Home Staging in Prague

Home Staging in Prague – Another Home Stager Success Story

I love this story because it shows that the principles of gorgeous home staging are universal! Pavlina Glacnerova of Prague Home Staging, has a wonderful talent of transforming rooms.  She also has an encouraging story to tell about how she got started, so read on and hear in her own words her story, while enjoying her photos…

I am a mother of two small kids (1 and 3 years) and I got very nervous about my future career last year. I realized that I don’t want to get back to my former profession – account manager. I yearned for a job without any time borders, without hundreds of pointless reports, without a boss which doesn’t listen but boasts of my success. I desired to be responsible for all my action and express myself.

One day I saw some realtor talking on a TV about real estate business in Czech Republic and suddenly he mentioned Home Staging. He said that it is something brand new in our area and it’s got a great potential to be very successful soon.  First I started searching on the internet for some details to find out what it takes to do it. I found a few awesome pages of Home Stagers in USA and Canada and realized I need some serious training.

I found HSR and immediately had no doubt that this is the right resource for my dream career. The was even more surprised when I had sent some questions and Audra’s emailed response arrived immediately. Because I am from Europe I’m a bit limited by a different time zone. But this fact turned out to be unimportant with HSR. I was also quite concerned about the time to finish the course but thanks to HSR I’ve been able to study by my own pace and successfully finish and achieve the certification in about six months.

 

I can’t even express how happy I am that I joined this training because HSR is not only about training but mainly a critical resource of information absolutely necessary for the right start. It is not only about home decorating, design and real estate business. It’s about a million other practical advises and instructions which you need if you want to start doing this business and be successful. It is about your presentation, how to naturally approach to a client or realtor, how to build a credible business and relationships…how to get respect.

 

I looks to me like Pavlina is doing everything right!  Her photos look spectacular and she’s branding herself beautifully on her website:  http://ukazkovydomov.cz/

Great job Pavlina!

 

Hollywood Glam Home Staging – 5 Tips

I’m always in awe of the home stager and designer that has that uncanny ability to reach into the home and pull out a persona that resonates immediately with the buyer.  Kristin Biorn of Kristin Biorn Interiors in the Beverly Hills/Malibu area is so gifted at home staging and design, that she is one of the top home stagers in one of the most competitive locations in the world!  When you see her work below, you’ll know why she’s so successful at what she does…

1.  Add Personality

In this Brentwood home, she managed to “de-personalize” yet add personality with a Marilyn Monroe theme.  Her focal point helps to emphasize the fantastic, stone fireplace, as well as give unity to the eclectic furnishings.

2.  Use Rhythm and Be Memorable!

In the same home, she weaves the Marilyn Monroe, glam theme throughout the home and creates an office space to die for!  Notice the uniquely framed photos of Marilyn which replaced the family photos originally.  A functional, personal space that buyers can envision working in.  She also helps the buyer’s remember her homes by creating a theme and rhythm throughout the space.  Since buyers look at many homes online, she wants her homes to be the ones they click back to!

3.  Create Serenity and Luxury in the Bedroom

A master bedroom that is calm, cool and collected is highly desired by buyers!  Kristin works wonders in this bedroom by connecting the space with a cool pallette filled with silks, velvet and comfort!

When I complemented Kristin on the success of her work and business, she graciously replied:

Thanks…and remind them it all began with you!  You gave me the confidence to go out and become one of the top home stagers from Malibu to Beverly Hills. So Thank You!

It warms my heart to see people take their God given talent and use it successfully!  Here are a couple more staging tips I gathered from Kristin’s work:

 4.  Use Symmetry and Texture to Add Life to Spaces

Symmetry in a room creates a calming balance that buyers can connect with.  Her repeated use of various textures from the fluffy rug, to silk pillows and mirrored table create interest when the palette is very neutral.

5.  Merchandise the Space Like a Magazine Spread

Kristin reads the integrity of the home perfectly by knowing when to play up the space or down depending on the vision.  This dining room looks straight out of magazine spread because she merchandised the table beautifully!  An experienced and trained home stager know when to set the table of leave it…there is no formula to staging.

How about a closer look:

Thanks Kristin for sharing your work!

Cheers to all the talented home stager’s out there!  Any more tips you would like to add to this post?

XOXO – Happy Staging!

Audra Slinkey

Hope to hear from you!

1-888-563-9271

audra@homestagingresource.com

I’ve Just Got to Brag…

Creating a successful home staging business is not easy, so when I see stagers do great things in the industry…I just have to brag about it!

• Congratulations to our long-time veteran, Carol Streeter of Model Perfect Staging who was featured in three episodes of Flip or Flop on HGTV!  All of her stagings sold quickly and in one of the homes, the buyers bought all the furnishings with the home.

A Staged Bedroom by Model Perfect Staging

• Great job Paige Earles of Pearle Staging and Design who moved her business from Atlanta to Memphis and already has been featured in the Memphis Daily News for her wonderful work!

Click to view the article in the Memphis Daily News on Paige!

• Look at the fantastic job Jeanne Ross of The Polished Home did in these wondrous staging before-and-after photos!  I also love how Jeanne created a website that really brands her beautifully!  Check it out…

• Leslie Causey of LC Home Staging and Redesign  breathes new life into this space!  I personally love the koi fish canvas over the couch!

• Theresa Wright of Designed to Show Off  gives perspective and vision to buyers in this vacant staging before and after series….

I could literally go on and on with fantastic before and after photos to show you what amazing work home stagers and redesigners can do in a home!  The success is in the photos!

XOXO – Happy Staging!

Audra Slinkey

Hope to hear from you!

1-888-563-9271

audra@homestagingresource.com

The Art of Great Staging

Anyone who has not had their head in the sand for the last few years understands that there is “no set price” for a home.  The real estate market is a roller coaster ride of highs and lows but one thing remains the same, buyers will always be looking for that “ideal vision” for their family AND will always be willing to pay top dollar for it!

You see, staging is NOT about de-cluttering and cleaning but at it’s essence, it’s an “art form” born from extreme expertise in merchandising and designing a “vision” that buyers will fall in love with!  Staging done correctly, provides the “props and vision” for the buyer to mentally “move-in” to each room while emotionally connecting them to the home as a whole!  Once connected, the offer is made and not usually broken.

Great staging starts with understanding first “the who” and merchandising for that particular vision.  Who is the buyer demographic for that home, what will they desire to see in each space?   HSR Certified stagers are trained to research six “cues” to determine the typical buyer demographic, as well as converse with the agents in the area.

Is this a “contemporary zen” home and lifestyle we are staging for?

What will our buyers be “hoping” to find when they step through that door and how can we create the lifestyle they dream about in each room?

I would argue that many homes on the market today are what I call “half way there” homes because they have been stripped down but not “dolled up”.  They are like a cake with no frosting and will never get the best price for their home in that condition.

Essentially, these homes are leaving money on the table!

An agent might argue, “who cares if they get the best price, so long as it’s sold quickly” but that’s short sighted.

I imagine most of us would not be too happy to see the competing agent down the street selling our neighbors house for $30,000 more than we got because they took the time to bring in a great professional home stager.  Agents build their reputations not only on quickly selling homes but on getting the BEST PRICE for their clients!

Based on the information we have for our buyer demographic, we are able to create a profile of what we are designing for and a plan for the seller.  The plan starts with taking the time to understand the benefits of staging and realizing that a little work today, saves you a lot of headache in the future.  For example, if my neighbor made $30,000 more than me on the sell of their home, how does that $30,000 translate to real earned dollars?  With capital gains it means that it’s pure cash, so I would probably have to make $50,000 to realize $30,000 cash realistically.

How many hours do you have to work to make $50,000?  Definitely more hours then the amount of time, energy and expense of correctly staging the home first!

Which brings me to another very critical aspect of staging and that is photos!  Correctly trained stagers know that it’s not only about the “walk-in” but very critically about the photo for online marketing!

If 95% of buyers are online first looking at photos before they decide to visit the home, how important do you think staging for the photo is in the sales process?  As an agent, how important do you think the photos are to your image and reputation?

Great staging involves the total package!  Starting with the research, creating the plan and communicating a vision that seller’s can understand financially, then finishing with marketing output that makes the buyers fall in love BEFORE entering into the home.

5 Best Design Tips

Gregg Churchill, an HSR Certified Stager and Designer in Australia gives his 5 best design and staging tips:

What makes great design is up to your own interpretation, but I do know that when I see great design it hits me right away. We all have different styles and thoughts on our own personal design which is often influenced by all the new TV Star Designers e.g.: Sarah Richardson, Candice Olsen; Martin Lawrence-Bullard; Colin and Justin etc.) and all the inspirational shows they have on our TV screens, brought right into our own homes. I watch and record all the TV shows to learn as much as possible from them all.

The 5 best design or staging tips I can offer are the following:

1. Professionalism  That is the first & most important tip I would advise anybody when going out and selling your services. This includes punctuality; dress sense; tone of voice; facial expression (smile and be sincere) etc. Be professional every minute you spend with your clients, whether it is face to face, via emails or telephonically. Its sounds obvious, but so many refuse to adhere to this basic tip. Know what you are selling inside out and backwards. Nothing worse than being ignorant of your own subject you are trying to sell.
2. Keep it simple – Don’t overthink the redesign of the interior of the house or try to get to too fancy, apply what you have been trained by HSR to do and you will never go wrong. Study the bones of the property and the space allocated and complete your furniture arrangement. Never stop trying to improve your talent and keep abreast of new styles and fashion colours/hues etc.
3. Accessorize – Bring out your creative side! Wall art, vases, ornaments, pictures, small furnishings, faux indoor plants etc. are the jewelry on your staging creation, especially if you buy items that repeat a rhythm in that space or compliment the colour scheme. Always buy the best accessories that you can afford, its pays always! Don’t panic – Stick to your budget plan, and your interior themes.
4. When styling multiple rooms, use a colour thread throughout to bring cohesion to connecting spaces. It isn’t necessary to use the exact same colour in each room. Applying layers of the same colour, varying the hue, makes the space feel connected and less intentional. Accent colours can be used from neighboring rooms to link them.
5. Know that less is more. Be careful not to over accessorise every corner of a space, especially when its functional needs are simple. Too much clutter in a space kills the design and makes the eye jump all around the room causing confusion. I do all my vignettes in my store room before I do get to the staged property, so when I get to the vacant property, I know exactly what goes where and it saves time too. Great to also use an iPad for planning purposes.

In summation I would recommend that what every avenue you decide to pursue in your Home Staging career, always have fun and enjoy every minute of what you are doing. Try and specialize in one category for best results e.g. vacant home staging.

Always have something different to offer your clients study your opposition from time to time and see what they are offering and you may not be or never thought to. Stay abreast, keep up to date and never stop learning. Learn from as many people as you can and you will always be the best in your chosen field. Enjoy!

See Gregg’s work and story that was featured on Design Shuffle!