Sheron Cardin's Input...: February 2007

Tina says she is too busy to blog but I will stay on her so she will submit her before and afters with us. Tina is very talented and loves staging her listings. Tina staged the red bedroom that I used in my post Decorating Tip #6 Make YourOwn Headboard. and for the inflatable bed tip. She is very creative and we will all benefit from her sharing...she may have to tell me about it and then I can get it posted in AR...oh well, what are sisters for if you can't use em? 

I have featured her before and after staging work in my newsletters and she always gets a great response.

Let's give her a little prodding and a big welcome. 

Tina works her magic in the East Bay and lives in Danville. She promises to finish her profile this week.

Today I have decided to put myself on the other side of the home staging fence and edit my own closet. Here is what I am going through...

• Pulling the easy stuff out that doesn't mean anything to me like old pajamas, Hawiian shirts that always need ironing but wear them anyway when I work in the garden, hand me downs from friends and family that I took so as not to hurt their feelings...and so on. Gifts that I never wore.
  
• I turn around and there is a big pile on my bed
• I look back to my closet and it is stuffed instead of overstuffed. Hmmm

• Slinky satin jammies with lace - these can go, all they do is make everything else slide around and fall out
• Vests for possible cold weather I only wear once or twice a year can go
• Tops without bottoms or bottoms without tops for one reason or another - too much work so those can go.
  
• Purses and handbags from seasons past - pass them on no problem
• Hats - always a storage problem so will make a pile to see if anyone wants them

We all know that what we haven't worn in a year is supposed to go, right? The problem is that the next layer I have emotional attachments to and the memories come flooding in as I pull out...

•  Pink designer outfit I wore to a party held in my honor from a design client (with Mom)
• A dress I made for Cabo I'm on the left btw.

•  Christmas party at the studio in my Jones New York suit

• Remember the jumpsuit era? My going away part from Dana Poing friends!

• Hand painted 2 piece cotton outfits with original art!

See what I am saying? These outfits and dozens more I just cannot bear to part with because they represent some of the best times of my life. I have dragged them with me for years! What am I going to do? I am never ever going to wear them again and I don't know anyone else who will wear them either.

Well all of a sudden I had a light bulb moment...I will document all my favorite moments (the fashionista that I am) by taking pictures of these outfits that I don't have Kodak moments for as well as copying the photo's I do have and putting them on a special disk called "My favorite moments in time".

I actually can let them go now. I can't believe it! I don't have to hang onto them anymore for the memories. I am sooooo excited! For the first time ever I am thouroughly editing my closet.

So the reason for this post is because this is an idea that can be passed on to your reluctant clients. It really works!!!  

San Francisco this summer! Start your diets now! Finish all your dental work and wrap up your marketing plan! Get ready to explode onto the scene at the Super Blogging Conference July something to August 1st. (I say July something because there is a typo in the announcement saying July 32 so we should get an update on that) I found out from Jeff Dowler's post but can' wait to get the word out. It is going to be an incredible opportunity for stagers to be counted as real estate professional. Use this post to group together those interested in going. I may be able to get a big discount for the Marriott but will need a quick head count. Read about it and then let me know. I know all the cool hangouts.

After reading this post you are going to wonder how I ever became an Interior Designer but I did. They say that people become what they need in this life and I am no exception! 

• It didn't matter to me that there wasn't a back door leading to the back yard.
• It didn't matter that the carpet was orange.
• It didn't matter to me that there were 40 windows I had to put window coverings on. The cost of those window treatments never entered my mind.
• It didn't matter that the house didn't have air conditioning. I was told it wasn't needed except for maybe 10 days a year.
• It didn't bother me that the master bedroom was on the top floor right off the kitchen and living room.
  
• It was irrelevant that the guest bath was also the master bath.
• So what if there was nothing but dirt in the front and back yards, nor a sprinkler system. No problem! I didn't care because that can be added later.
• I could care less that the kitchen was actually the size of a small apartment. It was made of beautiful dark rich wood and butcher block counter tops and I didn't need a huge kitchen.
  
• I didn't even notice the lack of lighting in every room because it was a brand new vacant home and I never went there at night
• So what if I had to stand in one place out of 3200 square feet to see my view of downtown Denver, it had a view of the mountains.
  
• So what if it was the highest priced home in the neighborhood.
• Who cares if the house is at the top of a hill in snow country...there were other people living up there and they could do it...they managed to drive up the hill in the snow!
• So what if I couldn't afford that house, the bank said I could.

Nothing mattered to me except how I felt when I opened the front door. Inside that front door was this absolutely drop dead fabulous oriental wallpaper that made me feel rich, rich, rich! And then there were the 5 steps going up, 5 steps going down and the landing floor had 2 bedrooms and a bath for the kids. I couldn't let go of the way I felt when I walked in that front door and it was a feeling I could buy, own, and enjoy every day. My dreams could go from fantasy to reality and I had to make that happen...and I did, against all odds. I was 23 and didn't know any different.

People will buy houses for the strangest reasons. Who better to study the buying habits of people than using our own barometer, by looking into our own buying habits, right?

Another home I bought was in very close proximity to my favorite hang out (bar/restaurant) and the price was right. Location as a single person was another factor. Seems whatever makes my heart beat faster than normal is all I need to KNOW that this is it! This is what I need and this is what I want. The rest will work itself out.

Busy working couples need a space to unwind. Is it going to be a spa tub that makes the bells go off in their head or is it the gazebo in the backyard for entertaining their boss and friends. Could it be a 4 car garage to accommodate the boat that has been sitting out in the elements for 2 years? Could it be a private sunroom where your spirits get lifted from life's burdens while looking out into the garden? One never really knows for sure what is going to trigger the adrenaline in a person(s) until it happens.

How disappointing it must be for buyer's to have to try to find what they are looking for through tall weeds, laundry baskets, ugly appliances or dirty carpets, dark rooms and smelly closets. Where's the dream? Buyers ability to act on their impulses should be the goal of every home seller.

Knowing your market and staging a desired lifestyle = opens the door for impulse buying.

If you haven't presented a visible and desirable lifestyle = no chance for impulse buying.

What is the percentage impulse buying contributes to real estate sales? I don't know, I am not a real estate agent, but in my own life it has been about 75%! The remaining 25% is timing and cash flow which motivates me to look. I would never have bought that 4 story home in Denver if the foyer was painted. The rest of the house was not practical but so what! I am an impulse buyer. Someone had the foresight to suggest a desirable lifestyle with a pattern in a wallpaper. (Wallpaper is coming back by the way)

The moral of the story? "Point of Sale Merchandising sets the stage for the impulse buyer to buy on impulse". I think you know where I am going with this.

Stage It Forward! 

I know that Maureen Henry is in love with her Quick Books" and I wouldn't want to take that away from her, but for me, I have tried every program out there for many of my businesses and get stuck. So 2 years ago I hired The Tax Club in New York and it is easier than a second helping of chocolate cake. I swear! Creative people are renowned for not being the best at running a business and even less at doing their own taxes.

The Tax club has an initial set up fee and then after that a small monthly charge. They take care of your personal and business taxes all for one little itty bitty price. I love them. Their program is interative all on the Internet. If you should sign up with them, tell them I sent you. There is a referral incentive of one free month per referral and that would work for you too. Don't get me wrong, I am not posting this to send referrals. I know that when you get busy the left side of the brain takes a back seat.

Stage it forward! 

I am not here to challenge the ancient art of Feng Shui; Believe me, I am merely attempting to correct my Chi without compromising my decorating sense and I am inviting you along on a journey that I have never taken before. This is my journal…

As I am opening my first Feng Shui book, looking for some guidelines I could apply from this mysterious art in my own home, I quickly realized that if I did what was asked of me, my home would look like a Chinese restaurant! I hit my brakes of course and pondered confidently as I would any decorating challenge; How on heaven and earth am I going to use chimes and crystals and mirrors and love the results, oh my?

Feng Shui is a serious business and I respect that, but what it tells me to do just “tickles” my funny bone.

Chinese Buffet vs. Ritz Carlton!

Question to the Ba-gua – how do I use Feng Shui to turn up the thermostat in my bedroom?

Answer from the Ba-gua - you can find your Love in the South West Sector of your home.

Problem - My home faces north and according to the Ba-gua this puts the southwestern love and sex sector right smack dab in the middle of my kitchen table.  What? That’s interesting!  “What is my family going to think?” My next thought was “Ah that's why they love my cooking…it’s sexy!”

Feng Shui tells me that I may have some problems if my kitchen is in the southwest sector of my home…ya think? My goal is to work on my bedroom first so to make a long story longer, I will leave this path of aligning my kitchen’s Chi and find out what to do with my bedroom…

Feng Shui Solution: I now head to the information regarding the South East Sector of the Ba-gua where my bedroom lies and what do I find in that sector?

• Money
• Great people
• Having it all

Who knew? Maybe some red velvet draperies with fringed lamp shades, dim lighting, soft music, and my money issues will be solved!

With that not an option (although it does explain a lot) I need to continue the search for the answer to my initial quest.

Ah, here is something…crystals can cure anything that ails you no matter where your bedroom is. Feng Shui says “love and relationships are ruled by earth so if I toss some precious stones in the southeastern corner of my southeastern bedroom then they will raise my vibration”. (Footnote: you can also wear stones on you to dispel any problems you are having in your relationships. Are you supposed to throw them I wonder?) I am reading along and now I see the stones have different purposes. I can’t believe what I am reading! I just have to list them here for you because you won’t believe it either! (I apologize to all Feng Shui Practitioners but it is funny)

• Sapphire – helps you resist violence and lust, hmmm.
• Yellow Topaz – helps you release drunken or abusive partners, hmmm, whose left?
• Rose Quartz – promotes a sense of self-appreciation and self love, improves your mood and enhances your feelings of joy. Hmmm, what are they trying to tell me?
• Diamond – helps you perceive beyond surface appearance and understand the truth about another person. (Where are they going with all of this?)
• Emerald – helps you learn lessons so you don’t repeat mistakes in your love life.
• Ruby – helps to dispel feelings of discouragement and self-doubt. This is the stone to wear if you are drowning in self-pity. (things aren’t exactly looking up)
• Amethyst – helps you let go of past hurts and relationships (will it make him leave?)

You know, I am just going to have to trust that this will all lead to Great Love in the bedroom so I am going to go for it. Since I do not have gemstones laying around that I can gather up and throw into the love corner (my housekeeper would think I was off my rocker) the decorator in me is going to figure out how to take a vase and create a mosaic masterpiece out of the alternative faux stones (semi-precious) like; agate, aquamarine, carnelian, garnet, lapis, jade, moonstone, onyx, opal, pearl, quartz, and crystals…all of which I have in my jewelry box and my little girls toy box.

The excitement is building and I am ready for the challenge. I am taking my first real step to decorate with Feng Shui! (This could take years at this pace) I’m off to make my love pot.

Next day: Voila! I came up with a Feng Shui concept that I can live with...I love it.

I used several stones on the list and placed them in a glass vase and until I read further, I threw in some luck with a Lucky Bamboo plant and a ceramic blue fish. You won’t see this in a Chinese restaurant!

So the final analysis here is: If your bedroom is anywhere besides the southwest sectors of your house (per compass) then try doing something like this in your southeast corner of your bedroom. It is too soon to tell if this is really going to work and I am sure it is going to take much more effort than some rocks in a vase but it's a good start.

Part 2 will address what to do when other rooms are located in the Love sector of the house and the next step on what I can do next to attract love and romance in a bedroom located in the darn money sector.

I have written about Feng Shui before in one of my newsletters if you are interested in how to upgrade some other suggestions I found interesting.

Footnote: You may not think that this post has anything to do with real estate but in fact, it really does. If employing Feng Shui principles to create a more desired lifestyle where I am living now does not work, I will be looking for a really good real estate agent!

Home Staging and Marketing come out of the same budget. Home sellers do not give marketing a second thought when they decide to sell their house unless it is an fsbo. A home seller's perception of marketing is the agent's job because that is what they do! "Why should we pay for that?"

It is no wonder they are astounded when their agent tells them they need to get their own home MARKET READY! "What? That is not our responsibility, it is yours!"

Home sellers expect to have to do some things like clear off the refrigerator, make their beds every morning, keep the dishes up and mow the lawn.

Now they are told they need to do what?

• "Stage our house?
  
• "What the heck is that?"
• "We don't have the money for that!"
• "How much is that going to cost us?"
• "Why should we pay for that?"
• "Bob and Mary sold their house last year and they didn't have to do that!"
• "What is wrong with our house?"
• "We have been living here for years and it is just fine!"
• "If we have to do extra stuff like home staging, then you should pay for it!"
  

These are reasonable and natural responses. So let's see how we can handle these objections...

If you are a real estate agent and you have just sat through a meeting where a Home Stager was the guest speaker and he or she has convinced you that home staging is necessary in today's market for many reasons, and you are sold on the idea. So now you take on a new listing and you hit a road block as defined by the bulleted comments. What can you do? What are you going to say?

Overcoming the objections:

• A new industry has emerged in residential real estate called Home Staging or Point of Sale Merchandising because the value needs to equal or exceed expectations for today's buyers. Buyers need to see what they are getting, and you, the seller, are competing with new construction model homes at similar price points
• Trained professionals know what buyers are looking for and will show you what you need to do to optimize your home to compete in your neighborhood and sell.
  
• Home Stager's are very much like set designers or window dressers and know what lifestyle buyer's are looking for in your area.
• A house that is not staged in today's market will be left up to luck no matter how great your Realtor is, and you may not get your house sold at all. The market has changed that dramatically.
• You can do the work yourselves or Home Stager's will do it for you but it must be done
  
• Home Stager's have made it easy for you. You can pay for a consultation with a credit card. (If your local stager does not offer financing, ask them to add Paypal or some other type of shopping cart on their web site for your customers)  The will come into your home and show you exactly what needs to be done to get your home resale ready and competitive. They will leave you with a detailed to-do list.
• If upgrades are needed such as appliances, flooring, painting, landscaping and you don't want to do it yourself, then you can get that financed and added to escrow which will be paid at closing. It is proven that upgrades in the kitchen's, bath's, flooring, and paint, get the best returns and add value to the sell of your home.
  
• I strongly recommend that all the work needs to be completed before the open house. The open house and the first two weeks are critical and increase the chance of a successful sale!
• Let's give our STAGER a call right now and see when he/she can meet with us. 

Every morning I receive various words of inspiration from different sources and it is not too often that one will speak right to me like a good parent passing on life's lessons. This quote from WJS clarified exactly what I need to do for the next few weeks and maybe it will speak to you too. 

"When you cannot make up your mind between two evenly balanced courses of action, choose the bolder."
– William Joseph Slim

It is easier to find the BOLDER in choices than the right or wrong of a path. Wouldn't you agree?

Stage It Forward! 

I was just reading an article from my Google alerts and it is very relevant to what we can represent here in AR. It shows what our focus should be and could be for each other as well as our viewing audience.

With the influx of new members jumping on board, it takes awhile to get oriented to all the groups here. I consider Stage it forward our main staging group and then we have specific groups for specific needs. I propose that after reading this article that we all participate in opening up our dialog with the other real estate professionals and play our part as the merchandisers in the scheme of things to come and then posting professional issues in the specific group that it is designed for.

I am going to itemize quickly the different groups for stagers:

Stage It Forward! - Founder Craig Schiller - HOME STAGERS, this is an informational and networking community that believes the Home Staging Industry will grow and mature by reaching out to and sharing with other Stagers. This one FREE site allows Home Stagers to connect and share with their colleagues and clients. Our diverse background is our strength. By respectfully sharing and helping each other, we can all grow and development so that ultimately the consumer is educated on the benefits of Home Staging and enjoy the benefits of quality service.

Home Staging - Founder Kim Hilgenberg - This group is for the individuals interested in Home Staging. Individuals would include Realtors, real estate investors, flippers, home stagers, landlords (yes, I stage my rental property too), property managers, for a start. We will exchange ideas, tips and information.

Stagers Open Forum - Founder Val Allocco - A place for Active Rain members to come together and share ideas, ask questions, voice opinions and support one another.

Staging Secrets - Founder Karen Reynolds - Welcome Creative Geniuses! Here is a place for all Stagers to share their "secrets" of Staging -- their creative ways to solve problems (gee, we have problem houses? Go figure), ask advice, get advice & have some laughs about this crazy and wonderful profession we have chosen. I am sure we all agree that we have faced our challenges and are always in need of fresh ideas. That said, lets start sharing!

Rate Your Staging Training - Founder Shell Brodnax -   This group was created so people can rate their experiences with Staging Training so others may make informative choices. Rate your training on what you actually learned and the content of the program. Rate on a 5 star rating system. 1 Star Poor to 5 Star Great

Services for Real Estate Professionals - Founder Mary French - This group is for anyone out there who provides services for real estate professionals...or any real estate professional looking for services.

Newbies - Founder Karen Hurst - A Group for all newcomers to Active Rain. Come here to get all your questions answered about how to do things. This group is open to all Active Rainer's, both old and new. Input from older AR bloggers will be sought. If you have a question, just blog it and check off the Active Rain Newbies box at the bottom of your blog.

Realtors - Founder  Allison Stewart - For Professionals to discuss marketing strategies, overcoming obstacles, successful sales techniques

The Art of Marketing You - Founder  Marty Garaughty- Getting people to visit your website is one thing, getting them to come back, to bookmark or to tell people about your website is something else. Here we'll share some easy to use(no geek speak) marketing ideas, tools, toys, widgets and goodies to connect with your visitors and to keep them coming back.

Staging Successes Founder Judy Kincaid - This is a place for home stagers and real estate agents to discuss the benefits of staging and share their success stories. Feel free to share before and after staging photos. Tell us the stories of how staging helped sell properties that had previously languished on the market. These real life examples can be used to help your clients commit to staging. (Be sure everyone that when you post your successes that you get goggled by adding Home Staging in your title and lick on "For Real Estate Professionals then Industry News!" And then for Consumers; check your localism region for local advertising.)

Redesign Renegades - Founder Joni Van Deventer - This group is dedicated to stagers/designers/redesigners/decorators to expand our talents and discover hidden talents. You may have started in this business to be a stager and go out a redesigner or vice-versa. Anyone interested in design philosophies as well as how to promote your skills so that you are fulfilled in your chosen field. It will also be a fun adventure for anyone looking for more design avenues.

Staging Crafts and Creatives Founder Jacqueline Clark - Are you crafty? Are you creative? In the staging business you definitely have to be both to save money and create "buy me" power for a home. Share you ideas and photos of recent crafts that you've made yourself and used as accessories. Remember, this is only a place for tips, ideas, and crafty inventions that you have made or we can make with our own two hands!

Website Critique Founder Cheryl Reynen - Members can show all us AR Members their website - tell us what they would like us to specifically look at and get detailed critique on what we would change or enhance. Creating a professional website is tricky for some and some here on AR are a wealth of knowledge. Bring it on - I bet at least I can help you with what ever you need information on when it comes to Web design, Development and search engine optimization to get top ranks!

Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) Founder Shell Brodnax - The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) was formed to provide support to all professional real estate stagers in North America. RESA is the portal to the staging industry and is the source of education and business tools focusing on the needs of stagers. RESA members will have access to up to date information relative to the changing industry, marketing support services and access to continuing education providers. RESA members are able to form local chapters where needed to provide peer to peer support and to provide education to real estate agents and homeowners on the benefits of staging.

Do-It-Yourself  Founder Christine Craig - Read up on how to do it yourself projects as well as share your own experiences with them.

Staging Before and After Pictures Founder Kathy Nielson  A group designed to showcase and share with others the beautiful transformations created by the Stagers of Active Rain.

The Real World of Home Staging Founder Karen Dembsky As the business of Home Staging becomes more rampant and is rapidly sweeping across the U.S. and Canada, the inquiries from interested Newbies and Wanna Be Home Stagers are dynamically increasing as well. This site is for experienced Home Staging Professionals to share their wisdom and advice to those interested in learning more about entering into a home staging business or career. The goal is to provide and build a “Real World” understanding of the Home Staging business struggles, obstacles, ethics, competitiveness, and standards.

House Warmers Founder Julianna Hind  Welcome to House Warmers! The forum for "move-in" services for the homeowner, including Interior Designers and Decorators, Organizers and Space Planners. Here we share information and highlight these and other valuable offerings to owners of new real estate: ~ Senior Transitions ~ Household Merges ~ New Home Decorating ~ Downsizing ~ Household Organizing ~ Home Office Set-up

Vacant House Staging and New Homes Founder Val Allocco A place for Home Stagers, Realtors, and Builders to discuss anything that pertains to a Vacant House, be it newly-constructed or a ‘re-sale’. 

If you have something personal that can be directed to an individual, it is better to send an email via Active Rain than to use their post for your comments. The link to email is on the profile page of every member.  

This list should give you a good idea of what groups to join and where you should post your subject. 

A simple change can make all the difference in the world.

Nothing is uglier than a bottle of Dawn Liquid Soap sitting on the kitchen counter or a box of Tide on your dryer.

The first sign of good taste in decorating is decorative containers for your household supplies, cleaners, and personal hygene products.

It is very affordable to buy decorative pump bottles and boxes and they make a world of difference. Just by adding one decorative container a week at a cost of about $10, within a few weeks you can achieve a more decorated look to your home and your experience of your home as well. (The box is a little fancy but you get my point)