What can I do to Get my Home SOLD?

A little can go a long way to transforming your home!
by Gail Dunnett, Principal, studo D

Don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy to get your home ready for sale. It’s a lot of work, and if you do it right, it can really pay off. Aside from the usual inspections and general updating, there are some simple, inexpensive things you can do cosmetically that will make a huge impact!

It helps to get someone who can have an objective, critical eye as you have been living amongst the red flags for years and they are less noticeable to you. Here are some things to think about:

1. Curb Appeal: How does your house present from the street? Will they enter or drive by?
a. Nicely Landscaped
b. Freshly painted and clean.
c. Obvious front entry? With easy access to front door.
d. Clear of toys, bikes, garbage bins, shoes, clutter

2. The Front Door: This is the first point of entry, make it count.
a. Nicely painted or stained
b. Change out any shiny brass hardware, make sure handle is substantial and not worn
c. Make sure it opens and closes easily

3. The Entry: This should be clear of clutter a visually welcoming
a. No bright carpets or kitch door mats, dog bowls, etc
b. Create a simple place to pause
c. Nice to have a mirror and small console table with accents

4. The Wall Colors: stay away from all white walls or bright strong colors
a. Color adds feeling and depth and beauty if well chosen and subtle
b. Keep flow throughout the home so all colors work together
c. PAINT OUT ANY OLD OAK TRIM AND CABINETS which date home

5. The Kitchen & Bathroom: Kitchens and baths will make a break a sale
a. Counter to granite
b. Appliances to stainless
c. Floor, wood, or neutral tile/limestone
d. Cabinets change or just paint out old worn wood
e. Change out old faucets or brass hardware

6. Light switches/thermostats/hardware
a. Update light switches and thermostat covers inexpensively
b. Change out all shiny brass hardware to nickel, oil rubbed bronze or black

7. The Furnishings
a. Not too many pieces of furniture
b. The right scale for the room
c. Un cluttered, key accents

OK, so this is a lot!. There are professional home stagers that can help with all this, and while a full staging can be expensive, there are consultations available and even partial stagings that can cost around $2,000 to $2,500 and make a huge impact. It is one of the best returns on your investment you can make. See some of the before and afters below like BUtterfield where we took out some pieces, brought in a rug, art and some accents. Or the Dining Room at Chapman where we added two leather chairs, a small console table, and some key accents and orchids. So, applying this to each home, we made a major transformation which required a small investment on the owner's part.


























So with the right amount of editing, de-cluttering, updating, and accenting, partial stagings can make a big impact! And of course, it should be well priced out of the gate.

How To Avoid Drive-Bys.......

Susan D. Goldstein
East Bay Designer
510 658 9072
susan@studiodhome.com
http://www.studiodhome.com/

The goal of staging is to showcase the attributes of a home so that it will appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. But what happens if you cannot get them into the house?





The home's original paint scheme and lack of landscaping does not encourage buyers to stop and find a place to park. The house looks tired and dowdy.

Quite the transformation, right?

By cleaning up the yard and adding a well-coordinated paint scheme the house offers a fresh and very inviting street presence. Curb appeal is as important as interior staging.

Native plants and grasses are inexpensive, hearty and thrive with little care and are a better alternative to blooming plants that might not last for the typical 2-month marketing period. Home Depot is a great resource for plants and ground cover (bark chips are the way to go).

Now this home's outside matches the stylish, sophisticated inside:

To view additional photos from this project as well as more beautiful transformations go to our website http://www.studiodhome.com/ and click on "Portfolio" in the "Staging/Design" section. If you would like more information regarding your personal "curb appeal" please call me at 510 658 9072 or email me at susan@studiodhome.com.

Why Are Some Homes Selling So Quickly in a Ho-Hum Real Estate Market?

by Gail Dunnett, Principal, Studio D

Days on the market, or DOM as real estate agents know it, is one of the key indicators of the health of any Real Estate Market. The average DOM for a home in Marin has gone from 81 DOM in November 2007 to 135 DOM in November 2008. It’s taking over 50% longer to sell a house, yet some places are selling in under two weeks. Why?

Gail Dunnett, Principal of Studio D Home Staging, along with expert stager Shannon Mitchell, a featured designer on HGTV’s “Curb Appeal” reveal four of the key reasons below:
- Presentation
As Marilyn Monroe once said, “It is better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked.” Staging is vitally important for all homes, whether a full staging, a partial staging using key pieces of the homeowner’s or a simple consultation. And not all staging will garner the same results. Not only must staging de-emphasize flaws and highlight architecture, the staging must sell the dream. Research has shown that staging can increase your selling price by 10-15% and reduce your days on market by half.
- Location
Homes in the better locations are most definitely selling faster than homes in the average locations. So make sure you highlight why this home is in such a great location. And if it’s not, then highlight the good things about the location…close to shops, views, short commute, etc. Savvy agents know how to market the location.
- Price
You want to price your home to move quickly, as the longer it sits on the market, the tougher it is to sell. People begin to wonder what is wrong with the home, and eventually it is no longer top of mind with real estate agents.
- Financing
Financing can make or break a deal, so knowing what different types of financing are available to different buyers is crucial. In addition, knowing if there are any liens on the title, if the mortgage is assumable, and if there are any special loan programs available to potential buyers can really make or break a sale.

The following case studies demonstrate how presentation in conjunction with location, price and financing made all the difference in the sale in this extremely competitive market place.

Case 1 – 9 Cecilia Court, Tiburon: Studio D staged August 28th, 2008, listed September 2nd, $3,695,000, accepted offer in November approximately 63 days on market. Listing agent Susan Ferrington from the Coldwell Banker attributes the home, location, views, and staging as key elements to the sale of this home.

The professional stager, studio D came in and chose new paint colors for major rooms, hardware was updated, new carpets were installed, landscaping done, front entry re-tiled, and dry rot repaired.

The Best Presentations require a labor of love, from the attractive paint colors to furnishings with exactly the right scale for the room to live plants, homes are transformed in a day to sell the dream.

Tiburon
Case Study 1: 9 Cecilia Court, SOLD! $3,200,000, 5 bdrm, 3 bath, staged, 63 DOM

The entry way and colors throughout the home were
repainted to a cooler more sophisticated color pallette. The hardware was changed out and the rug was removed, artwork hung, and staging furniture brought in.







More Marin projects can be seen on our website at http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/marin

The average DOM for a home in San Francisco has gone from 33 DOM in November 2007 to 58 DOM in November 2008.




San Francisco
Case 2 - 1455 15th Ave, San Francisco: Studio D staged Nov 17, 2008, listed on MLS Nov 18th, accepted offer in four days for over the asking price. Listing agent Theresa Collins from the Paragon Group attributes the staging and a small ocean view as key elements in addition to a special loan program that was to expire on Nov. 30.



The home was empty so we staged the rooms which helped the presentation of the home. Here is an example of the living room and one of the bedrooms. They were staged in a light, fresh style which was neither too traditional nor too modern.


Case Study 2: 1455 15th Ave, $899,000, 2bdrm 1 bath, staged, accepted offer in 4 days!

More San Francisco projects can bee seen on our website http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/san-francisco

Addtional projects in the East Bay can be seen at http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/oakland

Preparing the Canvas of a Staged Home

By Susan Goldstein
Susan Goldstein, East Bay Designer
510-658-9072

One of the mantras frequently used throughout the real estate/staging industry when it comes to preparing a house for sale is “Paint, paint, paint”. It is more than the need to refresh a tired interior, it also sets the stage for the introduction of furniture, art and accessories that will enhance the home’s attributes.

We like to think of paint, as it relates to staging, as preparing the canvas. Personally, I like to compare it to fashion. When you notice a beautifully turned out woman, you are drawn to the combination of items that she has chosen to work together and compliment her look. The same concept applies to a well-staged home. We start with a basic wall color and then layer in trim and accent colors to create the foundation upon which we add carefully coordinated furnishings.

Before we staged this home in Piedmont, Ca, we were confronted with a series of rooms that all opened into each other – large Entry Hall, Dining Room, Living Room, Family Room and Library. The public rooms were almost loft-like in their layout. So, I devised a plan that would include painting each individual room a different wall color and unite the rooms using a semi-gloss white on all the ceilings, doors, molding and columns.

The color palette included two sophisticated gray colors that carried through from the Entry Hall into the Living Room.




















The Dining Room and Library were painted in two related cool blue shades.

























Here, we painted the family room in a soft green.














As you can see after the addition of furniture, art and accessories, each room popped with color and shine that befitted the architectural elements of the existing structure. Also, for the bedrooms we chose colors that belonged in the same range so that the house presented as a totally unified space. So, our beautifully dressed woman was ready to meet the public. And? She received rave reviews!

In future postings, I will give other examples of how to use color to improve the interior and exterior of your home. And, I will talk about dramatic colors that can work in traditional homes and how important an accent wall color can be.

I will offer cost-saving alternatives to extensive renovations by sharing the process recently undertaken in Lafayette that transformed an uninspired 80’s home and produced multiple offers and a closing in less than a month.

In the meantime, should you have any questions regarding the home profiled above, please do not hesitate to contact me at susan@studiodhome.com
or directly at 510 658 9072. You may also view more projects in the East Bay by visiting http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/oakland, San Francisco at http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/san-francisco, or Marin at http://www.studiodhome.com/home-staging/portfolio/california/marin.

Staging Sells - The Power of Before & After

So many people ask why they should stage their home.
We have two words for you: Before & After.

(Ok, so that's technically three words, but these pictures speak for themselves.)

Before
Before our staging, this living room served as both dining room and storage. The fireplace, which should be the focal point of the room, is so out of focus and hidden by clutter, knick-knacks and books. Buyers won't know what to think of this room.

After

With our staging, the living room is open, inviting and defined. The fireplace is the star of the room, and potential buyers know exactly what they're looking at. The cool color scheme and cozy seating arrangement breathe a breath of fresh air, and the ambiant lighting softens the details.

Partial Staging

Before
Staging doesn't always mean that you have to move out all of your furniture. In this Master Bedroom, the furniture looks like it's crammed into the room. It actually makes the room look smaller, which is not how a Master Bedroom should appear to potential buyers.

After
A Partial Staging in this Master Bedroom helped transform the room from cold college dorm to Chic Master Suite. Along with using the homeowner's furniture, all this room needed was a shot of color on the accent wall, new bedding, gallery-style art arrangement and a good clearing out of unnecessary pieces.

Check out more of our Before & After Transformations!

Marin Staging: 415.867.0882
San Francisco Staging: 415.359.3820
Oakland/East Bay Staging: 510.339.9015
www.studiodhome.com

Designed To Sell: How to Keep Your Kitchen from Selling You Out

By Shannon Mitchell, San Francisco Designer

I see a lot of kitchens. Some are old, some are new and some are just plain worn out. Some are big and some are small, while others have me wondering why the refrigerator is in the pantry. No matter where your kitchen floats in this sea of adjectives, the fact remains that if you are planning to sell your home, you have to keep your kitchen from selling you down the river.

I recently met with a homeowner and his agent to give them a staging bid on their 1970’s San Francisco condo. I could tell as I walked through the home that this was a typical case of de-clutter the homeowners' items, paint neutral and refreshing colors and Stage it to the nines. But as soon as I walked into the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks.

There were floor-to-ceiling dark oak cabinets. Green laminate counter tops. Crusted brass hardware. And hideous florescent lighting! Ugh!

The tragic part was that, even with my stager-trained eye, I couldn’t see the stainless steel refrigerator, new double oven and ceramic tile floor. How would a potential buyer be expected to see these assets through the liabilities?

My biggest test came when the homeowner said that he had gotten a bid to paint the cabinets, but he decided it was too much to spend. Instead, he was going to knock down a wall, put in a pass-through to the Dining Room and leave the cabinets as they were. In his mind, the pass-through would open up the kitchen and add value.

While in some cases that is true, it was not the case for this kitchen. A big hole in the wall would amount to a big hole in his pocket. When you're on a budget, it pays to know where to spend your money. In other words: How to get the most bang for your buck.

I told myself to stay calm. You can help him avoid this sinkhole and get him to put his money in the right toolbox. In my mind, he couldn't have been farther from the truth.

The #1 Rule of Thumb when selling your home is:
Kitchens Sell Houses.

I knew that for about the same amount of money as it would cost for demolition, he could have beautiful new white cabinets with brushed nickel hardware, creamy cocoa-colored walls, brand new granite counter tops and no more green-monster florescent lighting. I also knew that a seemingly brand new kitchen would pay for itself in triplicate by adding thousands of dollars in value. It took a little convincing, but it took.

A few key elements made this all possible:

1. There was very little counter top space to replace, keeping the granite costs low.
2. We got multiple bids from painters, allowing us to choose our own price.
3. We opted for a low-cost light fixture from a large hardware store.
4. There was even a little leftover in the budget to add a wine refrigerator where an old trash compactor had been!

After a short amount of time and a shallow reach into the pocketbook, this kitchen went up about seven notches in marketing code from “Quaint Kitchen” to “Light-filled Chef’s Kitchen”.

Along with a fabulous Studio D Staging, this kitchen rehab got the homeowners three offers in the first three weeks, all during a tough market!

Email Shannon
415.359.3820

Local Artist Featured at Studio D

S t u d i o D's second in a series of featured artists is this Friday 5-7 pm, January 11, 2008, at our Montclair Village location, 2078 Antioch Court. After our huge success featuring local jewelry maker Lynne Belmont, we welcome painter Judy Levit to our space. This event will be catered by Chef Extraordinaire Simone, serving wine and hor's devoures.

As part of a community business, we are excited to work with local artisans as our home furnishings provide a great backdrop for showing their talent. Judy utilizes a variety of mediums and collage to produce colorful, evocative and contemporary abstract paintings. Her work has been shown through out the Bay area.

Studio D owner Johanna Meise expresses, “We are delighted to partner with Bay area artists and believe that our contemporary retail home environment will showcase the work of local artists, and in turn, their work will compliment our Studio space”.

Levit claims “Inspiration for my most recent paintings has come from dreaming and visiting Africa and China. I create my abstract paintings as much from images in the world as from my imagination and dreams, but the process of painting is a journey inward”. Judy Levit is a psychotherapist as well as painter, lives in Oakland with her husband & has a grown son. View more of her art: http://www.judylevit.com/.

It's amazing how a great piece of art can really make a room explains staging President, Gail Dunnett. Not everything in the room has to be expensive. But having an important piece of art can raise the value of the entire room. You can see this on the home page of our website, http://www.studiodhome.com/ with the a featured piece of art from SFMOMA in a dining room in a home in Ross, as well as within our featured staged homes.

Not to be missed, opening reception January 11, 2008 from 5 – 7 :00 PM. Open to our art-loving friends, clients and local public. Please join us at Studio D, 2078 Antioch Ct. Oakland, 94611 Levit’s work will be showcased for the entire month of January.

Studio D style features well designed, classic contemporary furnishings and accessories at affordable prices. Studio D offers personalized interior design consulting, striking home staging with two retail outlets, Montclair Village and Pacific Heights, 2184 Sutter St. San Francisco.

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Studio D
Contact: Victoria Bochet
Studio D Interiors Consultant (510) 339-9015 studio (510) 326-9682 cell