Jacquie Sebulsky

Not only is it important to prepare your house for sale to get it sold in a timely manner, but it is also really important to take away any objections that may occur during the appraisal process. Banks are requiring stringent guidelines for appraisers and that can really depend if a buyer is able to buy. No longer do you just need to have a seller and a buyer approve on price. if the appraisal ordered by the bank doesn't match up, the deal is lost.

When doing staging reports for Garnish Home Staging and Design LLC, I need to be aware of this. if a home has overgrown bushes, not only do I recemmend trimming and pruning to increase curb appeal, but also so that a future appraisal won't note this and slow down the process. A door in disrepair is unsightly and a potential road block when the appraiser comes.

The more that you can facilitate on the front end of the selling process, the easier everything will be further down the road. It can be really exhausting and stressful initially, but it is well worth it in the end!

In today's market, rampant with foreclosures and short sales, it is critical to appeal to ALL of the buyers senses. Not only is a buyer taking in properties visually, they also are making judgments with their noses. There is no point to viewing a property that has an unsavory smell because a buyer has most likely already emotionally checked out.

The whole point of staging is to try and sell a lifestyle to future buyers. If a buyer can smell mold or smoke, they are immediately put off. Smells are also signals to the buyer that the home isn't in pristine condition. This leaves buyers at an instant advantage because the perceived value of the property is decreased.

Here are some simple tips I use with my company, Garnish Home Staging and Design LLC, to help get rid of smells in a property:

- paint. A relatively easy and cost efficient means to freshen a space

- open windows. Homes that have been left vacant and abandoned often just need to be "aired" out

- diffuser. A simple and trendy way to help a space

- get rid of old carpet. This is often a breeding ground for dust mites, and old smells. Opt for an eco selection and get sustainable hardwood floors that can be resanded and kept for years

- have a mold inspection. This help to find the origin of the smell so that it can be addressed.

- clean. Especially for homes that are just listed, make sure they are sparkly!!!!

When designing a house for the Tour of Homes in Bend, Oregon (for my company Garnish Home Staging and Design- www.garnishLLC.com) I am very careful to not narrow down the audience so much that it will alienate certain audiences. My goal is to make the "feel" of the house as universal as possible. While home staging, it is important not to narrow down the style. The biggest goal that I have is to make people feel really warm and comfortable in the space. My relatives in Europe don't have the newest designer furniture pieces, and yet when they put pieces together, it always has such a great warmth and integrity to it, it doesn't matter. This is what home staging is all about!

I move more times in a month than some people move in a lifetime. Staging a home requires not only a great design, but also being able to move in and out of a home quickly and without breaking any pieces (that costs money!). One of my BEST tips that I have learned when working for GARNISH HOME STAGING AND DESIGN of BEND www.garnishLLC.com is to visit your local newspaper facility and find out where they store their "end rolls". End rolls are literally the end of the roll as they are printing the newspaper. These "end rolls" make GREAT packaging! I am able to generously wrap my precious pieces and ensure that they are safe. "End rolls" do not have have printed material on them so they do not imprint on any of my accessories and I always have as many as I need. It is also a great way to incorporate GREEN into a business plan. It is essentially recycling something that is no longer needed to something that is REALLY needed!

I hope this helps out anyone who has to move a lot!!!1