Staging New Hampshire

Being a professional Home Stager in Portsmouth, New Hampshire I'm no stranger to giving advice to sellers.  Now that my house is on the market I can honestly say, I prefer giving the advice to actually living it.

Living in "sell mode" is not for the faint of heart!  Keeping your house show ready is a lot of work!

 

When you list your house for sale, you are transported from the real world to an uncomfortable, inconvenient  fantasy land where soap and towels aren't used and cabinets and closets now carry only a fraction of what you actually own and need to survive.

 

 Your giant TV and excercise bike are banished from the bedroom and your favorite chair has gained a slipcover and pillow and lost it's ottoman.  It's no fun having to make the beds, pick up laundry, and sweep the floors every day!

 

As stressful as it may be to live this way....I believe it beats the alternative.

 

I would rather suffer a bit more pain for the short term than suffer less pain but have it go on for eternity!

 

Once you decide to sell, your next decision is whether you want to sell the hard way or the easy way.

The hard way is living in show mode...very inconvenient, but much higher odds of selling sooner.

Higher pain - Shorter time period

The easy way is not giving up your conveniences.  "You gotta live" right?  

Less Pain - Longer time period

It's ultimately your decision as the seller.

This Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Stager) Seller prefers the hard way!

Is This Funny?

 I think it's hysterical, and I'm not even sure why.  All I know is it makes me laugh every time I watch it.  

We just found it...he doesn't remember making it, and I don't remember ever seeing it before.  We think it was taken several years ago.  

There is just something about him sitting there in the car recording this....it just makes me laugh!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do....although I seriously doubt that's possible.

Twas the week before Christmas

and all through the house

every room had been cleaned and prepared 

by the Stager and her spouse.

 

The furniture had been placed...each accessory chosen with care,

in hopes that a buyer, very soon would be there.

The Home Stager has become the Seller!

It's the week before Christmas and my Portsmouth NH home is for sale.

One thing is for certain, I'm a woman of my word.  I practice what I preach! All those times I said to a client "if it were my house I would..." have become a reality.   This selling business is no fun....especially when you are as serious about preparation and presentation as I am.  There has been no rest and will be no rest until a buyer is found.

Pray for us!  LOL!

One very important thing I've learned....don't let Winter or the holidays scare you away from listing.  We have seen a lot of action this past week.  The people looking at houses the week before Christmas are very serious!

All I want for Christmas this year... is a BUYER!!

 

 

 

 

I recently needed some wall art... I had plenty of pieces to choose from...but, all the frames were dated or the wrong color.  With very little time to shop and no interest in spending money if I didn't have to...

I made the best of the situation, using paint to transform what I HAD into what I NEEDED.

The only prep work I did was dusting the frames.  No sanding, no primer, no taping.  I painted the frames, scraped excess paint off glass with a razor blade and hung the artwork about 2 hours later.

First Example:

Two water colors that my husband's parents bought in 1939.  The frames were a very dated gold.

I used two colors of acrylic artist paint.  First I applied the black and then I randomly applied the bronze...applying with the same brush without even waiting for the black to dry.  

The painted frames were easily and instantly updated to match existing light fixtures. 

Second Example:

This picture was perfect for the wall behind the toilet....colors matched other accessories in the room perfectly.  However, the frame was gold, dated, and lacked impact.

I used an interior latex paint I had leftover from another project...I only applied one coat.

Updating frames is EASY!  Don't overthink it.  Spray or brush, dab or wipe...be creative and have fun!

Home Staging in New Hampshire probably isn't what you think it is.  If Home Staging had a middle name, it would be "Misconception" because of all the confusion over it's purpose and value.

My fellow stager in Florida, Kathy Streib, wrote this excellent post to help better explain exactly what it is we do...and what we don't do.

Give Your Holiday Veggie Platter Some Personality This Year

 

Looking for a fun way to dress up a veggie platter for the holidays?

I originally posted about this idea two years ago, and thought it might be time to share it again.

 

Surprise your guests with a mini snowman made of cauliflower. 

He looks great on any platter with any assortment of appetizers.

Assemble his body using toothpicks to hold it together.  I used toothpicks for this guy's arms, but rosemary branches would look even better.  I used whole cloves for the eyes, mouth, and buttons.  Carrot was used for his hat.

 

If you have any ideas for creative Holiday platters, please share them in the comments.

 

Improving The Appearance of Grease Stained Kitchen Wall Tile

The wall behind the stove is especially susceptible to staining.  Smoke, grease and splatters from cooking build up over time and wall tile behind the stove can become discolored or stained.

After trying multiple cleaning products, including bleach and specialty tile cleaners,  I could not return the area behind the stove to it's original color.   I was convinced that replacing the tile was our only option.

My last hope, before replacing the tile, was consulting with a tile cleaning specialist.  I was very happy to learn that there is a product on the market that could give new life to our tile.  He suggested we pick some up at Lowe's and give it a try.

Tile Guard Enhance & Seal not only enhances the color of unpolished stone tile, it also offers stain protection.  It is very easy to apply.  We applied it to all the tile and it intensified the characteristics and color throughout.

The result was a more consistent color....with the area behind the stove no longer standing out.

Enhance & Seal is for rough textured surfaces...unpolished, tumbled, flamed, and honed stone.  It can be used both interior or exterior.

Here are before & after pictures showing our results:

Thanks to Peter Holt of

Renewed Tile & Grout, LLC

for the free consultation and the cost effective solution!

Advice From A New Hampshire Home Stager -  Don't Sell Your HOME

As a professional home stager in New Hampshire, I've seen too many sellers make this major real estate marketing mistake.  Sellers who fail to realize that they must cut the cord of emotional attachment before listing a house for sale are setting themselves up for failure.

Once you decide to sell,  make sure you are selling A HOUSE... not YOUR HOME.

Here's a great post, written by Janice Ankrett, with helpful advice on making the process an easier one.

 

 What Could Be Better Than Home Staging "Before & After" Photos From New Hampshire?

Before & After photos are crucial to a Home Staging business.  They provide the "aha moment" that most sellers and many Realtors need to better understand what a professional home staging transformation can do for their property.

 

Before & After photos show a seller the difference between poor MLS photos and MLS photos that appeal to buyers who are searching the web.

 

Before & After photos show a homeowner who is frustrated with a challenging floor plan that help is available.

 

Before & After photos show a Realtor that all listings have potential for greatness.

 

Before & After photos are what we use to showcase our work...to prove ourselves as professionals...to justify our services.

 

Before & After photos are just plain FUN to look at!  Who doesn't love a good make-over? 

So back to the original question....

what could be better than home staging photos from New Hampshire?

How about home staging photos from all over the United States and Canada!

Just CLICK on these pictures of my fellow stagers to view their FABULOUS portfolios... 

 

 Roger Mucci  Kirtland Hills, OH

 

Kathy Streib  Palm Beach County, South Florida

 

Peg Barcelo-Jackson  Edmonton, AB

 

Janice Ankrett  Burlington, Ontario 

 

Laura S. Baker  Jefferson, WI

 

Ana Hitzel  Inland Empire and Palm Springs, CA

Sally Weatherley  Vancouver, BC

Shar Sitter  Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN 

Ginger Foust  Oakhurst, CA

Judy Klem  Fairfield/New Haven counties, CT

Maureen Bray  Portland, OR 

Margaret Oscilia  Salem, Oregon

Anna Dovger  The Woodlands, TX

Birgit Anich  Fairfield county , CT

Cindy Bryant  Houston TX

Valerie Sagheddu  Poconos, PA

Karen Otto  Plano, TX

Donna Schoby  Fayetteville, AR

Kathy Nielsen   Atlanta, GA

 

Heather Cook  Kitchener Waterloo, ON

Michelle Molinari  Lafayette, LA

Julia Maher   Fairfield & New Haven Counties, CT

Cathy Lee  Danville, CA

Karen Dembsky  Atlanta, GA

Patsy Overton  Duluth, GA

Elaine Manes Gage  Lakewood, CO

Joanna Cohlan  Chappaqua, NY

Kathy Burke  Danville, CA

Connie Tebyani  Los Angeles and Ventura County, CA

Kristine Ginsberg  Morris County, NJ

I had some trouble with the following profile pics, but want to include these stagers:

Melissa Marro      Marianne Sweet 

    Jackson West      Michelle Finnamore      

Gary and Linda Barnett   

You can find more transformations at the group  Staging "Before" & "After" Pictures