Selling Your New Hampshire Home - Simple Home Staging Tips

I was recently hired to provide a Home Staging Consult at a beautiful Barrington, New Hampshire home.  New paint colors were suggested and some furniture was rearranged.  For the most part, the suggestions made were easy to follow and no major updates were needed.

This child's bedroom provides a good example of some simple Home Staging tips to keep in mind when preparing your home for sale.

Furniture placed partially in front of a window suggests a lack of space.

 Potential buyers may think the room is smaller than it actually is and that they may have furniture placement issues if they see a piece of furniture that doesn't fit where it is placed.

Buyers want light and bright rooms....

heavy drapes darken a room,

especially if tiebacks are used and half the window is covered. 

It only took a few minutes to transform this room, creating a more spacious and visually appealing product for Barrington, New Hampshire buyers.

My first choice would have been to replace the heavy drapes with sheers or remove them and have only the valances, but the seller needed the "room darkening" drapes for her child to sleep....so I removed the tiebacks and pulled the panels to the side.

Should You Use A Realtor To Sell Your New Hampshire Home?

Have you decided to sell your New Hampshire (or any other state) home and think that maybe you could save some money by going the fsbo (for sale by owner) route?  

Think again.

Real estate is a team sport.  Having the right Realtor on your team is more important today than it ever was.  

Rene Brin wrote this informative post listing the things that she provides as a listing agent.  In my experience as a New Hampshire Home Stager,  this list is just the beginning....she didn't even mention all the small things agents do like sweeping the garage, lending furniture, putting the dog out, or the endless phone calls.

Portsmouth New Hampshire Home Staging Consult Results In Quick Sale

As a professional Home Stager in New Hampshire, one of the greatest rewards of my work is a fast sale for my clients.   I got a call last week from a client who wanted to thank me for helping her find a buyer in record time....she received TWO offers on the first day!

I was thrilled to hear that all our her hard work had paid off.

I wish I had some great before and after shots to share....unfortunately that is one aspect of my business that could use improvement.  I often forget to take the "before" pictures and I don't always have access to "after".

 In this case, after a three hour consult creating an extensive to-do list and making many changes throughout the home,  I only photographed one room...the family room.

All I did in this room was reposition the furniture .... and add some accessory pieces taken from other rooms in the house.

As if calling to thank me weren't enough, I also received this email.... 

Dear Sharon,

I wanted to tell you what a wonderful job you did with the staging consultation of our house.  My husband and decorator were very impressed, especially with the transformation of our family room!  I admit I was a little hesitant with the change at first but after a day could definitely see the wisdom of your vision.

I worked hard to make all the other changes you suggested and as a result we had TWO fantastic offers on the very first day!  Again, thank you for your talented, professional guidance.

Ellen

Portsmouth New Hampshire Home Staging Consult Results In Quick Sale

Congratulations Ellen!

New Hampshire Home Stager Product Review - The Xtend & Climb Telescoping Ladder

 I rely on product reviews from consumers when I'm looking to purchase.  It's helpful to hear the pros and cons from someone who has used the product, so....

When I find a great product, I like to share it with others. 

My latest "great product" is the Xtend & Climb ladder.

My husband bought the ladder for access to our attic.  Our new home only has an opening to the attic, no drop-down stairs.  He wanted a ladder that's compact and easy to store since it wouldn't be used often.

Little did he know just how often he would be using this ladder!

The Xtend & Climb ladder extends and locks, by the foot, to whatever height you need it to be.

 It's storable, transportable, lightweight and very easy to use!

This ladder would be great for Home Staging...so many ways you could use it to prepare your house for sale.

Not only is it great for attic access.... 

it's already been used to repair the gutters, touch up some paint, and build the new shed.

If you are looking for a true telescoping ladder,

I highly recommend the Xtend & Climb!!

We got ours at Amazon.com, but they are available at Sherwin Williams stores nationwide.

You Don't Want To Miss This PARTY!!

Just in case there's anyone left out there who isn't aware there's a huge celebration going on in the RAIN.....

Check it out.....

The "Be A Star of Your Own Movie"  Awards Gala is in full swing!

Rainers are still arriving on the red carpet and there's no telling what could happen next....you really don't want to miss this party!!

Some highlights so far....

The Judges Arrive

Producer, Director, and MC  Roger Mucci running the show

Winners Are Announced

Even my boys are attending the festivities

All the beautiful people are there!

This is just a bit of what's happening....

what are you waiting for?  Head on over and join in the fun!

Here's your ticket

fyi....all the fun is in the Comment Section!!

 Selling Your New Hampshire Home - The Magic Of Mulch

Preparing your house for sale is stressful, and it's a lot of work.  But, if you make the effort to do it right, the ordeal doesn't have to last quite as long.  It helps to think of your house as a product that requires strategic marketing.

  Retailers display products in visually appealing packaging for good reason.  Your house, and surrounding property, require sprucing up if you want it to appeal to buyers.

When it comes to curb appeal there's no greater bang for your buck than mulch.

 Mulch is to the exterior what paint is to the interior.

 It's the first layer upon which you build... it's the background color on your canvass.

Mulch adds richness and sophistication...and most importantly, perceived value!

Selling your New Hampshire home?  Don't forget the mulch!

As a New Hampshire Home Stager I've seen many prematurely gray homes....older than their years.

Is your front door showing it's age?  It's time for a color!  

I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't be afraid to paint wood.   For many people painting over wood is considered blasphemy, but not all wood is created equal.

 Oak is dated and an oak front door is like gray hair on your house. 

Paint the front door!  It really doesn't matter whether you go vibrant or play it safe, or whether you choose a color based on Feng Shui or fashion trends.

Call a home stager for a color consult if you feel you need professional advice.

 For the cost of a quart of paint, you can subtract years from the age of your house and add thousands to it's value. 

Don't be afraid to paint over wood!

  While you're getting a color you might as well get a manicure too....

chances are the hardware also needs updating.

You don't have to buy new - we spray painted the existing door handle with great results.

Door color is Valspar Fired Earth

Hardware is Rust-Oleum Textured Black

 fyi....this is my "new" home, and you can see more of our recent updates in my series:  

New Hampshire Home Stager - Transforming My New Home

 Dining Room,  Living Room, Master Bed & Bath, Kitchen, Built-In Bookcases, Powder Room, Grandkids' Room

New Hampshire Home Staging - It's NOT Decorating, It's Marketing!

Yes, Home Staging is like decorating, but it's not the same as decorating...Home Staging is the strategic marketing of a product.  There is a HUGE difference between creating an attractive place for you to live and creating an emotionally appealing product for you to sell.

Atlanta Home Stager, Kathy Nielson, inspired this post when she wrote The Difference Between Home Staging and Decorating.

It doesn't matter if you live in Georgia or New Hampshire or anywhere else...the principles of Home Staging are the same...marketing a product to the masses.

I tell my New Hampshire redesign (home makeover) clients that it's all about them.  "Don't worry so much about trends.  There is no right or wrong... if something makes you smile, it's a keeper.  It's all about making you happy and comfortable in your home."   

It's a different story for my clients who are listing to sell.  I tell sellers not to take any of my suggestions personally. "It's not a reflection of your personal taste or style.  Our goal is to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible.  We need to highlight the positive and minimize the negative features, show space and function, and increase perceived value."

From a decorating standpoint, having an antique coat rack in the main entrance, that belonged to your grandmother, is functional, visually appealing and has great sentimental value.  However, from a home staging standpoint, that same coat rack serves as a red flag to potential buyers that the front entrance has no coat closet.

 In her post, Kathy showed beautiful examples of Home Staging.  I would like to share three examples of decorating.  Each of these rooms had been custom decorated.  Each of them would benefit from home staging prior to listing.

New Hampshire Home Stager, Transforming My New Home - Grandkids' Bedroom

A couple of months ago I wrote a post, The New Hampshire Home Stager Bait & Switch, which started this series sharing photos from the transformation of my new home.

In case you missed it:  Dining Room,  Living Room, Master Bed & Bath, Kitchen, Built-In Bookcases, Powder Room

The grandkids' bedroom needed some minor wall patching, new paint and had a dated gold light fixture.

  The room was yellow.

 We painted it a soft, warm green...Ben Moore Urban Nature AF-440

 The carpet is navy.  Not loving it...but it's in good condition and I can't justify the expense of changing it at this time.  I conveniently had brand new navy and green bedding in my inventory which makes the carpet more tolerable.

We spray painted the light fixture black.

 I used the flat sheet from the bedding as a window valance.  It's a great way to create a quick, inexpensive, no-sew window treatment.  I've linked to a similar project for step by step instructions.  

 We updated the 1940's bed, which was originally my mother-in-law's, by painting it black using

 Ben Moore Satin Impervo C235 80.

The artwork is simply framed pages from a children's book.

You Don't Need A DeLorean To Get

Back To The Future

I lOVE Michael J. Fox and the Back To The Future movies!  Time travel has always been a favorite of mine.

 Ironic that I should end up as a Professional Home Stager in New Hampshire helping sellers find their way out of the past and into the future!

Too many sellers are trapped in a time warp and don't even realize it.  Grandma's curtains, heavy "custom" drapes, brass light fixtures,  mauve carpeting, gold bathroom fixtures, lace doilies, dried flowers, and 25 year old baby blue sofas hold homeowners captive in the past.

Sellers may find comfort living this way, but when it comes to selling, time travel is required.

Luckily, you don't need Doc Brown's DeLorean to get you Back To The Future....

a professional Home Stager can transport you 30 years into the future without channeling a 1.21 gigawatt lightening strike through a flux capacitor.

Marty McFly isn't the only one who learned a thing or two from Doc Emmett Brown!

The key to marketing your house for sale is showing buyers their future,

not your past!!

This post was written as an entry in the "Be The Star In Your Own Movie" contest.