COLD, NAKED, AND ALONE
Exposed. Completely exposed. Every minor flaw and tiny imperfection on display. My photographs are all over the internet subject to harsh reviews, critical comments by strangers who will never see me in person. Some are quickly dismissive while others may charitably muse to their friends or lovers about what cosmetic procedures or other improvements could be made. Viewed in person, where I am cold, naked and alone, people hastily find fault and are brutal with their criticisms. Sure, I have some really nice features, if it only it wasn’t for this or for that; some little negative perception that people use to devalue me and attack my worth.
Life is tough for a vacant home in today’s real estate market!
The "Before" photograph of the Great Room at 27 Front Street, Palm Coast, FL 32137 is a perfect example.
Most buyers are seeking a “great deal” on a home or simply want a home that is move-in ready. It has been my experience that a potential buyer will look for any conceivable flaw, real or imagined to use as a potential bargaining chip to negotiate for a reduced selling price. On average nine out of ten buyers look at properties on-line and make fairly quick decisions about which homes they want to visit in person. A person’s imagination can be a funny thing. On the one hand, when visiting a home on the market that is currently occupied most people are not able to see past the homeowners “things.” Yet, these same folks generally cannot enter a vacant house and envision what it would be like furnished; how good it would feel to make that place their home.
I love the challenge of staging an empty house. It makes a difference in the way potential buyers react to the house on-line and in person. We want folks to stop, look and linger. Staging a vacant Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Flagler County home means that I must place every single piece of furniture, bed linens, towels, lamps, decorative objects, art and all other items that make a house feel like a home.
The "After" photograph of the Great Room at 27 Front Street, Palm Coast, FL 32137 tells a different story.
Fully dressed, minor imperfections are minimized and assets are highlighted. The space becomes warm, friendly and inviting. I stage homes that buyers will love, connect with emotionally and want to make their own.
OUR LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH BATH SCALES
It’s a ritual that gets played out in millions and millions of homes by millions and millions people nearly every morning and for some people - several times a day. Yes, the bath scale. There are all kinds of bath scales from the extremely affordable to the super fancy, multi-function, really, really pricy models. Some scales are more utilitarian looking while others sport a sleeker design.
Regardless of cost or design, these little contraptions seem to have a death-grip on our psyches. This is one of the most emotion inducing devices on the planet. The number on the bathroom scale can alter our mood, impact our self-esteem and the quality of our day in less than one minute. We stand there cold, naked and vulnerable praying for a number that we might find respectable. If we don’t hit that magic number then anger, despair and even self-loathing can be unleashed.
Not. A. Good. Way. To. Start. The. Day.
Did you ever expect that your favorite Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Flagler County certified, professional home stager would be posting about bath scales? How are bathroom scales even related to home staging or home styling? The answer lies in the emotions.
When staging your home and for photo styling it is important to design spaces that elicit positive emotions and responses. I talk and write a lot about micro-perceptions. It’s the little things that turn people off. The “there’s just something about that place I didn’t like” but nothing that they can readily point out. A micro-perception. It can be the subtle difference between receiving an offer or the buyer’s simply crossing your home off their list.
A bathroom scale is the ultimate micro-perception. I understand that we have scales and we use them; however the way we live in our homes and the way we market our homes are two very different concepts. We don’t however need to post pictures of our beautifully styled bathrooms on the internet with bathroom scales visible. Take them away and out of the picture frame. Ideally, if you occupy your Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Flagler County home while it is on the market, you will find a place to conveniently store your bathroom scale in-between weigh-ins! Let’s have buyers imagine living in their gorgeous new home, living the beautiful stress-free, no-diet life!
CLASSY COMFORTER IN UPSCALE PALM COAST BEDROOM
I really like this comforter set. As a professional home stager I spend a lot of time researching properties for sale in Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Flagler County, Florida. What’s not to love about living in a coastal community? Home staging is about attracting buyers through an appealing presentation of the home. The goal is to create "model-home" spaces that photograph beautifully so that your Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Flagler County, Florida home catches the attention of internet shoppers who will then want to visit in person.
Any easy way to transform any bedroom is by updating the linens. This comforter set is serene, calming and restful. It is elegant with rich shades of fern green, chocolate and crème. This is a room that you long to escape to at the end of an active day. A private retreat in which to relax and rejuvenate; all in grand style. I like that it has all of the colors of an outdoor nature preserve without resorting to a Palm tree motif. Perfect for a Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Flagler County, Florida home.
This luxurious eight-piece set came complete with a comforter, a bedskirt, two standard shams, two Euro shams and two decorative pillows. It is gender-neutral so every man will feel equally at peace in this beautiful, non-cliché environment. The best part? Amazing affordability. This entire set was less than $70 with tax! A set like this makes styling your Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Flagler County, Florida home easily affordable and almost effortless.
Staging your Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Flagler County, Florida home need not break the bank. A well-made bed with affordable linens can go a long way to protect the investment you have made in your home. Outdated bedding and a poorly made bed reflect badly on any home. We want internet shoppers to linger, not click through quickly. A small expenditure has the potential to save you thousands of dollars in price reductions and carrying costs.
If you are not selling your Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Flagler County, Florida home but simply want to upgrade the look and feel of your space, consider a change in bedding. Add in a few accessories and you will feel as if you have changed zip codes! Redesign does not need to break the bank.
Did I say I really liked this comforter set? I was so wrong. I love it! I love it! I love it!
CONCIOUS UNCOUPLING
Conscious uncoupling is the term that actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her rock musician husband Chris Martin used to describe their process of becoming unmarried. There are lots of words that could have been used such as divorce, dump, split-up, part ways, end, terminate and break-up; to name a few. Those that know me have heard me say time and again that “words matter” and “words have meaning.” But what does the decision by two celebrities to “consciously uncouple” or the meaning of words have to do with home staging?
It has to do with the emotions. Deciding to sell your home where you may have spent many years filled with a treasure-trove of memories, special pieces of furniture, mementos and family photographs can create emotional upheaval. You have loved, decorated and cared for your home. Now it is time to move on. Letting go can be very difficult even in the best of circumstances. Moving on does not have to be a negative experience. The more you can put yourself in to a positive frame of mind and “divorce” yourself from your home the easier the preparation and sale of your home will become.
As a certified, professional home stager serving the Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Flagler County luxury real estate market, it is my responsibility to merchandise and showcase your home so that it stands apart from the competition. That likely means that we will have a discussion about what specific actions need to be taken to get your home market ready. Your style and the way in which you choose to live in your home are uniquely yours. This is exactly as it should be. When selling however, it may be necessary to rearrange or remove furniture, remove or re-hang artwork, perform minor cosmetic repairs, neutralize paint colors and pack away cherished items and photographs. If you can “consciously uncouple” from your home the process will be less stressful and more enjoyable. One sure way to neutralize any emotional drama is to remember that your house is actually part of your investment portfolio. If packing away family photographs ahead of the sale will maximize your return on investment it only makes smart business sense to do so. Insisting the new owners take care of minor repairs or love your highly personalized color scheme is a sure way to delay the sale of your home and reduce profits.
Make the sale of your home as harmonious as possible through mindful preparation; emotionally as well as physically.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
In military circles, a force multiplier refers to an attribute or a combination of attributes that when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the effectiveness of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment. A very useful practice when there is a big operation to complete, with heightened tensions and the expectation that the job gets done quickly and at the lowest possible cost. Stated more simply, a force multiplier refers to any factor that dramatically increases (hence "multiplies") the effectiveness of an item or group.
Staging professionals - whether for home, commercial or marine property are force multipliers that help to amplify the efforts of the seller, investor and real estate agent. We provide services that showcase and amplify your efforts in order to produce results. I am proud of my work and share it widely. That means that the listing gets exposed in non-traditional real estate marketing venues. I have my own business web site where I post blogs about my projects. I post links and pictures of my projects to both my personal and Facebook business page. My business is linked to a formal social media networking group (Engaging Social Media) where posts are liked and re-shared exponentially increasing their reach. I post project pictures, videos and blogs on LinkedIn where in addition to my own network connections, I belong to national and international professional design and staging groups. Ditto for Google+ where I also post and share information about staged property in my professional staging circles that gets picked up across the nation and internationally too. I am a very active member of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Flagler County Real Estate Association as an affiliate where I have the opportunity to celebrate the smart, successful real estate professionals that recognize the value that professional home staging and styling brings to their listings.
I am a professional, certified and highly motivated member of the home or property selling team. I add value; I deliver outcomes – the successful sale at the best possible price. A force multiplier!
To further my mission of getting Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Flagler County homes sold quickly and for more money, I offer professional photo styling and video production as an add-on service to the traditional staging packages.
STOP THE SENSELESS DRONING
When will the incessant droning stop? Why is it thought that if a little is a good a lot must surely be better?
No, this not a politically motivated post or rant about politics.
It is about the alarming overuse of bad photographs taken from aerial photography drones.
I’m talking to you Mr. Real Estate agent! I know I am risking gender-bashing backlash here, but it is generally guys who have invested in these high-tech photography drones. Some of the shots are really terrific. Amazing and awesome. But then, we head straight to overkill and post pictures better left un-posted. Why? Because we have this great piece of technology that takes pictures from the air. Woo-hoo has quickly turned to boo-hoo!
For some reason unknown to me, this causes these generally savvy and astute marketers to take leave of theirs senses. Rather that showcase the finest attributes of the home, the first 18 pictures they happily post are of the property taken from the air. Usually, by photo number two, they have exploited that content for all it is worth. Home buyers in particular are interested in…wait for it…the HOME. Yes, of course we want to see the exterior but if it takes more than a picture or two to get us inside we begin to wonder what you are trying to hide! On-line marketing is critical to getting buyers through the door. If they click away from the listing from sheer exasperation caused by looking at “nothing special” exterior shots then what has been gained? The photographs should tell a story. Beginning, middle and end. Exterior, logical progression through the interior and conclude with the exterior. An on-line listing just this morning led with 18 exterior photos followed by eight of the interior and 14 of the exterior. This was not the Biltmore. It was very plain with almost non-existent landscaping. The house was lovely but smothered by the overwhelming number of drone shots.
Stop droning the deals!
Homeowners should be reviewing their on-line listing. Does it represent the home in the best possible light? Does it create the desire to be viewed in person or the excitement that “this could be the one?” If not, the real estate agent should contacted and asked to edit or re-order the on-line photographs.
As a certified, professional home stager and property stylist in Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Flagler County Florida, my goal is for properties to sell in the shortest amount of time for the highest possible price. Effective on-line marketing is one of the best strategies to facilitate that outcome.
