Kathleen Garvey - Stager Idol Award - Denver Home Staging - Best Home Stager

What’s in a name you ask?

Words written by Shakespeare from Romeo and Juliet:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

The name by which you call yourself as a profession may be more than one. Choices might depend on a personal preference or simply, the most publicly acknowledged job title.

This idea applies to many professions. Realtors are also known as property specialists or agents. Physicians are known as doctors or medical care providers. The same goes for teachers, a.k.a. instructors or educators.

One of the continual discussions in the world of professional home staging is what ‘name’ will the industry finally rest on when describing itself. Real Estate staging is my preference however the general public seems to remember the words Home Staging in particular.

How do you feel about the name Home Stager? Real Estate Stager? Are we Re-designers as well? Sure, why not? It fits! Do we add a dash or do we not? Sometimes it drives me a bit batty when trying to add 5 name variations for the google crawlers to stumble upon. Do you think about those details as well? Oy!

Recently I heard the term Room Refiner as a descriptive option. Hmm…sorta 'tongue-twisty' and an interesting idea, though not particularly easy for clients to remember. Others describe their title as a Property Stylist or Real Estate Consultant. The list varies…so I suppose it depends on how exotic or embellished you wish your job title to sound.

For me, I have yet to decide on my official official job title. Google SEO seems to carry more weight than my personal preference choice at the moment…so, I will simply roll with the flow.

Is the Internet world THAT influential when it comes down to naming your occupation? Maybe...

What do you think? What’s in a name anyway?

Ahhhh….there lies the rub…..

Last night I went over to a neighbor’s home for a graduation grill-out. One of the guests was very interested in learning about Professional Home Staging. ‘John’ is a real estate investor and owns properties in several states. As the property prices have declined to gut-wrenching low levels in the SW Florida area, he has been buying and hopes to resell the newly-purchased properties quickly. John is a typical real estate investor who wants to improve his marketability and increase his profit. I asked him if he knew how to dance. Then he looked at me with a puzzled look in his eyes and asked me to explain.

Since I receive quite a few calls from property investors, I shared my knowledge of the Florida investor market with him. You can dance as many dances as you want…you just need to learn how to dance properly!

Today’s investors want the highest possible return on their money, correct? Part of the equation for making money on your short-term real estate is to sell the property quickly. You know the drill…A faster sell means less overhead each month (mortgage, insurance, taxes, maintenance etc…).

As I explained to John, statistics have shown that 90% of people are unable visualize furnishings in empty rooms. He nodded his head in agreement. Furthering that line of discussion, I talked about the visual and tactile impression which professional home staging brings to the house. The stager should be a featured partner in the real estate dance. There is an art to home staging with class and finding the right partner makes a difference when showcasing the house for sale.

Think about it. If a stager creates ambiance and warmth within a formerly empty room through staging, they are helping people to ‘see’ what is possible. Buyers usually tend to sit and rest for a few minutes when surrounded by attractive furnishings, accessories and artwork in a room. The key is to create an emotional connection between your property and the Buyer.

Properly done, real estate staging creates the ambiance and overall 'feel' that encourages a buyer to BUY.

A professional stager also knows how to create focal points based on the selling features of the house. So why not help buyers ‘see’ more potential than just walls and flooring? When you do so, the house then becomes viewed as a ‘home’.

Buying smart is just the beginning to making money in real estate. Home Staging helps real estate become SOLD. Once the property sells, the investor’s money is now available….to dance the dance again!

If you are a real estate investor who wants to attract more buyers to your listing, invest in real estate staging and improve your marketing edge. Just Dance!

After reading a few different blogs about ‘specialization’ in your market, I am wondering if this business model is still considered a good choice in today’s economy. When consumers have less money to spend, why would they choose to hire three different people instead of one person who can handle all the details?

Businesses are struggling to explore new ways to earn income. I believe in the 'perfect world' that specialization is KEY to being successful as a stand-out in your particular field. Yet, when dollars are being carefully weighed and doled out with measured moderation, I wonder if the quality of services provided is strengthened or weakened when one person provides too many 'specialized services'.

Ahhh....therein lies the rub.

For my taste, with many details to manage in daily work and life, I prefer to work with business services which can deliver top-notch results. The question is whether to rely on the Jack of All Trades or the Master of One. In the end, QUALITY of work DOES MATTER.

What do you think? Who is more successful today: A business-person who specializes in multiple services or the business-person who simply provides the best quality with mastering one service?

Warmest Regards,

Each year, new trendy colors are introduced to us and often influence our choices. Sherwin Williams presents an exciting fanfare with their annual color trend release. I enjoy checking it out and want to share the trends with you!

Though I may tend toward Benjamin Moore as my usual selection for a premium brand of paint, I can certainly appreciate the array of new 2010 top color picks from Sherwin Williams.

One important fact about color is that it has the power to influence our emotional well-being. When we are looking for peace and calm in our lives, overly bright colors will often produce the opposite effect of 'serenity'. Softer colors will provide a gentle quietness more so than an electric lime-green choice. Does that make sense to you?

This year’s trends appear to guide us toward the softer edges of color. These colors offer solace within the chaos of the nation's current challenges....affecting every one of us. Take a look and observe the difference in how you feel when viewing these choices. Remember, surrounding colors strongly influence our moods and can make an impression in varied unconscious and subtle manners.

Simplified, Refreshed, Treasured and Rooted are the themes of the SW 2010 color trends.

Our world has been rudely awakened to an unconscious 'throw-away mentality'. The awareness has been heightened and now focused on appreciating that which is old, worn and still usable. Instead of replacing, use paint as an artful way to update items. Choose colors which breathe new life onto a white wall or even a worn bookshelf...

If your life is as stressed and crazy as mine seems to be of late, I hope that my info on Sherwin Williams 2010 paint color trends offers you some creative ideas for your own personal space...including how color can influence and support your needs. Click on the above highlighted link to view the rest of the 2010 color trends!

Choose color as a way to celebrate a refreshed outlook within your life. Paint your space with thoughtful and well-chosen colors. And make no excuses for enjoying tender color….because your need for balanced serenity is too important.

Simplification is the IN choice for 2010.

Warmest Regards,

KATHLEEN GARVEY, National Award Winner of Stager Idol 2008.

State President of RESA-Florida

2009 RESA State President of the Year

ENHANCED INTERIORS & HOME STAGING is located in the Fort Myers - Naples, Florida area. Serving real estate staging needs in the following cities: Naples. Bonita Springs, Estero, Sanibel Island, Ft. Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral and Punta Gorda, FL. (239) 849-6009

Please visit my website: ENHANCED INTERIORS

If you have been keeping up on the trend to HOME STAGE as a way to better market real estate properties, you may have wondered if home staging still makes sense in 2009.

Questions you ask may include:

• What if my house for sale is empty? Should I have it professionally staged?
• What can I do to create more appeal to buyers? Does staging make a difference?
• Is there another idea to help a listing sell quicker other than dropping the price? How else can I impact more buyers?

One of the newer trends in the real world of staging homes is focused on Staging the IMPACT ROOMS.

What this means is that the main living spaces are the showcased areas.

Because the economy is on everyone’s mind, I am often asked about the best way to spend wisely and incorporate the important elements of home staging. (All areas of the house do not need to be staged/furnished.)

In order to create an effective ‘Wow’ factor for buyers who view your home, staging the impact rooms of an empty house is key. Ask Realtors what they think about the difference in showing potential buyers empty houses versus those which are tastefully staged. Which ones create more traffic for the homeseller? Certainly not the empty house.

Impact staging usually includes the initial room a buyer may see as they cross the threshold into the home. Perhaps they first walk into a Living Room space and/or sometimes, a Dining Room. Whichever room is the first one you see, remember that creating a positive initial impression is all important.

By staging simply with a seating group, artwork, lighting and a few decorative items, the space is further defined to a buyer. It feels like a home. Empty rooms feel...well, empty!

The Family room and Kitchen are also two main areas where buyers want to feel ‘connected’ to when they walk through the rooms. One of the goals in staging a vacant home is to add interest and warmth to rooms which otherwise might feel rather lackluster and cold. A professional stager is knowledgeable about where to add proper furnishing placement and where to enhance with decorative touches.

Home Staging is all about creating a more appealing atmosphere so the buyers can picture themselves living in the home.

For example: Which Master Bedroom would you rather BUY (sleep in)?

(Hint: All three photos are the same room in a $700K listing!)

Whenever economically possible, I try to also include the Master Bedroom in the home staging budget. The way I see it, the buyers who are agreeing to purchase the home will be sleeping in this personal space so I want them to connect to the bedroom too!

It doesn’t have to be fully decked-out and designed….yet, the impact of beautiful linens, headboard and end tables with lighting works well together and often seals the deal! Adding few staged items in the Master Bath offers the finishing touches to the Master Suite.

The professional Real Estate Stager will know how much of a balance your IMPACT rooms will need. Real estate staging makes a difference in the buyer’s experience when viewing your home….and the difference in buyers choosing your property versus the other empty house down the street. This is the REAL DEAL in Home Staging trends for 2009 my friends!

Warmest Regards,

KATHLEEN GARVEY, National Award Winner of Stager Idol 2008.

State President of RESA-Florida

ENHANCED INTERIORS & HOME STAGING is located in the Fort Myers - Naples, Florida area. Serving real estate staging needs in the following cities: Naples. Bonita Springs, Estero, Sanibel Island, Ft. Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral and Punta Gorda, FL. (239) 849-6009

Please visit my website: ENHANCED INTERIORS