How Plain Jane Got Invited to the Prom

Occasionally, I run across a house that is simply a Plain Jane.  Plain Jane houses are boxes with no interesting interior architecture: no fireplace, no built-in bookshelves, flat-sprayed ceilings, lack of chair rail and crown molding, etc.  The rooms are small, square and choppy-- plain.  Here's Jane after she was dressed for the prom.



AFTER - Linda Beam

 

So what do you do to stage an empty box?  I 'over staged' it.  Meaning I packed the room with much more 'stuff' than I normal do.  This house needed to  feel warm and appealing.  I was going for a cottage-look to appeal to the target audience.    

I injected pops of color,  many different textures and lots of accessories (metal, glass, pottery, fresh apples) with the small scale wicker and rattan furniture.  I used the colors from the flower painting as my inspiration.


 


BEFORE - Linda Beam

 

When a house has no distinctive features you must add visual interest through staging. 





BEFORE - Linda Beam

 And, that's the story of how Plain Jane got invited to the prom.  Staging make overs really do make a difference.  Don't you agree?


Linda

Top 5 Crazy Things I've Said to Sellers

It takes all kinds of people to make up the world.  Part of my job is being sensitive to my sellers without offending them.  I've run into a menagerie of ticklish situations. Clutter, odors, and ugly decor don't even make the list.

1. "It probably would be better if you 'burn one in the driveway' while your house is on the market.  It is preferable that the house doesn't smell of reefer."

2.  "The bonus room needs to look as large as possible.  Let's prepack the guns and ammo."

3.  "I'm sure your home made beer is delicious!  But I have to ask you to remove the brewing equipment from your bathroom."

4.  "Oh, you make pediatric mouth dentures!  And this is your office...Do you think we could store these (creepy) baby (plaster-of-paris) molds inside this cabinet?"

5.  "You HAVE lost sooooo many pets.  I'm very sorry.  Do you think we could move 'them' (cremated remains) to a different location while we sell your house?"


I couldn't make this stuff up, folks.

Later,

Linda

Flipping Rooms - No Cost Staging

Oh, how I love a sunroom!  These seller's had this GORGEOUS sunroom -windows everywhere and it was huge.  But it was filled with massive dark leather furniture. I traded the family room furniture for the sunroom furniture. 

I think the 'After' shots are more conducive to the feeling* of a sun porch.



Linda Beam

 

Linda Beam

Here are the "before" pictures with the leather sofa, chair, and enormous coffee table.



Linda Beam



Linda Beam

(*I continue to emphasize the importance of how a house feels to a potential buyer as being essential to the sale.)

You do not have to spend money to stage your house.  Try flipping rooms!

Have a great week y'all.

Linda

Bright, Cheery and Updated Makes Selling Easier!

For your house to show the best, it needs to be updated. Wallpaper must come down!  Wallpaper is very personality specific and usually doesn't transfer to a new owner's taste.  Also, dark wood trim is very passe.  Painting wood trim goes miles towards selling a house. Removing the droopy, dated valances allows in maximum light. The return on investment is huge!  Don't you agree that the white trim and light sage green paint make a world of difference?  Here are the after painting and staging pictures.



Linda Beam



Linda Beam



Here are the before shots. (Sorry I don't have the exact angles as above.) 

Linda Beam



Linda Beam





What do you think?  Worth the investment? (The seller loved the updates so much she didn't want to move!)

Later,

Linda

You Name Your Kid and Your Pet---Hey, Why Not Your House?

I love that beach houses have names.  Names tell a story deeper than the address.  Houses with names tell you a bit about the owner's personality.  Not good for selling but fun for a vacation house.

I'm one of those folks that names my car and house.  Our house was christened "Casa Beam" since before we moved in back in '96. (No, I don't have a carved sign with Casa Beam by the front door!) 

What about you?  Does your abode sport a name?

Happy Friday, y'all!

Linda

Must Entice to Get the Price

Beach decor = light and bright, wicker and bamboo, clean and cool.  Coastal Living Magazine illustrates the point in these small beachy rooms.

I was asked to evaluate a rental beach condo.  As with a house for sale, it needs to appeal to the target audience. Vacationers typically go online to research a house they are interest in renting. 

This is a 3 bedroom ocean front condo. The owner (an investor) furnished it.  The realtor would like for it to show better.  When I visited, the current renters had missed the deadline for checkout and were rushing to leave, the cleaning crew was working around them, and the new renters were on the way. 

What a missed opportunity! Painting the old kitchen cabinets white will go miles to lighten and brighten the entire main living space. I also recommended: a sisal rug, reupholster dining room chairs, a new sofa, 2 club chairs, an ottoman to use as coffee table/extra seating, replace 'artwork' and lamps (or at least new shades).  The toss pillows were filthy and lumpy. I picked one up by the corner fringe and said, "Eeeewww"!  The realtor immediately pitched them out.



The challenge is convincing the owner of the missed opportunity for more income.  By updating the decor, it will look more appealing online, renters will be more comfortable and interested in repeated rentals.  Investing in new furnishing will more than pay for itself.

Check out the view!  Would being oceanfront override the flaws of the decor?

Would you be willing to pay a higher rental for fresh and fabulous furnishings?

Later,

Linda

Precious! Precious! Precious!

Our Country... Our Freedom....
Celebrate!


  

  

Happy 4th, y'all,


Linda