Beth Frede Interiors - Staging and Inerior Design

MARCH Tricks and Trends

How to Use Staging to Increase Your Home Sale Price
by Realtor Melissa Lesniak

As a local Realtor, I know that when you are trying to sell your home, you want to make sure that any potential buyers, as well as real estate agents, see your house at its absolute best. The process of home staging is one where you make sure you accent your home's positive attributes, even if that means doing a little physical labor to improve some aspects of your home.

There are places and things in your house that you will need to fix, move around or completely re-do in order to ensure you are getting the full value possible for your home. Here are a few areas you'll want to focus on to increase the sale value of your home:

1) Outside Entrance: They say you only get one chance to make a great first impression, and that starts with the entrance to your house. How your house looks from the curb is called Curb Appeal, and that alone can make or break your sale value.

2) Clutter: Many of us have more "stuff" than we need, and live with on a day-to-day basis; however, when you are trying to sell your house you aren't trying to sell your stuff- just the house. Less is more in this case.

3) Furniture: Nothing can make a large space seem small like having too much furniture in it. Potential buyers won't be able to get a true feel for how your house flows; all they will see is all your furniture. Consider storage for some of the extra pieces you don't really use and rearrange what you have to give the house a better flow.

4) Light: Make sure you let optimal light into the house as it makes rooms seem brighter and larger. Pull back the drapes and make sure the windows are good and clean. You may want to consider getting blinds or sheers that allow light to diffuse into the house as opposed to bare windows.

5) Re-assign Rooms: Do you have a junk room or perhaps a room with nothing it in but a dusty stationary bike? Move these items out of the room, and remake the space into an office or a playroom for kids, or something else to give it more overall appeal. People like to imagine what they can do in a room and you can give them some sly suggestions.

Always seek the services of a professional when trying to sell your home and you'll find that with the suggestions of either a Realtor or a Home Stager, you'll see the value and increase your home’s selling price.

Melissa Lesniak
Realtor
NH Notary Public
Keller Williams Coastal Realty
The Melissa Lesniak Group - Real Estate & Rentals
501 Islington Street, Unit 2
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-610-8571 office
603-475-7476 cell
603-610-8550 fax
mlesniak@kw.com
www.TheAgentYouKnow.com

FEBRUARY Tips and Tricks

Home trends for 2010:

A local/global mix

As consumers, we learned a lot from 2009! When it comes to decorating our homes, we've become more conscious of reusing/recycling and shopping locally, while also becoming more globally connected. These influences are showing up in our choices at home.

Mixing and matching
Suites of matching furniture have given way to mixes of coordinating furnishings instead. Try swapping a couple of chairs or end tables between two rooms to break up the matched sets. You can also trade window treatments, accent pillows and artwork to mix things up.

All things antique or vintage
Check out the "Treasured" palette at Sherwin Williams to see some colors with a vintage feel. Elements that go with this vintage palette are materials with distressed textures, weathered or bleached woods, and items with time-worn patinas. Dig around in the attic and see what forgotten treasures are waiting for you!

Tribal patterns, colors and materials
Look for animal prints (use in small doses for big impact), ethnic patterns, fringe and feather accents, and hammered finishes. Find these African and Native American influenced hand-made items for a song at stores like Marshalls and HomeGoods.

We'll continue to see neutral tone-on-tone rooms, but with a shift from beiges to grays. Gray pairs beautifully with gold (like West Elm's Andalusia rug), orange, and purple, and is wonderful for creating easy-to-live-with sophistication.

All-natural cleaning products
Brands like Shaklee and Melaleuca sell all-natural cleaning products that cost less than mainstream cleaners. These are great products to use as we strive to make better choices for our families, homes, and the environment.

JANUARY TIPS AND TRICKS: Helping a child's room "grow up"

I recently noticed that my younger son had outgrown his room... not the size of the space, but some of the things in it. The plastic shelves and Thomas the Tank Engine pictures had run their course. Not only that, but the mish-mash of patterns and tchotchkes had grown to epidemic proportions. It wasn't restful, and was certainly not nice to look at!

Luckily, we had items in other rooms of our house to replace the plastic, tone down the bedding and update the artwork. Here's what I did in about an hour's time....

First, I cleared off the bookshelf headboard and removed the Thomas the Train pictures flanking the bed. I could begin to see the possibilities after removing the clutter!

Next, I took out the red/yellow/blue/green plastic storage pieces. Sam wasn't really using them anyway. I borrowed the bookshelf and small round bedside table from other rooms in the house. An extra denim window panel now doubles as a table cover. (Note: if you stop in for a visit, please don't look behind the table.... The window panel is the wrong shape for it! We just fudged it in front.)

A decorative map (actually a piece of wrapping paper I'd bought several years ago) was divided into three and used as wall art above the bed. I love the colors, which have something of a vintage feel.

An old red duvet cover hides the busy-patterned blanket. An extra pillow dressed in a white quilted sham freshens up the bed with Sam's sleeping pillow (still wearing its plaid pillow case) hidden behind it. (The same unfussy effect can be achieved simply by using a solid colored pillow case.)

A little red lamp shade was borrowed from a lamp we no longer use. It dresses up the old bedside lamp.

Part of the re-do process was removing little-used or no longer used items from the room to create a clean, uncluttered and slightly more grown-up space. If nothing else, the removal of clutter breathes fresh air into our old spaces!

DECEMBER TIPS AND TRICKS:

Decorate and Celebrate!

Here are some tips for bringing the magic of the holidays into your home this season.

Start with curb appeal. Luminaries are a charming way to highlight walkways, and can be made inexpensively, or you can find a variety of options at Target. Use uplights outdoors to highlight ornamental trees and shrubs.

The sparkle and time-worn elegance of mercury glass looks lovely with many styles from shabby chic to very formal. Look for votive holders, vases, and candlesticks.

Transform a crystal chandelier by adding crystals in different colors. Wind greenery, bittersweet, and winter berries around lamp bases. Switch lampshades on sconces and chandeliers to more colorful or festively decorated versions.

Create vignettes in bookshelves and on tabletops, and on fireplace mantels using natural elements. Pine cones, boxwood, evergreen clippings, pomegranates and feathers are all wonderful materials that speak to the season, and may be left out through the winter months. Visit Naturally Silk in Hampton (call 603-926-5150) for some wonderful faux alternatives.

The scents of the season are just as important as the visuals! Simmer several of cups of apple cider with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves for a wonderful mouth-watering aroma. Or if you like candles, visit Coventry cottage, located at 85 Water Street in Exeter, NH, where you'll find Beanpod Candles. Made of soy instead of wax, these fresh-scented candles burn clean (no soot!).

Do you have Christmas tree questions? The National Christmas Tree Association has answers!
Visit them by clicking here.

If you love potato latkes, click here for a great latke recipe!

May your holidays be all that you wish them to be!

NOVEMBER'S ARTICLE FOR REALTORS

"Picture this"

Do you know how to get the best pictures for your your online listings? Professional photographer Peter Alcivar shares tips for how to effectively use your camera.

~ IT'S ALL A BLUR
Blurry photos don't help your website listings.... They can even make competing properties look even better. Our professional photographer recommends using a tripod. "Most cameras, even inexpensive digitals, have a 1/4" tripod mount on the bottom. Using a tripod will prevent motion blur, especially without flash! You don't need to spend a fortune; an inexpensive lightweight tripod is fine."

~ LIGHT IT UP
Dark photographs should also be avoided, as they tend to make rooms look dreary. But our photographer warns against using your camera's built-in flash because "any glass--windows, mirrors, picture frames--in front of the camera will reflect a hot spot right back at the camera. Furthermore, the flash is not powerful enough to fill the room, so the corners of the picture and the far end of the room will be dark. Instead, all lights should be on and curtains open to eliminate any dark spots in the room."

~ KNOW YOUR CAMERA
Learn how to properly use your camera's settings to capture the most effective photographs. Peter Alcivar says, "All cameras, from the cheapest digital to the most expensive professional SLR, try to make everything look grey if you use auto exposure indiscriminately. (Removed a line) So depending on how bright or dark a room is, you will probably want to adjust your camera's exposure by one or two stops in addition to what the camera does on auto. With digital cameras especially, severely overexposed highlights can never be recovered."

And a couple of comments about what to photograph....

~ ROOM WITH A VIEW
When photographing a room, capture a pleasing angle, rather than a random empty corner or messy pile. It goes without saying that each space you photograph should be tidied up, with everything is in its place. Entice buyers with beautifully staged rooms so that they'll be interested enough to come see your listings in person.

~ SORRY, NO PETS ALLOWED!
When taking pictures for your online listings, do not photograph your sellers' pets, no matter how adorable they are! While we love our pets, they are a turn-off to many buyers. Some buyers will not even consider looking at a home with pets, even though the sellers may maintain the home meticulously. Be sure to avoid photographing pet beds, crates, food bowls, and all other pet paraphernalia as well.

If you lack the time or interest to learn how to use your camera correctly, consider hiring a professional photographer who will understand the principles behind proper lighting and correct exposure, as well as how to frame your subject effectively. Your listings' photos will shine!

Peter Alcivar is a professional photographer and web application developer. His work can be seen at www.peteralcivar.com and www.clobeca.com.

OCTOBER'S NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

What's your energy IQ?

You might be surprised when you take this quiz from
Affordable Weatherization Solutions.

A. Which of the following is the source of the largest loss of energy in your home?
1. Windows
2. Ceiling
3. Floors
4. Walls

B. What is the largest usage of energy in a typical home?
1. Water heating
2. Heating your home
3. Lighting and appliances

C. Of all the energy savings options available, which has the greatest 7 year return on investment?
1. Insulation
2. Energy Star appliances
3. Replacing light bulbs
4. Set back thermostat
5. Replacing windows

Answers:

A: Ceiling 42%

B: Heating your home 78.7%

C: Insulation, by a wide margin

For more information on the value of an energy audit for your home or business, visit www.AffordableWeatherizationSolutions.com.

SEPTEMBER'S NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

~ FOR REALTORS: Why Stage? ~

With so many homes on the market today, how do you make your listings the ones that buyers remember and fall in love with? Here's how staging benefits you as a realtor.

Staging makes marketing a home easier for you by helping buyers to envision themselves living there.

Only about 10% of buyers are able to look past your sellers' personal possessions to see its hidden potential. By making that potential obvious to buyers, it's much easier for them to picture themselves living in the home.

Staging gives your listings a better appearance in print and on the web.

This is crucial since 80-90% of today's buyers begin their search for a home on the internet. Staging highlights the best features of your listings, detracts from the negatives, and increases your chance to attract buyers right from the get-go.

Using a professional stager supports your relationship with your sellers.

Hiring a certified stager allows you to focus on your specialty, which is marketing the home. Part of staging includes working with the sellers, which sometimes means addressing uncomfortable issues such as unpleasant odors, cleanliness, or decor choices that are too seller-specific. Clients tend to hear those critiques better from their stager than from their realtor!

Studies show that staging helps homes sell faster and for more money than their unstaged counterparts.

Staging gives a home the move-in-ready appearance that most buyers prefer. It's all about having the best product to offer buyers, whether it's a $200,000 or $2,000,000 home. Staged homes are perceived as more valuable than those that don't appear move-in-ready, and buyers are willing to pay for that value.

Staging is a marketing tool that puts you ahead of your competition.

While real estate staging has been around for well over twenty years, it's still a relatively untapped resource in New England. By offering professional staging to your clients, you are providing them with a service that not every realtor has, thus giving you the edge over your competition.

~ FOR EVERYONE: Simplify your space ~

Reduce clutter. Set aside time to sort through those piles. Weed out your cupboards, closets and drawers. Do this first so you don't spend time organizing items you truly don't need.

Organize what's left. Group like items together. Store your most used items in the most easily-reached places. Use storage containers of a similar style and color to keep the look clean and uncluttered. Label containers to find what you need quickly.

Clean as you go. Don't wait until the piles rebuild to put things away; establishing new habits is easier when there's a designated place for everything.

Delegate responsibilities to others.
Even kids can help- they just need our consistent reminders until helpful habits are learned.

Go easy on yourself.
Remember- Rome wasn't built in a day! Give yourself time to organize and develop a system that works for you.

AUGUST NEWSLETTER'S ARTICLE

Design Ideas for Traditional Home

Use the following tips to achieve a traditional feeling in your home.

Three is the magic number. The three accessories on the redesign room's coffee table make for a balanced grouping. Odd numbers work best for accessories.

Group artwork symmetrically. Symmetrical arrangements lend a more formal or traditional feeling to any room. In the makeover room, the shapes, colors, and themes of the artwork all coordinate with and complement one another.

It's all in the details. Other details that bespeak a traditional aesthetic include dark woods, nailhead trim, furniture with curved lines, turned legs, or carved accents, and matching pairs (such as lamps, side tables, and accent pillows).

Distribute color evenly. In the makeover room, wine colored accents were placed all around the room (on the sofa and coffee table, as well as on the ottoman across the room from the sofa) to create a cohesive color story. Using the deep red in at least three areas of the room balance the color, making it look purposefully placed. (Even distribution of color is a good practice for all styles of decorating; the wine red is a particularly traditional color choice.)