Wallpaper – To Remove or Not To Remove, That Is The Question…………..

I am often asked to comment on a subject as it pertains to houses being prepared to go on the market……..”What about the wallpaper?”  And my answer is usually the same - “Remove it”

My logic for removing wallpaper is as follows:

H  Wallpaper is almost always dated.

H  Wallpaper is taste and style specific.  In most cases, it is unique to the home seller.  And our home staging objective is to appeal to a wide number of buyers.

H  Home buyers see wallpaper as work and another expense associated with buying and living in your home.  They will depreciate your asking price by more than the amount it will cost to remove the paper.

The bottom line is – wallpaper will cost the home seller money!  The question is whether you want to control those costs by taking steps to remove the wallpaper prior to listing the house or dealing with the cost in an inflated price reduction offered by a potential buyer.

Today’s pictures illustrate how removing wallpaper streamlined this bedroom and bathroom and brought them into the present. 

I have to admit, walking into the before bathroom and bedroom (and looking at these pictures) made me anxious and tired.  There is a completely different feeling after the wallpaper removal.  I think the words fresh and airy are fitting.

Of course, this example of wallpaper comes from "one of my all time favorite staging projects".  Check out our website to experience the Paddock staging project at http://www.transitions-home-staging.com/Paddock-Staging.html .

Remember to dwell in possibilities. But make sure you have fun in the process.  Life is too short not to have fun!!!

Cindy

One of My All Time Favorite Projects and Houses

Over the last month, I had the privilege of staging a house that ranks right up there as one of my all time favorite projects and houses.

What made it so special?

H  The curb appeal is fine but nothing exceptional.  But just wait until you walk in the front door.  The “Wow’s” start the moment you cross the threshold and do not end until you are soaking in the beautiful view of the pond.

H  The home was obviously a labor of love with major remodeling done with taste and style.  Plus, it was the labor of a loving family who enjoyed creating a special home for family and friends to enjoy.  You experience the love and joy in each and every room.

H  THE KITCHEN! (There is so much to say about the kitchen that it deserves its own blog entry . . .to be continued)

H  As my favorite OBEO photographer (and another fan of the house) so eloquently noted – this house is “country without the cute” and “shows how when done well, a relatively smaller home can be great, I would take this any day over some larger homes.”

My staging challenge was to transform this beautiful and unique family home into a place that would appeal to potential buyers but also not overwhelm them.  This meant removing some but not all of what made this home special – once again, the art of home staging.

Today’s pictures provide a “sneak peek” of one of my all time favorite projects and houses. 

Over the next few posts, we will spend more time exploring the “to die for” kitchen and dining area; examine what to do with wallpaper; and, how to handle displays, collectibles, personal mementos and books.  

Keep coming back as we plan to continue this “story”. 

Dwell in possibilities

Cindy

Mid-Town Gem – Energy at the Front Door!!

My latest staging project was a small, older model but redone as a cutie.  I was hired by one of my favorite Realtors to lightly stage it in a way that would appeal to a young, professional and, most likely, first time home buyer.

Now I know the conventional staging wisdom is to stage a house to appeal to as many buyer’s as possible.  I preach that mantra all the time.  But, in some circumstances, I am convinced it is appropriate and smart to stage to a more specific market.  You have to do your homework to know the neighborhood, potential market and their needs and desires. 

The trick is to not be too specific so as to exclude or turn off any potential buyer but to be clear about how this home appeals to the specific market.  Once again, it is the art of home staging rather than the science of home staging. 

So, that said, let’s talk about this Mid-Town gem.

Kitchen - I love white cabinetry.  This kitchen pairs the cabinets with new gray granite countertops and a light vintage wood floor.  The open upper cabinetry not only provides lots of storage, but gives the kitchen an open look and feel.    The staging consists of white dishes, lots of stainless and glass and French baskets with herbs.  Fresh

Living Room - In the front living room, we did a vignette to set a younger tone for the rest of the house.  This was my chance to make an eclectic statement.  I combined two newly upholstered (white linen) antique chairs, charcoal throws, contemporary bold pillows, dyed-hide rug, a large piece of abstract art and a glossy bright orange table with fun accessories.  The eclectic combination gives this house energy right at the front door and puts a smile on your face!

See more “Before” and “After” photos of the Quebec-Tulsa staging project at http://www.transitions-home-staging.com/Quebec-Tulsa.html

This Mid-Town Gem is chocked full of possibilities.  Now it just waits for the right person or couple to walk in the front door, feel the energy, see the possibilities and make an offer.  Then they can write the next chapter of their life story in this gem of a house.

Dwell in possibilities

Cindy

Friday Treat - Great Thoughts about Customer Service

Earlier this week, I shared a great insight on customer service from Jeff Bezos.  As this week’s Friday treat, I have more great thoughts about customer service to inspire you and continue thinking about ways you and I can better serve our customers and partners.

Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends. ~Walt Disney 

You are serving a customer, not a life sentence. Learn how to enjoy your work. ~Laurie McIntosh 

It starts with respect. If you respect the customer as a human being, and truly honor their right to be treated fairly and honestly, everything else is much easier.  ~Doug Smith

Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.  ~ Damon Richards 

Every client you keep, is one less that you need to find.  ~Nigel Sanders 

Customers today want the very most and the very best for the very least amount of money, and on the best terms. Only the individuals and companies that provide absolutely excellent products and services at absolutely excellent prices will survive.  ~Brian Tracy 

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.  ~Mahatma Gandhi

Remember to dwell in possibilities but have fun doing so.

Cindy

Six Thousand Friends

I just saw this quote from Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, and it got me thinking.  And I share it with you to get you thinking too.  

If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends. ~Jeff Bezos

This quote is even more pertinent now that I understand the value and power of social media and blogging.  It is amazing to me how easily we can touch, meet and serve customers and Realtor partners.  Thanks to the power of blogging, I meet new Realtors on a very regular basis and we explore ways of working together to serve their clients. 

In addition, I use social media (blogs, websites and chats) for ideas, inspirations and development.  I try to start each day checking out what is happening on my favorite blogs like Habitually Chic and Cote de Texas, to name a few.  I hunt websites constantly to make sure that I am staging my clients’ houses in ways that appeal to the current tastes of potential buyers.  And chats with other home stagers and Realtors are fun because we find out how things are being done in other parts of the country and that our challenges are not so unique.  So in a way, I have the opportunity to learn from 6,000 friends every day.

Building on Jeff Bezos insight, I believe that with the power of social media, an unhappy customer can expand their audience from the 6 in the physical world to the hundreds and possibly thousands of “friends” on Facebook, Twitter or their personal blog.  It is challenging to realize how easy it is for our clients and partners to share thoughts about how they were served with lots and lots of friends and acquaintances.

Of course, there is a simple and usually effective way to deal with the power of social media – do exceptional work and deliver exceptional results.  You need to go the “extra mile” and as Roger Staubach said so well “there are no traffic jams along the extra mile. 

My hope is that my clients and partners will be singing my praises to their hundreds of friends as I try to be a regular traveler on the “extra mile”. 

Remember to dwell in possibilities

Cindy