Liz Jenkins

This post is courtesy of Dana Tucker of Bell & Tucker. Dana & I had coffee recently in downtown Franklin, and were chatting about how to make homes look great when they go on the market. But we both know that sellers (or really any of us) don't want to spend a fortune on a house if we can help it - especially when we are moving out. One of the biggest issues I run into around my neck of the woods, is that many starter homes (and many not so starter homes) have formica countertops - often in not very good condition. In many areas of the country this isn't really an issue but around here, buyers expect more - usually granite. This is out of the budget range for many sellers, not to mention the time it takes & the mess it can cause. And you granite people I use and love - this isn't against granite - simply an alternative (and a pretty cool one at that)!

Here's what Dana had to say:

"I’d like to introduce you to a little counter top magic. Maybe it’s not really magic, but it sure can make ugly Formica counter tops disappear. We use a concrete overlay product that can be applied to virtually any surface like laminate, tile, wood, fireplace surrounds and Formica. It can be used on floors, tub and shower surrounds, and of course, counter tops. It is an environmentally friendly product because it is LOW V.O.C. But even more Earth friendly is the fact that you don’t have to tear out your old counter tops and tile. When you use a concrete micro topping in your kitchen or bathroom remodel you will be re-cycling your existing surfaces and keeping them out of the landfill.

The home owners wanted to upgrade the counter tops because they were putting their house on the market. Today’s home buyers have watched endless hours of HGTV shows like “House Hunters” and have granite or stone counter tops very high on the priority list. We were able to simulate a limestone texture in a solid durable finish for a significant savings over the price of granite.

This concrete micro topping can be finished in limitless ways. Like the industrial stained look? We can do that. How about granite, marble or travertine? We can do that too. This finishing solution is perfect for home sellers looking to upgrade , home buyers looking to remodel, and the discriminating home owner wanting something completely original and custom. And although we can’t guarantee that Al Gore will send you a “thank you” letter, we do know that the Earth will thank you."

What I thought was really great about the process is that it meets so many of my requirements when staging a home:

• cost effective
• quick turn around time for installation
• looks great
• amps up the look of the house and makes buyers say "wow"
  

The only thing it doesn't do is bring the "real stuff" in to the home, but the great part about it is that it is super durable and installed well so that it isn't a cheap & skeezy product that some people try to pawn off on unsuspecting buyers. For many sellers, this type of product can be the answer to the formica countertop problem.

Bell & Tucker are Faux Artisans in the Nashville Area. Find them at http://www.bellandtucker.com or follow them on twitter @danatucker

http://kylechowning.com/2009/07/05/choosing-the-right-real-estate-agent/

The link above is from a guy I twitter with in Nashville. Most anyone who knows me knows how I love me some twitter (I'm @afreshspace). I love how many great blogs I come across and the info I learn about life and my industry (so many great home stagers on twitter!). I read Kyle's post about his search for a listing agent, and thought, hmmm, how hard should it be in our area to find a great agent? Not too hard, I'd imagine, as I know a lot of them. But apparently, he's not finding the right person. Or to put it more accurately, the right person may be there but they are not selling him on the fact that they ARE the right person.

So I forwarded this blog post along to a half dozen agents I know that really work hard for their clients. 3 emailed me back promptly, thanking me and letting me know that they had already contacted him based on the email. Haven't heard from the other 3 but I'd like to think they did the same. One posted on his blog post as well.

I wish them the best! The reason I posted this link was partly because I found it interesting but also to offer a regular person's perspective on how they are dealing with finding a listing agent. This blogger is not a real estate blogger - just a regular guy who blogs about life and tech stuff and marketing.

As a home stager, I work with a lot of listing agents but I rarely ask HOW they got the listing. I usually come in after the fact to make the home look fabulous but sometimes I wonder, just as I wonder about a lot of things in this world. I look at how I get clients as well, so this blog post spoke to me - am I selling myself as well as I could? There's a fine line between putting yourself out there and going over the top! Still walking that line I think.

PS I did get Kyle's permission to post this link - and if you are an agent in Nashville who wants to give it a shot-use the link in his post to contact him!

I'm very excited - I was asked to teach a staging seminar for the fabulous people out at Selection Center in Nashville. The Selection Center is a one-stop shop for everything from closets to appliances to granite to tile and more. They are having an realtor open house on Tuesday, April 28th from 9-11:30 and requested that I come and teach what I know about staging for the agents they are inviting.

Cindy Crego, of More Space Place, asked how long I could speak and I had to tell her I could talk for 2 days if that's what she wanted. But we compromised on an hour and a half with questions! I'll be speaking at 10:30 and will be focusing on the following:

• how to talk to your client about staging
• basic staging concepts and tips on flow and placement
• tips on DIY projects that give you the most bang for your buck
• when to bring in the professionals and what they can do for you
• the benefits of a pre-listing home inspection
• specific tips on paint colors, flooring, lighting, etc.

There will probably be more stuff but I think this is a good start. I'll have handouts as well with some great information on them. This is your chance to not only see the Selection Center but to learn about staging and ask all your questions!

If you are in the Nashville area - feel free to stop by. Also, visit the Selection Center website at: www.selectioncenter.com!

I've been reading on several AR blogs that some agents have been affected by the Nigerian rental scam that is going around. This morning, my local newspaper in Nashville, The Tennessean, ran a big story about it in the Williamson Real Estate section on the front page. It involves a few agents I know which made it even more interesting.

For those of you that aren't familiar with this scam - it can affect you so I highly recommend that you make yourself aware of this problem. What's happening is that agents' listings on Craigslist are being "hijacked" by scam artists who are relisting properties for rent at lower rates and requesting that prospective renters send them money to get the place. They claim to be missionaries working in Nigeria.

Here's a link to the article in the Tennessean today (not sure how long the link will last but here it is): http://tinyurl.com/cnf8al

Nigerian scams have been going on a long time - you know, the ones you get in your email box claiming that you are in line to receive large sums of money but only if you send bank account information or "processing fees" or the ones that say you've won a lottery or something like that. This is along those lines. So be aware and watch your listings!

Thursday night (the 26th) I hosted a staging seminar here in Franklin, TN - and what a great night it was! I hope all of our attendees had as good a time as we did - and learned a lot as well. We held our seminar at Church Street Flooring & Design in charming downtown Franklin. I had invited fellow stagers Anthea Click, Karen Jones and "B" Lucas Thrower to join me in presenting: "Nuts & Bolts of Staging". I see this as the nitty gritty stuff - the paint, the lighting, the flooring, etc. So that's what we talked about to a very receptive crowd. One of the good things was holding the seminar at a flooring store - the very capable Dave the sales guy presented lots of info (I actually learned some stuff which was awesome!) about carpet, pads, tile and hardwoods. We all pitched in with our thoughts as well.

I think the best part was how well we all meshed together with our thoughts - presenting a united front on staging. While we all have our specialties and preferences, we are all on the same page: staging sells a house. And the tips and techniques we presented were all designed to share information with the people who needed it. We had a couple of agents there as well - one in particular threw out some great points - Christie Drury of Exit Realty of the South - and had some specific questions as well. Quite a few home sellers were there and were able to get their questions answered. I think the most common questions related to specific paint colors and finishes on things like light fixtures & door knobs. There was a collective shiver from the stagers when shiny brass was mentioned.

Dan Prince came by, of Everything Doors (www.everything-doors.com), and donated a brushed nickel door handle set as a door prize. His shop is located off of Royal Oak Blvd in Franklin, but they do most of their business online - fabulous prices on door knobs, hinges, etc.

We had some good handouts from the event with specific information - feel free to email me and I'll send them along to you!

PS That's me on the right, with (going left) Karen Jones, Anthea Click, "B" Lucas Thrower. Didn't realize I was the shortest one of the bunch til I saw this picture - I was even wearing heels!