Los Angeles Home Staging Info

An experienced house stager has a lot in common with a fully-loaded Swiss Army Knife™.

Since WWII, the trusty Swiss Army Knife™ has been the go-to tool for soldiers, campers, fishermen, construction workers, even Hollywood Bowl goers (mainly for the corkscrew and for slicing cheese:o). I even have a Swiss Army Knife™ in my home staging tool kit! The Swiss Champ™ has 35 tools or "features" and there's not a lot you can't fix or attend to with a Swiss Champ™in your pocket.

The more experienced the home stager, the more tools she is likely to have at her disposal.

I like the think I'm the Swiss Champ™ of home stagers. Like the problem solving Swiss Army Knife™, Moving Mountains Designcan be the solution for many home selling difficulties:

• Need advice on how to add umph to your front yard to enhance curb appeal? A home staging consultation will cover that
• Need a recommendation for inexpensive carpet, granite counter-tops, reliable movers or storage? I've got several to choose from in my contact list
• Don't know what color to paint your living room to appeal to more buyers? I know the perfect color
• Not sure if your furniture will help or hurt the sale of your home? I can assess your furniture and let you know if I think it will advance your goal to sell your home for top dollar
• Is your home vacant and feels empty with no furniture? I can provide a few rooms or a whole house of furniture, artwork and accessories to make your home look like a model home
• Don't have a real estate agent to list your home? I've worked or interacted with 100's, all over Los Angeles, Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley and I know who does a good job
• Not sure if you should spend the money on remodeling your house for sale? I can tell you which upgrades should help with a faster sale or a higher selling price
• Do you need to sell your home fast and as-is? I work with real estate investors that can close escrow in as little as 1 week for all cash - no banks, no mortgage approvals, no appraisals

If you're the listing agent, I can help you with:

• Photographing your listing after staging. I'll provide professional quality photographs of the homes we stage for use in marketing
• Writing your marketing materials
• Sending an email blast to 1,800+ real estate professionals on my mailing list
• Convincing your client of the importance of doing certain repairs, upgrades or staging in order to effect a faster sale at a higher price

As you can see, an experienced home stager has a lot in common with the trusty Swiss Army Knife™.

Smart home owners, real estate agents and real estate investors have one in their pocket. Do you?    

Home Staging - A Seller's Secret Weapon - CBS Sunday Morning

Watching CBS Sunday Morning is a part of my Sunday ritual...every Sunday. Today there was a segement on home staging as a seller's secret weapon.

There were some statements made during the piece that didn't ring true for me, like "home staging costs about 3% of the listing price" . I've never even come close to charging 3% for a staging job and I think neither have 99% of the professional home stagers out there. I'm guessing that they were including every and all expenses associated with getting a home ready for the market, including painting the interior and exterior, repairs to the structure (not normally the purview of home stagers) and infrastructure (upgrading electrical and plumbing - also not normally considered part of home staging).

Very generally speaking, I think most home staging projects cost .5% to 1% of the listing price of the home, although I don't know any home stagers that bid their job based upon a percentage of the listing price. Of course, where the home is located, whether it is a vacant home staging or an occupied home staging, home condition and how many rooms are to be staged all play into the cost of real estate staging.

They interviewed a Chicago real estate agent, Ian Schwartz, who said "You have 2 choices, either stage it or not. And if the answer's "not", I'm not working with you". Schwartz goes on to say that he cannot waste time on ugly houses and doesn't want to have to apologize for any of his listings. I say "Bravo" Ian Schwartz! Ian is one of the top real estate agents in the Chicago area, and now I know why.

So thank you, CBS Sunday Morning for informing home sellers of the importance and benefits of having your home professionally staged. Yes, hiring a professional home stager (and hiring the right real estate agent) are definitely a home seller's not-so-secret weapons when selling a home!

Yesterday we staged the second Affordable Housing condo for a real estate investment group. We destaged the first condo we staged in this development (because it had sold) and moved everything into this unit.

Read: Even Small, Inexpensive Homes Benefit From Home Staging - Pasadena Home Staging Info

The first unit we staged sold within the first month of staging after having been on the market for almost 3 years!

The unit we staged yesterday in this Pasadena condo complex is a mirror image of the first unit. I changed out some of the artwork & accessories, just to freshen the look. Like the last unit, this condo is 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom in 600 sq. ft.

These condos were staged very cost effectively and are part of our home staging program for investors, auction real estate and staging for REOs.

For more information about this Affordable Housing condo located in Pasadena, contact the listing agent, Jill Parker (949)233-9085

If you are a home stager, real estate agent, remodeler or flipper, and you don't know about Van Dyke's Restorers you should.

Its available as a print catalog or an online catalog here.

Why is this such a valuable resource for Los Angeles home stagers, real estate agents and remodelers? They have pretty much everything you could possibly need to handle missing parts and pieces for a vintage or older home.

Home stagers and listing agents are often asked to repair or replace missing cabinet and drawer pulls, switch plates or light fixtures from the older homes they stage or list.

Here's just a small sampling of what they offer.

Their prices are very reasonable. Check VanDyke's Restorers for your home staging, remodeling, real estate restoration or flipping needs.

A couple of weeks ago, I was called to a house in Altadena, CA for a home staging consultation. We were hired to stage the home, but it wasn't your typical Los Angeles home staging...Staging Intervention (or Stagervention as my friend Laurie March likes to call it) was more like it. My assistants, Melissa and Michelle, worked on the house with me over the course of two weeks (including painting and repairs). Besides the paint crew, the carpenter and electrician, there were also 2 movers from the moving company (to move excess items into storage) and 2 furniture movers from Brook Furniture Rental. We transformed the whole house, but there is one room in which we did perform miracles.

Here is a set of before and after photos of the daughter's bedroom:

Before (this was after we tidied up a little bit - you couldn't see the floor when we walked in):

After (what a difference a Staging Intervention crew makes):

What we did:

• Placed all items on floor into boxes for teenage daughter and mother to sort through. Mother pointed out items she wanted donated immediately which were placed into clear plastic bags. Obvious trash was put into black plastic bags
• Gave the daughter instructions that she had 1 week to go through the boxes. Whatever wasn't put away would be donated
• Remove the existing twin bed and replaced it with a rented full size bed (with new mattress) and headboard
• Donated the desk in the corner but used existing chair, rug, nightstand and dresser (not pictured)
• Moved a table that was in the living room into the bedroom to be used as a desk
• Purchased multiple plastic organizing containers and taboret for school & office supply storage
• Purchased new bedding
• Painted room pale green, with white trim (Benjamin Moore Guilford Green HC-116)
  

At first the daughter was not happy about the invasion of her personal space, but now she is thrilled that she can find everything and she is no longer embarrassed to have friends over after school.

We lived up to our company name to complete this job - Moving Mountains Design. We moved mountains to get this home into market ready condition!

Moving Mountains Design - We don't sell homes but we know what makes homes sell!

*Los Angeles Home Stager- Home Stager As Miracle Worker* ©2009 Moving Mountains Design and Michelle Minch

If you are looking for a home staging company in Los Angeles, Pasadena or Altadena, call Michelle Minch at Moving Mountains Design at (626)441-8975. You can also contact us via email at Michelle@MovingMountainsDesign.com .

Staging An Occupied Pasadena Home With Art & Accessories

Here's some photos from our latest Pasadena home staging project. Moving Mountains Design was hired by the homeowner/listing agent to "add the icing" to this beautiful home. As this was an occupied home staging, we used the homeowner's existing furniture and some accessories, and brought in art work, silk plants and additional accessories from our extensive inventory. We were very fortunate that the homeowner had some lovely pieces for us to stage with.

©2009 Michelle Minch & Moving Mountains Design - We know what makes homes sell!

Michelle Minch is an award winning designer and Los Angeles home stager.  Please visit our Los Angeles home staging web site to learn more about home staging and how we can help you sell your house faster and for the best price. You can also call Michelle at (626)441-8975 or contact her via email Michelle@MovingMountainsDesign.com.
Call Moving Mountains Design, for help selling your home faster and the at the best price. We know what makes homes sell!

Last week, we had the great pleasure of staging another beautiful home in Encino for my favorite builder. We moved the furniture and our accessories from a different Encino home we had staged for him which sold. I love working with this builder because the quality of construction is excellent, his attention to detail is amazing and his homes are always so well designed.



Both houses are similar in style, and while the square footage of each house was different, we staged the same number of rooms (except for one bedroom, a wine cellar and media room). The furniture fit in the new house perfectly.

For more information about this beautiful Montecito Spanish style pool home South of the Boulevard in Encino, contact the Listing Agent, Kevin Driscoll (818)398-0797.

©2009 Michelle Minch & Moving Mountains Design - We know what makes homes sell!

Staging to sell by Moving Mountains Design took this modern Pasadena Architect designed home from last centruy to NOW!
     
Living room before home staging                           Living room after staging

Last November, a Pasadena Realtor I frequently work with, Judy Rubin, asked me to consult with a client to prepare their contemporary home for sale. This is one of the most unique and interesting Pasadena homes I had ever been asked to stage. Designed in the 1970's by the Architect residents, the house has a very open floor plan with many unique features. Trouble was, after almost 40 years of residency, and sheltering a family with three children and multiple grandchildren, the home was full of 'memories' that masked the true beauty of the contmeporary International style architecture.

 
Dining room before staging                                    Dining room after staging

We provided the homeowners with an 8 page comprehensive home staging consultation with specific instructions for preparing the home before staging. The homeowners were very diligent in fulfilling the recommendations in the comprehensive staging consultation. They had some lovely mid-century furniture and accessories we incorporated into the staging. Moving Mountains Design was able to stage the house last week and it went on the market on Thursday. There was a huge turn out for the Realtors Caravan. I have every expectation that, between Judy Rubin's great marketing plan, the homeowners' efforts in preparing the home and Moving Mountains Design home staging expertise, this home will sell very quickly.

 
Master bedroom before staging                              Master bedroom after staging
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If you'd like more information about staging your home to sell, contemporary home staging and redesign or preparing your home before listing, please contact Michelle Minch (626)441-8975 or by email Michelle@MovingMountainsDesign.com . Visit my Los Angeles home staging web site for more information about how to choose a home stager and how Moving Mountains Design can help you meet your goal of selling your home quickly and for the most money.

Want to get your home sold in this difficult market? Here's 10 steps for moving your home from "for sale" to "SOLD!". I'm here to tell you that homes are selling, some very quickly, even in this market. Most of the Los Angeles homes we stage are selling in less than 30 days, some with multiple offers. Want to know what those home sellers are doing to help their homes get sold?

This Valencia home sold in 14 days with multiple offers after being staged by Moving Mountains Design (September 2008) Click here to read this very happy client's testimonial.

 Here are 10 steps you can take to help get your home sold, too:

1. Hire the best full service REALTOR or real estate agent you can find. This is no time to be fooling around with less than full service. Do your research on the internet and by asking friends who they've worked with and if they had a good experience. Interview at least 3 REALTORS or real estate agents. Don't hire your best friend, their cousin, your hairstylist who moonlights as a real estate agent, unless you are certain that they know what they are doing and can back up their claims. You are selling what for many is their most valuable asset. Don't be embarrassed into letting your home sit unsold because you didn't want to hurt someone's feelings.
2. Don't negotiate the sales commission. A really good, experienced REALTOR or real estate agent will tell probably tell you "no" anyway. Marketing and selling real estate properly is an expensive proposition. All the brochures, flyers, virtual tours, professional photographers, etc. cost money. If you negotiate a lower commission, you are preventing your listing agent from pulling out the "big guns" to get your home sold as quickly as possible. Don't hamstring the sale of your home by limiting the amount of money your listing agent has available for marketing. Also, with the abundant inventory on the market right now, buyer's agents are going to show the homes that pay full commissions first.
3. Listen to your Listing Agent regarding pricing.They know what they are doing (assuming your followed step 1). They are on the MLS every day and know what homes are selling for and how quickly they sold. They talk to other REALTORS and real estate agents daily. It doesn't matter how much your dry cleaner thinks you should list your home for. It doesn't matter how much profit (or how little loss) you would like to walk away with. All that matters is how much someone will be willing to pay for your house. A good REALTOR or real estate agent will be able to tell you how much you should list your home for to get it sold quickly.
4. Hire a professional building inspector for a pre-sale inspection. You can address any issues that might sink a sale during escrow, or prevent someone from making an offer in the first place. Use the information to get your home into tip-top shape.
5. Make any needed repairs. Home buyers want a home that is truly move-in ready. They don't want an allowance for new carpet or a new roof. They want a house that already has new carpet and a new roof so they can move in right away.
6. Clean your house from top to bottom. Clean it until it is cleaner than it has ever been before. If you don't have the time or energy, hire a cleaning service. Make sure your house sparkles and smells clean every day it is on the market. If there is an issue you can't address by cleaning, then replace it. For instance, if the linoleum in your kitchen has a big burn mark from the hot skillet you dropped, replace the linoleum.
7. Hire a professional home stager. Again, do your research on the Internet and with your listing agent. Make sure you hire an experienced professional and not a hobbyist or (again) your  sister-in-law, unless she is a pro with experience and knowledge of your market. Ask to see the stager's portfolio (or view it on-line) and make sure all the photos are of their recent work. If you are a do-it-yourself type, at the very least, hire a professional home stager to do a comprehensive consultation so you know exactly what needs to be done. Most home stagers will also help you choose paint colors and carpet as well.                                                                                                                               
8. Listen to the home stager regarding the condition of your home and what needs to be done tp make it appealing to the greatest number of buyers. If they tell you your favorite floral pattern wallpaper has to go, do it. A home stager's expertise is preparing homes to look their best so it is appealing to the greatest number of buyers and they have done it successfully for numerous home sellers (assuming you followed Step 7). Remember, they are looking at your home through "buyer's eyes".
9. Have your home photographed by a professional photographer. Many REALTORs and real estate agents include this as part of their marketing package. Photos taken by a point and shoot camera are not going to show your home at its best. 80% of home buyers are looking at homes on the Internet before going out to see homes they are interested in. If your home doesn't look great in the photos, then most buyers will pass you by.
10. Follow all of the above steps before you put your home on the market.Clean it up, fix it up, have it professionally staged and then photographed. Once you have great photos that really showcase you home, give your REALTOR the go-ahead to post them on the MLS. Make sure they post the maximum number of photos allowed. The more photos you have showcasing your home on the MLS, the greater your chances of selling it. If you rush the process, then you will not be putting your home's best face forward from day one. Staging or adding better pictures after you home has been on the market, even for a few days, won't get back potetial buyers who dismissed your home when they saw few pictures, bad pictures, vacant rooms or an unstaged mess.

Read The Benefits of Staging a Home

Read Home Sellers: Are You Getting a Lot of Lookers, But No Takers? Maybe Its Time For A Staging Makeover!

Read How to Choose the Right Home Stager

Remember: When you put your home on the market, you are entering it in a beauty contest. The best looking homes in the best condition sell first. It's a no brainer.

*Getting Your Home Sold In This Market - 10 Steps To Success* copyright 2008 Michelle Minch and Moving Mountains Design. All rights reserved.

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Please visit our Los Angeles home staging web site for more information about how we can help you get you home sold quickly and for the best price. You can reach Michelle Minch, owner of Moving Mountains Design,  directly at (626)441-8975 or via email, Michelle@MovingMountainsDesign.com . Don't settle for second best when selling your Los Angeles area home. Choose Moving Mountains Design Home Staging, the Los Angeles staging company with the track record of rapid sales and the referrals from many happy clients to back up our claims. Featured in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Sunset Magazine and numerous other national and international publications, we don't sell homes, but we know what makes homes sell!