Staging New Hampshire

Putting your house on the market?  One of the most important decisions you will make is choosing the professionals who will help you sell.  Not all Realtors and Home Stagers are created equal. 

Just because they are professional, it doesn't mean they are proficient.

In order to choose the right professionals, you are going to have to invest some time. 

This is not a decision to take lightly. 

You are going to have to ask a lot of questions. 

Get your ASK in gear if you want to get your house sold!

When choosing a professional, it is best to interview at least three candidates.  Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions...you are depending on them to help sell your greatest asset.

Questions to ask Realtors include:

• Are you full or part time? 
• Do you work predominantly with buyers or sellers?
• How knowledgeable are you with my area?
• Do you have a website and/or blog?  How often do you update your website or blog?
• How do you intend to market my property other than listing it on MLS? 
• Will my property be listed on your website? 
• Do you use video?
• What will the cost be?  Are there any fees beyond your commission?
• Will I be working directly with you or with an assistant?
• Can you provide references?

Questions to ask a Home Stager include:

• How long have you been in business? 
• Do you specialize in occupied or vacant properties?
• Are you familiar with my area and do you know the target buyer for my home?
• Do you have a portfolio of your work? 
• Are the photos of your actual work, or do you use stock photos?
• Do you provide digital photos of your completed work?  What is the cost?
• Are you registered with the state?
• Are you fully insured?
• What are your rates? 
• Can you provide references? 

 NOTE:  At this time there is no independent organization that certifies or licenses home stagers, and no government oversight regulating home staging business practices.  If a home stager has a designation after their name, it comes from whatever training courses they have taken.  

Ask questions to get answers to what is important to you.  You are not looking for the "best" realtor or stager.  You are looking for the best realtor or stager for you.  Make your selection based on the answers given and how comfortable the people make you feel.

My fellow New Hampshire blogger, Steve Loynd, recently posted childhood photos of himself ranging from "highchair to high school" and he posted a challenge asking other Active Rain members to share their childhood photos.  I hereby accept Steve's challenge. 

 New Hampshire home stager: The early years.

I've always had an eye for furniture placement!

Selecting the right accessories for the perfect tablescape, and the secret to holiday staging:

Organizing closets and rearranging furniture has always brought a smile to my face.

Of course, the "T" stands for "TRANSFORMATIONS"

One of my favorite comfort foods on a cold, snowy day here in New Hampshire is this chicken stew.  Not only is it delicious, it is made in the crockpot.  It is ideal for those busy days when you wish you could walk in the door and have dinner all ready and waiting for you.

Chicken Stew

1/2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1.3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast  (cut into bite size pieces)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 sm package mushrooms, cut mushrooms in half or thirds
2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
2 C chicken stock  (double if you prefer soup to stew)
1 C frozen peas

This recipe is adapted from one I found in "Woman's Day Slow Cooking" magazine.  It requires a little effort to put together, but the time is well worth it.  Enjoy!!

Put carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms and rosemary in crockpot.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in large zip lock bag.  Add chicken pieces and toss to coat.
Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken, and cook until brown on
all sides, 8-10 mins.

   Set chicken on  top of vegetables in crockpot.

Pour 1/2 C chicken stock into skillet and cook over medium high heat, scraping any brown bits
from pan.  Pour pan juices into crock pot, along with remaining stock. 
Cover and cook on High for 4-6 hours or Low for 8-10 hours.  Add peas last hour.

Beef Stew

Same recipe except:
Replace chicken with stew beef or steak tips.
Replace chicken stock with beef stock.
Replace rosemary with  1/2 rosemary 1/2 thyme

Today's buyer is doing their research online.  It's more important than ever to be an informed and prepared seller.  Doing your homework and strategically marketing your house, with help from the right professionals, is the fastest way to a successful sale. 

It takes five keys to unlock the secret to a successful sale:

This, in my opinion, is the most important key.  Listing before the house is 100% ready is a mistake that you will regret.  Many sellers are talked into premature signing by realtors who are afraid of losing the listing.  Repeat after me:  "You don't get a second chance to make a great first impression."

 Do your homework!  Do they have an online presence?  What marketing tools do they bring to the table? Check out websites and ask for references.  Check the references.  Look at their current listings online.  Pictures are worth a thousand words...do not hire a realtor with poor MLS photos!   Don't make your selection based on commission - you may just get what you pay for.

 A home staging consultation will arm you with the information you need to make your house more appealing to buyers.  Home staging increases perceived value and will help to justify your asking price.  Home staging is not decorating, it's marketing.

 Almost all buyers start their search online.  The photos of your house will determine whether you get calls for showings or potential buyers pass by your listing.  Your photos are your greatest marketing tool.  Do not underestimate their power!

 Once your house is ready, it needs to stay in a constant state of readiness, and be available for showing at a moment's notice.  Sure, it's inconvenient and requires some extra work on your part...but the alternative, being comfortable and lazy, means staying on the market for a much longer period of time.  Every day on the market costs you money.

Professional home stagers often use the phrase "move-in condition."  They use it as a way of describing the condition you should strive for when preparing your house for sale.  Most sellers need more detailed information on the subject to really understand it fully. 

Before you burn those candles to make your home smell better or to create atmosphere, you should consider this information from a post written recently by Leslie Burton-Dallas.

You may remember this Wordless Wednesday photo from early December, where Jack's shirt asked if it were too early to ask for a motorcycle. 

Well, to update: 

Jack did not get the requested motorcycle, but it was still a very Harley Christmas for the Tara family.

I am very excited to report that both the Harley bear and the Harley baby book are machine washable!!  This is something quite unique...most cloth baby toys I've found are "surface washable only" which I think is just plain stupid!

Even the dog got a Harley present this year.