Pam Faulkner-Faulkner House Redesign Stager-Northern VA-Fairfax & Loudoun Co

Warning! Crammers are on the Line!

In the last week I've received quite a few boiler room sales-type calls-you know the type when you can hear a lot of people talking in the background. I tell them to take me off the list and that I'm not interested before they can give me their pitch.

Last month there was a new long distance carrier charge on my business phone that I had to dispute. It was bizarre since I make it a practice never to talk to these people. Verizon said that they get complaints about this kind of thing all the time, it's called "cramming" Another type is "slamming" where your phone service provider is switched. The Verizon rep agreed to send this to dispute and put a block on my account so that "add-ons" like this wouldn't happen. She also said that it might take a few billing cycles for the charge to come off, but at least I wasn't liable for the charge.

I learned some important things I wanted to pass along. We all know not to talk to these people, but they are getting more clever in their business practices. If you ask for your number to be placed on the Do Not Call list, hang up immediately after that. It's not a guarantee that you won't be crammed, but it's a start. If you hold for verification, it will somehow technically imply that you are agreeing to services! The key is being switched. So hang up if you get a call that even remotely sounds like a sales call and DON'T let them switch you to anyone or for anything because it will imply a "sale". Report it immediately to your phone carrier. They may not be able to block the charges proactively but they should be able to place the information on your account so that if you do get crammed you will have more information for a dispute.

The Verizon rep told me that she has handled hundreds of calls like this. Many of the calls sound legitimate and can lure people in. The aggravating thing is that you may not even know you have been crammed until you get your phone bill as in my case. The most disturbing thing is that these "crammers" are in many ways protected from penalties or prosecution, even though it is costing the phone companies unknown dollars to undo these charges, and the cost is passed to business owners like us. Reporting incidents to the FCC can help.

I'm writing this to make everyone aware that there are lots of these "crammers" out there with subtle schemes to entrap you, making it easy for them to add something directly to your phone bill without you even realizing it until you get your bill. For me, it was a time waster and an aggravation for a charge that was less than $20. The Verizon rep said that in some cases it can be more-a lot more.
Have you had a similar experience or one that was worse? Please share it to prevent others from becoming victims.

There are many aspects in marketing a home. A great marketing plan starts with the best possible product. Your home is that product and you want to present and package it so that it stands out in the sea of similar homes. That's where staging comes in. Just as a super model or celebrity consults with a professional stylist before a premier, your home needs to be sure that is polished to perfection before its big premiere.

Stagers are independent business owners who may or may not belong to professional staging associations. Services may include do-it-yourself staging consults and coaching to comprehensive, turn key packages. Consider your situation when looking into staging. What is your budget? How much time do you have to prepare your home? Do you have the skills and knowledge to make needed changes or repairs? Can you be truly objective when evaluating your home?

Reading staging articles and books may help. Watching home shows on TV may or may not help and can give false or misleading impressions about prepping your home for sale. Keep in mind that these shows are edited and produced as much for entertainment as they are for providing information. Some points:

• Most professional stagers are respectful of your feelings and your furnishings. They will, however, be honest about furnishings that are not an asset to the selling presentation.

• It's not about you. You may be very comfortable with the way your home is furnished and may feel hurt if you now have to disrupt your way of living. You are not being judged for your tastes or punished for not having the right furnishings. Remember that you may be inconvenienced for the greater good.

• It is not always necessary or practical to do construction or remodeling in order to sell a home. Slightly less expensive, but highly effective home updates like painting cabinets, walls or replacing carpeting may be indicated to update the home for a better price/quicker sale.

• Years of maintenance issues cannot be resolved in a day, or even a week. Before any staging begins, tend to the HVAC, appliance, fences, walkways, roofing, landscaping and other issues.

• Preparing your home can and will cost money. Home preparation costs depend on how well your home has been maintained over the years, whether any updates have been done and what interior re-arrangements may need to be made for the house to show at its best. It will also depend on how much you will take on yourself and how much you expect others to do for you. A staging consult can give you a clearer idea of the steps needed to prep the house and can be one of your best investments. How well you prep your house will have a direct bearing on how well it shows, how many, if any, offers are made and how long it will take to sell.

• You directly affect the sale of your home. You are a partner with your realtor, stager, handyman and others who provide services to ready your home for sale. Communication, cooperation and consideration are necessary for the best possible outcome.

In previous posts, I wrote about the new IRIS National Capital Area Chapter's homeless shelter apartment makeover project. Two of the three apartments are finished. On June 9, 2009, at the Shelter House.org Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, the Chapter received the Community Partner Award for work on the Patrick Henry Family Shelter. As President of the chapter, I can tell you that the results and the response from the staff and the family who moved in were rewards enough for the hours of work spent on the redesign and staging of the apartments . To be the recipients of this award is such an honor. We are so thankful to be able to give back to the community in this way.

As if that weren't exciting enough, we were also presented with an official copy of the United States Congressional Record for June 9, 2009 in which Congressman Gerald R. Connolly of Virginia recognized "Shelter House.org and in particular the contributions its volunteers make in service to our community", and names the Interior Redesign Industry Specialists as the Community Partner Award winners for the Patrick Henry Shelter.

This project, which begain with a desire to redesign and stage one apartment for the Shelter grew into a committment to fulfill an immediate need for three. Deserving redesign has created ripples that we would never have expected.

To see brief videos of the first two apartments please click on these links:

http://www.realestateshows.com/383648

http://www.realestateshows.com/392976

More on the third and final apartment to follow!

Dumpster-What? Yes, I must admit that we are not too proud to pass up great potential furniture that has been left by the side of the dumpster.

IRIS National Capitol Area members (and soon to be new chapter) have finished their second apartment makeover for the Patrick Henry Shelter House in Falls Church, VA. Key to this project was stretching the bare bones budget by using donated materials and furnishings and finding freebies through craigslist (yes, it is supposed to be lower case) and Freecycle. That also included keeping sharp eyes out for 'potentials" which brings us to the dumpster diving part. One particularly nice "potential"piece was found next to a dumpster by one of our members. It was an old Ballard Design low cabinet with two drawers and only one of its two doors. The narrow piece was perfect for the small apartment and creative eyes saw its reincarnation into a small bookcase.

So what does this have to do with staging a home to sell?

Most sellers are on a tight budget, particularly in this economy. That budget must cover repairs and cosmetic fixes like painting. Once it comes to actual staging, the budget may be next to nothing. I'm not suggesting that everyone should start hanging out at their local dumpsters looking for treasure like this, but to take a look at what the homeowner may be ready to throw out in their quest to pare down for their move. Often furniture with potential ends up in the trash because no one has recognized its value. As redesigners and stagers we can offer our clients this additional service-using our creativity to save them from wasting resources but also showing them how to use reclaimed furnishings in decoratively functional ways. It's another way to be green in our businesses and to show homeowners how to be green in their decor.

To see the video of the family room/dining area redesign, please click here or cut and past the link below:

http://www.realestateshows.com/392976