A multi-pack of facial tissues was on my shopping list. The office supply company’s in-house brand was the same price as the tried-and-true brand. But the latter was more eye-catching.

Brightly colored and witty was a bonus, right?. No one would’ve taken the time/expense to funny up a lesser product.  So that’s what I chose, looking forward to being gently amused with every use. My bad.

Marketing 101: Making your product/services more visible will raise the bar, and create new expectations. But in any product or service clever is an appetizer; cool or amusing is the warm-up act.

.On a Mission 

From Day One it’s been TRH’s mission to expand the understanding of the design and listing prep process.  

VIsuals are the starting point, but product/idea has to further engage and deliver. Fashionable but restrictive clothing gets an occasional pass (aka slave to fashion) but know anyone who loves their uncomfortable sofa?

We’ve all seen clumsy applications of singular, excruciatingly on-trend elements in the wrong place or proportion: Unrestrained use of Color of the Year (no matter what it is), barn door in a co-op, and thank you Dr. Rick, SO.MANY.PILLOWS

Unrealistic processes/expectations fuel about 90% of the pushback on the idea of home staging. Sure, some properties benefit from bringing in new furniture. But considering that 40-year-old business model a universal starting point hurts buyers, sellers, and agents alike.

Setting up photos of pretty rooms is pretty easy. But good staging starts with removing potential obstacles and objections, to to deliver the most salable product possible. Addressing the basics first smooths the path to the closing table.

Channeling Abraham Maslow, Rick Whelan (aka The Savvy Brander)  and I created this infographic a few years back on prioritizing getting a property ready for sale. (Click to enlarge)

Designed to de-personalize and de-sensitize the process, it’s easy for a seller to see and understand how to move forward.

Staging is whatever you can do to improve the market position of a property while easing the mind of the sellers.

The Refreshed Home is Westchester County’s award-winning home staging firm. We like clever, attractive and whimsical as much as anyone, but know it’s a tool, a strategy. Not an end game. Our deliverables are value and peace of mind for sellers, agents and buyers.

Occupied, flips, and renos are our specialty. Trying to figure out how to get started, or what went wrong the first time? We can help!  Talk to me today about getting your property noticed, and SOLD!