Posts Tagged ‘ Home Stager Training ’

Staging Your Home – How To Sell Fast

It seems as though it does not matter where I am, people are saying the same thing.  “How do I sell my houses?’  I was just in St. Louis last week and as I was giving a one day seminar, the biggest concern was the increasing days on market, currently up to 180!

Nearly every investor in the room was sitting on properties and you could almost feel the pain in the room.

Last week I had an investor from New England call about 2 investment properties in Florida and he was upside down by $40,000-$60,000 on both!

My heart bleeds for these people.  Not just the investors, but everyone that bought too late and is trying or needing to sell too early.  Real estate is not for the faint of heart and you should definitely make sure that you can lose before you begin.

I think so many people see others out there making large profits on real estate investing.  What they don’t see are the times they experienced large losses.  I have only lost twice, one time it was just a few thousand, which did not hurt too badly, but the second time, it was nearly $100,000 which I could definitely feel in my pocket book.  That one is a long story but, you can be sure that I made multiple mistakes, trusted all the wrong people, and eventually, when I decided to get out, felt as though it was the best $100,000 I ever lost.  Don’t get me started.  The money did not hurt nearly as bad as the loss of the relationships involved.

My point that I am trying to make is that real estate is not a sure thing and many people are losing right now.  You should not be buying above 70% LTV period.  Real estate is going down, not up and it is not even staying flat.   As a matter of fact, it went down 8.5% last quarter which averages out to be $19,600 per house!  So, each day you hold on to your house, you are losing money.  On average that amounts to $91.65 a day.  If this does not frighten you, it should.  Days can add up fast and if you are in the national average of DOM that means you will sit on your house for 163.7 days.  That totals to just under $15,400 in holding costs alone!  Are you willing to lose that much?  Plus, while you are holding, your house is going down again.

The chances of you selling at full market value right now are very slim because no one can really define what that is.  With a market that is dropping on a daily basis, you must make sure you are accounting for the right price in the beginning or you will hold in the end.

The sexiness of the big payoff with a fast sale is, at least for awhile, gone.  Now, you have to really pay attention to your numbers.  As I said, I would look at a maximum purchase price as an investor of 70% LTV and then I still want to make sure it can be made unforgettable so I can sell it fast.

So when you are out there now, getting ready to list, sell or even buy, make sure you run the numbers.  You must buy low enough to hold for at least six months if needed.  Make sure you account for the prices dropping on the property and that you are solid in having multiple exit strategies in case it just does not sell or rent.

One of the biggest mistakes made by most investors is the lack of multiple exit strategies.  One of the biggest mistakes made by brokers and agents is over pricing in the beginning.

Both of these mistakes can be deadly in the final sale of the home for the investor, agent and seller.

One of the only few appreciating markets left is Seattle and of course small pockets in various other locations throughout the country.  For the most part, the market has stopped or is declining.

So what is the solution?  Buy right and learn to sell.  All the best paperwork in the world does not help you if you can’t get someone to fall in love with the property.

Remember, according to nearly every financial expert, the markets will decline steadily for the next 2 years.  So, if you decide to hold, get the best possible tenant buyer or renter by giving them a property they love…hopefully they will keep it that way. If you decide to sell, buy low and make each property unforgettable.

About the Author

Karen Schaefer is an Investor, Writer, Speaker and Property Designer.  She is the founder of Simple Appeal, Inc., the Premier Nationwide Staging and Design Company as well as APSD, The Association of Property Scene Designers.  She is known nationwide as the Expert on selling properties in ½ the time at full market value.  If you would like to learn more about Home Staging, Curb Appeal, Real Estate Marketing and Selling, go to www.APSDmembers.com
2009
10/23
CATEGORY
selling homes
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Holding “Warm” Open Houses During a Cold Season

Well, this is the perfect time of year for investors.  As the temperatures go down, so do prices.  For all of us it is great…oh, except that nothing is selling right now!  Okay, so if you buy, you must know how to transact—and in order to transact, you have to get people into your property.  So, when it is 10 degrees outside and there are 20 inches of snow…what do you do to still get traffic in the door?  You are going to want to keep this list in a safe place because you will refer to it year after year.

1. Make everything about your Cold Weather open house seem Warm, Cozy and Inviting.

2. Send out invitations for a “Fireside” open house—and if you don’t have one—go buy an electric one, plug it in and stage it perfectly!  You are going to want to have loads of fluffy soft pillows, lots of rolled cozy blankets, even a big furry rug.  You can set some snow boots with gloves and mittens (and a pair of huge or really tiny socks—for fun) next to the fireplace as though they are drying out.  Have a great magazine rack or book selection so the overall theme would be that they can curl up by the fire and stay warm. I also, conveniently place my paperwork nearby with pens shaped like logs and little packs of cocoa fixed to the paperwork.

3. Have a coffee and/or cocoa tasting bar with yummy warm accessories like peppermint, butterscotch and cinnamon sticks for stirring.  Obviously you would want tasting stations throughout the house so that you can keep everyone moving and not just monopolize their time in one room.  Each room should have paperwork.  When you invite people to this open house, create “lumpy mail” by sending little sacs of miniature marshmallows.  You can even tell them to bring their marshmallows to receive a free gift.

4. Send out invitations with hand and foot warmers.  You can tell them that they will never be cold in their new warm home—tie it in with a great give away for ski-passes, UGGS, etc.

These are a few compelling ideas on ways to successfully hold an open house in the cold weather.  Yes, I know, it is a little extra work, but, this is what I do—when we need to do a little extra work, we do it.  After all, I did not get into this business to sit on empty properties…did you?

As always, whenever you do an open house, capture everyone’s information for the future.  Be gracious, respectful and excited to be showing someone the home of their dreams (if you believe it, so will they).  Nothing is worse than a bored person showing an open house.  Let everyone feel the love…and the warmth!

About the Author

Karen Schaefer is an Investor, Writer, Speaker and Property Designer.  She is the founder of Simple Appeal, Inc., the Premier Nationwide Staging and Design Company as well as APSD, The Association of Property Scene Designers.  She is known nationwide as the Expert on selling properties in ½ the time at full market value.  If you would like to learn more about Home Staging, Curb Appeal, Real Estate Marketing and Selling, go to www.APSDmembers.com.
2009
10/19
CATEGORY
Tips of the Month
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The Schaefer Synopsis

In the past month, I have been traveling extensively and it seems to me as though that is not going to stop any time in the near future.  The reason, very simply, is the lousy state of real estate.  What is interesting is that my Simple Appeal method is quickly gaining nationwide recognition, because, at the risk of sound arrogant, it works.  The truth is that effective staging works and should be used every time.  In a sellers market, it will serve to transact the property at a much higher price than other comparable properties.  In a buyers market, it serves to transact the property faster.  After all, time is money and there is no greater example of this than when you are still paying for a mortgage that you thought would have been gone months before.

As my system, services and speaking become more and more in demand, it tells me that people become more and more aware of what it takes to still run successful real estate businesses no matter the market condition.  How many times have you looked back in life over something that seemed very tragic and ultimately you were grateful for the lesson (sometimes this takes awhile…I know!)?  That is what is happening right now.  We are being taught many lessons, and if we pay attention, we will continue to thrive today, but even better, we will explode our businesses on the next market transition.

Most of you know that I am a very active real estate investor. As a matter of fact, that is how  got my start as a Professional Home Stager.  Okay, I digres… As we watched our market come to a screeching slow down (in other words, the real estate brakes were slammed on)—I had to focus on reworking my staging system and then repositioning it as well.  It is what forced me to come up with the “5 Steps to Selling Real Estate in 30 Days or Less.”  As a result of that, I recently sold nearly $80,000 in 75 minutes to investors that knew that my system would help them to transact their properties faster—and they are right.  The difference between my system and that of everyone else in the staging and design industry is that I know real estate and I know what it takes to sell a property.  I did not get in this just to make a property pretty, I did this to sell.

This is not meant to be a sales pitch, just an observation.  It takes more now to sell a property, take a look at the steps that I gave you in this months “tips” articles.  The point though, is that if you are willing to go the extra step, not only will you sell faster, you will make far more money by not holding a property one day longer than necessary.

Now go out there and sell those houses!


About the Author

Karen Schaefer is an Investor, Writer, Speaker and Property Designer.  She is the founder of Simple Appeal, Inc., the Premier Nationwide Staging and Design Company as well as APSD, The Association of Property Scene Designers.  She is known nationwide as the Expert on selling properties in ½ the time at full market value.  If you would like to learn more about Home Staging, Curb Appeal, Real Estate Marketing and Selling, go to www.APSDmembers.com
2009
10/17
CATEGORY
Home Stagers
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Top 15 Most Powerful Steps in Creating Great Curb Appeal

Recently I have been speaking in the warmer areas of the country, twice this past month in Florida, February, I am in Hawaii, March, Houston, Atlanta and The Bahamas…you get the idea. What is so interesting is that it forces me to understand everyone’s definition of “cold.” It does not really seem to matter where you live, once we hit November and the temperature dips, it is still cold to the person that lives there. The advantage of the warmer climates in the colder times of the year is, of course, more options for curb appeal. Curb Appeal still seems to be the greatest mystery of all. I am amazed at how people continue to ignore the second most important component in staging and selling. But, if Curb Appeal is the second most important component in staging and selling, what is the first? Marketing. This month though, with that big “marketing” teaser out there, I want to talk about pure, solid, much needed, curb appeal.

Here are the TOP 15 most powerful steps in creating great curb appeal:

1. Cut the grass
2. Plant grass seed if needed and keep it watered
3. Trim along the sidewalk and driveway
4. Trim and form hedges and shrubs
5. Paint or replace your mailbox

6. Give me one great, amazing, in your face pocket of emotion they can see from the curb-this can be a wonderful bench, birdbath, wall accessory, door hanging…obviously this depends upon the property and the look and feel of the neighborhood.
7. Easy to see house numbers (here is a hint, these can be very impactful if painted the same color as the front door or can even hold their own as a POC if you did it right)
8. Add Great lighting if it is dark outside or even at the entry with a heavy overhang. It should also go with the property theme and look, be clean and free of bugs and webs.
9. Everyone needs a good welcome mat too. It should not be over the top, no matter the type of property. If you are dying to do something super cute (like puppies or bears), then it needs to go at the back door.
10. Paint color on the house is so important. Make sure it works with the rest of the neighborhood and the paint itself is in good condition. Remember, sometimes you don’t need to paint the entire house, but rather just the front or the trim…or even the garage and front door. You must decide based on the condition of the home. But there is no need to waste money if it does not need it. The best paint colors fit in nicely with the surroundings. Such as warm beiges, pale butters, whites and variations on whites, and cool grays.

11. Don’t stop with just a good looking and well painted front door, you must also have an appropriate front door handle as well. This does not mean the front door handle has to be brand new, but rather, it must be interesting and work with the house. Some homes have wonderful front door handles—better than front doors, but again, you must make a judgment call.
12. We talked about paint, but don’t forget about trim. Often, a house needs to have the trim power washed and painted vs. having to paint the entire house. The trim should always work with the paint color. If you are not sure, don’t choose a crazy color. Generally speaking, on bread and butter homes, white is appropriate, on higher end homes, I would suggest that you request one of our professional color consultations from Simple Appeal or one of our Certified Property Designers.
13. Make certain that the look on the inside, from the outside, is appealing, balanced and makes sense (in other words, are there consistent window coverings, are they all pulled to the same length, what is on the sills, what can they see inside the windows from the outside)
14. Bookend the front door, driveway, and walkway (if needed) when appropriate. What I mean by “bookend” is that you should have the same or similar things on each side to accent the entry and give the home some dimension. For example, red geranium planters on either side of the garage, smaller versions lining the walkway and 2 miniature evergreens at the front door or even topiary’s depending upon the neighborhood.
15. Last but not least, always accent a view. If you have not taken the time to do something like this, you are missing out. People will often look for a property based on a view alone, so if you have one, even the potential of one, make the most of it. Give them someplace to sit and enjoy the view, highlight it in your marketing and advertising and create a clean line of sight if needed.

Obviously, some of these details depend upon the property, neighborhood and climate. As I said, the warmer climates have greater opportunity for curb appeal, but it often means more upkeep as well. For my money—give me warmth! I will talk more about curb appeal over the next several series since it is such a vital aspect in successfully transacting your properties.

Source: Staging Report by Karen Schaefer, Founder, Simple Appeal, Inc. and APSD (The Association of Property Scene Designers)

About the Author

Karen Schaefer is an Investor, Writer, Speaker and Property Designer. She is the founder of Simple Appeal, Inc., the Premier Nationwide Staging and Design Company as well as APSD, The Association of Property Scene Designers.  She is known nationwide as the Expert on Selling Properties in ½ the time at full market value. If you would like to learn more about Home Staging, Curb Appeal, Real Estate Marketing and Selling, go to www.APSDmembers.com.
2009
10/15
CATEGORY
Curb Appeal
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Home Stager – How to Effectively Stage a Home and Make a Sale

Home staging is an industry that is on the verge of exploding because of the slowing real estate industry. And this is where a professional home stager comes in.

How to Do Home Staging Effectively

“In a buyers market, sellers have to utilize every powerful tool they can to sell their home as fast as possible and for the best price,” says Karen Schaefer, national real estate sales expert. “Unfortunately, sellers are subject to antiquated direction that immediately tips off the potential buyers that they are being “sold” which often stops the sale on the spot.”

You may have noticed that selling a home nowadays doesn’t seem to be easy since there are a lot of competitions in the real estate market. But it is not impossible to sell a property if you are equipped with the right tools and if you have learned the proper methods on how to make a sale fast and easy. So how would you be able to do that and stand out from the crowd?

How to Make a Sale

Having a clean house is extremely important if you want to make a sale but is it everything? The answer is no. There is much more involved in getting your home ready for a successful sale than simply cleaning it. That’s where home staging comes in. In order to make your home stand out from the rest and look appealing to potential buyers, you will need to create what we call as Pockets of Emotion. These are the little moments when the potential buyers are hit with a strong emotion as they walk through and inspect the house. Instead of checking and evaluating the closet space and the layout, they feel the house and become emotionally connected. And properly trained home stagers can do this job for you.

What Home Stagers Do

Home stagers take time to properly stage a property for sale. Home stagers will take your house from nice to sensational by using simple staging techniques that appeal to a buyer on an emotional level. Remember that appealing to a buyer on an emotional level, so that they can picture themselves in your home living their life – is what will sell your home. The basic rule of thumb is to ask yourself two questions: can I make more money if I do this? And can it help to sell my property faster? And the answers to these two questions are within the reach of an expert home stager.

About The Author


Karen Schaefer is the Founder of Simple Appeal, Inc. and APSD – The Association of Property Scene Designers which is composed of professional Home Stagers who have accumulated and gained the best Home Staging Training there is. Karen will teach you more about staging, marketing, and selling houses quickly. You can click on the links for more on home staging careers.
2009
09/29
CATEGORY
Home Stagers
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