Another year has passed and Mother’s Day is coming up in a week. What are you going to do to make your Mother’s day?
My mom is 92 and I have mentioned before, she at the point in her life where she is not interested in collecting more things, so I am more careful about what I can give her. Often it is flowers or a gift card to a local book store. I am not sure yet what this years gift will be. How about you?
What are you going to do to make your Mother’s day? Why not give her the gift of a beautiful home this year with a Mother’s Day gift card for an Aligned Design Interior Design and color consultation from Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful Mothers out there!
Gift Cards
My 6 hour online design and color consultation takes a holistic approach and considers at art, science and energy to create a plan for her perfect space. Look great, feel great and be great. Add $100 for an in-person consultation. Learn More
A Seller’s Market is the Perfect Time to Spend Money on Home Staging
If you are like most people selling your home in a seller’s market, where there are few houses for sale and lots of buyers, you would think spending money on home staging is a dumb idea.
After all, why spend money on staging when you can reasonably expect it will sell quickly. Why spend money on fixing things or remodeling? Why spend money on painting, or even cleaning?
I see it all the time. I live in a small town that has limited housing, so it is always a seller’s market. I am amazed sometimes at the listing photos I see online.
I get it. What you are really saying is why spend any money at all if you do not have to. You do have holding costs like mortgage and utilities after all and will have to pay your realtor and closing costs.
“That is an interesting belief that will cost you.”
Think about it. The supply of houses is limited. People are looking to buy. They want the best house they can get for the money. If there are five houses for sale, and they all look just OK, including yours, you will likely still sell quickly but at what price? About the same as everyone else with a similar OK house.
What if your house looks amazing compared to the other similar homes? Everyone is going to want it. What will happen? Can you say bidding war?
What do I mean when I say amazing? Your house is clean, repaired, beautifully staged and move in ready. You have professional photos showing it off online. Everyone will want it and they all know everyone else will want it too!
OK, I hear your gears grinding from here…. but how much will it cost me to do all that compared to how much more I will get on my home sale? I am glad you asked.
In my experience, if people spend .5 to 1% of the home’s value on getting their home ready for market, which includes the painting, repairs, cleaning, and staging, they often get 10-20% more on their home sale.
For example, I recently staged a home in a seller’s market. The realtor was concerned that the seller would be lucky to get 20K less than they wanted to list for in the house’s current condition. The owner knew they needed to move their things out and get it cleaned. They were not considering doing much more. The realtor suggested home staging.
We started with a consultation in which I recommended painting over some colors I knew would not be appealing to buyers, installing some missing lights, removing most of the existing furniture and personal items , having it cleaned, having the yard work done and for me to stage it. I believe the maintenance and painting probably cost them about $500. The consultation, staging and accessory rentals cost about $1500. So, the owner spent about $2000 to prepare it for market.
So, what happened? After I staged the home, the seller received 2 over asking price offers within 24 hours and 15 offers in 7 days. They sold the house for 30K over asking price! So not only did they make up for the 20K the realtor thought they could not get to meet their asking price, but they also made an additional 30K. That is 50K more than expected, because they spent 2K on preparing and staging.
Note this was a small house, so costs to prepare or stage and prepare larger houses can vary quite a bit based on the size and what they need. At the same time, larger houses have a much higher sales price and greater opportunity for the seller to make even more on the sale.
Spending money on home staging is kind of like going on a diet. You have to put up with a little short-term pain of spending some money up front to get the big pay-off in the end. Or instead, maybe I should say home staging is like going on a healthy diet….you know it is the right thing to do to get a return of perfect health, and with home staging to get the return of your best sales price. It is simply hard to get started!
So, are you going to hang out eating cookies all day or do what is good for you?
So Are You Going to Eat Cookies All Day?
Get your online home staging consultation or staging service today. Click on the pictures to learn more. For in person consultations or staging, call for a custom quote
Become a Home Stager
Interested in becoming a home stager? I recommend the Staging Diva Home Staging Training program!
Great Paint Color Schemes- Black, White and Shades of Gray
People often struggle with creating a great color scheme. In my recent series of blog articles we discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example, and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous, Complimentary, Diad, Triad, Tetrad, Split-Complimentary and Double Complimentary.
Today, lets talk about using black, white and shades of gray.
Monochromatic Color Scheme Analogous Color SchemeAnalogous Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Tetrad Color Scheme Tetrad Color SchemeSpilt Complimentary SchemeSpilt Complimentary Scheme Double Complimentary Color Scheme Double Complimentary Color Scheme
Technically, using black, white or grays is really a monochromatic color scheme and could be done with any color. If you take the color and adjust it’s chroma or saturation level to the lowest you can go, you get white. If you adjust it a little higher, you get shades of gray. If you adjust it to the maximum it becomes black.
Most people do not think of black, white and gray as actually being a color. Many people like to work with these colors as they think it is a very neutral color palette.
Let’s play around with a design I created that uses mainly black, white and gray home decor items where I mainly changed the wall color or treatment to create drama or highlight different things.
Design
In this design I created maximum drama by using black walls which a striking due to the color, but I also used shiny wall tiles which also add texture and reflect light. The dark walls recede, giving a feeling of being cocooned and enveloped within the color. The color also highlights the black design in the area rug, making it pop.
Double Complimentary Color Scheme. Edesign and Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
In the design below, I used wall paper in white with a gray diamond pattern. The wall, although it still has texture and interest due to the pattern, disappears with the light color, putting more emphasis on the view outside.
Double Complimentary Color Scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
In the design below, the gray paint color feels cool and elegant, and creates more of a connection with the furnishings and decor of the gray sofas and the accent pillows.
Shop the Look
Check out the pieces I selected for this design. Some include affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.
My design also incorporates some of my unique fractal art from my “Spring” Collection.
Arctic Evening Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design Arctic Night Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design Icefield Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
A black, white and gray scheme is fairly easy to put together. It is best if you keep you black, white and grays all within the same color family so they are harmonious.
A black, white and gray scheme can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Dark gray and black walls are more dramatic than white walls.
A black, white and gray scheme really highlights any other colors that are used, or the colors of the views outside.
Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain.
Create Beauty with Color in Your Space
Each moment in life is YOUR choice. surround yourself with BEAUTY, color and positive energy now.
Or not, it’s up to you.
Everything in life is easier when you love your space.When your space is better, you are better. When you are better, the world is better.
Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.
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Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Double-Complimentary
People often struggle with creating a great color scheme. In my last few blog articles we discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example, and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous, complimentary, diad, triad and tetrad color schemes. Today, lets look at a Split-Complimentary!
A tetrad uses four colors which include two complimentary color pairings. It can be difficult to balance if you use all four colors in equal amounts it may feel like too much. You can use one to three colors as dominant colors and and let the rest be more subdued. By subdued, I mean you can use less of the colors proportionally. Or you could use less saturated versions of the colors so they don’t stand out as much, but color schemes tend to look more harmonious if you are using similar saturation or chroma levels. Here are some examples.
Let’s create a split-complimentary color scheme with the blue we have been working with in the last several articles. You can see this blue in the sofas.
Monochromatic Color Scheme Analogous Color SchemeAnalogous Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Tetrad Color Scheme Tetrad Color SchemeSpilt Complimentary SchemeSpilt Complimentary Scheme
In a double complementary color scheme, you use a primary color such as our blue, its compliment yellow, and then the pair of complimentary colors of one of its neighbors on either side such as blue/purple and yellow/green or blue/green and orange.
Double Complimentary Color Schemes Illustrations by Camp Chroma, the Best Color Training Ever!
Design 1
With a Double-Complimentary scheme we are working with 4 colors, or two sets of compliments. We have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors, but it is always most harmonious if you work with colors with similar chroma (saturation). In other words it looks best if you are not mixing rich, bright colors with pastels. You can get dramatic or keep it more neutral based on the colors you choose. I find adding rich color to the walls creates drama, while using a more neutral wall color feels more relaxing.
In this design I used the blue/yellow compliment pair in the sofas and the beautiful area rug. I used the green/yellow of the neighboring compliment pair in the area rug, pillows and my fractal art. I decided to bring in purple in small amounts as an accent, and used plants with purple flowers to highlight that color.
Double Complimentary Color Scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Double Complimentary Color Scheme. Edesign and Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
In the examples above, I created drama by using a more saturated shade of blue for the wall color. To create a more neutral look, I created a second version below where I used the same color but with very low saturation so it is almost gray.
Double Complimentary Color Scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Shop the Look- Design 1
Check out the pieces I selected for this design. Some include affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.
My design also incorporates some of my unique fractal art from my “Spring” Collection.
Spring Fractal Art by Nofthern Lights Home Staging and Design Spring 2 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Design #2
In this second design I used the blue/yellow complimentary pair again but this time worked with blue/green and orange. I found a beautiful area rug as an inspiration piece that has the blue, blue green, orange and a touch of yellow to tie everything together. I highlighted the orange in the 3 poufs. I used the blue/green in the pillows, the wall color and in my “Jenna” fractal art collection. The yellow I used as a small accent with flowers or flower vases.
Double Complimentary color scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Double Complimentary color scheme. Edesign and Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design. Double Complimentary color scheme. Edesign and Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Shop the Look Design #2
Here is a closer view of my fractal art collection called “Jenna” which I created in honor of Jenna Gaidusek of the Edesign Tribe when creating something for her office with her favorite colors. In my design, the art is on canvas prints, but they are available framed or on a variety of materials as well as on other home decor in my store at Society 6.
Jenna Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design Jenna 2 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design Jenna 3 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Benefits of A Double Complimentary Color Scheme
A double complimentary color scheme is easy to put together using 4 colors. You can give all colors equal weight in the design for more drama, or make one or two colors more dominant based on the mood you want to create. The challenge will be trying not allow too many strong colors to compete with each other. Vary the saturation or better yet, the amount of the colors showing by making 1-2 colors as accents.
A double complimentary color scheme can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain. You could try the more relaxing color combinations in a bedroom or office.
Create Beauty with Color in Your Space
EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH beautiful color RIGHT NOW.
Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.
Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Split-Complimentary
People often struggle with creating a great color scheme. In my last few blog articles we discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example, and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous, complimentary, diad, triad and tetrad color schemes. Today, lets look at a Split-Complimentary!
A double-complimentary scheme uses four colors which include two complimentary color pairings. It can be difficult to balance if you use all four colors in equal amounts it may feel like too much. You can use one to three colors as dominant colors and and let the rest be more subdued. By subdued, I mean you can use less of the colors proportionally. Or you could use less saturated versions of the colors so they don’t stand out as much, but color schemes tend to look more harmonious if you are using similar saturation or chroma levels. Here are some examples.
Let’s create a split-complimentary color scheme with the blue we have been working with in the last several articles. You can see this blue in the sofas.
Monochromatic Color Scheme Analogous Color SchemeAnalogous Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Tetrad Color Scheme Tetrad Color Scheme
In a split complementary color scheme, you use a primary color such as our blue, and then the two analogous colors to its complement. In this case it’s compliment is yellow and yellow/red and green/yellow are next to yellow or analogous colors to yellow.
Split Complimentary Color Scheme Illustrations by Camp Chroma, the Best Color Training Ever!
The Design
With a split-Complimentary scheme we are working with 3 colors. We have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors, but it is always most harmonious if you work with colors with similar chroma (saturation). In other words it looks best if you are not mixing rich, bright colors with pastels. You can get dramatic or keep it more neutral based on the colors you choose. I find adding rich color to the walls creates drama, while using a more neutral wall color feels more relaxing.
For example, below I created a split complimentary scheme with our blue sofas as the base color. I used red/orange in the rug, pillows and in the wall color where I used a very unsaturated, neutral tint of orange/red.
Split Complimentary color scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.Split Complimentary color scheme. Edesign and Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
My design also incorporates some of my unique fractal art from my “Spring” Collection.
Spring Fractal Art by Nofthern Lights Home Staging and Design Spring 2 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
The design, although using 3 colors still feels fairly neutral and calm with some pops of color for excitement.
Shop the Look
Check out the pieces I selected for this design. Some include affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.
I selected pieces of various materials with different textures and patterns within the 3 hue families.
Design 2
In this second version of the design, all I changed was the wall color, which is a more saturated or has higher chroma than the color I used in design 1. As you can see, it looks much more dramatic with the rich wall color.
Split Complimentary color scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Benefits of A Split Complimentary Color Scheme
A split complimentary color scheme is easy to put together using 3 colors. You can give all three colors equal weight in the design for more drama, or make one or two colors more dominant based on the mood you want to create.
A split complimentary color scheme can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain. You could try the more relaxing color combinations in a bedroom or office.
Create Beauty with Color in Your Space
EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH beautiful color RIGHT NOW.
Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.
Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Tetrad
People often struggle with creating a great color scheme. In my last few blog articles we discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example, and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous, complimentary, diad and triad color schemes. Today, lets look at a Tetrad!
A tetrad uses four colors which include two complimentary color pairings. It can be difficult to balance if you use all four colors in equal amounts it may feel like too much. You can use one to three colors as dominant colors and and let the rest be more subdued. By subdued, I mean you can use less of the colors proportionally. Or you could use less saturated versions of the colors so they don’t stand out as much, but color schemes tend to look more harmonious if you are using similar saturation or chroma levels. Here are some examples.
Let’s create a tetrad color scheme with the blue we have been working with in the last several articles. You can see this blue in the sofas.
Monochromatic Color Scheme Analogous Color SchemeAnalogous Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Diad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme
There are three different Tetrads we could choose from that use our blue (which is a blue/purple). For this article, lets work with the first two.
Tetrad Color Scheme Illustrations by Camp Chroma, the Best Color Training Ever!
The Design
With a tetrad you are using 4 colors and have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors. You can get dramatic or keep it mpre neutral based on the colors you choose.
For example, below I created a tetrad with our blue as in the sofas as the base color. It’s compliment is yellow. I chose to use yellow in the wall color, in a a less saturated and lighter yellow than in it’s blue compliment to keep it more neutral. I also used yellow in the buff colored leather ottomans and an accent in the flowers on the coffee table.
The other pair of compliments are the red/purple and green. I used the red/purple in the area rug, and the green in the pillows, pouf and plants and the art.
The rest of the design I kept neutral with the white chairs, accent tables and lamps and plant stands.
Overall in this design the blue and red-purple are most dominant, followed by the green and with yellow mainly as an accent.
My design also incorporates some of my unique fractal art from my “Spring” Collection.
Spring Fractal Art by Nofthern Lights Home Staging and Design Spring 2 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
The design, although using 4 colors still feels fairly neutral and calm with some pops of color for excitement.
Shop the Look
Check out the pieces I selected for this design. Some include affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.
I selected pieces of various materials with different textures and patterns within the 3 hue families.
Design 2
In this second version of a tetrad design, I once again used blue in the sofas and a soft neutral yellow paint color as it’s complement as in the first design.
I added the blue green from the second pair of complements into a new area rug (which also ties in the deep blue, yellow and greens). I maintained the green pillows and pouf and added the red in with the two ottomans and the flower centerpiece on the coffee table. As you can see, this time the red is just an accent, where as the blue, blue green and yellow are more dominant.
Tetrad color Scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and DesignTetrad color Scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
The design, although using 4 colors still also feels fairly neutral and calm with some pops of color for excitement.
If you wanted to get more dramatic, you could pull in one of the 4 colors with greater saturation or chroma in the wall color as I did below. In this case, I used the blue-green and it changes the whole look and feel, even though everything else is the same.
Tetrad color Scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Shop the Look- Design #2
Benefits of A Tetrad Color Scheme
A tetrad color scheme is relatively easy to put together using two sets of complimentary colors. The tricky part is determining which colors you want to be more dominant, and balancing the rest so it is not overwhelming.
Tetrad color schemes can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain. You could try the more relaxing color combinations in a bedroom, especially if you are using blues and greens.
You can play with this color scheme for different effects by how many colors you allow to be more dominant, and how much weight each carries in the design. Each color brings it’s own feeling to the space so highlight one over the others to get the mood you want.
Create Beauty with Color in Your Space
EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH BEAUTY RIGHT NOW.
Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.
Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Triad
People often struggle with creating a great color scheme. In my last few blog articles we have discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous, complimentary and diad color schemes. Today, lets look at a Triad!
A triad uses three colors with the equal distance between all colors on the color wheel, causing no clear dominance of one color.
Monochromatic Color Scheme Analogous Color SchemeAnalogous Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme Triad Color Scheme
To create a triad with our blue (which is a blue/purple), we will add reds and greens.
A Triad- Created by Camp Chroma- The Best Color Training Ever.
The Design
With a triad, you are using 3 colors and have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors. You can get dramatic or keep it simple based on the colors you choose. For example, below I created a triad with our blue as in the sofas as the base color and incorporating reds in the rug and pillows and greens in the pouf, lamps, art, plants and wall color. I used saturated colors from each of the hue families. The deep rich wall color creates a more dramatic look.
If drama is not your thing, you can tone it down by changing the saturation of the wall color. Below, the only thing I changed was the wall color, which is still green, but with such low saturation levels it is approaching a gray. This more neutral colored wall creates a more serene atmosphere.
My design also incorporates some of my unique fractal art from my “Spring” Collection.
Spring Fractal Art by Nofthern Lights Home Staging and Design Spring 2 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Shop the Look
Check out the pieces I selected for this design. Some include affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.
I selected pieces of various materials with different textures and patterns within the 3 hue families.
Benefits of A Triad Color Scheme
A triad color scheme is relatively easy to put together. Pick your favorite color and find 2 neighbors, equal distant apart on the color wheel.
Triad color schemes can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain. You could try the more relaxing color combinations in a bedroom, especially if you are using blues and greens.
You can play with this color scheme for different effects by having one color as the dominant color and the other 2 as accents, or give all colors equal weights. Each color brings it’s own feeling to the space so highlight one over the others to get the mood you want.
Create Beauty with Color in Your Space
EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH BEAUTY RIGHT NOW.
Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.
Great Paint Color Schemes- Do a Diad
People often struggle with creating a great color scheme. In my last few blog articles we have discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous and complimentary schemes. Today, lets look at Diad!
A diadic or diad color scheme uses two colors that are separated by one color on the color wheel.
Monochromatic Color Scheme Analogous Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme Complimentary Color Scheme
To create a diad with our blue (which is a blue/purple), we will add blue-greens. We could always go the other direction and work with red/purple. We will try that in a future article.
A Diad- Created by Camp Chroma- The Best Color Training Ever.
The Design
With a diad, you are only using 2 hues, but you have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with. You can get dramatic or keep it simple based on the colors you choose, and highlight textures and patterns.
Below you can see the same design using various shades of blue/green paint and then “white flour”. The design is more dramatic with saturated wall colors and more relaxed with a neutral wall color.
Dark and dramatic diad color scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.Dark and dramatic diad color scheme. Edesign and fractal art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.Light and airy diad color scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.Neautral and serene diad color scheme. Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design.
Shop the Look
Check out the pieces I selected for this design. Some include affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.
I selected pieces of various materials with different textures and patterns within the 2 hue families. The design includes my own original fractal art, called “Night Dive”. I called it that because it reminded me of what it looks like underwater when diving at night, and the magical colors and textures of the water.
Benefits of A Diad Color Scheme
A diad color scheme is relatively easy to put together. Pick your favorite color and find it’s neighbor, skipping one hue family on the color wheel.
Diad color schemes can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain. You could try the more relaxing color combinations in a bedroom, especially if you are using blues and greens.
Diads are simpler color schemes, similar to analogous schemes that offer opportunities to highlight more texture and pattern in your design.
Create Beauty with Color in Your Space
EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH BEAUTY RIGHT NOW.
Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.
What Boat are You Riding Out this Storm In?
Today I was asked “How have you changed since the pandemic began? Are you more self-aware? Have you shed your cocoon and blossomed into the person and business owner that you never knew existed within you?”
Interesting question. Why yes, I have. How about you?
We are all in the same storm but it in different boats.
Are you thriving or remaining positive? Or not?
From my perspective, this pandemic has separated people into two groups. Those that have figured out ways to thrive or at least remain positive, and those who have not.
I am in the first boat. I could have easily been in the second boat though if I had made a few different choices.
One big choice is the set of your sail.
What is the set of your sail? Photo by Robert Anitei on Unsplash
We have all been affected in different ways. Some of us have been sick or lost loved ones. Some have lost our jobs, or businesses or wonder if we will in the future. Many of us have taken a big financial hit. Some have kids and struggle with what is happening with schools, how work with kids at home and making sure they are still getting an education, or how to keep them safe. The scenarios are endless.
There is not much we can control, except the most important thing.
OUR THOUGHTS
Control your thoughts. Photo by Keegan Houser on Unsplash
We can choose those and how we will respond to all that is happening around us. The thoughts affect how we feel. We can live in endless fear and worry, which changes nothing but how we feel.
In those articles I focused on some of the most obvious physical changes that others could see such as weight loss and quitting smoking. But the biggest transformation was the way it affected my thinking, and how I deal with adversity. I learned to control my thoughts, and thus my emotions and habits and other ways of BEING. It gave me an amazing sense of peace and well being in the middle of this storm.
I tell you about it because the program opens twice a year, and it opens up September 14.
Here is a testimonial I created when I took the program.
My testimonial of the TCP program. The internal changes in the way I think are more important than the outward, visible changes that resulted.
TCP was so great, I went on to take the TCP business program and will be doing TCP again. I hear from many people that retake the program, each time is a new experience for growth, because you are a different person each time.
Transform Yourself with TCP- The Transformational Coaching Program with Jim Fortin. PHoto by NOrthern Lights Home Staging and Design.
There is also a BE DO HAVE Free Training going on right now that is amazing. It has started already but replays are available here.
I think this is the best training I have ever invested in. It made a huge difference for me which is why I am sharing. I hope it can make a difference for you too.
I specialize in helping you create a colorful and happy home that tells your story. I can work with you in person or online and assist you with design and color consultations so you can do the work yourself, or I can help you implement it all. My most popular package is a design/color consultation. Check out all my Edesign packages here.
FAQs for Realtors on Home Staging – What you need to know about cost, time, value, and how home staging leads to more listings.
Most Realtors have heard of home staging and how it can help sell a home faster and for more money but many Realtors still have questions. Here are answers to some common questions about how home staging works.
WHAT IS HOME STAGING?
What is home staging?
Home Staging is a marketing tool that uses decorating to show off a home’s best features while downplaying its flaws. Done right, staging creates an emotional connection between home and buyer, leading to a faster sale at maximum value.
Home Staging by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design
Is staging just for vacant homes?
Home staging is for all homes, occupied or vacant. Staging a home with what a home seller already has is always the preferred choice, as it leads to greater savings on rental furniture and labor fees.
Usually the first question I get! A better question might be can home staging help me sell faster and for more! Think of home staging as an investment, rather than a cost.
That investment will depend on the size of the house, if it is vacant or occupied, if the stager will do everything or just a consultation, followed by the seller doing the bulk of the work. It also depends on the seller having suitable furniture and accessories or if items need to be rented.
Stagers charge a fee for a consultation and give an estimate (based on an hourly fee, or a flat fee) if additional time is needed. A monthly rental fee may apply for furniture and/or accessories.
On average, stagers charge $300-$500 for that initial “working” consultation and about $100/hour for their time after that. Furniture and accessory rental costs vary based on what is needed to properly showcase the home.
Just like a home seller shouldn’t pick a real estate agent based on the highest quoted sale price for your home, a stager should not be picked based on the lowest bid. In both cases, the agent and the stager may be quoting that price just to get the job. You get what you pay for. Quality counts.
Who pays for home staging?
Some popular options include:
the home seller pays all
the real estate agent pays for a consultation
the real estate agent reimburses the home seller at closing for an agreed amount (i.e.: for the initial “working” consultation).
the real estate agent pays all or part of the staging
More and more Realtors are covering the cost of a consultation as part of their marketing plan, leaving any further investment up to the home seller. For clients that like to DIY, a consultation may be all they need to properly prepare their home for sale. See the article, “Who Pays for Home Staging” for more detail.
As a Realtor, why should I pay for home staging or a consultation?
Many savvy Realtors pay for the initial consultation and their clients pay for any additional staging services.
While getting a higher price is paramount for home sellers, it may not make a big difference in a Realtor’s commission, but certainly makes for happier clients and more referrals! Ultimately, selling faster will be great for you and your client because everyone gets paid faster. It also lowers marketing expenses for you and holding costs for your client. Home staging is an investment. With little money up front, you should be able to list the property for more and sell faster.
How can I help my clients understand the value of home staging?
Help your sellers see that staging will cost less than that first price reduction. The increased sales price of their home, faster closing, and reduced holding costs, will more than cover the staging investment and all with a whole lot less stress!
My sellers have a very limited budget. How can they afford the services of a professional home stager?
Think you can’t afford to hire a professional home stager? In today’s market, you can’t afford not to. For the most budget friendly option, invest in a home staging consultation. Home sellers can do the work themselves based on the advice of a professional home stager. For the best results, have the stager return for a final checkup prior to photos.
How much does it cost to do “Lite Staging”?
Putting a few decorative items or sparse furniture in an otherwise vacant house is often more distracting for buyers than not adding anything at all. “Lite” staging or “vignette” staging of small areas is generally not a good investment as it does not help make that emotional connection which sells the home. It also does not highlight the home’s best features, give buyers a sense of how big the space is, or how their furniture might fit in the space.
PROCESS AND TIMELINE
How long does it take to stage a home?
This varies based on the size of the home, what is needed to best market the property, and the experience of the stager.
Overall, I find that an average occupied home can be staged in 8 hours or less, and a vacant home in 2 days or about 16-18 hours. If you plan to stage a vacant home, it is best to call the stager at least 2-3 weeks prior to listing. An occupied home may require less lead time, based on the staging needs. For best results, call the stager as soon as possible.
What is the home staging process for a vacant home?
Generally, staging can be completed within 7-14 days after the initial consultation and all needed repairs and updates are complete.
Consultation– Up to 2 hours
Pre-staging- (usually 1-2 weeks). Home seller works on the consultation task list to get the home cleaned, de-cluttered, maintained, and completes updates such as painting, replacing flooring or lighting etc. The stager prepares the staging plan, coordinates with furniture rental companies, and prepares art, accessories, and furniture for transport.
Staging- 1 to 2 days on site.
De-staging- 2-3 hours. Prior to closing and after inspection is complete and/or contract is signed.
What is the home staging process for an occupied home?
Consultation– Up to 2 hours.
Pre-staging- (usually 1-2 weeks). Home seller works on the consultation task list to get the home cleaned, de-cluttered, maintained, and completes updates such as painting, replacing flooring or lighting etc. The stager prepares the staging plan, coordinates with furniture rental companies, and prepares art, accessories, and furniture, if applicable, for transport.
Staging- As little as a few hours or up to a full day.. Sometimes it can be done directly after the consultation.
De-staging- (usually 2-3 hours, if the seller has rented furniture or accessories). After inspection is complete and/or contracts are signed
Please visit my Services page and call to discuss details.
What does a consultation include?
A consultation gives your sellers a complete list of everything they can do to prepare their home, both inside and out – whether it is vacant or occupied. With this information, the home owner can then decide how much work they will do themselves and how much they would like the stager to do. Recommendations include:
cleaning
decluttering
maintenance
paint colors
flooring
lighting
furniture and accessory placement to highlight each space or focal point
purchases, if needed, for bedding, towels, or other items
contractors
advice for keeping the home show ready
curb appeal
preparing for the photo shoot
A professional consultation can help reinforce information you, as the Realtor, already provide.
It is always faster and more effective to hire the right professional for the job. If you wouldn’t recommend a home seller list as For Sale By Owner (FSBO), then it’s probably not a good idea to do the staging yourself. Even if you are a home stager, you still may wish to avoid staging the clients’ home and having those difficult conversations about cleaning, odors, pets, animal heads and the like to maintain a great relationship with your client. Wouldn’t your time be better used marketing your current listings and finding more?
Should every house be staged?
All houses can benefit from a 2-hour home staging consultation. There is always something that can be done to raise the perceived value of a home in the buyer’s eyes. A small investment in a home staging consultation can increase buyer appeal, reaping large rewards in the final sales price.
Does every room need to be staged?
Every space in an occupied home should be staged for a consistent look-and-feel throughout. For vacant homes, it is critical to stage the main rooms, awkward spaces, and any areas that add value to the sales price such as a potential rental unit. When rooms are left empty, buyers may wonder if the seller has already moved out or is desperate to sell encouraging low offers.
As the Realtor, do I need to be at the consultation?
Some agents never attend, some always attend, and others attend occasionally or a few minutes only. The real key to success is the home owner’s willingness to go along with the staging recommendations, and not whether the agent attends the home staging consultation. For more detail, see a great article by Susan Atwell on this subject.
Does the stager coordinate all the contractors such as painters, maintenance people, flooring specialists, etc.?
Stagers can recommend trusted, professional contractors. For owner occupied homes, the home owner will find it faster and more convenient to coordinate these contractors themselves. For home sellers living away from the property, the stager can easily coordinate all.
VALUE
Can home staging help me sell my listing faster and for more money?
What should I tell a client that wants to list first and stage later if their home does not sell?
The same thing you tell a client who wants to “test” the market with an unrealistic listing price, just to inevitably reduce the price later. The longer a home is on the market, the less desirable it is. Just like food, a listing becomes stale in a very short time. You can also add that the Real Estate Staging Association Home Staging National Statistics Report found that homes that were staged first before listing, rather than after listing, spent 90% less time on the market. See the article, the “Big Bang Theory of Home Staging”.
Why should I invest in home staging in a seller’s market?
Home staging works in every type of market. Even in a seller’s market, there will always be listings that do not sell quickly. Staged homes generate more interest on the web and in person, by creating move-in ready homes that feel fresh, spacious, and up-to-date. All these conditions lead to higher offers, potential bidding wars, and greater profits for you and your clients.
Can home staging get me more listings?
YES! Would you like to tip the scales in your favor when competing for a listing? Want to know what top producing real estate agents do? Offer your sellers an affordable home staging consultation. Position yourself as a forward thinking agent that:
Gives extra value.
Goes the extra mile.
Is a savvy marketer.
Is known for having the best listings.
What should I look for when selecting a home stager?
Even though there is no legal licensing or training requirement to become a home stager, do your homework and look for a professional with training, experience, and good reviews.
An accomplished stager will have both training and proven natural talent to get you great results. See the article on tips to hiring a great stager.
Now that you know everything you need to about home staging, you know it is a no -brainer if you want to sell fast and for more. All staging starts with a consultation which can be in person or online. Feel free to call if you have questions and would like to discuss what would be best for you.
