NO HOUSE LEFT BEHIND ought to become the mantra of every real estate agent.   As we deal with the consequences of a sluggish market, it becomes essential that a certain degree of renovation should take place prior to the listing of every home.  That is if you’re hoping to attract the selective buyers who have an over abundance of choices.

Any woman who’s ever has her favorite lipstick or eye shadow color discontinued might relate to this one.  Horror of horrors, my tried, tested and trusted paint color – the interior color that goes with traditional, contemporary and eclectic décor schemes alike had been discontinued.  To make matters worse, I was the last one to find out.

When a past student brought it to my attention and after I had wiped the egg off my face I jumped into action.  Always of the belief to keep it simple, I set about looking for the most up to date, practical for all styles of room, in all states of the country, paint color for home staging.

Naturally my thoughts turned to China as the time came for me to source a product specifically for The Power of Staging Classes.

I just love working with Real Estate Professionals!  They spend a size-able part of each day touring through other people’s homes.  Could this be the reason that collectively agents have the most fabulous sense of humor?  House hunters are naturally curious.  What we aiming for when staging a house is a smooth tour of the dwelling with no distractions.  Thanks to the never ending wisdom shared by agents in my classes the list of ways to depersonalize a home seems endless……… 

My October and November staging classes have been jam packed with agents eager to explore every option available to them.  It seems they’ll try anything that might reverse the momentum of the ever growing mound of unsold homes.  Yes, it’s clear, the pendulum has swung, and it is important to remember that the pendulum will swing again.

Kudos to the stagent who looked her sellers fearlessly in the eyes and announced that she was going to stage their home. First she had the sellers follow a ‘to do’ list of decluttering, cleaning and repairing.  She had them start the packing process and guided them as to how to store their items.

The story inspired me, especially because this is something I’ve always envisioned.  

I couldn’t help wondering why this client had asked to consult with me if she was opposed to everything I suggested. Our meeting felt like an arm wrestle as she flexed her muscle throughout our time together leaving me wondering which one of us had more experience in Home Staging.

Perhaps I should have said goodbye - especially as I was going to be away overseas for 5 weeks. Still unaccustomed to being a blogger, I'm reminded of my responsibility. It's almost like having a big family (out in the blogosphere) who are waiting to glean some news, wanting to know what intelligent information I might have to share.

After the real estate adage of location, location, location I think I'd like to add a new one; presentation, presentation, presentation."? And it seems I'm not alone."? There's a young bright spark out there who shares my views."? He's a Real Estate Agent with Orlando Real Estate."? I tracked him down to www.ekday.com"? and it's almost as if this young man has been reading my mind.

The Staging Spectrum is the name I have given to the degree of staging each different home may require."? Likewise it is the amount of staging each seller may be prepared to undertake in terms of time, energy and expenditure."? We may decide simply to clean and tidy the home and spend nothing or we may choose to stage the entire home and deliver truckloads of furniture giving it the look of a model home while also spending a substantial amount in the process.

After days of writer's blog ' sorry make that writer's block, I have decided to abandon my planned topic on how to beautify the exterior of the home."? Surely all homeowners know that as spring appears, so we cut back the dead wood of the winter, plant seasonal color, aerate and fertilize the grass and remove outdoor furniture covers or better still, invest in some wonderful new outdoor furniture."? So let me move onto something that has completely consumed my mind body and spirit this week.

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I can't tell you how impressed I was with the foresight of a delightful young couple who were referred to me by their Real Estate Agent."? This was a first for me."? I've spent over 20 years in the interior design industry, five years of which I've spent staging homes, consulting on home staging and the best part of all, teaching "clock hour' classes on Home Staging to Real Estate Professionals."? This couple had just recently bought a condo and their intention was to live in it for a few years and then upgrade to something bigger."?

Pricing a home accurately and presenting it properly are without a doubt two of the most important factors that contribute to a swift sale. Real Estate agents are generally far more in touch with home values than their clients. All too often they are faced with the challenge of dealing with sellers who have unrealistic expectations of their asking price.