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Carver Communications - Index

Carver Communications - 11.1.08 - Index

Staging for the Holidays
The holiday season is here and I
couldn’t be more excited. As a professional
Home Stager and mother of two
young boys, nothing gets me quite as
revved up as planning the spookiest front
porch scene that only the bravest of trickor-treaters
would dare, the most bountiful
table at which to give thanks with my
family and friends, and the most magical
winter wonderland my children will experience
without traveling to the North Pole.
As a mother, I want my sons to
enjoy the holiday season to its fullest and
create traditions that they will someday
share with their own children.
As a professional Home Stager, I
want to capitalize on the sentiment of the
final season of the year to help sell
homes.
The last three months of the year
are supercharged with sights, sounds, flavors,
smells and textures that are specific
to each season; enticing emotions, and
creating lasting memories.
Because much of this season is
centered around family, it is very stressful
to think of leaving your familiar home full
of family memories and buying a new,
unfamiliar home that you have no history
in.
Therefore, you can bet that potential
buyers who are house hunting during
the holiday
season are
serious buyers
who must
relocate and
want to fall in
love with a
new home
quickly and
with as little
stress as possible.
With
emotions running high, now is one of the
most effective times to Stage with holiday
spirit and give the potential buyer a vision
of memories yet to be made in their new
home.
But don’t start decking the halls
just yet! There are guidelines for Staging
to Sell during the holidays that will be
essential to setting the scene appropriately.
The first rule of thumb is to incorporate
items that represent the season –
not the holiday. In other words, you will
be decorating with Fall in mind rather
than Halloween or Thanksgiving. In
December - January you would display
winter items rather than Christmas decorations.
Think holiday neutral.
By Stephanie Boyle, Accredited Staging Professional
First Impressions Home Staging
First Impressions
Home Staging
The second rule is to keep it simple.
Focus the holiday Staging on the
areas of the house that are specific to the
holidays; mainly the front entrance, dining
room, family room and kitchen.
The third rule is to understand the
importance of Staging to create emotion
in your potential buyer and to realize how
this will impact your buyer especially at
this time of year. Potential buyers will
find it cold, unnatural and unwelcoming
to view listings that are not festively
Staged during the holiday season.
Start at the Curb:
Winter in Texas isn’t pretty.
Before your grass goes dormant and your
shrubs and flowering plants loose their
leaves and blooms, go outside and take
photos of your yard in all its glory. Find
an area to display these photos for potential
buyers to see what is in store for them
once spring rolls back around.
As your blooming plants die back
or go dormant, don’t forget to incorporate
color with seasonal items such as a beautiful
container of fall mums or poinsettias,
a grouping of pumpkins or a basket of
pinecones, a wreath made of fall colored
leaves or winter greenery. If your doormat
is looking tired and worn, replace it. Be
vigilant about keeping your walkways,
porches
and patio
areas free
of leaves,
acorns,
etc. Save
your outdoor
string
lights, yard
ornaments
and religioussymbols
for
your new house.
The Dining Room:
The holiday season is a time for
gathering with family and friends. Now is
the time to show off that little used dining
room. Begin by making the space look as
large as possible. Remove any unnecessary
furniture pieces. Pare down the items
that are displayed in the china cabinet.
Go ahead and set the table with a beautiful
seasonal runner down the middle and
an elegant centerpiece. If the formal dinnerware
hasn’t been packed away, create
place settings. The goal is for potential
buyers to be able to imagine their family
and friends sitting down together to celebrate
in this space.
November 1, 2008 REAL ESTATE NEWSLINE 21
The Kitchen:
Memory and emotion are triggered
by scent, therefore the smells of the season
should be
emanating from
this area. The
scents of pumpkin
and gingerbread,
cider and
mint are available
in potpourri
and plug-in room
fresheners for a
quick, safe alternative
to candles
or simmering
pots. The holidays
are about cooking so display a cookbook
on the countertop open to a mouthwatering
picture of a holiday dish. A
plate of cookies or individually wrapped
candies are a welcome treat. As always –
make sure the kitchen is spotless.
The Family Room:
Like the dining room, this area is a
place for family gatherings. Remove any
unnecessary pieces of furniture and
arrange for optimal traffic flow. Top the
coffee table with an appropriately sized
seasonal item such as a tray of mixed
gourds or a dish
of oranges studded
with cloves.
Make the most of
the mantle by
draping a seasonal
runner and
light the fireplace
if safely possible.
Drape a throw
blanket made of a
thick, rich fabric
over the arm of
the sofa. Have
instrumental seasonal music playing softly.
Feel free to display a Christmas tree,
however, keep ornaments neutral and to a
minimum. One simple yet elegant idea is
to decorate the tree with beautiful ribbon
and poinsettia stems.
By following a few simple guidelines,
your holiday listing can be effectively
Staged to give potential buyers an
image of what their future holiday celebrations
could be, while still allowing the
home seller to enjoy their last holiday season
in the home.
But what about those vacant listings?
As if relocating during the holidays
isn‘t stressful enough, add to that the
depressing task of driving around in the
cold and wet to look at empty houses with
bare trees and dormant grass.
As a professional Stager, I always
recommend putting furniture in vacant
homes, even if it is only vignettes. An
empty home is cold, unwelcoming and
does not create the sense of excitement
that is needed for a buyer to connect.
Let your clients know about Home
Staging and its benefits. For an investment
that would cost less than their first
price reduction a professional Home
Stager can bring in items to create a warm
and inviting
atmosphere to
give potential
buyers a feeling
of “home”.
Now that
you have your
listings Staged
for the holidays,
what about your
own home?
Staging for
S p e c i a l
Occasions!
Every holiday season I get even
more excited than my children upon
opening our plastic trunks full of decorations.
I have had most of the items for
years and occasionally pick up something
new to incorporate into the mix. I actually
enjoy the challenge of developing
unique and creative ways to utilize the
“same old” items year after year. I love
the transformation our home takes on
with the simple addition of thick, cozy
throw blankets, pumpkin scented candles
and a bowlful of acorns with faux fall
leaves. Even if the San Antonio weather
leaves you less
than enthusiastic
about decorating
for the
season, you can
still make a
transformation
indoors quite
simply by
applying the
same guidelines
Buyers only know what they see -
offered in
Not what it can be.
Staging to Sell.
If you are daunted by decorating or
simply don’t have the time in the hustle
and bustle of life - don’t despair. As a
professional Stager, my team at First
Impressions Home Staging utilizes our
creativity in designing with your existing
decorations in fresh, new ways to help
keep your costs down; while providing
the atmosphere you desire. If you are
wanting an entirely new holiday look or
only require a few items, we can help with
shopping and/or may have just what you
are looking for in our holiday Staging
supplies.
In a nutshell, when done properly,
holiday staging will create the impact
needed and desired by the potential buyer
to form an emotional connection to the
house….their new home.
So what are you waiting for? Pull
out those decorations and pick up the
phone – my team at First Impressions is
anxious to get your listing SOLD!
www.firstimpressionshomestaging.net
210-254-7443