I was interviewed today by San Mateo Times about the burglary that happened a few months ago in Atherton where a staged home was broken into and things were taken. The burglars took artwork, accessories and remote controls to both garage doors and sprinklers. The reporter asked me if I was surprised, sadly I said no.
This is not the first time I’ve heard about people stole things out of homes. It happens
more frequent than we like to believe. It is more common with vacant homes and certainly can happen to occupied homes as well.
Real estate can be a dangerous industry; most people do not realize it. Selling your home is not only an emotional roller coaster, you are also making yourself vulnerable for all to see. There is a reason why I do not use candlesticks in homes, even though they would look darn good and it will make my life easier. I also don’t use flatware. There have been cases in the past where realtors were attacked with these objects while showing homes. Similarly, I also advise homeowners to pack up valuables, collections and personal photos. Nowadays with technology’s advancement and the popularity of virtual tour, people can browse through your home, floor plan and do their “homework†before they show up to rob you. Open house is also another great time for potential thieves to attack. With high foot traffic during open house, people can raid your medicine cabinets without you knowing. I have heard of agents’ purses went missing after open house while they were showing the home to walk-in potential buyers.
In this particular Atherton case, the burglars also took garage openers. The reporter chuckled when he told me but it makes a lot of sense. They took artwork and accessories because they are easy to run with, unlike a couch where you can be seen by the neighbors. They targeted Atherton because of the high end listing prices come with high-end expensive staging furnishings. They took garage openers because they plan to come back and rob the seller again. They took the control to sprinklers also probably because they couldn’t figure out which is which.
Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself while you put your home up for sale:
Resuscitate Your Drabby Room: Is Your Room Flatlining?
Thursday, April 5th, 2007When you walk into a room, it tells a story.
It tells a story through the furnishing you had chosen, the color palette you had spent days to pick, and the accessories and personal items that you placed in it. Most people probably don’t realize it, but the placement of your objects can make or break your room. Your furniture placement can decide how the conversations are being conducted at your dinner parties, the traffic pattern in your daily lives and the energy flow of your
home. Brilliant accessory placements can determine conversational interests, kind reminders of your love & passion the first thing you wake up and what’s welcoming you to a comfort zone when you kick off your boring work shoes from a day of office drama.
Now you have placed everything just perfect, but is your room flatlining? Flatlining your room will make your room looks… flat. Literally. There are no
(more…)
Posted in A Stager's Commentary, Redesigns, Staging Tips | No Comments »