“World's Most Complete Neighborpedia”
Sponsor a Community — What is Localism? | Register or Sign In
Explore:   What's happening in your neck of the woods?
Home Ashley Whittenberger

Ashley Whittenberger

Blog_tag

From a Stager's Notebook: An algebraic approach to staging

11-08-08
Ashley Whittenberger

For some, creating aesthetic balance comes naturally, for others, it may be a challenge. If you're in the latter group, you will enjoy this month's column, in which I've included some quick tips and easy mathematical formulas that will help take the guesswork out of decorating your home. Grab your note pad, calculator and measuring tape and let's get to work!

Calculating paint quantities - Take the length of all the walls of the room you're going to paint (the perimeter) and multiply it by the height of the room to get the total square feet you are going to paint. Next, take the total square feet and divide it by 400. This will give you the approximate gallons needed for one coat coverage. (Allow more for multiple coats.)

Lighting - Dining room chandelier: It's best to choose one with a diameter equal to one half the width of the table. Also, keep in mind that the bottom of the chandelier should be at least 2 1/2 feet above the table. Use a dimmer switch to soften the light when entertaining and brighten the area for homework or hobby-related tasks.

Breakfast room pendant: Normally, a decorative pendant or a fixture with a down light will do the job. As with the formal dining room, use a dimmer. Again, the bottom of the pendant should be at least 2 1/2 feet above the table. Normally 100 watts of light is sufficient for these areas.

In interior design the "rule of three" applies to almost everything. Lighting is no exception. If you have one lamp, you probably need two and if you have two lamps, you should have three. It's important to distribute light to all the seated groupings in a room; typically, this will create a triangular shaped pattern.

Sofas, coffee tables, mirrors and artwork - Coffee tables should be 2/3 to ¾ the width of your sofa or loveseat, and should be placed at least 12-16 inches from the sofa to allow for knees and legroom.

Artwork above a sofa should at minimum be 2/3 the length of the sofa. That does not mean you only use ONE piece of artwork above a sofa. What it means is your collection or the one piece you are using must be at minimum of 2/3 the length of the sofa. If you are thinking of extending the artwork or collection beyond the sofa or piece, there must be something to relate it to; otherwise it will seem very top heavy.

The basic rule for positioning a picture or mirror: Hang it so that the eye of the viewer looks into the main area of interest. In living and dining areas, the viewer is usually seated. In hallways and foyers, the viewer is standing.

Optimum television viewing distances:

For analog TV: For HDTV:

27" - 6.75 feet 30" - 6.25 feet

36" - 9 feet 45" - 9.4 feet

45" - 11.25 feet 60" - 12.5 feet

The Golden Mean - And finally, perhaps the most interesting mathematical presence in decorating is the Golden Mean. The Golden Mean is a ratio which has fascinated generation after generation, and culture after culture. It has been used extensively in art and architecture. It is present in the Venetian Church of St. Mark built early in the 16th century, and has become a standard proportion for width in relation to height as used in facades of buildings, in window sizing, window treatment designs, in first story to second story proportion, and at times, in the dimensions of paintings and picture frames. The easiest and most useful place for do-it-yourselfers to use the Golden Mean in decorating is in the placement of tie backs for draperies. If you use the ratio in placing a tie back, you will see that it creates pleasing line of division. So where is this magical line? It falls somewhere between one-half and one-third or approximately .618 of the way down from the top or up from the bottom of a treatment. (Just for fun - measure the height of your chair rail molding in your dining room as it relates to your ceiling height. Notice anything?)

4 Comments
Blog_tag

5 Questions Every Realtor Should Ask...

09-25-08
Ashley Whittenberger

Though the concept of preparing and/or packaging real estate to sell has been around for years, the terms Home Staging and Real Estate Merchandising are fairly new. All indicators show that this new industry, obsession and profession is here to stay. Recently, Gary Keller dedicated an entire chapter on the subject in his latest book "Shift". In addition, according to the 2007 HomeGain study, 91% of realtors recommended professional home staging vs. only 41% in 2004.

We all know that the two critical keys to selling a property in this market are: effective pricing strategies and perfect presentation. We'll leave the pricing up to you, but we can definitely help you with the presentation.

As you may or may not know, the home staging industry is not regulated. Virtually anyone can hang up their shingle, call themselves a "home stager" and get to work. There are no government or industry regulations in regards to becoming a certified home stager, so it's up to you to perform your "due diligence" when referring or hiring a professional to help you prepare your listings to sell. The following tips will help you know what questions to ask and what to look for when you are interviewing for this vital role in your business:

1. Ask to see proof of liability insurance.

It is important that your home stager have proper liability coverage. Ask for proof of coverage.

2. Ask to see their portfolio.

A picture is truly worth 1,000 words. By asking to see a stager's portfolio, you can get a sense of their experience, the type of work they do, and the extent of the work they've done.

3. Ask for references.

Don't just ASK for the references... after you get the contact information, actually call and find out what others have to say about your candidate. When interviewing a home stager, the process should be taken as seriously as if you are hiring a new team member or employee.

4. Ask about their real estate experience.

An ideal home stager has not only design expertise, but also real estate experience. Look for a stager who has had personal and professional experience with the home buying, selling and moving process. An experienced stager has the ability to share their vast knowledge, and also be compassionate by relating to the seller.

5. Ask about their process and staff.

It's important to find out how the whole process is going to look to your clients. You want to maintain your professional image and reputation, and referring your clients to partners who have sub-standard customer service practices will not help you do this.

Questions and topics of discussion relating to this might be: Describe your process from the time a client has first contact with you until the end of the staging.

How long does a typical consultation last? How do you deliver your recommendations? How do you follow up with us (the realtor) after the appointment? Do you have business systems in place that assure a consistent process and high quality service? What if you are sick or out of town -- who covers for you?

FYI: Researching comps should also be a part of their staging system or process!

10 BONUS QUESTIONS

10 More Interview Questions for Your Home Staging Candidate:

1. Tell me about a time when you had an issue or problem with a client and describe how you handled it.

2. How do you help sellers understand the importance of home staging?

3. What are your fees and what services do you provide for those fees?

4. What is your company's mission statement?

5. How do you keep from offending sellers when making suggestions?

6. How much lead time do you need before we request a staging consultation?

7. What type of training relating to home staging have you had?

8. Do you have a specialty? (i.e. vacant stagings, occupied stagings, luxury properties, etc.)

9. How long have you been staging? How many properties have you staged?

10. Do you have resources (i.e. wholesale accounts and vendors) which might be beneficial to my clients?

One of the best ways to get a feel for your potential home stager of choice is to actually attend a consultation or two with them. This way, you can not only learn more about their processes and skills, you can also see, first hand, how they are able to relate and communicate with your client.

Remember, an experienced home stager shouldn't cost you a thing, in the end. Their services should pay for themselves in increased sales prices and faster selling times. In addition, a good home stager can actually help you obtain more listings, as their services are of tremendous value to your clients at no additional charge. More value? No more $? What's not to love about that?

Good luck, and feel free to call or e-mail me (ashley@theinterioritycomplex.com) to learn more about effective home staging strategies.

1 Comment