Sheila Reynold, Home Stager Vancouver Wa Home Stager, Vancouver Wa & Portland

oh, what a great stage this was. This home was built in the 30's. Someone with great insight had put in 10 foot ceilings, and columns. When Staging this home what a treat. It is no cookie cutter! I used to try to get lost in houses when I was a kid for fun, and this one definitely had me turned around. The room you see in the picture was an old greenhouse with screens built all around the room. They've remodeled, and put glass surrounding, carpet, and what a backyard! I love unusual layouts, cubbies, and rooms that I can't find again. what a joy to Stage !

Sheila Reynolds, Accredited Staging Professional

www.StageUsNow.com

Presentations Home Staging

(360) 666-9461

I haven't laughed so hard in years. I attended a Women Sharing Wisdom Retreat in Oregon 2 weeks ago, and the Agenda was Extreme Self Care, we all need that! This Blog is dedicated to Jane Latimer, www.JaneLatimer.com. She's in Portland Oregon, but I bet she'll travel and she sure is worth it! Our schedule was to do, or not do, participate or not, with the theme being extreme self care. 19 women attended, at Menucha retreat, what a marvelous place! The agenda included Laughter Yoga, Shiva Nata and Soul Collage Readings. I knew nothing of any of the three, but was intrigued and drawn to Laughter Yoga.

To backtrack just a bit, it's been a rough 2 years for me and my family. I'd forgotten how to laugh, smile, or be genuine. My father has bladder cancer, as well as my Mom, and my step mom passed away with colon cancer in Septermer. We'd moved Mom here with us in October and a routine surgery sent her into Intensive Care for 2 months, and I advocated while my husband ran our business, I became an instant caregiver. To add to all, my brother in law was going through chemo treatments at the same time.

Now I'll fast forward to Jane Latimer. (www.JaneLatimer.com). We started off with Laughter Yoga, and I've never laughed so hard or had my sides hurt after, nor bonded so fast with 18 other women who participated.

We moved then into Shiva Nata, where I was challenged to do and move and think differently than I ever had before, with a goup (absolutely mind blowing and enlightening), we ended up making soul collages, which is an amazing experience in itself.

I realized how happy and silly I could be without effort, how fun life REALLY is, and how healing it can be.

We had a slumber party complete with pajama's, hot chocolate,

games and candy. Jane Latimer guided our diverse and wonderful group to lifelong freindships

Jane Latimer leads Groups, Slumber Party's, Corporate Retreats, and party's. What a revelation she is Please visit her website, www.JaneLatimer.com, or call her at (503) 293-8906 what a revelation she is!

Thank you Jane Latimer for bringing joy into my life!!

Please visit Jane at www.JaneLatimer.com, or call her at 503 293-8906

She is located in Portland Oregon, and if your soul needs brightening, you're stuck in a rut, you keep repeating the same old patterns and don't know why, Jane is the greatest tonic ever!

Sheila Reynolds, ASP, IAHSP, Presentations Home Staging

www.StageUsNow.com

On Staging homes..... As any realtor I'd assume knows, there are multitudes of reasons for selling a house. Lots are positive, lots are negative, and probably most are "change scary", or being afraid of the unknown. As professional stagers, we get first hand experience with what a home attaches us to, like glue, and why it's hard to let go. It's even more apparent that compassion is needed, and professionalism is being compassionate.

One of our partnered real estate brokers introduced us to their clients, who'd been married many years. She was diagnosed with beginning alzheimer's. They were forced to move because they needed to be closer to their siblings, so their dream house was going on the market. Their concerns were medication, what if's, and lots of unknowns. These are wonderful people, and I felt as I listened I was being evaluated for "compassion", during the course of the conversation to qualify for the job. I felt honored, and inspired to go the extra mile, and the million dollar home sold in less than 2 months.

Another couple's home we staged had a similiar story, only his wife's condition is one involving brain cancer, with no cure yet.She has little time left, and they are the greatest people that I've met in a long time.

We've staged estates, helping the kids file through Mom or Dad's things, with tears, or memories. At first I didn't have words for them, I only got teary, and that doesn't help. Being too cheerful feels foreign to me when I'm sad, so that didn't work either. Having a Mom, and a Dad in their late 80's myself, and not too well, I knew I had to figure out how to deal with my compassion and others.

Working with Agents and Brokers, and recognizing that I and they have to have a "Game On", I had a unique experience the other day. With 4 cancer's in our family, and one death this year, I was at a network group, working on the "game on", knowing full well that the game really was off. The topic of baby boomers came up, and caregivers, and if anyone was. Without raising my eyes and more inside me than present, I said a definite yup.

Ever been in a group and not really been there? I was jolted awake when someone I can't even remember touched my shoulder, and said "You're not Alone". A stranger, 3 words, and a split second in time lifted me up, so any of you Caregivers out there struggling with what seems to be insurmountable issues, aging or otherwise, from me to you, "you're not alone".

It's all about investing a little to make a lot! The "Hire a Stager" article featured in May 2011 MONEY Magazine warms my heart, it points out a couple in March that tried something new, Professional Home Staging.

The Goal? As quoted in Money, "Veteran real estate brokers interviewed by MONEY say that proper staging can speed the sale and often increase the price too. The key is to get it done right!” Having a home staged is specifically Goal Driven, to sell that house fast! Despite the negative market I've seen many or our staged homes have offers in less than 2 weeks.

• Start with an open mind, think of your house as a set.........

Next, Find the right Stager....The ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) is a plus- it indicates basic training has been done, and then go online to review the stager's online portfolio of before and after pictures and RECENT successes.....

Establish a budget, the "Hire a stager" article featured in May 2011 Money Magazine emphasizes, and I agree, that a budget is essential ~ our prices range from $150 for a walk-through, to a full blown empty home stage, it's essential as in any investment to know what the homeowner's bottom line is, and follow through. A plus is to work with the professional stager in marketing as well!

Hope this helps demystify Professional Staging and why a homeowner should "Hire a Stager"!

Sheila Reynolds, ASP, IAHSP Vancouver Washington Professional Home Stager www.StageUsNow.com

(360) 666-9461

Professionally Staging Model Homes Created the sale in Vancouver Washington! Spring has sprung, we staged a home for our builder client last month, and not only did it get an offer, it closed in less than 30 days. There's more too, not only did it sell, it sold 2 more lots and of the same model.

http://www.stageusnow.com/CHNW_Lot49.html

Lots of our clients ask how we see the market moving, especially with news, the economy, and pricing the way it has been. Our builder clients continue to see success through this market by professionally staging model homes, and we see fast results.

It's important for any homebuyer to consider professionally staging their home, follow the builders, and share with your clients the odds being much better staging than selling an empty, cold home.

Whether professonally staging model homes, vacant homes, or occupied homes, we are seeing great results and fast turnovers in our area, just thought I'd share the good news!

Sheila Reynolds, ASP, IAHSP

360 666-9461

www.StageUsNow.com