Home Staging is a valuable key to selling your home

If you want potential buyers to choose your property over that of the competition, home staging -- the act of making a home look visually appealing to buyers -- can make your house stand out from the crowd.

"Buyers often have a difficult time envisioning how a property can be used," says Dan Keating, owner of Coast Home Staging, based in Long Beach, Calif. "When they see a house that's beautifully staged, it's warm and inviting, and they perceive a much stronger value to that property."

That stronger perceived value often translates into a higher selling price. In a survey, real estate Web site HomeGain found that home staging resulted, on average, in a $1,780 price increase or a 586 percent return on investment. "We've seen that the value home staging brings to the table is dramatic," says Keating. But sellers should understand three staging basics.

Types of Staging:

There are two different types of staging, depending on whether a home is occupied or vacant. "Most of us have too much stuff in our homes," says Shell Brodnax, president of the Real Estate Staging Association, or RESA, a trade group in Valley Springs, Calif. One of the biggest tasks in staging an occupied home is reducing the clutter and depersonalizing the place. You'll want to reduce the number of books on bookshelves, paint rooms in neutral colors and remove artwork that may evoke strong emotions, such as religious imagery or pictures of animals, Brodnax suggests.

Furniture may also be moved around in an occupied home. "Sometimes it's just a matter of taking what you have in one room and moving it to another," Brodnax says. If you have a larger budget, you might want to tackle such tasks as changing the carpet or upgrading the countertops to make the home look more inviting.

A vacant home generally needs more work. "When buyers come in and look at a vacant home, all they look at are the problems -- the cracks in the walls, the dirty piece of carpet," says Keating.

To remedy that, a few pieces of rented furniture can give potential buyers more to focus on than the house's flaws. A few plants and freshly painted walls can also help buyers envision themselves living in the property, which can lead to a sale.

Costs of Staging:

Since every staging job is different, costs vary. For a consultation with a professional stager who will inspect your home and provide a list of suggestions, expect to pay about $350, says Barb Schwarz, founder of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, or IAHSP. Homeowners can do the work themselves, or they can pay the stager to make the changes. If furniture or other supplies need to be rented, the homeowner will also pay the rental fees.

Staging a vacant home will likely be more expensive than staging an occupied home since you're starting from scratch. "(Staging) a vacant home typically can cost less than 1 percent of the value of the house," says Keating. "Occupied homes are typically way less than that because we're using as much of the homeowner's furnishings as possible."

Value of Staging:

Not only can staging help seal the deal when a buyer is inspecting a home, but it can also get that buyer to visit the home in the first place. "Twenty years ago, people would drive by properties and read the paper and read ads and have to go look at them," says Brodnax. "Now 90 percent are looking on the Internet before they even get a Realtor to show them homes. So if you don't have amazing pictures of that property, people move that property to the 'I'm not even going to bother going to visit the home' list."

With social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook being used to post pictures of properties, staging takes on a new urgency as a home's presentation has a lot more at stake and its ability to sell can often hinge on a photograph.

From Bankrate.com

Pantone's 2014 Fall Fashion Report is in

Whenever you look at fashion, which includes the home, you can be sure to know that the color trends begin with Pantone.  The PANTONE® name is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.  Here are their 2014 Fall Color Trends, and we can't wait to see them used in home design here in Arizona.

Fall 2014: Color that Transcends Time and Place

Top 10 Women's Colors

Whether it was a particular decade or a trip to a special place, designers are fascinated with the beauty of the past and the spirit of the present—recreating it with color, fabric and style this fall season. Design and color were inspired by everything from books, artisan crafts, photography and retro architecture, to exotic landscapes and the children of rock legends. The diverse color palette takes us on an adventure spanning 100 years—a season roused by various vantage points from past and present.

“This is a season of untypical colors—more reflective of the imagination and ingenuity, which makes for an artful collection of colors and combinations not bound by the usual hues for fall,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute^®. "There is a feminine mystique that is reflected throughout the palette, inspired by the increasing need for women everywhere to create an individual imprint."

Sangria, an exotic red that evokes a sense of glamorous adventures and faraway destinations is enhanced by Aurora Red, a more sophisticated shade that adds verve and spark.

The grown-up reds are followed by two extremes of the purple family that intrigue the eye and inspire the imagination. Mauve Mist, a romantic and elegant purple shade, reminds us of the deco era and stimulates a sense of femininity and empowerment, while Radiant Orchid, a captivating and adaptable shade, enchants the complete spectrum. Pair either with Cypress, a majestic and powerful green; indicative of its name, this shade has a towering presence and serves as a stunning perennial.

With its slightly green undertone, Bright Cobalt offers a subtle twist on the traditional cobalt blue, which unifies this season’s blues. Likewise, Royal Blue, which is both evocative and dignified, provides more complexity and excitement than the average navy, while still remaining versatile. Pair Bright Cobalt with Sangria and Cypress, or Royal Blue with Mauve Mist and Aluminum, a futuristic stainless steel shade that serves as a complex neutral.

Similar to Sangria, Cognac’s name alone leads to glamorous illusions. This classy and cultured brown takes a typical autumnal color to a sumptuous realm, making the shade unexpectedly ideal for evening wear. Adding a ray of sunlight and warmth, optimistic Misted Yellow alludes to the promise of spring to come. Both Cognac and Misted Yellow will also be prevalent in prints—a surprisingly popular trend this fall season.

For more than 20 years, Pantone, the global authority on color, has surveyed the designers of New York Fashion Week and beyond to bring you the season’s most important color trends. This report previews the most prominent hues for fall 2014.