Barb Schwarz
By Barb Schwarz, CEO, StagedHomes.com
I am so very excited to be a featured speaker at this year’s annual convention of the National Association of REALTORS®! The REALTORS® Conference and Expo, NARdiGras 2010, is scheduled Nov. 5-8, 2010. I will be speaking on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
In my presentation this year, “From Staging to Pricing to Getting it Sold!”, I will be sharing with you the latest and best staging ideas and tips for today’s market. Getting the property staged is not a choice in today’s market, it is a necessity. I will give you my ideas on what to say to communicate to the seller the importance of property staging, no matter what their budget may be. It doesn’t have to be about spending money. Rather, the seller needs to make an investment of time, energy, and dollars in their number one investment, their property. My presentation will outline what to say and when to say it so that your clients do get their house staged. In today’s market, it has to be staged!
As a broker myself, I will also be teaching key points for listing presentation and ideas for working in the market that we find ourselves in. I will give you my top 10 things that you must include in your listing presentation to get the listing. In addition to staging the house, it better be priced right. I will share my top ideas on how price a staged listing, too.
I am going to discuss how to handle sellers’ objections and how to positively educate your sellers on what you really do as you work for them. Too many REALTORS® assume that their sellers know the work that’s put in. But often the home owners does not know all of the details that go into the selling of their property. Continue reading »
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, www.tumbleweedhouses.com. Photo by Jack Journey.
“Thin is in” when it comes to home design, writer Leah Konen with pointclickhome.com reminds us in the article 12 of the Narrowest Homes in the World. Homes are shrinking and architects are getting creative in designing small spaces that don’t make you feel boxed in.
I stumbled across this story featuring some of the narrowest homes in the world, such as a 3-feet wide by 33-feet high house in Madre de Deus, Brazil. Now that is small!
It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter how small a lot, a home can be squeezed anywhere. Read the article and view the images here.
Also, take a peek inside a tiny home by watching this YouTube video below from CBS about Jay Shafer, the creator of the 120-square-foot house with Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. See how he’s transforming small living right in backyards across the country.
By Charlene Storozuk, Dezigner Digz
BEFORE
With the growing number of home staging training schools popping up to make a fast buck, the result is a glut of “home stagers” in the marketplace with absolutely no experience and no idea of how to run a business.
Are you willing to put your client’s largest investment into the hands of someone without the expertise necessary to get the results you need? This could turn out to be a very costly mistake.
Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting a home stager:
Lowest Quote/Free Consultations
Beware of home stagers that come in at a much lower bid than others. Usually it’s reflected in the quality of accessories and furniture that they will provide.
AFTER
Some home stagers may offer you free home staging consultations. As my parents always told me, “nothing in life is ever free”. There’s always a catch and in this case, it may be that he or she has absolutely no experience and may give your client potentially harmful advice.
Web Site
Make sure that the home stager has a professional Web site; not just a “cookie-cutter” mini-site provided through their training school. In today’s world, anyone serious about doing business must have a Web site.
If the home stager you are considering hiring does not have one, perhaps he or she is more of a hobbyist.
Having a Web site demonstrates that the home stager means business and takes a serious approach to what they do. Make sure you look for testimonials from other real estate professionals as this speaks volumes as to their credibility and capability.
Portfolio
When interviewing your home stager, ask to see either prints or a CD of photos from his or her portfolio. If they don’t have this, you should pass on this person.
In today’s world of technology, with the click of a mouse, photos can be taken from one home stager’s Web site and plunked onto another’s site and passed off as their work. Continue reading »
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
So what are some recent trends when it comes to kitchen remodels and decorating? Here are five picks from an article I stumbled upon by Joaquin Erazo Jr., senior vice president of marketing and public relations at Case Design/Remodeling Inc.
1. Upgraded sinks: Sinks are getting fancier with built-in strainers, colanders, and even cutting boards. Pull-out, flexible faucets, as well as water-conserving faucets, are also gaining traction. Many sinks are also offering a deeper bowl for filling those large pots.
2. Work stations: Specialized stations — such as areas for making coffee, rolling out bread, or wine-tasting nooks — are growing in popularity.
3. Neutral colors: The most popular kitchen color choice? White, according to Erazo. Neutral colors, such as off-white and beige, are a popular choice because they offer flexibility in the decor of the kitchen.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Luxurious, spa-like treatment to the bathroom can go a long way in getting buyers attention, and it doesn’t have to break the bank to get the look either. An article by Michael Keith with the Associated Press, Transforming a Bath Into a Spa Can Be Easy, contained several tips from designers on how to transform a bathroom into a relaxing, retreat.
Here are four simple tips from the article:
1. Use light colors. Try light color palettes, such as seafoam green and white. Then finish the look by using simple black-and-white photographs of ocean waves on the walls.
2. Choose white fabrics. White gives you a clean, crisp feel. Try white towels and bath mats to brighten the bathroom.
3. Play calming music. Get a small iPod dock and play music with ambient nature sounds, ocean waves, or forest breezes.
4. Accessorize. Fill glass cylinders with seashells or river rocks. Also, display a basket with rolled towels.
What budget-friendly ideas do you have for creating a spa-like bathroom?
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