Happy Holidays!

Seasonal Staging Tips

The holiday season is most everyone's favorite time of the year. It takes us back to traditions, family and shifts our focus totally toward home.

There is a myth that no one shops for a home during the holidays. I am here to tell you that just is not true. In my previous professional experience as an agent I have written a contract on Christmas Eve.

It is true that there are fewer buyers out but the ones that are out and shopping are serious. I had 2 of my staged homes sell during the Thanksgiving break. So don't make the fatal mistake of letting your home go during the holiday season unless you have the luxury of waiting for a sale.

Set the scene for celebration but take a light hand with decorations. In most homes all bets are off come Christmas time and the brighter and bolder are acceptable when they might ordinarily be deemed tacky. That won't work to your advantage when your home is on the market.

-Dress the mantle with evergreen

-Do a tree in white lights

-Hang a festive but understated wreath on the door and use uplights to illuminate it.

-Use a centerpiece with candles on the table.

-Do NOT clutter every surface and every room with Christmas scenes

-You will also want to be careful about the room arrangement. When we make room for our tree it usually displaces several large pieces of furniture. A room filled to overflowing with too much furniture is the kiss of death. Be sure to check the traffic flow through out your spaces.

I am wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a contract that will move you and yours forward to your next home.

Sold in 8 days

This property SOLD IN 8 days-

Sold In 17 Days!

I told you that things sell during the holidays, this contract was settled on Thanksgiving Day! Even after all of this time I am still amazed at the power of staging. There are 20 plus properties for sale in this area. Here is a tour of the property;

Who says houses aren't selling?

My staged properties sure are selling, almost too fast. You always hear how things slow down over the holidays but my experience has been that homes that are priced accurately and look great sell year round.

I only so 2 or 3 Signature Stagings a month, it is a lot of work to do a Signature Staging on a vacant property. I take the time I think each property needs to get it perfect. I have a warehouse full of furniture, art, lighting and accessories to choose furnishings from but the pack up, the move and then the unpacking and staging is arduous work.

I thought for sure I would have a relaxing December with multiple staged properties in place. Especially with all the bad news of late and the slowing economy. But such is not the case, several staged properties sold in the last 2 weeks so it looks like I will doing a few more moves in December. I have some happy sellers.

One property had been on the market for 14 months prior to Signature Staging and it sold in 44 days. The tour for that one is featured below. Another sold in 17 days. But I should not be surprised, I see it over and over. Staging works in any market!

Energy Saving Tips for the Home

Energy Saving Tips for the Home

(ARA) - Looking for ways to save money? According to The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), a good place to start is in the kitchen. Replacing older, inefficient appliances with more modern appliances is a leading way for consumers to reap tremendous energy savings.

That’s great advice considering the fact that the amount of energy consumed by home appliances has dropped sharply since 2000. Refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers combined account for a 43 percent decrease in energy consumption since 2000, and decreasing energy consumption in turn drops cost.

Replacing an 8- year-old refrigerator, dishwasher and clothes washer with new appliances of average efficiency will save consumers about $95 per year in energy bills. Replacing an 8- year-old clothes washer will save more than $60 in electricity costs and nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year.

Consumers can attain additional savings by purchasing Energy Star designated appliances. Here are some more energy savings tips:

* If you are replacing your refrigerator, do not use the old refrigerator as a second refrigerator. This will not yield energy savings. Properly recycle the appliance. To find recycling options in your area, call (800) YES-1-CAN.

* Allow hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator; and always cover foods that may release moisture in the refrigerator.

* Limit opening the refrigerator and freezer doors. Label foods or use clear food storage bags to easily identify foods.

* Scrape, but do not pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Dishwashers do a great job of cleaning soiled dishes.

* Take advantage of your dishwasher’s “eco” option that reduces water use, or use a no-heat air dry feature.

* Use load size settings on your washing machine. If you are washing a small load of clothing, be sure to change the load setting; and use cold water settings whenever possible.

* Don’t over-dry clothes. This causes shrinkage, generates static electricity, and shortens fabric life. If your dryer has a setting for auto-dry, use it instead of a timer to avoid wasting energy.

* Always clean the lint filter on the clothes dryer after each use. A clogged filter will reduce dryer performance.

For more information on energy savings and to purchase AHAM’s historical Energy Efficiency and Consumption Trends, log on to http://www.aham.org.