We had them in a bag in the bathroom, bought from the box home store a week ago. I kept putting it off and never asked my husband when it was going to get done. He works too hard. And at nights, that is the last thing I want him to spend his time on. I know that when he sees they are done he will say he should have done them. See, if I put off doing the dishes, or folding the clean laundry, or making our bed everyday, he doesn't seem to care. He doesn't value me any less, doesn't think any less of me, or think I had less to do that day. He just guesses it didn't get done. But when he fails to get something done he says he was going to do, he beats himself up over it. Oh, not like a self-esteem issue where he thinks he is worthless or anything (he knows he is something alright!) but he just regrets not having done it in time, being the man and "taking care of things", like that. My hope is that I can catch him shaking his head that he wasn't able to do it, but stifling a cheeky grin that will tell me he is secretly THRILLED that I did.
As summer comes upon us, my favorite memory surrounds me just as my mom's hugs used to. The days usually got a little too hot for me come 3ish. The sun took it's toll on my fairness. So, as my brothers and sisters played on, I would have a rest on the living room couch. All of the windows were always open, the sliders ajar, and the lace curtains would just slightly wave. The fans were most likely the culprit on still days. They hummed and shivered, clicking every time they moved their heads. My very wise mother would snap a cool white sheet into place on the couch so the upholstery wouldn't make us warmer. And there we would lie, arms around each other, in the machine-made breeze, an hour, maybe two, until I had cooled down. But the best part of all was that I knew we would come away from that rest knowing who had won the latest tennis open. We saw Borg beat Connors, Connors beat McEnroe, McEnroe beat Lendl, Lendl beat Cash...the list goes on. Martina and Chris went at it for years until Stefi came along. My mom passed on more than just her time to me then. Her love of that sport is very much ingrained into my summer viewing today. My kids and I still keep tabs on all things tennis. The fans have been replaced by window units, the turn knob surpassed by remote channel changing, and the tennis might just be faster and fiercer. But around 3pm everyday, I will still be calling in my fairest ones and seeing who wants to watch a match.
I was speaking with a client the other day and she said, " So when is your next blog coming out?"
I said, "Didn't you just get it the other day?"
Well, of course the answer was no, can I check my email list, or check the LiveJournal site, or should she check her Spam folder, or check her incoming capacity since it had pictures...as it turned out it was a fault of the blog site and no one got my blog last week. I feel absolutely cheated! Hadn't I spent hours researching my next topic, pre-writing, editing, then typing, then adding pictures, then inserting new emails to the list, then sending it and anticipating some sort of response? I was on schedule, well organized, putting it out there, and it was because of the condition of the original site that the entire plan fell through.
Condition. A well known professional stager in Chicago, Mr. Craig Schiller, has a wonderful image I would like to share with you all.
REALTORS... Selling a home is as easy as riding a Tricycle
When a home seller puts their home up for sale, they are much like kids about to go on a tricycle ride. But for this selling ride there are 4 basic elements impacting how smoothly the ride will go: Market, Location, Condition, and Price.
The Market is the sidewalk that the seller's tricycle maneuvers on. Sometimes the market is bumpy, sometimes smooth. Regardless, what the market’s surface conditions are, the seller must just roll along for there is little they can do to impact the market path.
However, to get the tricycle ready for its travels, the seller must consider the 3 wheels that keep their home’s sale rolling along.
PRICE is the big front wheel where, with the knowledge and expertise of a Realtor, drive and direction are most effectively applied.
But in order for the front wheel to maneuver properly... the two back wheels must be looked at and operate smoothly and in conjunction with the front wheel.
One of the trike's back wheels is LOCATION. The LOCATION Wheel is a fixed hard rubber wheel that will never go flat... it is what it is. The other rear wheel is CONDITION.
By the time a home seller gets ready to jump on their trike, sit on the seat and go for a sale-ride, they don’t always want to look back at the rear wheels... especially the CONDITION Wheel. However, over time the CONDITION Wheel's treads have worn down, it's leaked air and maybe even gone flat.
Home stagers go to work on the flat worn-out rear tricycle wheels. We pump up and repair rear CONDITION Wheels so that the sale doesn't end up being a rickety ride.
HomeStaging makes for a very smooth ride!
Condition ruined all of my hard work...Staging can help your hard work end in a deal so you don't fall short of your goal!
Please include any comments that you have about how condition held up all of your work on advertising, marketing, and negotiation. I'd love to hear from you .
My only Final Four still standing is UCLA and I don't have them winning the whole thing!
So basically, in brackets, I'm dead last. But in Staging, these stats are much better...
stagedhomes.com
click on individual pic to see larger view
When I do a consultation on an occupied property, many of the items that fall within my review
are related to the first three points on this chart.
1. I always speak to the homeowners regarding lighting and the effect a bright, cheerful house has on buyers.
2. My three Cs: clutter, clean, color! Uncluttering the property, not only of personal effects, but also of any visual clutter (too many accessories, too weighty on one side of the room, distracting linens) is key to making the buyers feel seamlessly integrated into the space. And if Price is King to Realtors, then Cleanliness is it's Queen! Add (not too much) color and you've rounded out the effect.
3. As my company name suggests, I ALWAYS insist on sprucing up the curb appeal as buyers won't come in if they don''t feel they are welcomed right from the front door!
The fourth item, Staging, truly is so encompassing of everything that increases your return,
and should be used on every property in every price point!
So maybe I'd better not move to Vegas but stay right here in Fairfield and New Haven Counties
where Staging has had quite an impact on homeselling.
Virtual Front Doors are the very first page of your website or your listing web portfolio. It tells the potential buyer what they will expect from the property right up front. What are you, as Realtors and homesellers, telling that buyer?
1. This house so unappealing in the inside that we are only showing you pictures of the exterior.
2. We have neglected to update worn carpet and broken fixtures - you decide if we have neglected structure and mechanics.
3. I am not really ready to move yet as you can see I haven't packed at all...I might be a tough negotiator.
4. I am so very desperate to have you see this house...I've already moved, my house is vacant, I need any offer I can get!
Now, all of these things might NOT be true..in fact, MOST of the time they are not. But in merchandising (any product, not just a home) perception is key to getting the buyer to take a nibble at your sale. For buyers it is "Only what they see is how it will be." They might not be able to envision a game table in that empty nook, a warm color where the floral wallpaper is, a full size bed in that guest room turned craft room turned office turned storage area. How you live in your home is different from the way you need to sell your home. Staging tackles all of these perceptions and makes them a reality for the buyers.
1. We offer our after pictures so that the marketing can seamlessly continue after Staging the property.
2. Our suggestions don't stop at "making things pretty"... our ethical goal is to help you sell your house in the fastest time possible for the most amount of money. That means we will suggest improvements where needed per the market, help coordinate the jobs, and Stage when all work is done.
3. Deciding what to pack, give away, or throw away can be frustrating and difficult. Downsizing, upgrading, family loss or gain, life happens. Our consultation take into consideration all of your needs, time and budget and we will help you along the process of preparing your house and your move.
4. Leaving a home vacant promotes lower bids, longer time on market, and less showings. This happens because of the lack of the idea of "home." Vacant homes feel cold, lead buyers to believe homesellers are desperate, and need any offer. Let us Stage your vacant to make buyers see that their new home could look and feel like a model home!
Staging reflects back to the buyer all of the appeal the house can muster...buyers look into your front door and see their new home!
In the days when we were trying to keep up with the Joneses, building stock homes, one right after the other, was great. I think however, the push is for something different now. We all want to stand out, not be like our neighbor, not fit into some mold, because the possibilities are endless for becoming who we want to be. What started in our social circles, our work experiences, and our families as a way of saying "Be true to thyself" is also reflecting strongly in our home interior style. And Americans have proved that by the way we spent in the past few years in home improvement stores, design centers, and box stores. We have made these houses our homes - pools of personal ideas, images, and items. What a great testament it is to where we live, how we interact, and why we do what we do.
Here is the big BUT...what happens when we outgrow our homes? What happens when the young ones leave the coop? What happens when the being who you want to be involves leaving the area? These homes, once more, become houses, real property with real value to others. Our memories remain of the time spent within the walls, but the walls need to remain for others to build their own memories within.
So starts the process of removing the purple from the guest bath, the Noah's Ark border from the nursery and the mask collection from the den. Where does one start, how much does one do, what is the difference between neutral and boring? Start with a home stager. Basing a business on the principal that marketing your home for sale should include putting the cleanest, clearest, most defined product out there while never leaving equity on the table, home stagers work within your budget and time frame to complete the merchandising before the listing. From that point, staging can make a great impact with style, definition, and color. Impacts that aren't just felt on the wallet. Why would homesellers believe that if they had this home that they are emotionally attached to, that they should market it with no emotional impacts for the buyers? Evoking and provoking ties that bind in homeselling is so important to getting a signature on the bottom line. Smart buyers don't purchase real estate impulsively, but they do buy instinctively. In turn, stagers instinctively set the house apart from others through the traffic flow, use of space, and proven color combinations to evoke a feeling of home. Something we all are striving for, not just the Joneses.
Profile
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
kentmaggie- Maggie Kent
- Stagedhomes Home Page
Syndicate
