Cathy Dick - Final Touch Designs, Inc. in Roanoke VA

When potential buyers are shopping for a home, they are searching for something that "feels right" within each room they enter. We know that every buyer is different in the type of house they are searching for, but one thing remains the same, everyone hopes to become engaged in a positive, enjoyable experience when they shop for a house. They want to experience a "home" where they can live peacefully, comfortably, and enjoyably.

When helping clients to prepare a house to sell, the focus is usually on eliminating clutter, neutralizing the wall colors, lightening up the rooms, and creating curb appeal. Real estate agents hope that in doing at least that much, the house will show as well as the competition. With some creative marketing strategies, it should sell quickly and for the right price. But within those preparations, only one of our senses is truly being focused upon - our sense of sight. In today's economy we should be helping our clients to get on TOP of the competition, not alongside it.

But how do we create an atmospheric experience that is inviting, and refreshing; one that stimulates the senses in some areas, while triggering specific emotions in others? How do we enhance the potential buyer's senses to invoke a strong sale? Well, it's not as difficult as it may seem. The goal of turning a house into a HOME is simply as easy as providing an atmosphere where they use ALL their senses (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting), not just one. We strategically provide a stimulating environment by carefully placing specific elements in the home; giving buyer's reason to browse, feel, and envision themselves in the home.

Atmospherics is used in stores to create attention, send messages, and arouse or trigger sensations that lead to purchases. Simon A. Faure-Field, CEO of Equal Strategy says, "If the customer was aroused by the store, they would feel alert and excited and their stay in the store would be longer." He states that enjoyment and entertainment are important benefits of shopping, valued by customers, and reflected in their spending. This same concept can easily be adapted to clients who are shopping for homes to buy. Our goal is to help them to become engaged in the homes they view, enjoy themselves while looking around, and in turn "stay longer", which just might prompt an offer!

As a home stager, my goal is to package a home by establishing a specific connection or mood that triggers positive feelings and memories. We might place appropriate music in strategic locations. Certain fragrances can be used to evoke childhood memories and moods. Accessories and different fabric textures can add interest and provide creative ideas for buyers to apply to a new home. And the simple addition of just-baked cookies might tempt the palate while providing a warm and sweet finale to their shopping experience.

Don't underestimate the power of home atmospherics when packaging a home for sale. Final Touch Designs can create a shopping experience that uses a multi-sensory approach to engage home buyers. We team up with real estate agents so they stand apart from other agents, and the homes they sell stand apart from their competition!

Cathy Dick

Final Touch Designs, Inc.

Did you ever have that client who has saved almost every item they ever purchased? We all have experienced this in some form or another. I had a client whose parents passed away, so they became responsible for getting the house in shape to get on the market to sell quickly. As you can probably guess, the parents lived in the same home for over 50 years! Aside from going through each and every item in the home and having members of the family taking what they want, they came across a lot of chemical products in the garage and had no idea how to go about getting rid of them. They did talk with a guy who said he'd come in for a price and "clean the whole thing out". But when I approached my client with some questions about HOW this guy would clean things out, she didn't have any answers. This presented a very large red flag in my mind, hence the need to write this blog.

With so many household cleaners, degreasers, and pesticides out there for us to buy and use around the home, we have to take into account many things when we talk about "getting rid of them" quickly. Some household cleaners can be used up in order to rid the bottles of the contents, which is better than pouring them down the drain! But others hazardous waste products are not as simple. Leftover painting supplies, automobile products, outdoor lawn & garden supplies, and indoor/outdoor pesticides are some of the more serious items that require smart thinking and investigation before they are disposed of. They need to be disposed of properly and carefully according to state and federal regulations. Here are a few tips to follow when you come across clients who need to rid their homes of potentially dangerous chemicals.

In the Roanoke area we have the "Roanoke Valley Resource Authority". The Authority owns the Tinker Creek Transfer Station, the Smith Gap Landfill, and the Waste Line Express train. Every locality should provide its residents with information about the disposal of waste products online.

• First, provide your client with solid information about the disposal of household chemicals in your area. Don't just assume your client will jump on the internet highway to get the information. Please have available hard copy literature that they can read and check off if necessary.
• You will find that most junk removal and moving companies will NOT handle the disposal of chemical waste products. That is why it's so important to physically hand clients the information! In the Roanoke area you can visit http://www.final-touchdesigns.com/resources.htm. Scroll down for the PDF to print and hand out to clients, or call the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority (540-857-5071).
• If you or your client does know of someone who handles the disposal of household chemicals, use this article as a foundation for asking questions. Ask the person specific questions as to where, when, and how they will dispose of the items. If they can't answer the questions, then they should not be hired to remove anything hazardous from the home!
• Don't leave it up to the homeowner to guess what they need to do. If disposed of incorrectly, these hazardous chemicals can leach into our soil and water systems and cause serious health problems for the members of your community. If you don't provide the correct information, who will?
• Certain areas will only accept certain items on a daily basis and only within their hours of operation. Other hazardous items may require pre-registration or authorization before items can be brought in to be disposed of.
• There may be maximum quantities allowed per visit. This may mean many trips to the site and thought about how the items will be stored until they can be taken in. If someone is hired to collect the items from the home, a question about adequate temperature controlled storage may be in order.
• When dealing with older homes, you will likely be dealing with many old containers of numerous products and substances. Always encourage safety precautions when handling these things. Wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, closed shoes, gloves, and safety glasses is always a smart way to work on these projects. You never know when a corroded container is going to spring a leak once picked up or moved!

One definition of sustainability: "A sustainable way of life is one in which human needs are met without diminishing the ability of other people, wild species, or future generations to survive." I hope this information will be shared amongst Real Estate professionals and Home Stagers. As a green company, we are always looking for ways to preserve our planet and continue to enjoy what we have. It is everyone's responsibility to insure that our planet has the capacity to endure. It is everyone's responsibility to help others learn how this can be done.

At Final Touch Designs, we do everything from assisting home sellers in preparing their homes beautifully in order to facilitate a faster, more profitable sale, to assisting home buyers in adding their own character and personality to their spaces, and assisting anyone who wants to become and stay more organized in their home or place of business. We offer many other great services as well. Please visit us at www.final-touchdesigns.com for more information, tips, and ideas to turn your ordinary house into an extraordinary home!

Cathy Dick

www.final-touchdesigns.com

Roanoke, VA

As of late, I've been running into altercations with real estate agents who have a conflict with having a home staging sign posted in the yard along with their for sale sign. What is interesting is that they all have varied reasons why they don't want the sign out front....and in all honesty, their reasons just don't make sense. The latest reason was this: "I want people to focus on the home itself, not give a false impression that the home always looks like this." What??

Home Staging is designed to help the buyer see the entire home at its best. I spend time with my clients helping them understand that touching up paint here, cleaning areas there, and removing signs of build up, spider webs, pets and odors are simple things they can do that are extremely advantageous for them. THEN I address "packaging" the home to look fantastic. They understand the reasons and are so in awe when it is all complete. So why is it an REA compliments how beautiful the transformation is, raises the price to reflect such an awesome transformation, then questions why I want to post flyers/cards in the house and a sign in the yard? I don't believe somone who walks into a home questions if it always looked like it does during an open house.

I would really appreciate hearing from other home stagers to see how common this is for them, their feelings, and how they solved the conflicts. I do have signage covered very specifically in my contract and I'm sticking to my guns, but I do wish I didn't have to continuously explain that home staging can help them sell the home faster, not hinder the sale. At the same time, I'd like to hear from real estate agents as to their reasonings behind their reluctance to have buyers know a home has been staged. Even if someone wants to view the home just because it's been staged, it is advantageous....they will spread the word to others and the result could be a great sale.

Thank you in advance for expressing your thoughts on such a diverse and convoluted subject.

Cathy

www.Final-TouchDesigns.com

For the last few years I've been enjoying the business of Home Staging, Redesign, and Home & Office Organizing. I will admit that this business hasn't come without its small and large hurtles. But no matter what size of hurtles I've encountered; I seem to get over them by using my creativity and determination. But weekly I get calls from a number of people new to the industry who feel as if they are reinventing the wheel with each step they take. It can be difficult and exhausting learning how to make a successful business in Home Staging. This is where I would like to help.....

My goal is simple, but I need your help. I'd like to collect your five most common "hurtles" that you as a home stagers ran into when you begin your business. In other words, what were the missing details your training did not cover or details you ran into that you didn't expect to encounter? Then, how did you overcome those challenges or fears?

I hope most of you will help me to compile this list of challenges and solutions that we have all faced in this industry. After a few weeks, I will then put together the ten most common hurtles and their solutions, to share with people who are just getting into the industry. Of course those who've been in the industry for years might also benefit from these new ideas. This list will hopefully give home stagers a peace of mind and help them know they are not alone out there.

This industry calls for us to work together to help each other, to creatively and successfully tackle a variety of different situations, and to provide standardization for the industry. The more tangible information we have available, the better equipped we are to educate homeowners.

Possible hurtles you had to overcome:

•- Pricing

•- Making the "sell" over the phone

•- Approaching real estate companies

•- Creating/managing your website

•- Consultations - free or not too free

•- Marketing challenges

•- Working with, not against other home stagers

•- Offering too many services

Thank you in advance for your time in reflecting how you got to be where you are today. I look forward to your comments, ideas, stories, and strategies.....and know that others will enjoy and benefit from them!

Cathy Dick

Final Touch Designs, Inc.

http://final-touchdesigns.com

I was looking at some sites and came across one today that really bothered me. About 16 months ago someone by the name of Rusty Phillips submitted an article on Hubpages entitled, "Home Staging Changed My Life". She/he says that you don't need any certification or training to become a Home Stager. After reading the many comments that followed, I decided to go ahead and submit a comment of my own. I'm sure you will agree that this article needs more comments submitted to uphold the intregrity and standards of this industry. Even though this article is over a year old, people like myself are still going to run across it and possibly get the wrong opinion if they don't read further through all the comments.

Please read this article and feel free to express your own opinion so those who want to get into the industry, have a clearer idea of what to expect and what will be expected of them. I'm sure I didn't cover all the points (it's been a long tiring day), so I hope you will fill in the gaps that I may have overlooked. It's articles like these that hinders accurate education for homeowners. It's no wonder we must continue to educate, educate, and educate the public.

The link is as follows: Home Staging Changed My Life http://hubpages.com/hub/homestagingbusiness

Please let me know your thoughts.

Cathy Dick

http://www.final-touchdesigns.com