Home Improvement Blog: July 2010

As I write this blog, my family and I are visiting Park City, Utah enjoying the Triple Crown Fast-pitch World Series in which my youngest daughter's team is participating.  There are 7 of us crammed into a smallish condo for the week. 

In our condo there are only 6 forks, 6 spoons and so on.  If you have a large family or came from one you all know it is usually survival of the fittest or..... "you snooze, you lose!".  Needless to say, we are traveling on a budget.  Eating out is a rare occurrence.  While enjoying a cheap and hastily put together spaghetti dinner last evening, mom lost out and had to eat her salad with a spoon.

This got me to thinking of how all of us these days are eating salad with a spoon so to speak.  In our current tight economy, small businesses, families and retirees all have to find ways to make do with a spoon. 

This is especially the case when it comes to real estate and professional Staging.  Many Realtors and Homeowners still have the wrong impression that Staging costs thousands and thousands and that in occuppied homes for sale, everything must be replaced and tres chic. 

Not so, at least that is not how our company approaches preparing a home for sale.  As repeated by others often, many times all that is needed is paring down and and cleaning up.  These two major activities alone can make what is left look fresh, brand new and yes even chic with a little punching up.  Improving the flow of space throughout your home and bumping up the lighting can achieve wonders for little to no cash output.

Of course there are the extreme cases where no amount of Staging will help and repairs or replacement must be done.  A reputable Stager should tell you if this is so during a consultation.  A reputable professional Stager should know what will make a property appealing and what sells in your neighborhood. 

Instead of paying rental fees for cookie cutter furniture, it may be wiser to refinish or replace a floor.  Instead of putting in granite counter tops it might be wiser to repaint or touch up the paint on the exterior of your home.  

A reputable professional Stager should and will assist you in prioritizing what needs to be done.  Yes, in many cases our company may lose out in additional service fees but getting your home sold is our priority.  We succeed as a business when you succeed in selling your home in less time and for a fair price. 

I know many of my Staging peers operate the same way.   Your home is a major investment.  In many cases, it is your family's only nest egg. 

When looking for Staging services always always ask questions and not just about price!  Make sure you will not be laying out money on unnecessary fees and gimmicks.  Make sure your Stager is a licensed business and not a "stager for fun."  If your Realtor claims to be a Staging specialist, ask to see pictures of their "staged" listings.  It's your money and time, get a second opinion, it could save you thousands in dollars and weeks or months on the market.

AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging Consultations on site and on line.  We are located in Corona and service the Inland Empire area of Southern California.  Call 951 833 8529 or email staging@accentpositives.com.  Visit www.accentpositives.com and www.accentingspaces.com.