Is a home staging consultation worth having?

My clients say YES!
Direct quote from a client this week -

"Thanks so much for this information! We thoroughly enjoyed your visit and are keen to put all your suggestions into action. I have made "to do" and "to buy" lists and now have the confidence to proceed."

This couple only needed a consultation to set them on the right path - not everyone needs me to take over the entire project.

SOLD! After 6 days on the market!

               "Duck House" has sold! A fraction under the asking price, within six days.  We're all delighted.  It was marketed as "Excellently presented" and had lots of interest from other buyers too.

See the 'Before' and 'After' photos here... http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e18.php

One Day Makeover - more photos

Before

After - what's missing?

Before

After - I removed 2 chairs as they were blocking the "flow!

Less is more... another full house ONE-DAY makeover

This bedroom was transformed as part of a one day makeover ... of the entire house.

Before - known as the "spare" room

After - now known as the "Guest bedroom"

Before

After

YES! After only two days on the market...

I'm delighted to hear that after only two days on the market, the house I nicknamed "Duck House" has had two viewings, an offer, and a booking for a second viewing.  See more photos here...

http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e18.php

One Day Makeover - whole house!

This bedroom was part of a one-day makeover, staging the home for sale. With the help of the homeowners, every room was tidied, re-arranged, cleaned and accessorised ready for the Estate Agent's visit the next day.  See some more of the house here...
http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e16.php

Before

After - fresh bedding, curtains hung, furniture re-arranged

Before

After - Re-arranged furniture, changed artwork! 

BBC1 would like to hear from compulsive hoarders

Why did I make these changes?

Before

After

How did I change this room, and why?

1) Painted the walls a warmer, deeper colour.
Firstly, the dark patches were obvious on the walls, and secondly, in this north-facing room, even the magnolia appeared grey.
2) Added furniture.
When empty, this room appeared very small for a Master Bedroom, and showing a double bed with space to spare alleviates this worry.
3) Replaced the curtain track for a pole.
Curtain track is cheap - and it looks it! Adding a more luxurious pole upgrades the appearance of the room.
4) Hung full-length curtains.
They appear much more luxurious than short ones.
5) Upgraded the ceiling light.
A Master Bedroom deserves more than a small pendant shade - add some crystals!
6) Dressed the bed.
These soft touches often appeal to the female viewers - notice how they are more likely to comment on the gorgeous cushion than on the fact that only one of the side windows will open!

We are selling a lifestyle, not just a house, so make it a more luxurious one.

Realistic Pricing AND good presentation will sell houses this year...

I totally agree that the pricing of houses needs to be realistic this year, perhaps more than ever before.  But don't forget the presentation.  You wouldn't try selling your car without removing rubbish and cleaning it, and you wouldn't try to sell yourself in an interview without dressing smartly and making some effort to look good, so why present your house like this first photo?!

Here's why you should tidy the outside of your house before selling it...

Don't forget the outside of your house when you are preparing it for sale!

Would this put you off buying a house, or make it more appealing?

I can't decide if ducks in this photograph would encourage people to view the bungalow, or put them off.  Please let me know your thoughts...

£10,000? For Home Staging? No way...

When one of my clients asked her Estate Agent if she should consider Home Staging to help sell her property, he said it was a good idea, but would cost over £10,000.  Well, watch this space!!  In fact, does anyone want to have a guess what the total will be?  Here's the work we're doing to the 4 bed bungalow:


Treating mould in every room
Painting most ceilings and walls
Painting the front door and two windowsills
Updating some ceiling lights
Adding furniture in every room
Changing some new poles and window dressings
Adding soft furnishings everywhere - bedding, cushions etc
Adding accessories and art to every room
Fitting coir matting inside the porch
Cutting back and clearing the overgrown back garden's beds
Cutting back the 8ft hedge around the property
Emptying and painting the shed
Jet-washing the paths and back of the bungalow
Adding plants to the pots outdoors
Taking photographs of each room for selling purposes

Please click the 'Comments' section and say what you think it will be!

A "Supermarket Trolley Dash" in an beautiful interiors shop!

This was a real dream come true!! A close friend of my client owns a beautiful interiors shop in Rothley, and she offered the loan of some accessories for the project.  I was invited to search the shop and the stockrooms to make my selections - it was like a supermarket trolley dash but in slow motion and with lots of bubblewrap! 

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 1 - Declutter, declutter, declutter

De-cluttering is the simplest and most cost-effective way of preparing your home for sale. 9 out of 10 viewers can't 'see' your rooms any differently, and they won't want to buy into a messy lifestyle.  They want calm, space and organisation, even if that's not how they live in their own homes! This house is a prime example...http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/g21.php 

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 2 - Don't leave empty rooms

Inexperienced viewers find it really difficult to imagine what can fit into an empty room, as there is nothing in it that they can relate to.  In addition, empty rooms are so uninviting on the Estate Agent's website. Some key pieces of furniture make the room so much more appealing. See how this empty home sold within a few days after it was staged...http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e2.php

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 3 - Name each room

 

I always name each room I'm staging, so that everyone understands it's main function, and will keep it like that, especially when selling.  A sitting room, a dining room etc.  Even the multi-purpose rooms such as a small 'spare' room that may be used for a bedroom, a storage room, an office etc - choose one theme and hide all other uses away.  Ask your Estate Agent's advice on your spare rooms - what layout is best for this particular house in this particular area.  This house is a prime example of a confused house...http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e10.php

BBC 1 are looking for Compulsive Hoarders for a sensive documentary

I've just been contacted by Emily Flack from the BBC, asking if I knew of any compulsive hoarders who would be willing to take part in their new documentary. Here's the link for more information.      http://freepdfhosting.com/53c78750d4.pdf

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 4 - Use what you already have... more effectively

Look around your home and re-arrange it, with the Estate Agent's photos in mind. Put matching furniture back together again, put plants and flowers in key positions in the room.  Take your own photographs to get an idea of layout.  This home was a classic example of beautiful items being hidden ...http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e3.php

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 5 - Stick to one colour scheme

It feels so much calmer in a house where colours flow smoothly from one room to another. Don't try to change to a new colour scheme, or everything will need replacing - just look at the colours that already exist, choose three that blend nicely, and remove all other colours from sight.  In this example house, the sofas were red, so this was the starting point...http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e14.php

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 6 - Use all the space

Use every space to its full potential, so your Estate Agent can display more photographs of your property. Don't leave 'spare' rooms piled high with excess belongings.  In this example home, the dining room, study and two spare bedrooms were completely wasted - the Estate Agent could only show 2 bedrooms, which is poor value for money...http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e5.php

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 7 - Don't 'neutralise' everything

Numerous clients have heared that they need to 'neutralise' and declutter their rooms when trying to sell - so they take everything out apart from the furniture, and paint all the walls cream.  This leaves totally bland rooms that look terrible in photographs. Declutter, yes, but keep interesting accessories and artwork, to create focal points and interest in each room. See this house for examples...http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/ann_maurice4.php 

Top Ten Home Staging Tips - No. 8 - Finish jobs

This home was on the market for ages like this - doors waiting to be painted etc. Finish DIY jobs before putting a home up for sale, so potential buyers feel they can just move in.  See the rest of the house... http://www.homemakeoverservice.co.uk/e5.php