Home Staging and Marketing come out of the same budget. Home sellers do not give marketing a second thought when they decide to sell their house unless it is an fsbo. A home seller's perception of marketing is the agent's job because that is what they do! "Why should we pay for that?"It is no wonder they are astounded when their agent tells them they need to get their own home MARKET READY! "What? That is not our responsibility, it is yours!" Home sellers expect to have to do some things like clear off the refrigerator, make their beds every morning, keep the dishes up and mow the lawn. Now they are told they need to do what?"Stage our house? "What the heck is that?""We don't have the money for that!""How much is that going to cost us?""Why should we pay for that?""Bob and Mary sold the... 02/16/2007

Making headboards is easy to do. I have made dozens for model homes myself so if I can do it, anyone can. The following is a standard style. You can make a template out of newspaper for the top in any style you want but for the sake of simplicity...I will use a simple arch.    What you will need:4'x8'x5/8 piece of plywoodJigsawDrillMeasuring tapeNewspaper for templateRoll of 3"or4" thick battingStaple gunHot glue gun or 2 way tapeReady made welt or cording optional Paint optional for plywoodScissorsPlywood: Cut piece of plywood the width of your bed, ie twin is 40"x48", Queen 60"x48", Cal-king 72"x48" and King 80"x48". Make a template out of newspaper in any shape you want. Mark the center of the width of the wood and draw the style you want for 1/2. Then flip the template to the other ... 02/12/2007

02/01/2007

How many times have you come across a junk room or an empty room that needs to be staged as a bedroom? In minutes you can have a beautifully dressed bed in any size including king...all from the trunk of your car! What you will need: 2 air mattresses - Uhuh, this is the instant bed in a trunk - $80 1 bed-in-the-bag (Bed-dressing ensemble includes dustruffle, comforter, 2 shams, 2 sheets, 2 pillow coses) $50 4 bed pillows - $2o Decorative throw - $20 Misc. decorative pillows - $30 For the bed frame use 4 boxes - Use office filing boxes that collapse -$5 Assemble you boxes and place them where the bed will go, blow up your air mattresses, and make your bed! Voila, that is it. You are good to go. It is a great way to cut costs in staging a vacant home as well. Estimated total cost: $200.00... 01/10/2007

After years of decorating and home staging for other people, I have picked up some really great habits like decluttering. I de-clutter all year long in little bits but the week between Christmas and New Years is the best time of year to address the areas that cause me stress. Either the towels in the linen closet have to be shoved in to fit, or I trip on a pair of shoes because they are rolling off each other in their stacks, or I pass by a stack of magazines that I have collected and have become a table accessory instead of a stack of interesting reads.  I too gather a few layers of stuff throughout the year that need addressing! One of the major solutions to resolve clutter is having a place for everything and I have a place for everything. But what happens throughout the year is they... 12/26/2006

I have been asked this question a lot lately so I thought I would shed some light on the subject - briefly of course.An interior designer is anyone who has a degree in interior design or has a minimum of 11 years in the field as an interior decorator. They are qualified to work with architects and contractors in manipulating blue prints, floor plans, electrical, plumbing, etc. An interior decorator is anyone who decorates interiors. They are qualified to design and execute window coverings, furnishings, wall treatments, and all surfaces. They usually purchase wholesale and sell at retail or work in departments stores or for design firms.A home stager is anyone who arranges or rearranges the interior/exterior of a residential property to present that property as a marketable product.    12/23/2006

The best way I know how to teach someone how to home stage from the internet is through photos, so I am offering this opportunity for our members only to send me a picture of an actual house you are working on or selling and I will show you how to convert it into a beautifully STAGED room. Please limit one room per member! I will upload your picture and show you what should be done. Please send them to californiamoods@sbcglobal.net or upload your pictures on this blog. Try to describe the room in as much detail as possible as well as the price of the home, it's location, purpose of the room, and the size of the house Lets have some fun with it! MORE FREE STUFF! My response time will depend on how many requests I actually receive. Stage It Forward! 12/06/2006

Is it possible to give away so much knowledge that you are hurting yourself? It seems like it sometimes. I have a lot of experience and I share a lot of what I know to build a trust. I send out a monthly newsletter full of decorating tips and staging information absolutely free. Many people think I give away too much. If you visited my website, you would see that I share more information on how to stage a home than what many websites charge for. Why do I do that? Because I will always know more. I am the one doing the work and I enjoy consulting. It is a fine line to walk but if all someone wants from me is what I offer free then so be it. They got what they needed and so did I. But when they realize it works, down the road they will need more and they know where to find me, they learne... 12/05/2006