1. Hang art to work with furniture. You want to use the art to enhance the furniture it’s around.
2. Hang art in pairs or groupings. A pair or a collection of art has much more impact than a single piece floating on the wall by itself. The exception would be a large painting that has enough presence to ‘carry’ the wall. Also, any piece of art or collection of art has much more impact if it’s hung over a piece of furniture. Even putting a shelf under a piece of art has more impact than art just floating on a wall by itself.
3. Pay close attention to the components of groupings. They should relate either by subject or color. Observe placement of dark and light frames as well as matting colors. You are trying to achieve a sense of balance by mixing the colors throughout the grouping.
4. Hang art that’s the right scale. A grouping or single picture should occupy about 2/3 of the space of the piece of furniture it is hanging over to achieve the proper proportion – and never overlap the piece of furniture.
5. Hang art low enough. When placing artwork over a piece of furniture such as a sofa or a table, hang it no higher than 6″- 9″ over the furniture (3-5” may even work better if the picture is visually light.) This will ensure the art and the furniture are seen as one vignette. For art on walls that you walk by, the universally accepted height for hanging art is 58” to the middle of the art. In art galleries they use 56” so you have a bit of a range.
6. Tuck artwork in unusual places. An example is between the lamp table and lampshade. This will create a nice surprise for the eyes.
7. Use art to expand a piece of furniture. If you have a tall narrow piece of furniture, adding stacked artwork on the side of it can expand the width.
8. Hang items other than traditional art. Examples are plates, hats, baskets, wall reliefs, shelves, sconces and quilts. Almost any accessory can be hung using fish-line.
9. Make sure art above and surrounding a focal point doesn’t fight with each other. Ensure all art works together and draws the eye to the focal point.
10. Only hang art that you love.
Val Sharp is the founder and past president of the Canadian Re-designers Association and the author of “The Art of Redesign – 5 Simple Steps to No-Cost Redecorating”. She instructs people in starting their own interior redesign and home staging business. If you want to become a redesigner or home stager or you want more information about Val and her book, stop by www.sharpredesigns.com
With the slump in today’s real estate market it is vital to hire a home staging specialist if you are selling a home in Jacksonville, Florida. Home stagers will transform your home into a show piece just waiting to be sold in less time and normally for more than your asking price.
Redesign Today - Barbara Bain
5317 Winrose Falls Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32258
Cell: 904-234-2929 Telephone: 904-880-6711
Email: Barbara@redesign-today.com
Website: http://www.redesign-today.com http://www.redesign-training.com
Redesign 4 You - Debbie Wehmer
Jacksonville, FL
Telephone: 904-268-1083, Cell: 904-662-5848
Email: Debbie@redesign4you.com , Redesign4you@bellsouth.net
Website: www.Redesign4You.com
Transformations Redesign and Staging School - Becky Harmon
Jacksonville, FL 32225
Telephone: 904-945-0093
Email: becky@beckyharmon.com
URL2: www.transform-us.com
URL: www.stir-us.com
1st Stage Home Design - Leslie Berdahl
9915 Moorings Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32257
Telephone: (904) 860-6013
Email: leslie@1ststagehomedesign.com
URL: www.1ststagehomedesign.com
Practical by Design, LLC
Lisa Varn 904-728-1145
Leila Bennett 904-608-5413
Ponte Vedra Beach & Jacksonville Florida
E-mail practicalbydesign@comcast.net
Website URL http://www.practicalbydesign.com
Rooms in Bloom, Inc. - Sylvia Ann Davis
7844 Knoll Drive North Jacksonville, FL 32221
Phone: 904-509-4619
Fax: 904-781-9462
Email: sylvia@roomsinbloomjax.com
URL: www.roomsinbloomjax.com
Dollar Store Bargains
While researching the worst dollar store buys, it didn’t surprise me to find that there were many more items that even Wal-mart and Costco couldn’t compete with for price. And, as some readers pointed out, sometimes you don’t have either the budget or the storage space for bulk buys. Anyway, here are a few of my picks for top dollar store buys and remember, I can only report on prices that I find in my neck of the woods, so please check prices in your area.
- Ivory hand soap
At three bars for a buck, even the big box stores couldn’t compete with 33 cents a bar. Our local Wal-mart sells Ivory bar soap in packages of 16 for $5.98, or 37 cents per bar.
Tame Shampoo A similar brand, in the same size costs almost twice as much at Wal-mart. If you don’t need or want a fancy shampoo, $1 is plenty to pay.
- Oral B Toothbrushes
Even Costco couldn’t beat $1 per toothbrush. They sell these toothbrushes in a package of seven for $14.99, which works out to $2.14 each. You can get other brand-name toothbrushes at Dollarama, too. Colgate, for one but it seems that dollar stores are only getting medium bristles in these so, if you need soft bristles, buy a two-pack of off-brand toothbrushes, an even better deal.
- Paper coffee cups
Dollar store price, 16 cups for .062 cents per cup; Costco price, $12.99 for 200 cups or .065 cents each. Granted, the difference isn’t huge, but, if you only need a few of these, the dollar store is still a good deal and probably a lot easier to get in and out of than the big box giant if you’re running errands on your lunch hour.
- Medium freezer bags
There was no difference in price for this size of freezer bag. So, whether you’re buying a box of 15 for $1 or 150 bags at Costco for $9.99, you’ll still be paying about .067 cents each.
- Garbage bags
Twelve 20 x 22″ garbage bags cost .083 cents per bag at Dollarama. The same size garbage bag is sold at Costco for $11.49 for 100 bags or .115 cents each. I don’t use a lot of this type of garbage bag anymore, preferring instead to use a plastic garbage can. If you’re in the same situation, 12 bags are plenty to have on hand at any one time.
- Breton crackers
Wal-mart sells these large crackers for $2.17 for a 225 g. package. Dollarama has Champagne Crackers in the same size for only $1.
- Lip Balm
Buy a tube of Blistex at Wal-mart for $2.43 or a tube of Lypsyl at Dollarama for $1.
Cotton Balls Department store cotton balls cost $1.29 and up for a package of 100. The same number of dollar store cotton balls are only $1 and I like their quality better than most of the department store ones I’ve tried.
- Dental Floss
I used to see the Lavoris brand on store shelves everywhere but, like a lot of brands that have been pushed out of mainstream markets by more popular products, Lavoris is now a dollar store staple. I’ve been using their dental floss for several weeks and like it at least as well as Johnson and Johnson or Butler Brands. Johnson and Johnson floss cost $1.97 for 55 yds. when I checked recently. Butler floss is available in a 200 yd. size for $3.97. You can have the same amount of Lavoris floss for $2 at Dollarama when you buy two packages.
Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and dollar store diva. She writes articles on budget decorating using only items from the dollar store.
Staged Home
For the longest time no one knew what I was talking about when I mentioned that I was a Real Estate Stager®. So I would say “Homes that are Staged® have been cleaned, de cluttered, and depersonalized. And then they are often refurnished or rearranged to have that open, spacious, light-filled inviting look that buyers want” And the blank stare would start to fade—a little.
Staging is HOT now, but…
Now I hear “ Oh, you mean like on the TV shows!” Thank Heavens for the TV shows like “SELL THIS HOUSE” and “Designed to Sell”. Many more people have heard of staging. In fact, now everyone wants to get in on this “hot new” trend that was conceived back in 1972 out in California, by a woman named Barb Schwarz. Just so you know, the word Stage® is a federally registered trademark of StagedHomes.com. Barb was a realtor® with listings that weren’t selling and she figured there must be something she could do to change that, and the rest is history.
So, Why Stage Your House?
There are four things that affect the sale and the selling price of your house.
LOCATION
CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS
CONDITION
PRESENTATION
You can’t change the location, you can’t do anything about the current real estate market, but you can change the condition of your house and it’s presentation. A real estate stager® helps you to do these last two things and can positively improve the selling price of your house. Notice I keep saying the word ‘house’. That’s because the minute you decide to put your ‘home’ on the market, it becomes a house—a product to sell—that must look, feel, and show better than the other houses, like yours, out there on the market.
Staging is best done before the home ever goes on the market. But it can also help homes that have been on the market and aren’t selling. Vacant homes and model homes need to be staged® as well with small vignettes of accessories and minimal room furnishings to give that welcoming feel. The stager® goes through the property, with a trained, objective, “ buyer’s eye” and uses an extensive checklist to determine what needs to be done. They need to be totally frank with you, as gently as they can. After all, this is information you NEED to know. Depending on time and budget, the homeowners can then do these things or hire the Stager® to complete some of the things on the list for them.
Of course I was “ preparing homes for sale” 20 years ago, I just didn’t have a name for it. Now, there are many terms used: House Fluffing, Dressing To Sell, and Home Presentation to name a few. After all, in reality, your house is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it! Harsh words, but true. And how do you increase the value of your home in the buyer’s eye? STAGING®! Usually, Barb Schwarz’s phrase — “The way you live in your home and the way you sell your house are two different things” or, “Would you like some ideas and techniques that will help you sell your house?” get the point across.
So here are a few of my basic tips for selling your home:
Curb Appeal, Clean, De Cluttered, and De Personalized.– Buyers will judge your home by what they see from the street. If they don’t like what they see on the outside, you’ll never get them inside. Overgrown shrubs, anything dead, weeds, driveway cracks, peeling paint, and plants growing in the gutters give off negative messages about your home. Don’t forget to check the front door & entry area for dirt, cobwebs, fingerprints & chipped paint. Remove any personal nameplates from the home now.
Clean, Clean, Clean— as I tell my clients “like it ‘s going in for surgery.” Especially Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Windows.
Fingerprints, grease, dirty grout, moldy cracked caulk, and ugly stains anywhere are a real turnoff to buyers.
Worn carpet or flooring should be fixed or replaced. Fresh paint where needed for walls and trim in neutral colors please.
Curb appeal
Odors from pets, smoking, unpleasant cooking smells need to be dealt with as well. Don’t cook cabbage, fish, etc the night before an open house or showing.
Clutter— for the homeowner has a way of disappearing into the background after a while. They don’t even see it. But you can bet the buyers will and it lowers the value of the house in the buyer’s eye. One person’s treasures are another person’s clutter. When in doubt, don’t leave it out!
De Personalize by removing family photos, trophies, awards, vacation souvenirs, family treasures, personal quilts or wall hangings and pack them away. Yep, you read that correctly. Any personal valuables and other expensive items should also be put out of reach and sight. You’re selling your house, not your things. This is not the time to try to impress anyone with your belongings.
There should also be no pj’s and nightgowns on the back of the bathroom or bedroom doors or personal toiletries out in plain view. They all represent the personality of the owner and their “life” in the house. By removing these personal things from the house or from view, the seller is really giving the buyer “permission” to mentally move their things into, and to “buy”, the house. Until they can do that, they’ll never make an offer.
But we have to live here! Yes you live there, but the closer you get to the ideal of the “model” home, the better off you’ll be. These temporary inconveniences will really pay off in increased offers. Just think of that great vacation spot you go to or that nice hotel suite you stayed in. They are designed to be just relaxing, uncluttered, comfortable, impersonal spaces. No personal photo’s on the walls or tables. Yes there were towels and toiletries in the bath, but they didn’t look like they had been used or “ belonged” to anyone before. You would have checked right back out if they had!
And now– the rest of the story
So these are the basics. They’ll give you a great start. Beyond this is where the art and science of staging® really begins. It’s not just about decorating. This is where the Stager® provides a critical buyer’s eye opinion that is so important.
Some homes need some un-decorating. Others need a bit of “sparking up”. You’re really showcasing the architecture and positive features of the house, not the belongings of the current owners.
Old drapery treatments, faded bedspreads, stained dingy towels, shower curtains and throw rugs all leave negative impressions about the house on the buyers. Not fair but true.
On the other hand, fresh flowers, at least in the kitchen, the smell of cookies baking, or a lightly fragranced candle gives a positive impression.
And along these lines, neither the homeowner nor the pets should be in the home while it is being shown. Pet food and water dishes should be placed out of sight as well or at least out of the traffic path buyers will be taking.
Room editing, and furniture arrangement for an easy traffic flow and a spacious look is critical. Closets, cupboards, drawers should all be organized and have space in them.
Lighting is very important as well. Show all rooms in the best possible light. Windows and curtains open and lights on even during daytime. It adds a richness and warmth to the rooms. And leave a few of the “prettiest” lights on in the house at night, for those “drive by first’ lookers.
Feeling welcome and comfortable and free to move about in this “house” is critical to the buying decision to make it their “home”.
I’ve never heard anyone complain about a house having too much light, too much space or storage or being too relaxing!
Sound like a lot of work? When you sell your house, it’s a job. And you are earning back your equity. I can guarantee you that no matter what you spend on your home to get it Staged® and ready for the market, it will be far cheaper than your first price reduction would have been when it didn’t sell.
“When you stage® your home you are selling on purpose, not just leaving it to chance”~ Tracy Susick
Tracy Susick is an Accredited Staging Professional™ and owner of Room Works in Saegertown. She specializes in Interior Redesign and Real Estate Staging® and works with all homeowners and home sellers with or without a real estate agent.
Tracy Susick - Room-Works
http://www.room-works.com/
tracy@room-works.com
Tags: staging 101, why stage
The advantage of seeking out a real estate stager online is the convenience of how simple it is. It only takes a few minutes to visit The Home Staging Directory to find out who’s in your immediate area.
You can meet with them and get a written report on your home’s marketability and value. They’ll typically do a walk through to see what recomondations they can make so your home is more appealing to potential home buyers.
By having your home professionally staged, you’re likely to get more responses. It’s common for people to prefer going through a staging company first to ensure their home is going to sell quickly. A home stagers job is to make certain your home looks the best possible, inside and out. They will advise you in all the touch-ups, routine cleaning, and curb appeal needed to sell your home quickly.
We all know what the current real estate market is like, and in many ways it’s discouraging to say the least. Ever heard of the term, “buyer’s market?” Well, that’s what we’re experiencing right now. So if you’re in the market to purchase a home, all is in your favor. However, if you’re trying to get your home sold, it’s a completely different story. There is a deluge of homes up for sale right now. So it is vital that you find a real estate staging professional in your area to assist you in perparing your home for sale.
To find a real estate stager in your area please visit The Home Stagers Directory.
