Hello! Welcome to my blog! I love to share my decorating tips, inspiration for decluttering your home, compelling statistics on the power of home staging and everything else related to home, maybe even the kitchen sink!
Design, source and furnish in just six weeks!
Wow, that was a whirlwind, but you would never know it from the final result! A client asked me to furnish a new home for a family of five in just six weeks. Of course, I said I would do my very best to make that happen, but no guarantees, since I can’t control the supply chain (if only!). The first step was to determine the client’s budget for the project, then their interior design style. I always have a meeting or at least a phone call with all decisionmakers on a project like this so that I can nail down their design styles and preferences. From this initial planning call, I realized they wanted a very modern design that could also be comfortable, so I had my goals lined out before I started shopping.
With walls painted grey, warm wood flooring (thank goodness!) and lots of open living space, I knew the furnishings needed to have warm tones and cozy textures. The main rooms to tackle first were the living room, dining room, breakfast/pantry area, all of which were connected and fairly undefined. After measuring and photographing the space, I was able to find in-stock furnishings that matched their style and that might ship in time. As I shopped, I created these two mood boards for the main living area. I source furnishings where my trade discounts give the client the best possible price. When I present the mood boards to the client, they come with the link to each item’s description, price, size, etc. If it’s on the mood board, I have made sure it is the best size and height for the room and that it shows an expected shipping date to meet the client’s timeline.
The client approved their choices from both mood boards, I placed the orders and everything has arrived just in time to plan for Thanksgiving! Of course, even the simplest of interior design projects are never as easy as they sound and, in this case, the map apps had the client’s address at the wrong location, which was NOT just a small problem. Needless to say, with all the work that goes into a project, it’s easy to forget any hassles once it’s complete and the client is happy!
If you need help designing and furnishing a space or your entire home, I’d love to help!
Three ways to increase demand for your Seattle-area home before you list
The Seattle-area housing market is cooling off big time! This Seattle Times article reports that sellers are dropping their prices as buyer demand is pulling back fast due to mortgage rate hikes and lower corporate stock values. This means fewer buyers and less competition for every real estate listing. To avoid a price reduction on your home, take the time to make simple changes before you list that have a big impact on buyers.
When looking for a home, buyers are envisioning one that is move-in ready and one that improves their lifestyle. In addition to staging, here are three simple ways to make positive changes before your real estate photos are taken.
#1: Update the paint in your home to one shade of white or other neutral, trending color. There are many shades of white from which to choose, so go with the one that works best with your kitchen cabinets and wood trim. I have seen several homes in which the walls were painted a grey-white while the cabinets were a warm wood tone and it looks cold and uninviting.
It’s difficult for most people to visualize the possibilities of a home, so, if you can update your paint color, you’ll make it easy for buyers to visualize the beauty and potential lifestyle of your home.
The walls and ceilings in the home pictured below were painted a dark tan color, which was the trending style 15-20 years ago; the floors also had the original dark brown carpet from 1999. By painting the interior in Benjamin Moore Simply White (ceilings in High Reflective White) and replacing the carpet, the home has a new, fresh look that represents what buyers are looking for in today’s market.
#2: While we’re on the subject, replace your carpet. If you haven’t replaced your carpet in the past 10 years, cleaning alone probably will not be enough to impress buyers. Carpet that is damaged or buckling can be an immediate turn off, so consider adding significant value to your home by replacing the carpet. I have access to deep discounts on all flooring, much of which can be in stock and installed in less than two weeks!
#3: Switch out any older light fixtures. Lighting is often overlooked when getting your home ready to list and, yet, it is one of the most important aspects of a home’s style and function. Updated lighting in a trending design style will not only illuminate your home, it will elevate the value of your home to buyers. Lighting in the same finish throughout your home will provide a pleasing, cohesive look.
In the example pictured below, I recommended that the Bothell homeowner replace this light fixture in the dining room, which would have diminished the value of the staging. They purchased and installed one that matched the same finish as the lighting in the kitchen and it made a big difference in the overall impression of the home.
In spite of the changing Seattle real estate market, you can generate higher demand through home staging and redesign. To avoid added days on the market, consider scheduling a consultation with Les Is More Home Staging before you list to make sure you are preparing your home to create the most demand for today’s Seattle real estate market.
Contact me today and let’s get started preparing your home for a fast, profitable sale!
Three things home buyers are looking for since the pandemic
If you are planning to sell your Seattle-area home this spring, I’m betting you want it to sell fast and for the highest possible price (so you can afford your next home)! You may want to consider the mindset of buyers and how that has changed since the pandemic. Sellers with homes that tick all the boxes will take more money to the bank. The escalation from even one more offer on your home can be a lot. In Seattle by July of last year, over 4500 homes had sold for at least $100,000 over asking price. See the Redfin article here.
I just went through the home buying process in Seattle myself and I can confirm that there are scads of homes here that could have inspired my offer but didn’t (this is a huge understatement, by the way), and that means they lost competition. And, as a professional home stager in Seattle, my business is about more than designing rooms to look amazing. It’s about truly preparing homes to be move-in ready for buyers so they will be motivated to win that contract!
I will outline three major things to consider before you list your home and provide specific home staging tips. For this post, let’s talk about the kitchen.
The kitchen is the center of our lives at home and it has been doing double duty since the pandemic began. Most of us are cooking more and eating out less, and we’ve been forced to use every inch of our space creatively, so the kitchen is now a multifunctional cooking-studying-working room. Interior designers are seeing lots of clients adding to the size of their kitchen islands for all the uses imaginable. As a cooking space, the perfect kitchen to buyers is efficient and functional (think cooking triangle), and has four gas burners and an overhead hood. White kitchens continue to be popular as are cabinets to the ceiling and touchless faucets.
Home staging tips for the kitchen:
- Clear every single item from your kitchen countertops, clean thoroughly, then add a simple vignette with a living plant, a cutting board and a bowl of lemons or limes. Yes, I am suggesting that you place your coffee maker out of sight after each use while your home is listed. Trust me, if you follow these tips, it won’t be on the market long.
- If your kitchen light fixtures are outdated, replace them with something more contemporary and add under cabinet light strips if food prep areas are a bit dim.
- Consider replacing outdated or damaged tile backsplashes or countertops to bring more value to this hub of the home.
- Depending on the condition of your cabinets, you may get a fresh look simply by replacing pulls and knobs with something new or painting the cabinets might be in order.
Keep your home updated for a future sale
I find that many people associate home staging only with renting expensive furniture, and, if their home is furnished, they throw staging out as a step to preparing their home for sale. But, like many home stagers, I work within a broader definition of the term, as I state in a recent Redfin article, Do’s and Don’ts of Staging Your Home To Sell. When I consult on a home, I consider everything that could improve that home’s appeal. Renting furniture may be what is needed, but often it’s replacing the outdated light fixtures or the interior paint that will really make the most impact. Getting an objective view of your home from a visual home marketing expert will relieve some of the stress of preparing your home for buyers who are shopping your home online or in person. You should be getting the most from what is likely your biggest asset and this advice is well worth the investment.
I’m a big believer in keeping a home updated while living in it so that, when the time comes to sell, you are able to present a move-in-ready home. Selling a home and moving is already an overwhelming task, without adding remodeling projects, so if you’re noticing that your home needs some updates, plan to do them as you can afford to, but don’t wait until it’s time to sell because you will most likely leave money on the table. I recently updated the fireplace mantles and tile surrounds on the two-sided fireplace of our Denver home and, let me just say, this was a big upgrade for only $1500. The previous tile surround was poorly done in a tumbled slate tile. The grout was chipping off and the wood/tile combo was just dark and unattractive. I wanted to keep a classic look for our bungalow-style home, so I selected a small, octagonal marble tile that would brighten up the room while adding visual interest. It took about three days to have the tile replaced and the woodwork painted to match the other white trim in the house. This focal point of our main floor living area is now beautifully updated. Well worth the investment!
If you would like some advice on keeping your home updated or staging your home to sell, give me call!
Three ways to make the most of small rooms and tight spaces
One of the things I love most about my business is that each home is different and has its own set of issues or improvements to be made. Call me crazy, but I love a good problem and I will go above and beyond to find a solution. A common problem is small rooms that feel cramped and cluttered. You may be surprised to find some simple solutions for your home right here.
Small spaces that need to accommodate multiple functions can be the most difficult to design. Similarly, homes with unique layouts that have tight spaces and pass-through rooms present their own set of challenges.
Select fewer pieces that do more
I had the opportunity to help an elderly woman set up her new apartment in an assisted living community in Arvada because she could no longer live alone in her home. This is a high-efficiency, cram-everything-you-ever-want-to-do-in-one-room scenario. My goal was to help make her space functional, without feeling cramped.
My job was to provide a bedroom, living room, dining area, storage, and lighting in a 15’ x 11’ living space. Oh, my! I started with my client’s cherished ornate bed (bless her heart) and two beautiful pieces of art from her daughter. After deciding on a color palette based on her art pieces, I created symmetry by mirroring nightstands next to the bed and placing the large art pieces over them. Symmetry provides a sense of peace and equilibrium that we could all use a bit more of these days.
I chose two transitional-style nightstands to add a modern touch to her Victorian bed and that had drawers and shelves for extra storage. To provide a small eating space that could double as a desk, I found a small, dropleaf table and chairs that fit perfectly at the foot of the bed without feeling too tight. There is plenty of room to move the chairs out and the table is so versatile. She can simply pull out the table leaves from underneath for more surface room as a desk.
I also eliminated the need for a dresser by sourcing closet organizing shelves and bins. I also hung a row of hooks on the wall by the door for her keys and her cane (and, now her mask) so she doesn’t forget anything when she’s walking out the door.
Lighting is one of the most important elements of any room or home. For this project, I selected two larger, contemporary table lamps for maximum light and another floor lamp on the opposite end of the space. Different heights of lighting make a room brighter, obviously, but also more interesting.
This project was especially fun for me because the client was able to participate in the choices for her new home, which gave her a sense of control and resulted in a meaningful space for her.
You can also create a great multi-function space like I did for a mother-in-law apartment pictured below by using a twin sofa sleeper. For this project, it’s a great sofa for the tv-watching/sitting room, and it converts to a bedroom at night. The clients loved this setup because it comfortably accommodates one extra guest without taking over the living room 24/7.
Consider the flow of pass-through rooms
In Denver’s Sloan’s Lake neighborhood, there are lots of multi-level townhomes with rooftop decks. They are modern and fun, but they can have some unique layouts that present issues for staging or designing.
I did a vacant staging project near Sloan’s Lake that was a four-story townhome, and, on every floor, there was a pass-through room to a patio or deck. When you first look at a pass-through living room that is between the dining room and the patio, for example, you may not realize until you live there that you’ll be going through that room frequently to sit on the patio, and you don’t need anything getting in your way, like sharp corners on a coffee table.
One of the best suggestions, and I credit it to Emily Henderson’s blog here, is to use an oval rather than a rectangular coffee table. Not only do they take up less room, they are much easier to navigate when walking in and out of the room. I used a round table in the main floor living room to make it easier to go through the room to view the front patio. Now, this table is a little small for the space (I don’t always have exactly what I want available when selecting rental furniture), and I would prefer to use an oval one, but it still accomplished the purpose for this pass-through room.
On the top floor, there was also a small living room with a bar between an office and the upper deck. Instead of using a coffee table in front of the sofa, I placed side tables at each end of a sofa to allow easy traffic flow to the upper deck. By respecting the need for access in this home, I helped buyers visualize living there comfortably.
Don’t be afraid to use every inch!
If you are looking at an empty room that is pretty small, let’s say, 9’ x 11’, you might be thinking you won’t be able to do much more in there than hang some pretty clothes. But I can tell you, not only is it possible to get a queen-sized bed, nightstands, storage and a chair in this space, it can be incredibly cozy, comfortable and beautiful as well. When I helped a young, single, professional in Denver’s Highland neighborhood design her home’s main bedroom, she was quite literally shocked at how much function and design I was able to fit into her space.
The first question for a small bedroom is, which wall is right for the head of the bed? and there’s usually a “right” wall. In the case of this rectangular room, with a large closet at one end, the only choice was to have the head of the bed on the smallest wall facing the doorway. When you’re making this decision for your space, consider that, when you walk into the room, it’s best not to have a bed or dresser blocking the space as you walk in. It will feel more relaxing and open if you can keep the line from the doorway open across the room or at least most of the way.
The other thing to think about is that, when you see your beautifully made bed (you make your bed every day, right?) from the doorway to the room, you will enjoy the design much more overall. If all you see is the side of the bed, not so much. Every situation is different, though, so try a few different options, if you have them.
When working with a small room, literally every inch counts! Even if you have just 10-15 inches on each side of the bed, you can find a table to fit that and you will have provided a place for your phone, a glass of water and a book! Once I have determined sizes, I start sourcing products based on the client’s design style and preferences. In this example, we didn’t have space for a dresser in the room itself, but her closet was big. I was able to source two dressers on craigslist that fit perfectly inside the closet with plenty of room to open drawers and hang clothes above them (no need for full-length ball gowns here!). I installed a couple of stick-on motion lights inside the closet to add to the one lightbulb that was already there.
The high-clearance platform bed we chose allowed plenty of room for under-bed storage bins. Switching from a regular box-spring setup to a platform was needed to get maximum under-bed space. Some mattresses require a box spring, and some don’t, so check before you do away with your box spring!
If you need help preparing your home for sale or designing and furnishing a rental property, I would love to help!
The cost of staging your home is far less than failing to do so
A new study by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals states that the cost of NOT staging your home is between five and 20 times the cost of actually staging your home. Even if the cost to stage your home is just $2,000, you could be saving yourself a minimum of five times that amount. Your home may be at a price point that puts you in the power position as a seller in Denver’s current market, but the more appeal you are able to generate among potential buyers, the greater demand and, thus, the more offers you will bring in. It’s important to put your best foot forward when selling what is likely your most valuable asset. You may never realize it if your home sells quickly that you failed to generate the most demand and, therefore, the highest price for your home.
Simple staging tips
In our current state of events, I have been working on creating helpful tools for Realtors and home sellers. As a home stager, I try to create a sense of ease for sellers through simple, practical guidance to prepare their homes for sale. Since I am limited on my in-person staging at the moment, I decided to create a list of my own biggest-impact tips for you. My hope is that this will make preparing homes easier and, of course, if you or your seller would like more personalized guidance, I am available for virtual consultations (I am able to stage vacant homes per guidelines for essential businesses).
As a supportive service of real estate, I sincerely want to add value to your business as well as to homeowners through practical information and by lending my expertise in preparing homes for sale. As our current stay-at-home order eases, I will resume in-person consultations while following the strictest of standards to be safe.
Please feel free to forward, share and use my Simple Home Staging Tips and please let me know if you find it helpful! I would love to serve you throughout the home-selling process any way I can.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! For a pdf of these staging tips, click here: Simple Home Staging Tips
The higher the price, the more savvy real estate buyers expect!
Industry experts are saying sellers will control Denver’s real estate market again in 2020, although with a somewhat new spin. Unless located in a highly sought-after neighborhood or strategically marketed and staged, your home may take longer to sell than you expect due to lower affordability. Jill Schafer, Denver Metro Area Realtors Association Market Trends Chair says, “buyers will continue to want more and more as they pay more and more…” and “sellers will need to get their homes in tip-top shape to get top dollar.” To read the most recent trends report, click here.
I created my business in order to prevent homeowners from getting less than they should from their homes, simply due to cosmetic factors. By improving the look and feel of your space, I can actually help you create wealth, which, I believe, is an important mission. I see so many listings that sit on the market, even in the best neighborhoods, just because either the realtor or homeowner did not see the value in making some important changes before listing the property.
If your home isn’t staged and it’s already listed, I can still help. If your agent is suggesting a price drop, it may be in your best interest to schedule a consult with me first so we can make those changes and have your photos retaken instead. This would mean a relatively small cost to you, especially in light of the fact that even a $10,000 price drop is 10,000 real, actual DOLLARS to you (minus any realtor commission, of course).
Think like a bear and other tips to prepare for a spring sale!
I think our fall here in Denver has been snatched away with this early storm, which basically means it’s already winter 🙁 . I don’t know about you, but winter conjures up all kinds of energy to organize and putter around the house, like a bear getting ready for hibernation. For me, a peaceful and cozy house is only possible if it’s organized, so I enjoy spending time making my rooms simpler and more enjoyable during all those extra hours that we aren’t spending outside.
For anyone who is thinking about selling their home, either soon or when spring rolls around, may I suggest some specific projects for you to do now that may actually boost demand for your home and make the process much easier? Hopefully, some of you said “yes”, so here goes!
As I mentioned earlier in the blog, my husband and I moved out of a big house a few years ago to downsize after our daughters were off on their own. We had lived there for about 11 years during our girls’ middle and high school years and until several years after the youngest had completed college, so we were pretty fully packed into that house. Compared to some homes I’ve seen that people have occupied for over 30 years, ours was not the toughest job to take on, but daunting nevertheless.
I wish Marie Kondo had come along before I had to move out of that house because her method would have been a lifesaver! Now it can be that for you, not just to help you prepare your home for sale, but to adopt as a part of your lifestyle, if you find it to be a positive thing. I know you can watch lots of Netflix shows of Marie Kondo or you can read about her method in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, so I won’t summarize that here except to point out those areas that will really benefit your future home sale.
First of all, the importance of ridding your home of clutter overall before you put it on the market, cannot be understated. The definition of clutter is a crowded, disordered mass or collection that impedes movement or reduces effectiveness. And, according to a Current Psychology study here, a cluttered home is a stressful home with inhabitants who have elevated levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Not only is it bad for your own health to have a lot of clutter, stress is not something you want your home to convey to potential buyers.
So, where do you begin? Marie Kondo’s Kon Mari method really breaks it down into doable steps.
1—Start with clothes. I suggest starting the process early in the day so that you are finished by evening.
- Each family member takes every piece of clothing from everywhere in the house and throws it on their bed or another chosen place. This means from the coat closet, storage in the basement, the attic or wherever you keep clothes that are yours.
- One by one, you hold up each piece and ask yourself if it sparks joy. If not, place in the No pile. If so, place it in the Yes pile.
- Sort your No pile further by deciding what items should be thrown away and which ones are in good enough shape to go to Goodwill or other nonprofit.
Most of the time, people, myself included, are shocked by how much stuff they have accumulated over the years and the amount that they are not actually using anymore.
2—After clothing, do the same thing with books
3—Papers
4—Komono (miscellaneous) and, lastly,
5—Sentimental items. I would include photos in the sentimental items category.
Once you do this, hopefully, you will be able to let go of all the items you don’t need or use, except for a few sentimental things, and you will see more open space in your home as a result. We were very surprised by how much more drawer space we had after adopting Marie Kondo’s folding method. Plus, she recommends lining your folded clothes up front to back in the drawer so you can easily find what you have, instead of stacking your pieces.
When you’re all done, let some fresh air in as you reorganize the items you want to keep and enjoy the sense of accomplishment and more relaxed atmosphere you have created. When the time comes to sell your home, you will have already checked off one of the biggest jobs on the list! The stresses that come with moving can be overwhelming, so you will be helping your future self.
When buyers come into your home, they will sense calm in an orderly space that has breathing room in the closets and cabinets, easy access from room to room and a tidy outdoor space as well. This simpler version of your belongings, along with the changes a professional stager can make through furniture rearranging and styling, will elevate your property to appeal to more buyers.
I can help you address other areas that are important to prepare your home for sale through my three-hour planning consultations. This is an important step, especially when you will be living in the home while it is on the market. I provide you with a written list of property recommendations and will share with you everything I possibly can during the consult to prepare your home on your own. I try to work with existing furnishings as much as possible and may recommend supplementing with rented items or a full staging. For homes that need updating, I have access to deep trade discounts on flooring, tile, countertops and lighting that make any updates more affordable for you.
Avoid falling into the trap of thinking that you should not invest further in your current home. This is likely your most valuable asset and you deserve to get the best return on your investment. The more attractive you can make your property, the more demand you will generate. The faster it will sell saves you on mortgage payments and, if you are able to create enough demand that you receive multiple offers, you will likely increase the price as well.
If you are interested in having me do a planning consultation so that your home is the best one in its price range and neighborhood when you list it, I would love to speak with you!
Home staging pays for itself!
For anyone who is preparing to move, if you haven’t already heard of Marie Kondo’s Kon Mari tidying method, this video may change your life or, at least, make your move out easier. I have personally adopted her method, for the most part, in my home and it has not only minimized our belongings, it has made us feel more relaxed in our home.
My favorite interior designer to watch right now is Emily Henderson. She has such a down-to-earth, simple style that also has a lot of soul. She has given me some affordable ideas that have worked out well on some of my redesign projects.
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If you are planning to sell your Seattle-area home this spring, I’m betting you want it to sell fast and for the highest possible price (so you can afford your next home)! You may want to consider the mindset of buyers and how that has changed since the pandemic. Sellers with homes that tick all the boxes will take more money to the bank. The escalation from even one additional offer on your home can be a lot. In Seattle by July of last year, over 4500 homes had sold for at least $100,000 over asking price. See the Redfin article here.
I just went through the home buying process and I can confirm that there are scads of homes in the Seattle area that could have inspired my offer but didn’t, and that means they lost competition. Home staging for me is more than just making rooms look pretty. It’s about truly preparing homes to be move-in ready for buyers so they will be motivated to win that contract!
The first of three major things to consider before you list:
#1 The kitchen is the center of our lives at home and it has been doing double duty since the pandemic began. Most of us are cooking more and eating out less, and we’ve been forced to use every inch of our space creatively, so the kitchen is now a multifunctional cooking-studying-working room. Interior designers are seeing lots of clients adding to the size of their kitchen islands for all the uses imaginable. As a cooking space, the perfect kitchen to buyers is efficient and functional (think cooking triangle), and has four gas burners and an overhead hood. White kitchens continue to be popular as are cabinets to the ceiling and touchless faucets.
Home staging tips for the kitchen:
- Clear every single item from your kitchen countertops, clean thoroughly, then add a simple grouping of one healthy, living plant, a cutting board (leaning behind) and a bowl of lemons or limes. Yes, I am suggesting that you use your coffee maker and then put it out of sight while your home is listed. Trust me, if you follow these tips, it won’t be on the market long.
- If your kitchen light fixtures are outdated, replace them with something more contemporary and add under cabinet light strips if food prep areas are a bit dim.
- Consider replacing outdated or damaged tile backsplashes or countertops to bring more value to this hub of the home.
- Depending on the condition of your cabinets, you may get fresh look simply by replacing pulls and knobs with something new or painting the cabinets might be in order.
This recent study shows that minor remodeling projects in the kitchen have the best financial return of any room inside the home. I have strong resources for updating your home finishes that can make it more affordable. Read about my redesign services here.
Your home is likely your most valuable asset and you stand to benefit from planning ahead. Les Is More Home Staging exists to prepare homes for sale through vacant and occupied home staging and redesign services.
Give me a call! I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.