About Hardin County, KY

Everyday I see homeowners lose THOUSANDS of dollars. In these economic times, it breaks my heart because it is needless for the most part.

What am I talking about? Whenever someone invests money there is a return on that investment, also known as ROI. Home Staging is really no different, we professionals call it ROSI, or Return on Staging Investment. This occurs when the value of your home increases because of the investment in Staging Dollars put into the house.

Most people cannot afford to throw money away needlessly. A popular view is that Home Staging is a luxury and something that isn't worth investing in. I disagree on both counts. Home Staging is affordable and can fit every budget. It is also something that you can afford and should invest in. Allow me to illustrate.

Let's say a house is up for sale for $100,000. The homeowner decided not to pay $100 for home staging services and decides to see what happens instead. The home sits for three months and a 10% reduction in price takes place over that time period. The realtor suggests again the investment in Home Staging might be worth a try. The homeowners agree and the Stager conducts a consultation for $100. Another $400 in minor repairs and updates, plenty of decluttering and the house is show ready in two weeks. The realtor takes new pictures for the internet because 87% of homes are viewed first online. The house gets increased traffic. An offer is made for 3% below asking price and the homeowner accepts the offer. The home sells for 13% below original asking price or $13,000 less than original asking price. The homeowner spent $500 total in staging dollars and spent two weeks of time making changes to the home, which then resulted in a sale. What would have happened if that investment in Staging had been made from the onset? The homeowner would have had $12,500 extra in their pocket, two and half months earlier. Do you see how not investing a minimal amount of time and money into Home Staging is costing people thousands of dollars?

In today's economy, Staging is the way to go if you need or want to sell your house. Good Home Stagers are going to work within the confines of your budget and use as much of what you already have as possible. Home Staging isn't about spending lots of money making your home into something it is not. The changes that a Stager recommends are based upon research that will provide the greatest return. Changes aren't based upon the personal style choices of the Stager, but rather what the market dictates for the style of the home. The goal of every Stager is to get the house sold for the maximum amount of money in the shortest time possible.

The investment in Home Staging is wise whenever someone is selling a home, but especially when trying to do without a realtor's assistance. When trying to sell "For Sale By Owner", a professional's advice is crucial. Having a fresh set of eyes walk through and point out how to highlight the architectural features of a home as well as how to neutralize and declutter is critical. Spending a small amount of money in Home Staging in order to make more money is a rather wise investment in the long run.

If you are selling your home, Staged SO Right will be offering FREE classes highlighting staging tips that will help get your home sold faster and for more money. The first will be held at Corvin's Furniture, 5284 N. Dixie Highway, on May 16, 2009 at 10:30 am and 2 pm. Stop by to get some great ideas about furniture arrangement and style when selling your home. There will also be an accessories class at Whitt's End: Home and Garden, in Cool Springs Plaza, on May 28 at 6:30 pm. Find out how the accessories you choose can make maximum impact for a profitable home sale!

As seen in The News Enterprise, April 24, 2009.

For anyone wondering if we would be having a local Tea Party to suppor the national Tax Day Tea Party movement, Yes there is one being organized here locally.

The Tea Party is scheduled for Wednesday April 15th from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the town square. For those of you not familar with downtown, the square is where the movie "Elizabethtown" was filmed several years ago. This Tea Party is being organized to allow local people to protest government spending and taxation! It does not matter what your political party, this is just a symbolic jesture sweeping across the nation to allow for a public venue for citizens to come together for this cause.

Bring your tea bags and join us in this historic day!

“ASK THE EXPERTS”: DOWNSIZING

*Do you need to downsize from your home to an apartment?

*Do you feel overwhelmed and don’t know who to call to get help?

*What can you do with the items that are no longer needed?

*Have you thought about downsizing your home and don’t know where to start? Let us help you!!

PLEASE JOIN US FOR THIS FREE SEMINAR

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2009 2:00 p.m. UNTIL 3:00 p.m.

The Panel of Experts Include:

Shelia O’Mara- Staged SO Right

Marsha Booth- Marsha Booth & Associates

Birgit Stubblefield- Century Mortgage

Sarah Lenihan- Transitioning Treasures

Enjoy coffee, dessert and don’t miss a chance to win door prizes!

Seating is limited.

To register call The Allegro at (270)765-4414 no later than April 15.

The Allegro is located at 108 Diecks Drive, Elizabethtown, KY

With today's economy, we business owners have to help each other out and I am a big advocate of business relationships or business partners.
A recent example was our office meeting last week we were invited to a local shop called Whitt's End. It is a boutique of home and garden things and has a unique variety of products that is sure to come to mind when shopping for that hard to buy for person in your life.
We were warmly invited with coffee and pastries and heard Ginni (the shop owner) tell the story of how she came to open Whit's End. We felt right at home and discussed how we could help each other by using our circle of influence and work together toward a common goal. Ginni surprised us all with some great gift certificates we can pass on to our "New in Town Clients" and discussed ways of using "extra space" to build community relations for the small businesses. Whitts end will soon be hosting classes for Staged So Right's Sheila O'Mara where you can see where items you can purchase right there at Whitt's end can give your home that special touch to make it appealing to buyers in today's market.
At the close of our meeting, I think everyone left with a brighter outlook and a bag or two of items we just couldn't live without. For you Realtors out there, Whitt's end has gift certificates too for that extra special closing gift! Stop by and tell them you read about the shop in my blog and you can receive a special offer just for my clients and friends!

Here are a few photos of our office meeting! Can't wait to see where our next "Networking Office Meeting" takes us!

Are you as tired of winter as I am? I get so excited when I see daffodils popping up all over the place. As the temperatures rise, I get a bigger case of Spring Fever everyday.

With every change of season I get an itch to "Stage" my home's décor. Just like I change my wardrobe to reflect the season, I also try to change my home. As fall and winter approached, I changed to spice-scented candles, heavier fabrics for window coverings, thick blankets for my bed and pinecones and winter berries replaced my florals. I was thrilled to add touches of the winter season throughout my house, but now I am ready to Stage the house for Spring!

Spring is rapidly approaching and the warmer temperatures invite wonderful décor ideas on the inside and outside of the home. Before changing anything for Spring Staging, the first thing that must be done is SPRING CLEANING! That is right - those dusty baseboards, light fixtures, windows and windowsills all need a thorough cleaning. Get out the rags and dust mops and go to town eradicating dust bunnies and spider webs. As the sun begins to shine those fingerprints on the walls and dust on the baseboards become very apparent. I had a friend last week who started cleaning and ended up painting two rooms in her home to shake off the winter blahs. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint is just what is needed.

Once the cleaning is over, take stock of all that you have displayed. Can you lighten and brighten anywhere? Maybe change out throw pillows for something with a lighter color or spring theme? What about your linens? Is it time to change out the heavy comforters for lightweight quilts? Can you lighten up on the window treatments a bit? Light-weight fabrics on the windows will allow the sunshine you let in to invigorate and inspire you to lighten the load of your winter décor.

How about those candles? The scents of Christmas are not what you want to smell when you are planning your garden. Good scents for spring are anything floral or citrus. If it smells like something that will grow outside, chances are that will be a good scent for spring. Spring is all about the anticipation of new growth that sprouts from the decay of winter.

As the temperatures rise, we are drawn like magnets to the outdoors. It might be a little early still to plant flowers, but if you feel you must plant - keep it to containers that you can bring in at night in case of a frost. You get a punch of color and life, but aren't sacrificing planting too early - what a great compromise!

The one way to say "spring" louder than any other accessory is with flowers. There is nothing more spring-like than a bouquet of daffodils or tulips. That burst of color and fresh scent gives your home or office a dual sensory lift. Lilacs will be coming soon and the Forsythia bushes are starting to bloom. Trim off a couple of Forsythia branches, put in a vase and viola - instant appeal for spring!

There are countless ways to update for spring. If you would like more information and a live demonstration, attend the staging workshop, Stage It for Spring, held on March 26 at 7pm. The workshop is located at Whitt's End, Home and Garden in Cool Springs Plaza. It is free to the public and refreshments will be served. Discover some easy and affordable ways to Stage for Spring in your home!

As seen in The News Enterprise, Homes Section, March 20, 2009