Friday Treat – She Is All That and a Bag of Chips

She’s a talented photographer; a self taught designer, collage enthusiast and arranger of flowers; mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and ‘work in progress’; and, supermodel beautiful.  

Slim Paley is all that and a bag of chips! 

Her blog, The Stuff of Life, is fun, entertaining, and inspirational and it is this week’s Friday treat.  It is truly a feast for the senses.  Her photos are breathtaking.  Her sense of style is inspiring. And her blog is just lots of fun.

“Once I packed for a 3 or 4 day trip and put each and every “ensemble” together from soup to nuts, wrapped them all individually already on a hanger.  God that was brilliant. It was the best thing ever that I’ve never done again.  One of the things I’ve come to realize as I get older is that instead of becoming more decisive, I’m going in the opposite direction, and I’m not just talking about packing.  Not really liking this at all- any tips for overcoming??

Where else can you find photos of Garden Dahlias, recipe for Crispy Wild Salmon in Rice Paper, and her current read (Sarah’s Key) and future read (Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness)? 

Indulge your senses and take a break on a Friday during the dog days of August.  Check out Slim Paley today at http://slimpaley.com/ 

Remember to always dwell in possibilities and make sure to have fun in the process!!

Cindy

Having Your House Staged (and Sold) Can Be Very Emotional

Our homes are chocked full of memories.  You can find loved ones and friends; laughter and tears; good times and bad in the photos, paintings, furniture, accessories, books, nooks and crannies of your home.  When it comes time to get that house ready to sell, the process can be emotional.  

When a professional home stager is engaged to help with this process, it can be very emotional.  The home stager has a very specific mission – transform this house of memories into a space that appeals to as many buyers as possible.   

My approach is to help the seller make this transformation with as much tact and compassion as I can muster.  I know that I have to be “tough” enough to make the transformation.  If not, the house would remain being Smith-friendly and not buyer-friendly.  But, I also take more time, listen to the stories about those precious memories, and make sure that the sellers at least understand why we are doing what we are doing. 

In some instances, my approach works.  In other instances it does not.  Here are a few quick examples that will sound familiar to every real estate professional. 

“I need to call my wife and prepare her for what you have done before she gets home.  This is going to be very emotional for her.”  In this case, my Realtor partner and I went in and identified dozens and dozens of items that needed to be removed and boxed up for their new home.  This couple was very sentimental and displayed family heirlooms, treasured gifts from family and friends, and purchases from favorite trips.  The end result was a house full of wonderful things that masked the flow and focal points of their lovely home.  The wife arrived home emotionally prepared for her buyer-friendly house.   

“What you did was too minimal for what I consider pretty.  A buyer can see past all my stuff.  You must put everything back exactly as you found it.”  This one was a shock to my Realtor partner and me.  This seller was a retired corporate executive and so we expected a savvy seller ready to do what needs to be done to get the house on the market.  Instead, we spent 2 hours making the house buyer-friendly; 30 minutes letting the seller vent about all that we had done wrong with the house; and about an hour putting it back to the same condition as when we walked in the door.  The emotions of changing what reflected the taste, style and identity of this seller was greater than the desire to make this house buyer-friendly. 

“I appreciate what is being done and want to do it, but I must confess it is much more emotional and tiring than I expected.”  This seller was ready to sell and stage.  When the time came to transform her house, she was surprised by how emotional it became.  And the irony was that this seller was a professional home stager named Cindy! 

I learned from my experience just as I learned from many, many emotional sellers I’ve assisted over the past 6 years.  These experiences made me even more sensitive to how emotional staging and selling your home can be. 

Dwell in possibilities 

Cindy

Kitchen Staging

A kitchen closes the deal on a house.  The kitchen is second most important room in the home selling process next to the entry area where first impressions are formed.  If the kitchen is remarkable then the house has been sold emotionally.  Of course, there is always that little matter of the price.

It is easy to see why the kitchen can be the deal closer or deal breaker.  It is the space where the family gathers most often.  The kitchen is more than the place they cook.  It is where they plan their day over morning coffee and share their day over dinner.  It is the place where great parties begin and end.  If buyers can imagine those possibilities in this kitchen, it can be the deal closer

Buyers don’t want an outdated kitchen.  Buyers don’t want a cluttered kitchen.  Buyers don’t want a kitchen that needs work.  If buyers have these concerns or issues, then the kitchen is likely going to be the deal breaker.

Kitchens need to be staged!  Professional home staging can help turn a tired kitchen into a fresh and inviting space.  Staged kitchens come alive with the possibilities of fun dinners, comfortable gab sessions and memorable parties.  It is amazing how a teapot, colorful dishes and an open cookbook transforms a dull and drab space.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I suggest you check out our website for great examples of staged kitchens (http://www.transitions-home-staging.com/Kitchens.html ).

Kitchens also benefit from being restyled and updated.  Buyers prefer move-in ready houses.  They don’t want to replace outdated appliances, old countertops and wallpaper from another era.  Buyers will often reduce their offer dramatically if they believe they will need to update a kitchen.  Sellers can restyle and update their kitchens prior to listing their house for a cost significantly less than the buyer’s price reduction.  We have two examples of restyled and updated kitchens that returned the investment back to the sellers - see photos of the Camelot Court and Glynwood kitchens at http://www.transitions-home-staging.com/Kitchens-2.html  

Buyers want to imagine their family and their best selves in the kitchen enjoying life and each other.  Professional home staging feeds the buyer’s imagination with the ideas of the possibilities to be found in that kitchen. 

Remember to always dwell in possibilities

Cindy