Home Staging San Gabriel – 8 Seconds To Sell A Home!
August 17, 2012
One of the biggest challenges we face when selling a home in San Gabriel or anyplace in the San Gabriel Valley is making the home appeal to its target market. When a buyer walks through the door of the home for sale, it takes them only 8 seconds to determine whether or not they would want to live in this home. With this in mind, the seller must do all that it takes to make the most of the features of their property. As a Realtor and professional home stager knowing what makes a home sell, this issue is solved first by evaluating the home, then providing a plan for home staging. The sellers are on board and we all get to work to achieve the desired results. The following photos are BEFORE and AFTER of this San Gabriel home for sale.
Before Home Staging The Living Room
AFTER Home Staging The Living Room
BEFORE Home Staging The Master Bedroom Downstairs
Another view- BEFORE Home Staging San Gabriel Master Bedroom
AFTER Home Staging San Gabriel Master Bedroom
Another view – AFTER Home Staging San Gabriel Master Bedroom
BEFORE Home Staging San Gabriel Boy’s Bedroom
AFTER Home Staging San Gabriel Boy’s Bedroom
BEFORE Home Staging San Gabriel Girl’s Bedroom
AFTER Home Staging San Gabriel Girl’s Bedroom
BEFORE Home Staging San Gabriel Hallway
Yes, even the hallways matter when selling
BEFORE Home Staging San Gabriel Upstairs Master
AFTER Home Staging The Upstairs Master
This home is an occupied staging. We supplemented with some furniture and accessories that we brought in along with the seller’s furnishings to make the home appealing to the buyer. This is a great house that just needed to show the buyer how great it is.
If you are interested in finding out how we can best present and sell your home, please contact the listing agent Michelle Drewry – Century 21 Adams & Barnes at 213-392-1901.
Home Staging and Room Lighting – Why Getting It Right Matters!
June 11, 2011
Home Staging and Room Lighting
If you’re getting ready to sell and home staging in Los Angeles, CA or anywhere will be part of your selling process, the way you see a room is a very important element. Setting the scene for selling your home includes many things, but room lighting is one important way of creating ambience that sells homes.
(photo courtesy of bin-free-host.co.cc)
Top 3 Room Lighting Features:
- Lighting from above is an important part of home staging and gives overall general ability to see around the room. Many homes were not built with overhead fixtures in living rooms or bedrooms. This comes with knowing that there are several areas within a room, which have their special lighting needs. Today’s most common, up-to-date fixtures are recessed lights, which may be offered with a dimmer switch to accommodate varying preferences. Another option is the chandelier. This is something we usually see in dining rooms and now bedrooms and master bathrooms. Chandeliers add a decorating element as well as a lighting element to the room. These are great for rooms that will be used for socializing or for rooms in which you want to set a more relaxed mood. Again, these can be set on a dimmer switch, which allows for exactly the right amount of light.
- Low voltage track lighting accents home staging, allowing for specific lighting within multiple areas of a room. This is particularly attractive in a room that has a wall-to-wall shelving area or some art that is nice to emphasize. It can be directed to several areas and shed additional ability to see in task oriented areas such as game areas or reading areas. Track lighting is usually used in conjunction with other sources such as lamps. Mixing it up adds interest to a room by emphasizing room features as well as providing visual clarity to functional areas.
- Portable Lighting is the bread and butter of lighting for home staging companies. It is probably the most well-known source, which includes various types of lamps. Among these varying types are table lamps that sit on end tables or night stands and are used to light a room in general. Another type is task lighting lamps, which include both table and floor lamps. This type of lamp comes with a swivel feature in order to be able to direct the light to where it is most needed. We often see these used at a desk in an office or near a chair that is designated for reading.
Knowing what type of lighting to infuse into a room is every bit as important as how you place the furnishings within a room. Lighting emphasizes the placement of everything in the room and layering the lighting gives the best overall feeling about a room. Getting it right is critical!
Did you know that light bulbs come in different color temperatures? Knowing what type to use for which task is important. Warm bulbs are best used for reading, while game areas and hard task activities are best lit with cool bulbs. But, if you are staging your home to sell, it is best to stay with warm color bulbs. This gives the viewer a good overall feeling for a room as well as showing a more pleasant tone on the colors in a room.
Michelle Drewry, Owner and Principal Designer of Staging The Essentials – Home Staging & Redesign
Home staging Los Angeles, Arcadia, Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley, Inland Empire, North Orange County
Call today to find out how we can help you with your home staging needs. 213-392-1901
Home Staging South Pasadena – A Fabulous Pool Home
March 31, 2011
Staging The Essentials of Glendora, CA was the home staging company called in to put our home staging expertise to work for this South Pasadena, CA home. This fabulous pool home, great for entertaining, is now fit for any buyer.
We were glad the sellers took the recommendation to paint the wooden panels. The house looks so much brighter! ‘Lighten and brighten’ is certainly on the list for home staging if they want to attract more prospective buyers to their South Pasadena home.
Here are some BEFORE and AFTER Photos to give you an idea of the improvements.
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Living Room
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Living Room
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Living Room
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Living Room
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Living Room
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Living Room
We recommended replacing the chandelier and removing the mirror on the wall (left) in the dining room.
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Dining Room
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Dining Room
The sellers removed the shelving, washer, dryer and refrigerator in the kitchen to open up the space. The buyer can opt to replace the appliances or move the washer/dryer to another location.
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Kitchen
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Kitchen
Now this looks like a Master Bedroom in the AFTER photo!
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Master Bedroom
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Master Bedroom
We created a more cheerful place for the boy’s bedroom.
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Boy’s Bedroom
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Boy’s Bedroom
We created a room any girl would love to have.
BEFORE Home Staging – South Pasadena Girl’s Bedroom
AFTER Home Staging – South Pasadena Girl’s Bedroom
Staging this house now allows prospective buyers to see what a great home this can be.
Michelle Drewry, Realtor – Century 21 Adams & Barnes – direct line 213-392-1901. Call today for more information about selling and staging your home.
Home Staging Los Angeles & Glendora: Curb Appeal-Planting Flowers in Winter
November 23, 2010
Planting flowers in winter may be exactly what is needed for those who find themselves selling a house during the winter months. You will be glad to know there are steps you can take toward creating colorful curb appeal as part of your home staging plan. Flowering plants that have adapted to surviving the colder temperatures are available in most every area.
Planting Tips:
1. If your flowering bed area does not face south (maximum sun exposure) then select an area that receives the most sun possible. Select shade plants if there is little sun.
2. Find your planting zone to select the flowers that are best for your area. You can easily find your planting hardiness zone by going here to the USDA Hardiness Zone Finder and putting in your zipcode.
3. Once you’ve found your planting hardiness zone, start researching winter plants for your zone on the internet. This gives you an idea of what the plants look like when selecting 2 or 3 types that go together. There are also flowering shrubs that will look nice among flowering plants.
For those living in snowy climates, small evergreens look nice with snow on their branches.
4. Plant your flowers a little farther apart during the wet winter season to allow air to circulate – drying up excess moisture to prevent plant mildew.
Plant the shorter plants in front in order to allow the taller plants to receive sunlight.
5. Water and fertilize according to directions for each type of plant. For those snowy climates, you may not need to water. In fact, it is best not to water unless the temperature is at least in the 40’s (Farenheit.) This prevents freezing.
For those warmer climates in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, you will have an easier time selecting and planting. Your local Garden Nursery should carry plants for the season or at least be able to give you direction for planting in winter.
It is possible to create beautiful curb appeal even during winter when you need to get your house sold.
Photo of Camellia (left) courtesy of Drew Avery @Flickr.com Photo of Winter Crocus (right) courtesy of Muffet
Michelle Drewry, Principal Designer and Professional Home Stager of Staging The Essentials a Los Angeles Home Staging company located in Glendora, CA (San Gabriel Valley)
Call today for a “complimentary” quote for work to be done. 213-392-1901 or contact us.
Home Staging Los Angeles & Glendora: How to Make Your Own Holiday Bows
November 2, 2010
How To Make Your Own Holiday Bows
Have you ever struggled with wanting to make your own decorations for the Holiday, but found yourself “all thumbs” when it comes to tying bows? I discovered a very easy do-it-yourself video for those wanting to try their hand at it this year (pun intended 
As a professional home stager in the Los Angeles area, we offer Holiday & Special Event Decorating. But, for those wanting some tips and extra help on making their own holiday bows, watch Meghan Carter’s video (askthedecorator.com)
Home Staging Los Angeles/Glendora: What Does a GPS Have To Do With Selling A House?
October 15, 2010
By now many of us are at least familiar with the concept of home staging in Los Angeles. Even if we don’t know that its name is called home staging, we have seen model homes staged with furniture and accessories and know that’s what they do to attract a buyer. Some might call it decorating to sell.
Many of us are also familiar with a GPS and what it does for directing us to our destination when we’re not familiar with where we are going. If you’ve used a GPS at least once and have over shot a turn you were directed to take, you have most likely heard the pleasant voiced woman or man say the phrase “recalculating” or something similar. The next phrase she/he speaks is “when possible make a legal U Turn.”
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a GPS for directing us exactly what to do to sell a house quickly and for more money? Well, guess what, we do have such a GPS. It’s called home staging. A professional home stager can give a seller an exact road map for what is needed to sell fast and for top dollar.
If you’re an agent or homeowner needing to sell faster and for the best possible price, “make a legal U Turn” and contact Michelle Drewry a professional home stager in Los Angeles to guide you to your selling destination.
At Staging The Essentials we take the stress out of selling your home. Let us take your house from “on the market” to SOLD! Call us today for a complimentary quote at 213-392-1901.
Guest Bedroom BEFORE Home Staging
Guest Bedroom AFTER Home Staging
BEFORE and AFTER
Home Staging a Guest Bedroom
By switching the bed with the credenza, we gave the perception of more space in this room. Also changing the bedding to one that is more grown up and has broader appeal will help to sell this home. Now that’s a Home Selling GPS that works!
Contact Michelle Drewry, Accredited Staging Professional at 213-392-1901 to discuss your staging needs.
Home Staging Los Angeles/Glendora: Not a Believer in Home Staging?
September 28, 2010
Are you getting ready to sell your home? Here is a great example of why home staging works. This past week my husband purchased a new “used car” for his own use. He spent 2 weeks pondering which one of 3 or 4 of the same model to purchase. He checked out all of the features on each one – comparing and contrasting. One was a super deal and everyone in the family was trying to persuade him toward buying this particular one. In the end, he made his choice. Do you know what his final choice was based on? The color and appearance!
So how does this relate to home staging? I asked him if he were to walk in on the lot and all of the cars were lined up in primer gray with varying body styles, no carpet, no paint, etc., and if the salesperson were to show you several samples of paint chips, carpet swatches, and seat cover material, optional features and their location within the car, would you have been able to make your decision? His answer was, “Not without a lot of added stress.”
So when a home buyer begins to search online, they want to see a home that has been put together for them. They don’t want to have to guess or imagine how it can be. They want to know what they see. Let’s take the stress out of home buying and present houses as they should be, ALL PUT TOGETHER. Home staging makes it easier to say YES to the sale.
Living Room Before Home Staging
Living Room After Home Staging
BEFORE and AFTER Photos: This home sold with a full price offer!
Home Staging Helps You Sell Your Home Faster and For The Best Price!
Take the stress out of selling your home and call us today for a home staging Consultation and a “complimentary” quote. 213-392-1901 or visit us online.
Michelle Drewry, Accredited Staging Professional. Owner and Principal Designer of Staging The Essentials – a full service professional home staging company – fully insured and licensed.
Home Staging Your Arcadia Home – Home Stager gives tips to Home Sellers in Arcadia
August 4, 2010
BEFORE Home staging
AFTER Home Staging
Arcadia home sellers need home staging tips from a professional home stager when selling their Arcadia home.
It’s easy to put a “For Sale” sign in the front yard, but more importantly it is what you do to make the most of what you have. The house has a price tag, and your job as a seller is to show buyers it is worth the price tag. It’s not enough to show buyers how you live in your home. Your home and lifestyle are specifically comfortable for you and may very well not appeal to a broad number of buyers. You also may not be playing up the best features of your home. It is worth the time and money to have an in-home consultation with a professional home stager. A home stager can tell you what needs to be done from maintenance and updates standpoint as well as the best way to feature your furnishings. Home stagers can add their own accessories to showcase your home for the buyer. They can also tell you what will not bring you a good return for your money.
In the beginning, when your house first goes on the market, you will get the most interest from prospective buyers and real estate agents alike. 90% of all home buyers are looking at photos of homes online before ever selecting which homes they will see. If you have not made your best first impression for online photos and in-person visits to your home, the interest will wane, and price reductions will be on the table. Why take that chance with your most valued possession? Home staging always costs far less than your first price reduction. Call a professional home stager to help you sell your Arcadia home faster and for the best price.
Michelle Drewry, Accredited Staging Professional®, owner and principal designer at Staging The Essentials. Helping you sell faster and for the best price. Call today for your complimentary bid 213-392-1901.
Los Angeles|Glendora Home Stager Knows What Buyers Want.
May 23, 2010
Home staging in Los Angeles has become irrelevant! As a home stager in Glendora and Los Angeles, that statement doesn’t sound right. But, seeing houses (not staged) and on the market might lead someone to believe this is true. It’s as ludicrous as stating that caring about one’s appearance has become irrelevant?” On the contrary – people care now more than any other time in history about their appearance and are willing to go to great lengths to achieve that “staged” look. Believe it – this has a direct correlation to home staging the home for sale. Society’s pursuit for beauty and youth has created a market, hence the shift of doctors in every type of practice dipping their hands into the plastic surgery pool.
You might look at Los Angeles|Glendora home staging in a similar way. Home staging is like a face lift for the house. The similarities are that people really are impressed with appearance. It makes them feel good to imagine leaving behind their own life of clutter, over-crowding, and just plain too familiar surroundings. Home buyers want a fresh start. They want to feel good about themselves, envision life being better than it is, and this is what they are willing to pay for. The home staging market is out there, but how many are targeting their market?
The home seller who creates this vision in their own home wins the Buyer. It shouldn’t be a surprise when a staged home looks beautifully put together and has the appearance of running well, that the Buyers somehow translate that over to themselves. Yes, it actually makes them feel that if they lived in that beautiful home, their life would be beautiful and well put together.
If given the chance, everyone wants to live the “beautiful” life. Why not let your buyer find it by staging your home for sale? There is a whole market willing to pay for the “beautiful” life that staging a house can bring. This market has been largely untapped by home sellers and the real estate profession. Let’s make it a winning team effort!
Michelle Drewry, ASP® Principle Designer - Staging The Essentials
213-392-1901
Helping you get your home SOLD quickly and for top dollar!
Curb Appeal- Selling/Staging your Los Angeles|Glendora Home
May 21, 2010
Whether selling a Los Angeles|Glendora home or any other home, curb appeal or staging the exterior has become expected. Southern Californians have the advantage of lots of sunshine to our benefit. But, if you don’t live in Los Angeles|Glendora and you need to get a quick tip for selling a home, here’s an inexpensive fix this Glendora home stager has used for boosting your garden’s beauty within the week. Apply 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom Salt around each rose bush or any type of flowering bush, water and watch them bloom. (For those not familiar with Epsom Salt, you will find it over the counter at the pharmacy or grocery market.) It costs around $2.00 to $3.00 for a half gallon. Very inexpensive!
Our spring gardens don’t have to bear the marks of the ravages of winter. Get ready to watch your garden blossom before your eyes! You just might find yourself with the best curb appeal in the Los Angeles|Glendora community.
By the way, the photo above is a rose bush lovingly fed with Epsom Salt.
Helping your get your home SOLD faster and for top dollar!
Michelle Drewry, ASP, Principal Designer
www.StagingTheEssentials.com
Staging The Essentials is a Los Angeles Home Staging Company located in Glendora and servicing Azusa, Arcadia, Glendora, the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire.
