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The Power of Exterior Paint when Selling Your Home

This bright yellow color may have been fine in another region but you really have to go with your local market.  Home Stagers advise our clients where to best spend their home improvement-- where they are going to get the greatest ROI, because we know the local market.  Maureen's advice was spot-on!  This home went from "cheesy" to sophisticated with just one color change.  Amazing!

This also is a case where the homeowners would have benefited greatly by consulting with a Home Stager before making a big change to their home, such as painting the exterior.  A consultation with a Home Stager a year ago would have prevented the expense involved now.

Even if you have no plans to move right away, avoid making a big change that could decrease your home's value and appeal.  Before making significant changes to your home, give Rose-Colored Staging a call!  It can save you time and money later on!

 

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since 2004.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.  She also stages listings for fellow agents, getting those listings sold!

 

Via Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Room Solutions Staging ~ Portland Oregon (Staging that Sells Portland Homes):

                        The Power of Exterior Paint when Selling Your Home in Portland OR

home stagers portland oregon

When your home is on the market, its curb appeal is the first impression that buyers have and its often a deciding factor in whether or not they want to see the inside of the house.  Professional home stagers often provide our homeowner clients with neutral paint colors that will be appealing to their target buyers, along with other curb appeal tips.

When I met with the sellers of this home recently, the first thing I noticed when driving up was the bright yellow paint. Although the paint job was less than a year old and in good condition, the color was much too taste-specific for selling.  It also didn't blend in well with other homes in the neighborhood.beaverton oregon home staging 97006

During our Verbal Consultation service, I advised the sellers that in order for their home to look its best, that the exterior paint color needed to be more neutral ~ and that a new color would also blend in better with other similar homes on their street.

The sellers had already guessed that their bright yellow paint might need to be changed, so they were interested in finding out my opinion, and my color recommendation. Since the house was painted only a year ago, I wanted to limit their expense as much as possible.  Their home has  some stone trim on the front of the house, along with white paint trim, black shutters, and gray cedar shingles.  To save them considerable expense, I suggested that they keep all of the trim colors as they were, thus avoiding having to repaint those areas.  For the house body color, I selected a true taupe (between gray and brown) -- which worked well with the other three paint colors on the exterior.  I also advised that they paint the front door  black, which gave a much more updated look than the previous natural wood  stain. The end result is a classic, more sophisticated  color palette that today's buyers like.  As a result, the online photos are so much more appealing.

This color is Benjamin Moore's Taos Taupebeaverton home stagers

Before you list your home, contact your local professional home stager for a very reasonably-priced Consultation.   We can help with paint colors, furniture placement, easy cosmetic updates, and lots of excellent advice on how to make your home "move in ready" for potential buyers. 

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Maureen Bray is a professional home stager based in Portland, Oregon.  Her staging company, Room Solutions Staging, has experienced phenomenal growth because of the excellent results they deliver to their clients (homeowners, Realtors, investors, trustees, banks, and builders).  Average Days on Market for their staged properties is 28 -- in a market where the current average DOM is 135.  Room Solutions offers a menu of home staging services including Staging for both Vacant & Occupied homes, home staging Consultations, Color Consultations, Redesign Services, and New Home Move-in Services. For a complimentary no-obligation estimate, call 503-246-1800.

portland oregon home staging

Staging That Sells Portland Homes!

home staging portland oregon

Portland home stager Maureen Bray of Room Solutions Staging was the Featured Designer for 5 episodes of HGTV's show "My First Place" 

HGTV My First Place

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3 comments • Michele Rose, Moorestown Real Estate & Staging • December 14 2010 01:50PM

Decorating Your Christmas Tree: Tips for Reusing What You Have to Create a Memorable Tree

Whether you're decorating your first Christmas tree or your tree of many years needs a "sprucing" up, these ideas can help you have a beautiful, elegant tree by reusing what you already have!

To begin, the only real investment after the purchase of your tree will be the lights.  For the most elegant look, I suggest white lights.  White lights are classic, serene, and elegant.  If that's too dull for you, go for a single color.  For a more fun, casual look get the multi-colored.  I never recommend blinking lights inside the house.  Too busy!   

Now, for the free decorations!  You probably have the makings of some great ornaments around your home already-- you just didn't know it!  A lot of everyday items can be turned into ornaments-- you just need to see them in a new way.  Here's how!

•  Christmas Balls:  Old glass balls that are scratched, the wrong colors, or just look shabby can be reused.  Rinse them in a dish tub of soapy water and the color usually comes right off.  The glass is actually clear and the color is just a film over it.  Now you have clear glass balls that can be painted, glittered, covered in fabric, beads, and ribbon-anything you can think of.  Tip:  Use a thin paint brush to add glue to the inside of the ball and then sprinkle in glitter.  Or paint the inside with the paint of your choice.

•  Flowers:  Have an old wreath that has seen better days?  Any dried or silk flower arrangements you're done with?  Pull out the best flowers, fake fruit, and ribbons and use to decorate your tree!  Ribbon can be cut and made into several bows.  I have a friend who wanted a Victorian looking tree so we found faux roses, peonies, and hydrangeas around her home and used them on her tree.  It was beautiful!

•  Tiny Christmas Presents:  When I was young we decided to add a second tree for just us kids.  Since we couldn't afford to buy more ornaments we had to get very creative.  We took tiny jewelry and gift boxes and wrapped them with wrapping paper and yarn and then hung them on the tree.  They were adorable!  To this day we still use some of them!  Tip:  Use wrapping paper in solid colors or with very small print for the best effect.

•  Around the House:  Try looking at anything you come across in the house as a potential ornament.  Costume jewelry, tiny stuffed animals, seashells, copper cookie cutters, party favors, tiny toys, small pictures in frames, chandelier crystals, strands of pearls, tiny glass perfume bottles, small figurines, collections of small things such as spoons-- really, anything that can be tied with a ribbon and hung on the tree!  Start looking around! 

•  Memories:  My most important tip of all!  This tip requires planning ahead, but you should start now-- it will be well worth it!  Whenever my family travels we bring home a Christmas tree ornament from that place so that when we trim the tree, we remember our travels.  We also save party favors from weddings, showers, and other special events so we can add them to the tree.  We remember baby Grace's baby shower, Shirley and Patrick's wedding, Aunt Ida's 75th birthday, and many others.  We say a prayer for them as we add their ornaments to the tree.  Every year the tree becomes richer with memories.

 

By getting creative with what you have, you too can start making a memorable Christmas tree.  Through the years as we've collected more ornaments and memories, trimming the tree becomes more than just another holiday chore.  It becomes a walk down memory lane and along with that, gratitude for all we've been given.  Merry Christmas!

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since 2004.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.  She also stages listings for fellow agents, getting those listings sold!

   

 

3 comments • Michele Rose, Moorestown Real Estate & Staging • December 13 2010 05:55PM

Burlington County Christmas Toy Drive by Rose-Colored Staging & Weichert, Realtors

Rose-Colored Staging is honored to decorate the front lobby of Weichert, Realtors in Burlington, NJ for our annual Christmas Toy Drive!  This year, our gifts are going to the children at Providence House, which is a local women's shelter and The Children's Home in Mt. Holly.

 

The theme this year is, "May You Days BE Merry and Bright!" with the emphasis on the letter "B."  The items we are asking for all begin with the letter "B" and they are:

Books, Board Games, Basketballs, & Baby Dolls

 

 

 

 

For even MORE gift suggestions for The Children's Home, see this GIFT LIST.

All items must be brand-new and can be dropped off at Weichert, Realtors, 2313 Burlington Mt. Holly Rd (Rt. 541), Burlington, NJ. 

 

The 1st deadline for donations is 12/8; the second deadline will be 12/15.  Our charity would prefer to have most items by 12/8 for planning purposes.

Please join Rose-Colored Staging and Weichert, Realtors in bringing JOY into the lives of these precious children!  Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Merry Christmas Friends!

(...and please share this post with your friends & family-- spread the love around!)

 

 

 

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since 2004.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.  She also stages listings for fellow agents, getting those listings sold!

 

2 comments • Michele Rose, Moorestown Real Estate & Staging • December 05 2010 07:23PM

Top 5 Reasons to Commit to Your Real Estate Agent Now

Buyers and Sellers-- research and interview agents and then make a committment.  Here is a fantastic article about how committment and loyalty can work for you!

 

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since 2004.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.  She also stages listings for fellow agents, getting those listings sold!

Via Tni LeBlanc REALTOR® Santa Maria Homes Central Coast:

Top 5 Reasons to Commit to Your Real Estate Agent Now

1)      They can do a better job for you.  With commitment and loyalty comes trust.  I can do ten times more for a client if they are committed and they trust me.  If you are working with an agent that you don't trust, you need to move on, because there really is no point.  Last year, I saved a client $195,000 on a foreclosure he was purchasing.  I convinced the bank to lower the price by almost one third.  How was that possible?  My client trusted me.  Not blindly, but I definitely asked him to do some things he didn't think were necessary.  In the end, I was able to save him almost two hundred thousand dollars simply because he trusted that I knew what I was talking about.  Could I have done that with an uncommitted client that didn't trust me?  Absolutely not.

2)      They will stop being a salesperson and start being an advisor.  Hate all that sales-talk?  Want your real estate agent to stop selling you?  Look them straight in the eye and say "I'm buying a house with you, period, you are my agent," or "I am listing my house with you, period, you are my agent."  And mean it.  What will happen next?  Most agents will morph right before your eyes from a salesperson into an advisor.  Now that you've gotten that out of the way, they can start to do their job.  Want to get some of the worst real estate advice?  Keep every real estate agent you talk to on a string and make them dance for your business. Sales-talk is a little like dating-talk, it's a necessary skill to have, and not exactly fake, but not exactly real either.   

3)      They'll make sure you know when you're wrong.  Imagine you are wrong about something.  Not a little wrong, but very wrong and extremely convinced.  You would want your real estate agent to tell you, right?  Well there is telling and there is telling.  I always give my clients my honest opinion no matter what - the inability to contain my actual opinion is a burden I've carried my whole life.  However, if I am dealing with an uncommitted client, I say my opinion a couple times and I move on.  Not that long ago, I had a client who was about to overpay by $70,000 for a piece of property.  I told him he was wrong over and over again and frankly, we argued about it.  He called me months later not only to tell me I was right, but also to thank me for saving him $70,000 as he would have already been underwater on that property.  Would I have spent all the hours and hours pouring over market data to prove my case, showing him that property (and its defects) multiple times, and chatting in the street, if didn't KNOW I was his agent?  Not a chance.

4)      They come across great deals all the time and they only call their best clients.  I know you think you are gaming the system by emailing 15 different agents or calling them from a blocked number and telling them to bring you a "deal."   However, as a real estate agent, I come across great deals all the time, and I won't be emailing them to anybody.  First of all, I have no idea who I am emailing.  I could be emailing my competition or someone who is working with my competition.  If you don't trust me enough to give me your phone number, why would I email you the best deal I came across in the last 3 months?  If I don't have a pre-approval, a proof of funds and a phone number, you won't be getting notified when the best thing since sliced bread hits the market.  I'll be calling my committed client that has their ducks in a row, whose motivation and tastes I understand because we've talked about it, and who bothered to give me their unlisted phone number. 

5)      The best real estate agents have their choice of clients.   Sure you might catch a good REALTOR® in a bad market and they go against their gut and work with you even though they know you are not fully committed to them.  But, usually the best real estate agents can pick and choose who they work with based on whether your listing fits their business plan, whether you have saved a down payment, whether you are truly motivated, and also whether you are committed to them.  The truth is there are plenty of loyal clients out there, and a loyal and committed client is worth 10 times more than a disloyal one regardless of price range or almost any other factor, and every successful real estate agent knows that.  Remain uncommitted and you are lowering the chances of getting an experienced agent to work with you.  You are, in effect, limiting your prospective agent pool to those that simply don't know or can't do better.

Tni LeBlanc, Mint Properties
Broker/Owner, Attorney
CA DRE License #01871795
http://SantaMariaRealEstateBlog.com
(805) 878-9879 - cell

Copyright © Tni LeBlanc 2010 * Top 5 Reasons to Commit to Your Real Estate Agent Now*

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4 comments • Michele Rose, Moorestown Real Estate & Staging • December 05 2010 05:57PM

Who Says Home Stagers Can't Be Inspired by Color?

I'm surprised at how many people still believe white walls are a good thing and the only neutrals are beige!  Thanks to Donna Dazzo for this fabulous article!  The truth is many stagers LOVE color and the fantastic ways it can transform a room.  Many colors can act as neutrals.  Take a look at these gorgeous colors from Benjamin Moore! 

Choosing paint colors can be intimidating!  If you need help choosing color for your home, call Rose-Colored Staging for a Color Consultation! 

 

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since 2004.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.  She also stages listings for fellow agents, getting those listings sold!

Via Donna Dazzo Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York (Designed to Appeal, LLC):

In home staging, we like to stick to a neutral color palette so that we can make the home that's for sale appeal to the broadest range of buyers.  However neutral does not have to mean boring.

I love to use pops of color (red, turquoise, orange, greens, blues) in throw pillows, artwork and decorative objects against the more neutral background colors (beige, grays, whites) in the furniture, bedding and walls.

Even so, I love to see what colors the major paint companies forecast to be THE colors for the upcoming year.  I like to use these colors for inspiration.

Benjamin Moore's color designers are forecasting vintage wine  as their Envision Color 2011's Color of the Year. 

Vintage Wine

2116-20   

According to Benjamin Moore's website: 

"First seen on the fashion runways of New York, Paris, and Milan, this rich hue with a deep brown base and a hint of smoky violet is just as magnificent in the home.

As an undertone in many of the latest wood finishes, leathers, and other textiles, vintage wine, and its lighter variations, will make a great paint color pick for many applications over the coming years.

From deep smoky wine to wildly pumped up fuchsia, purple promises to be a predominant color in home décor in 2011."

While I've never used purple or violet or wine-colored accessories in my stagings, maybe I will have to try it for my next vacant staging.

Forecasted Colors for 2011

 
In addition to their Color of the Year, the Benjamin Moore color team also comes up with a palette of colors they are forecasting for the coming year.  The color team reviews cultural, social, and political conditions and looks at how they affect fashion and design trends. Their analysis led to a central Balance theme with three related "style movements"-Soulful, Spirited and Dreamy.  Each of these style movements were then defined by six Benjamin Moore colors.

Soulful...

Soulful
Communications technology has drawn the global cultures closer.  What may have seemed strange now appears familiar to us.  On the style front, this is visible in ethnic designs, pattern-on-pattern, and handmade decoration such as beading and embroidery. Colors that reflect this include Benjamin Moore's:

  • Vintage Wine 2116-20
  • Wasabi AF-430
  • Amulet AF-365
  • Casco Bay 2051-30
  • Hush AF-95
  • Etruscan AF - 355

Spirited...

Spirited
By spirited, this means anything that makes you feel happy, joyful, playful. In fashion and furnishings it's reflected in designs featuring geometrics, stripes and cubes,  and dots and curlicues. Loud and bright colors are  balanced with gray, black and white. Benjamin Moore colors comprising this palette are:

  • Royal Flush 2076-20
  • Grape Green 2027-40
  • Wrought Iron 2124-10
  • Paper Mache AF-25
  • Storm AF-700
  • Lucerne AF-350

Dreamy...

Dreamy 
From a design perspective, dreamy means transparency, sheerness, blurriness and softness.  The Benjamin Moore colors that reflect this style or mood are:

  • Gray Mirage 2142-50
  • Genesis White 2134-70
  • Porcelain 2113-60
  • Etiquette AF-50
  • Kendall Charcoal HC-166
  • Smoke 2122-40

Each year Benjamin Moore announces their predictions for the upcoming year in a booklet that's free and available through the company's extensive network of stores.  The booklet contains decorating ideas, photo illustrations, plus the forecasted palette of 18 colors for 2011.

© Copyright 2010 Designed to Appeal, LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

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3 comments • Michele Rose, Moorestown Real Estate & Staging • December 03 2010 04:55PM

How to Use the Holiday Season to Declutter Your Home Part 2: Closets & Cupboards

The change of seasons, getting ready for holiday guests, family dinners, and get-togethers with friends!  Tis the season for decluttering!  What?  Who has time for that?  You do!  Really!  It's not that bad if you do a little at a time, as you go.  Here are some tips to get you on your way to a clutter-free home:

 

•   The Coat Closet:  The cold weather has come and the coats, scarves, gloves, and hats are at the front of the closet!  But what is lurking in the back?  What has fallen on the floor?  Get those coats that don't fit, those hats that itch, those unwanted scarves outta here!  Take a good look at shoes and boots-do they still fit?  Are they still in good shape?  If not, place them all in a big plastic bag and take them out to your car to donate.  That's right-take them right out to the car.  When you need to hang up your guests' coats, you'll be glad you did!

•   Kitchen Cupboards:  As you entertain, pay attention to what you are NOT using!  Serving dishes and trays, glassware, the odd utensil you're not really sure what to do with-if they haven't been used this past year, out the door they go!  When the entertaining is done and it's time to put everything away, you'll have a much easier time of it! 

•   The Linen Closet:  If you have houseguests, they will probably see your linen closet!  Are you ready?  Gather the worn towels and blankets and donate them to a local animal shelter.  Often animals are brought into the shelters cold and wet and most just want something to lie on.  Your donation would bring some comfort. 

A little bit at a time, baby steps, will get you on your way!  You can do it!  I know you can!

 

Merry Christmas!

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since 2004.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a professional home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.

3 comments • Michele Rose, Moorestown Real Estate & Staging • December 02 2010 08:20PM

How To Use the Holiday Season to Declutter Your Home Part I: Christmas Stuff

Is it really possible to declutter a home during the holidays?  There's shopping to be done, trees to be trimmed, decorations and lights to be hung, the list goes on and on.  How can someone even think about cleaning out a house with so much going on?  Well, I'll tell ya!  This is actually a great time of year to purge the stuff we no longer want!

 

Since it's unlikely we'll go through all the Christmas stuff any other time of year, take the time now to purge as you go.

 •   When you're decorating the tree, toss or donate the ornaments you no longer want.  Consider each one-is it sentimental, a memory, given to you from a loved one, beautiful, or precious to you in some way?  Then keep it!  Otherwise, toss or donate!

•   Same thing with decorations-have some of them lost their luster?  Have you changed your decorating theme?  Are there some you don't even use anymore?

•   The Unwanted Gifts:  Throughout the year you and your family may have been given gifts you had no need for or just didn't want.  Not wanting to waste them, they've been set aside possibly to re-gift.  Gather them all together and give them away.  Do it this Christmas, before the year is out!    

•   Ditch the stuff that's broken or in need of repair.  Just do it.  If you haven't fixed those lights, glued that figurine back together, or anything else that's on your to-do list, you probably won't and it's not worth the space it's taking up in your life.

After Christmas, when it's time to pack it all away again, you'll have less to deal with and it will be easier to organize.  Make sure your boxes are marked clearly and all is stored safely.  And be proud of yourself for getting it done!  You'll be bringing less clutter and more space into your New Year! 

I've had clients tell me they actually feel lighter, like a weight has been lifted off them after getting rid of stuff they didn't need or want.  And who doesn't need that after all those holiday goodies? 

 

 

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since 2004.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.  She also stages listings for fellow agents, getting those listings sold!

 

 

3 comments • Michele Rose, Moorestown Real Estate & Staging • December 02 2010 06:55PM