Home Staging and Redesign Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN - Shar Sitter

Sold in 17 Days! Woo Hoo!! Home Staging Minnetonka MN

Now that's what I'm talking about. Love to get those emails saying a property I staged sold so quickly.

I was hired to stage this vacant home because it had a really tough living room layout. I even stood and scratched my head when I was in the home taking measurements. I normally know immediately the layout I will use or at least have a pretty good idea. This one. Nothing.

If I was struggling and I do this for a living what do you think the potential buyer thought??

Long narrow room, fireplace on one end, traffic pattern down one entire side, patio doors to get access on the other. Yikes!

A sofa was too long to put crosswise facing the fireplace, and if I put it perpendicual to the fireplace you couldn't walk behind it to get out the patio door or into the dining room.

So here is what I came up with:

Just a few colorful things on the counter-tops helped the white kitchen.

The small dining room with a strangely placed light fixture were also enhanced with home staging.

The Master Bedroom was not only a little blah, it looked very small. I think this helped:

Don't leave the buyer standing in the middle of a room baffled and wondering what they would do with their furniture.....show them!

Call a Professional Home Stager and let your house be the one the buyer wants!

Attitude of Gratitude and her name is Keely.

When I read about the Attitude of Gratitude contest regarding someone that gives so much I knew immediately who that person is.....meet Keely.

Keely works for a non-profit called Midwest Challenge as the Director of Admissions and Administration.

Keely runs the intake for the men coming into the programs who are homeless, coming out of treatment or coming into the work release program while in their last 2 - 6 months of incarceration.

As any non-profit employee she wears many hats, works around the clock and is under paid. But do you want to know the best part? She goes out of her way to make the men feel special.

Check out this Thanksgiving Spread she organized last week for the men and their families. Some of these men had not had Thanksgiving outside of a prison wall in 14 - 26 years. Some hadn't spent a holiday with their kids for a long time due to their addictions.

They would have appreciated anything but they got much more because that's what Keely does. All the little things for them. Napkins with bows........

The kids had a place-mat to color, crayons and a little gift.

The men had a totally home cooked meal (nothing from a box or frozen), and Midwest Challenge provided live music from Cody James and a Thanksgiving message. Oh, and fellowship from visitors coming to bless the men. AAAhhh....the fellowship.

Keely works behind the scenes with only the help of HER family and friends. Cooking the turkeys, yams, green bean salad, dressing, gravy.

No one is treated as homeless or as someone still incarcerated.

Check out this dessert table!!

Do you think she does this just once a year? Nope....we will see it again in a few weeks for Christmas complete with lists from all the men for gifts volunteers can donate; not only for the men but for their wives and kids. Then we will see it again at Easter.

Attitude of Gratitude....that is what I have for Keely and all she does for these men trying to rebuild their lives. Bless her heart.

Inexpensive Kitchen Updates for Low End Homes - Home Staging Minneapolis MN

Yesterday I wrote a post "Is Home Staging A Good Investment for Low End Homes?". My focus was a home that was going to be listed for $80,000 including a brand new garage just being built. That price is well below the median price of a home in the Minneapolis Metro area.

So, is home staging a good return on the investment for low end homes?

Yesterday's post showed the living room and dining room as well as the selling results. Today I wanted to show you the difference specifically in the kitchen.

Remember this fact...."KITCHENS SELL HOMES".

That statement isn't qualified by "unless the home is under $200K" or whatever number you set. It applies to ALL homes regardless of price.

So in this tiny low end home in a tough area of Minneapolis, it has a further detriment in that it's front door opens right smack into the kitchen. See the front door on the right? Awkward? Aahhh....yes.

So, what do you need to do? Make the buyer's jaw drop and not have them thinking about the awkwardness.

I met with the investor and here were my suggestions:

1) Modernize - Replace the kitchen cabinet hardware with oil rubbed bronze hardware available at big box stores for 10 for $14.99. Install a ready-made composite wood blind on the window again from a big box store.

2) Create Drama - Find clearanced-out or discontinued Mosaic tile at a tile shop or big box store and install a back splash. Sheets of 12"x12" tile can sometimes be found for a couple bucks.

3) Get Rid of Wasted Space - There is a huge dance floor in the middle of this kitchen which is lacking counter space. My advice, pick up a portable island creating more counter space as well as a modern look. The black and stainless steel island shown below was found at Big Lots for $119,

4) Fun - Add a little fun for very little money by putting a glass pendant light above the sink again found at big box stores for under $20.

THE RESULTS:

Note: no new appliances, no new cabinets.

Do you have a low end investment property, home or listing and think it's not worth putting in a little money or sweat equity? I would think again.

Take a look at the living room and dining room pictures on my Previous Post. This home sold in Four Days.

For professional advice on all price level homes call a Professional Certified Home Stager.

Originally posted at: Rooms With Style Blog

Is Home Staging A Good Investment for Low End Homes? Home Staging Minneapolis, MN

That is a question I get a lot. "This isn't a high end home, will home staging provide a good return on the investment?"

The investment in home staging can vary of course with the smallest investment being a Home Staging Consultation. The next level for cost is what I call 'Hands on Staging' or 'Owner Occupied Staging' and the third and usually the most costly is 'Vacant Home Staging'.

I was called by an investor to give her a bid to stage a vacant low-end home in shall I politely say 'not the best area' of Minneapolis.

The list price was going to be approximately $80,000 and that was to include a brand new garage yet to be built. So you can see.....the home was well below the median home price.

This home was TINY! Apartment tiny. Two bedrooms, one bath, a super tiny living room, almost a non-existent dining room. No upstairs, no basement (unusual for MN) and a very strange layout.

The front door opened smack dab into the center of the kitchen. YUP right into the middle of the kitchen, see the front door there on the right?

(Watch for my next post for suggestions on how to update a kitchen in a VERY low end home).

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE MADE TO THIS KITCHEN!!

You can see almost the entire house from one spot. I am standing in the kitchen taking the picture above, you can see one bedroom straight ahead and there is another to the right of it and the bathroom/laundry together.

That's it. Tiny. Bad part of town as you can see by the side door. Worth Staging???

The investor was very worried. "This home has such a strange layout and it is so small".

"Don't worry", I said. "It is going to be really cute."

I helped her pick out flooring and gave her some other inexpensive improvement ideas...mostly in the kitchen....just wait till you see it in my next post!

The investor stopped by as I was finishing up the staging and her comment was: "Oh my gosh, it is so cute! It looks like a doll house!! I want to live here. Of all the home stagers listed on the Internet I sure am glad I picked you".

It was listed on a Thursday, had showings Saturday and Sunday, and an accepted offer on Monday.

Sold in Four Days!

So....does Home Staging Pay for Low End Homes? This investor thinks so.

For investors it is all about selling quickly.

Time is money and they want to get on to their next project. The cost of staging was rewarded with a quick sale which is money in an investors pocket.

Need assistance getting your investment property sold? A professional home stager understands your goals.

Watch for my next post to see the "After" pictures of that Entryway...I mean Kitchen. I know I have teased you enough but it is really cute. LOL

Originally Posted at: Rooms With Style Blog

"Mr. & Mrs. Buyer....Please Put On These Sunglasses Prior to Entering!"

(Home Staging St. Paul, MN)

"No really, I mean it. It is only for your own good. We are not responsible for any eye damage or long term sight problems".

"Ready? Are they on......okay, it is now safe to enter."

"OH NO.......YOU DON'T HAVE THEM ON!! ARE YOU OKAY?"

"Alright, I'm not kidding around. Did you really put the sunglasses on this time?

"Whew......now that's better".

"Now, I strongly urge you to also put on a visor to shield your eyes before turning around. No??? Okay, I warned you...."

"HELP!!!! MY EYES MY EYES!!"

"OKAY, OKAY I WARNED YOU....here's your visor".

"AAHHH.....Much better I know".

The next time you need to hand out sunglasses and visors before your showings.....call a Professional Home Stager. It may save you some eye damage.