Archive for the ‘Home Staging’ Category
Home Staging Success: Portland Home Sold In One Day In THIS MARKET!! See How …
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Tags: Bedroom, Dining Room, home staging portland, Living Room, portland home staging
Posted in Bedroom, Home Staging, Kitchen, Living Room, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Paint Color to Sell Your Home – It isn’t White!! – Portland Home Stager Shares Paint Color Tips
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
For decades, when you got ready to sell your house, the conventional wisdom was to paint all the walls back to white. But that is SO yesterday! White …. the color of snow & ice … does absolutely nothing to warm up a house. It doesn’t highlight architectural features and it doesn’t enhance the colors of your wood, granite or other finishes. To sell your property today, it’s best to use soft warm decorator colors that are current. That way they not only look beautiful in the home, but will go with the existing furnishings of your prospective buyers and remind them of the beautiful new furnishings and colors they have been eyeing at the stores in anticipation of their new home.
A professional paint color consultation will help you paint out the colors that turn buyers off and select ones that appeal to them.
Accent Walls: Do you know which walls should be accented? Where should the accent color start and stop? An accent wall can create or enhance a focal point or it can highlight architectural interest. It might be the wall with the fireplace, built in shelving, or the wall that soars up two stories. Selecting the wrong wall for your accent can pull focus away from important features of your house or even make a room feel unbalanced, which most people sense as a vague feeling of discomfort in the room, even if they can’t put their finger on why it feels that way.
Red Walls: I’m afraid that the news here is you need to paint those out! Although many people like to paint dining rooms red, and I see them all the time, red walls stop most buyers in their tracks. Any broker will tell you … well, they’ll tell you if they aren’t afraid of losing your listing by offending you … that they get negative feedback when showing properties that have bold red walls of any shade. Red is a tough sell. Why leave something in your home that has the potential to turn off so many people? When I stage a home, I can mitigate some of that impact through the use of art and accessories … but doing both the painting and the staging will give you the most attractive results.
The same goes for any bright, bold or “too deep” colors. If the color names “sunny yellow” “hunter green” “peach” “federal blue” “maroon” or “burgundy” can be used to describe any of your rooms, then a paint color consultation is in your future.
Even though guests in your home over the years “always say they love my: bright yellow kitchen, red dining room, hunter green family room, _________” (fill in the blank with your personal boldly colored room) don’t fool yourself into thinking that means the colors can stay. The problem here is that when guests come over they aren’t thinking of living in your house! I, too, would have to paint out my own beloved accent walls if I put my house on the market. So, don’t take it personally, it has nothing to do with having good or bad taste. It’s all about wide appeal.
The “Right” Colors: If I could tell you here the exact colors to use, I would do it … but it isn’t that simple. When I choose paint colors for a property going on the market, I look at the wood tones in floors, cabinetry, doors & moldings, and also consider any finishes such as granite colors, fireplace stones, carpeting, tiles, amount of light and exterior house colors as well. The colors of the house should flow from the outside to the inside and the colors in all rooms should work well enough together (not change radically) so that as you walk through the property, you always feel you are in the same house.
Colors that are soft and a little “smoky” or “creamy” work better than very pure colors. Think of colors like toast – caramel – taupe – sage & muted water colors.
Finishes: The right finish – satin – eggshell – flat – will make a difference too. In general flat, or matte finishes are very forgiving if your walls are not in perfect condition. They also look the most “true” to color because they don’t reflect a lot of light. Satin or eggshell finish paints have a little more of a sheen to them. They show imperfections in the walls so you need to prep your walls more carefully. They are very good for kitchen & baths where the walls may need to be cleaned more often. Use semi-gloss for moldings. High Gloss paint is generally best for painting cabinetry.
Sustainable: Remember to select paints that are “Green” — no I don’t mean the color! There’s just no good reason not to use paints with zero or low VOC’s. They are readily available and only run about $5 more per gallon than the ones with the nasty chemicals. Your prospective buyers will be happy that they don’t smell your new paint, and most of them will consider it a positive point about your property. Devine Color and Yolo Colorhouse are two locally produced, eco-friendly paint lines and I recommend them both! The paint color samples at the top of this post are from Devine Color. Both brands are sold at Powell Paint Center in Portland.
If you are in the Portland area and are getting ready to sell, call for your professional paint color consultation! Or, if you just want to freshen up your home, then a paint color consultation can help you select the right colors for your personal taste and style. Call today at 503.816.4394
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Tags: color, Devine Paint, Home Staging, paint, Powell Paint Center, staging tips, Yolo
Posted in Colors, Design Tips, Home Staging, Sustainable style, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Home Staging in Portland Pearl District & South Waterfront Lofts & Condos
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
My favorite jobs are the ones providing home staging in Portland’s Pearl District and South Waterfront Lofts, Condos & Penthouses.
I love these condos and lofts for their floor to ceiling windows and open floor plans. If you saw my post about “Little Boxes on the Hillside”, then you already know that one of the challenges to selling these lofts and condos is making them stand out from their competition.
When you are ready to list your loft or condo in the Pearl District or South Waterfront, look at the other listings already in your building.
- ** Are they vacant or occupied?
- ** Are they re-sales or still new?
- ** How do they compare in amenities? Floor plan? Upgrades to finishes? Their view?
This is your competition. All of the buyers wanting to purchase a loft or condo in the Pearl District or South Waterfront know that there are many to choose from and they are comparing your listing with all the others available. Did you know that over 84% of people looking for homes will look at properties on the internet before they ever call their broker to go look? They have a list of properties they want to see ready before they ever get in their car — or on the MAX — to go look. If you are in a high-rise condo, there are no “FOR SALE” signs outside your place attracting interest, so what is going to get them to come look in the first place? It’s your listing photos. It is essential to professionally stage your condo or loft in the Pearl District and South Waterfront and have professional quality photos taken in order to stand out from all the other condos on the market in your area. In these two sets of before & after photos, which condo would you take the time to go see if you were shopping?
Speak with your broker and find out who is in your “target market”.
- ** Are they younger and single?
- ** First time buyers?
- ** Do they work out of their homes?
- ** Have children?
- ** Older and more established?
- ** Is this likely to be a second vacation home?
Hire a home stager who offers the right look and feel for the Pearl District or South Waterfront. A stager who understands the tastes and needs of your target market will do a better job of tailoring the staging to appeal to potential buyers. They will determine if the condo or loft needs a fresh contemporary look for younger buyers with an office set up for live/work, or a more transitional and upscale look for buyers who are more established. In the photos below:
- ** The first before and after are of a studio condo in the Portland South Park Blocks staged to appeal to young, first time buyers.
- ** The second before and after photos are of a professionally staged, Pearl District penthouse loft appealing to high-end buyers and it fits the upscale, contemporary architecture of the property.
- ** The third set of before & after photos is of a high-end studio loft in Portland’s South Waterfront John Ross Condominiums with home staging geared toward buyers of vacation or second homes.
Finally, hire a professional stager who is familiar with the special rules and regulations for staging work in condos. Parking and elevator use restrictions require knowledge and careful planning.
Pangaea Interior Design specializes in home staging for Portland’s Pearl District, Downtown, Cultural District, South Waterfront and North Waterfront Condos, Lofts and Penthouses. We have the right inventory for everything from starter properties to high end luxury penthouses. For expert help with vacant and occupied properties, call today for your free, no-obligation home staging proposal. 503.816.4394
Tags: Home Staging, Lofts, Pearl District, penthouse, South Waterfront, staging condos, staging lofts, staging luxury homes
Posted in Home Staging, Lofts, Pearl District, South Waterfront, Uncategorized | No Comments »