Staged to Sell: A Fixer Upper to Show Stopper

Home stager: Justin M. Riordan, founder of Spade and Archer Design Agency, with offices in Portland, Ore., and Seattle

The home: This Portland, Ore., home was a “complete and total fixer,” Riordan says. But it wasn’t anything that some savvy staging couldn’t fix. The 3,180-square-foot home was built in 1906 and features five bedrooms, 3.5 baths. It’s listed for $875,000.

Riordan’s Staging Tips: 

Photo Credit: Justin Riordan, Spade and Archer Design Agency

  1. When staging a home, stick with neutral rugs with little to no pattern. This will keep the the rugs from distracting from the house itself.

Photo Credit: Justin Riordan, Spade and Archer Design Agency

2. Mix styles because not everybody loves modern or Victorian or vintage. By having an eclectic mix of styles in each room, the staging can appeal a little bit to each person.

Photo Credit: Justin Riordan, Spade and Archer Design Agency

3. Use color blocking. By assigning a single color to each room, buyers will have a way to discuss each room. This house has a green bedroom, a pink bedroom, a grey bedroom, and a brown bedroom. When the buyer say, “I think Sally should have the pink bedroom,” the other buyer will understand immediately which room they were talking about.

 

Have a home you recently staged that you’d like to show off here at Styled Staged & Sold? Submit your staging photos for consideration, along with three to five of your best spruce-up tips. Contact Melissa Dittmann Tracey at mtracey@realtors.org.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Before and After Photos: How Staging Can Make a Big Difference

By Patti Stern, PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating

What is the key to staging a home in appealing to a broad demographic?  Presenting a property’s main rooms so buyers can see its true potential beyond what they read in the listing.

A room showcased in a way that features the best use of the space will not only get noticed but will increase the perceived value and ultimately reduce the time spent on the market. The following are some examples of rooms that were “styled to sell” by meeting targeted buyer specific needs.

Feature a Room’s Original Purpose

Take away the guesswork from buyers by converting the key rooms of a home back to their original purpose. A living room that was being used as a library or office space (as shown in the example above) lacks the “wow factor” when entering the home and is a turn-off to young buyers looking for room to entertain guests.

By adding cozy furniture and modern accents such as a plush rug, wall art, and colorful throw pillows, the space has a fresh, welcoming appeal and helps buyers see the home’s true potential.

For the bedroom above that was used by the sellers as a wardrobe closet, it’s safe to say that buyers would lose interest if they can’t see how a full-sized bed, side table, and shelving would work in the room. Presenting a more functional use of the space rather than one that appears tiny with nothing but racks of hanging clothing, immediately might increase the property’s perceived value for buyers with young families.

Use Furnishings That Fit a Small Space

When staging a small, vacant property such as this flip/investment property shown above, choose the right sized furniture and don’t overdo with too many accents.

Try a love seat and smaller accent chair in the family room or position the head of a bed in front of a window to save space and increase perceived room size.

 

Present Creative Options For A Large Space

Or when styling a large space such as this living room, divide it into distinct sections to show creative uses of the space. We created a cozy game zone in this living room by incorporating a large round table and chairs accented with wall art by the window for an extra inviting touch. Buyers will not only be attracted to the style of the room, but the potential function as well.

For more examples of interior decorating and home staging, visit www.pjstagingdecorating.com.

PattiABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patti Stern is principal, interior decorator, and professional stager of PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating. She has been decorating and staging homes since 2005. She and her team provide turnkey, full-service home staging and interior decorating to clients across Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. She also developed an award-winning staging program for the luxury homebuilder, Toll Brothers. Her company received the Houzz 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Awards for Customer Service.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Hot Home Trend: Stylish Cowhide

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

From rustic to modern to even the most luxurious interiors, homeowners are sprucing up their spaces with cowhide. Cowhide rugs have seen one of the biggest jumps in Google searches on home design trends over the last decade, according to Digital Third Coast’s latest design trends study, based on search engine results.

There are many types of cowhide to choose from, such as solid colored, cuvy shaped ones to black and white cowhide to ones with brown accents. The brown accent cowhides can be more subtle when used up against hardwoods or brown leather furnishings. The black and white cowhides, meanwhile, are for the wishing to make a bigger statement.

Where should you add a cowhide? Here are a few ideas to show how the trend is being used in home design.

FURNISHINGS: A cowhide accent chair or ottoman can create a focal point in a space.

RUGS: A curvy cowhide rug under a coffee table in the living room can help anchor a space. Designers say the cowhide even helps “loosen up” an otherwise perfectly symmetrical balanced space.

ACCESSORIES: Cowhide accessories can also make an impact, such as cowhide patterned throw pillows or cowhide print blanket to dress up a brown or black sofa.

One thing to add with this trend: Don’t overdo it. You don’t need a lot of cowhide to make a statement.

Source: National Association of Realtors

Show Us Your Best Staging Photos!

Calling all stagers! Realtor Magazine is on the lookout for great examples of staging a space in some of today’s most popular home styles, from farmhouse chic to modern or contemporary. I’m looking for some real estate professionals and stagers who would be willing to show off some of their favorite staging styles.

If you have a great example of a home staged in one of the styles listed below, please contact Melissa Dittmann Tracey at mtracey@realtors.org. Share with us a room photo and some of the staging accessories you used to enhance the look. We’ll be sharing some of our favorite submissions in an upcoming guide at Realtor Magazine online.

Design Styles for Staging Photos

  • Modern
  • Farmhouse chic
  • Rustic
  • Beach house
  • Industrial
  • Traditional


Source: National Association of Realtors

Light it Up: Add a Party Vibe to Your Outdoor Staging

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Outdoor lighting isn’t just for the holidays. You can illuminate your outdoor living areas anytime of year. Stringed bulbs are becoming a “hot” outdoor trend this year. These outdoor clear, vintage lights have big rounded bulbs that can really create a festive flair in a backyard. They’re reminiscent of the lights used at an outdoor street fair.

Homeowners are draping them across the top of their pergola, or along their back deck. Some owners may stretch them above and across their yard to create a canopy of lights.

Watch out that they don’t become an eyesore during the daytime. The glow at night are when these lights shine. Tuck them into the top of a pergola. Or, for a photo op, drape them temporarily across a courtyard. Take a picture of it at dusk for a listing photo that shows off the entertainment space of a backyard.

Or, string the lights to illuminate the backyard during a twilight open house. Check out how these designers used them.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Does the Color Purple Have a Place in Staging?

Pantone_purpleBy Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Pantone selected Ultra Violet as its 2018 Color of the Year. The vibrant color is popping up in more fashion, but when it comes to home design, is it just too bold for staging? After all, no one wants to deal with a purple elephant in the room when trying to stage a home for sale.

But designers are showing tasteful ways to weave in shades of purple to brighten otherwise neutral decorated rooms. Purple up against a mostly all-beige or all-white room can be just the colorful statement to welcome in the spring buying season.

Purple painted rooms still may be a harder sell in a home for sale, but purple hues in pillows, throw blankets, accessories, florals, or even accent chairs or a tufted couch may just be the touch of purple that takes a room from blah to memorable.

Below we feature a few examples from the popular remodeling site Houzz that show how purple accents can be used in a chic way to brighten up a space. What do you think? Will purple be a hot accent for your spring-time staging?

Purple Velvet

Purple velvety accent chairs against an otherwise neutral backdrop helps make this room more eye-catching.

 

Purple Pattern

The lime green patterned bedding helps to offset the purple statements in this bedroom design.

 

Purple Accents

All shades of purple help spice up the décor in this living room, from the flowers to the ottomans, pillows, and blanket.

 

Purple Accent Walls

If you do purple on the walls, you may want to make it in just a small spot–careful not to overpower the room. Check out this example below, in which the designers use purple wallpaper to accent a fireplace nook in the dining room. The purple hue is then repeated in the lighting fixture and curtains.


Source: National Association of Realtors

2018 Home Trends to Guide Your Staging

Article Submitted by Fixr.com

Before you’re able to successfully stage a home for sale, you need to understand your target audience, and the kinds of things they’re looking for in a home. Home buyers today are much more savvy than previous generations; they know what they want, and they’re willing to wait to get it.

In a recent survey, industry influencers shared what they felt were the top trends in single-family homes for 2018. These trends took a good look at what home buyers were looking for, and what potential sellers and real estate pros can do to help make properties more attractive to those looking at them.

Before you stage another home this year, be sure to consider these top single-family home trends in 2018 to truly understand your audience.

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The Purchasers

Before you can stage anything, you need to know a little more about whom you’re staging the rooms for. And while in years past, Baby Boomers made up the bulk of the home buying market, in 2018, you’ll be seeing a predominantly younger demographic.

Fifty-three percent of industry influencers surveyed believe that members of Generation X, aged ages 38 to 53, will compromise the majority of the market, while an additional 34 percent feel that Millennials, ages 21 to 37, will make up the remainder. With this younger group of buyers purchasing more than ever before, you need to pay more attention to what they want during your home staging rather than relying on trends of years past.

Keep in mind that influencers also feel that things like faux finishes and jewel tones—popular design trends of years past–are all out as far as today’s buyers are concerned.

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Floor Plans

While you can’t always change every floor plan of every home, you can remove a few walls from a home’s interiors if it means making it more appealing to buyers. More than 70 percent of real estate influencers believe that an open floor plan will be something that home buyers want to see.

Open floor plans are great for entertaining, they help maximize natural light, and are extremely versatile in terms of how the space can be set up and used. These attributes are helping drive more home buyers, especially younger buyers, toward open concept homes than ever before.

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Smart Features

When you’re staging a home for sale, don’t overlook one of the most popular trends right now–the smart home. While you don’t have to automate everything in the home to entice buyers, switching out lights for smart bulbs, and adding in things like a smart thermostat and front door lock can go a long way toward encouraging interest amongst buyers.

Fifty percent of influencers surveyed feel that smart homes are going to be the biggest feature that home buyers are looking for in 2018. Smart homes are accessible, functional, and according to Energy Star , they can also save homeowners money–10 percent to 30 percent on energy bills just by switching to a smart thermostat alone. That can certainly be very attractive to prospective buyers.

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Exteriors

Everyone knows how important curb appeal is to a home. And today’s trends for home exteriors can help you make the most of a property’s curb appeal during the staging process. This includes using cool colors on the exterior, and for a fast and easy update to the yard, add some potted or raised planters to create a cozy atmosphere that attracts those who enter the yard.

Exterior

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Voice Control

As long as you’re including a few smart features in the home design, be sure to introduce voice control features as well. Surveyed influencers believe that voice control as part of home automation will be a very attractive addition to many homes for today’s buyers.

Luckily, with so many voice-controlled devices on the market, it’s easy to find one that will fit seamlessly in with the rest of the home’s design, helping to capture the attention of any prospective buyer who stops in.

To learn about the cost of household remodeling projects, visit the Cost Guides.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Hot Home Trend: Double-Pocket Doors That Make a Statement

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine

Pocket doors are not only getting a chic makeover in recent years, but they really can be key to solving some design challenges in small spaces too. And for the “wow” factor, try a double-pocket door.

Pocket doors are those that slide right into the wall when opened. It’s like they were never there. You don’t have to account for a door swing like a normal door, which is a bonus in areas tight on space.

Pocket doors are hardly new. They’ve been around for ages. But they did once suffer from an image of looking flimsy and cheap.

That’s not today’s pocket door. The double-pocket pocket door has doors that slide open from either side, tucking into their corresponding wall.

There are many styles to choose from. For example, an all-white French door one with glass window panes allow more brightness and can dress up the doorway even when you want to close off a space.  Or, there also are some double-pocket doors that can stretch all the way to the ceiling for some added drama.

Pocket doors can be a great solution to section off closets, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or a home’s study. They also can add more privacy to a home with an expansive open floorplan. After all, the one growing gripe from homeowners with open floorplans is that their floorplans at time feel too open. The double-pocket door just may be one stylish solution to help solve that problem. And when the doors are tucked into the wall, you may never even known it was there.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Hot Home Trend: Go Big With Your Tile

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Supersized tiles are making over more floors, and this may be welcome news to many homeowners. Large format tiles means less grout to clean. The large tile trend may be partially motivated out of function, not just aesthetics.

More homeowners are experimenting with larger tile sizes, whether with porcelain, ceramic, or vinyl flooring.

Tile squares may be about 12 inches or so in most standard kitchen floors. But now sizes up to 24 inches or more are catching on.

Besides the easier-to-clean aspects of this, the larger tile squares often can make a space look bigger. That’s because there are less grout lines breaking up a floor into boxy squares, which leads to the perceptions of elongated spaces. (Another tip from designers in elongating a space with your tile: Be sure to select a grout color that most closely matches the color of your tile. That will also help make your floors look more expansive.)

The larger tile formats are popping up in kitchen flooring and as in bathrooms surrounding the tub or shower. Designers say the larger formats offer a more modern, “clean lines” vibe to a room’s flooring.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Styling Tips to ‘Wow’ Spring-Time Home Buyers

By Patti Stern, PJ & Co. Staging and Interior Decorating

The new year and the upcoming spring season brings with it a fresh outlook and new beginnings. What will prospective home buyers be thinking about while searching for their new “happy place”? For sellers preparing their homes to sell this spring, that means engaging buyers by showcasing a warm, welcoming and cheerful property that others can easily envision living in. The following are our spring décor styling tips to help sellers prepare their property to stand out among the sea of new listings.

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Natural Elements Paired with Metallics

One of our favorite trends is plants of all shapes and sizes–succulents, trees or plants in baskets and colorful planters, and fresh or synthetic garden flowers in vases and wreaths. Since metallic accents continue to be on-trend, we love pairing the two together for an elegant touch to appeal to today’s buyers who like to feel close to nature.

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Pops of Bright Accents

Pair bold pops of colorful accessories such as accent pillows, throws, artwork, glass bowls filled with fruit, and fluffy bathroom towels against a neutral backdrop to give any room a boost of energy and warmth. Mix and match different textures and patterns for added depth and a modern style.

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Update Paint Colors

Whether you repaint an entire room or an accent wall, a fresh coat of paint works wonders to instantly brighten and open a space to make it appear larger. To spruce up your curb appeal, try a fresh coat of a trending spring color such as Benjamin Moore’s Caliente for your front door to create a welcoming first impression.

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Fresh Bedding

To create a spring-like oasis in the bedroom, switch out winter bedding and replace it with fluffy duvets in white, or on-trend floral patterns paired with a soft, cozy throw and accent pillows in different sizes, colors, and textures.  To complete the look, add soothing nature-inspired wall art in complementary colors.

For more examples of interior decorating and home staging, visit www.pjstagingdecorating.com.

PattiABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patti Stern is principal, interior decorator, and professional stager of PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating. She has been decorating and staging homes since 2005. She and her team provide turnkey, full-service home staging and interior decorating to clients across Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. She also developed an award-winning staging program for the luxury homebuilder, Toll Brothers. Her company received the Houzz 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Awards for Customer Service.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Stage the Bathroom: 7 Simple Ideas

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Since 2000, the standard home for-sale was about 1,800 square feet – which mostly stayed steady for several years. But lately, the standard new home has swelled to 2,200 square feet, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Where is all of that extra space going? Bathrooms.

Builders are adding more bathrooms to homes, reports CNNMoney.

If buyers are putting so much more emphasis on bathrooms, you’d be wise to focus more on it in your staging too. Take a look at some of these photos below from Houzz to get inspiration for some simple, affordable ideas to stage bathrooms.

1. Try a luxurious, fluffy bath rug.

2. Add some fresh flowers, like a vase of hydrangeas, for some added color pop.

3. Show off some smart organization. You know, buyers will be peeking in the closets. 

4. Set up like a spa: Fluffy folded towels with lotions on a cart.

5. Swap out for a framed mirror.

6. Try a slightly bolder shower curtain and tie it back to add more drama.

7. Bring in some bling: Silver accessories can add some shine, as long as your home owner is committed to keeping them sparkling.

Source: National Association of Realtors

7 Ways to Add More Romance to a Home’s Decor

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day this week. But a romantic flair to warm up your home design may very well be in style year-round.

In fact, one-third of homeowners say they intended to renovate their master bedrooms to create a more romantic or intimate space, according to a 2015 survey of more than 1,500 homeowners conducted by Houzz, a remodeling website.

How do you achieve a more romantic style with your décor? Here are a few ideas.

1. Fluffy pillows

The more pillows on the bed, the better. Decorative pillows can add a softness to a room. Read tips from stager Audra Slinkey from the Home Staging Resource: How to Use Pillows in Staging

2. A lush Rug
A faux sheepskin rug under the bed may add a touch of luster to the flooring.

3. Whites and pastels
Softer colors can add a more romantic vibe. Pristine white mixed with soft pastels may add warmth to a bedroom. Try whites or pastel bedding and accessories up against a slightly darker wall color for just the right contrast.

4. Fireplace
Illuminate a space with the glows from a fireplace or candles.

5. Flowers
Fresh flowers can spruce up any room in the house–and as an added bonus they often bring a pleasant scent too. Even small bouquets can still make a statement.

6. Chandelier
Add in more glam in the bathroom with a crystal chandelier that can reflect the light and bring a little sparkle.

7. Intimate outdoor spaces
You can get romantic with your landscaping outside too. Set a scene with a small table and chair set, greenery surrounding, and strung lights to create a cozy spot to unwind or dine.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Hot Home Trend: Florals Are Dressing Up Interiors

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Consider adding more floral patterns into your staging. It’s bold and trendy, home designers say.

Floral prints are seeing a revival in home design, according to the design community on Houzz, a home renovation and design platform. In fact, they are calling florals one of the hottest home design trends of 2018.

But its re-emergence in interiors does come with a twist this time around. Floral designs in contrasting colors is trending. It can make a big statement and can be an eye-popping pattern to jazz up a space.

“Forget low-energy patterns and think botanical references in high-contrast colors, such as black and white, or teal and gold, and over-sized blooms,” Houzz notes in its forecast.

Floral patterns of roses, peonies, and lilacs are popular in wall art, throw pillows or bedding, rugs, or furnishings. It can feel vintage, and add a little flair to an otherwise neutral staging palette.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Stagers Who Stand Ready to Transform Properties

By Audra Slinkey, Home Staging Resource

A lot of people don’t realize just how much home stagers do for their clients. Certified professional home stagers are true artists and will go to great lengths to get that “right look,” as well as help seller’s maximize the return impact on the sale of their home.

Here are two, behind-the-scenes staging stories that show you how far your home stager will go to GET IT DONE RIGHT…

You may have seen this unique residence in your news stream a while back, but did you consider how it got staged?  It is on an island just off the Connecticut coast and the residence spans the entire three-acre island.

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There were five houses to be staged (a main house, guest house, tea house, game house, and pool house.)  The real kicker is that the caretaker’s boat had weight restrictions and could not hold couches, beds, or larger pieces–so the stager had to be creative!

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HSR Certified home stager Leia Ward of LTW Designs in Fairfield County is the brave home stager who took on this property, and using only accessories, staged it beautifully!  Here is a photo of her loading up the boat with all her gorgeous furnishings.

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Imagine how hard it must have been to crate all of those items over two docks, open sea, and yard space using just the wheel barrel you see here!

Leia and her team staged all day and into the evening but the outcome and sale of the home is what drives dedicated stagers like her.

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Since staging outdoor spaces has become much more critical to buyers, Leia makes sure no stone is unturned using what the client had and adding many more accessories to update the look.

View photos of Leia and her team’s staging of the property.

My second story entails a home that most people had given up on…

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Looking more like an Amityville Horror Movie, this home had been neglected and abused for years and unfortunately the inside was not much better…

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When RESA Stager of the Year, HSR Grad Brad Fletcher of the Home Staging Pros in Orlando, Fla. got a hold of this property … everything changed!

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The transformation is unbelievable, and it’s hard to envision this is the same house! Updated flooring, paint, fixtures, A LOT of clean up, and staging makes this a home that buyers will pay A LOT more for!

Professional home stagers make this kind of magic happen every day for their clients.  They are tireless, they are dedicated, and they are worth every penny.

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Buyers beware … not all home stagers are equal. Is Walmart equal to Restoration Hardware in quality and design? It’s not about getting the best price for your sellers; it’s about getting the best return on their investment. Brad and Leia are stagers who do just that.

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Slinkey ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Audra Slinkey is president of the Home Staging Resource, a RESA Accredited home staging training and certification company. Slinkey has personally trained over 3,000 stagers worldwide and is a bestselling author and international speaker. She also serves as president of the American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners. Connect with her on Facebook!


Source: National Association of Realtors

#CES2018: Tech Up Your Style

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

ces-logoThe mega consumer electronic showcase, CES, lands in Las Vegas this week. It may not be the place you typically go to for décor trends, but technology is having an undeniable influence in home design, like see-through refrigerators and smart lighting.

Consumers look to you for expertise too. Forty-two percent of Americans say they would look to their sales agent to provide suggestions about how staging their home with smart home products could impact the sale of their home, according to a newly released Coldwell Banker Real Estate survey of more than 3,000 Americans.

So what do we see that has potential this year to spice up some designs? Here are a few picks from CES 2018.

Accent Wall Light Show

 

Photo credit: Nanoleaf

Photo credit: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf’s color-changing Aurora light panels would make for an attention-getting accent wall in small or big doses. Connect them in any configuration you like. They just stick to the walls. The panels change colors, and you can sync the lights to music and also with one of your AI’s, Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. The panels are touch-sensitive so with a tap you can turn them on and off, dim them, or change the color.

Statement Refrigerators

Refrigerators just keep getting smarter. LG’s new InstaView ThinQ smart refrigerator features a 29-inch touchscreen that becomes transparent if you knock on it twice. You can also use the touchscreen to manage your food and get automatic reminders when items are running low.

Photo credit: LG

Photo credit: LG

Samsung has a similar model in appearance with its 2018 version of its Family Hub smart refrigerator. This year’s model offers support for Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant to handle voice commands. It can connect to other third-party devices for the smart home too. So you can actually view what’s happening outside your front door from your refrigerator door.

Photo credit: Samsung

Photo credit: Samsung

Notice both the Samsung and LG models are both featured in black stainless, which we still believe will be a growing competitor to traditional stainless steel.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall … 

Photo credit: Kohler

Photo credit: Kohler

Check out this smart mirror. Kohler is introducing a new Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror, which is a bathroom mirror that has Amazon’s Alexa built-in. It features a dual-microphone solution for accuracy in voice-control and speakers are housed in the casings. There is also a motion-activated wayfinding nightlight for safety, and LED lights for makeup application or other grooming needs. It can also communicate with other connected products in your Wi-Fi network.

Is that an AI in your ceiling? 

Photo credit: GE

Photo credit: GE

Talk with your ceiling lights. You’ll be able to with GE’s Smart Ceiling Fixture. It is a large disk that boasts a speaker in the middle. You can give it voice-driven tasks on anything, like adding an item to your grocery list or telling it to play music. You can also tell it to adjust the warmness or coolness of the lights. It responds to your commands. Flush mount or recessed can lighting options will be available.


Source: National Association of Realtors

The Forecast: 2018 Trends in Staging

By Mary Purcell, MoneyGeek.com

Home staging has gone mainstream and is now widely used to make a home more attractive to potential buyers. According to a 2017 survey by the National Association of REALTORS®, a majority of real estate professionals believe staging increases the sale price of the home anywhere from 1 to 15 percent.

But even if it doesn’t increase the value, most agents agree that staging reduces the amount of time the home sits on the market, which is music to any seller’s ears.

Not all homes need a dramatic makeover, but most homes will benefit from at least a thorough cleaning and culling.

“Staging and preparation can include as little as some fresh paint, but in most cases we also landscape, replace dated light fixtures and hardware, and in many cases refinish hardwood floors, replace countertops, bathroom fixtures, etc.,” says Nicole Kennedy, a home staging expert in Piedmont, Calif.

 

Read on to learn what industry and design trends we can expect in 2018.

More real estate agents get on board

Lori Matzke, founder of HomeStagingExpert.com, provides home staging workshops around the country in addition to running her own staging business in Minnesota. She’s noticed an increased interest and involvement of real estate agents in the staging process.

“Back when I started staging (in 1999), agents were not interested; they didn’t want to have one more thing on their plate,” Matzke says. “My classes are now 90 to 95 percent agents. I think you’re going to see a lot more agents learning about staging and how to advise their clients, because more and more homeowners are demanding that.”

That doesn’t mean agents will be doing the staging themselves, but they will have an eye for what is needed, and will facilitate the interaction between the seller and the stager. “It really helps the homeowner to have an educated real estate agent,” says Matzke. If the agent has prepped the seller about what needs to be removed and cleaned out, it makes the stager’s job faster and cheaper.

Complete vs. partial staging

Staging can range from small efforts like decluttering to a complete move out and refurnishing. Complete staging of vacant homes is a growing trend, according to Matzke. Whether it’s new or model homes, or the seller has moved out, many stagers today only work with vacant homes.

In the booming Bay Area housing market, Kennedy says buyers are accustomed to short sales cycles, so having the home primed and ready is expected.

“Fewer than 10 percent of homes I stage are partial–where we keep some of the furniture and belongings, edit out and add in where needed,” notes Kennedy. “This can be challenging because the staging has to fit in with existing styles and pieces, but it can make more sense to sellers who are staying in the house through the sale.”

Matzke says the complete staging trend isn’t limited to hot real estate markets.

“It’s been trickling down into smaller markets, not just in the larger metropolitan areas,” she notes. The ubiquity of staging on HGTV shows has probably made the idea more palatable to sellers and agents across the county.

Embracing a personal touch

One of the golden rules of staging has long been to keep things neutral to appeal to the widest range of potential buyers. But stagers are increasingly adding a little more design, style, and color to the home.

“Staging is becoming a bit more personal and less stale than it has been in the past,” Kennedy says. “It used to be standard to remove all family photos and personal items from the house, but today’s buyers prefer to see a house with a little personality. They want to see a ‘real’ house that they can imagine themselves in and small, personal details that create an aspirational image can help reach buyers on an emotional level.”

Matzke agrees. “It’s becoming trendy for stagers to do a little mixing with vintage pieces to give it a designer look. I think it gives the place more depth and I’m seeing more chatter about it on blogs.”

Following the design trends

While most of the staging do’s and don’ts will remain the same in 2018, our experts expect some new design trends to emerge in many staged homes next year:

  • Color: After a few years in which just about every design magazine is covered in gray, Matzke has a bold prediction: Gray is dead. “People are embracing beige and creamy white again,” she says. “I think that’s good because not everybody’s furniture fits with gray.”

Stagers are also increasingly adding a pop of color or an upscale design element to appeal to design-conscious buyers.

“Adding a pop of color in a room through accessories or artwork is common,” says Matzke. “The two big colors I think you’ll see a lot of in 2018 are dark teal and millennial pink … especially if you’re marketing to first-time homebuyers or a younger crowd, you might want to add those colors.”

  • Floors: It used to be that preparing a home for sale meant replacing old, stained carpet with new carpet, but Matzke says that, too, is changing. “A lot of people are replacing carpeting with wood and faux wood flooring–at least on the main floor,” she adds.
  • Countertops: While quartz is the latest countertop trend among high-end homes for 2018, Matzke thinks most of America will stick with granite next year because of cost.  “Design magazines are pushing quartz, saying it’s going to be the hot trend for 2018,” Matzke says. “And for the really high-end homes they’re probably right, but for a majority of America, I think it’s still going to be granite.”
  • Glam: Although it sounds counter to the rule of keeping things neutral, HGTV and design magazines have popularized a bit of glam. “For a long time you’ve seen people adding a little bit of rustic, heavy metal designs, but now you’re seeing a lot more shiny metallics,” Matzke says. “Even gold–it adds a bit of bling to the house.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mary Purcell is a freelance writer and health and finance researcher. She covers homebuying, savings and other personal finance-related topics for MoneyGeek.com. 


Source: National Association of Realtors

White Kitchen Fatigue?

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Are homeowners growing tired of the all-white kitchen? Some design experts believe so. White kitchens have been popular over the past few years, but Houzz editor and writer Mitchell Parker predicts that the number of homeowners who will get “white-kitchen fatigue” will grow in the new year.

Some homeowners may experiment with adding more colors back in to the kitchen.

“While white kitchens aren’t going anywhere, expect to see a rise in color, especially other neutrals like gray and blue,” Parker notes in reporting on 2018 home trends. “Plus, warm wood tones are becoming a popular replacement for painted cabinets, leading to sophisticated, rich palettes.”

The two-tone look started catching on in 2017, in which cabinet colors were mixed and matched in the kitchen. For example, the bottom cabinets might be a darker color, such as gray, and the upper cabinets then all in white. Or, homeowners were making a bigger statement with their kitchen islands by painting it a bolder color that contrasted with the rest of its kitchen cabinets.


Source: National Association of Realtors

2018 Outdoor Living Trends: Jaw-Dropping Transformations

By Audra Slinkey, Home Staging Resource

Outdoor patio spaces have sure changed in the last few years with the onset of new outdoor materials, furnishings, fixtures, Cantina doors, and the home owner’s desire for more outdoor living and entertaining space.  In fact, according to the 2017 National Association of REALTORS’ Profile of Home Staging report, the desire to see outdoor spaces staged when selling a home was at 63 percent.  It was not even mentioned in the previous survey.

This outdoor space total transformation is a great example of the kinds of living trends you can expect to see for 2018 and beyond.

Trend #1 – Capitalizing on Available and Unusable Yard Space by Creating Multi-Functional Entertaining Areas

This side yard off the kitchen and dining area was an unusable space used only for barbecuing and the occasional outdoor eating. The patio was too small.  Today’s yards are multi-functional and serve to entertain, lounge, and maximize lot square footage.

Slinkey_1

BEFORE / Photo credit: www.homestagingresource.com

 

Slinkey_2

AFTER / www.homestagingresource.com

 

The side yard appears to be much bigger than before and now serves as an extension of the kitchen and living room area.  The wasted and unused yard is now a highlight of the home adding nearly 1,000 square feet of living space.

Trend #2 – Bring the Outside In with La Cantina/Folding Doors

BEFORE / www.homestagingresource.com

BEFORE / www.homestagingresource.com

 

AFTER / www.homestagingresource.com

AFTER / www.homestagingresource.com

 

 

Removing the kitchen wall and adding La Cantina folding doors allows for seamless movement between the inside and out.  Almost every new home being built in San Diego County has one of these doors inside, so expect to see a lot more of these in the coming years.

Trend #3– Home Bars and Wine Rooms for Entertaining

The casual setting of a home bar is on the rise with a large selection of finishing materials and resources available online to home owners.  More people are entertaining larger crowds in a “help yourself” type of atmosphere.  The Houzz category of “Home Bar” is one of the fastest growing and searched type of photos. So it’s no wonder people are adding them to their outdoor space.

BEFORE / www.homestagingresource.com

BEFORE / www.homestagingresource.com

 

AFTER / www.homestagingresource.com

AFTER / www.homestagingresource.com 

Trend #4 – Textured Walls/Tongue and Groove Siding

Part of making an outside addition appear to be seamless to the inside is to not have the walls look like the outside of a house.  An easy way to create the “indoor look” is to banish stucco entirely and use tongue and groove, as well as wood cabinets (treated and painted) to add character.

Photo credit: www.homestagingresource.com

Photo credit: www.homestagingresource.com

 

Trend #5 – Seamless Outdoor Heating that Works and is Energy Efficient

It wasn’t that long ago home owners were relegated to the indoors for most of the year due to cold and hot weather issues.  Sophisticated and low energy heating units embedded into the ceiling make this a year round space for watching TV and entertaining!

 

Photo credit: www.homestagingresource.com

Photo credit: www.homestagingresource.com

 

Trend #6 – Matching Flooring as an “Extension” of the Indoor Space

Keeping in line with the home owner’s desire for a seamless movement between inside and outside, flooring options have widened allowing owner’s to use tile that looks like wood but is hardy and easy to wash in their outside space.

BEFORE / www.homestagingresource.com

BEFORE / www.homestagingresource.com

 

AFTER / www.homestagingresource.com

AFTER / www.homestagingresource.com

 

From a resale standpoint, these outdoor spaces cost much less than additions and add buyer lifestyle value.  Light fixtures, finishes, and furnishings that can withstand the outdoor elements are easier to source than ever before, so it can be fun for the designer/stager to get creative with their clients.

Slinkey ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Audra Slinkey is president of the Home Staging Resource, a RESA Accredited home staging training and certification company. Slinkey has personally trained over 3,000 stagers worldwide and is a bestselling author and international speaker. She also serves as president of the American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners. Connect with her on Facebook!

 

 

 


Source: National Association of Realtors

Hot Home Trend: Bamboo Everything!

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Bamboo is making its way into more home interiors. From flooring, window treatments to wall accents, furnishings and more, this sustainable material is popping up everywhere.

Some designers are making bamboo their go-to material, which RISMedia recently highlighted in the article “4 Reasons Why Bamboo Is Taking Home Décor by Storm.”

Bamboo is widely available and more affordable than many other wood products. Bamboo is traditionally considered a type of wood flooring, but it’s actually not a wood at all, but a grass. And at growth rates of three to five feet per year, bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on Earth, which means it’s widely available for spicing up interiors.

Here are a few trending ways we’re seeing bamboo enter more household decor.

Gold bamboo is particularly hot for home accents (Check out the coffee table in the picture below).

 

Bamboo-textured walls can add a focal point to a space.

 

Bamboo is popular in landscapes and for adding privacy.

 

Bamboo flooring is an alternative to wood flooring and comes in many different color variations.

 

Bamboo can be used for an artistic privacy screen.


Source: National Association of Realtors

Smarten Up Your Showings With Smart Home Technology

By Christy Matte, guest contributor

StyledStagedSold_imageSmart homes with security and automation features are becoming a hot trend, and they can be an exciting way to dazzle prospective home buyers (and up your staging efforts to a high-tech level at the same time). But if buyers have never experienced an automated home environment, rattling off a list of features could be meaningless at best, and confusing at worst. Here are some fun ways to show a home with smart features, so the buyers will be wowed and you can clinch the sale.

Know What It Is and How It Works

It should go without saying, but make sure you can control the features like a security system, smart locks, or smart lighting, before trying to introduce them to buyers. Ask the homeowner for tips, test them out, and be ready for the big show.

Get the Apps

Ask the seller for access to the associated apps for the various systems. Even better, convince the sellers to tie all smart home technology into one convenient smart hub. It’s an easy task with the help of their Internet service provider. Install one app on one device so prospective buyers can try them out.

Educate Buyers on the Benefits

Make a one-page list of the features, specifically showing how they can save time and money, while also providing increased security.

Go Beyond the Basics

Most people have a basic understanding of a traditional home security system. Show them how this particular system can go even further. Can it send them a text message for smoke detection or a water leak? Can you open the smart lock with your own designated code? Show buyers how much flexibility is available. Security systems aren’t just for protecting against theft anymore.

Have Fun!

Use motion detectors to trigger mood lighting and automated music as buyers move through the home. Let them set off the sprinkler system (after touring the yard, of course) with a swipe of the app. Teach them voice commands to trigger the home’s other functions.

With the right planning, you can turn your everyday showing into something truly special and extremely smart.

Christy Matte HeadshotABOUT THE AUTHOR: Christy Matte is a Boston-based writer who covers home security for XFINITY Home. She is also a die-hard techie who blogs at QuirkyFusion.com. 

 

 


Source: National Association of Realtors

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