Linda Barnett, Home Matters, Indianapolis, In

Earlier this week we were notified that our company Home Matters Home Staging & Redesign located here in Indianapolis, Indiana has earned the coveted Angie's List Super Service Award for 2011. This is the second year in a row that Home Matters has received this honor. The award is given to only 5% of the millions of companies rated by Angie's list members from across the entire country. I am overjoyed that such an honor has been awarded to us for the second time in as many years.

The following is the press release.

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Linda Barnett and the Home Matters Home Staging team of Indianapolis, Indiana has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor given annually to approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on service companies.

“Our Super Service Award winners are the cream of the crop when it comes to providing consistently high quality customer service, as judged by the customers who hired them,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List.

Home Matters goal is quite simple; “we create stylish…. warm and welcoming houses that captures the buyers’ attention from the moment they are introduced to the property. We focus on the buyer demographics, the selling features, lifestyle selling techniques and the strategic placement of furniture, accessories and art that translates to a powerful marketing tool! By doing so it shows that staying focused on their clients and their needs; honors, awards and recognition will follow. This is such a special honor for us because it is the second year in a row and because it comes from feedback of those many home owners that have used our services.” Barnett said.

Barnett-A Staging Professional, Interior Decorator, former Realtor and Home Staging Trainer- founded Home Matters Home Staging and Redesign in early 2004 and today operates one of the largest and fastest growing Home Staging companies in the mid-west having serviced over 2,000 clients with 5 property stylists. Barnett- was trained in 2004 as an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) and extended her education in 2008 by becoming SAR Certified, and again in 2009 by becoming certified as a CSP and is a recent graduate of the Staging and Redesign Advanced Staging Course taught by Matthew Finlason, star of the HGTV series “The Stagers”. Barnett- is lead instructor for the Staging and Redesign (SAR) course and is an Indiana State certified instructor through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency and the Indiana Real Estate Commission offering certified training to Home Stagers and Real Estate agents including a GRI continued education classes on Home Staging for the Indiana Association of Realtors at the IUPUI Campus at Kokomo, Indiana. Barnett- served as Technical Editor for the Home Staging for Dummies book, which was released by Wiley Publishing, Inc. in May of 2008. Barnett- has received the RESA-PRO designation by meeting the 5 mandatory requirements the last of which was Passing the RESA-PRO Home Stagers Ethics Exam in August of 2010. Barnett is also a professional business coach and mentor for Staging Professionals throughout the U.S.

Home Matters has received much media coverage from television segments as well as many newspapers and magazines articles. Linda and her teams’ extensive body of work earned her a nomination for the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Professional Stager of the Year Award from the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) and have been named "Best in Class" Home Staging & Redesign Company by the F.C. Tucker Real Estate Company for 2008, 2009 and 2010. Home Matters was named 2010 “Best of Indianapolis Home Staging Company”, by the Indianapolis Monthly Magazine. Home Matters also enjoys the highest of customer satisfaction rankings among all staging companies by Angie’s List and is the recipient of the Super Service award for 2010 and 2011 for Home Staging. Barnett- is President of the Indiana State Chapter of the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), a position she has held since 2008. Barnett- has been asked to share her expertise in Home Staging on several occasions as a member of the Panel of Experts at the 2011 RESA Conference and again at the 2012 RESA Conference as a round table facilitator.

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines. Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.

For further details about Home Matters, Home Staging and Redesign or for contact information please visit our website: www.homemattersllc.com.

Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 1 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. For further details visit the website at www.angieslist.com

What do you make of a professional home stager that advises some of their clients not to stage?

Well, I certainly want to continue growing my business which may sound odd from someone saying they advise some clients that it is not in their best interest to stage NOW. But one of the founding principles of my business is to be trusted by my clients. I have always believed that every action I take today is either building or destroying my reputation for the future. So, from day one I wanted to be known as someone my clients could trust and rely on. With our real estate agent clients, TRUST is a huge factor, knowing that when they place their clients in our hands that they are placing their own reputation in our hands as well. That is a huge responsibility and one I think needs to be taken most seriously.

Seems like every day we hear stories from our clients that make us stop and evaluate where staging fits into the selling process. It is not realistic to make the comment that everyone should stage their home prior to putting it on the market. We all know where staging fits into the selling process, but we find ourselves asking more and more where staging fits in relationship to return on investment and budget constraints compared to everything else that has to take place in preparing the home.

On some occasions, I am asked to evaluate the best use of a set budget amount that the home owner has to spend and how to prioritize that investment to maximize their marketing potential. And the factors I have to take into consideration can be overwhelming at times. Some of those factors are related to the condition aspect of the property such as outdated light-fixtures, countertops, cabinets, faucets and hardware, old tired and outdated wall colors and/or wall treatments, worn carpeting, overgrown or sparse landscaping and the list goes on and on and on. When a home owner is considering all of this the question inevitably becomes “What’s the best use of our limited funds?

As an example, with a $2,000 budget, there are things on this list that must be addressed before the staging option should be considered. Placing my nice furniture and accessories in a home in dire need of new paint, new carpeting and upgrades will get me and my business $2,000 dollars but do little to increase the marketability of the home and therefore does little to increase the sales potential. My best advice in those rare cases is to put the monies into repairs and cosmetic fixes first and then if there is money leftover then and only then should you stage the property. Condition issues and repairs should trump staging when allocating funds for the potential sale.

A cold hard fact is that not all homes that are “for sale” will be sold. The statistics are really staggering concerning number of listing verses the number of homes that actually sell.

“How far do we have to go before it is a sellable product?” It appears that if you’re not competing in the top echelon of your market on price, condition, presentation, one would have to wonder if your product (house) is really competing at all. And then there is “How far do we have to lower the price to make it a sellable product?” I’m not sure that is relevant in many cases today because there are many sellers up-side down or close to it, with limited or no funds to bring to the closing table and are left with the “all of my options have been exhausted feeling”. So with great sadness on my part, often times I’m helpless to provide the solution so many desire and truly need to project their properties forward and toward the SOLD sign. I can and do recommend they trade some creative services like cooking, sewing, for storage space at their neighbor’s house or take on extra work to buy painting supplies, but I’m sure to them it’s an insignificant suggestion and not the answer they were hoping for. In reality, I sometimes have to turn them down on staging before the condition factors have been addressed because I know that it is in their best interest that I come to that unfortunate conclusion. How about you? Have you ever had to turn them down because you didn’t want to let them down?

Indianapolis Home Staging, Training and Redesign Company, Home Matters, is central Indiana’s expert when it comes to preparing and staging your home for the Real Estate Market. In business since 2004, Home Matters has successfully worked with thousands of home owners, realtors, builders and investors in creating beautifully, welcoming spaces that helps get homes sold. Home Matters team of professional home staging designers have been featured on FOX 59 news, WISH TV, Angie’s List Podcasts, Indianapolis Star, IBJ, Real Estate Life Style Magazine and other Central Indiana News Publications. Home Matters has the experience, expertise and the resources to assist you with all of your staging and redesign needs.

Our goal is quite simple; We create stylish…. warm and welcoming houses that captures the buyers attention from the moment they are introduced to the property. We focus on the buyer demographics, the selling features, lifestyle selling techniques and the strategic placement of furniture, accessories and art that translates to a powerful marketing tool!

With over 90% of buyers looking to the internet to search for their new homes, we understand the power of making your homes first impression work to your advantage. Photos of each staged room will give your prospects an idea of what to expect during their tour of your property. With your homes presentation in order, you will impress potential buyers right away!

Whether your home is vacant or occupied we are ready to help you “set the scene” so you can “seal the deal”.

For more information regarding our services, please feel free to take a look at our website and to see our work products. www.homemattersllc.com or contact us at 317-209-9801

Home Staging and Redesign 3 Day Training at Indianapolis, Indiana November 5th to 7th, 2011 Join Linda Barnett , Staging and Redesign (SAR) Instructor and founder of Home Matters Home Staging, Redesign and Training of Indianapolis, Indiana as she shares her years of knowledge, experience and passion for home staging. Linda offers some of the most comprehensive Home Staging training in the industry by way of the SAR Staging and Redesign training program. Our training programs are approved by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), a member run international organization for Home Stagers. This means you know that your instructor has met rigorous guidelines and your training will provide you with what you need to know to advance in this growing industry. In fact the main thing that sets SAR apart from the many other staging designations is the instructors, each of whom runs a successful Home Staging business in their local market. What this means to the students is that your teacher will be able to answer any and all questions about starting and running a successful Home Staging business in the geographical area in which you live. We've been there, we've done that and we're ready to share our experience with you. What else sets SAR's training course apart from the others? Our focus on technology. For Example, why have a bulky training manual that just collects dust on your shelf? Our course manuals are given to you in digital format on an Amazon Kindle, which is yours to keep after the class! We will be giving you this and many more tools that you need to succeed in a field that's increasingly dependent on technology. And our focus on Education. We gain much pride in our philosophy that “It’s all about the education, not the designation” We are here to provide you with a quality education to help you succeed in the Home Staging Industry. We are NOT here to upsale you on a lot of gadgets. Staging and Redesign Training was established in 2007 with the mission of helping new and existing home stagers work in today's real estate marketplace. Since then both our instructors and students have been awarded national and international awards, including the Real Estate Staging Association's Professional Stager of the Year, Angie’s List Super Service Award, RESA Rookie of the Year awards as well as having been nominees and finalists for RESA's Innovator of the Year and Stager of The Year awards. By keeping tabs on what's currently going on in the home staging industry and changing our courses to reflect today's market, we ensure our students have the most up to date home staging training possible. Who will benefit from taking the SAR Home Staging and Redesign program? Individuals that are interested in starting a Home Staging Business. Or those looking for a change in careers. Existing Home Stagers interested in learning to becoming an industry expert. Decorators, Redesigners and Organizers looking to expand thier services. Individuals already in Real Estate related field. What makes our course different: You will receive our comprehensive 300+ page Training Manual including diagrams, layouts and study guides loaded on your own Kindle Wi-Fi reader. No heavy manuals. Everything you need is at your fingertips! You will have Hands on Staging Experience at an occupied home currently on the market. We offer payment plans that allow you to pay for your course in 6 to 10 easy payments. All SAR Instructors adhere to the Real Estate Staging Associations strict code of ethics. You will have use of the Certified Property Consultant® title after you pass the certification test with at least an 80% mark. You will be offered a variety of continuing education after you have received your certification. You will be instructed by successful Home Staging Business owners in your area, who have years of experience with excellent reputations. We are members of the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) and our instructors are all RESA approved instructors. We help to equip you with the level of confidence necessary for you to sell your services effectively to Realtors, Builders, Investors and Homeowners. Each class is held to a maximum number of students so that the best learning and interaction experience is provided. For more information about the SAR Home Staging training program, to register, or to visit Linda's website please follow the links below or call 1-317-209-9801. Register soon, seating is limited! Contact Information SAR Training Dates and Registration for Indianapolis Staging and Redesign Website Home Matters Training website All information in this site is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change

Many years ago Indianapolis residents used the name INDIA-NO-PLACE to describe our city. That was before auto racing reached new heights in popularity with the Indianapolis 500 open wheel racing craze, the NASCAR Brickyard 400, and even a short stint with Formula One racing. That was before Mayor Hudnut started the downtown revitalization project that completely gave our city a facelift, particularly in the downtown area and before the insurgence of many companies moving to the area cashing in on Indiana’s central location for transportation to all points in the Midwest and East Coast. And that was even before the Indianapolis Colts moved to town and brought with them many Division championships and even a Super Bowl Championship along the way.

Now years and years later in our world of Indy Home Staging we have seen big change that at least gives the impression that the name should more notably be INDIA-SOME-PLACE. Right?

Since starting Home Matters Home Staging seven years ago, we have seen our business grow from twelve staging’s that first year to well over 150 stagings and over 250 consultations a year. It went from a one woman operation to a five woman and two man operation. We have seen staging companies swell in numbers. We’ve seen the Stagers Expo come to town and this September 9^th and 10^th, we will see another spectacular event take place in our great city. Drum Roll, Please!

We will not only have the (SAR) Staging and Redesign Class taught by yours truly (Sept. 12-14^th) but we will have (SAR) Advanced Staging Training taught by none other than Matt Finlason. I never would have guessed just seven short years ago that we could see a HGTV Star come to our staging world here in Indy. But at last it is true. We are Winning Big!

Matthew’s class is exciting and delivered as only he can do. He’ll be teaching us how to create exceptional imagery, some marketing and overall business concepts as well as…well just take a look for yourself at the outline for his class. Read slowly there is a lot to take in.

PARADIGM SHIFT

The Stereotypical Identity

The New Identity

New Expectations

Day I: Raising the Professional Bar: Business, Marketing & Client Management

Introduction to TARGET STAGING

Understanding TARGET MARKETING

Research DEMEOGRAPHICS/ Form A: Why BUY this home VS Why NOT to BUY this home.

Identify DEMOGRAPHICS/ Form B: Buyer's Demographic Profile

THE STAGING BLUEPRINT/ Floor Plan A, Floor Plan B, Floor Plan C

RELATIONSHIPS THAT SELL

MARKETING MATERIALS

FORM A & B/ STAGING BLUEPRINT

DRESSING TO SELL - 5 Tips

TAKING THE LEAD

ESTABLISHING PARAMETERS

MANAGING DIFFICULT PERSONALITIES

MONETIZING YOUR STAGE

NEW SERVICES

TARGET MARKETING

TRADE REFERRALS

SELLING FURNITURE AND ART

LEVERAGING THE MEDIA............. HANDOUTS: 6 Steps, Public Relations, Press Release

DAY 2 RAISING THE CREATIVE BAR - Advanced Design & The Creative Process

LIFESTYLE MERCHANDISING

SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH STORY-Telling

SOLD ON COLOR: Step Outside The Neutral Zone

CREATE A COMPANY AESTHETIC

DE-MYSTIFYING DESIGN STYLES

MIXING AESTHETIC: To Target Demographics

STAGING TO HIGHLIGHT ARCHITECTURE

CREATING DRAMA WITH LIGHTING: The Triangulation Effect

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

MIRRORS: The Story In Reflection

MIXING WOOD TONES

MIXING METALS

CREATIVE FURNITURE ARRANGEMENTS

DUAL PURPOSE: Maximizing Room Function

UNEXPECTED LOOKS THAT SELL

Class Dates for Indianapolis,

September 10^th and 11^th SAR Advanced Staging Training with Matthew Finlason

September 12,13,14^th SAR- 3-day Staging Training with guest appearance by Melissa Marro and Matthew Finlason

So WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? So get your winning ticket and get into the WINNER’S CIRCLE for your two day whirlwind of education that is certain to bring about a fabulous time, loads of information and a great opportunity to increase your odds for growth and success! Sign up and WIN BIG!

Indianapolis Home Staging, Training and Redesign Company, Home Matters, is central Indiana’s expert when it comes to preparing and staging your home for the Real Estate Market. In business since 2004, Home Matters has successfully worked with thousands of home owners, realtors, builders and investors in creating beautifully, welcoming spaces that helps get homes sold. Home Matters team of professional home staging designers have been featured on FOX 59 news, WISH TV, Angie’s List Podcasts, Indianapolis Star, IBJ, Real Estate Life Style Magazine and other Central Indiana News Publications. Home Matters has the experience, expertise and the resources to assist you with all of your staging and redesign needs.

Our goal is quite simple; We create stylish…. warm and welcoming houses that captures the buyers attention from the moment they are introduced to the property. We focus on the buyer demographics, the selling features, lifestyle selling techniques and the strategic placement of furniture, accessories and art that translates to a powerful marketing tool!

With over 90% of buyers looking to the internet to search for their new homes, we understand the power of making your homes first impression work to your advantage. Photos of each staged room will give your prospects an idea of what to expect during their tour of your property. With your homes presentation in order, you will impress potential buyers right away!

Whether your home is vacant or occupied we are ready to help you “set the scene” so you can “seal the deal”.

For more information regarding our services, please feel free to take a look at our website and to see our work products. www.homemattersllc.com or contact us at 317-209-9801

Home Staging and Redesign 3 Day Training at Indianapolis, Indiana July 11th to 13th, 2011 Join Linda Barnett , Staging and Redesign (SAR) Instructor and founder of Home Matters Home Staging, Redesign and Training of Indianapolis, Indiana as she shares her years of knowledge, experience and passion for home staging. Linda offers some of the most comprehensive Home Staging training in the industry by way of the SAR Staging and Redesign training program. Our training programs are approved by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), a member run international organization for Home Stagers. This means you know that your instructor has met rigorous guidelines and your training will provide you with what you need to know to advance in this growing industry. In fact the main thing that sets SAR apart from the many other staging designations is the instructors, each of whom runs a successful Home Staging business in their local market. What this means to the students is that your teacher will be able to answer any and all questions about starting and running a successful Home Staging business in the geographical area in which you live. We've been there, we've done that and we're ready to share our experience with you. What else sets SAR's training course apart from the others? Our focus on technology. For Example, why have a bulky training manual that just collects dust on your shelf? Our course manuals are given to you in digital format on an Amazon Kindle, which is yours to keep after the class! We will be giving you this and many more tools that you need to succeed in a field that's increasingly dependent on technology. And our focus on Education. We gain much pride in our philosophy that “It’s all about the education, not the designation” We are here to provide you with a quality education to help you succeed in the Home Staging Industry. We are NOT here to upsale you on a lot of gadgets. Staging and Redesign Training was established in 2007 with the mission of helping new and existing home stagers work in today's real estate marketplace. Since then both our instructors and students have been awarded national and international awards, including the Real Estate Staging Association's Professional Stager of the Year, Angie’s List Super Service Award, RESA Rookie of the Year awards as well as having been nominees and finalists for RESA's Innovator of the Year and Stager of The Year awards. By keeping tabs on what's currently going on in the home staging industry and changing our courses to reflect today's market, we ensure our students have the most up to date home staging training possible. Who will benefit from taking the SAR Home Staging and Redesign program? Individuals that are interested in starting a Home Staging Business. Or those looking for a change in careers. Existing Home Stagers interested in learning to becoming an industry expert. Decorators, Redesigners and Organizers looking to expand thier services. Individuals already in Real Estate related field. What makes our course different: You will receive our comprehensive 300+ page Training Manual including diagrams, layouts and study guides loaded on your own Kindle Wi-Fi reader. No heavy manuals. Everything you need is at your fingertips! You will have Hands on Staging Experience at an occupied home currently on the market. We offer payment plans that allow you to pay for your course in 6 to 10 easy payments. All SAR Instructors adhere to the Real Estate Staging Associations strict code of ethics. You will have use of the Certified Property Consultant® title after you pass the certification test with at least an 80% mark. You will be offered a variety of continuing education after you have received your certification. You will be instructed by successful Home Staging Business owners in your area, who have years of experience with excellent reputations. We are members of the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) and our instructors are all RESA approved instructors. We help to equip you with the level of confidence necessary for you to sell your services effectively to Realtors, Builders, Investors and Homeowners. Each class is held to a maximum number of students so that the best learning and interaction experience is provided. For more information about the SAR Home Staging training program, to register, or to visit Linda's website please follow the links below or call 1-317-209-9801. Register soon, seating is limited! Contact Information Links SAR Training Dates and Registration for Indianapolis Staging and Redesign Website Home Matters Training website All information in this site is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change