About Madera County, CA

If you read my blog post from this a.m. Shot Myself in the Foot but that's OK, here is an update. Within a few minutes of posting that blog I got a call from the agent. Stage it NOW was his plea because he'd decided to have an Open House this week. Prior to the painting and new carpet he just wanted to DUMP this place.

He and his wife had decided that they would pay for my staging, with a very tight budget of course. He already knew that I was leaving town for a month, tomorrow, so I had to scramble. I told him that I needed his help to get this done and his entire family turned up. They moved my items from storage, helped me unload and do a bit of setting up at the house. The key here was that everything had to get there in ONE trip because there just wasn't time for more. (I still have to pack my bags for being gone for a month.)

Here are a couple before and afters:

I literally threw things into our vehicles because I had no time for planning. Would I change some things? You betcha, but there was no time for more. I've never before done such a RUSH job but we're all pleased with the results and I think that he might just sell this home this week. Some of the issues with this house are still there but all-in-all it's SO-O much better!

Oh and BTW, the other part of my deal with this Realtor is that if it does sell quickly, he has to destaged......I think it's a WIN-WIN for both of us.

YES, even the low-end listings SHOULD be staged!

This is a 1986 manufactured home in a 55+ park in Bass Lake, California. The listing agents are John and Cathy Bortz with C-21 Ditton, Oakhurst CA. The house is listed for $109,000. Please call John or Cathy for more information. 559-676-3913 AND tell them Ginger sent you.

Dream Interior Redesign & Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service professional staging and redesign company serving the California foothill and mountain communities of Oakhurst, North Fork, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Wawona and Mariposa. Click here to see a short slideshow with examples of our staging work. Also, visit our website at www.dreamredesigns.com or www.oakhurststaging.com for more information or call 559-877-2442.

AGENTS/REALTORS let your professional home stager help you make the deal happen.

Some of you will remember my blog post asking for a primer to use on wallpaper panels in a mobile home.

This was an estate situation and the mobile is located in a 55+ park. One of my realtor partner's asked me to just take a look at the place and perhaps help with some accessories, artwork and linens...no major furnishings. This home had already been on the market for OVER a year (with a different agent) and the space rental was eating away at any profits that MIGHT be there for the heirs. The trustor (a friend of the deceased) was continually telling the realtors that there was simply no money for anything except the space rent. AND since the heirs were long distance there was no one to do the work without some $$ expenditures.

I don't usually do LOOK-SEES for no cost but this agent uses me a lot so I make some concessions that don't eat too much into my time. After a brief look-see I decided that this 1986 model really needed some serious updating before staging would do it ANY good. The wallpaper, sculptured blue (dirty) carpet throughout and much more screamed "OLD."

In order to help the agent understand why I did not recommend staging I put it in writing. Nothing time consuming or detailed. He totally understood BUT then he also sent my brief explanation to the attorney for the estate and let him know that this home needed a SERIOUS price reduction.

The attorney responded that he thought that it was time to paint and recarpet rather than reducing the price so drastically. How about staging my agent friend asked? "Don't think so," replied the attorney.

The agent called me with the GOOD NEWS that painting would be happening and new carpet too. I was thrilled and yes I would help him with paint color and carpet selection. THEN he let the shoe drop...no new light fixtures and NO staging. Ouch!

Here's a before and after of the wallpapered kitchen NOW painted.

Sorry no after photos of the newly carpeted areas and painted rooms YET. BTW it is NOT painted white as it shows in the photo. It is a mocha cream.

Yes, I shot myself in the foot and will not be staging this home but that's OK. Hopefully the agent will now be able to move this property and I know that I will remain his staging partner. I WILL GET BACK.

Sometimes providing the real estate agent with a consultation (even a brief one) can work wonders.

IMPORTANT UPDATE CLICK HERE.

Dream Interior Redesign & Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service professional staging and redesign company serving the California foothill and mountain communities of Oakhurst, North Fork, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Wawona and Mariposa. Click here to see a short slideshow with examples of our staging work. Also, visit our website at www.dreamredesigns.com or www.oakhurststaging.com for more information or call 559-877-2442.

Staging in Estate Situations...consider this, Oakhurst CA residents & families

A year ago I staged a home for a woman whose mother had just passed away. Letting go of this house was going to be very difficult for her.

Mom had lived in this home for almost twenty years and they had already put most of her personal items into the garage. When I arrived for the consultation I had to tell them that they also needed to update, and remove wallpaper. It took weeks to get ready for staging because the daughter couldn't bear to spend extended hours in the house. The whole process was very emotional.

Grandma was being "removed" from the house because these clients understood the need for proper home staging, but they were very reluctant to let go.

The changes were simple because the budget was extremely tight. Here's just one set of photos:

BEFORE with grandma's decorative items and living arrangement.

AFTER with my items replacing grandma's decor, but her furnishings.

I'm happy to report that this house sold very quickly and at the time we were all thrilled. BUT HERE is what really touched me. A year later when I saw the daughter at a local function she approached me with a BIG HUG and gracious thank you. What's up, I thought...it had been a year and she was thankful from the get-go.

She said, "selling the house quickly was a great relief to them BUT THE BIGGEST and best part of the process for her was when I started rearranging things, adding my accessories, artwork and bedding. Her mother was then truly REMOVED from the house." Grandma's home was now a product, A HOUSE FOR SALE and the daughter was able to let it go. At the time she hadn't even realized it.

Lesson learned: For the next estate situation I am going to let the family know that I can help them move forward and let go. Isn't it great that we can do this!

Ever been frustrated when trying to hang art that has two keyholes on the back? Many shelves, plaster pieces and corbels have them and they have been a problem for me. Here is a great solution.

The Black and Decker BSDL 36 inch Level with Accu Mark . You may have seen it advertised on TV around Christmas, 2008. That was when I went hunting for it and couldn't find it anywhere. Even online it was a back ordered item. When I spoke to a sales person at Home Depot he said that they sold so many over the holidays that Black and Decker couldn't keep up with the demand.

Today I found it several places on-line, just google the name or click on the link above. I think that I paid around $25 for it at Home Depot but found it on several sites for less...plus shipping of course, Be forewarned that I read several on-line reviews that said it was damaged (the level vials) in shipment so maybe buying it local would be best.

I originally had no intention of getting a 36 inch level...too big and bulky, but it's the 36 incher that has these clever holes (accu marks) that slide for marking the keyhole, sawtooth hooks, and other hangers on your art. Place the level on the back of the art, place the sliding holes over them, then place the level on the wall at the desired height, level and mark. YES it really does work. I just hung a mirror for a client with no problems. Just make sure to have a sharpened pen with you.

The sliders, (accu marks) adjust for art with hangers from 10 apart to 28 1/2 inches apart. Wide enough for most art that I hang. No more measuring from the floor or ceiling, then across the art between the holes and then hoping your aren't OFF by 1/8 of an inch.

CHECK IT OUT!

This blog post was inspired by a recent post by Abby Reilly, Another Home Staging Tool Worth Checking Out.

- - - - -

Dream Interior Redesign & Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service professional staging and redesign company serving the California foothill and mountain communities of Oakhurst, North Fork, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Wawona and Mariposa. Click here to see a short slideshow with examples of our staging work. Also, visit our website at www.dreamredesigns.com or www.oakhurststaging.com for more information or call 559-877-2442.

Years ago designer Christopher Lowell coined this term and I've found it very useful. Design and staging clients, seem to like it, understand it and will often implement it.

"CROSS POLLINIZATION" basically means to use color, design & style elements repeatedly throughout a room and a home to make it feel pulled-together and to help keep the eye moving throughout the space.

I particularly like to use this terminology when teaching clients and classes about COLOR. With a whole-house color palette of 3-4 colors cross pollinating means that those colors are repeated in any one room and in other rooms.

This is a home where Dream Interior Redesign and Staging helped the sellers put cross pollinization to good use. Shades of burgundy and berry were the recurring accent color throughout this occupied staging. I know that those colors aren't hot in today's trends BUT with an occupied staging we use what the owner has.

We started with the front door.

This color set the tone for what was to follow inside.

The burgundy and berry colors are carried into the family room where navy and forest green formerly predominated.

This is the guest bathroom which was also formerly dark blue and mauve, small print wallpaper but now has neutrally painted walls with burgundy artwork and accents.

These savvy clients not only removed the dark and dated wallpaper they also retextured the walls, added a new light fixture, new plumbing fixtures and framed the large plate glass mirror.

Here is the master bedroom. The walls are neutral but the burgundy color is also carried into this space.

Naturally the master bath has the same color accents. It's primarily neutral for staging but the colors cross pollinate as they do in most of the rooms of this lovely home.

Here is what these home sellers had to say after the staging process:

"We anguished over all the changes we had to make to have our house staged, but it all paid off with a sold sign in a two week time. It was really worth all the hard work!!! People needed to envision their treasures in the house, not ours, Ginger really knows her business. Kudos to you Ginger!!"

TWO WEEKS to SOLD (with a backup offer) during this tough market. IF your home is languishing on the market, please realize that today it takes more than a sign and a listing agreement to get the job done.

Dream Interior Redesign & Staging by Ginger Foust is a full service professional real estate home staging and redesign company serving the California foothill and mountain communities of Oakhurst, North Fork, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Wawona and Mariposa. Click here to see a short slideshow with examples of our real estate home staging work. Also, visit our website at www.dreamredesigns.com or www.oakhurststaging.com for more information or call 559-877-2442.