Staging New Hampshire

If you, or a real estate client of yours, are in need of a yard sale to reduce some of that clutter, here are some of my tried and true tips to make your sale a successful one.

First, some advice on writing your ad:

Place an ad in your local paper.  You can also advertise on Craig's List.

Highlight items of interest.  (collections or collectables, furniture, antiques, appliances, tools, jewelry, baby items and toys, books, records...)

Multi-Family sales or "first time" sales  will draw more people.  Try to get neighbors to participate...the more families on a street included in the sale, the better.

The phrase "years of accumulation" will attract buyers.

If you plan to have your sale rain or shine...make sure you state that in the ad or list a rain date.

I suggest listing a start time, with no end time.  That way you can end when you want to.

 If you advertise for a start of 8 am, you could have people there as early as 6:00.  If you don't want anyone there before the start time, make sure you state in your ad:  No Early Birds.  But, understand, some people will still show up early.  

I suggest not putting the number of your house in the ad, only the Street name.  That way the dealers can't show up the day before and the early birds can't find you.  Make sure the house is clearly identified when you do open. 

 Important Things To Remember:

Get change (ones, fives, and coins) the day before. 

Have lots of bags and also old newspaper for wrapping glassware.

It is best to have tables, but plywood over some trash cans or boxes work well.  Do what you can to have breakable items up off the ground.

The best case scenario is to set up in the garage, the day before. Have everything in place and prices marked. Have big items by the door, ready to move into the driveway.  When you are ready to open for business all you have to do is open the doors, move the big stuff into the driveway, and set out the sign.

Have big, easy-to-read-from-a-distance signs at both ends of the road.  Make sure signs are weather resistant.  I usually paint on a piece of wood using bright colors.  Arrows showing direction are very helpful at intersections.

Always remove your signs when your sale is over.

If you don't want people driving up your driveway, or on your lawn, you need to block the entrance to the driveway.

Clearly mark anything that is not for sale. 

Be prepared to bargain.  Many people will offer you less than the prices marked.

Have a "FREE" box or area and add to it throughout the sale.  It is a guaranteed way of getting rid of stuff.

The better the presentation, the more valuable the items for sale will appear. (organizing stuff into sections...clothing, housewares, holiday, toys, tools, books, etc. is helpful) 

Don't keep candles or record albums in direct sun, they melt and warp.

It is best to have items individually marked with a price.  Don't group items by price (everything on this table is $1) because the stuff gets moved all around and it gets too hard to keep track of what originated where. 

If you have several people working the sale, then only one person should be cashier.  People claim to have paid someone else if more than one person is collecting the money.

It is really sad to say, but people steal.  Keep small pocketable items in zip lock bags. 

If you have a lot of electrical items, have an extension cord available so people can see that they do actually work.

 At the end of the sale place leftover items by the street with a big "free" sign and go out to eat.  It could all be gone by the time you return home.

Having a yard sale is a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun.  Make it a festive atmosphere with music and balloons.  Have fun with people and enjoy the experience.

It is amazing how much money you can make with a bunch of stuff you no longer need or want! 

If you haven't been to Restaurant.Com yet, you are missing out on saving some money.  Simply put, you can purchase gift certificates for your favorite restaurants at discounted rates. 

Usually, you can purchase a $25 gift certificate for $10.  However, they frequently run specials for even greater savings, up to 80% off. 

Right now the special is $25 certificates for only $2.  This offer runs through Sunday, May 31.  (If you miss this offer, visit the site and sign up, they will notify you of the next promotion.  They discount 50%, 60%, and 80% frequently)

They have been featured on CNN, ABC News, and Good Morning America. 

 I have used them many times and never had any problem.  Search, using your zip code, for restaurants in your area and then purchase the certificate, print it, and head out to the restaurant.  It's that easy.

Each restaurant has different offers and you can only use one certificate at a time. 

Eat.  Drink.  Save Money.   Remember to enter the Discount Code:  SPECIAL

If you want to know the secret to a fast and profitable home sale, there are two basic questions that must be answered before you list your house. 

1.  Who is your buyer and what are their needs?

With your Realtor's help, based on knowledge of the area/neighboorhood and the size/style of your house,  determine who your target buyer is.  Market to that buyer's needs.  

Function of rooms, color choices, and furniture placement and style will all vary based on the age of the buyer and whether they are single or have a family.  Each of these living rooms is targeted toward a different buyer:

Your competition is every seller with a house in the same price range. Do a MLS search of all the listings in your price range and see exactly what buyers will be comparing your house to.   Once you know your competition, you can offer buyers something they don't. 

 Make your MLS photos stand out from all the others.  

If your photos convey space, function, value, and portray a house that has been well maintained and cared for they will attract potential buyers.  Real estate is a competition... if you are informed and prepared, you will be the winner.

To Summarize:

If you offer the buyer what they are looking for,

and it looks better than what your competition is offering,

the buyer will choose you.

When asked what the two most important words for home sellers would be, most would say a combination including "price, location, or condition."  Most advice on selling a house centers around these three subjects, and plenty has been written about each.  If you want to have an advantage over the other sellers in your price range, I suggest you consider two other words.

What most advice on selling doesn't mention is "perceived value."

Your house is not worth what you think it is worth, or what your Realtor thinks it is worth, or what you need to get for it, or what your neighbor's house sold for.  Your Realtor will help you determine a listing price, but the actual worth of your house is what a buyer perceives it to be worth. 

What buyers think is the only thing that matters.  Buyer's perception is your reality.

The secret to a fast sale is creating a perception of value throughout the house. 

Unmatched value, in comparison to the other houses you are competing against, is the way to guarantee that your house sells before the rest. 

Here are some examples of ways to make a house appear more valuable:

• Updated light fixtures
• Current paint colors, wall art, window treatments
• New carpet or refinished hardwood
• Updated hardware on cabinets
• Slipcovers for dated furniture
• Organized closets and cabinets
• Impressive and appealing MLS photos

Consult with your Realtor and a professional home stager for more ways to make your house appear more valuable to buyers.  Also, you should visit the competition and see how your house measures up. 

Don't think of preparing your house for sale as an expense, think of it as an investment. 

I understand, people don't like bad news and when they get it, they sometimes express negative feelings toward the person delivering the message. 

 In real estate, Realtors know this all too well. 

Unfortunately, they find themselves walking on egg shells when it comes to advice on improvements.  Sellers don't want to hear about changing the carpet or removing the wallpaper.

The possibility of losing the listing can tie the Realtor's hands and limit their suggestions.

Home stagers are not in the same situation.  Our hands are free and we will hold nothing back.  It's not only our job to point out every issue or concern...we can't help ourselves...the message will be delivered.

In order to have a successful sale, sellers must understand that the home stager is on their side.  The home stager wants the same outcome...they want the house to sell, for as much and as soon as possible.

The home stager is only the messanger. 

The home stager is not the one who has collected all the Star Wars memorabilia.  It's not the home stager's fault that the gold lighting fixtures and the pink flocked wallpaper and blue shag carpet are not appealing to buyers. 

 Don't blame the stager for noticing the grease and fingerprints on the cabinet doors and for suggesting your son's room be repainted to cover the magic marker mural he created when he was three.

Home staging advice is delivered with only one goal in mind. 

That goal is to make your house stand out from all the other houses in your price range...

stand out as the house that is the cleanest, prettiest, and most emotionally appealing.

Don't shoot the messenger...follow their advice to the letter! 

You won't be sorry you did!

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Summer has arrived in New Hampshire, we are supposed to hit 90 degrees today.  What a great feeling it is to open the windows  and let the beautiful early morning air in.  Oh, I'm sure I'll be complaining about the heat this afternoon, my comfort zone is extremely small, but for now...life is good!

I've had a lot to be thankful for in the last couple days and who better to share it with than you!

Last Saturday night, I got one of those terrible phone calls...my dad called from Florida to say he had taken my mom to the hospital.

 I spent the weekend waiting for test results and relaying updates to the siblings.

 It was emotional, scary and frustrating. 

Not only is she fine, they flew in yesterday to be in New Hampshire for the Summer.  They are staying at my house for the next few days and I am thankful that her health did not prevent her from coming home.

I love you Mom, and I'm so happy to have you home!

I got an email this morning...another home staging success...house sold!  It's such a great feeling.

I got a phone call yesterday from a new client who found me by searching google...thank you ActiveRain!

Tomorrow we are celebrating my dad's 73rd birthday.  He's an amazing man who has worked very hard his whole life. 

I'm thankful mom's health did not prevent him from coming home.  No, only kidding...I'm thankful that he has been blessed with good health and is making the most of retirement, enjoying life.

I love you Dad, and I'm so happy to have you home!

I am thankful to be included in the 4D Ultrasound of my first grandchild, Jack. 

My parents and I have been invited to join my daughter-in-law, Ashley, today for the procedure.  I should have video to share soon. 

Jack is due to arrive around July 5. 

It gets better...Ashley and Josh have asked me and my husband to be in the delivery room. 

I'm so thankful to be given the opportunity to actually be part of Jack's arrival!

I am extremely excited to announce that my daughter, Jaime,

and her husband, Jon, 

are also expecting and we have grandbaby number two coming.

Their baby is due October 30.

I am so happy for you, Jaime...consider yourself warned...I will be dedicating an entire post to this news really soon!  I've been going through and gathering photos.

That's it for now, I have a busy day ahead of me...a long walk with Mom and Dad, Jack's ultrasound, lunch at Mom's favorite spot, and a movie tonight.  Like I said at the beginning..Life is good!

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Looking for a creative and impressive bridal shower theme that's also a gift for the bride to be?  Back in April, I mentioned that I was working on a "secret project" for my daughter's bridal shower and that I would share the details at a later date.  Well, as promised...

A personalized cookbook with recipes contributed by the guests of the shower. 

We used Tastebook.Com and were very pleased with the final product. 

The hardcover book has an expandable binder that holds up to 100 recipes and the pages are removable. 

You can use your own recipes or choose from professionally tested recipes from top recipe sites. 

We got the "100 Recipe" book and only contributed 75 recipes.  The finished book came with a credit for the remaining 25 recipes, which the bride can add whenever she wants.

A warning:  This was a lot of work.  If you are willing to take it on, it is well worth it.

Start early and give yourself plenty of time.  We notified people about 6 weeks prior to the shower.

I sent out an email to all shower guests explaining what we were doing. 

I asked for favorite recipes and photos of the finished food

to include in the book.

The Tastebook format allows one picture per recipe. 

Make sure to state a deadline, giving yourself plenty of time. 

Expect to receive recipes close to or after the deadline. 

Not everyone sent a photo and for those recipes we had to actually make the food so we could photograph it. 

 I told you, it is a lot of work.

It is a good idea to have at least two people working on it.  I had my daughter (Maid of Honor) helping me.  As the recipes came in, she entered them into Tastebook.  We made sure the recipes were consistent, using the same abbreviations throughout and listing ingredients in order of use.  After she entered them, I proofread and then she went through for a third and final check. 

The process is simple, but it is not easy.  Tastebook is very user friendly, with clear directions and a basic fill-in-the-blank template.  But it is time consuming and there is a lot of editing.  Most of the photos we received needed to be cropped or touched up a little.  All of the recipes needed editing. 

It was a lot of fun, a very creative project and something that is a true gift to the recipient.  Everyone that participated was excited about it and happy to be involved. 

 We titled our book "Favorites From Family & Friends" 

Other shower ideas to  incorporate with the cookbook:

Have the food or desserts at the shower be from the recipes in the cookbook. 

Have cookbook ordering information printed on cards so others can order a copy.

Have photos of the contributors to the cookbook in a "cooking-themed collage" display on a table with the book.

Now for the sad news:  The week after we ordered the book, we were informed the wedding was cancelled.

There are 11 of us, including the bride-not-to-be, who now own this cookbook.  The dedication page states:  "in honor of your Bridal Shower May 31, 2009"

and the cover of the book states:  "Collected with love for Ashley & Scott"

When it arrived, we gave it to her and Ashley loves the gift.  We are still happy we made it.  It's kind of like a Rookie card with the name misspelled...a collectors item of sorts.

Most sellers have no idea what to expect from a home staging consult.  They certainly don't expect the condition of the house to be worse off after the staging.

When I leave a seller's house, after a home staging consultation, the condition of the house is usually much worse off than when I arrived.  When I walk out the door, I leave the seller armed with a to-do list and piles of items to be dealt with.  Pictures are removed from walls and knick knacks are removed from shelves and furniture is pushed into the foyer to be donated or sent to storage.  Dusty silk flower arrangements, musical instruments, magazines and stuffed animals are covering the dining room table. 

I was working with a client recently and we were upstairs in the bedroom.  The daughter came home and ran up the stairs to find her mother.  She wanted to know who had "ransacked" the house? 

 I raised my hand and proudly announced "that would be me!"

Unlike the home staging shows on TV,

real life staging does not create a fabulous showhouse in an hour.  

 I don't walk into a house and wave a magic wand

 and transform the 1980's decor and yellowed wallpaper

like a fairy godmother transforms pumpkins.

I walk through the house and point out every single thing that needs to go and needs to be changed. I explain the importance of perceived value.  I rearrange the furniture in each room to define space and function.  I educate on the red flags I see, and the wrong messages that could be sent to buyers. 

It is then up to the homeowner to complete my list of improvements, including the removal of all the items I have designated as needing to go. 

I tend to leave behind an overwhelmed seller with a house that looks like a mini tornado has struck. 

Now, here's the good news...

Yes, they are overwhelmed, but they are empowered because they have a list and they know exactly what it is they need to do.  They understand what is necessary in order to appeal to as many buyers as possible.  Once educated and armed with this information, most sellers become very motivated to complete the task and once they do, I can return and put on the final touches. 

I've had several calls lately from sellers, including one who is a Realtor,  who didn't think they needed much help. 

They only needed a "quick consult" because they thought they already knew what needed to be done to prepare their house. 

 Much to their surprise...Tornado Tara struck and showed them that they had much more to do than they thought.

Hiring a home stager is very important.  Working extremely hard at following the stager's advice is even more important.  Don't get discouraged by what seems like an overwhelming amount of work to prepare your house for sale.  Your stuff has to be dealt with and removed when you sell, and removing it prior to listing will make the sale happen sooner. 

Want to feel real good and smile all day...here's what you do.  The next time you are in a store, find cute little children's socks and buy a pair or two. 

A friend of mine, Carol Measor, is the Director for Children's Development Center in Raynham, Massachusetts.  She is on a mission with a wonderful charitable cause she heard about on the radio.  It touched her heart the minute she heard it, so she sent out an email asking for help from everyone she knows. 

She is collecting socks for children in need.  Imagine if we all sent just one pair of socks...

Lets make it RAIN socks in Raynham!

If you have children, this could be a great thing to do with them.  They could do an extra chore for a family member or neighbor and earn a dollar.

They can choose a pair of socks at the dollar store and learn what it feels like to give and help others. 

This will warm your heart along with warming the feet of children. 

Please pass this along to others, whom you think may like to help.

Carol's  last cause was collecting books for Africa and she has collected over 900 books so far and will be sending them to Africa the end of the Summer.  If you would prefer to send a book, she is still collecting them, too.

Send socks and/or books to:

Carol Measor   

 Children's Development Center  

473 South Street West         

  Raynham, MA   02767

You can call her at  (508) 828-1118  for more information.

For such a small amount of money, we could make such a big difference!