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In This
Issue:
- Home Staging Critical in a Tough Sales Market
- Home Staging Training
- Green Tips –
NEW!
- Color Trends Now
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Quick Web Site Links:
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Contact Us:
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www.TampaBayHomeStagers.com
Call Toll Free 1-888-490-1470
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2010 Training Dates:
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- - July 26 - July 30th (Two
spaces left)
- August 9th - 13th
- September 20th - 24th
- October 4th - 8th
- November 15th - 19th
- No training sessions will be
held in December
- Entry Area
Before
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Affordable Home Staging In an Unstable Economy
- Over the past few
years the art of Home Staging has been widely recognized and understood
as a valuable sales tool in selling Real Estate. Gone are the days when
we had to explain what Home Staging is. In recent years, many companies
have cropped up claiming to be professional Home Staging firms. Many of
these companies have ulterior motives. Some want to sell
product/merchandise from a catalog while others are looking to make a
quick dollar by giving you a “Consultation and Report” so you can do the
work yourself.
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- There is an art
and method to achieving a properly Staged Home. When the market was
good, people were having their homes Staged because they wanted to sell
for a higher price and within a faster timeframe. Now that we have hit
a low and are slowly gaining momentum in the market, we still need to
Stage Homes. Now it is to actually attract a potential buyer. They are
no longer beating down the doors and outbidding each other.
- They are
savvy shoppers looking for bargains.
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- One
of the things Home Staging accomplishes is that it takes away the
negotiating barriers. For example, in the past if you needed new
carpet, your Realtor would suggest you include a flooring allowance.
Now, buyers exaggerate the cost of flooring replacement and use it as
leverage for beating down the price. We tell you to go ahead and
replace it before you put your house on the market.
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- Don’t give buyers
any ammunition to use against you. If your yard is not in the best
condition, they will complain how costly it will be to re-sod. So, what
should you do? Well, do as much “zero-scaping”
as possible, treat your lawn, get it in the best
shape possible. Put fresh plantings, trim back
 trees and hedges. Add
fresh bark mulch and some accent lighting.
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- We
have also found that if your home looks pretty and inviting in the
evening, buyers will want to see what’s inside. Be sure you ask your
Realtor to install a lighted For Sale sign. Or, put some up-lights
around it for ease of view in the evening. People often drive around at
night looking for homes that are for sale. A pretty exterior will draw
them in. Keep your yard and driveway neat and clean.
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- Maybe you can even
go so far as to paint your driveway after filling in the cracks from
settling. Take it a step further while not investing a fortune and
actual use a faux finish on the driveway. You can call in a painter for
this or if you have a little bit of talent, buy a large faux stone
stencil and do it yourself.
- The bottom line is, be creative to stretch your Staging dollars, but
keep Staging!
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Home
Staging Training – Florida Style:
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 Now
that the Real Estate market is on the upswing, finally… People are again
realizing the value in having homes Staged. It may be a little more
difficult with fewer dollars available but the need for truly qualified
Stager is greater than ever before. Some people think they can read a
book, watch a little television and then hang out their “shingle” as a
professional Home Stager. As any long-time professional will tell you,
it takes practice. We have spent the last ten years in this industry
and we still learn new tricks of the trade with every year that passes.
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Our training program is based on our business model, our years of
experience and it is NOT our primary business focus. There are many
companies that train people as Home Stagers that don’t even practice the
art! There are many advantages to attending our training in Tampa Bay.
One of the primary reasons is that we are an actual Staging company.
So, we won’t leave town to go teach another group of people after the
class ends. We’ll still be here, Staging Homes. You may reach out to
us for advice and support as you get yourself started. We don’t look at
you as competition but as enhancing the pool of qualified professionals
in our area. There are plenty of homes in need of Staging.
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In fact,
after successfully completing our program, we often contract with former
students when we have more business than we can handle with the care and
attention we would like to give.
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Green
Tips of The Month:
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 Outdoor Mosquito Repellent:
- Try planting some “Moskito Schocker” plants (Pelargoniums
with
a lemon scent that repels mosquitoes!). They grow beautifully and
are very inexpensive. You will find them at most nurseries or even
places like Wal-Mart and Home Depot. The plants have
purple flowers on them so they are actually quite pretty.
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- Natural Flea Repellent For Pets:
- You definitely do
not want fleas in your house if you are trying to sell it!
- Many
dogs and cats seem to benefit in the fight against fleas from the
addition of garlic and brewer's yeast to their diets. When these
substances are metabolized, an odor (and flavor) that fleas find very
unattractive develops in the skin.
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- Unclogging a Drain:
- A sink
plunger has a smooth bottom surface, as opposed to the extended lip that
you’ll find on toilet plungers. With 2 or 3 inches of water in the sink
to form a seal around the plunger, give the handle a few gentle pushes
down and up.
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You’ll
probably have to push harder and sharper to clear the blockage, but
start gently to minimize splashes of water that could cascade out of the
sink. If you’re successful, the dirty water will disappear quickly,
often with a satisfying
whoosh.
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