Home Staging in Portland Oregon Blog

New clients recently hired our company to stage a vacant home in Hillsboro Oregon, just east of Portland.  The property had been an abused rental, so when I first viewed it, I was able to provide the sellers with advice for easy cosmetic fixes, paint colors, etc.  They worked on the property for quite a few weeks, taking care of home repairs including replacing windows, reconfiguring the family room, and improving curb appeal. 

When the staging was completed, I received a wonderful email from my client.  In part, it said "This house looked drab before and had been an abused rental, so we were all very sick of dealing with it. My 7-year-old would complain non-stop every time we had to go over there. As soon as he saw it staged, he said "I don't want to leave" and "I think we should just move in here."   :-)

Here's how the living room looked on my first visit (old wood stove insert, stark white paint, empty) ...

After adding Devine paint on the walls & a new window, removing the insert in the fireplace, and staging ...

The dining room & family room were spacious but needed small fixes & Staging to make them buyer-friendly

The master bedroom was stark white, cold and uninviting.  Painting & staging it made it much warmer ...

So if a 7-yr. old boy likes the home so much now -- hopefully a buyer will find it just as irresistible!

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This home was professionally staged by Room Solutions Staging in Portland OR.  We help homeowners, real estate professionals, banks, investors and builders prepare homes so that they sell quickly.  Our satisfied clients appreciate our menu of home staging services including cost-effective verbal consultations and staging for both occupied and vacant properties. For a free staging proposal for your Portland metro property, contact us @ 503-246-1800.

The mystery may be solved .... I've been wondering why I get so hungry (and thirsty) while I'm staging a home in Portland Oregon, especially when I'm in the kitchen.

But with all of these temptations lying around, it's NO WONDER ...

No wonder I'm always famished when I finish a staging job!  When you've finished a project, do you rush home too for a bite to eat?

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Room Solutions Staging offers help to homeowners, real estate professionals, builders, banks and investors in preparing homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultation reports, staging for both vacant and occupied homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a complimentary home staging proposal, contact us @ 503-246-1800.   (Photos by Room Solutions Staging)

After 34 years, this 1976 ranch home just outside Portland Oregon needed updating before the sellers could put it on the market.  The process began when they contacted my company for a home staging consultation, where we walked through the entire home as well as the outside spaces.  The sellers were given an action plan showing which cosmetic improvements would provide the best return when selling -- this included painting, new cabinet hardware, replacing light fixtures, replacing old carpeting where needed, updating the kitchen countertops, removing dated window coverings, etc.  I encouraged the sellers to keep the price point of the home in mind whenever making decisions on which improvements would yield the best return. 

Throughout the process (which lasted over a year) the sellers gave me updates on the various projects, and I helped them select some hardware and light fixtures.  They were delightful to work with, and very motivated to have their home appeal to the target buyer!  We worked with the seller's existing furniture, adding some art and accessories from our home staging inventory for an inviting look.

Here are some Before & After photos of this home's transformation, starting with the living room (which had dated window coverings & older carpeting) ....

The kitchen needed updated lighting, laminate countertops, paint, new faucet & cabinet hardware ... and the low cabinet separating it from the nook area needed to be removed.  Once that was done, it was so much more open & modern!

The dining room got a style update with paint, a new light fixture, and removal of the window coverings ...

This Bedroom just needed a few accessories and new carpeting for a fresher more modern look ...

This Bathroom received updated light fixtures, painted cabinets, and a new shower enclosure to match the new faucet ...

If you plan to put your home on the market, contact your local professional home staging company to make sure that your improvements will be cost-effective when it's time to sell.  We can suggest easy cosmetic fixes for DIY homeowners!

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Room Solutions Staging offers help to homeowners, real estate professionals, builders, banks and investors in preparing homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultation reports, staging for both vacant and occupied homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a complimentary home staging proposal, contact us @ 503-246-1800.   (Photos by Room Solutions Staging)

This lovely ranch-style home in Hillsboro OR is move-in ready and waiting for its next owner -- Are you looking for a convenient area and wonderful neighborhood?  Here it is ...

Brand new hardwoods in bright, open great room with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows.  Large backyard with huge deck is great for entertaining.  Living room has refinished hardwoods and a cozy fireplace for chilly nights.  New windows and furnace.  Designer colors used throughout make this home a showpiece!

RMLS# 10066603;  4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths;  2105 sq ft.

For more info on this home, contact Dave Somerville of Prudential Northwest Properties @ 503-789-7633

~ Photos by Room Solutions Staging ~

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Room Solutions Staging offers help to homeowners, real estate professionals, builders, banks and investors in preparinghomes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultation reports, staging for both vacant and occupied homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a complimentary home staging proposal, contact us @ 503-246-1800.   

It happens to the best of us ... we get a little older, and signs of age start to creep up slowly but surely.

A wrinkle here, a worn out part there, blotchy colors, and suddenly you're tired and feeling your age .... sigh .... it happens.

Don't worry ~ with a little "cosmetic surgery" you'll be as good as new.  And it won't cost a fortune, I promise! If you're about to put your home on the market, all you need is a little cosmetic help from your professional home stager -- Think of us as your House Doctor.  Here's what we can do for your tired and dated home:

• We'll walk through your home with you (your agent is welcome to join us) and give you sound and cost-effective advice on how to best prepare your home for selling.  This process usually takes two hours (sometimes longer).

• Painting fresh, neutral colors is an instant "face lift" for a home ... buyers LOVE to find a home that's move-in ready. We can tell you all the best colors to use for today's buyers (hint: it's not white!)
  

• Is your home suffering from dated window coverings that have seen better times?  No problem, we'll suggest that they be removed (along with the old hardware too). We want buyers to see a light, bright space so they can imagine themselves living here. Today the best window coverings are simple ones that let in a lot of light. We can tell you what to buy for a reasonable cost, and where to find them.
  

• We see a lot of dated, worn out light fixtures in homes on the market.  Buyers don't want to bother changing them out -- and they might just say, "let's go to the next house on our list" so let's take care of that right now.  Fixtures in brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze are classic favorites.  Use whatever finish works best with the other elements in your home.  Especially important are the entry, dining room, living or family room, master bedroom, and bathroom light fixtures.  Let's change those first!

•  Is your flooring old, creaky, cracked, or faded?  If so, let's freshen it up with something new! If you have hardwoods hiding under old carpet, surgically remove it and reveal the beautiful asset underneath.  Replace carpeting that's worn and past its prime.  Consider new tile, vinyl, bamboo or Marmoleum flooring ... buyers will be relieved it's one more thing they don't have to tackle.

• Check your kitchen appliances.  If they're old and  look like rejects from the scratch & dent place, it's time to consider replacing them.  There's no need to buy top-of-the-line unless your home is in the upper price ranges.  Decent quality that's new or near-new is a smart option.  

• Sometimes your house needs just a "tweak" or two to bring it up to par -- and your furniture may need to be thinned out and some of it put into storage so that buyers can see how spacious the house really is.

• Remember that with all cosmetic procedures, it's important to be sure your home is *sparkling* clean, top to bottom ... especially windows, kitchens, bathrooms, doors (every surface has to shine).

• Last but not least, we'll talk about curb appeal and how important it is for buyers.  They'll decide right away if they even want to see the inside.  Some of your landscaping may need radical surgery ... some of it just a little pruning.  Is the grass lush and green, or is it pale and thinning?  Either way, we can tell you  how to fix it FAST.

Don't be afraid to take the first step -- contact your local professional home stager for a consultation.  We promise, you won't even need pain medication -- it's a completely pain-free process.   For a very reasonable fee, you'll save time and money making sure your home stands up well when compared to others in your market area.  Looking good can lead to a faster sale!

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If you're located in the Portland metro area, we'd love to help your home look its best.  For less than $200 we provide a Home Staging Verbal Consultation. Our clients love our home staging statistics and our dedicated customer service. Contact us @ 503-246-1800 to schedule your appointment!

Vacant Portland Home is Staged and Sold in 3 weeks (Before & After photos)

This 1970 home has a contemporary look and was remodeled with an open floor plan that allowed its "good bones" to shine.  A new kitchen, new bathrooms, and bamboo floors spoke to what today's buyers are looking for.  The seller hired our company to stage this Portland home, knowing that it was important to appeal to the target buyer and reach them on an emotional level.  He said that our online home staging portfolio convinced him that we were the home staging company this home needed.

Here are some Before & After photos of this recent home staging project ...  starting with the Entry, which highlights the architectural details of this spacious home

The Dining area is located next to the kitchen; staging this area showed there's plenty of space for entertaining

Space near the entry was remodeled to include a Home Office, which today's buyers are looking for

The new IKEA kitchen has all the bells & whistles any homeowner would love; staging added some warmth

The large Great Room could make buyers wonder how to use the space, if left empty; staging made it inviting

Buyers want a Master Bedroom that's a peaceful retreat & often make an emotional connection here ...

This home was snapped up in just 20 days, while our local Days On Market average is over 120!

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Room Solutions Staging offers help to homeowners, real estate professionals, builders, banks and investors in preparing homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultation reports, staging for both vacant and occupied homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a complimentary home staging proposal, contact us @ 503-246-1800. 

Knowing what NOT to do to improve your home prior to selling is just as important as knowing the right things TO do, to make your home appealing to your target buyer.  Be sure the money you spend is going to provide a good return on your investment.  Your local professional home stager can advise you which projects to take on, and which to nix.

Thanks to Donna Dazzo for these important tips.

We've all seen those horrific online MLS photos of bathrooms, where the person taking the photo is reflected in the mirror!  Those photos always make me cringe because you wonder -- didn't you realize that you're taking a picture of YOURSELF?

If you're handy using Photoshop, Picnik or Picasa, you could retouch the photo and "erase" your image in the mirror....that's one option to fix the problem.  But it takes a bit of time and effort.

If you'd like an EASY way to avoid taking a photo of yourself .... here's some examples of a bathroom in a home in Portland OR that we staged and photographed recently ...

In the photo above, I'm standing in the shower to get a shot of the tub and beyond to the vanity.  You can't see me, but you see a nice long shot of the bathroom. 

In the next photo, I'm hiding in the bathtub!  (if you look closely, you can see the top of my hand)

The last photo is my favorite.  Guess where I'm  hiding? I'm kneeling right in front of that orchid.  Find a large object like that, place it in front of the mirror, and hide yourself -- please!!

And while you're at it -- please close the lid on the toilet -- no one wants to see the bowl  :-)

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Room Solutions Staging offers help to homeowners, real estate professionals, builders, banks and investors in preparing homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultation reports, staging for both vacant and occupied homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a complimentary home staging proposal, contact us @ 503-246-1800. 

Update Your Master Bathroom on a Budget ~ whether you're in Portland or anywhere else

Homeowners often wonder if they can update a master bathroom in a cost-effective way, finding solutions that will improve the look of the bathroom without breaking the bank.  Here's a recent bathroom remodel our company did,  finding ways to cut costs and still get the results we wanted.

Here's how the bathroom looked Before .. note the large unframed mirror, the 4" white tiles, older faucets, & boring beige-yellow walls

The look of this builder-original bathroom circa 2001 was BORING!  For just over $3000, here's what we did:

• First, we had a carpenter frame the large mirror;  labor & materials = $100.

• We replaced the 2 vanity faucets with Delta "Dryden" ones;  cost = $135 x 2; replaced the tub faucet; cost = $245

• Granite Transformations (many locations across the country) did a seamless overlay of granite Trend stone on the double vanity + the front & sides of the jacuzzi tub, directly over the tiles (no demolition), color Bianca Wintermute;  labor + materials = $2180

• Painted the walls (Devine Mocha + accent wall Devine Cocoa, wood trim Dove White); cost = $300

We found cost-effective solutions to update this bathroom to appeal to today's buyers who want their bathrooms to look like a stylish spa retreat.

Granite tiles or slab granite would both have been much more expensive since the tiles would have had to be removed;  the Granite Transformation system lays stone directly over the existing tiles and backsplash, saving time and money (this job was completed in less than 4 hours).  Here's a close-up ...

If you're planning to sell your home, or just refresh the one you're living in, contact your local home staging professional for advice on what cosmetic improvements will be cost-effective ~ you want to get the most bang for your buck!

~ Photos by Room Solutions Staging ~

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Room Solutions Staging offers help to homeowners, real estate professionals, builders, banks and investors in preparing homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultation reports, staging for both vacant and occupied homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a complimentary home staging proposal, contact us @ 503-246-1800. 

Here in the Northwest many homeowners have wood decks and find maintaining them challenging.  Here's an excellent post from Jay Markanich, a home inspector in Virginia, who gives us excellent tips on how to properly take care of our decks.  Remember, never use a pressure washer on a deck!