The Hidden Secret To Staging a Home

To some homeowners, staging a home sounds like a service that is "nice if you can afford it."  But what many potential sellers don't realize is that often, a buyer's opinion of the home for sale is formed within the few minutes of walking in the door.  Everything the potential buyer sees after that confirms their first opinion (i.e. "Wow, the entry is comfortable, clean and full of light . . ., the rest of the house must be this beautiful."  OR "This entry is dark, small and crammed full of coats and shoes.")

Another way to look at home staging is to think of it as "curb appeal" for the inside of your home.  You want potential buyers to imagine themselves in your space--to want the home that you have created.  And once a buyer has imagined him or herself in your space, your home becomes that much more valuable.  How valuable?   According to some experts, staging your home can result in a 6-20% increase in the sale of the home compared to an unstaged home.  

And staging doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.  Depending on the condition of your home, it could cost you very little (just some cleaning, organizing and rearranging)--or it can involve more of an investment (painting walls, adding some plants, updated paintings or furniture).

So what exactly does "Home Staging" mean?  It's not redecorating, it's depersonalizing.  It can be difficult for a buyer to imagine themselves in your living room when they see all of your family pictures sitting on the mantel.  Depersonalizing can involve not only removing those family photos, but also, removing items that overcrowd the home.  Sellers should remember that they are selling the space, not the things in the home.  Making the spaces look appealing, clean and neutral is all part of staging.

The challenging part of staging is that many homeowners are too personally connected to items in order to be objective about their home's contents.  That's where a professional organizer can help.  We can look at the space and make impartial suggestions and help you stay focused and on task (sometimes it's hard not to get distracted during a project!).  

Consider home staging in order to keep you focused on the final goal . . . getting offers close to your asking price and selling the home quickly.  And once you are in your new home, feel free to  proudly display those family photos on the mantel again.

A Very Happy Customer

It is always satisfying to walk away from a job well done.  Even better?  Hearing from the client how pleased they are with the work.  

Below is an article recently published online and in some local newspapers.  Organizing has many more benefits than just creating a tidy space!  

This newly organized office will help both employees and volunteers to be more focused and productive.  No more spending time maneuvering around piles of paper and unused equipment.  It also means no more missed appointments, deadlines or late bills.  Congratulations to the Morris Farm for creating an easier, more organized space.

Before

A New Year, A New Look 
Office Redesign

  

The Morris Farm's Office was recently redesigned and repurposed to serve as both an administrative office and a new visitor's center and library.  The work was made possible by Bridget Nery's new Wiscasset based business,

Organize Your Home and Life.

After.

Morris Farm Program Director, Kim Andersson,  said, "I have had it on my mind to create a visitor's center in the office for the past four years but it seemed too daunting a task.  The space was cluttered with files, piles and boxes, much of it over 10  years old, and it often became a dumping ground for all sorts of stuff during farm events.  I very much wanted to create a space that would foster success and creativity and to finally realize my visitor's center vision, so I called on a professional.  Bridget and her crew came in and had the entire space cleared out in under 3 hours!  Then she gave me a to-do list of sorting and tossing, a task made easy by her clear instructions, and came back with a new floor and desk plan just one week later.  My sorting work took about 3 hours and with another 3 hours of Bridget's time, the job was done.  Bridget even found room for a clean and comfortable volunteer work station.  I am so pleased with the final result and grateful that the Morris Farm has an office and visitor's center every one can be proud of.  It is a truly functional and lovely space now."

Do You Have an Arts and Crafts Explosion in Your Home?

Having kids means having LOTS of small items floating around your home (crayons, legos, matchbox cars, etc.).  Most kids love getting creative which often translates to having the equivalent a small craft store in your house.

I've struggled between wanting to encourage my kids creativity and corralling all the supplies they use.  Here's a solution that's easier than you think.

Bookshelves aren't just for books and shoe boxes aren't just for shoes . . . so in "thinking outside of the shoebox," I created an extremely functional arts and crafts center.

I created this center for my kids using two unpainted bookshelves back to back.  I chose a color that coordinates with the rest of the colors in my home--which gave it a more "built in" look.  On one side of the bookcase, I stored all of the special art kits my kids have received as gifts (there's even a pottery wheel!). 

On the side of the bookcase shown in this photo--I purchased see through shoebox containers at a local hardware store and labeled each box with its contents.  My son actually said, "Thanks Mom, this makes finding things so much easier!"

The key to this system is the see through boxes.  When organizing often-used items--being able to see inside your storage containers allows you eliminate the time consuming and frustrating task of opening each container to view its contents. 

The end result . . . my kids can be creative and clean up neatly--and everyone is happy!

New Year, New Blog . . .

Welcome!  It's a great time of year to make a resolution to become and STAY more organized. As a professional organizer, I can help you organize your space--but the second component is keeping it that way.

Every week, I plan to share helpful tips and pictures to keep your space organized and your life easier!  Please stop by frequently--or even simpler, add your email to my blog and you will be sent a weekly notice with no extra work on your end.

Enjoy and happy organizing!