The Details of Staging

An Announcement From Details Staging and Redesign

Kimberly Wester — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:02:32 GMT

Dear Staging Partners-

As you know, the current real estate market has made it tough going for many hard working agents, causing them to leave the real estate industry seeking a secure income. The same can be said for the staging industry and, unfortunately, Details Staging and Redesign has not been unaffected by the market.

Though many of you have been very loyal in you referrals and many home owners are now turning to us to help them prepare their homes for the market, current conditions have made it difficult to maintain a steady income and keep up the level of service that you have come to expect. Many of you may have noticed that I recently posted an announcement on the website that states that vacant staging services would be available on a limited basis as inventory allows. That announcement was brought about by the high cost of maintaining a quality inventory coupled by a distinct drop in vacant staging requests. Due to this continuing trend, Details Staging and Redesign will be liquidating its inventory and eliminating that service altogether.

Furthermore, due to some not entirely unforeseen personal expenses, I will very soon be joining the ranks of the gainfully employed, limiting my time in the world of real estate. For those of you who still seek my consulting services, know that those services are still available to you. As most sellers seek appointment times during evening and weekend hours, I do not foresee that my new employment status will interfere with the performance of this service.

Please know that Details Staging and Redesign is not closing its doors at this time, services are just being modified to coincide with current market trends in the area. As these trends improve, it is my hope that Details will return to its full service status and be able to meet your needs as you have become accustomed.

Thank you so much for your continued loyalty and support. As always, I look forward to assisting you in the sale of your listings.

Sincerely.

Kimberly Wester

10 Details That Improve How Your House Shows - Cleaning

Kimberly Wester — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:25:29 GMT

This will be the first in a series on 10 things you can do to improve how your house shows while on the real estate market. Each article will be on a specific area or method of preparing your house for sale.

Cleaning, as I have written before, is the most important thing you can do when preparing your house for the real estate market. No matter how up to date or neutral in decor you house may be, it will show badly if it is not clean. By clean, I mean more than you average clean. I mean military inspection clean.

So, along with your average vacuuming, dusting, and dishes, here are 10 ways to go beyond your every day cleaning session and show your home in sparkling condition.

1. Clean Your Light Switches. This is an area of your home that is touched every day, but very rarely cleaned. Fingerprints and smudges on the light switch covers ups the ick factor substantially. If you are the proud owner of theme switch plate covers, I would recommend swapping them out for you standard flat covers to aid in keeping them clean.

2. The doorknobs and beyond. Just like the switch plates, this is a high traffic area. Especially in homes with painted doors and wood work, it can be quite obvious that it has been along time since this area was addressed. Wipe down the door knobs, then check the surrounding door and door jams for dirt and grime.

3. Under the sinks. All of them. If a potential buyer is interested in a house, they will do things like open cabinet doors. Often, the area under the sink is a utility area that is only entered upon necessity and very rarely tidied let alone scoured. Cleaning and organizing this area will show your buyer 'I have cared for this house'. Not to mention your inspector will appreciate a clean area to climb into.

4. Under the appliances. Really. If you are taking the appliances with you, this is something you should do before moving out anyway. You can save yourself the trouble during your final cleaning by doing the dirty work now. Plus, it will aid in achieving the fresh clean smell you want for your potential buyer.

5. Dust (or clean) the light fixtures. When showing your house, you want it to be well lit. Many homes can increase the lighting in their homes simply by cleaning the shades on the ceiling fixtures and removing years of dust and dirt. In the case of ceiling fans, they are operated by an electric motor that creates static and attracts dust. It builds slowly and many people never notice it. Your buyers surely will.

6. Don't forget the exhaust fans. Just like ceiling fans, your exhaust fans (in the bath and the kitchen) operate by electricity and attract dust. However, they operate in areas with a higher moisture level causing the dust to stick - and stick hard. Pay special attention to these and your buyer - and inspector - will be impressed.

7. Have you looked at your ceilings lately? You may not have noticed the spiderwebs or other things that have made their way up there - especially in the kitchen. If you have children, you may be even more surprised what you find. If cleaning fails, consider painting.

8. What's that smell? As you live in your home, strong scents can build up over time that you never notice. Have a third party enter you home for the first time - or in a long time - and ask them to tell you what they smell. If it is unpleasant, find the source - or cause - and eradicate it. Remember that covering a smell doesn't get rid of it and can actually compound the problem. It is best for potential buyers to smell nothing upon entering your house.

9. Consider your closets. Nothing says 'This house is too small' like overcrowded closets. Pack away seasonal items if they are out of season and make as much room in your closets as possible - and neatness counts. Make the floors as clear as possible and be sure to rid all dirt and dust. Repaint if necessary.

10. When vacuuming, don't forget the edges (and corners). A quick once over vacuuming before a showing is not as effective as when you break out the attachments and get the dust build up at the baseboard and in the corners. This is especially true on stairs, where the buildup in the creases tends to go unnoticed for longer periods of time. As your buyers ascend the stairs, many of these creases can be at eye level giving them a good view of how clean you keep your house.

So, there you have it. 10 Details you may have missed when cleaning your home in preparation for the real estate market.

Remember, you don't want your house to be 'for sale', you want it to be sold!

Cool Summer Fun in NW Indiana - Portage IMAX

Kimberly Wester — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:32:02 GMT

Looking for something to do with the kids during the summer break, but don't want to spend it in the broiling sun?
Head over the IMAX Theater in Portage, Indiana.

This theater offers more than you average movie house, such as kids birthday parties, frequent movie goer cards, a coffee bar, the ability to rent an entire theater for private parties and more.

Along with their regularly scheduled showings, the theater has added a new summer attraction - $1 a seat kids movies starting on Jun 16th. Running at 10:30 each morning, the shows are all family friendly features, chosen to interest the kids and the kid in you.

Looking for something a little more adventurous? Check out the Imax screenings that include both current releases and mini-features, some in 3D.

Love popcorn, but don't want to spend a lot of cash to enjoy it each week? The Goodrich Theaters now have a $10 bucket deal that allows you to keep your bucket and bring it back with you for free refills until December 2008. Another great advantage to this deal? It cuts down on the number of paper popcorn bags the theater uses annually, therefore its a pretty green way to go to the movies.

Looking to make a dinner and movie date? Surrounding restaurants include: Buffalo Wild Wings, Cappo's, Applebee's, Aurelio's Pizza, and many more.

Portage Imax is a great place to relax and enjoy a movie with the kids, your friends, or even that special someone. Head on over today and see for yourself.

A Home is Where You Live. A House is What You Sell. STAGING Makes it a PRODUCT Buyers Want.

Kimberly Wester — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:36:09 GMT

In today's market, it is important for sellers and RE agents alike to realize that standard marketing techniques are no longer sufficient when selling any property. In days past, an MLS listing and a few marketing avenues would do the trick to get buyers in the door. However, with so much competition on the market, that just isn't enough anymore.

Today's buyer is much more savvy than in days past. With the onslaught of staging and real estate shows on television, buyers are learning they should have certain expectations when searching for a future home. Should those expectations not be met, they will move on to the next property until they find one that satisfies them. With that reality, sellers and their agents need to become even more savvy in the ways of marketing their homes effectively.

They must take the step of emotionally divesting themselves from the property and see it only as a house. When they are able to view it in this way, then the non-emotional objectivity will help them to develop the property as a product - available for sale to the mases.

To illustrate this point, I have taken the definition of these words from the dictionary:

HOME
1 a: one's place of residence : domicile b: house2: the social unit formed by a family living together a: a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment; also : the focus of one's domestic attention <home is where the heart is> b: habitat

- at home 1: relaxed and comfortable : at ease <felt completely at home on the stage>2: in harmony with the surroundings.

With this definition, it would stand to reason that a HOME would be a place of emotional attachment. The place where memories are made and kept, a place of safety and joy, a place of security.

In this case, the home bears a significant meaning for the family and usually has been customized in decor and function to meet the specific needs therein. Understandably, when a home is in this condition, it will hold great appeal for the seller but may not hold the same for someone who is viewing it for the first time and is not privy to the memories that have created such a great attachment. It can actually prevent them from visualizing themselves living there.

HOUSE
1: a building that serves as living quarters for one or a few families

When a seller has has achieved some level of detachment from their home and can view it as others may see it, it becomes easier for them to make the necessary changes that will present it as a HOUSE - a place where anyone can live, not just the current residents. Once this emotional change occurs, they are one step closer to taking advantage of what staging can do for them - market their house as a product.

It also gives them a marked advantage to appealing to today's fickle buyer.

: PRODUCT
(1): something produced; especially : commodity 1 (2): something (as a service) that is marketed or sold as a commodity b: something resulting from or necessarily following from a set of conditions <a product of his environment>

Staging is the process of preparing your home for the real estate market in a way that will appeal to the widest range of potential buyers by creating a universally acceptable package which draws attention to the best of the property while making the most of its flaws. In other words, it packages it as a product. One that photographs well and shows well in person.

A home is transformed into a house that people can not only envision themselves living in, but will also want to buy. It is not intended to trick them into buying something that is not right for them, but to show them that with the proper usage, it can work for them.

Staging will not make a property mortgage worthy to EVERY buyer, but it can make it worthy to MORE buyers. That is the basic premise of staging - to assist sellers in turning their home into their house so that it becomes a marketable product that their agent can sell! It is a win-win-win proposition for all involved.

Does Staging Matter in Northwest Indiana?

Kimberly Wester — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:53:13 GMT

In the midwest, new concepts and services are slow to catch on. We are a 'watch and wait' breed, preferring to watch things crash and burn - or succeed as it may - in other parts of the country while we plod along in the tried and true until something else tried and true comes along.

This is definitely true in the world of staging, as I am still told by resistant agents that it is not necessary stage in NW Indiana. They still think it will not make any difference and that buyers do not care what a house looks like. Many agents are still convinced that if a buyer likes the layout, price, and location of a home they are willing to do whatever they need to do to bring it up to their personal tastes. Really?,I ask. Because my experience tells me otherwise.

This house sat on the market for 6 months with no offers.

It has a the sought after layout of a main floor master suite, open plan kitchen and living area and second floor guest rooms.

After staging, an offer was presented in less than 45 days.

This scenario plays out over and over again - not just on the west coast, but in Northwest Indiana. Staging does make a difference, no matter what prior experience may tell you. The face of real estate of changing even in the midwest.

Buyers and sellers alike are realizing the value that staging brings when the marketing of a house is so crucial in such a tough market. Nothing makes a house more marketable than staging.

Not only will your listings show well, they will more importantly photograph well which is so important for online listings. With 80% of buyers starting their search online you must have great photos. Without them you are wasting any other marketing dollars you may invest in your listings.

I've been Meme'd and Now You Must Learn New Things About Me.

Kimberly Wester — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:45:24 GMT

Just this morning, I received an email from Shane Leady of Table Talk with Apella. He informed me that he had been graced with his first MeMe request and TAG!!!! I'm was now it.

If you are not aware of what a MeMe is, check out the explanation here. Basically, the idea is that I tell you 7 things you did not know about me, then I tag 7 new people to do the same.

Having been tagged on Activerain previously, I already have a MeMe posted there, but I thought it would post some new and interesting things here for you (and Shane) to enjoy.

1. I, like Shane, was born born in 1970 - the Chinese Year of the Dog - though I was born a Virgo. Other than revealing that I am 37 years old, I have no idea what any of that means.

2. I was not born alone. I have a twin sister named Tracy who was born 10 minutes behind me and with Spina Bifida. Though my parents were told repeatedly that she would not survive, we are both now 37 years old and she continues to survive very well.

3. Because Tracy was born with this birth defect and required special medical attention, I spent a large part of my childhood in Indianapolis at Riley Childrens Hospital . It was an experience that shaped who I am today and I am very thankful to have insight into a world that most do not have.

4. I was married at the ripe old age of 19 and have been happily married now for almost 18 years. Michael is my biggest supporter and best friend. And an excellent father to our 2 girls.

5. Before opening my business, I was a stay at home mom for 10 years and a Dental Office manager/Expanded Functions Dental Assistant for the 6 years prior. I loved both jobs, but do not desire to go back to either of them. No one likes the dentist no matter how kind you are to them and once your kids go to school, staying at home is mind numbingly dull - for me, anyway.

6. I am a very active volunteer in the school system that my girls attend. I serve on the PTO at the elementary school, in the theater department at the High School/Middle School and in the library system as a whole.

7. I am an avid reader and have managed to pass that down to my girls. All of us can be found the last half hour of our day with a book in our hands. I am currently finishing 'Anna Karenina' by Tolstoy and starting 'Age of Opportunity' by Paul David Tripp. After that, I need to read the last installment of the Harry Potter series (I am probably the only one that hasn't read it yet). I try to be diverse in my reading materials - obviously.

So, there you have it - 7 things you didn't know about me. I hope it was worth the read.

Now, I would like to take the time to tag the following people who all have Activerain profiles and blogs, though I am linking only to their outside sites or blogs:

Cindy Lin of Staged4More Home Staging and Redesign - San Francisco, CA

Steve Dalton of Greenpointe Development - Valparaiso, In

Paula Henry of RE/MAX Connection - Indianapolis, IN

Nicole Nicolay of Effektive Solutions - Livermore, CA

Diane Agnesi of Same Day Decor - Wadsworth, OH

Calie Waterhouse of Decorated to Sell - Chandler, AZ

Wes Wyatt of Word of Mouth Works - New Bremen, OH

Thanks to Shane Leady for the tag and I look forward to what the rest of you have to share!

Why You Cannot Be a Stager For 'Fun'

Kimberly Wester — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:46:28 GMT

I was recently featured in an articlein one of our local newspapers. It is not the first time this has occurred, so I kind of knew what to expect once it was printed. Not a flood of calls from RE agents and home sellers, or even builders looking to hire me for my expertise. Not more media looking to feature me in their outlet. Not even an old friend who saw me in the paper and wanted to reconnect.

I got exactly what I expected - a whole lot of staging wannabes calling and emailing to find out either how to get into the business or wanting to shadow me on the job because it 'looks like fun'. Of the emails I received a few were honest and admitted that this is not something they want to do as their own business - they want to work for me, or with me, 'just for fun'. Yes, it is a fun job, but here are a five reasons why no one should ever stage just for fun.

1. Staging is a time and labor intensive career. It is not enough to like to 'redecorate' other peoples houses. You must keep up with the latest market and decor trends for your area and nationally, be able to speak knowledgeably about the area a home is located in - whether it be neighborhood or rural area, be able to manage your time and inventory in a way that maximizes your business growth and profit margin. Most of these things are not fun. A lot of times they are not even interesting.

2. Real Estate is serious business. It is the single largest investment most people with ever make in their lives. A very large number of those people have their life savings wrapped up in their homes and may be facing financial ruin should they be unable to sell their homes or turn a profit once they do. Why would they hire someone who stages just for their own amusement and does not take it seriously enough to invest in the continuing education required to do it effectively? That is a big risk for them to take so that you can have a little fun.

3. You must be able to separate your personal taste and preferences from your work. No two staging projects are the same. Each house and seller has its own unique set of needs and requirements and you must be able to work within those requirements to be successful. Trying to put your personal stamp on each project will doom the sale to failure as the objective of staging is not to 'decorate' a house in the way that YOU like, but to present it in a way that it will appeal to the largest number of buyers. Personal preference - the sellers or yours - can have the opposite effect.

4. Doing things for fun is all about you and this is a service industry, meaning it cannot be about you but must be about your client. That about covers that.

5. You can ruin the market for those who do take staging seriously and are working very hard to make it a viable business for themselves. When people stage as a hobby there can often be awful results. Dabbling in such a serious endeavor can have devastating results for a home seller, builder, or real estate investor that will in turn give stagers a bad name. Would it be fun to know that you gave professional stagers a bad reputation and adversely affected their businesses? Yes, it is a business and should be treated as such.

Yes, staging can be fun. However, staging is a very small amount of what is required of you. You must have insurance and legal contracts. You must be able to bill your clients and collect the fees. You must be able to complete projects in a timely manner and on budget - or prepare to deal with the consequences of angry clients and loss of profit. You must be prepared to educate RE agents and sellers about the importance of staging as not every one is receptive or 'gets it' like you do.

It is a long road to becoming a successful real estate stager. Many new businesses fail within the first year and stagers are no exception. It takes hard work and commitment if you really want to be successful. If this is still something you want to do, then roll up your sleeves and get to work because you have a lot to learn. Now doesn't that sound like fun?

I've Been Nominated!

Kimberly Wester — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:36:04 GMT

I was recently informed that I have been nominated for the Real Estate Staging Association's Professional Stager of the year award. According to RESA, the nominees have demonstrated outstanding skills in the following areas: Staging Design Skills, Business Skills and Ethics.

I am extremely flattered and thrilled to be recognized by the staging community that I love so much!

If you are interested in voting for me - or anyone else - submit your vote here:

http://www.realestatestagingassociation.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=304550&module_id=33063

Thanks to RESA for the nomination and thanks to anyone who votes for me. All of the nominees are hard working and talented individuals and I am honored to be included in their ranks. Good Luck to all of you - you all deserve to win!

From Me to You

Kimberly Wester — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:43:22 GMT

Changes Here and Everywhere...

Kimberly Wester — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:31:36 GMT

It's quite obvious that I have once again changed to look of this blog. Why? Well, mostly because I can, but because there are many changes underway at Details Staging and Redesign and I want to get everyone's attention by totally changing the theme of my blog and website. Just like in staging, people will pay closer attention to the content of things if they see an attractive overall package.

Other changes you can expect:

A new fee structure for consultations - formally we charged a flat fee for all of our consultations, but with the market shift we have decided to shift accordingly and make our consulting packages more accessible in this difficult market. Sellers need every advantage they can get and we want to give it to them. Fees are now based on square footage, with adjustments for houses currently on the market.
New Program for Referring Partners - We are now offering a discount to Realtors, builders and other professionals who exclusively refer to Details Staging and Redesign by offering our consulting services as part of their list of services.
No Third Party Rentals (unless to meet a specific need) - Details now carries a wide range of large furniture pieces available for your property merchandising needs. In working with furniture rental companies, we found that it was counter productive to the needs of our clients for two reasons, one being the limited range of furnishings available and second being the necessity of a 3 month rental agreement. To properly merchandise a home you must use furnishings that suit its style and price point which is not always possible with local rental companies. The point of staging is to sell a house quickly, so a 3 month binding contract seems counterproductive. We have eliminated these obstacles and many more by carrying our own inventory.

Though there are more service options to come, these are the ones that will most benefit our current loyal client base - along with those to be gained in the new year - and I am so excited to share them with you that I could not wait for the relaunch of the website.

I will send out announcements by email as soon as the new site is ready for the public. A few of you may get a preview of the new price structure, so keep an eye on your inboxes!

Selling During the Christmas Holidays

Kimberly Wester — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:21:05 GMT

When decorating for the Christmas holidays while your house is for sale think clean, simple and nonspecific. Any decor choices during this time should be made to accent the architecture and features of the property. For example, to play up a fireplace, you add garland and some pretty candles that will stand out from your wall color. It is easy, classic, and draw the buyers eye to a great selling feature.

Hiring a stager to consult you on specifics for your house can be a great advantage in today's market. If this is something you would like to try to tackle yourself, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Lights - Always use white lights. They are universally appealing and can add a classy element to your home. Using colored lights can often distract a buyer and detract from a homes existing appeal.

Trees - Though not everyone celebrates Christmas with a tree, it is a large part of our culture. No one should ever suggest that a tree should not be trimmed in your house when it is on the market. However, it is important that your tree be in keeping with the scale of your room. If a tree is too large for its position, it can actually send a message to the buyer that there is not enough room in the house to have a tree at all. Scaling down in height and/or diameter can allow you to have your tree and still show your buyers how functional your square footage can be. Likewise, ornament themes should be kept neutral so as not to suggest a certain belief system or personal preference. Sticking to basics will appeal to everyone and keep your potential buyer comfortable.

Colors - Color choice can actually be more critical than you would imagine. By choosing bizarre color combinations for your holiday decor, you can actually push a buyer off balance and they may pay more attention to your color choice than the house itself. By using classic colors, or matching that of your current color scheme (granted it is not over the top) it allows a buyer to enjoy the FEEL of the house and not the colors.

Do keep it classic and simple.
Don't go so over the top that a buyer
cannot see the house for the
decoration.

Going Green Babystep #2: No More Individual Packages

Kimberly Wester — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:31:39 GMT

My daughter is a picky eater. She will only eat about 5 different school lunches and the rest of the time she takes her own. She also is not a morning person, so making her lunch before school can be rather stressful.

To make the lunch making process easier, I had been buying individual containers of things such as apple sauce, pudding, snack crackers, etc. that are convenient to just throw into her box with little thought and preparation. When I think of all the garbage these tiny packages create, not to mention the money we spend on them, it makes me upset.

So, I decided to do it a little differently. I went to the dollar store and found a bunch of single portion sized containers. The idea being that we make our own individual containers of pudding, apple sauce, fruit, crackers, etc. by buying the standard sizes and portioning them out ourselves. Now, instead of paying $1 for 4 containers of chocolate pudding, I buy a package for .44 and make twice that myself and so on. My daughter brings her containers back from school and we wash them for future use.

She is actually happier with her lunch because she has a larger variety of things to choose from and is an active participant in its creation.

Are You Looking For My Staging Certification?

Kimberly Wester — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:03:04 GMT

You aren't going to find it. You see, quite a myth has been created about the staging industry - that you need to be certified to do this kind of work. The truth is there is no governing body in the staging field, therefore true certification does not exist.

Should you encounter a stager that says "I'm Accredited" (or certified, etc.) know that those 'accreditations' are giving by training companies and only prove that they completed that company's course. Not all training companies are created equally and are not regulated, therefore you must be wary of the claim that a certificate qualifies someone to do the work.

So what are you to do if you want to hire a stager and don't know what to look for? Easy - the proof is in the portfolio. Look at their past work and see if YOU think they have what it takes. If they are a new stager and don't have a portfolio, meet with them and see if they really know what they are talking about. Give them a chance and you may be getting in on the ground level of something big.

For the record - I did take a training course. Which one I took is as irrelevant as the accreditation I was given. However, I do have a quite a portfolio. Want to see it? Go to www.detailsstagingandredesign.com for a preview, then call 219-241-7252 to see more.

Fall Fun in NW Indiana: 'Let's Revue Broadway'

Kimberly Wester — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:29:57 GMT

Wheeler High Schools Presents:

'Let's Revue Broadway' a performance of some of Broadway's most popular music from shows such as "Wicked", "Little Shop of Horrors", "Phantom of the Opera", "Chicago","Annie", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", and many more.

A six night event beginning Friday November 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Wheeler High School Theater. Other show dates and times are:

Saturday November 3rd      7:00 p.m.
Sunday November 4th        2:00 p.m.
Friday November 9th          7:00 p.m.
Saturday November 10th    7:00 p.m.
Sunday November 11th      2:00 p.m.

Come for 'dinner and music' on Friday the 9th for a Fish Fry beginning at 4:30 p.m. and stay for the show!
(this event was previously scheduled for Friday the 2nd, but was rescheduled due to our Varsity football bid for the sectional title "GO BEARCATS!!")

(Rehearsing "One" from 'A Chorus Line')

Going Green Babystep #1: No More Bottled Water

Kimberly Wester — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:59:05 GMT

I am a water drinker. I never leave the house without a bottle of water. If I am out of bottled water, I stop at the gas station and buy one. I did pride myself on making sure all of the water bottles went into the recycling bin because we are supposed to reduce, reuse, RECYCLE, right?

One day I was watching a show about how much time and effort it takes to recycle those plastic bottles and the man on the screen pointed out that of those three words, recycle is last because it should be our last option - reduce and reuse coming before.

As I contemplated how many plastic bottles I toss into the recycling every week - not to mention the money I spend to purchase them - it occurred to me that I could REDUCE that amount by purchasing a REUSABLE water bottle. I am fortunate to have very good tap water and have failed to take advantage of that until now.

As of last week, I am the proud owner of one shatter proof reusable water bottle, which I wash and refill every evening and place in the fridge for the next day. Another advantage is that it is much larger than the bottle water that I used to buy, therefore I have more water with me than I did before. I am less likely to run out and have to buy a second bottle.

It's a small step, but a significant one nonetheless.

The Most Important Step You Can Take When Showing Your House

Kimberly Wester — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:11:17 GMT

Recently, I received a phone call from a fellow stager in a different part of the state. She was flustered over the fact that she was dealing for the first time with a home at a higher price point and a very intimidating top producing Realtor.

It seems the property in question could do with a good cleaning - several children and cats also occupy the home - and she made haste in letting them know that the home would have to be cleaned (and kept clean) if she were to stage the listing. The Realtor was very offended that she would make such a suggestion. It is a $900,000 listing - how dare she say such a thing and risk offending the seller.

The stager was doing her job and was right to say that cleaning the place up would be their starting point. A clean house is paramount to a sale in any price point and is even more so the more a buyer is expected to pay for it.

Should she decide to forgo this little bit of information so as not to risk the offense, she would actually have been doing the client a disservice. A Stager is hired to give you the perspective of a potential buyer and if that perspective is that the house is dirty and unkempt, then it is something that must be addressed and remedied. Such details can hinder a sale and a stager's job is make sure all hindrances are removed or at least minimized.

If you are about to place your home on the market, take a good hard look at your house and ask yourself if it is clean enough to receive guests. If it is not, roll up your sleeves and get scrubbing. It is by far the most important step in preparing your home for the real estate market. Not sure where to go from there? Details can prepare a Do-to-Sell list for you that can be your guide to getting your home sold.

Going Green: One Baby Step at a Time

Kimberly Wester — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:53:05 GMT

Just like the rest of the world, I have been taking an interest in the green movement. I am not necessarily sold on the premise of an inevitable depletion of natural resources, but I do believe in being responsible stewards of the earth we were given.

In the profession of Vacant Property Staging, consumerism is key. We must shop to stage and make a living and the irony of this does not fail to make its impression upon me. There have been several times that I have amassed so much cardboard packaging that my husband must take it to the recycling center himself because it is too much for our trash man to pick up in one trip. Hopefully I will be able to make some new discoveries that reduce the amount of packaging I dispose of regularly.

I do not intend to go whole hog and turn my family's life upside down, but I am committed to making small but significant changes in how we live our lives. I plan to chronicle these changes as I make them and share what I have done and what I have learned. I invite you all to follow me on this new journey and hopefully I will inspire you to do the same.

Should Stagers Use Smaller Furniture to Make a Room Appear Larger? You Betcha!

Kimberly Wester — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:53:44 GMT

In the now infamous NAEBA article siting home stagers as deceivers, a reference was made to the use of smaller sized furniture to make a room appear larger. Is that a common practice? Yes - and it should be!

Every designer worth their fee will tell you that scale is imperative in a properly designed room. Using over-sized pieces in a small area will only make it appear cramped - or even smaller than it really is. What is the solution? Pieces that suit the scale of the room. This is not deception, it is proper use of space.

The concept behind scaling down pieces is not to deceive a buyer into thinking that a room is larger than it is, but to display the room as a functional space besides its limitations. It is smart design, not trickery.

For Example: According to the seller, this family room/breakfast nook combo once held a sofa, love-seat, entertainment center and breakfast table. They also admitted that the room was very crowded and that they did not use the room as much as they had intended - they set up a second family room in a larger area that was actually an office. Since the room really was too small for a family room, I staged it in a different way to show it as a functional space.

Consider this: If a bedroom currently holds a king size bed, offering only enough space to circumvent the bed, what would you think? You would think the room was very tiny and the house not worth your time. That is a type of mental roadblock that can prevent someone from moving forward with a purchase and can easily be remedied. If the same room were staged with a queen size bed and more floor space was visible, along with ample space for bedside tables and lamps, wouldn't you view the room ina totally different way? Yes, because the scale of the furnishings is more in keeping with the scale of the room.

In the same turn, if that room were viewed with that queen size bed and the potential buyer required a king size bed, it would be obvious that the room would not suit their needs. You cannot trick people into thinking a house is right for them if it isn't.

The same goes for arranging furniture in a certain way to enhance the features of the room. Most people put their furniture in the wrong place - that is just a fact. Because most sellers are not aware that their pieces are badly place, they are also not aware that it affects how buyers view the house. It can make them feel uncomfortable or even that the house does not flow properly. If that can be corrected by moving the sofa, why wouldn't you do that?

For Example: When entering this home, the first thing your eye was drawn to was the back of the sofa - actually, I could not take my eyes off of it when I walked into the house the first time. In a house with high ceilings, extra tall windows and over-sized rooms, that is not what you want a buyer to see first. By rearranging the furnishings and selecting less taste specific pieces, the eye goes to what you want them to see - the two story fireplace - which displays the true size of the room.

Buyers are smarter than they are given credit for and no amount of staging can hypnotize them into buying the wrong house. Staging is a tool that grabs a buyers attention and gives them the opportunity to really LOOK AT and SEE a property, but it cannot make people think it is something that it is not. It may get them to take a second look, or even make an offer, but in the end it is many other factors that close the deal on a home.

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If you would like your vacant property staged with its specific scale and proportion in mind, contact Kimberly Wester of Details Staging and Redesign at 219-241-7252. Serving all of Northwest Indiana.

Now Providing a Monthly Newsletter

Kimberly Wester — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:06:28 GMT

I believe that communication and education are the keys to success. To improve my communication with you and expand the public knowledge of staging, I have created a monthly newsletter that will address the 'Details of Staging'.

In this newsletter, I will be able to go into greater depth regarding certain subjects that I may not be able to fully cover in a single blog, offer tips and advice on adding staging to your list of services, offer tips and advice for your own personal use and offer general insight into the world of staging and its workings.

Each month will have a different and specific focus. This month, the topic of choice is real estate photography. In this newsletter you will find out how staging improves your listing photos, practical advice on taking better photos, examples of this advice in practice and useful links that will help you improve your photography skills. Next month we will take a look at staging during the holiday season.

To subscribe to this newsletter, simply enter you email address in the opt-in magnet below. Shortly thereafter you will receive a confirmation email that will ensure your receipt of this newsletter.

Now Pinging Technorati

Kimberly Wester — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:56:44 GMT

In an effort to increase my blog traffic, I am now pinging Technorati. Are you a member? You may get a ping soon!

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