Staging Minnesota - KFM Staging & Design

KFM Staging & Design now offers virtual staging consultations for homeowners who live outside Minnesota's Twin Cities Metro area. We listened to the concerns of agents from the extended suburbs and responded with easy to follow instructions for online staging consultations.  Now distance doesn't have to be a barrier for a great looking house!

Visit our website for complete instructions:   www.kfmstaging.com 

It is no secret that a well prepared home is the best marketing strategy when listing a house.  Take every opportunity to get the advantage over the competition - STAGE IT!

KFM Staging & Design is a Minnesota home staging company. For free home staging tips or to contact us to schedule an appointment, visit our website at www.kfmstaging.com.

~Before you call me a Scrooge or Grinch, this blog is simply a lighthearted reflection of this past year~

I'm not sure what an actual PEEVE is, but the following is a list of items that immediately stuns my staging radar when I see it.  I quietly ask myself, "Why?"... 

TOP TEN STAGING PET PEEVES

(examples taken from actual staging clients)

1. Over friendly and curious dogs
2. Unresponsive homeowners - those who stare at you blankly as you explain the consultation
3. Un-flushed toilets
4. A member of the home owner's family who is sleeping in their bed while I evaluate their room.
5. Nude art - and I'm not talking Van Gogh!
6. Unidentified odors
7. Unidentified stains on the carpet (may be the cause of the unidentified odors)
8. Floors that display more clothes than the closet
9. Floating art work (too small for space or hung waaayyy too high on the walls)
10. Year 'round Christmas trees (Come on people, when the holidays are done take them down!)

The answer to the "Why" question is... because they need us!

Happy Holidays! 

---MINUTES AWAY FROM MINNEAPOLIS ---

This Golden Valley rambler is an excellent home for the newlyweds just starting out in life or for the empty nester's anticipating grandchildren visits!

THIS HOME FEATURES:

• Three bedrooms (two main level, one lower level)
  
• Two bathrooms (newer fixtures, upgrades)
• Updated kitchen
  
• Large laundry room
  
• Two fire places
• Hardwood floors throughout
• Finished lower level
• Fenced-in back yard with mature trees

For more information or to schedule a showing visit contact:

Matt Barker and Brandon Hedges at  www.barkerhedges.com 

KFM Staging & Design - Creating first impressions that sell!

It is no surprise that home staging is a powerful tool in preparing homes for sale.  Finding a qualified stager could prove to be a valuable asset for marketing your homes.  Below is a list of questions to help you find just the right stager for you and your homeowners:

• What kind of staging training have you received?
• How long have you been staging?
• Do you have references that I may check out?
• Do you have a website or photo gallery of project that you have personally worked on?
• What agents have you worked with?
• What services do you offer?
• How will I or my homeowner benefit from staging?
• Can I see the terms of your Staging Agreement?

It is important to thoroughly check out your potential stagers - they will be representing you while in your clients' homes.  Interview the stagers face to face to see if their personality and policies will reflect your business in a positive manner.  For more information regarding home staging, check out my other blogs.

Click HOME STAGING ARTICLES for free articles that you may use on your websites! 

A testimony of how staging made the difference in a sale...

Three vacant, luxury townhouses in a building were on the market the same time.  All had the same beautiful views of a nearby lake, all were priced similarly.

David Setness, from Counselor Realty in White Bear Lake put Staging & Design in touch with the homeowners to stage their townhouse.  Within 40 days an offer was given, accepted, and the papers were signed!  The buyers saw all three units and said that "Staging made the difference in their decision!"  The other two units remained vacant and are still on the market.

This testimony is not uncommon among agents who have their vacant listing staged.  For more information on staging or to see additional gallery photos, visit:  KFM Staging & Design!

While on my daily errands, I came across this massive Christmas display and thought this would be a perfect example of a Christmas staging don't.  Although fun and festive for the kiddies, a yard with 13 Santas doesn't attract too many buyers.  (The house has been cropped out to protect the innocent.)

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Unbelievable, but this is not the only over the top yard display in the St. Paul area.  This leads me to ask, where do these people store all this stuff when winter is over?

Merry Christmas, stagers! 

Attention MN Realtors,

I will be giving a staging presentation at John Glenn Elementary School in Maplewood, MN on February 25, 2008.

This Power Point presentation will include:

• The benefits of staging
• Staging tips and techniques
• Before and after photos
• Photo consultation

This informative meeting is open to Realtors and homeowners.  Homeowners are encouraged to bring photos of problem rooms for commenting.

This class is being offered by ISD 622 and has a fee payable to them.  Cost is to be determined, but should be around $12 per person.

KFM Staging & Design offers free office presentations for Realtors and mortgage officers.

**FREE OFFICE PRESENTATIONS INCLUDE**

-20 minute PPT presentation-

-Question and answer session_

-Drawing for a free consultation-

-Free staging information for your listing presentation-

-Free links to our staging website and online staging articles-

For more information on the class or to set up a free presentation for your office, contact me at 651-815-2949 or visit my website:  www.kfmstaging.com

This is a redesign of a guest bedroom.  Just another example of why people MUST remove wallpaper to update a room.

BEFORE: 

AFTER:

You can't tell from the photo, but the walls are a soft cream, the window treatments are a deep chocolate, and worn blue carpet was replaced with a soft neutral.

This room is a guest room in my client's home.  They were so happy with the results that they want their master bedroom redone as well!

The only thing that I would change would be to move the curtain rods away from the window frame about 3 inches, so the panels hangs straight down.  The homeowner installed the rods before I had a chance to say anything.  They are thrilled, nonetheless. 

Hello again stagers, it is time for my daily blog...

Today's issue is regarding houses that SMELL FUNNY. 

A real estate agent recently sent me to a client's home that was on the market for a while to preform a staging consultation.  She wanted me to comment about all the "normal" staging issues, but mainly I was to address the "smell" of the home.  The homeowners were heavy smokers with pets - not an ideal house to list.

Before the consultation, I did my research regarding air fresheners, carpet cleaning, etc., so when the consultation came all the information was laid out for the homeowners.

Long story short, the homeowners complied with the recommendations and the house sold - YEAH!

Staging Question:  WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO HOMEOWNERS WHOSE HOUSES STINK?

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  ...at least here in MN. 

Today we got about 8 inches of snow, and it is still falling!  My favorite time in the winter is when it is snowing at night.  The whole sky is lit up with light reflecting off every flake, and there is a quiet peacefulness in the air.  It is like your sitting in the middle of a snow globe.

But I digress, this new white addition always adds a challenge when staging or de-staging properties (I have two alone this month). Between the snow in the winter and the rain and heat in the summer (yes, it does get hot in MN), staging and de-staging properties are always an adventure!

The life of a stager isn't all glamorous with me stomping around in my Sorels sporting some fine Minnesotan hat hair!     Please, someone from Florida send a picture of a palm tree!