Posts Tagged ‘home staging austin’


DotHow to Prepare For a Home Staging Appointment

How to Prepare for a Staging Appointment

So it’s time to sell your home and you’re in need of a professional Austin Home Stager.  Home stagers can work wonders and provide your home an edge over the competition in your area!  To get the most out of your home staging appointment, there are a few things you can do to prepare the home.  These simple actions can make the appointment go smoothly and can ensure you receive every possible benefit from your consultation.

 

1.  Don’t pack decorative items before the consultation.

Home staging does NOT cost a fortune.  One of the reasons it’s inexpensive is because items are reused that you already own.  Having several accessories to pull from allows the stager to be more strategic with their placement.  Placement is important because the buyer’s eye needs to be directed toward the positive attributes of the home!

 

2.  Don’t pack wine glasses, glass vases, non-personal artwork, or any neutral plates.

These items are very commonly used for home staging.  Setting the dining room table for open houses and daily viewings is appealing to the eye.  Wine glasses, and neutral plates can be used to set the dining table to suggest entertaining.  Non-personalized artwork and glass vases can be used all throughout the home and can really cut down on the cost of home staging.

  

3.  Make a list of 2-3 items that are used daily in every room.

Having a list made will ensure your Austin home stager can figure out how to stage your home wonderfully while keeping it practical at the same time.  Living in a staged house is not the easiest, so let’s keep it practical!

 

4.  Have 2-3 sets of fresh towels ready to be strategically placed in bathrooms.

Have towels out and ready to be used in the bathrooms to make them feel fresh and unused.  Using neutral towels with one pop of color is a nice touch.  The towels can soften bathrooms and pull the room together with coordinating colors.  Make sure the towels are fresh and relatively new!

 

5.  Remove all personalized artwork, family portraits, etc.

Removing personalized items such as photos and artwork is the first step in depersonalization.  It is difficult for buyers to imagine themselves living in a home when another family’s photos are being showcased.
We want buyers focused on the home and it’s featured not on your children or your specific taste.    Staging involves finding a balance between a “lived in” look and a museum.  Making the home feel new, unused and depersonalized is key! 

Austin Home Staging (512) 585-9550

Please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!  Thanks for visiting our blog and come back soon!

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DotHow to Fold a Perfect Stack of Towels!

When staging a house, the more detailed oriented the better.  Towels are some of the best staging props that exist.  If you didn’t know, TOWELS SPEAK!  Fresh clean towels say a lot about your home!  They can make a laundry room feel fresh and inviting.  A beautiful stack of towels in a bathroom says luxury and provides a spa-like environment.  When staging a home, the more “unused” it looks and feels, the more likely buyers are going to relate.  Strategically use towels when preparing your home for sale.  It is simple, easy and affordable.  Purchase a fresh set of towels and fold them in a beautiful stack as pictured below.  Place them at an angle on your washer or dryer…it makes it appear as if you just finished folding some fresh towels.  If you can spritz them with a linen spray, even better!  Austin Simple Staging gets extremely detailed so we lure buyers to your home!  For an austin home staging estimate, contact us!  (512) 585-9550

Watch this YouTube video to learn how to fold towels your pefectly!  It is a model home look for free!

How To Fold a Towel…Perfectly!

 

1 Comment

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DotRemodeled Beauty & Staged to Perfection!

I have worked with these homeowners on a number of fronts.  We staged their previous home and it was under contract within 15 days!  They have since moved into a new home where they remodeled the entire first floor.  Check out the before and after photos below!  They have began to settle into their new home; therefore, the staging has commenced.  Staging is not just for preparing a home for sale but can also be utilized to shape a room for life!  We are trying to utilize the majority of what they own and add a few new accessories.  This house has been a work in progress but we wanted to share the most recent photos!  Please post a comment and let us know your thoughts!

BEFORE

The home had chocolate brown concrete floors and the fireplace unit was a bit awkward.  The homeowners wanted a much more warm and inviting feeling which we definitely accomplished!

AFTER

We made some major improvements.  We chose a beautiful maple, wide planked floor.  It automatically changed the feeling of the room.  We had the T.V. unit refinished to match the kitchen cabinets.  The T.V. unit now flows very nicely with the white molding.  We went with a soft white cabinet color and finished them out with a soft chocolate colored glaze.  We had it glazed just enough to hang up in the cracks but not to much.  Be careful when glazing cabinet doors, too much glaze can make them extremely busy.  The entire first floor was also repainted a soft and inviting neutral. 

In regards to staging, the homeowner wanted to go with a “Nest” theme.  It is such a great feeling to nestle into a new home.  The bird pillows on the couch were purchased from Pottery Barn and we continued this theme into the dining room as well.  Otherwise, we have tried to utilize the furniture they previously owned.  It is a great place for children to play and a wonderful place to entertain.  We purchased new white baskets to organize the kids toys, look at the difference in the white baskets vs. the darker baskets.  The white baskets are such a lighter, airier look.

BEFORE

This is a beautiful kitchen, no question, but it wasn’t the owner’s taste!  The homeowners wanted a much more airy and fresh feeling kitchen.  The cabinets in this photo are a crackle paint that made the kitchen look and feel a bit dated.  The combination of the back splash, counters and cabinets gave the kitchen an overall orange tone.  The homeowners wanted to get away from orange and bring in more neutral tones.  The appliances were also outdated.  Notice the island and the placement of the stove (all of this was modified, see below).  Also notice the sink in the before photo…check it out in the after photo!  You can never have a big enough sink!

AFTER

This kitchen went from drab and dated to fabulous and updated!  The kitchen is now airy and fresh feeling.  We moved away from orange and moved towards yellows and taupe’s.  We purchase granite for the counters and a rock like backsplash.  When choosing granite it is extremely important to make sure it pulls the overall tone you are looking for.  In this case we wanted a golden color and we got just that!  All the appliacnes were updated to LG Stainless Steel.  We purchased them at Aus Tex appliances, a place I would highly suggest checking out if you need new appliances.    We installed travertine floors which are much more resistant to children and messes than hardwood.  You have to be extremely careful with wood in regards to spills.  Travertine is much more durable in the kitchen, especially if you have children.  The owners installed under the cabinet lighting and notice how it lights up the backsplash.  We also provided some contrast in the kitchen by making the island stand out from the outer cabinets.  A dark brown was chosen and the island was extended to provide a small bar.  If you need help or suggestions with your remodeling project contact Austin Simple Staging your premier Austin Home Staging Company!  (512) 585-9550

BEFORE

One person’s or families taste is simply not another’s!  Check out the before photo and notice the difference of the new lighting fixture!

AFTER

The home owners picked out this gorgeous chandelier and what a difference it makes.  This room now has such elegance and class.  The table was purchased from Pottery Barn and the place settings from World Market.  To break up a wood table and chair set, purchase two accent chairs and place one at each end of the table.  It gives a space a ton of character!  Don’t worry about it matching perfectly, variety is good!  This room really needs a rug under the table but often times practically rules!  With children and messy eaters, it just isn’t possible!  Either way this room is stunning and looks ready for a party!

3 Comments

Tyffanie - Great job Courtney! You really have a talent for staging/decorating! Looks like you really found your niche! Hope all is well!!
Sandi - Some Massive changes, and what a great difference everything made!!! Looks incredible!!
Home Staging Handbook – Prepare Property To Sell Faster For More. | Error Fix - [...] Remodeled Beauty & Staged to Perfection! | Austin Home Staging … [...]
 
 

 

DotFoolproof Staging Tips and Tricks!

Here are some suggestions to help stage your home and prepare it for buyers!  The more detailed you are when staging your home, the more buyers think you care and take care of your property!  So pull out all the stops and get creative with Austin Simple Staging!

These are a few tips and tricks that we use on an every day basis for

austin home staging, and now you can try them too!

Idea #1- Simplify your Tables

Check out this side table and lamp below. We simply cleared all the clutter from the table and strategically placed a few books on the side.  The reason for this is A) It looks classy and unique as a lamp and bookend, but more importantly B) It lets buyers know this would be a great place to sit down, unwind and read a great book. The more we can invoke feelings of peace and relaxation to a buyer, the better. Notice the blinds are open letting in the sunlight. Always open the draperies and blinds to allow the space to seem bright and airy!

Idea #2- Prepare the Dining Room For A Party

This place setting, flower arrangement, and wall art were placed in a dining room that had previously been vacant.  Bringing in a table and chairs lets buyers know the purpose of this room.  It also shows how nicely a table and chairs can fit in the space.  Often times the size of a room can seem distorted to buyers when left empty.  Therefore, we always want to give them some sort of scale in which to go off.  This might sound crazy to someone who is moving out of their home, but go ahead and set the dining table!  A nicely dressed dining table is always a great idea to get buyers imagining entertaining in the space, and it just looks beautiful!  We love to have most things in the home be of neutral colors, but bringing in a splash of color like the red done here give the room POP!  Buyer are more likely to remember room that POP!

Idea #3- Turn Your Master Bathroom Into A Spa

This bathroom was absolutely gorgeous to begin with but we were able to accentuate it’s beauty by adding a plant and some candles next to the bathtub.  That’s a trick that anyone with a ledge next to their bathtub can try.  Using new/matching towels is a good idea when staging to bring a feel of cohesiveness to your home.  Using any mismatched, holiday or scraggly towels sends the wrong message to a buyer.  Another tip is to place a basket with some spa like items near the tub or on the bathroom counter like we did here.  A pretty bottle of soap near the sink is a nice touch and remember to clear all other clutter off the counter tops!

Idea #4- Give Bedrooms Symmetry

Placing a lamp on both sides of a bed is great to give the room symmetry and to maximize the light in every bedroom.  You’d be surprised how many buyers get turned off by a house just because it seems too dark, so light it up!  Placing a light, airy plant or other small accessory next to one of the lamps in a room can make the space feel more inviting and fresh.  Look how precious this flower is and it’s simply just one sprig placed in a small vase, very simple!  Austin Simple Staging helps keep your staging experience simple and straightforward.  Austin Home Staging is the your key to a beautifully staged home that will help attract buyers!

Idea #5- Kitchen Counters- Keep it Simple

Here we see two places where we have set the scene nicely.  We used a bottle of wine and wine glasses in the forefront and with the coffee maker in the background. We simply placed the bottle of wine on a small cutting board and dropped a couple of wine corks inside the wine glasses for a fun touch. On the back counter top, we choose to leave out a coffee maker that had stainless steel on it that matched all the other appliances in the room. We left out two coffee mugs and placed pretty napkins in each to give it some drama. Once buyers see the wine and coffee arrangements, they will immediately start envisioning themselves having a glass of wine or some coffee in the space, and that is exactly what we want because it makes a person start feeling more comfortable in the home.

 

For a FREE Austin Home Staging Estimate CALL Austin Simple Staging

(512) 585-9550 

1 Comment

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DotUnder Contract in 3 Days!

I staged 2631 Claudia in Leander for Realtor Seth Koppel.  The homeowners were go-getter’s and completed everything I suggested to them!  As a result, buyers instantly fell in love with their home & property!  By hiring Austin Simple Staging you will have a two hour consultation where we provide recommendations for how to present your home.  After the appointment you will receive a customized staging recap that includes all suggestions that were made at the appointment.  From our experience, the families who complete their staging recap list, are on the market for less than 3 weeks!

*Photography by Real Tour

CURB APPEAL

A buyer’s impressions about your home begin the second they pull up.  It is extremely important that your property be well maintained.  This means have the yard mowed, edged and remove all leaves.  If the outside of your home hasn’t been painted in quite some time, it might be worth getting an estimate for what it would cost to have the exterior painted.  If there isn’t money to repaint the entire outside of the home, then give the front door a fresh coat of paint.  While the realtor is getting the key out of the lock box, the buyers eyes are roaming!  Make sure the entry way is sprayed down and that your entry rug is welcoming and clean!

ENTRY WAY

Cathedral entry ways can be extremely tough to decorate.  We often feel there has to be something on every wall.  Let me say, it is simply ok to have an empty wall.  Staging is an interesting science.  We tell everyone we work with that if their home feels the slightest bit bare, then we have done our job!  In this situation, the three pieces of artwork running up the stairs could have easily been removed and the entry way would have been just as dramatic.  This photo is also a great example of how important it is to have every single light on in the house for showings and open houses.  If the light were not on in the back corner of the stairwell, chances are buyers would not notice it!  Have all lights on for showings!  No excuses!

DINING ROOM

This dining room says….Entertain Here!  This is the exact feeling you want to give off when staging your dining room.  Make it have elegance, warmth and a classic feeling!  By setting the table it gives buyers the thought of having family and friends over for dinner.  These are the positive thoughts we want buyers to experience when touring your home.  If you have heavy draperies in your dining room, be sure to have them pulled all the way open.  We want to flood the house with light!  It makes it feel cheery and we want buyers feeling happy and welcomed!

FAMILY ROOM

This family room had extremely large furniture and was missing an intimate feeling.  we pulled the furniture closer to the fireplace to make if feel a bit more cozy.  Notice the coffee table, there are only two accessories on it.  Remember less is more!  When staging a large room, we want buyers eyes to go to focal point- in this case the fireplace.  So by not cluttering the coffee table, it gives buyers the opportunity to focus!  If you make touring your home difficult on buyers, they will move on.  Make it easy for buyers & stage your home!  The results are worth the upfront work of staging!

KITCHENS

Be very careful when staging a kitchen!!!  You want very few things left out on the counters!  If you are going to place decorative items above the cabinets, leave only 3.  It is going to seem bare, but this is good!   Look at what happens in a photo, it instantly gets a bit busy!  The bottom line is this, three items on top of the cabinets and 4-5 items left out on the counter.  Don’t allow yourself to leave anything else out!  It gets cluttered looking.  It many not be the most practical way to live, but the hope is you will be under contract sooner than later!

BEDROOMS

Check out this bedroom!  It was originally painted an extremely dark color.  During the two hour staging consultation, we suggested they paint the room a neutral and softer color.  There is no question neutral homes seller faster than colorful homes.  When selling your home, look around and see which rooms don’t flow well.  Any room that stands alone from the rest of the home needs to be repainted.  We don’t want any surprises for our potential buyers!  This bedroom turned out just beautiful!  Notice how the bed is made up!  It looks like a hotel and is incredibly inviting to all!  This is a stunning bedroom and buyers fell in love! 

POOLS

Pools are desired by some and hated by others!  Let buyers fall in love with your pool.  Place one or two very simple seating areas around the pool.  Remove all pool toys, floats, and pool cleaning tools.  We don’t want buyers to start talking about how much work it is to keep up a pool!  We want them thinking about how relaxing it would be to have a pool to themselves!  Notice the simple potted plants around the pool to make it feel part of the back yard.  Again, keep it simple!  Don’t overwhelm buyers with your stuff!

Austin Simple Staging offers austin home staging services

 which can help you accomplish all of this and more!  Call today (512) 585-9550!

4 Comments

Margi - I love the new color of the master bedroom -- it makes it look like a very comfortable and relaxing place to get away.
Tweets that mention Under Contract in 3 Days! | Austin Home Staging | Austin Home Stager | Affordable Home Staging — Topsy.com - [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sam Guerrero. Sam Guerrero said: http://bit.ly/3PX0nj Under Contract in 3 Days! | Austin Home Staging | Austin Home ... http://bit.ly/bv5ivD [...]
Matt - Not only did you do a great job staging the property, your pictures are excellent and should catch buyers attention on flyers and online.
Curtis Reppart - Wow this house is amazing!
 
 

 

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