When staging a property, one of our mantras is: “If you’ve got it – flaunt it!”  This time of year, dreaming of the good weather ahead, showing off an outdoor space becomes particularly important.  Recently we staged a downtown condo that was fully furnished but not showing well.  To create an inviting space we brought in some outdoor furniture and a colorful rug and got to work.  In a short time, the deck became a focal point:

Grant Tower Deck Before

Grant Tower Deck Staged

Grant Tower Deck Staged Exterior View

Now that’s worth showing off!

If location is King in real estate, then we think floor plan should be crowned Queen.  We can’t do much about location but one of our key considerations when staging is to enhance and showcase the floor plan. We recently worked on a new home in Lake Oswego and fell in love with the layout.  We wanted to make sure prospective buyers felt the same way so we designed the staging to show off the open floor plan while defining how the space could be used.  To start, we left plenty of open area to show off the space and the beautiful wood floors.

Braeden Ct

Then we configured the living room furniture to make the area cozy and inviting.

Braeden Ct Living Room

Braeden Ct Living Room

To show just how big and functional the dining room is, we added six dark chairs  and set the table for entertaining.

Braden Ct Dining Room

Before adding staging, it was one large open space that was hard to imagine how to furnish.  After staging?  Tell us what you think.

In the home staging business, the term transformation is used quite a bit.  We get a little tired of hearing it.  But, in today’s post we can’t think of any word that better describes the change in this home.   Last month we blogged about meeting with our client Jane.  Her home had been on the market for 10 months with no offers.  After a few updates, minor repairs, and some staging magic it’s all dressed up and ready to show.   Below are the original photos used when Jane listed her home in ’09-’10 and the new RMLS listing photos.

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

See?  Is there any better word to use than transformation?

Living Room Before

Living Room After

Remember, the BEFORE photos are actual old RMLS  listing photos.  Want to see some more?

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

While there’s a lot we could say about this project, we think the photos say it all.  TRANSFORMATION!

At Chancellor Designs, we love our accessories.  So on a recent trip to the 2011 Furniture Market in Las Vegas we had our eyes peeled for new decor trends.  And we found a lot to be inspired by! There was an astonishing variety of furnishings and accessories. From high end to affordable, traditional to modern, lamps, sofas, accessories…it was all there.  We found everything from the fabulous to the curious. We thought these pieces were fun and interesting:

Fun Accessories

A big trend we saw repeatedly was the ruffled, flower pillow.  Cute (when used sparingly, maybe one per sofa or bed):

Pillow Trends

But among all of it, there were a couple items that really stood out.  While touring a furniture showroom we can across these stunning pieces:

Coffee

Ice Cream

We wondered what reaction these are meant to inspire.  Perhaps the associated commentary goes something like this: “Worried that the home you’re try to sell appears to fussy?  Worried potential buyers won’t feel that they can be themselves in such luxury?  Well, we have the answer!  Our lovely line of spilled coffee, ice cream, and a host of other food and beverages, shows buyers that no matter how fancy a home is, they will be free to be their normal lazy, unkempt selves!  There’s no better way to help slobs feel right at home, and ready to bust out their torn and tattered checkbook!”

Or, maybe not.

A frequent question we get at Chancellor Designs is, “what is a home staging consultation? What’s the process like and what can I expect to happen?”  We thought we’d walk you through an example of a project we are currently working on.

Jane’s home had been on the market for 10 long months.  She had many showings during that time, but no offers.  Not one. Jane decided it was time for a change.  She hired a new realtor, Urban Nest, who immediately saw that presentation, more than the property, was at fault.  Luckily for Jane, her new realtors were already acquatinted with Chancellor Designs, and called us in for a consultation.

Jane had never worked with a home stager before and didn’t know what to expect.  We called her to set up time for the consultation and explained the process: first, we would spend a couple hours evaluating the property.  Then, we would create a detailed action plan of our recommendations.  Here is what we would be looking for:

• What key selling features of the home that should be highlighted?
• What will make this property stand out from its direct competition?
• How do we address any objections potential buyers might have?
• Is there any deferred maintenance that need be addressed?

Next, we would determine how to achieve these objectives using staging techniques to enhance perceived value and purposefully guide a buyer’s attention.   Typical recommendations include:

• Removing distracting decor, personal items and clutter
• Updating paint color
• Optimizing furniture layout
• Accessorizing

Often minor updates are also recommended:

• Remedies for deferred maintenance
• Updated lighting and  fixtures
• Flooring replacement

After reviewing what would happen at the consultation, we set up time to met Jane at her century-old Arts & Crafts home.  We toured the five bedroom home’s over three thousand square feet.

At the end of our appointment, we asked Jane “How motivated are you to sell?  On a scale of one to ten, if five  is just testing the market, where are you?”

Jane responded with a resounding “Ten!”.  With that in mind, we left to create a plan to make the property marketable and appeal to the largest potential audience possible.

Next week we’ll review some specific examples from Jane’s home.  We’ll post photos from the previous listing (trust us, it’s worth the wait) and outline some of our recommendations.  In the meantime, if you’re planning to list your home this year and don’t know how to get it ready, gives us a call!  We’d love to discuss our services and how we can help you prepare your home for sale.

Ok, we can’t resist.  Here’s a sneak peek.  This photo is from the previous listing (remember, 10 months, no offers).

We LOVE Portland.  One of the perks about staging in this city is being out-and-about in neighborhoods we wouldn’t otherwise spend time in.  This video captures so much of what it is about Portland that makes it such a captivating place to live.  If you feel the same way about the place we call home you’ll love this.  Click on the link to the love letter and enjoy!