What an incredible day yesterday was! I just have to share it. This story may be long but it is worth the read.
We took on a new project last week, a large-scale redesign in the interest of future equity for the client, a young man in his early twenties.
I met this man two years ago, at a local nightspot. He asked me to dance, and after about a minute of chitchat, we realized we were related distantly on my grandmother's side.
A few short weeks after that, he was in a car accident. It was very, very bad, and no one expected his recovery. Some doubted his very survival. He was sent to a hospital in New Orleans, due to the massive head and body trauma he experienced. Lots of prayers were said by our small, rural community, and we would hear updates every few months.
Still in a coma.
In a semi-coma.
Said a word today.
Squeezed a hand today.
Last week I saw him for the second time in my life. He's out of the hospital now, living with his parents, wearing a brace, still learning to walk and talk, and getting on with the business of life.
We were contacted by his family to redesign the house he bought for himself, that he had been working on renovating right before the accident. His family wanted us to assist in completing his plans for the house, using his money still in savings, in anticipation for the day when the doctors say he can live unassisted.
This young man can answer yes or no, but cannot truly communicate in the capacity that our regular clients can. He gets frustrated. He knows what is going on for the most part, but he cannot really contribute his two cents. And here come these ladies who are going to be making big decisions and reinventing many aspects of his house over the course of the next six months, making areas more accessible, safe, functional, and beautiful.
Since the accident, change is a challenge for him that he struggles with every day. He is not wheelchair-bound, but movement is a very difficult and a slow process for him even still, and decisions about the layout are important. On the financial side, the investment he made in this home is crucial, as he is disabled now. This house is his main asset. Building up the equity is crucial.
We worked up some plans for him, and we created each room virtually, as it will appear when we are through renovating and decorating. Yesterday, we presented our plan as a slideshow. I personally was very nervous about whether or not he would like at all what we had in store for his house.
As the slideshow morphed each room in his house, he said "WHOA!" and pointed to some of the specific things we changed in each room and we could describe each item or reconfiguration of space. His face lit up with pleasure, and when he asked if he liked it, he nodded vigorously and said "Oh Yeah!"
It was very emotional for me personally, and I was never, ever so grateful for the time I have invested the past two years learning to Virtually Stage. I don't know how else he, or his family, or even WE could have made our way through this redesign without it with confidence of his approval. Seeing these images will help him internalize the changes we will be making to the interior and exterior and begin to the process to accept them, which is a huge challenge. We now know he likes the colors. We know he likes the furniture and layout. He understands we will change many aspects of his house, and he has approved those changes.
It was the best day for "Feature This... Real Estate Staging and Interior Decor" that we have ever had.
~Michelle
Certified Professional Stager, Feature This... Real Estate Staging, www.FeatureThisDotDotDot.com
Lead Virtual Designer, www.CurbAppealForDummies.com
President, Acadiana Real Estate Staging Association, www.AcadianaRESA.com
STANLEY THE STAGER WAS HERE!
It was so exciting for the "Feature This..." Real Estate Staging Team to finally get to meet Stanley this December 2008. He actually slept under our roof, and we had to pinch ourselves to make sure we weren't dreaming. He is just as handsome in person as he is on film. We had the honor to show him all around Cajun Country. And he is so down to earth for such a famous person!
Stanley was a fountain of knowledge on most every job we tackled the week he was here. He helped us with a number of different projects, including some kitchen tile work, painting and installing crown moulding, shopping at Walmart,, Home Depot, Lowes, Bed Bath and Beyond, Hobby Lobby, and back to Home Depot three more times in one week. He decorated a Christmas tree for one of our clients all by himself while Carol and I ate Christmas Cookies and drank eggnog. He wasn't even mad that we didn't help him much.
He came up with some FABULOUS ideas, including a great way to use sheet metal for inexpensive retro-style drawer-pull back-plates on another job we had going on, and showed us exactly how to create & install them. He also taught use how to use spray adhesive to get the dresser drawers to practically line themselves with gray flannel fabric!
He ate everything we put in front of him, including frogs legs, crawfish etouffee (a-too-fay), turtle sauce piquant, and a kind of rice and pork dish served in a pork intestine, called Boudain (boo-dahn). He especially enjoyed it when we put a local specialty, Steen's Cane Syrup, on it, just the way the old Cajuns eat it.
He liked it so much, we had to take him to the factory so he could find out what the heck was in it. That Stanley will eat just about anything, we found. He even put on a little weight while he was here. He said he could use a little junk in his trunk!
One of the days of his visit, he and I went shopping for art, and I showed him one of my favorite places in the quaint town of Breaux Bridge... the photography studio and gallery of Sonny Monteleone. He was very impressed and moved by Sonny's work.
On our last day with Stanley, he gave me some pointers on a tile installation we had scheduled. He calculated the materials, and supervised our work.
He's certainly no stranger to the tools of the trade, and his experience in the field makes him a top-notch creative and economical solution-finder.
We had such a great time stomping all over Cajun Country, staging and sightseeing. Stanley has a very funny sense of humor. He pretended to propose to me at the big church in Abbeville, and again in front of the Abbeville Courthouse. Oh, if he only knew how badly I wished he wasn't joking around! He is soooo cute and fun to be around.
He had to leave us to go see Michelle Minch in Pasadena, California. But before he left, he gave me an autographed picture of himself. I took Matthew Finlanson's picture out of the frame by my bedside, and now, that spot is reserved for Stanley and only Stanley.
I miss him terribly, and hope he comes back for a visit real soon.
Isn't his jumbo earlobe SEXY ???!!!!!
~Michelle Molinari
Certified Professional Stager, Feature This... Real Estate Staging, www.FeatureThisDotDotDot.com
Lead Virtual Designer, www.CurbAppealForDummies.com
President, Acadiana Real Estate Staging Association, www.AcadianaRESA.com
Stagers. 
The very term alludes to a performance designed to dazzle.
Bewitching buyers, suckering sellers, a real estate ruse.
Illusion. Hocus Pocus. Deception. Fantasy. Magic. Mirage.
Greedy shysters perform, utilize, and promote "staging." From the staging associations, to the schools, all the way down to the Agents who employ staging tactics. It's one big swindling conspiracy to part ignorant buyers from their money, and line the pockets of sellers with undeserved equity.
It's a disgraceful business, and a blemish on the Real Estate Industry as a whole, and should be vanquished.
OR perhaps...
Fair Market Value is a moving animal, and people who claim to stage properties know the behaviors of this creature. Perhaps a stager can offer solutions to not only enhance the perception of your our your client's equity, but increase the fair market value of the property in question, realizing more of that equity by implementing the suggested solutions.
The only way to find out is to call a skilled stager, and hear what they have to say. Most professionals will offer an initial consultation free of charge, and are more than willing to present the merits of their services to groups.
Speaking one-on-one with a stager will confirm what you believe or change the way you view real estate sales entirely. Either way, you've taken care to avoid the Number One Real Estate Mistake according to HGTV:
Not Considering Hiring A Professional to Stage.
Are you worried your Real Estate Agent
isn't marketing your property
properly in this modern era?
You may be right. With the Internet Age upon us, well over 80% of today's property buyers choosing to search on the Internet to find their new homes, and they are judging your property's worth in seconds, according to a teeny-tiny picture of your house.
Back in the old days, it was the agent who decided what you would see, and you piled in the car and went from house to house. Those days are GONE. Now, it is the technologically advanced Internet Drive-By that has replaced those archaic methods...and real estate marketing will never be the same again.
How can you tell if your Agent is working with modern tools and ideas?
It's simple to recognize these obsolete agents. Pay attention to two very essential elements when choosing which agent is in touch with today's consumer and the way they buy:
#1
Did they recommend a consultation with a Professional Real Estate Stager?
#2
Did they recommend a Professional Real Estate Photographer?
If not, you very well may have a genuine relic of the Stone Age marketing your property!
Staging Consultations & Professional Photographers are not just for the high-end home. If your house is your major financial asset, there's even more at stake for you than someone who can afford to lose 10-20% of the appraised value on price reductions.
So consider taking the advice of a Professional Real Estate Stager, and get the most equity in your pocket, where it belongs! Just a consultation can save you thousands, if not tens of thousands, of your money, money that you need for your next home. And a consultation can prevent your house from lingering on the market for months on end!
Ask your Agent about Professional Staging and insist on the skills of a Professional Photographer, to take those little MLS photos from Cretaceous to Click-able.
A Staging Consultation isn't money out of pocket,
IT'S MONEY IN THE BANK!
Feature This...Professional Real Estate Staging, Abbeville, Louisiana
and
Offering Virtual Staging Consultations Worldwide
Copyright © 2008 FEATURE THIS...L.L.C. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Monday, November 3, 2008
Louisiana Participates in the Stage It Forward Round Table Lafayette - Stagers from all around Louisiana came together for first-ever gathering of Stagers across all affililiations and designations. The group of five women met at Cort Furniture on Johnston Street for a three and a half hour discussion about Louisiana's Real Estate Staging Industry.
Some of the topics covered included the benefits of the major staging associations, such as RESA, ASHSR, and IRIS. Industry standards were also discussed, along with building alliances with Real Estate Agents who are aware of the statistical monetary benefits of staging for their client's properties. One of the most interesting topics was the alliance of stagers on a local and statewide level to raise awareness and educate the real estate industry as a whole about the dedication, talent and professionalism that Louisiana Stagers consistently offer to home sellers and Real Estate Agents throughout the state.
The attendees were Michelle Molinari, President of Acadiana RESA and Lead Virtual Designer For www.CurbAppealForDummies.com, Carol Hebert-Harper of "Feature This... Real Estate Staging"in Abbeville, Freelance Stager Barbara Guillot of Lafayette, Sheri Morgan, owner of Ace of Space Redesign in Baton Rouge, and Karen Hebert-Price of Yours Truly Designs in Abbeville.
Cort Furniture was kind to offer their fabulous showroom and attentive staff, and PODS Storage of Baton Rouge catered a delicious Mexican luncheon from Coyote Blues.
Stage It Forward is a proactive Staging Group on Active Rain, a community of Real Estate Professionals dedicated to their industries, and working in alliance with others in their fields.
This Stage IT Forward Round Table Event is the first of it's kind, and these Louisiana Stagers were proud to participate in this unprecedented North American gathering taking place all over the U.S. and Canada this month of November, which is HOME STAGING AWARENESS MONTH.
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Full Service Interior Decorating and Certified Professional Staging Team, We specialize in Virtual Staging, Curb Appeal, and helping DIY-ers attain a faster, more lucrative sale.
We are a family-owned and operated Design, Decorating, and Staging Team. With over 40 years combined experience, we create savvy solutions for residential spaces.
As Certified Professional Stagers we offer to transform your "well-loved home" into an highly desirable and marketable commodity. The result of employing the effective tools and concepts of Real Estate Staging puts more of your equity in your pocket faster. A lukewarm buyer doesn't feel any urgency to make an offer, and often bids lower than you expected or needed. When the buyer is completely smitten with your property, they place a bid quickly and are more likely to offer the asking price. 
Our team consists of Carol Hebert-Harper, Michelle Molinari, Sue Eldredge, and Paul Broussard.
Carol has been an interior decorator for nearly 35 years. She has designed for clientele in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Houston, and has returned to her hometown of Abbeville, Louisiana. Carol
presently prefers the fabrication and design aspect of her craft, solving design and lighting issues.
Two of her daughters have followed in her footsteps to work for Feature This...
Michelle works in the interior design field, and is a color consultant for a major industry leader in the field of decorating. She brings her knowledge of computerized imaging and cutting-edge trends to the staging arena. Michelle is also a graduate of Certified Staging Professionals and a member of RESA. When you call Feature This..., Michelle will be there every step of the way of the staging process, from the initial consult to your first Open House.
Sue is an artist, faux finisher, and professional organizer. Sue coordinates our project team and generates enthusiasm and ideas for streamlining the overall appearance of your property using careful accessory selection and installation. Sue is also a Certified Staging Professional and Member of RESA, the Real Estate Stagers Association.
Paul Broussard is a master carpenter with a lifetime of experience. Paul works with us on-site to make your spaces live up to their potential. Utilizing his skills, he dramatically directs the buyer's attention to the details that excite them to make offers.
Our clients are sellers who truly desire to realize their maximum equity from their property in the shortest period of time. Some sellers can wait on their equity, and those are not the clients we target.
We stage to SELL! We don't stroke egos, either yours or ours. We are not some hoity-toity design team that is seeking prestige. We are a fully-capable, hands on, money-saving and money-making force to be reckoned with. Staging requires the ability to use limited funds in the most creative and impressive ways. That means getting dirty, brainstorming the best solutions for the most value, and bringing the seller on board our creative voyage. It's not all guest towels and flower arrangements. It's paint brushes, power saws, sore knee-caps and sweat trickling in our eyes. AND WE LOVE IT!
The only thing we love more than staging is CELEBRATING A SUPER-FAST SELL!
Dear Michelle, Just a note to thank you for your help in improving our home's appearance. Michelle, you are most professional, knowledgeable, patient, understanding, and you really care!! Your support throughout the project was reassuring and comforting as well. It's easy to see that you love what you do. In today's world you are most definitely, a breath of fresh air!! We really appreciate all your efforts and want to thank you so very much!! Sincerely, Sandy & Phyllis M.
Dearest Ladies,
I cannot begin to thank you enough for the wonderful job you did at my home. It was with wonder and satisfaction that in a morning's time I watch how good taste and imagination can make such an amazing difference.
Needless to say, my property, which had been on the market for six months, sold to the first customer who viewed it after being staged by your company!
I would recommend your services to anyone who needs to sell their home; as you are efficient, professional, and artistic.
Thanking you again,
~Renee R.,
Lafayette, La
Dear Miss Carol,
I just wanted to tell you and your girls thanks. My mom told me I'd have a nice little apartment when I came home from Iraq, but I wasn't expecting anything like this! It looks really good, and I feel right at home. It was more than a pleasant surprise. It is AWESOME!
~ Matt F., Abbeville, LA
Dear Ladies,
However can I express how much it means to us to have our beach house so beautiful! It has been a long journey since the hurricane, and I cannot tell you how it soothes our souls to come here now. Our "Old Hollywood Style" bathroom is just spectacular. Thank you!
-Mr. and Mrs. Bradley O.,
Galveston, Tx.
Dear Michelle,
We are VERY happy with our bedroom. I never thought that I'd be living in something this appealing, unique, and special-it's just right for us. Like your mom said......it's casual elegance. The original artwork you did is so personal and it means so much to us. And that fireplace Carol, Paul, and Sue built is unbelievable! We truly have a master suite now, and we love it!
Thank you so much for everything you, Sue, Paul, and Carol did for us.
~Melissa and Patrick H., Abbeville, LA
Dear Carol, Sue, and Michelle,
We are so very pleased with the kitchen rennovation and the color scheme for the rest of the house. It looks absolutely gorgeous. I love my granite, but I love the island Carol made even more! What a wonderful surprise and what a great use of my extra tile. You gals really have a way of bringing it all together. We didn't understand how raising the counter height would make such a big difference, but now, that part of the kitchen is a natural gathering place for our family. To think that before, it was just a space I stacked the mail!
Whenever anyone asks how we coordinated everything so beautifully, I tell them we just picked up the phone and called "Feature This". Thank you, for everything, and for all the details we never would have thought to consider.
~ Eddie and Cathy F.
Forked Island, LA
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