The Holidays Are Over... Now What?!

Once the presents have been opened and the guests have gone home, your house may need extra attention to return it to prime showing condition.

• REMOVE HOLIDAY/SEASONAL DECOR: Pine garland, snowman decorations, and ornamental lights should be packed up no later than the second day in January.


• CLEAN UP: Paper scraps, champagne bottles, and expired leftovers should be tossed to keep your house looking tidy.


• REDUCE OLD INVENTORY: As your children collect new toys from Santa, pack away some older items to reduce the amount of clutter in their bedrooms. *This tip may be applied to the adult children of the house as well!


• REMAIN POSITIVE: Even though the selling process can be quite stressful, retaining a positive attitude will help to decompress the pressure in your home. Instead of complaining about the showings or the lack thereof, use your energy to be proactive in the sale of your house.

Let the New Year bring in a fresh perspective on selling your house! Clean, reduce, and pack are the keys to post-holiday celebrations.

KFM Staging & Design is a Minnesota home staging company that creates "First Impressions that Sell" in the Twin Cites and Western Wisconsin. KFM specializes in vacant staging and staging consultations. Visit our website for staging tips or to schedule your in-home or online consultation.

"Your Kids Aren't THAT Cute" and Other Things Realtors Won't Tell You

In the real estate world, a seller has control over two things: the price of their property and condition of their home. While Realtors help sellers determine a price, many agents count on home stagers to deliver the "bad news" to their clients about the appearance of their house.

TOP TEN THINGS (some) REALTORS WON'T TELL YOU

1. "Your kids aren't that cute... pack the photos."
2. "Multi-colored carpet does not include stains."
3. "Hummel collections are not considered focal points."
4. "Toilet seat covers do not qualify as 'spa-like' accessories."
5. "Mint green is not a neutral color."
6. "Your dining table should never be used as long-term storage space."
7. "Most buyers are not looking for Jeff Gordon themed houses."
8. "No amount of scented candles are going to remove that odor."
9. "Lack of lighting does not 'set the mood."
10. "Crotch-sniffing dogs rarely make good hosts."

There is a lot of work that goes into properly preparing a house for the real estate market. This task is made easier by getting a professional evaluation from a trained home stager. Stagers will identify the "red flags" that could hinder a sale as well as develop a plan that will make your listing stand out from the competition.

The photos below show a "before and after" example of a KFM Staging consultation.

Before Consulting After Consulting

Home staging has been a secret weapon in the real estate wars, and it continues to win victories in the current makret. Even though some Realtors may not want to deliver the bad news to their clients; they can rely on professional stagers who will respectfully help sellers through the staging process.

KFM Staging & Design is a Minnesota home staging company that creates "First Impressions that Sell" in the Twin Cites and Western Wisconsin. KFM specializes in vacant staging and staging consultations. Visit our website for staging tips or to schedule your in-home or online consultation.

KFM Staging & Design
"Creating First Impressions That Sell!"
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Holiday Home Staging 101

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa Tidings, and Festivus Greetings to all!

No matter what holiday you are celebrating, staging your home during the holidays can be hassle-free by following these simple guidelines:

• DO NOT OVER-DECORATE: Too many decorations create unwanted effects on your home. 1) Buyers will not remember the house's features, 2) The house will appear small and cluttered, 3) Overwhelming religious holiday decor may be offensive to hardcore PC buyers.
• DO, MINIMAL SEASONAL DECOR: Keep seasonal decor to localized areas such as the fireplace mantle, table center pieces, and vanities. Having just a few pieces will give the "flavor" of the season without "overwhelming the taste buds."
• DO NOT SET UP A TREE IN SMALL SPACES: If you are selling a house under 2000 square feet, every inch of space needs to be seen. It is more important that buyers see all the corners in the living room instead of a 7-foot spruce.
• DO USE OUTDOOR LIGHTING: Without going Clark Griswold on your roof, tastefully use exterior Christmas lights to stir up warm feelings in your buyers. Now that our days are shorter, it is important to use artificial lighting to set the mood.
• DO NOT USE LARGE YARD DISPLAYS: The same theory for interior decorating applies to the exterior as well. Inflated snow globes may look neat, but buyers will have a hard time looking past it and may miss your landscaping and other exterior features.
• DO KEEP DECOR TIMELY: Once your holiday is done, pack the decor ASAP. A house that retains holiday or seasonal decor past its due date has a neglected atmosphere.
• DO NOT USE STRONG FRAGRANCES: Although tempting, using candles, potpourri, and room fresheners may irritate sensitive buyers. Instead, use natural fragrances such a baked cookies and simmering cider to boost the aromas in your home.
• DO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS: Reduce the stress by reducing the amount of commitments you make during this time of the year. Remember, your holiday is about your faith, your family, and your friends. Keep it simple and remain positive towards the marketing of your home!

One final thought... when listing your home over the holidays, DO NOT decorate your home to suit the current season or holiday unless you are going to update the photos when the season/holiday is past. Photos on the MLS of Christmas stockings hanging on the mantle is not appealing when it is the middle of March.

Happy HanuRamaKwanzMas, Everyone!

KFM Staging & Design is a Minnesota home staging company that creates "First Impressions that Sell" in the Twin Cites and Western Wisconsin. KFM specializes in vacant staging and staging consultations. Visit our website for staging tips or to schedule your in-home or online consultation.

KFM Staging & Design
"Creating First Impressions That Sell!"
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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Mirrors are a wonderful decorative addition to any room in the house! As with any wall decor, principles of height, size, and space must be followed to ensure proper art placement on the wall. (See the previous blog "The Art of Art Placement.") Mirrors, however, pose an additional concern... reflection.

Properly placed mirrors will reflect an image worth reflecting such as a fireplace or a seating area. Mirrors that reflect blank walls, dark corners, or stairways add no decorative detail to the room and should be removed or replaced with a different art piece.

The "Before" photo shows a reflection of two small photo frames. These two pieces were too small for the wall, and the reflection emphasizes this flaw. The "After" photo's mirror reflects a nice piece of art that doubles the decorative effect in this room.

Mirrors can add visual value to your room when properly placed. Be sure to abide by the design guidelines for correct placement!

KFM Staging & Design is a Minnesota home staging company that creates "First Impressions that Sell" in the Twin Cites and Western Wisconsin. KFM specializes in vacant staging and staging consultations. Visit our website for staging tips or to schedule your in-home or online consultation.

KFM Staging & Design
"Creating First Impressions That Sell!"
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The Art of Art Placement

Adding art to the walls requires more consideration than picking between a nail or a screw.

Proportion and placement of home accents are just as important as choosing the style. Improper placement of an art piece will cause focal point confusion; furthermore, choosing decor that is out-of-scale with the space will leave buyers questioning the quality of the home. Take a look at the examples below:

Many amatuer decorators are under the impression that art work needs to be hung at eye-level; the problem with that theory is that what is eye-level for you isn't necessarily eye-level for the buyer.

In the photo to the left, the art pieces (hung at eye-level) leave too much space between the pieces and the furniture. The phenomenon is called "floating art syndrome," and this room suffered from a double case with breakouts on both walls.

The perscription for this "illness" is to reduce and lower. The photo below shows how the artwork has been condensed to the focal point of the room and lowered to create a more intimate atmophere. (Dr. KFM has cured the patient, and this house is now sold!)

The next example (to the right) shows a bedroom with art work that is too small for the space. Ignoring all the other obvious flaws displayed in the picture, this relatively small art piece is dwarfed by the king-sized bed. If you thought the corrective measure would be to add a larger art piece, you would be right and wrong.

By adding a larger art piece, the room will start to look unbalanced (topic to be addressed on another post). The method of correction would be to choose a piece or series of pieces that would add length but does not overwhelm the wall.

Rememer the "intimate" feeling created by lowering the art in the living room (pictured above). This intimate setting should be refected in the master bedroom as well. The photo below shows several small framed pieces placed side-by-side to create a horizontal display that is as grand as the bed itself but is not over-powering.



The improper placement of home decor and art pieces may seem like an unlikely culprit that hinders the sale of your home, but it is a "quiet killer" that leaves a bad impression on buyers. So whether you are preparing your house for sale or are just updating it for your own pleasure, style, size, and placement of art should be considered before picking up your hammer.

The examples above show how good intentions at home staging backfired due to lack of knowledge. After consulting with KFM Staging & Design, these sellers were shown the proper staging techniques that made gave their house memorable appeal. Your largest financial investment deserves a professional evaluation!

KFM Staging & Design is a Minnesota home staging company that creates "First Impressions that Sell" in the Twin Cites and Western Wisconsin. KFM specializes in vacant staging and staging consultations. Visit our website for staging tips or to schedule your in-home or online consultation.

KFM Staging & Design
"Creating First Impressions That Sell!"
Visit MyBlogLog and get a signature like this!