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

Today I met with Saundra Honea, a member of the Richardson BPW, a group I've spoken to about home staging in the past. We had a wonderful lunch at the Chocolate Angel Tea Room & Cafe in Richardson, TX. If you haven't been there you must. Saundra introduced me to it and it's wonderful!

Part of my meeting today was to present the Richardson BPW with a gift certificate for a 2 hour home staging consultation that will benefit their silent auction for a worthy cause, raising funds for scholarships for girls living in Richardson,TX and graduating high school this year.

All proceeds from the auction will benefit the girls receiving the scholarships and below is more information on the worthy project.

If you know someone who would like to donate an item or service - there is still time.

Please contact: cheryl.harris@verizon.net

Also, if you know of a young woman who is graduating this year and lives in Richardson, TX (she may also attend Plano East Senior High as some Richardson students attend PISD schools) please let her know there is still time to apply!

They are accepting applications and it is open to ANY 2009 FEMALE GRADUATE LIVING IN RICHARDSON,TX until March 31st, 2009.

Below is more information and a copy of the application (please email me if you need the full size application).

In the past 2 weeks I found out that a dear friend of mine and family are moving.

I was, to say the least, shocked and quite saddened that one of my friends won't be close by. Road trips are being planned already and long "girl's weekends" are on the agenda.

Her husband, took a great job within his company but had to agree to relocate quickly in order to fulfill the position. He is literally leaving this weekend.

They've started the mad dash process of getting the home ready for sale and lining up schedules with workers for this month. She is concerned that he won't be around to handle some of the details we all know get in the mix when contractors converge and start work (or not show up!)

A little background.

While they've lived in their home over 10 years, they like so many of us took their time to decide what changes they'd like to make. Raising a family, two jobs, pets and life always seem to take center stage while living in a home that suits our needs. Those "wish lists" and "want tos" on our home improvement projects can fall to the wayside. It happens to the best of us.

As I met with them this week to assist on some of the updates and make readies they need to be doing now to get the home ready, I was hit with a strong sense of sadness that all the wonderful things that they are doing now to their home will be enjoyed, not by the friends I love, but a new family who will reap the rewards of their investment in getting the home buyer ready.

Ironically (and fortunately) they had already started the process of updating their kitchen and master bath. Surfaces had been chosen and contractors interviewed and selected. They were ready to host Tex-Mex barbeques this summer and entertain in their new space. Not likely to happen now.

As a professional home stager unfortunately I see this a lot and I really hate to see it with my friends.

So with that being said, what I'd like to say to my friends here is this:

"Even if you aren't planning to sell your house, start acting like you are."

Ask yourself this question:

"If I were to have to sell my home in the next few months, is it ready for market?"

Scenarios that could happen that you find yourself in the position of having to sell quickly:

• Job relocation
• Job loss
• Family emergency

It could happen.

What can you do that's not going to break the bank now that you've started thinking like a home seller?

Here are my 5 Tips to get you started thinking like a Seller and they won't break the bank!

1. Set realistic expectations if you haven't kept up with the Joneses - if your neighbors have spent thousands on a variety of things they wanted to do to their house and you've always shaken your head at their perceived extravagance, think again. The Joneses are enjoying their improvements and over time will most likely pay for themselves. Although when selling is not the time to keep up with them be truthful with yourself as to how your house really shows.

2. Shop the local competition - visit your neighborhood open houses and get a look at what they've done to update their homes (or not) this will give you an idea of what you should be doing if you want the best price in your market for the house. This may give many a reality check when it comes to the fair price for your home.
3. Take care of those "honey dos"- from broken window screens to getting rid of the accumulation of old stuff you've got laying around the garage. These things have to be done anyway. With a little sweat equity and a few weekends, you'll feel so much better having checked them off your list.
4. Start living like company is coming every day - if you are anything like me, when I know I'm having company (especially the sleepover kind) I start a massive cleaning and de-cluttering of the place. And after I've accomplished that I sit back and think why the heck don't I do this all the time? It's so much easier to be orderly when things are in order! At minimum what I do on a regular basis is keep the "line of sight" from my front door company ready. It often inspires me to move toward the rest of the house and I really don't enjoy it when I feel uncomfortable not letting someone in my house because the breakfast dishes are still in the sink.
5. Hire a Professional Home Stager - yes you heard me. This is something I've been sharing with my networking group. Even if you're not selling, hiring a home stager for a cost effective home staging consultation well before you ever get to the point of selling will put you ahead of the game. Home stagers can provide you with helpful tips and make recommendations on which updates will improve the marketability of your home and can return the investment. Home stagers can make staging safe color recommendations and even tell you how to position your furniture or do it for you when the time comes. Wouldn't you rather know a year in advance than 1 month?

Start thinking like a seller even if you're not selling. You'll be well ahead of the competition.

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North Texas potential home sellers Home Star Staging can provide you with tips you'll eventually need to sell your home and keep you ahead of the competition. Service areas include Collin County and North Dallas County. Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

By TwitterButtons.com

Copyright 2009 Karen Otto

While I am completely open to having my blogs used as part of your marketing materials and for reblogging purposes - please be so kind as to notify and properly credit the author of the content and link back to our site www.homestarstaging.com thank you!

Just wanted to share Home Star Staging's first v-flyer please feel free to take a look at it and pass it along if you'd like (the link provides the fully optimized flyer below is just a pdf I made).

I know this type of flyer is typically used by Realtors for listings however it also serves a purpose for other service professionals like myself.

I can:

• share my work
• highlight a service
• advertise a special
• you name it, the uses are endless

I have had this free account for almost 2 years now and was inspired just recently by another home stager and friend, Michelle Minch, who posted her vflyer to her blog. I am still in the "figuring it out" stage and just wanted to share it here.

Want to make your own? Visit vflyer (this one was a free basic template with my adds)

Are you selling a home?

Been on the market for awhile?

No offers or constructive feedback?

What's going on?

You've priced it right, it's in a good location and you feel it shows well.

• Is it just the market?
• Are there too many other homes to choose from?

In all likelihood, even though everything you feel you've done is right, buyers just may not like your house.

Why?

They just aren't getting the emotional connection they need to mentally move in and it really isn't personal. At least not for them.

But you and I both know how emotionally attached we can be to our homes. Face it, many of us take the time to make it our own. Our personal touches abound. From the wall of family photos, vacation snow globe collectibles to the matching chintz drapery and dining room chairs we so lovingly picked out.

Why shouldn't we make it our own?

It's our own special refuge, place of comfort in times of sorrow and loss, a party house in times of joy and celebration, and a workhorse that we can get our most mundane tasks accomplished in on a daily basis. My kids took their first steps here and I can still see them walking across that old wooden floor. How can it not be personal?

Well of course while living in this old house we should all make it as personal as we'd like. It is a reflection of you and your family or possibly a reflection of something else;

• times gone by
• family heirlooms passed from generation to generation
• a house that's been waiting for just the right dining room set to be found and in the mean time we'll just use this card table
• a kitchen that we just couldn't decide on the granite for counter tops and the Formica has been OK
• fixtures that still work and are just as good (in your mind) as something new

Now fast forward to selling this old house.

Those same personal (and some not so personal) touches that have made your house so special to you and your family could be making it impossible for the next family to see a reflection of themselves in.

People tend to see with the eyes of their heart when shopping for a home.

This is not just your ordinary shopping experience.

Think about going into a specialty store.

Let's say Pottery Barn. Although color of the walls, flooring and shelving of the store is very important to the aesthetic display and layout, what are they selling? Pottery Barn is in the business of selling home decor and furnishings. That is their product. So the products take center stage.

Now think of your house in the same way of a specialty store. What product are you trying to sell? Your custom drapery that matches only your chairs? Your over sized sectional that fills up the media room? Your grandmother's collection of antique clocks? Start thinking like an objective salesperson who has a large ticket item to sell - a house.

And remember, it's nothing personal.

North Texas home sellers do you still need an objective eye to help take the personal out of the home selling process? Need the 'eyes of the buyer' who can constructively move you toward your goal - the successful and profitable sale of your house? Look no further Home Star Staging will provide you with tips to sell your home and give you the feedback you need. Home Star Staging is here for you North Texas!

By TwitterButtons.com

Copyright 2009 Karen Otto

A new title to add to the resume.

As defined an advocate means: preach: speak, plead, or argue in favor of a cause, something or an issue

My advocacy in Real Estate?

• Home Staging

As my blog details explain:

As a North Texas Home Staging Professional this blog is a collection of information, thoughts, stories and ideas on the home staging profession as I personally experience it. I welcome comments and suggestions and hope I may help the home staging and real estate community in some way by my contributions on my blog. I am passionate about educating the public and real estate community on the benefits of home staging.

I would personally love to see home staging become a standard part of every real estate transaction. Whether performed by a Professional Home Stager, Realtor "stagent" or seller themselves, Home Staging should be a mandatory part of the home selling puzzle.

We all know that Active Rain is the Advocate for all Real Estate Professionals and has provided a platform for all of us to step up on and be heard. From Realtors, mortgage lenders, photographers to Home Stagers, as members we all have the opportunity to have our voices heard and they're listening! Thank you AR for being our Advocate!

RESA is an Advocate for the Home Staging Industry . For Professional Home Stagers who haven't joined I encourage you to go to the website, read and see the value RESA brings not only to you as a home stager but the clients we serve.

Please see the RESA statistics on how home staging can help move a property.

This title was recently brought up to me when I received a very thougthful comment to my profile page at www.energizedseller.com from the President of ES & Active Rain member, Dan Eason.

Energized Seller, is an advocate to Real Estate Professionals and especially Home Sellers by providing a resource for home sellers to go and ask professionals their advice. If you haven't already checked it out and joined, by all means you should.

Here's what Dan had to say:

Dan Eason wrote Advocate on Sat, Feb 21 2009 3:33 PM Karen, you're a great advocate for the staging industry. You're wonderful at educating people, you demonstrate staging ROI, and you conduct yourself very professionally. It's an honor knowing you.

Thank you Dan. I am honored to be a part of your site and provide quality content and recommendations to home sellers around the country.

Won't you join me and the legions of advocates who understand how home staging can help you achieve your home selling goals?

Proudly ADVOCATING HOME STAGING to legions of others, Home Star Staging is here for you!

By TwitterButtons.com