Some of my Favorite Books

I love design books & especially Kitchen books. One of my favorite kitchen designers is Johnny Grey. His kitchens give me inspiration to create something unique. There are no boring designs in his portfolio. Unusual shapes, materials & layouts are his trademark. If you are not familiar with him, check out some of his great kitchen books on Amazon.com.

Artisan Homes wins 4 awards

http://coba.org/2009TOHAwards1.5M(New).htm
Hurrah! Our home won 4 of the 7 awards given out for homes in our price range ($1,200,000.-$2,000,000.). We won Best Architecture, Best Kitchen, Best Value & Best of Show. It was a really great project. Pictures coming soon.
http://www.suzannemariesinteriors.com/
http://www.artisanhomesanddesign.com/

Salem Art Fair July 17-19

Beautiful art, ceramics, glass, & all things fun can be experienced at the Salem OR Art fair.

Here is a sampling of the many beautiful items that will be available. I encourage you to support the artists who create these beautiful items that can enrich our lives & add beauty to our homes. Without our support they can not continue to create.

You can click on each piece to see who the artist is.

Staging Your Home to Sell Part 2

Last week I spoke a little about home staging & who should be using this type of design service. I am adding to that information with part 2 this week.

Today’s Real Estate market creates a challenge for all home sellers. Everything you can do to your home to help reflect a vision of someone’s “dream home” is a step in the right direction. Here are the DO'S and DON"Ts for successfull home staging & selling your home..





THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU EVER LIST YOUR HOME

DON'T put your house on the market before it is ready.

This usually happens if the seller is in a hurry or impatient. It may also be that he has procrastinated & is finding himself up against a deadline. The home gets put on market without the necessary repairs, painting, staging etc. being done. Presentation is everything! Get all the work done BEFORE you market the home.
DON'T get emotionally involved in the sale of you house.

This will be one of a homeowner’s greatest challenges. Once you decide to sell your house it is no longer a home but a commodity. It needs to be treated as such. All the personal likes & dislikes you may have are out the door so to speak. You will be selling to the masses & so you will need to present a product that can appeal to the masses. Personal items, unusual color schemes, funky furnishings from your college days, kid’s toys, family photos, refrigerator magnets, worn out rugs, and pet beds & boxes ….they will need to go. Try to depersonalize & make it a home that can appeal to many. You can’t afford to be emotional. You are here to SELL your house.
Let your home stager guide you.

DO enlist the help of a professional home stager.

Your professional home stager is prepared to help you market your house by being truthful in presenting you with the problems & the solutions. We don’t always appreciate the truth, (too emotionally involved) but if it is important to sell your home then you will need to pay attention. Let your stager do the job. Your stager will give you the best professional advice possible. It will usually begin with decluttering, depersonalizing, cleaning, rearranging and discarding. It may include repairing, repainting, & updating. Your stager will give you a MUST DO list. There will also be other lists that will be listed by priority. Cooperation will be the key to the success of your home staging project.

DO discuss the budget openly & honestly.

Your professional home stager is used to working with limited budgets when necessary. The condition of the home, major repairs that are needed, as well as how much of the work can reasonably be done by the homeowners, will determine realistic budget preparation.The realtors advise on pricing of your home for the local market & potential monetary return on remodel & redecorating projects etc will also be taken into consideration. An accurate budget & reliable information as to what funds are available for the project is crucial. Your home stager can not help you prioritize & spend your funds wisely if she is misinformed. A good home stager will not use your funds unwisely or overspend.

DO have realistic expectations

A professional home stager will be one of your best investments as you prepare your home to be sold. The knowledge, resources, training, & experience will be invaluable. A home stager will actually save you money by being quick to save & reuse where possible as well as helping to avoid pitfalls that will waste precious time & money. Some homeowners however may have unrealistic expectations. A home stager will not be able to “fix” everything, especially if there are really limited funds. Be sure to discuss with your stager what realistic costs and time frames might be needed for your successfull project.

DON'T work without a contract.

This is for the protection of both parties & should clearly state fees, any deadlines, budgets & other expectations. There should be included in the contract how any purchases you are making from your home stager are to be paid as well as outlining who will be paying for labor & materials etc. If the homeowner is providing self-labor then it should be stated in the contract. It is also advisable that your Realtor be included in a preliminary meeting once you have selected your home stager. This will be a team effort so be sure the team is together as you start your project.

SMI Home Staging Services

SMI is an award-winning design firm. We specialize in Model Homes & "For-Sale" propertites in Oregon.
Furnishings can be rented or purchased through our resources.
Call 503-364-4237 to discuss your project.

http://www.suzannemariesinteriors.com/