Nitty Gritty Benefits of Occupied Home Staging

It’s a delicate balance selling a home with occupants and working around all their possessions. There is a high probability cluttered rooms, ill-placed and dated furnishings, artwork, overstuffed cabinets and closets, plus day-to-day messes exist and they will distract homebuyers, plus look unappealing in photographs. Encouraging buyers to fall in love with an unstaged home becomes a challenge and the home could remain on the market for months on end with multiple price reductions.

Before - Cluttered Living Room with Antler Chandelier

Professionally staging a home is a strategic marketing tool and will provide value to the bottom line. “32% of home buyers are willing to offer more money for a staged home compared to a similar non-staged home.” — National Association of Realtor’s 2015 Profile of Home Staging

Sellers have misconceptions about staging a home for fear they must live in a sterile home void of personality, and that simply isn’t true. Occupants can live in the home and with a few modifications it can be comfortable, attractive, and affordable. 

The process of staging makes a difference, and yes, there will be changes to attract buyers and capture their attention, especially for photographs, such as:

• Arrangement of furnishings to enhance traffic flow, increase vantage points or show off architectural features.
• Reducing the amount of furnishings or décor in a room to create balance, harmony and showcase room sizes.
• Simplification and organization of collections, décor, paperwork, and closets to reduce clutter and chaos allows buyers to appreciate the home and see the potential.

Additional considerations, include:

• Deep cleaning the entire home, including windows and tidying up the exterior. Cleanliness plays a huge role in welcoming buyers. They don’t want to buy someone’s dirty house.
• Update outdated fixtures, lighting and wall colors attracts buyers wanting a move-in ready home.

After - Spacious and Improved Floor Plan of Living Room

Taking steps to showcase the home before it is listed can increase the selling price and decrease the duration of the listing, which ultimately is the win-win everyone wants. Staging and photostyling the home is a powerful tool before listing and can generate higher offers for sellers!

Getting down and dirty and knowing where to start is daunting. The training and experience of a professional home stager offers to stage an occupied home will help to ease the transition, provide resources and help to transform the home. The home stager is a trusted professional to help you get the most for your home.

Debbie DeMarais is a professional certified home stager with DeMarais | Home Staging + Design and has successfully staged and styled hundreds of occupied and vacant homes in Santa Fe, resulting in beautiful homes receiving fast offers and quick sales. Debbie is a member of Home Staging Resource (HSR), Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), and Allied Member of ASID.

Complimentary Wall Colors Add Value to Home Sales

Experience proves that staging a home adds value to the selling price and garners quick sales, however without the structure of a well maintained home a quick sale may take a little longer than necessary. A home owner may chose to save money and avoid changing their wall color, thinking it is just paint, no big deal. But it is a big deal! When a home has been painted with bold, in-your-face colors, the walls show wear and tear, are dirty, or painted in stark white, home buyers will be turned off and it can be more difficult for you to sell the home. Consequently the home will sit on the market longer and unfortunately lose the potential for a higher selling price.

Zillow.com conducted a study in 2016, of color schemes of 50,000 homes sold during a 10-year period beginning in 2006. The results showed the highest sale of premium homes with kitchens painted in hues of creamy or wheat yellow. These homes did better than those painted white or eggshell, or had no color at all. Other top-performing listings had earthy tones like sage green or dove gray walls.

Now in Santa Fe, NM, opting for sage green walls may not be the choice of color to use especially with our heritage of rich warm tones and new creamy palettes. Instead, consider a warm palette in neutrals that are stylish and clean, and compliments the homes architectural features. Lighting, flooring and additional elements of the rooms will play an important role in selecting the proper color and should be taken into consideration whether the home is for sale or one to live in for many years to come.

Images: the harsh eggplant walls (before image-top) was a hard sale. Lightening up the room with neutral creamy wall colors and staging accessories in complimentary hues (after-bottom image) created a relaxing and cozy master bedroom and an offer received shortly after listing.

At DeMarais | home staging + design we offer color consultations and home staging solutions to help sell homes fast and for top dollar! Contact Debbie at 505.699.4989 today to schedule an on-line consultation. Check out our portfolio or reach us www.homestagingsantafe.com.

Challenges If Not Staging a Home

There are challenges in selling a home that is vacant compared to one which has been staged. For instance, the first thing buyers experience is empty, cold and unattractive rooms, areas of neglect are front and center, even if the rooms have been painted, there is nothing for buyers to connect with visually, and no perspective for the scale and size of the space. The home remains on the market for many months with little or no interest from buyers and their agents and ultimately frustrating the seller. Buyers do find ways to ask for a reduction in price because they see the duration of the listing period and assume that the seller is eager to sell. Empty homes also lose momentum when listed before they are staged. Many sellers think they will save money if they stage it later, however the listing period continues even after staging and each month results in big loses for their return on investment.

The benefits of staging an empty home are enormous! Using a trained home stager, they will work with the home and each room to create strategic placement of furniture, decor and artwork, the home says "welcome" to prospective buyers, and home staging provides intention while giving each room purpose, plus the features of the home are highlighted.

Vacant home before and after images of master bedroom and living room with dining room.

In this example, upon entering the house, in the living room is immediately off the front door,  the couch was placed against the wall to project a larger room size and draw focus to the kiva fireplace, rather than the odd shaped and small room.

Of course the major benefits to home staging is more money in your pocket and faster sales, incredible photos for on-line marketing, which do make a difference, and in most cases staging a home will increase the selling price.

As a trained and certified home stager, I encourage my clients to make the most of their listing and invest in the process of staging their home at the start. This means taking the time to fix and mend those neglected areas, freshen up the wall colors, replace outdated light fixtures, do a deep clean, and hire a trained home stager. Trained home stagers know how to maximize and position the home to sell, they focus on placement, furnishing arrangements and are trained to style the home to attract buyers. Some home stagers are able to use existing furnishings or they have an inventory you can rent.

These little tips will bring in faster offers in a shorter timeframe and the home will stand out against the competition. Buyers are savvy, they do not want to buy a house if it is dirty, unattractive, has a lot of repairs to do (unless of course the house is sold-as is for a lower price), looks a mess and is empty. Buyers want the perception they are getting move-in ready home and one that feels like a five-star hotel when they walk in.

All homes deserve to look their best and this can be achieved through home staging. If you want to sell your home quickly, first step hire a trained home stager, it's a wise investment that gets great results!

Debbie DeMarais is a trained and certified home stager at DeMarais home staging + design, and trained in the field of interior design. She provides full service solutions for occupied and vacant staging, color consultations, and interior design services. She can be reached at 505-699-4989 to schedule a personalized consultation to sell your home faster.

Staging to sell, or leave as is?

Sell a home as is or stage to sell? An awesome transformation to this home in Wilderness Gate, Santa Fe, NM will garner more money now that it's staged rather than if it was left as is.

We removed the center island blocking the amazing views of Santa Fe, painted, cleaned out years of personal belongings, updated the kitchen, and more. This home seller will be able to sell the home for more money with home staging and the updates we recommended. With a complete transformation it is positioned to sell quickly. 

Ready to stage your home, contact me to schedule a consultation.

Debbie DeMarais

DeMarais | home staging + design

Certified Home Stager and Designer

Differences between "Chaos and Calm" when selling a home

Selling a home and retaining an "as-is" presence, because you like how you live, will only hinder your ability to get a home buyer to fall in love with your home and sell it quickly, let alone a real estate agent interested in showing it at all.

In this home the home owners followed our advice to replace the pet damaged furniture, de-clutter and move their many projects and excess furniture out of the living room. We recommended painting a neutral palette on the walls and kiva fireplace, replacement of the tattered rug and furnishings, and other outdated items. In staging and styling the room conversation is encouraged, purpose and connection is provided and incredible views just outside the windows are highlighted. Upon completion the room felt larger and more spacious, home buyers lingered and were able to envision themselves living in this home.

Staging a home and transforming it can speak volumes as it highlights the architectural features and by updating the furnishings and decor it matches the home value. Home buyers expect a home to reflect the appropriate living conditions and decor reflected of the listing price. The decision to not stage a home and leaving it in the original condition will not only turn buyers away but the loss of a potential sale at a high asking price greatly diminishes.

For more before and after examples, visit www.homestagingsantafe.com

Before and After Home Staging

Keeping it Clean - Small Home Office at home

This newly staged home (recently renovated and for sale) has the perfect live/work situation for someone who wants a small home office, within a commercial/residential neighbor close to downtown Santa Fe. Creating a space to work and receive clients with less than 100 square feet is manageable. Keep the room and furnishings simple by storing all the supporting documentation, office supplies and printer, etc. in the closet. Clients will appreciate how uncluttered and clean the office is and both parties can focus on business rather than being distracted by an untidy office.

To view more about this home or additional projects in our portfolio visit www.homestagingsantafe.com.

Home Decorating and Staging Special for September

Dreaming of adding pizzazz to your existing home or decorating a new one and would like professional help to create a defined style with decorating, furnishing or space layout? 

Perhaps it’s time to sell the house? Where to start? Receive the expertise, guidance and staging tips you need to stage your house to stand out, sell quickly and for top dollar.

Whatever the reason you may have, now is the time to update the home before the holidays arrive! Schedule a design session or an occupied staging consult during the month of September* and receive five hours, for the price of four!  Contact Debbie today to reserve your customized hands-on session. 

Not in Santa Fe, NM? Interested in staging your home via Skype? Let's give it a try, offer can be split into two sessions for Skype staging only.

*Back-to-School Special - five hours at $375, plus tax, expires 9/30/2016. Offer does not apply to materials and supplies, rental inventory, vacant home staging, delivery, or additional labor. Visa/MC accepted.

DeMarais | home staging + design
Debbie DeMarais | HSR Certified Home Stager, ASID Allied Member
www.homestagingsantafe.com

Establish Successful Back-to-School Study Habits

Have a student going back-to-school or you are an empty nester considering creating an office space in that empty room? Consider the position of a desk to encourage and promote healthy study/work habits. The awareness of desk placement and items on the desk can help to contribute to clearer thinking and information processing, knowledge, successful transactions, and wisdom according to Feng Shui principles.

Create a place for students to work and call their own rather than at the dining table or coffee table. This can reinforce responsibility and ownership, plus frees up the dining table for family dinners. A sturdy desk, good lighting and appropriate chair height contribute to the overall wellness, while studying late into the night. The best location for students is in their bedroom. If possible, place the desk facing northeast, (the direction of wisdom and knowledge) of the home and facing the door, for the command position, and see who is entering. Adding a map or globe in this area will help encourage study. Highlight the “atta-boy/girl awards,” trophies, or good grades in the achievement area on the south wall to recognize a job well done and encourage continued success. Avoid placing the bed with the feet, facing the door, as all the good energy you’ve created will flow out of the room.

When the desk is not in use, keep it clear and clutter-free to encourage good study/work habits. Approaching a cluttered desk restricts the creativity and ambition to study, as it requires extra time to clean before opening the books. Placement of where items go on the desk will contribute to good energy (Chi) as well. Place the computer in the front position of the chair to encourage studying; knowledge will be enhanced with books in the lower-left position, creativity will nourish with art supplies or other creative tools on the center right area of the desk. Placement of the lamp in the upper center of the desk will help to illuminate success. With these minor adjustments the study/work area can help propel your student into a successful school year.

Interested in learning more ways to encourage good study habits or design, contact me.

Debbie DeMarais

DeMarais home study + design

www.homestagingsantafe.com

Pops of Color in Staged Home

Creating balance with color, brings life and energy into what was a dark and monochromatic design. The home owner loved blue and in every hue. However, it was too much for a home buyer to try to envision creating it as theirs. Getting ready to sell the home the owners called upon me to stage it to appeal to home buyers. As in each home I stage it's important to look past the seller's design style and personality and create the stage that appeals to home buyers. Working with only their furniture and lot's of it, I pared down the number of pieces in each room, rearranged furnishings and added accessories and art to highlight the rooms. Providing the pop of color and design invites home buyers to spend time in exploring the possibilities of this home. The rooms feel like home so sit down, relax and dream of making this home yours. Www.homestagingsantafe.com 

Home Buyer's Seek Staged Homes

Selling a house today is quite different than it used to be years ago. Today’s home buyers are extremely savvy about what they want in their next home. Marketing a home takes more consideration, time and work. Focusing on the appearance, how a home is presented will contribute to the success of a sale.

81% of home buyers reported staging makes it easier to visualize the property as a future home, reports the National Association of Realtors 2015 Profile of Home Staging. A staged home ‘invites’ the buyer see the potential rather than develop negative objections.

Top five reasons to stage a home:

1.     Buyer’s looking on-line make their decision to view the home in person within 8 seconds.

2.     Staging a home creates a vision of how a buyer aspires to live in your home, not showcasing the actual day-to-day existence.

3.     Buyers focus on positive reinforcement throughout the home rather than negative to consider if it meets their needs.

4.     Buyers will re-prioritize their list, when a house feels like home they can live in.

5.     Leaving a home in “as-is” condition will only help sell the competition. Buyers look for homes with updated fixtures and appliances, and décor.

Staged homes on the average earn more money than a home that hasn’t been staged. A professional Home Stager is trained to know what buyer’s look for and how to get a home sold quickly. Taking the extra steps to prepare a home for sale is the difference between a quick sale or a long-term listing with price reductions. 

For more information visit - www.homestagersantafe.com 

Debbie DeMarais 

DeMarais | home staging + design

Ms. DeMarais is a Certified Professional Home Stager through Home Staging Resource and is trained in Interior Design and Architectural Design. She is a member of RESA and ASID, Allied Member. She provides full-service home staging solutions and interior design in Santa Fe, NM.

Image: This home was staged using the owners furnishings and decor. They received an offer within four-days of listing the home!

Invoking Happiness with Color

Color plays an important role in design whether we are trying to stimulate a joyful and happy place or creating a room for quiet reflection. When I think of what makes me happy and an associated color - orange makes me smile. In fact, as a teenager I insisted my bedroom be painted orange, it was uplifting compared to the dreary Seattle weather. As an home stager and designer, I fully understand the use of color and surround myself with pops of orange in my office, which makes for a stimulating and creative space.

Love this Orange Rockwell Arm Chair

Orange created by combining red (energy) and yellow (happiness) represents sunshine, warm weather and places like the tropics. Studies show that orange can stimulate the brain, increase the oxygen supply and is invigorating. Imagine the scent and taste of a slice of orange, how it felt peeling back the rind, releasing sprays of orange fragrance in the air and feeling bursts of juice explode as you bit into each segment, note how refreshing this was and happy you felt. One simple slice of an orange produces endorphin's stimulating your “happy” place. 

It is a powerful color representing happiness, strength and endurance. In Feng Shui and Interior Design applications important elements are often highlighted using the color orange, while commercially it is often used to help stimulate business success.

Quoting Oscar Levant, he said, “happiness isn’t something you experience, it is something you remember.” Isn’t it time to remember something that made you happy? Recall how you felt during the summer with the warmth of the sun on your face, did you feel happy? Let’s recreate this feeling in our home. I could suggest painting a wall or four in a warm orange palette, however doing so could invoke too much of a good thing. Instead paint a niche, accent wall, add a great accessory that pops of warm orange, or introduce a piece of furniture in a dark corner. You won't regret it.

Socially orange becomes a conversation starter, and has uplifting energy while creating a sense of warmth. Afraid of commitment then start small with a simple bowl of oranges or tangerines, as a centerpiece. It’s a perfect way to introduce happiness and prosperity, especially as we celebrate Lunar New Year on February 8^th. Interested in learning more contact me? I can be reached at www.homestagingsantafe.com.

Home Staging Inspiration from Architectural Details

Selling a home “as-is,” in most cases, is not the most effective way to reach a buyer’s attention and invoke their appreciation for the characteristic and fine detail of a home. Finding a buyer (only 20%) who can look past the seller’s décor style and furnishing arrangement, plus areas of neglect to appreciate the gem of an “as-is” home is risky.

This unique home built in 1900, was formerly the residence of Santa Fe Governor John E. Miles (1939-1941). In addition to its historic past, this South Capital home is appreciated for its unique architectural design. It is one of two homes found in Santa Fe built with the classic Gambrel roof characteristic of the Dutch Colonial style. The exterior walls and fireplace built with stone, rumored to originate from Upper Canyon Road.

The age and history of this home was the inspiration to determine the style of furnishings and décor used to stage this property. Rather than staging it with traditional Santa Fe style furnishings, a timeless contemporary design with clean lines produced an elegance that is inviting, comfortable. The style also helps to highlight the floor plan and showcase features such as the stone fireplace and crystal chandelier. The completed design blends cohesively and harmoniously with its surroundings, while emphasizing the architectural characteristics, which become important elements in staging a home.

Had the seller retain the existing style of furnishings and decor, buyers may have been unable to appreciate the details this rare home has to offer. When selling a home, it is best to highlight key selling points and features, rather than overburden it with a design that competes with the space. 

Considering selling your home, and wondering if the design style or furnishing arrangements showcase the home at its best? We can help with a virtual consultation and walk-through  of each room. You will receive tips and suggestions to get the most out bang when selling your home. www.homestagingsantafe.com

Homes Sell Quickly as Buyers Visualize Property through Home Staging

Living room at 319 Villeros, Santa Fe

Providing home staging guidance to owners who live in their home while trying to sell it is a different approach than filling a vacant home and staging it with furniture, accessories and decor. 

The goal is to create an environment within a home that is for sale so buyers can connect with it, while using the seller’s things. Working within the seller’s budget, we spent about a day to help them stage the house and gardens in order for this home to get quick results. In just a short time, the owners received styling and design guidance using their belongings. We moved most of their furniture around, rearranged the placement of beds, cleaned up the art studio, created an inviting seating area in the living room, artwork was rehung, and unnecessary items were removed which contributed to the cluttered appearance we initially came upon. While going through this process we even helped them get organized to begin the packing process of letting go which can help get the house sold. The gardens also received a much-needed face-lift due to neglected maintenance and overgrown weeds to highlight the Koi pond, two private patios and fruit trees. 

According to the sellers, not only were the results fantastic, but also buyers were thrilled with how the home looked, and it sold within six weeks of staging. Home staging is an effective tool in selling a home with "81% of buyers saying that home staging makes it easier to visualize the property as a future home", according to the National Association of Realtor's 2015 Profile of Home Staging. 

There is a difference in how a home looks between "living" in a home and "selling" the home. If you are uncertain how this can make a difference with your situation or you need some guidance, contact us at www.homestagingsantafe.com, we can help even through a virtual home staging consultation.

Dining Room and Entry

Kitchen and Breakfast Nook

Art Studio

Gardens and Private Patio

Century Old Home Staged with Contemporary Twist

A former Santa Fe Governor residence, more than a century old,  receives an interior facelift with contemporary furnishings through home staging and design in Santa Fe, NM.

The majority of homes in Santa Fe are Adobe or Territorial style, however this one is truly unique with original stone walls, basement, deep seated windows, and guest rooms upstairs boasts an unusual design in Dutch Colonial architecture.

It would have been easy to prepare this home as a typical home staging project by using furnishings that reflected an older period. However, we chose to step it up and move away from the ordinary or expected by bringing this home into the present and upgrade it to project the lifestyle of an upscale buyer. Using a palette of grays, cream and champagne, plus incorporating glass, silver and reflective surfaces this home showcases an elegance which is warm, comfortable and affordable, one that is sure to attract a home buyer with discerning tastes.

Each room is uniquely styled to take advantage of showcasing the architectural features, critically important when selling a home. We chose to have the upstairs guest rooms remain true to the original design, however focusing on the needs of a present day buyer and staged it to showcase the unlimited possibilities. The master bedroom, bath and adjoining studio/office space received a much needed facelift before putting it on the market.

As a home stager, offering full-service project management, we helped the seller by preparing the home for sale by removing the excessive furnishings, plus enormous eclectic decor, painted the interiors and exterior, identified and updated neglected areas and then prepared the home using our home staging techniques. Our crew worked diligently to maintain the characteristics of this historic home.

615 Webber Street is within blocks of the Roundhouse and Santa Fe plaza and is approximately 2000 sq ft and includes a 500 sq ft detached casita, which is equally as warm and comfortable, plus can be used as a rental. To see more of this home on MLS201503782 with Francie Miles at Barker Realty.  To receive more information on home staging in Santa Fe contact us on our site at www.homestagingsantafe.com.

Living Room with stone fireplace

Entry looking into Living Room with wrought iron hand rail

Original wallpapered bathroom with claw foot bathtub

Master Bedroom with hard wood flooring

Back view of 615 Webber Street from casita

Side view of 615 Webber Street

 

Embracing contemporary design in staged home at Parade of Homes tour

This Friday, the annual Parade of Homes begins and runs for two weekends in Santa Fe. This event showcases some of the best homes in the area. If you have an opportunity to tour the homes you'll not only see terrific architectural design work but staged homes plus new offerings in interior design techniques.

I was fortunate to work with the Homewise team at their Tessara home, entry #6, and took the opportunity to highlight the interior and it's finishes by blending interior design elements and principles to create a style that is complimentary, comfortable, with just a touch of contemporary design that everyone can appreciate.

The key to good home staging techniques is providing just the right amount of ambiance to allow a buyer to envision the possibilities of embracing the space as their own while working with the finishes of the home. Hope to see you on the tour. To see more home staging techniques visit www.homestagingsantafe.com.

Home Staging for Discerning Lifestyle

With just over 6,000 sq ft of beautiful interiors and expansive outdoor space this very "lived-in" house was transformed into a home you'd expect to see in a "high-end" lifestyle magazine. Working with the homeowners we spent many days preparing this home to bring it to the expectations of a discerning home buyer and showcase it like a million dollar house. With so many unique and inspiring architectural features built into the home, it was important to remove the clutter, excess furniture, repurpose and downscale the 'day-to-day' affects of family living.

Without our home staging help, a buyer would miss the opportunity to appreciate the details and the seller may not have been unable to list the home at $1.1 million. Once we moved a lot of furniture, decor and clutter from each room, and reorganized the furnishings to enhance the spaces, it magically turned into a home that looks and feels worthy of the price tag.

A key element of our home staging techniques is to pay attention to the demographics of the buyer and ensure the home's appearance is staged to reflect the discerning tastes and lifestyle of the audience. Buyer's will appreciate the cleanliness, spaciousness and many details of a home when it is presented with them in mind. It's easier to sell a home that shows well, even if the price tag is much lower. How a home looks and feels when buyers approach it will determine how long they'll spend in the home touring it to see if it "fits" just right for them and their family.The longer they stay the greater the possibility they'll "feel at home" and make an offer.

To view additional images of this home at 11 Rancho Cholla, visit www.homestagingsantafe.com