330 Days on the Market then…….Home Staging in St. Paul MN sells it 5 Days later!!

Yes, approximately 330 days on the market and then a home stager was brought in. What a transformation. This house is magnificent and because of that the owner thought the bones of the home alone would sell it.

As you can see it had very dated gray carpet and very cold gray paint. It did nothing for the architectural features of this 1928 house. The owner listened to the advise and pulled up the carpet, refinished the floors (STUNNING) and repainted the cold walls. As you can see this alone was a HUGE improvement.

The owner also listened to the home stager’s advice and brought in fresh furnishings to replace the very tired limited furniture. This really created a “WOW” factor and showed the home at its full potential.

Yes, the owner did invest some money to do this but it paid off. Not only were they thrilled with the results but they got an offer 5 days later.

Home Staging is important any time in the process but before the home is ever listed is the best. This home is almost 6000 sq. ft so although they spent some money to update it, if they had done it from the beginning they may have saved 11 months of carrying costs such as heat, electricity, and insurance ; not to mention the daily trips to the home to check on it.

At the second Realtor Open for the ‘unveiling’ of the new and improved home , Realtor’s mouths literally dropped for those that had seen it before. The purchase agreement says it all.

Rooms With Style Can Assist you with All your Home Staging and Redesign needs.

The 70′s were a great decade for many of us. Can you say “Disco”? How about “love the water-bed”. But the 70′s when selling a house is not the best flash from the past. This townhome in Rosemount, MN got a quick ride on a time machine so it can now compete for a modern 2010 buyer.

Selling a home is competitive and your buyer needs to see themselves living in THIS decade.

Listen to the feedback you are receiving on your home or listing and do something about the negative feedback whenever possible. A professional Home Staging Expert can be a huge help.

I was called to stage this vacant property that had almost been sold when first listed but the buyer walked away because they loved to entertain and they didn’t know if they could fit a dining room table in the area right outside the kitchen. Months went by with no more interest so the owner wanted my opinion on whether or not the area could be a dining room.

I took a look and made the decision that is was a perfect spot for a dining room. There was even a light right above the center of the area for a chandelier to be added. The previous owner did not use it as a dining room and the MLS photos reflected this as it showed it with their living room furniture prior to them moving out.

Rooms With Style staged the property to reflect a dining room and in addition I put in a larger table in the eat-in space in the kitchen. The kitchen area can now seat four instead of two; the “formal” dining area right outside the kitchen can now seat 4-6.

This home went from showing an area that only two could eat comfortably to seating for up to ten.

The first showing after the vacant home staging was a couple that looked at 32 homes. They listed this one as their Second favorite and it was their Realtor’s favorite. How is that for changing opinions! 

Listen to the feedback, when it is negative address it and do something about it whenever possible. Ask the advice of a Professional Home Stager.   

Rooms With Style was recently called to complete a vacant home staging in this newly refurbished and updated home in Golden Valley, MN. The home is stunning with beautiful detailing.

The problem was the buyer could not differentiate between the living area and the dining area. Although the wiring had been completed, the builder chose to not add a dining room light fixture so the new home owner could place it exactly where they wanted it. Great idea but it did leave some confusion.

The dining space is small but appears so much smaller when it is vacant. The living area is also small making it difficult for the buyer to imagine how the furniture will be place in this open room floor plan. In addition, the room echoed and was cold and sterile. 

The rooms are now well defined and cozy. Home Staging can make a HUGE difference! Which do you think the buyer can visualize themselves living in?

Don’t let your listings be cold and stark. Have a Professional Home Stager turn them into a charming and cozy home that anyone would want to move into.  

Something a Home Stager knows is that Master Bedrooms are extremely important square footage and should be treated as valuable property!

In my opinion if someone has narrowed it down to two homes to buy the deciding factor will be the Kitchen and Master Bedroom. Everyone knows “kitchens sell homes”. I don’t disagree. But, I think the Master Bedroom is a close second and so many sellers ignore that room. Check out this difference:

  Which speaks of a Master Retreat to you? Which do you think the buyer can see themselves relaxing in?

If you have ever watched the TV Program on HGTV called “House Hunters”, it is almost without a doubt one of the comments will be “this master bedroom is too small” or “this master bedroom is so boring”. Both these negative comments can be overcome.

A small appearing bedroom probably needs the right size furniture and the boring bedroom needs a few dollars to provide luxury. On “House Hunters” the buyers went against their better judgement and bought a home with a “too small” master bedroom because of the incredible views. They were shocked that a queen bed and two night stands fit no problem. The bedroom had been vacant and they had no sense of size, many buyers probably passed on the home for the same reason.

A Master Bedroom should look simple and elegant. Many buyers have put huge upgrades into the rest of their home and never got around to doing anything with their private space since no one sees it. Get some inexpensive bedding, buy some lamps, rent a bed frame or headboard if needed, just MAKE IT SHINE!

Positioning of the bed is also important. The bed should always be placed to make a statement when entering the room and try to avoid putting it in front of a window if possible.

Don’t overlook some of the most valuable square footage in your home. Ask Rooms With Style to assist you in making a lasting impression with the buyer OR how to achieve that special retreat for you to enjoy before you move.

Rooms With Style was called to do a Vacant Home Staging at this great home in South Minneapolis, MN. A wonderful older two story with tons of charm and character.

Rooms With Style has their own warehouse of furniture and accessories. We pick out each furniture piece down to the smallest accessory specifically for your home to suit the style, size of room as well as the targeted buyer. No two homes are the same and your staging shouldn’t be either.

Living Room Before and After:

 Dining Room Before and After:

I was thrilled when I received a call from the home owner saying he received an offer within seven days and the closing date was already set!

Last week I had the pleasure to stage this Vacant Condo in Edina, MN. The investor contacted me the previous week to submit a bid and within a few days we had a signed contract.

The investor had put in new carpet, counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and lighting and now all it needed was some pizazz.

Home Staging provides the wow factor needed to take it from good to great. This previously beautiful but beige home is now beautiful and bold.

Don’t let your listing be forgotten. Have them professionally staged so the buyer will not only remember it but make an offer!

There are Two Reasons a Home Doesn’t Sell…..It’s Overpriced or It’s Ugly. I heard this phrase on a television show on HGTV and it has always stuck in my head.

There is so much truth to this simple statement. One can say…”Well, a bad location on a busy road is why it isn’t selling”. True, but than the price would reflect the bad location. Someone will be willing to overlook the busy road, if it is not overpriced based on the less than ideal location.

Or a potential buyer may say…”I refuse to buy this house as I’ll be spending days removing the wallpaper”. Again true, but that means the house is probably ugly. If people don’t like wallpaper they won’t like the house. If they like wallpaper but not that pattern, they won’t like the house. It doesn’t matter that you the seller likes the wallpaper, it may be “ugly” in the eye of the buyer and that is all that matters. Take the wallpaper down.

Many times sellers think their house is the exception to the rule. That their house is great, that it warrants a higher price, that they don’t need a Home Stager because they have the best decorating and it was expensive.

You may have expensive decorating but if it is too overdone or too taste specific it won’t appeal to the majority of the buyers.

Your house may be special but your Realtor knows your competition. Hire Professionals. Listen to the Professionals. And don’t take it personally.

Price AND Presentation are both important. One without the other will usually result in zero offers.

Do your homework to find a Home Stager and Realtor that will work for you and maybe even have some Tough Love for you. A professional Home Stager and a Realtor have your best interests at heart.

Is it okay to toot my own horn? I feel a little weird about it but if I don’t…who will?

I found out yesterday that I have been selected as a Semi-Finalist to be one of the next Top MyKirkland’s Designers! Yeah!! How cool is that!!

After all the applications they have narrowed it down to 20. Now I have to go through a 30 minute interview with the corporate office in Nashville. The top 10 will be selected and then America will be able to vote online with Five Designers being Selected. I’m counting on my friends to vote. But only if you are voting for me of course. LOL

I hope I make it to the top 10. I hope I am selected to be one of the Top Designers. If I only make it to the top 20 I will still take it as an honor.

Here are the design before and after photos I submitted with my application.

A little side note about this project. I did EVERY room in the house. LR, DR, FR, TOY ROOM, MB and bedrooms for 6 kids. It was all new paint colors (of which they loved dark), every piece of furniture was new down to lamps, artwork, accessories, drapes, drapery rods, bedding, sheets, bed pillows, and rugs. Only one TV was keep.

I had 10 days to complete the project top to bottom, including all the shopping, coordinating and design day. Out of that 10 days I had only 1 1/2 days to pull it all together with furniture delivery at 9:00 one morning and the big reveal at 3:00 the next day. Not a whole crew, just a team of two. Whew.

Click on the top link above to see more photos of this project.

Below is a blog written by Sharon of Sharon Tara Transformations, a home stager in New Hampshire. What she has to say is relevant in MN and any area of the country and I wanted to re-blog it here for you:

The smartest way to sell your house is to do your Home Work.

There is so much complaining about the market – the state of real estate…doom and gloom and falling prices.   What’s a seller to do? 

I’ll tell you what not to do…don’t fall prey to the headlines.   Many sellers in New Hampshire are doing just that.  One after another they are becoming “price reduced” statistics.  

If you want your house to sell, take control and take action- Do Your Home Work!

Strategically marketed products sell…

Those in tune with today’s market know that the key to the sale is preparation.

Do your homework and find out what houses comparable to yours have sold for recently.

Do your homework and find the agent that will best represent you. 

Do your homework and have a home inspection to avoid costly surprises later.

Do your homework and find a professional home stager to give you advice on the best presentation.

Consult with your team of professionals to create a list of needed improvements to transform your house into a “market ready” product for sale.  Once you have been advised on what needs to be done…do your home WORK…

pull up your sleeves and do the work or hire someone to do it for you.

Once the house is show ready, make sure your online photographs represent a spacious, well maintained, emotionally appealing home.  Maintain the appearance for every showing.

Buyers want move-in ready…

For the best possible result…DON’T LIST your house until your preparation is complete