Be Careful With Those Home Improvements! Home Staging Minneapolis, MN

It’s Spring and it is the perfect time to hit that list of home improvements you have been thinking about.

Some home improvements can add value to your home, some can make your home more likely to sell quicker, and some home improvements are just plain bad. 

Over the next few blog posts I am going to address types of home improvements that can be great and some that you may want to reconsider.

Before doing any home improvement you always need to do your homework and here are a few tips:

1)     Look at how long you are going to be in your home. Some improvements are imperative to make to get your home in top selling condition. Other improvements should only be made if you plan on being in your home for a while.

2)   Check out your Neighborhood. You never want to improve beyond the value of your neighborhood. Being the biggest or best house on the block is not the best thing for resale.

3)   Check out your Market. What is the current housing market in your area? Who is the potential buyer of your home when you do go to sell?

4)   Don’t design yourself into a corner by being too specific. You don’t want to limit who you can sell to. Personalize your home through paint and accessories that are easy to change rather than having to replace walls.

5)    Balance your style and area. Again, keep in mind what will sell in the future rather than focusing on what you like and what you want to use the area for.

If you are planning to make improvements and potentially sell in a short period of time, check out the statistics listed on my website on the return on your investment for certain home improvements at www.RoomsWithStyle.com.

If you have made any mistakes in your home improvements that you would like to share with others so they don’t make the same mistakes, please do so. What is your horror story in home improvements? Or, what was your biggest success? I’d love to hear.

See you on the next post when I talk about more Home Improvement Do’s and Dont’s!

“The proof is in the pudding”. What the heck does that even mean? 

Is it Blueberry Pudding?

Lemon perhaps?

Peach with mint on the bottom?

Or cherry??

I don’t know, but pudding may not be the best idea when it comes to Home Staging. 

I was brought in for a Home Staging Consultation on this 1890 Historical Home that is on the National Registry of Historical Places.

It had been on the market for six months without a single offer. 

I gave some suggestions such as:

Paint the walls a more neutral color (even though the yellow was a historical color choice from Benjamin Moore it was too taste specific for selling). I also recommended taking down the drapes so the buyer could see the incredible windows and their magnificent height.

The Dining Room had an antique table in it but even though the home is historic not everyone likes antiques. I recommended the home be staged with more modern furnishings.

In the family room I recommended they remove the carpet as original hardwood floors were underneath.

The kitchen was getting negative feedback due to the long open wall area and lack of counter space. I recommended they purchase a portable island to create more counter space, put in pendant lights to create some drama and stage the area with an eat-in area.

Tiny bedroom? Let’s make it an office.

Master Bedroom…..let’s spice it up a little. (is there spice in pudding??)

So……here is how the flavors turned out.

The entryway is now a stunning start into the journey through this beautiful home.

The Lemon is now a mild Chocolate Latte enhanced with a touch of formal but still modern and casual.

The chocolate latte carries into the Dining Room and the old table is replaced with new but still classy.

The Family Room now has original wood floors and no more peach!

The kitchen…..now has more counter space, check out the cool pendant lights, and an eat-in area in the kitchen is so valuable!

It was best if they painted the bathroom but that wasn’t possible for a couple reasons so hey….sometimes you need to work with what you have and turn a negative into a positive.

And a little room becomes a great computer and study room. 

And hey…..make them laugh while they are there.

Now the Master Bedroom looks more inviting…..

Within two days the buyer received two offers for almost full price.

So…..I guess the Proof Is In the Pudding STAGING!! I definitely know what that means!

  If you are dealing with any flavors of your own and need some advice, call 952-567-1124 and let a professionally trained certified Home Stager give you a hand. Or check out our website for more before and after photos.

www.RoomsWithStyle.com

What Does Sex Trafficking and Home Staging Have in Common?

That isn’t a question just to get you wondering what this post is about. This post really is about sex trafficking and Home Staging.

They have a lot in common. Really.

Even more so, it has to do with using your God given talents to help others. I use mine to help women coming off the streets that have been caught in the horrific sex trafficking trade.

My latest was to volunteer my time to a Non-profit organization that provides apartments to women that were able to escape this horrible situation. This apartment was to be for a young 18 year old girl who had given birth 3 months prior while she was just 17.

These are not luxury apartments, they are not in nice apartment buildings and they are not in a great area of town. They are places that most of us wouldn’t want to enter.

But to them it is a palace.

This is pretty common what I see when I enter. One room…it is the kitchen, the bedroom, the dining room and the living room. But hey….I am a Home Stager. I see potential! Ha.

The bathrooms are usually disgusting.

These women coming off the streets have nothing. And I mean nothing. It takes very little to help.

Let’s create a dining room shall we?? A donated table and some cafe chairs from a flea market painted a fun color.

Dishes from the dollar store, artwork from ,my warehouse and a Dining Room fit for a Queen.

The only thing I make sure of is that the mattress, box spring and bedding is brand spanking new.

The bed has not been a safe place for them and now I want it to be a place of total comfort and peace.

A little touch of chocolates on the bed and fresh flowers on the dresser to make them smile.

A donated bedroom set and a chair and that really is all there is room for but it is so much more than she has had. Really….she has nothing.

Donated kettles in the cabinets, a few groceries to get her started.

A new shower curtain and towels from Kmart.

……….and now there is a home for a girl and her baby.

Do you agree? Does Sex Trafficking and Home Staging have a lot in common?

What are your talents that you can share with someone?

Good with numbers? Help a new widow reconcile a checkbook for the first time.

Good with organization? Help a single Mom organize her child’s toys.

Good with paperwork? Help an elderly person fill out medicare or social security forms.

***Interested in how and why I started donating my time? Check out my original post “Do You Have A Dream? Let Me Tell You a Story”

What is your buyer’s reaction really worth?

Home Staging – Cost versus Benefit

The price of Home Staging….is it worth it? That is always a question on the minds of home owners especially if their home is vacant.

It isn’t cheap to bring in furniture and have it staged. There is of course the rental fee for furniture but it is also all the labor. The movers, the truck, the staging time to pack everything, stage the home and then come back and pack it all up when it sells.

So is it really worth it?

I recently staged a 1904 three story home that sat vacant for many months. Let’s look at the cost versus the benefit of Home Staging for this architectural jewel in a classic neighborhood of St. Paul, MN

Cost…

1) The old cliché  is true….Home Staging almost always costs less than the first price reduction.

2) In addition, Home Staging is usually less than the carrying costs for one month. Let’s look at the costs involved in maintaining a vacant home:

Mortgage, interest, real estate taxes, insurance, water, heat, air conditioning, electricity, shoveling or lawn maintenance services, cleaning services, and maintenance upkeep.

Buyer after: “Wow, look at the vintage subway tile on the fireplace, check out those bay windows.”

Buyer Before: “What the heck am I going to do with this small room right off the Living Room?”

Buyer After: “What a great room for the kids to watch TV!”

Buyer Before: “This is kind of dark and dreary.”

Buyer After: “Look at this stunning wood and original lead glass windows. And that built-in hutch that is 109 years old – Incredible!”

Buyer Before: “The kitchen is nice.”

Buyer After: “I want this kitchen! The kids will love this bench for eating breakfast every morning.”

Buyer Before: “Huff…ah, ah…after climbing three flights of stairs it better be worth it. This is it?”

Buyer After: “I can’t wait to run up those stairs to get up here every night. I am heading off to soak in the tub and then curl up with a book on that window seat by the fire.”

“Oh….that’s right, give me the papers to sign and make it snappy.”

So…which statements are your buyers saying? What is their reaction worth?

If the difference is getting your home sold in days versus months, may the benefits of Home Staging outweigh the costs?

If you would like to discuss the cost versus benefits of Home Staging for your property, please give us a call at 952-567-1124 or visit our website at www.RoomsWithStyle.com.

APSD Home Stager Pro Hands On Training and Certification

Next Class Dates April 24 – 28, 2013 in Minneapolis, MN and is one of the most complete Home Staging Courses offered throughout the country.

Most Home Staging Businesses fail because they don’t know how to market or run a business. As a CPA as well as an experienced Home Stager I will teach you both.

Four Days. Totally Hands On.

Working with a Large Warehouse Inventory of Furniture and Accessories.

Learn how to create ‘Pockets of Emotion’, a registered trademarked of APSD.

You get to pick your furniture, pick your accessories and stage a home that will be listed for sale.

Practice, practice, practice makes this a top notch training session that will teach you what you need to know to be successful.

Learn the ‘tricks of the trade’……

Learn important industry terminology and how to market your business…….

Have you dreamed of being a Home Stager? Do you see Home Stagers in action and think…..man I would love to do that! Well now is your time!

Now is the time to become A Certified Home Stager!!

Your Home Staging Training MN will include:

Staging an Owner Occupied Home.

Practicing Home Staging Consultations.

Staging a Vacant Home.

Creating ‘Pockets of Emotion’ for your particular buyer.

Marketing ideas galore!

Plus a half day of ‘how to run a buisness’ advice!

Sign Up Soon and receive a $600 Early Bird Discount!

More information and sign up at: www.coursesinhomestaging.com

Yes, sometimes it really is better if your renter moves out.

Minneapolis MN Home Stager

I see this alot. People have rental properties and when they decide to sell they put it on the market while the renter is living in the property. After six months or a year it is still for sale and they wonder why.

You may be one of the few landlords where your tenants have beautiful furniture, keep their home spotless, and are so willing to assist you with getting your property sold.

But….if you aren’t living in a fantasy world the norm is your tenant has nothing to gain and probably a lot to lose if your property is sold. There is no incentive for them to keep it clean as a minimal starting point much less everything else that goes with selling.

Luckily this Landlord knew that.

Having all the furniture centered around the TV isn’t optimal for selling besides the fact you should never walk into the back of furniture right inside the door.

And using the Dining Room as a place to have your speakers for a jam session may not bring top dollar.

A kitchen filled with clutter….aahhh..NO.

This space had so much potential but the renter’s furniture wasn’t showing what it could be.

A HUGE master bedroom with a sitting area is a huge selling feature but when the sitting area is used for storage is just feels gross.

And this Master Bedroom retreat wasn’t feeling very tranquil.

So….let’s see what the Landlord received when they had asked the advice of Rooms With Style Home Staging.

The renter moved out, a paint color was selected, then the property was staged with modern furnishings.

An open arrangement floor plan for the living room:

An actual Dining Room:

A kitchen that now shows all the counter tops, built-in bookshelves and a place for stools.

And how about this wonderful hearth area alongside the fireplace now? What a great place for people to sit and sip a cocktail while you are cooking during a dinner party.

The Master Bedroom Retreat and sitting area….now the buyer can see what the space can be.

This property sold in six days when units directly on each side of it had been for sale long before theirs.

Don’t gamble that your tenant will do what is best for you in showing your property in it’s best light. If at all possible, take the time to have them move out, freshen the space and do any necessary upgrades and have the property staged.

It will save you in the long run.

If you need advice on what to do with your rental property. Call:

Rooms With Style Home Staging and Redesign in Minneapolis, MN

952-567-1124

www.RoomsWithStyle.com

Bathrooms – Easy Updates, Fixing Awkward Builder’s Errors and A Room That Makes Them Smile!

Home Staging Minneapolis, MN

Yup….you heard me. The bathroom is the perfect place to make the buyer smile.

But first, lets look at how Home Staging can assist with easy updates.

The Master Bath is more important than a guest bathroom. However, the buyer almost always comes to the guest bathroom first as they walk through a home. So don’t let it set a negative tone that your house is outdated.

Outdated immediately screams ‘MONEY NEEDED’ to the buyer and so many times there are easy and inexpensive fixes to update the space.

This guest bath has many negatives but take a look at the mirror.

A standard builder’s mirror can be made to look like an expensive framed mirror for less than $20. Easy as 1 – 2 – 3.

1) Purchase one piece of pre-finished white molding.

2) Measure and cut 4 mitered cuts.

3) Glue directly to the mirror.

That’s it!

A boring mirror now takes on the look of an expensive classy framed mirror. A new light fixture along with a neutral and modern paint color completes the total updated bath. A new light fixture is the easiest way to update your bathroom!

Second, Home Staging can fix awkward wasted spaces.

Some builders just don’t think things through and miss some details no matter how thorough they are. As a Home Stager it is my job to make the space seem natural.

In this luxurious Master Bathroom, the builder left a very awkward space next to the vanity right before the linen closet. It was too late to add more cabinets and fix the error. NEVER LEAVE AN AWKWARD SPACE FOR THE BUYER TO FIGURE OUT.

I decided this was a great space to add some glitz and glamour and actually get them to walk over to the  space to take a look at the detailed touches!

What awkward space??

And last but not least……. make your buyer smile. And isn’t the bathroom the perfect place to do that.

This house had an outdated bathroom but with classic HIS and HER spaces!

Love it. Accent the positive I say….

HERS……. spa, tranquil, sparkle and feminine.

HIS….testoserone, shaving, and flexing his manly biceps!

Who wouldn’t remember this house! But no need…it sold at it’s first showing on Day 1.

Emotion will get them every-time. Every-time. Just make sure it’s a good emotion. LOL

BATHROOMS – they are the most important rooms in the house after the kitchen. So update them, fix awkward spaces and make the buyer remember your house over your competition’s by making them smile.

If you need some suggestions on how to update your bathrooms, call Rooms With Style to set an appointment today! 952-567-1124.

www.RoomsWithStyle.com

2012 – My Most Meaningful Project. Home Staging & Redesign Minneapolis MN

At the end of each year I like to look back and think about the projects I have worked on. I had some that were great, some that were easy, some that were tough and of course I had my favorites or most memorable projects.

At the completion of each project I have almost always had fun but there is always one or two that stood out.  For 2012 I had a few:

1) Favorite Home Staging New Construction,

2) Favorite Redesign Project and,

3) Most Meaningful Project

So here is the third of my three ’2012 Year In Review’ posts: My Most Meaningful Project!

This project won’t make it on the cover of Home Beautiful….it won’t bring any Woos and Haaas over the spectacular furnishings and color.

But….it did bring tears to my eyes and joy to my heart to have the honor to do this quick project.

I received a call one day from a developer that I had staged Model Homes for before but this time he needed some help closer to home. His Mom was going to be moved into a Nursing Home as she was in the final stages of Parkinson’s Disease.

The move was taking place in a couple days and on that day, I only had a few hours to complete the project. My assignment:

1) Pick pieces from her home to take to the nursing home room to make it feel like her home,

2) When I removed pieces from her home….fill in with other pieces so the home looked unchanged, and

3) Do the entire selection, packing, loading, move, unloading (we even moved her hospital bed) and decorate the nursing home room in 3 hours or less.

On the day she was being moved I showed up at her home with my movers and waited to the side as she was put into their vehicle and left her home for the last time.

Her husband of 60 years whom I had never met sobbed in my arms. He couldn’t believe she was leaving their home.

I was then told to also pack up a room of items for the husband as he was going to get an efficiency apartment at the same facility down the hall from her so he would be close by. I still had only 3 hours total!

Nursing Home Room Before:

After: She was greeted with her own items when she was wheeled in…..

I made sure she was surrounded with small mementos and family pictures.

Her Husband of 60 Years: His efficiency down the hall before…..

A few hours later……A cozy room for him at the end of a very difficult and emotional day.

Bedroom on Left Side:

And on the right his favorite recliner, TV and an extra chair for his Grand-kids when they visited.

And a few special photos and mementos to make it seem like home for him. I felt he deserved some flowers too…..

I want to commend the son for what he did. He wanted his Mom to enter her new home (the nursing home room) having it look as much like her own home as possible.  He also wanted to ease the pain for his Dad in taking her there.

What a true sign of love for his Mom and Dad.

I felt the pressure to get this one right more than any other project. I had 3 hours while they drove her around and fed her lunch to do the impossible but in the end it was the best 3 hour project I have ever done.

If you missed the first two 2012 Year In Review Posts check them out at:

2012 – My Favorite Home Staging for New Construction.

2012- My Favorite Redesign Project of the Year.

If you would like assistance with your home contact Rooms With Style. 952-567-1124

2012 – My Favorite Redesign Project. Home Staging & Redesign Minneapolis MN

At the end of each year I like to look back and think about the projects I have worked on. I had some that were great, some that were easy, some that were tough and of course I had my favorites or most memorable projects.

At the completion of each project I have had so much fun and gotten so involved that it feels like I have given birth to a child and it is my favorite. We really shouldn’t have favorite children but how can you not?  For 2012 I had a few:

1) Favorite Home Staging New Construction,

2) Favorite Redesign Project and,

3) Most Meaningful Project

So here is the second of my three ’2012 Year In Review’ posts: My Favorite Redesign Project!

This project was so much fun! First of all it was a lake home about an hour outside of Minneapolis so I got to spend the entire beautiful summer day at the lake!

Second, when working on Redesign projects the purpose is to use as much of the owners items as possible. You take what they have and ‘Redesign’. Well this client had the COOLEST items!

I had worked with this client before on her principal residence in the city so when she called me to come Redesign her lake home I couldn’t wait. I literally arrived on moving day with the movers taking out the past owners things and bringing in my clients things.

I had free rein to do what I wanted and put things where-ever I thought they should go.

Take a look:

Entryway Upon My Arrival:

Entryway Upon My Departure:

Living Room Upon My Arrival:

Living Room Upon My Departure:

Family Room Upon My Arrival:

And My FAVORITE AREA EVER!! Hip Urban Chic Meets the North Woods!!

Family Room Upon My Departure:

So….can you see why it made my Top Favorites List of 2012?

If you missed My first 2012 Year In Review Post check it out at: 2012 – My Favorite Home Staging for New Construction.

If you would like some assistance with your home contact Rooms With Style. 952-567-1124