Staged4more Home Staging + Redesigns | Home Staging in San Francisco Bay: San Francisco, San Mateo Counties

Trulia are Redfin are well-known search engines used to provide real estate information at a local level for buyers and sellers and others in the real estate industry.  I sometimes use these sites to do research on staging trends in the market and to take a look at what competitors are doing.  When browsing their site, I am often shocked by some of the photos that I see online.

These type of real estate search engines (others include Roost, Realtor.com, etc.) have so many users in the industry, with users both in the real estate industry and consumers.  It’s SO important to have great photos on these sites.  The real estate market is competitive nowadays, and it makes the perfect sense to put your best foot forward and attract potential clients through your listing presentations. Not to mention according to National Association of Realtors, now majority of home buyers look for listings online before they set foot in an actual open house. Having a great online listing presentation can mean the difference between a potential buyer taking a second look at your property, or moving on to the next listing. (Just think how you yourself browse shopping sites online.)

Here are some COSTLY mistakes that I have observed:

No photos! NO PHOTOS?! In the age of Internet shopping where we can even buy houses & cars on ebay, Internet shopping is soooo easy. Just point, click, check out and viola! Santa Claus dressed in UPS uniforms arrives at your door in 5 to 7 business days, delivering your every wish.  In a 2009 National Association of Realtors study, 90% of buyers now show on the Internet first.  The internet has changed buying patterns and has shifted the way real state professionals work. Buyers no longer need to depend on their Realtors to get the latest housing news. They can do so proactively online on sites like Trulia.  How can your Realtor be so lazy that didn’t even bother to put a picture up online where 90% of buyers are doing their house hunting?  You ARE paying for his/hers services, correct? Shouldn’t he/she put some effort into the presentation to attract as many buyers as possible?!

Bad Picture. Having a poor quality photo up is not better than not having any photos at all.  Internet buyers are very used to scanning and skimming pages to get to what they want, since there are usually at least 25 items on each page. If your pictures are not attractive, it is easy to be overlooked. Here are some common mistakes made when including pictures on listings:

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The picture itself is crooked, which can be easily corrected by programs like Photoshop. It is human nature to seek for horizontal & vertical lines. If you don’t know how to use it, well, it is time to learn! You want to make money on your equity, you need to do something about it. In this competitive market, sitting on the couch waiting for offers to come in is no longer the case. It’s not a seller’s market anymore. So be proactive!

The photo is blurry. People are going to spend a big chunk of their savings and may even go into debt for this purchase. How would you expect them to come to your open house based on a blurry photo when your competition has posted perfectly clear photos to lure them to their open houses?

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The photo is too dark. No one wants to live in a cave except vampires and cavemen.  While The Twilight series has brought refreshed attention to the darkside, the trend is not for real estate.  Bright and airy sells. That is human nature. We want new things or things that look new. No one wants to buy a drab and old and dark house (unless they are flippers then it’s ‘the older the better’).

The image is too cluttered!Every photo tells a story, correct? Well what does a cluttered photo tell?  a)  The Realtor is too lazy or Seller is too cheap to hire a stager or didn’t even bother to clean before the photographs were taken.  b)  Speaking of dirty, a cluttered pic says:  this house is not well-maintained.  c)  If a buyer had a thought bubble over their head — here is what it would say read “Where is the focal point of this room? What is going on here? All I see is a mess. I don’t want to live in a messy house, I want to live in a clean house.”  Once the buyer is finished judging your house based on your cluttered photo less than half a second, they will skip to the next clean feeling photo because they can mentally move into that home without imagining removing clutter first.  Plus, everyone wants to live in a model home. Have you seen a cluttered one? The first impression counts, as Malcolm Gladwell points out in his book “Blink.”

The point is:  let the Internet be your friend. Let it help you to get those buyers into the door! While staging is an investment you can make as a realtor or seller to get your home sold quickly and for top dollar, cleaning up your photos is a small investment as well.

When I first started posting pics, I really ignored that.  I thought, “I have enough to do, I will just throw any old photo on the web.”  However, I quickly learned that it can make a BIG difference.  We are in a VISUAL industry. Our clients see what we do in plain sight.   It’s crucial to have great presentation, especially when the competition is fierce!  Five minutes of your time can make a whole lot of difference in the inquiries you will receive on that listing.  Don’t let that five minutes cost you a buyer!

Note:  Staged4more is an eco-friendly company and we believe in recycling everything, including blogposts.  This post is part of a weekly series of refreshed posts we’re calling “Restyled” from our earlier blogging years.  This post was originally written in October, 2006 and has been “Restyled” for your reading pleasure.  Let us know what you think!

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I had a neighbor a few years ago that invited me over to take a look at her freshly painted den.  I walked in and was terrified.  Wall to wall, ceiling to floor — she had painted the room BRIGHT red. This is not as uncommon as you would think. I once had a client who painted her dining room this dark deep red straight from a Twilight movie. While that is completely okay for living, it is a dangerous choice for selling and staging, since bold color choices tend to scare off / turn off potential buyers.

Red can be a vibrant addition to any decor, but wall to wall, it can scream the opposite of style.  If I had that conversation to do over again, I would have shared these tips (before she painted the room):

1)  You wouldn’t wear red from head to toe, why would you decorate a room that way?  Accents of red can go a long way in styling a room.

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2) Be aware of the space.  This particular room was small and didn’t have any windows.  When using a color as bold as red, it’s a good idea to be aware of the space.  High ceilings and natural light can help tone down such a strong hue when used in furniture or accessories.

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3) And finally:  Hue matters.  The shocking shade in my neighbor’s home made me uncomfortable and nervous.  There are so many different hues of red, and depending on your personal style, there is a sharp contrast between the messages that brick red or fire engine red can send.  Taking the time to assess how red fits into your home’s current decor can mean the difference between a regal interior and one that screams “EMERGENCY!”

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At Staged4More, we offer Redesign Home Staging as one of our services.  This is when the home seller decides to live at the property while they are trying to sell it.  While working on these homes, I have noticed some common things that homeowners sometimes don’t realize may represent hazards to the home sellers and their families.

Here is what I have found:

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Potential Weapons: Knives in the kitchen or other weapons for that matter (such as knives or gun collection) are usually present.  Kitchen knives are shockingly common during open houses mainly because they are very needed for daily life.  But it can also be dangerous if your “buyers” don’t have the best intentions in mind, especially in our area.  The majority of single family homes start around 1 million dollars. Robbers will assume you have money & expensive items in your house.

Too many personal items: Personal photos, especially of kids, are left on display.  We love adorable kids just as much as you do, but displaying your children’s or grandchildren’s photos is not the safest thing during open house. During an open house, there are many people walking around.  It is unlikely the agent will actually able to identify they are actual buyers, not people with a criminal background.  During an open house event, buyers are free to roam around the home to explore the floor plan and learn where the exits and entrances are. Similarly, they will see your photos. Usually after touring a home during a consultation or an open home, I can tell what the child looks like, what’s his/hers name, what does he/she like, his/hers favorite toys, etc. Even if you don’t have kids, displaying personal items can tell visitors how many people live in the home and their living habits. Single women or people living alone need to be especially aware of this.  From family photos alone, a visitor will know what you look like, your age group, your profession, and what you like to do for fun.

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Opportunities for identity theft: I have visited quite a few homes where the homeowners realized that decluttering was essential before showing.  Many times these homeowners thought this meant stacking their papers neatly on the office desk, including their bills. Most bills contain personal information such as account numbers that can easily be swiped during a crowded open house.

Expensive jewelry & money: While it’s true that your agent is responsible for visitors and should be monitoring your potential buyers around during an open house, you should still take the steps necessary to protect your valued items.  What if there is more than one person in the touring party? One person can easily distract your agent while the other swipes your expensive jewelry in their pockets & purses. During an open house, broker/agent has to be multi-tasking and they may not be able to pay attention to smaller items such as a diamond ring.

Medication: People DO steal medication to sell to others or for other reasons. In my area, there was a man who dressed very nicely and posed as a buyer.  He would go to crowded open houses and raid people’s medicine cabinets.  Medication, like other personal items, should be stored safely and out of reach of potential thieves.

There’s nothing more important than your safety…more than any amount of money you can receive.  Being aware of these very simple things can ensure that you and your family are safe while showing your home.

Happy Selling,

Cindy

Note:  Staged4more is an eco-friendly company and we believe in recycling everything, including blogposts.  This post is part of a weekly series of refreshed posts we’re calling “Restyled” from our earlier blogging years.  This post was originally written in July, 2007 and has been “Restyled” for your reading pleasure.  Let us know what you think!

As a child, I spent TONS of time at the beach (I grew up on an island in Asia, so yeah, we went to beach a lot!).  I always leave wishing I could take as much home with me as possible.  What is it about beach style (besides being at the beach) that makes us feel so comfy and relaxed? And — more importantly, what can you do to recreate that feeling long after your summer vacation is over?

Every beach house I have ever visited share some very important style elements:

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Playful.  There’s always some element of playfulness in these homes.  Whether it’s represented with beach toys or fun accessories, the last thing you are thinking about is color scheme or balance.  The beach house style incorporates various fun and personal items that always make you feel comfortable, whether you are visiting once a year or live in that space all year round.

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Natural colors. The colors in these homes reflect the natural surroundings in a way that brings the outside in.  Ocean and sand colors are sprinkled throughout, and even on the occasional rainy day, you can still enjoy the elements that draw you to the coast.

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Living things. Inexpensive live plants can imitate the outdoors in the most organic way and they also purify the air.  Seashells, driftwood, and other interesting things that you have collected can be displayed in clear glass vases full of sand.  This is a great way to display your seashell and sea glass collections!

These three very simple steps can help bring some classic beach style home with you after your vacation is over and bring some every day relaxation into your life until your next visit.

Warm weather inspires warm tones — and there isn’t a better or brighter one than orange.  If I could pull orange lipstick off, Nars Outsider would be my choice.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t complement my skin tone and I might resemble an Oompa Loompa.

Until there’s a hue that make me look as bright as I feel on most summer days, I’ll stick to home styling. Check out these Outsider inspired accents from HGTV:

In this last photo, look how great it is to segment and display your bookshelves by dividing your book spines by colors!

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