Will Buyers Really Look in My Closets?

You can count on it.  Buyers do open closets.  Here are some quick tips to get your closets in the game.

1.  Almost without exception I tell my clients to pack up at least 1/2 of their closet before they even begin to organize it. 
2.  Use all the same hangers if possible.  I don't care if they are wire, plastic, flocked or wood.  Just get them uniform and hang them all in the same direction.
3.  Clear the floor.  Not most of the floor, really get everything off the floor.

4.  Use a system for clothes.  Hang the shirts, skirts, dresses, and pants together in groups.  Then organize in each group by color.

5. Have a shoe plan.  For most women this means you need to pack up most shoes and have a system for keeping what you must keep out until you move....and remember they can't be on the floor.  See rule number 2.

6.  Put odds and ends in baskets and store neatly on shelves.
7.  Keep dirty clothes out of sight (and smell) and covered up.  Wouldn't you just hate people looking at your dirty....socks?
8.  Vacuum the carpet inside the closet.

Top Ten Mistakes a Seller Can Make When Trying to Sell Their Home

This article was born after a particularly interesting day visiting Open Houses in Highland Village and Coppell.   It is a lot of work to have a home on the market.  Seek the advice of your Realtor or Stager when preparing for an Open House in North Texas.


number 10-  If you remove a light fixture put another one in its place.  Don't just put a metal cap on it.
number 9-  If you are going to leave the closets open when showing the house make sure the closets are not scary looking.
number 8- Don't hang signs up all over the house for buyers.  "This room could be a nursery"  just doesn't cut it. 
number 7-  Having dirty carpets but putting up a notice that you are willing to give a carpet allowance.  Deferred maintainance is a red flag for buyers.  Clean the carpets and if they still don't look great consult with your Realtor and Stager about whether replacing them makes good financial sense. 
number 6-  Leaving keys in any doors just isn't safe.  When you have an open house remove keys, medicines, bills, jewelry etc. 
number 5-  If you have a great backyard, with an awesome outdoor living space  it is not a good idea to leave your killer gaurd dog outside.  Buyers won't go outside if the dog looks menacing.  Take the dog with you so buyers will see all the great things your backyard has to offer. 
number 4- Don't hang out with your agent during an Open House thinking buyers won't figure out who you are.   Go away and let the agent concentrate on those visiting your home.  Everyone is more comfortable asking questions if you are not there.
number 3-Don't leave the answering machine volume up when you are showing your house.  Imagine getting a call from the bank or a repair person when someone is looking at your house. 
number 2-   Cooking broccoli and other strong smelling foods while your house is on the market could leave a lingering distraction for buyers.  Be in tune to the smells associated with your home...they can either really work for you (smell of cookies, fresh laundry, Pledge) or really work against you (smoke, broccoli, mold, cat).
and number 1- Never underestimate the possibilities when your  house gets a showing!  You have this one shot; be prepared so they see your property at its best.  Every showing could be your last if you play your cards right.

Practical Painting Tips

Staging a Master Bathroom in Under an Hour

Master bathrooms are very important.  Follow this step by step process and you will be on your way in no time to designing a bathroom that is appealing to buyers!!

1. Remove every item from every surface.  Completely empty the room of rugs, accessories, products, towels, dryers, plungers, toilet lid covers, trash cans, scales ....everything.  Start with a completely blank slate. 
2. Clean, clean, clean. Kitchens and bathrooms must feel like no one ever really uses them. These 2 rooms must be over the top clean.... No one wants to buy a used bathroom.
3.  Pick a contrasting color for towels and one bath mat.  If your bathroom is dark; pick white.  If your bathroom is white pick a gorgeous gold, green or black.  This is a good time to invest in some new "show towels and a rug".  
4. Add a stack of folded towels to a surface (side of tub or countertop, etc).  Place towels like you imagine a 4 star hotel would.
5. Add one nice piece of art.  Be sure it is reflected in the mirror. 
6. Add a plant or greenery to either the tub area or the countertop.
7. Replace any outdated fixtures and towel bars.
8. Add one decorative element or grouping.  This could be candles, glass vases with cotton balls, a lovely tray or a loofah and sponge.
9. Stop.  Make sure that the bathroom looks "spa like" and stop. 
10. Create your system for adding and removing products daily.  Consider putting your shower products in a bucket and storing the bucket under a sink when you aren't actually in the shower. 

Quick Checklist Before Any Showing

by Debra Rosser of Staging Matters

1. Beds are made neatly.
2. Clutter is removed and everything is in it’s place. Take a moment to gather any items that are out of place. Keep an empty laundry basket at all times. When a showing is coming sometimes it is easiest to just put anything out of place in the laundry basket (I’ve even known people who put dishes into the basket when they were in a hurry). Put the laundry basket in the car so the mess drives away from the house when you do.
3. Check the kitchen and quickly wipe down all counter tops and kitchen table.
4. Either let some fresh air in the house for a few minutes or spray a clean smelling fragrance. Remember that some people are very sensitive to smells so avoid flowery fragrances using ones that smell like vanilla or fresh laundry instead.
5. Turn on every light and open every blind. People buy bright, well lit houses.
6. Keep the yard free of children’s bikes and toys.
7. Wipe down sink areas so they sparkle.
8. Close every toilet lid, and remove any toothbrushes.
9. Turn on some soft music, classical or “elevator” type music is best.
10. Turn down the volume on your answering machine; your messages are private and you wouldn’t want someone looking at your house to hear them.
11. Remember to remove from the home anything of value.
12. It is a serious mistake to be home during a showing. Plan ahead of time where you will go when there is a showing (park, neighbor’s home, mall, grocery store, on a walk, etc). People viewing your house shouldn’t have any distractions!
13. When you leave if it is at all possible take the animals in the home with you. You only have this one shot to get people comfortable enough to seriously consider buying your home. If you can’t take a dog with you then at least confine them to a crate. Your animal could become a liability if left loose.
14. Any cat litter boxes should be covered, clean and out of the way.
15. Spend time each week looking at the front and back of the home. Keep yards mowed neatly, leaves raked up and weeds out of the garden!


Doing these things will help your house sell! Living in a house that is on the market is very inconvenient but doing these things consistently will increase your chances of a sale with every showing.

Realtors, Are you getting the most out of Staging?

by Debra Rosser, a North Texas stager with Staging Matters

1. Staging is not decluttering and cleaning. Doing these two things does improve how a home looks of course but it isn't "the staging magic" that sells a house quickly and for top dollar. Think about builders' homes. They are staged. They are not plain, neutral and empty looking. Their homes have a feeling; a warmth, some charm, a style, some color and accessories. This is not on accident. They are creating environments that ask a buyer to stay; look around; imagine what it would be like to live in this home. They are creating spaces that buyers will "aspire" to live in. It works; that is why they continue to do it. Less is more (until it looks boring)...let stagers find the right balance in each home.

2. Every home that is staged should not come out with the same look. A great stager will look at what a homeowner already has and will build from there. Some homes lend themselves to a formal look; others to a comfortable look. A good home stager will have looked at other homes in the same price range and either try to beat what she sees or create a different look so the home stands out amidst the competition. I recently staged a home with a casual/garden feel. All the other homes in that price range have a more formal feel. Strategically this will make this home easy to remember by buyers at the end of a long day of looking at houses. ( Fingers crossed.)

3. I am a homestager. I am a full time, serious stager. To borrow a thought from Donna Dazzo, a stager I admire, "I am not a real estate agent, a property manager, a staging trainer and a furniture rental company". I focus on two things, home staging and redesign. I do those two things well because they are my focus.

4. It not only takes vision and talent to stage a home but it takes time and energy. As an agent you may have the vision and talent but your time and energy are better spent getting listings and showing houses, this is where your profits lie. Use the time you would spend staging on getting another listing.

5. Ouch! This one is going to hurt a little but.... As I research who the "big dog Realtors" are in Flower Mound, Highland Village and beyond there is one thing they all do. Wait for it..... They stage every listing. They advertise that they stage every listing. They are committed to staging every listing. It makes them shiny. It is one of the secret weapons that helps win them listings and it is why their inventory is constantly changing. Staging is not their only secret but it is an obvious one to me. They pay for an initial staging consultation and for some actual hands-on staging. I'd estimate this costs them about three to four hundred dollars(for a 1/2 day of staging).  This investment in marketing pays off; they are the big dogs. You may not be able to pay for that yet (or you may feel that the client should pay for the stager just like they pay for the inspector and appraiser...this is a valid point) but find a stager that you like and work through a plan that will still deliver real results for your clients; even if you don't pay for it.  Taking the time to brainstorm solutions to your business needs with a stager is time well spent.

Part 2

6. Spending $75 on each house to have a stager run through in under an hour and tell the homeowner a few things to do isn't going to have a big payoff. If that is what you have tried, paying a stager a small fee for a quick visit....you owe it to yourself to try a different approach or save your money. If it was that easy then we really could create a checklist and homeowners could do it themselves.
(To be fair, if you are paying a small fee for a stager to meet with your client, go over the project and propose actual staging time then your cost is justified as long as a lot of your clients do actually book more staging time/advice).  For a homeowner to really get the most out of staging; they should spend some time actually working with the stager in their home getting some main living areas staged.  Staging is an art and it is hard to really get great results from reading a report or simply clearing all the counters.  Creating that "feeling" that buyers like takes skill...it is not something that happens in 1 hour.

7. Waiting until a house has been on the market for a long time and then calling in a stager...not the best choice.   I'd bet my left arm that you knew it wasn't going to sell quickly but you were so excited to get that listing that you didn't want to make any waves. The waves are coming if you don't change the condition of the house so why not pay a stager to "make the waves" from the beginning so you will have some smooth sailing later. Be proactive and stage them first whenever you can.  Staging pays very well and makes for happy clients.  Why?  Because they get to move on so much faster.

8. Isn't it time to develop some strong partnerships. We should be able to talk honestly about a listing, the challenges and goals. It takes 3 things to sell a house. Neither of us can affect the location but let me market and merchandise the inside of the house, you price it right and market it to the outside world and I bet the results will be remarkable.

9. I can afford to be bolder than you can be. In fact that is part of what makes me a good stager. I will tell the homeowner the truth (if I can't get them to tell me that same truth on their own). My relationship with them doesn't last as long as yours. Let me say what you are thinking. Trust that I will know what needs to get done and I will find a way to talk about it. My only real goal is to maximize a homeowner's profits and reduce their stress. This happens with a healthy offer and a quick sale. I am focused on correcting the things that will get in the way. If there is a way; I will find it.

 If you haven't seen results with staging then it may be time to try a new stager and develop a new staging plan. You should feel like the stager you are working with is bright, dedicated and invested. She should be helping you market your home in some new ways.

I love what I do. I am good at it. I can feel when a Realtor thinks they don't need help with staging and I am frustrated if I look at their listings and know that they could be getting different results. What if I am as good at marketing the inside of the home as you are about marketing to the outside world of buyers? That could make for a fabulous team!!!!  I'd love to brainstorm with you today....

Our New Website is Up

Please check out our new website.  It is now up and we will be adding lots of things to it in the coming weeks so come back often!!!
Let us know how you like it.
http://www.thestagingmatters.com/