Staging New Hampshire

There is a great little business that just opened it's doors in Rye, New Hampshire.  Village Farm Stand is the place to go for farm fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, goat's milk soap, granola, candles, herbs, jams,  jellies, and much more.

Marcus is not only the man behind the counter, he is also the man behind the business, offering products from many local venders, all in one convenient location.

It's like visiting the farmers' market...

Allergen Free Cookies, local honey, medicinal herbs, skin and body care.

UPDATE 2010:

Village Farm Stand has CLOSED

Here is an easy, fast, and healthy alternative to the traditional breakfast.  It is especially good for those days you have to run out the door and are short on time.

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie

1 Cup Ice (or handful of ice cubes)

½ Cup Frozen Blueberries

1 Small Banana

2 Heaping Tbsp Protein Powder

1½ Cups Rice Milk

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
        
Strawberries may be added or replace blueberries.  Enjoy!

It's not what you think.  I know after a hard day of moving furniture many stagers would like a chiropractor and a glass of wine, but that is a whole other post.

When considering other occupations to partner with for marketing purposes, the obvious choices for a Home Stager are Realtors, home improvement and painting stores, and furniture boutiques.   I recently had the opportunity to join forces with some businesses that at first glance wouldn't be first choice.

A local chiropractor put together "A Women's Day of Indulgence" and invited me to participate.  The day would offer free services...chiropractic, acupuncture, massages, make-up consultations.   A local restaurant was invited to provide appetizers and wine. 

At first, I didn't see how I fit in with all the pampering and what seemed to be a holistic medical gathering.

After hearing the details, I was excited to be included...I was asked to be the redesign, decorating, "HGTV" expert.  Most women do love to watch HGTV and most have questions on decorating.

There were sign-up sheets for people to have a chiropractic spinal exam, a massage, and/or a consult with the acupuncturist.  The make up artists had an area designated for their consults and the restaurant had their own space.

I had my corner with a display of

before and after photos

 and some business cards and brochures. 

We gave prizes out throughout the event. 

 As a prize, I donated a basket of candy and wine. 

I created my own wine label.

"Transformations, The Wine Cellar For Home Sellers"

 Here is how we tied all the businesses together for marketing:

Align Your Spine

Soothe Your Muscles

Balance Your Energy

Reveal Your Best Face

Nourish Your Body

Harmonize Your Environment

I am happy to say that the event was a great success and we plan to do it again, in one of the other business locations.

A recent "Day of Indulgence" held for women in the Seacoast Area was a great success.  Dr. Kevin Sandberg of Shoreline Chiropractic Center opened his doors to the public, offering a chance for women to indulge in some quality time for their mind, body and spirit. 

A photo opportunity with fellow Rainer, Tina Gleisner from My Handyman, who stopped in for a visit.

For more information on these Seacoast New Hampshire businesses:

To Align Your Spine:               Shoreline Chiropractic Center, PLLC

To Soothe Your Muscles:     Eight Winds Wellness Center & Spa

To Balance Your Energy:     Acupuncture Energetics, LLC

To Nourish Your Body:         Hagan's Grill

To Reveal Your Best Face:   Katie Nisbet, Esthetician and Make-up Artist  (603)502-6126

                                        Kristin Iarrusso, Make-up Artist  (603)661-0815

To Harmonize Your Environment:   Sharon Tara Transformations

Here is your chance to impress all your friends...all your friends who like Jerky, that is. 

This is a very forgiving recipe meant to be used as a guideline. Adjust the ingredients to taste.

15-20 oz Soy Sauce
15 oz Worcestershire Sauce
15-20 oz Teriyaki Sauce
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
2 slices from Large Onion
5 lb Fresh Lean Brisket or turkey breast, slightly frozen
Cayenne Pepper
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Combine liquids and sugar in a large container with a lid, or a large Ziploc bag. Add onion slices and set aside.
        
Trim as much fat as possible from the slightly frozen brisket, slice with the grain, very thin (approx 3/16") and place into marinade. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, shaking or stirring at least twice.
        

Preheat oven to lowest heat (160°-180°).

Lower the bottom rack in oven,  and cover with a sheet of foil.

Raise the top rack.
        
Pat meat dry with a paper towel, and sprinkle with black pepper and cayenne.
        

Pierce each slice of meat with a toothpick and hang from the top rack.
        

Bake 4.5 - 6 hours, propping the oven door open occasionally to let moisture out and air circulate.
        
Jerky is ready when it is firm and dry.

Cool completely before placing in a sealed container or Ziploc bag.

Store in the fridge.

More proof of just how valuable a source our Rain can be.  I put out a little cry for help and got the inspiration that I needed.

I am participating in a Women's Day of Indulgence open house event tomorrow and I needed some creative support in creating a wine label for the wine that I am bringing as a door prize.  I wanted to use the house graphic from my logo and mentioned that my husband's wine is usually "Tara Cellars."  My fellow members did not disappoint!

I would like to thank Geri Sonkin for her suggestion which ended up being the primary inspiration.

A special thanks to my cousin, Kathi, for her input, too!

Here is the end result:

If you are one of the many sellers who took their house off the market this past winter with the intent to relist in the Spring, you are probably in the process of preparing to relist.  One very important thing to keep in mind is that you don't want to repeat your past mistakes.  Learn from your experience of last winter and make some changes in your approach to selling this time around.

No calls for showings the first time?  This would indicate buyers didn't like the price or they didn't like what they saw on the MLS.  If you lowered the price and still didn't get calls, your problem was first impression.

 Only 10 percent of  home buyers can actually visualize.  Ninety percent of the people looking at a home can't imagine it any other way than how it is shown to them.  If furniture placement is in question, they aren't going to rearrange it in their mind.  If they don't like the wall color, they aren't imagining it a warm, inviting color.  If it has outdated wallpaper, they aren't imagining it painted.  What they see is work needed and buyers today don't want to make improvements.  They want "move-in" ready.

This time, think of the house as a product that you want to market to as many buyers as possible.  Put the extra effort in to make sure that buyers will find it appealing, inviting, and worth the price you are asking for it.

Many sellers take their house off the market blaming the time of year, the economy, the Realtor...when the real problem is the condition of the house.  They change the season and get a new Realtor and expect this to make a difference. 

To quote Albert Einstein:

"Insanity:  doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

If you want different results this time around, you need a different approach.  Make condition and presentation your priority. 

 When choosing a Realtor, look at the MLS photos of their current listings. 

Ask them to recommend a home stager and get professional advice on what improvements would be the most cost effective. 

Prepack as much as possible, clean, paint and update. 

Organized closets, cabinets and drawers will increase perceived value and set your house apart from the competition.

If you choose not to improve the condition, you will have no choice but to lower the price. 

 MagMyPic

The doctor and staff of ShoreLine Chiropractic Center, PLLC would like to cordially invite you to an afternoon of lavish delights!

Indulge yourself with a massage from 8 Winds Wellness Center & Spa!

Find a new you with Katie & Kristin's makeovers & make-up consultations!

Center yourself with Acupuncture Energetics, LLC!

Learn new ideas for transforming that room you've always wanted to decorate into the oasis it can be with Sharon Tara Transformations!

Become a sommelier for the day with wine tastings and hors d'oeuvres from Hagan's Grill!

Or start Spring on the right foot by learning about your spinal health compliments of ShoreLine Chiropractic Center.

Try one thing or try them all -- the choice is yours! All you have to do is grab your friends, daughters, mothers, and sisters, and indulge in this exciting event.  There is no charge to attend and prize drawings will occur throughout the event!