About Madera County, CA

(This is a mythical story about mythical people -- but it happens in the real world)

Homer Hockputh is a “Do it yourself” kind of guy. So, to sell his house he ran a local ad under the FSBO (For Sale by Owner) heading, and put a sign on his lawn. He got some offers right away and decided, “hey, this is easy! I can do it!” And he did! He sold his house, but was disappointed because he had to settle for a lot lower price than he wanted.

What Homer didn’t know is that savvy investors watch those FSBO ads carefully, looking to pick up properties at below market value. Most buyers of our mountain area property, come from outside the local area, and never knew that Homer had a house for sale.

Homer’s neighbor sold his similar house, of about equal value, but he got a much better price. He listed it with Ed Bailey, Owner Broker of Ed Bailey Realty. Ed featured it on his very active web site, www.EdBaileyRealtor.com. He also featured it in his monthly NEWSLETTER, “Yosemite Gateway Properties and Lifestyles” which is published at: www.EdBaileyRealty.com/news.php

Homer is smiling because he didn’t pay a real estate commission, and Homer’s neighbor is smiling even more because he did pay a real estate commission, and still came out with more money than Homer did. Sometimes saving money is just too costly.

Even a "Neutral" Paint Color Can Be the Wrong Color.

Frequently our Oakhurst and Fresno area company is called in to help clients with paint color selections. Sometimes it is for preparing a home for sale (Real Estate Staging) and sometimes it's for staging for living and interior decorating.

Many of our clients want to maintain a neutral color palettes in the living area of their homes and we've always promoted neutral colors for Real Estate Staging. However, sometimes colors that appear neutral are just wrong in a particular room.

The following photos are one example of a color consult where the clients didn't like the "neutral" color palette in their great room but they didn't know why. It didn't take long for me to see the problem. They had selected their neutral by grabbing a color from the saltillo tiles that are throughout their beautiful home.

Most saltillo tiles have variations of orange, yellow, beige and even some pinks. Unfortunately the color that they selected had red/pink undertones and that did not work in their home.

This home is filled with earth tone furnishings and decor...nothing that was even the least bit pinkish.

We selected a new neutral paint color with more yellow undertones that complimented the fireplace rock wall, the brown leather furnishings and honey-oak toned case goods.

Can you see the difference that the right neutral color makes? (Understand that the pink, in the before photo, was not so obvious in person as it is in the photograph.)

Our clients were thrilled with the new color. It warmed up this great room and made it feel more cohesive. Previously it just felt disjointed and wrong.

If you are looking for just the right color for your home, whether for selling or for dwelling, most professional home stagers have favorite neutrals that they can suggest and many have had color training so that they can help you with your decision.

We know that choosing the correct color for any space can be stressful and we can help take away that stress. Call a professional today to help save you with decision making, money and time.

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Dream Interior Redesign and Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service, licensed and insured CSP ® Professional Home Stager , Interior ReDesign/Decorating Specialist, consulting and training company. Serving the California foothill and mountain communities of: Oakhurst, North Fork, BassLake, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Wawona and Mariposa. Also serving areas of: Fresno, Clovis and Madera, California and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

• Professional staging of vacant and occupied properties
• Color and Design Consultations
• Virtual and Conceptual Staging Worldwide
• (Continuing Education Units) forCalifornia Real Estate Agents as an approved RESA instructor (Real Estate Staging Association).

Click here to see short slideshows with examples of our work. When the first show is over, click on OTHER SHOWS to see more.

Visit our website at http://www.dreamredesigns.com for more information or call 559-877-2442

Three Little Words or Thoughts that will Scare Away Buyers.

Do you know what they are? These illustrations may help.

Savvy Realtors today know that today's buyers do not want to spend their hard-earned money on a seller's "TO DO" list. There are many statistics showing that a large percentage of buyer's today are willing to pay more for a home that is move-in ready. That being said, then a home that is less than move-in ready is likely to linger on the market until a significant price reduction occurs.

Buying a home is a emotional undertaking for most people. They want to envision themselves in a house living a lifestyle that reflects what they want for themselves and their families.

A major need in selling a house is to create a perception of relaxation and comfort for the buyers.

When potential buyers see, feel or even wonder about the possible need for them to get involved with these 3 important words or thoughts,

Time

Work

Money

they will most likely move on to the next listing, hoping for something better.

Professional Real Estate Home Staging involves three basic steps:

1. A consultation to help sellers understand what buyers today want and do not want with a list of items to be remedied in their house. This is a crucial step.
2. Now the work begins for sellers. The real estate stager will provide lists of work to-do so that the final step can happen. This is NOT about just decluttering. There is much, much more involved.
3. Showcasing is step three and is the step that sets this house apart from the competition. The professionally trained stager returns to make make the property appeal to a targeted market of buyers. This step adds the DRAMA and makes those targeted buyers remember that property.

If your listing shows that the buyers will have to invest 1) Time, 2) Work or 3) Money, they will be missing out on a faster sale and they will likely not get the best price for the largest investment that they've probably ever made.

Call a professional home stager in your area to help you sell that house.

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Dream Interior Redesign and Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service, licensed and insured CSP ® Professional Home Stager , Interior ReDesign/Decorating Specialist, consulting and training company.

Locally serving the California foothill and mountain communities of: Oakhurst, North Fork, BassLake, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Wawona and Mariposa. Also serving areas of: Fresno, Clovis and Madera, California and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

• Professional staging of vacant and occupied properties
• Virtual and Conceptual Staging Worldwide
• (Continuing Education Units) forCalifornia Real Estate Agents as an approved RESA instructor (Real Estate Staging Association).

Click here to see short slideshows with examples of our work. When the first show is over, click on OTHER SHOWS to see more.

Visit our website at http://www.dreamredesigns.com for more information or call 559-877-2442

Agents, would you ask your clients to do this?

When the sellers of this house called our Oakhurst California home staging company to help make this house more market friendly, we gave these clients a long to-do list and this closet was on that list.

To some people this space says, "Oh how handy or what a smart idea." To others it says, "Mauve, oh great we would have to paint and where's the closet?"

First, it's important to understand the layout of the house where this "mini office" was placed. This is a three bedroom house with no pre-defined office space. Since the lady of the home had taken over the third bedroom for her crafts, this small space was her husband's office space. It was located in the second bedroom, which was still a guest bedroom, with a bed, BUT with this set-up there was no closet.

So these very savvy sellers got to work on our suggested TO-DO list. This closet was transformed for zero dollars (they had kept all of the original components) some paint and some sweat equity.

This guest bedroom was now complete and the buyers would not be concerned about having to create a closet and paint it.

Today's buyers want a house that is move in ready and this house fit the bill.

The RESULTS, SOLD in just two weeks after the work list was completed and the home was professionally staged, using only the sellers items.

Professional Home Stagers will help you convince your sellers to make their home into a product for sale and a place that buyers will want to live.

If you're looking for a professional home stager in your area, check these Home Stager sites: RESA and CSP .

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Dream Interior Redesign and Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service, licensed and insured CSP ® Professional Home Stager , Interior ReDesign/Decorating Specialist, consulting and training company.

Locally serving the Californiafoothill and mountain communities of: Oakhurst, North Fork, Bass Lake, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Wawona and Mariposa. Also serving areas of: Fresno, Clovis and Madera, California and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

• Professional staging of vacant and occupied properties
• Virtual and Conceptual Staging Worldwide
• Professional Stager Training in California, Nevada, and Hawaii, as part of the International CSP ® training program, Certified Staging Professionals.
• CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for California Real Estate Agents as an approved RESA instructor (Real Estate Staging Association).

Click here to see short slideshows with examples of our work. When the first show is over, click on OTHER SHOWS to see more.

Visit our website at http://www.dreamredesigns.com for more information of call 559-877-2442

Do your fondest memories live in your heart or in your stuff?

I first heard that statement from TV personality and organizing guru Peter Walsh many years ago on TLC's Clean Sweep. One of his television clients was complaining about his asking her to part with items that had belonged to a family member that had passed away. He politely replied that the memories of that person belongs in your heart not in their stuff and NO ONE can take that away from you. (As an after note please see my comment #9...I'm thrilled)

That was an ah ha moment for me. I have since used this line of thinking when considering what to keep and what to donate or trash from my own home.

Now, I use similar statements with our Fresno, Madera and Mariposa County home staging and decorating clients.

When working with a decorating clientand we're discussing developing a design style, things like "Aunt Susie's tea cup collection"frequently get in the way. So I ask them if they LOVE that item and if their response isn't an immediate YES I do love it, then I give them a reply similar to Peter's. With that most seem to understand and they move forward with the changes that they really want and they hired me to achieve.

When working with a staging client, for their occupied home, personal stuff is commonly an issue. Clutter eats equity and a personalized space, filled with mementos and collections, make it difficult for potential buyers to imagine their belongings in that house. Also, every square foot, of a house for sale, has a value and if potential buyers cannot see every nook and cranny, then their interest is often thwarted. After pointing out these two major dilemmas, I then follow with the "love of their stuff" discussion and I strongly, but politely, tell them that items that are truly of value (to your pocketbook or to your heart) need to be packed up and stored NOW, for risk prevention and peace of mind.

I NEVER recommend that my clients, trash their possessions. Peter Walsh, the organizing expert, may be able to do that but I cannot. With decorating clients, if the article(s) are loved, we work them into the decorating plan. For staging clients, I provide them with packing boxes and bubble wrap.

Realtor ®, consider what words you can use, similar to those which Peter Walsh has used repeatedly and successfully, to help your clients move forward and get their house sold.

If you simply do not want to discuss these issues with your listing clients that is understandable and probably wise. Consider asking a professional home stager to be the bad guy and they can gently break the news to your clients. As a Realtor, your clients look to you for expert advice and if you are not honest and forthright with them, who can they trust to help them sell that house.

Help your client understand that our fondest memories of loved ones always remain in our heart.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dream Interior Redesign and Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service, licensed and insured CSP ® Professional Home Stager , Interior ReDesign/Decorating Specialist, consulting and training company.

Locally serving the California foothill and mountain communities of: Oakhurst, North Fork, Bass Lake, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Wawona and Mariposa. Also serving areas of: Fresno, Clovis and Madera, California and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

• Professional staging of vacant and occupied properties
• Virtual and Conceptual Staging Worldwide
• Professional Stager Training in California, Nevada, Idaho and Hawaii, as part of the International CSP ® training program, Certified Staging Professionals.
• CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for California Real Estate Agents as an approved RESA instructor (Real Estate Staging Association).

Click here to see short slideshows with examples of our work. When the first show is over, click on OTHER SHOWS to see more.

Visit our website at http://www.dreamredesigns.com for more information of call 559-877-2442