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.

We recommended replacing the chandelier and removing the mirror on the wall (left)  in the 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.

Now this looks like a Master Bedroom in the AFTER photo!

We created a more cheerful place for the boy’s bedroom.

We created a room any girl would love to have.

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/The San Gabriel Valley – What’s In Your Paint?

February 8, 2011

Are paints that carry a Green label really better?

(photo courtesy of smarterhometheatre.com)

Are you getting ready to sell your home and need to paint?  Don’t know which paint to choose?

As a professional home stager in Los Angeles and The San Gabriel Valley, it is essential to stay up to date with information that is relative to staging and helping sellers get the best for their money.

In their March 2011 issue, Consumer Reports tells us not to assume that greener is better.  While many green paints may have a reduction in VOC (volatile oxidizing compounds) they do not have an elimination of these compounds.

The Green label paints had some varying in their ability to stand up to fade resistance, hiding (requiring more paint) and cleaning.

Consumer Reports goes on to say that “Greenguard and Green Seal, environmental certifications based on VOC content and the presence of hazardous substances, are issued by independent organizations.   But Green Sure and Green Promise are self-awarded by manufacturers – Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore, respectively.”

What does that label really mean?

• Greenguard
• Green Seal
• Green Sure
• Green Promise

Consumer Reports Ratings for Green label paints. Find out what’s behind those labels and which paints have the highest ratings.

Michelle Drewry, President and owner of Staging The Essentials Staging homes in Los Angeles, The San Gabriel Valley and North Orange County.

Call today for your “Market Ready Report”  213-392-1901

Home Staging Los Angeles & San Marino – Home Staging a San Marino Mid-Century Home

January 1, 2011

Home Staging a San Marino, CA Mid-Century Home built in 1949.  This  home is tucked away on a two block long street in the desirable north San Marino.

The rooms, now transformed through our home staging, seem effortlessly gorgeous.  The key is making the rooms look as if they have always been this way – simply elegant!

BELOW- THE MASTER BEDROOM BEFORE & AFTER.

The homeowner chose not to remove the unused curtain rods.  We added lighter curtain sheers to lighten and brighten the room.

BEFORE & AFTER STAGING THE DINING ROOM.  The challenge was using only the homeowner’s furniture, while adding our accessories.  We helped the homeowner with deciding what furniture should stay and what could leave in each of the rooms.

BELOW – AFTER HOME STAGING

BELOW – Up Close from the Buffet.

BELOW – Before home staging

BELOW – After Home Staging

BELOW – LIVING ROOM – Before home staging

BELOW – LIVING ROOM After Home Staging

BELOW – LIVING ROOM Before Home Staging

BELOW – LIVING ROOM After Home Staging

BELOW – AFTER PHOTO

With the clutter cleared, we kept it simple, but elegant!

Michelle Drewry, Realtor – Century 21 Adams & Barnes – direct line 213-392-1901.  Call today if you want more information about selling and staging your home to sell.

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

*Some rights reserved

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.

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.

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.

Los Angeles Home Staging – Charity Staging Event – West LA Chapter IAHSP – International Association of Home Staging Professionals

September 16, 2010

Professional Los Angeles home stagers and members of West Los Angeles IAHSP  having helped to stage the main home at Richstone Family Center the year before, West Los Angeles Chapter IAHSP – International Association of Home Staging Professionals, Members and Affiliates joined together again this year in a collaborative effort for our Annual Charity Event.  IAHSP Professional Stagers offered services and donations for our World Wide Service Staging Week on Saturday, September 11, 2010 to stage the Advanced home for Richstone Family Center in Torrance, CA.  The Center is home for emancipated teens & young adult women as they transition from foster care into society with a home, education and job.    (Photos of the staging below)

We collected donations from Cort Furniture Rental as well as Home Depot.  IAHSP members also donated their time, money and needed items to make this staging for charity event a success.

A note from the President of the West LA Chapter IAHSP:

“Just another Thank You to everyone involved in this year’s WWSSW Event.  It was another huge success and the girls at Richstone Family Center as well as the management staff there are very pleased with our work and donations.  …  I think it is rather incredible how we can take a very dreary and heavily used shelter/home and turn it into a showcase.  During our project, I happened to go visit the home we did last year (next door) with some of the Richstone board members and I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the other house was.  It still looked like the day we staged it…. gorgeous.  So it appears the girls really are taking pride in what we are doing for them.

I have included a copy of an email below from Valerie, the house manager, about some comments from the girls. It’s a very heartwarming thing to do this for this organization and it’s even more to have them appreciate the hard work that all of us provided.  A sincere thank you to everyone involved. The many months of planning / work is greatly appreciated.”

Dan Keating (President, IAHSP West LA Chapter)

Initial Testimonials from the girls at Richstone:

-The house looks beautiful

-I have never lived in a house that looks so nice

-The stagers made our home look so warm and inviting

-I really want to study at home now that the stagers have made it look so nice

-I never thought I would be able to live in a home that looks this good

-I hope one day I can make my home look as nice as the stagers made our program look

Walls were painted, new carpet/flooring  installed, curtains, area rugs, furniture and accessories were all a part of making this project for the West LA Chapter of IAHSP World Wide Service Staging Week a success.  Thanks to all!

Michelle Drewry, ASP, IAHSP, Owner and Principal Designer of Staging The Essentials – A full service home staging company.  Fully insured and licensed.

Call us for a “Complimentary” quote today.  213-392-1901

Los Angeles/Glendora Home Stager – Staging a Beautiful La Verne, CA Pool Home

September 1, 2010

Yesterday our Los Angeles/Glendora home staging company staged this beautiful 3 bedroom, 3 bath, pool home in La Verne, CA.

BEFORE and AFTER Photos…

We had fun creating the changes through our home staging for this beautiful La Verne, CA Pool home.  

If you are interested in receiving an in home consultation to see how we can help you sell your home faster and for the best possible price, call Michelle Drewry, Realtor – Century 21 Adams & Barnes – direct line 213-392-1901.

Home Staging Your Arcadia Home – Home Stager gives tips to Home Sellers in Arcadia

August 4, 2010

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.

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