REALLY.
Tags: choosing paint colors, home selling, listing photos, Marie Graham Westchester County Home Stager
Posted in Dollars and Sense, Home Selling and Home Staging, Reality Check, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
June 19th, 2011
B&A: Updating The Color Palette Got This Property SOLD
In my business seeing is believeing.
Here is a townhouse condo that was on the market I believe for 6 months.
Great location, right on the Hudson River, but few showings, no offers. Had done some work for the seller years earlier as a decorator, but it was her son and his wife-clients for nearly 30 years-who pushed to get me involved.
Everything was neat and the property had been maintained, but it was firmly stuck in the 80′s…pale pink and blue, mirrored walls, verticals, and lighting fixtures with smoked glass and bright yellow brass trim.
Thing is, when color and decor is outdated, it doesn’t feel like a move up, it feels like a move back. Also buyers draw conclusions about a lot of other things besides the seller’s taste. So-with an uncharacteristic minimum of comment, here’s what we did, and how it played out.
Pink walls were painted a more pleasing neutral-Benjamin Moore HC -45, Shaker Beige.
MOST of the wall to wall mirrors came down…
As did all of the verticals-replaced here by stationary navy panels to call attention to the windows (BBB, 5 panels + rods, about $200.00).
Rug in DR, little table and chair and other things that were just filling space were removed, and a chair someone would want to spend time sitting in was moved from upstairs, to in front of the fireplace.
Upstairs Master BR was an assortment of many small pieces of furniture, not enough lighting, and a flowered bedding ensemble.
Ice pink carpet was replaced with a warm pinky-beige, and again HC-45 on the walls. Stuff without a real purpose was removed, bedding was replaced (seller’s son owned this set, but $100.00 at BBB would have been all that was needed).
First day back on the market, at the Open House, a full-price offer was made, property closed about 2 months later.
Afters courtesy of Phyllis Lerner, Realtor/Owner-Broker of William Raveis Legends Group Realty in Sleepy Hollow.
Tags: home selling, home staging, inexpensive fixes, listing photos
Posted in Dollars and Sense, Home Selling and Home Staging, Reality Check, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
April 9th, 2011
While the springtime weather we all yearn for has been taking its sweet time to get here, you know we are two consecutive warm days away from breaking out the capri pants and flip flops…are you ready?
Whethere you are selling-or staying, this weekend Westchester’s weather will be clear and dry, so a great time to get started.
Here are some easy ways to get your outside space, and outside stuff up to speed, while adding real value to your property, and saving you both time and hassle.
Equipment: Clean your grill, and take the mower, tiller, and any other mechanical apparatus you will want immediately one day soon to the local shop for a check-up.
By having everything in good repair now, you will be ready when the good weather really hits-and not waiting, along with a few dozen other machines in need of service.
Take your patio furniture out and assess it. Maybe you’ll need to clean it first to see.
Generally a bucket of warm water with a mild detergent should do it for metal furniture..a soft cloth or sponge on the frame, a scrub brush on cushions or fabric ‘sling’ types of seating. Rinse, and let it dry thoroughly in the sunlight.
GTK: if your metal furniture is ok, but could use some refreshing or repair, you need to know about Patty’s Portico, on Highland Street in Port Chester 914.935.8839.
They breathe new life into old furniture because they weld, sand-blast and powder coat on-site. Again, you want to move on this now and be ready-not get caught in the seasonal rush. Green solution that will save you some green in the long run.
Property Take a good look at your property. While it’s too cool to do most planting, it’s perfect for spring clean up: Raking the twigs and leaves; filling in and re-seeding bare spots that were either torn up by snow plows, browned from salt run-off, or just never recovered from last year’s soccer practice in the backyard.
Edge the beds, and heap on fresh mulch. Did you know that applying 2-4″ of mulch around the base of trees, shrubs, and in beds keeps weeks at bay, saves water by retaining moisture, 
supports base of plants and encourages stronger root systems. Depending on what you apply, additional nutrients can also be supplied to the plants this way.
Pansies are an enthusiastic harbinger of warmer weather. A flat will cost you maybe $20.00, give great color while elevating the mood–plant them in oversize planters, and enjoy! Your well-deserved refreshing beverage of choice will taste even better!
Tags: home maintainence, listing photos
Posted in Decorating, Home Selling and Home Staging | No Comments »
March 22nd, 2011
We’ve all heard that saying…but do you know why?
More importantly, do you want know how it can help sell your house?
There are three parts to the equation, the first being that the eye is drawn to color and light. Always, and immediately.
It is not a conscious decision- it’s a reaction, in our DNA. It’s easier to identify things, and is probably a survival instinct from our earliest days as a species. (You may need to stand back from the screen, but photo above is a shot of an orange, a tomato, and a butternut squash. Hard to tell in B&W, huh?)
We see something colorful or bright and shiny, it gets our attention, arouses our curiosity, and we look. This is the begining.
There is a (necessary) story to this next part.
Almost 20 years ago, I was recruited by a design client, and for a very brief time, I sold fairly high-end cars. I knew something about cars, so it was not that much of a stretch; the retail grind was getting to me, so I was ready for a change.
Part of the training was a 3 day event at a professional race track in Lime Rock, CT (where Paul Newman used to race), where we drove these high-performance cars.
Professional race instructors were in the car to ensure our safety, but we were definitely encouraged to…push the car to whatever our comfort level was.
I was one of the more fraidy-cat drivers, concerned that on the turns, my steering skills would not keep up with the speed/shorter reaction time.
I will never forget what the instructor told me: “Look ahead, look into the turn. The car will go where you are looking”.
He was right! That’s why no matter how vigilant we are, if we look away from the road as we are driving, the car starts drifting in that same direction.
The same is true of our bodies-they follow where our eyes are looking. That’s why professional sports players practice their shot or swing, to get into that groove.
So we’ve got color (and light) catching buyers’ eyes, and bodies moving toward what they are looking at…here’s the connection, and how it is going to help sell your house:
Color-via paint, artwork, draperies and accessories-and different types of light are used skillfully positioned by a professional Stager, to call attention to the room’s best features, and to draw people into the room. 
When buyers are actually IN a room-not just standing in the doorway, peering in-all sorts of good things can happen:
They notice things, and it registers: Mouldings, the view, and in and in this NYC apartment, the charming built-in mini bookcase. Supermarkets know the longer you stay, the more you buy.
They experience the space. They see hosting holiday dinners, then immediately wonder if they have a big enough table…or if their rug will go with that wallpaper.
They compare ideas: Against what they know or own, the-always-knows-what-to-do sister in law’s house, or those shows on TV. Against all those other, sloppy, un-staged houses they have been seeing.
They’ll open closet doors, sit on the sofa, maybe see how the shower works in the bathroom. Touching is one of the clearest buying signals, showing ownership.
In other words, they will bond with the space, and try to see it as their own.
Tags: home selling, home staging, listing photos
Posted in Home Selling and Home Staging, What's New In My Staging Kit | No Comments »
March 8th, 2011
Why should I spend money to decorate a house I’m just going to sell?
If someone doesn’t like my collection of ____, well, that’s just too bad!!
Can’t buyers just use their imagination?
Sound familiar? I hear these things every day. Home Staging is not a new concept-it’s an idea that has been around since the 70′s, but for various reasons, it’s been slower to gain traction here in the northeast.
TV shows that feature empty trophy houses filled with high-end furniture, or re-dos with unrealistic budgets and timelines has not helped, either.
Selling your house is a high-stakes proposition. And today, because more people need to live in their house until they sell it, it’s
become even more important to find creative, effective reality-based solutions homeowners can live with.
If you- OR YOUR SELLER- have made the decision to sell your house (and get on with your life!)-please join me at 11am on Saturday March 12th, in the Community Room in the Mt. Kisco Public Library, 100 Main Street.
ALL ARE WELCOME!! Bring an open mind, along with your questions, a pad to write on, even some photos of your spaces, if you’d like. Let me help demystify the process, and help you see your property through the eyes of a buyer, so you can get your house SOLD!
Tags: home selling, listing photos, local events, start the conversation
Posted in Appearances and Events, Dollars and Sense, Home Selling and Home Staging | No Comments »
February 13th, 2011
…truly I don’t, but have to ask: is it really part of your marketing plan to show your properties as estate sales? And if so, how’s that working for you?
Last week I was looking at the listings on a local agency’s web site. I know the agency, they are quality and successful, and I’ve done business with a number of agents there.
IMHOP, most of the listing photos looked sad- very, very sad: white-or overly bright-colors on the walls; small/underscale/old furniture-faded, and just placed wherever; no lamps, and-this is the worst-twin beds, in white chenille spreads.
It read-this is the detritus of what heirs did not want, and we’re just going to toss it when it sells. It was leftover Nanna furniture. I love, and miss all my Nannas very much, so these photos reminded me of a sad time, not a happy one.
Take a look at the photo above (not from afore-mentioned agency) Can you tell if it’s from a 1 BR coop in a pre-war building, listed at $145K, or the Master in a 4 BR single family home, currently being offered for $765K? Could your buyers? And is either scenerio motivating?
YES-Real Estate is hyper-local, there are very specific markets within even the same ZIP code. This agency is in a beautiful small town with reasonable average income per resident, and many unique properties. Many people live there well- FOREVER, so there is not a lot of turnover, until, well, you know…
I know of several communities where an inherited, old-money look is appealing; and there are agents-even other businesses that actively cultivate it, for many reasons. There is nothing wrong with that.
My concern is-is it a concious choice? Is it what buyers in your market expect, and most importantly, is it successful for you and your sellers?
Staging is a business decision. For sellers, it is about choosing to move forward. For buyers, it is about having a vision of what the future can hold, and often that future means moving up.
I am in the business of helping sellers and agents get their properties SOLD. If what you do works for you, that’s what matters. If it doesn’t work for you, call me and let’s find something that can does. Remember, if you are in charge of your space, you are in charge of your life!
Tags: home selling, listing photos, start the conversation, taking action
Posted in Dollars and Sense, Home Selling and Home Staging | No Comments »
February 11th, 2011
Reality Check: Listing Photos Westchester Buyers Are Seeing 2.11.11
FACT: Online listing photos are today’s sellers #1 opportunity to draw in buyers. 
FACT: Walls are the biggest surface in any room.
When you are looking at a space that is new to you, good-bad-or indifferent-it is almost impossible not to notice and react.
Here are some listing photos that Westchester buyers are seeing this week:
SORRY, but pastels are NOT in for main rooms, not even in South Beach. They minimize the importance -and value-of a room. Painting the fireplace the same pink as the wall just makes it disappear.
This room to the left is nicely co-ordinated…but not eveyrone likes-or has skin tone that is flattered by an all- pear green room.
The chest of drawers partially blocking a window tells the buyer there is not enough wall space, and no mirror on top of the dresser is a missed opportunity to add height, balance and light.
So-for this $350K condo, there wasn’t time to take the half-full cup of coffee off the table, push in the chair, and re-take the photo?
Or turn on some lights in this home?
Sellers: your property has about 8 seconds to make an impression with buyers, before they go “click” to the next listing. Do not get all cranky-pants, or personally offended when suggestions are made by trained professionals.
Agents: take the time to get good photos. They should be seasonal, well-lit and show the room-not the stuff. Not discussing the best way to get a property ready for market early on will cost you both time and money.
I do not sell paint, or have a relative who’s a painting contractor looking for work. And I am not in the business of trying to convince people of something they don’t want to do.
I am in the business of getting houses sold. And it is my fondest wish to work with people who feel the same way. So I will repeat my previous offer: Identify any of these photos as your own, and I will do a half-day of Staging your property, for free. REALLY>
Tags: home selling, listing photos, painting a room
Posted in Home Selling and Home Staging, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
February 8th, 2011
OK, we know closets aren’t really magical, but funny the power an attractively organized closet does have over us…we …just…want…them.
On the flip side, no matter how big they are, overflowing and unorganized closets tell buyers there is not enough closet space. It can also be taken as an indication of how the rest of the property has been maintained.
Buyers half-believe this power comes along with the property, and those that own these wondrous closets seem so gifted, and seem to have a lot of other things in life just to fall in place for them.
We’ve even lusted and laughed over them– remember the commercial where both men and women gasped and screeched at the beauty in their friends’ respective walk-in closets…hers was filled with finery, his with imported beer.
Selling or staying, having organized closets need not be thought of as an unattainable goal. Here are 5 easy ways to have the closets of your dreams.
1. Lest your home take on the atmosphere of a giant swap meet, do one closet at a time, and finish it completely before you start the next. You will keep perspective that way. Do something upbeat before starting-take a brisk walk, have a good breakfast.
2. Pack/Store out of season clothes. If you’re staying, you’ll be excited, all over again in a few months-NEW CLOTHES!! If you’re selling, think of it as a head start on your packing, because OF COURSE you will have your house sold, and be moved into your new home by the time you need them again!!
3. Make 3 piles of what remains: Gone, Negotiable, Staying. A recent study shows we only wear about 10% of what we own-ouch!
Anything that doesn’t fit, or you haven’t worn in a year goes into the first pile Negotiable needs repairs-or perhaps one more wearing to remember why you have not worn it in a while…ummm-perhaps orange isn’t your color after all? Staying is what you wear, and love-that 10% that you reach for all the time.
Be ruthless and quick; once something is in the gone pile, don’t re-think it. There are people and places that will gladly welcome and use what you have forgotten about, and is taking up valuable closet real estate.
4. Get good, matching hangers-your closet will feel so…civilized. Choose sturdy slimline hangers in a neutral color, with multi-features like built-in hooks and bars, or the ability to add on clips.
Some are covered in a flocked material; they’ll cut down on noise, and keep the slinky stuff from sliding off-but keep a few plastic ones around for anything damp (flocking can come off, onto wet clothes).
5. Put everything in color order, light to dark, even shoes. Seriously. Jest, even roll your eyes if you must, but then take a closer look at all the closets you’ve ogled…closets that gradually flow from one color to another are sleek and polished, and seem more spacious. Sometimes simple can be so effective!
Tags: easy decorating, easy staging ideas, inexpensive fixes, listing photos
Posted in Decorating, Home Selling and Home Staging | No Comments »
January 31st, 2011
Why should I spend money to decorate a house I’m just going to sell?
If someone doesn’t like my collection of ____, well, that’s just too bad!!
Can’t buyers just use their imagination?
Sound familiar? I hear these things every day. Home Staging is not a new concept-it’s an idea that has been around since the 70′s, but for various reasons, it’s been slower to gain traction here in the northeast.
TV shows that feature empty trophy houses filled with high-end furniture, or re-dos with unrealistic budgets and timelines has not helped, either.
Selling your house is a high-stakes proposition. And today, because more people need to live in their house until they sell it, it’s become even more important to find creative, effective reality-based solutions homeowners can live with.
If you have made the decision to sell your house (and get on with your life!)-please join me at 10am this Saturday, in the upstairs conference room in the Ossining Public Library, 53 Croton Avenue.
Bring an open mind, along with your questions, a pad to write on, even some photos of your spaces, if you’d like. Let me demystify the process, and help you see your property through the eyes of a buyer, so you can get your house SOLD!
Tags: home selling, listing photos, local events, start the conversation
Posted in Home Selling and Home Staging | No Comments »
October 24th, 2010
Reality Check: Listing Photos Westchester Buyers Are Seeing 10.24.10
Currently there are approximately 4300 single family homes on the market in Westchester, over 900 condos and close to 1600 co-ops.
This weekend there were over 150 Open Houses and who knows how many buyers and investors trollin
g local listings online, this is a sample of what they are seeing this week.
Appliance doubling as a message center, a household that really, really likes pink, and oh darn, photo UNAVAILABLE!
Additionally we have Springtime on the Hudson; trees, probably somewhere near the Hudson…
as well as some very busy people who apparently needed to leave the room in a hurry…
MLS give you 30 opportunities to showcase your listing. The should be seasonally correct, show the space-not the ‘stuff’-and give perspective that is unique to that property.
Do you really not have time to clear off the fridge, turn on lamps or move the storage bucket out of camera range??
I want to help agents and sellers be more successful, and you need to show a space that people want to see. My offer still stands: claim any of these photos as yours, and I will spend a 1/2 day Staging your property/photos for free. REALLY.
Tags: home selling, home staging, inexpensive fixes, listing photos, start the conversation, taking action
Posted in Dollars and Sense, Home and Professional Services, Home Selling and Home Staging, What's Wrong With This Picture? | No Comments »
October 8th, 2010
Staging a property is first and foremost a business decision. Lots of buzz in the media-OH YES, it’s a great idea..
.just don’t see a heck of a lot of confidence-or comfort- in many of the agents I meet and speak with.
LOTS of different ways a property can be Staged-or prepared for sale-and that doesn’t mean how many different walls the sofa can go on.
I’ve prepared properties by way of providing a detailed written checklist for the homeowners for several hundred dollars, and overseen $60K worth of needed updates (paint, carpet, floor refinishing, landscaping, etc) while using all the existing furniture. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and a good Stager will do their homework. .
Staging is a creative service, but consider finding the right one for you in the more traditional manner, via a job interview. Last post were questions agents and sellers should ask a Stager, here’s some questions I ask at first meetings:
For the listing agent
1. Tell me about the neighborhood, and this property. Why is it special, why would it be in demand, who will likely be looking at it? Real estate is hyper-local, let me think of ways to reinforce what you and your seller know to be attractive to buyers.
Recently sold a high-end condo in White Plains…pet-friendly in the big city was a drawing card, finishing touches included a great dog dish, treat canister on the counter, and a leash on the doorknob.
Did they buy a $475K condo because of a cute bowl? Not conciously, BUT pet lovers are a large, specific and very passionate market, it got their attention in a way other units did not.(kind of like this picture), they might have been able to see themselves here more easily…yes, new owners have 2 dogs. Come on, say it with me now, a-w-w-w-w-w.
2. How does this fit into the local market? Tell me about the comps, and your strategy. Do you consider your price aggressive, accurate or negotiable? The more you can tell me about what you’re thinking and why, the better. I’m not competing with you, or looking to second-guess you. YOU are the real estate expert, I want to come up with solutions that will compliment, and support your plans.
3. What are your client’s needs, motivations and plans? Staging success is generally commensurate with a seller’s motivation. NOT looking for any confidential or overly specific info, but often you’ll have unique insights the seller is not even aware of.
If your seller MUST sell by a certain time, has a specific amount of funds to spend, or need to get a certain price for the house, let me know. Updates with a high ROI, seasonal buying cycles and carrying costs are some of the things I factor into my recommendations.
For Sellers
1. What do you know about Staging? What’s the history here: Have you ever had the house on the market before? Tell me what you did, what happened. If I know where you’re coming from it’ll save us both time and energy. Opening up the discussion levels the field and can lead to new insights.
2. If we set a strategy of what needs to be done, how is the work going to get done-who will be doing it? A motivated seller is key, but so is being realistic about your time availability and expertise.
Washing windows, cleaning out closets and clearing off the kitchen counter is do-able for most; more ambitious projects like painting, power-washing, or replacing a fixture are things that might best be left to professionals. Even if you have the ability, do you have the time? 2 or 3 weekends tied up in painting could be wrapped up in days by professionals, ,and your house would be marketable that much sooner.
3. Let’s talk about your resources. Resources DO NOT always mean money. Resources could be friends or relatives who could help paint and clear out, it could be a neighbor with furniture they’re not using, you could belong to-or look into joining-a barter club, where you could trade say bookkeeping skills for someone to fix your roof.
How could I know specific ways to help you get your house sold if I don’t know more about you?? Take the time, and have that conversation. You will get comfortable with Staging by first being comfortable with the Stager.
Tags: avoiding anxiety, home staging, listing photos, taking action, the right attitude
Posted in Dollars and Sense, Home and Professional Services, Home Selling and Home Staging | No Comments »
October 3rd, 2010
How To Interview A Stager
Staging someone’s house is a fairly intimate undertaking, getting it to look good is just the beginning.
As more and more sellers must stay in the house until it closes, Staging it, then keeping it looking that way can represent a real lifestyle change. For that to happen, there needs to be motivation and commitment, and at the root of that is having a good relationship.
Sellers want to know who is going to be touching their stuff, and agents frankly should be sure 
this person will be a good representative of them and their business, and be a team player.
Staging is not a new trend, but it’s not one everyone is familiar with; many wonder how to even get started. To have a successful Staging experience, here are some questions I’d suggest agents and sellers use to start the conversation.
1 Tell me, how did you get into doing this? (There are many different hats a Stager wears in the course of a job, this will tell you exactly what’s in their toolbox)
2 Why do you like it? (Getting a home ready for sale, especially one that needs a lot of clearing out can be challenging, you want someone who loves what they do and can always see the light at the end of the tunnel)
3. What were some of your more challenging situations, and how did you handle them? (whether they were challenged by a person or a space, what and how they answer will tell you a lot)
4. How do you handle getting along with so many different personalities? (A variation on the old stand-by, you want to open the door and see if and how they choose to walk through. Again, this shows attitude, cha
racter and judgement).
5. How would you handle_____ (Pick your own most outrageous or uncomfortable scenario, and put it in the form of a general question. A house that smells bad? Spouses in an ugly divorce? Art in questionable taste? Bugs? Meddling relatives? Just like Miss America, their poise as well as their actual answer both count.)
Notice “the M word”has not been mentioned. DO NOT, repeat DO NOT make money part of the initial conversation. Getting to know the person/situation is not a sales ploy; here is why you’ll get the most accurate info, so you can make your best decision.
First: Because more needs to be known about what needs to be done, and who is going to do it. If there is no discussion/agreement on that first, all you’ve got is a number: unhelpful at best, wrong at worst.
Second: If you and your client have an unpleasant experience, you will never, ever, ever remembered what you paid-or thought you saved.
Lastly: If you don’t like/trust/respect the person, why would you ever want to find out how much it would be to hire them??
NEXT: What to expect when a Stager interviews YOU
Tags: avoiding anxiety, home selling, home staging, listing photos, start the conversation, taking action
Posted in Dollars and Sense, Home and Professional Services, Home Selling and Home Staging | No Comments »
September 27th, 2010
50 years ago today politics and technology combined to make history.
Give up? The first presidential debate was televised. 70 million people watched in black and white, countless others listened on the radio.
It was the first opportunity for the country to see the candidates side by side, in a competitive arena. While experts proclaimed them evenly matched in substance-in fact, those who heard that debate on the radio felt Nixon had won-we all know how it worked out.
Kennedy had been campaigning on the west coast and was tan and appeared relaxed; Nixon was just coming out from 2 weeks in the hospital for a knee injury; he had lost weight and was pale. His clothes did not fit well, and worse, he did not shave again prior to this late day event, and passed on make-up at the studio. On air, he was sweaty and his 5 o’clock shadow stood out in stark contrast to his skin.
Kennedy looked his best, Nixon probably his worst; subsequent polls of viewers showed they perceived Kennedy to have won that first debate handily, and this momentum kept him going all the way to the White House.
The lessons learned here are unambiguous, and the parallels are clear. As much as some would like difficult decisions like picking a President-or buying a house-to be an intellectual pursuit, more easily compared on paper, there is another dimension. In big decisions, people trust what they see. They choose what they like, are attracted to, and are comfortable with.
In a competitive market, a professionally Staged house stands out. It converts online traffic to more
showings, and attracts the attention of buyers and other agents-who represent buyers.
Simply, it gives you the best shot at selling your house quickly- on your terms, for the best price. If no one wants to see your house, or if offers are not coming your way, we should talk. REALLY.
Tags: good idea, home selling, listing photos, taking action, trivia
Posted in A Day In The Life, Home Selling and Home Staging, Ruminations, Smiles | No Comments »
September 9th, 2010
On vacation this week, catching the sunset, when I came across this week’s reason why home sellers -and their agents!-need a Home Stager.
From Red River Beach in Harwich Port MA, with the Atlantic fast approaching in the background, is a mostly intact, thoughtfully, beautifully and symetrically landscaped sandcastle.
When you sell your hou
se, looks matter. Buyers (and other agents) pay attention to houses that have attention paid to them.
Talk to me, I can help. REALLY.
Tags: fun and smiles, good idea, home selling, home staging, listing photos, taking action
Posted in Home and Professional Services, Home Selling and Home Staging, Smiles | No Comments »
