Karen Otto, Home Stager, Plano, TX 469)964-0516 www.homestarstaging.com

If you'd like to assist a senior citizen this holiday season please read the flyers below to see how you can help the Collin County Meals on Wheels Holiday program this year. Although the September 30th date has passed (by only one day) for the Harvest Boxes I'm sure they'll be happy to receive your call should you be able to assist any of their programs.

Plano East Senior High Theatre proudly presents, EAT (It's not about food) (EAT) as the first show of the fall season. Written by local playwright in residence at the Dallas Children's Theater Linda Daugherty, EAT first debuted at the Dallas Children's Theater in the spring of 2008.

In a highly relevant, informational and at times, lighthearted drama, EAT uncovers the dangerous and baffling world of eating disorders affecting boys and girls, men and women. Eat explores the causes and warning signals and takes a hard look at the role society, media and pressure for perfection play in the spread of this disease. Woven together in a series of individual stories of young people struggling with the disorder this play for our times is a must see for anyone who wants more information on eating disorders.

EAT will be presented for FREE as a community service to spread the message about eating disorders.

Ms. Daugherty graciously visited the cast and crew to explain how she came to write EAT, and answer questions the students had about the play.

Dr. Katie Sternweis, who heads up the Intensive Outpatient Program for eating disordered patients at Children's Medical Center Dallas (CMC), also came to Plano East to speak to the cast about eating disorders to give them insight into the disease and offer them answers to the many questions they raised about the disease. Dr. Sternweis along with other professionals from CMC will be heading up the after show talk backs that will be available to parents, students and teachers at the end of each show.

Opening night is October 8th 7:00 PM. EAT runs through October 9th and 10th at 7 PM each night. On Saturday a 2 PM matinee will be offered as well as the evening show.

With the generous assistance of the professionals from Children's Medical Center, educational materials provided by The Elisa Project and the assistance of Dallas Children's Theater, we invite the community to attend this powerful and relevant play.

Date: October 8th, 9th, 10th

Time: 7:00 PM each evening with a 2:00 PM Matinee on Saturday and 7:00 show on Saturday as well

EVENT: Free Play. EAT (It's not about Food). All ages.

Doctors and Professionals from Children's Medical Center Dallas from the Center for Pediatric Psychiatry and Eating Disorders will be on hand after each show for audience talk backs.

LOCATION:

Plano East Senior High School Fine Arts Building
3000 Los Rios Blvd.
Plano, TX 75074

Contact: Lisa Hale, Theater Director, 469-752-9247

The Real Estate Staging Association RESA-Dallas Chapter has formed and we are excited to start our meetings and share our mission with you!

RESA is the only worldwide, non-profit, member governed association open to ALL home stagers regardless of affiliation or training.

We invite YOU to join us this month as we host our first meeting. Please see details below for more information and feel free to RSVP on this blog or email me at karen@homestarstaging.com

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF RESA TO ATTEND!

Hope to see YOU there!

DALLAS CHAPTER

"The staging was FREE?", you ask unbelievably. Especially if you read my most recent blog.

Yes, in some cases the staging can actually be free and we who are in the home staging industry know the value and ROI that staging a home can bring to the sale of a property.

"Did you charge for your services?", would be a logical next question.

Of course! this is a business endeavor after all.

Home staging is a powerful marketing tool that can assist in the successful sale of a home. Staging is a MUST for selling a home in today's real estate climate.

With powerful statistics reported from the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) and the testimonies of others who have experienced the benefits and success of staging a home we know it works. Indeed in some cases, the staging pays for itself and is FREE or can actually bring more money to the table.

"How do I know this can be for real?"

I'm glad you asked!

I recently received a wonderful testimony from a client. I did not know what she was going to write and when I read her letter I was thrilled to read that the staging paid for itself.

While I do not recommend adding costs to the sale of a home when it is priced right to begin with, there are cases in which a home may fall within a price range and can be priced at the top portion of that range when prepared and packaged for purchase properly.

Another powerful testimony to the fact that when working with a professional home stager staging works & can also be FREE!

"Thank you so much for all your help with staging our home. The final result was beautiful. We increased our asking price to cover the cost of staging, then put the house on the market on Monday. On Tuesday, we received two offers for our asking price! We are closing on our house within 30 days of putting it on the market. That's amazing! I am positive that we would not have had this result if we had put our house on the market vacant!! Your services were all done very professionally and efficiently. You even came and took care of everything on a day that I had to be at work. Thank you for helping us. We will not hesitate to request your services again when we need to sell a house."

T. M. Home Seller, Plano,TX

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For expert advice on preparing a home for sale contact Home Star Staging, a Plano,TX based Real Estate Staging and Consulting company.

Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

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This question was recently asked of me by a prospective client who requested "key room staging" with furniture. These were the areas requested:

• Living room
• Dining room
• Master bedroom

For what was needed in the price point of home in question and from my company's perspective the answer was No.

Let me explain why.

My company does not carry large furniture pieces as part of our accessory prop inventory.

Home Star Staging utilizes the services of reputable, national furniture rental companies to supply the large furniture inventory for our home staging projects that require this service.

I define "large furniture" as any that I cannot personally lift or move by myself.

It was a business decision I made as I got into the home staging industry over 3 years ago.

In my opinion furniture rental, which entails

• purchasing,
• warehousing
• maintenance
• manpower
• service vehicles
• delivery
• insurance
• and much more

is another business in and of itself and one I personally do not want to be in.

I find that working with national furniture rental companies has suited the needs of my business and my client's very well. I do however, keep a large accessory, small furniture and prop inventory that I warehouse for use in my client's properties. This service is available for a cost effective investment if needed.

Locally, the 2 major furniture rental companies I work with work very well with the home staging industry however both companies require monthly minimums on staging rental packages.

I'd like to explain why and how working with a professional home stager, should you need rental furniture, will be easier, more cost effective and provide you with the best result in this process.

As a professional home stagerI've educated myself on this subject and made it my business to work in conjunction with the furniture rental companies to bring their service to my clients in an effortless and efficient manner with NO UPCHARGING of their furniture to my clients.

In fact, working with a professional home stager will provide you with additional savings over walking in off the street because we provide a valued service to the rental companies as well. In essence, we are an independent sales force that brings customers to their doors who may normally never consider them as an option or understand how to work with them. Over the last few years I've developed an understanding, a solid working relationship and a partnership not only with the furniture rental companies for my business but for serving my clients as well.

My knowledge of how to work with furniture rental companies for staging a home is at your service.

For Realtors and clients interested in understanding how rental furniture companies work with home staging projects in North Texas I'd like to provide an general overview and explanation of how they work. I find myself laying out this subject at least once a week when a call or email comes through inquiring about this service.

I will also explain why working with a professional home stager can make this prospect easier, more cost effective and with successful results.

How Furniture Rental companies work when staging a home:

1. Monthly rental fees at minimum are between $250 - 300 (and depending on the size, style and price point of your home, number of rooms to be staged, this fee can be more)
2. A minimum 3 month lease agreement is required for jobs under $1,000 in monthly furniture rental (however, if you rent over $1,000 in furniture a month, a 2 month minimum is allowed)
3. A damage waiver, tax and one time delivery charge (with delivery and pick up included) will also be applied
4. You can expect to pay in total - at minimum - approximately $1,000 over the 3 month lease agreement for the furniture and this does not include staging services or accessory prop inventory.
5. Should the property sell in less than 3 months (many times the case) you will still be required to fulfill the full 3 month terms of the agreement but you will not have the carrying costs of the home to consider any longer nor price reductions, which can easily be triple the initial investment in staging your home! However, should the property go longer than the initial 3 month agreement, you are free to cancel the contract or choose to lease on a month by month basis until the property sells. I have had instances where these contracts can be transferred to another staging client and both clients save money, however this is a somewhat complicated and time sensitive circumstance however I can easily make this happen when conditions are right.

Why working with a professional home stager makes it easier & more cost effective to lease furniture:

1. We've developed a solid working knowledge and relationship with the rental companies & know what to ask for and how to get it done quickly, efficiently & most cost effectively
2. We work with them for you, saving you time and money
3. We know their product lines and which ones will be best suited for your individual property
4. We know how to get the most furniture (which pieces work well together and which don't) for the best price and pass the savings on to you

It is my hope that this blog will explain some of the questions clients may have regarding costs and benefits of staging a home, particularly a vacant home, using the services of a professional home stager in conjunction with renting furniture.

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For expert advice on preparing a home for sale contact Home Star Staging, a Real Estate Staging and Consulting company. Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

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Copyright 2009 Karen Otto