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~A little inspiration for anyone interested in Home Staging, Interior Redesign and Personal Motivation~ www.stagehappy.com website

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Curb Appeal for Dummies 2 + Sale on the Online Class


                                 

 Avondale Porch 

Curb Appeal analysis has become a major part of our staging evaluations. We pay more attention to things like house color and condition, not to mention the need to fill in missing or dead shrubs. Balance, color, symmetry all get a grade. Exterior color selections can be tricky with roof style and paver colors complicating things.

Raise the canopy and lower the shrub line. Leave a visual opening to the front doorway area. 
               
I always enjoy styling and staging houses in the historic neighborhoods. One of the problems I run into frequently is overgrown shrubs and outdated plant selections. Newer varieties perform better and don't take over the visual space that we call Curb Appeal.

When these homes were planned many years ago, a certain budget was spent on landscaping. The builders had to supply an abundant selection of prime plant material. Now, many years later, those plants have taken over the lawn.

One of my clients who could not sell her house asked my opinion. The interior of the home was absolutely gorgeous. That was not the problem. I asked her to walk outside and look at the house from across the street.

"Now describe what do you see?" I asked as she turned around. "I see what you mean. The curb appeal and front of the house doesn't begin to tell the story of the beautiful space beyond the front door. In fact, there were times people made an appointment and didn't get out of the car."


Riverside Historic District

The old overgrown azaleas and junipers dominated most of the front yard and covered the quaint front porch. I recommended that she pull them out completely and plant low-growing plants next to the foundation. Then sod the space where the large plants had been. This added some extra real estate. After the changes were made, the home sold overnight.

Curb Appeal isn't just an afterthought. It's the pretty face that gets the date to the prom! Who cares that you spent a fortune for the dress and shoes.

Since 95% of home buyers look online before deciding which homes to tour, the first picture, the front of the house, may be the most important one.

I bumped into one of my resort gated neighborhood staging clients awhile back and she said the house had not sold after a long time on the market. I was shocked since our average DOM - Days on the Market - is about 2 to 3 weeks.

She remarked that the online stats revealed that 1500 people were looking at the first picture, the front of the house, but only 500 opted to look inside. The interior was beautiful and updated.

After reviewing the online link, I realized what caused the problem. The hedge around the house had obscured the photographer's view so he walked up the driveway to get the whole house into the picture.

It appeared like the property was tiny when in fact, it was huge. An aerial photo fixed the problem and the house sold right away. Drone photography is fast becoming a solution for expansive properties.

How can you judge your property for Curb Appeal? Look at it through the lens of a camera from across the street. This is a powerful tip to objectively view your most important picture.

HGTV 8
        
 HGTV Smart House in Jacksonville Beach

Obviously, a manicured lawn, fresh mulch and annuals go a long way to freshen things up. One of our "tricks of the trade" is to use Design Master acrylic floral spray in green to camouflage a brown spot on the lawn. Sometimes the shutters or front door need a coat of fresh paint or a color change. And obviously, everything must be immaculate.

Several owners of red brick homes in my intracoastal neighborhood have painted their homes white for a more coastal look. Beautiful! Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper would approve.

The decorators of the HGTV Smart House added 2 comfy chairs and a tray table with iced tea glasses and a pitcher. We call that Life Style staging.

So, put on a pretty face to get that date to the prom. All of your efforts will pay off in getting that property sold in record time for more money. Yay!!!

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 Picture of students in the lobby of the Yacht Club where Jacksonville, Fl.classes are held.

"It's never too late to be what you might have been." George Elliot
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Testimonials about the new updated online certification class: 
Becky, 
  I just completed the home staging courses last night.  Thank you for offering the class online.  My heart's desire was to come to the classes in person and I thought surely they were not going to be nearly as good online.  I am happy to report the online courses were really great! I especially liked the videos. It was just better when I could see you when you were speaking.  I am certain I will be referring back to my manual again and again.  
  Thank you for your entrepreneurial spirit and heart for wanting to share your talents to help other people grow!  
   Here is to happy home staging for years to come!
 Sincerely, 
 Tawnya Langston
Columbia, South Carolina

Special for Summer Only: Online Class is $250 off.

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Meet my sisters, Kathy, Mary Ann & Janice (Yes, I'm the bossy one.)