Home Staging in Portland Oregon Blog

Tip for Sellers: Dark Cluttered Office Transformed with Paint & Staging Help

This is one of the rooms in a Portland OR home we staged last week ... but the transformation is quite dramatic!  Not only that, it was quick and easy, too ~ something anyone could do before putting your home on the market.

The main floor bedroom was being used by the sellers as a home office -- perfect use for the space.  It was painted about 8 years ago when dark red was a very popular color.  It was also overstuffed with furniture, making the space look much smaller than it really was.

Here's how the office looked BEFORE

We recommended a lighter paint color to brighten up the room, and removal of the existing furniture.  We then staged it lightly, letting buyers see the function of this space as an office.

And here's how it looked AFTER 

For a minimal investment, buyers don't have to "see past" a dark, cave-like room to imagine how they might use it.  EASY!

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Room Solutions Staging offers home staging services to Portland Oregon homeowners, real estate agents, builders, banks,  and investors to prepare homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our customer service and our home staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultations, staging for both vacant and lived-in homes, and interior restyling service.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.

~ Staging and Photos by Room Solutions Staging LLC ~

 Home Staging Tip:  Simple "Tweaks" Can Make a Big Difference in how Buyers Feel About Your Home

From previewing the online photos to an in-person viewing, buyers are making judgments about your home ~ everything from whether they can see themselves living in it -- to whether it's well-cared for, clean, and big enough for their needs.  We recently staged an occupied home in Beaverton Oregon that had been on the market for several months but had no offers.  The sellers selected a new listing agent, and also agreed to stage the home to make it more appealing to their target buyer.

This home was already decorated very nicely, had great paint colors and was immaculate ... however, some of the rooms just needed a few "tweaks" to make them better.  See if you agree that the changes we made helped this home "show" better ... Here are some Before & After photos.

The great room had a large sofa blocking the entry to the room.  By moving it over to the large window, we opened up the main floor space in this room, and also caused buyers to notice the great views this home has.

The dining room was OK, but it needed just a few tweaks to make it memorable to buyers.

The kitchen has great features, but looked a little too plain in the 'Before' photo so we added a few accents.

The master bedroom was well decorated, but a wider angle & a few added items helped it shine.

                                       ~ "After" photos courtesy of Shoot It LLC ~

If your home is going on the market, be sure to contact your local professional home stager for tips on how to make your home irresistible to buyers!  A verbal home staging consultation is a very cost-effective way to help your home make its very best impression in the online photos as well as in-person viewings.  Room Solutions Staging helps Portland-area homeowners, Realtors, builders, banks, and investors prepare properties for a faster sale.  Give us a call at 503-246-1800 for a free home staging proposal.  Room Solutions ~ Staging that Sells Portland Homes.

                                     8333 SW 195TH PL, Beaverton, OR 97007 ~ SOLD

Gorgeous home nestled on Beaverton's Cooper Mountain. Immaculate condition with spacious rooms and incredible views. Great room floor plan with tons of light! 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths.  Maple floors in entry, kitchen & dining room. WI pantry & granite in kitchen.  Spacious living room with gas fireplace.  Oversize master with vaults, fireplace, spa tub and walk in closet.  Huge downstairs family room opens to patio and fenced level backyard.    Open 7/10 1 - 4pm

For more information contact Deborah Jackson ~ Re/Max Equity Group Beaverton @ 503-880-2000

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Selling your home and not sure how to make it "picture perfect" for your target buyer?  Room Solutions Staging offers cost-effective home staging consultations for Portland-area homeowners and listing agents.  For just $175, our home staging advice includes tips on how to place your furniture to highlight your home's best features, paint colors that buyers love, easy cosmetic updates, and creating that important emotional connection that buyers are looking for.  Our home staging clients (and their Realtors) love how fast their homes sell!  Make the best impression on potential buyers ~ contact us for a free home staging proposal @ 503-246-1800.

   Skeptical about Home Staging?  This Home Sold 12 Hours after Staging & Listing

As a professional home stager in Portland OR I've had many clients who know that staging is an effective marketing tool to help their home sell faster.  Once in a while though, we come across "staging skeptics" who aren't convinced that staging can really make a difference.   Sometimes 'seeing is believing' so for any staging skeptics out there, here's a true staging success story for your consideration.

We were contacted by homeowners in Beaverton OR who asked for a home staging consultation to help determine what cost-effective improvements would make their home more appealing to the target buyer in their neighborhood.  I met with this lovely, enthusiastic couple and gave them a list of Things To Do before putting their home on the market.  Since they planned to relocate out of state, they also requested a proposal for staging their home after they moved out.  Here are some Before & After photos of this home:

We gave the homeowners our suggestions for neutral paint colors that buyers love; tips on new kitchen cabinet hardware and paint for the dated oak cabinets; updated light fixtures in brushed nickel finish; & other easy, cost-effective advice.

Since the sellers were relocating due to a job, they wanted the house to sell quickly so that they could buy a home in their new state.  They were motivated and eager to do whatever it took to get the best return on their staging investment.

Buyers love a master bedroom that feels like an inviting retreat ~ here it's transformed from blah to wow

This home had a pending sale only 12 hours after it was staged and listed! The listing agent, Deborah Jackson of Re/Max Equity Group in Beaverton OR had this to say:   "One of my recent clients did everything on Maureen's list of  staging suggestions.  After the home was vacant,  Maureen then staged the important rooms of the home, and it was gorgeous!  Needless to say, we got an offer on the home within the first 12 hours that it went on the market!  That was a record, especially in this real estate market of 2011."

The homeowners, who had moved out of state, emailed me after seeing my photos of the staging:  "WOW! Is that our house? It looks amazing! Thank you so much! It was great working with you and if you need a reference just send them our way!" 

So don't be a staging skeptic!  Instead, contact your local professional home stager.  Ask to see Before & After photos of their work, and ask about their Days on Market statistics.  (Year to Date for 2011, Room Solutions Staging's DOM is just 24!)

~ Staging and Photos by Room Solutions Staging ~

Related Post: Home Staging Tip: Dated Oak Cabinets? Update them with Paint!

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Room Solutions Staging offers home staging services to Portland Oregon homeowners, real estate agents, builders, banks,  and investors to prepare homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our home staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultations, staging for both vacant and lived-in homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.

           Homeowner says "How’s that for fast work …the staging definitely made this possible!"

The other day I received an email from one of my homeowner clients that her staged home has sold in 28 days and she added, "How’s that for fast work … the staging definitely made this possible!"

This lovely Beaverton Oregon home sits at the top of a hilltop neighborhood with beautiful views, but it had a challenge at the entry.  Usually you expect to see 1 or 2 stairways near the entry, but this home had 4 visible stairways!  The smart seller knew that proper home staging would show buyers the function of each area and answer the question "how can I best use this space?"  When the sellers moved out, they left behind their dining set and family room sofa, but needed furniture, accessories and art throughout the rest of the home's main impact areas to create an inviting and warm environment.

Our Portland home staging company loves working with challenging spaces!  Here are some Before & After photos to show what we did ...

Here was one view from the entry ... 

Now, buyers can see this first space as a comfortable seating area.  

The stairs just beyond lead to the dining room where we added accessories to the dining set they left behind:

The empty family room didn't give buyers ideas on how to make the space work, so we showed them:

In the kitchen it's important to show another eating area:

Finally, this main floor room was being used as a storage area, so we staged it simply as an office: 

If you show buyers the possibilities, and stage each area to highlight the home's features, be ready for a quicker sale!  Contact your local home staging professional to help prepare your home for the market -- you'll be happy with your Return On Investment.                ~   Photos by Room Solutions Staging   ~

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Room Solutions Staging offers home staging services to Portland Oregon area homeowners, real estate agents, builders, banks, and investors to prepare homes for the market.  Our home staging clients love our service and our home staging statistics!  Our home staging services in the Portland OR metro area include consultations, staging for both vacant and live-in homes, and interior redesign  projects.  For a free home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.

Home Staging Tip:  Dated Oak Cabinets?  Update them with Paint!

As a professional home stager based in Portland, Oregon I often see dated oak cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms. This was the height of style back in the '70's & '80's but today's buyers want a more modern, fresh look.  Here's an easy fix that you can do yourself (or hire someone to do it for you).

My homeowner clients in Beaverton OR were planning to put their home on the market and asked me to provide a home staging consultation.  Because the target buyer for this home was younger, one of my recommendations was that they update their kitchen cabinets -- but I told them that they didn't need to spend a lot of money replacing them, or even refacing them.  Paint and new hardware can do wonders!  We recommended an excellent Portland general contractor and this kitchen was updated for under $1,000:

Here's how the kitchen looked Before ... 

And here's how it looked After painting ... 

Before -- potential buyers would have walked in and thought, "Since we'll have to replace those dated oak cabinets, we'll have to make a lower offer for this house."   Once the cabinets were primed, painted, and had new hardware added, this house was viewed as move-in ready.  It was listed and had a pending sale in just 12 HOURS!

The products used for this project were:

Primer:  Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Water Base for Interior or Exterior

Paint:     Behr Ultra Semi-gloss Espresso Beans (paint and primer in one)

Hardware:  IKEA Vinna handles

Before you list your home for sale, contact a professional home stager for a cost-effective consultation.  Our verbal staging consultation service provides lots of cost-effective tips and advice for a very reasonable $175.

Related post:  Home Staging Tip:  Sometimes just a few Props are all you Need

                        The Power of Exterior Paint when Selling Your Home in Portland OR

When your home is on the market, its curb appeal is the first impression that buyers have and its often a deciding factor in whether or not they want to see the inside of the house.  Professional home stagers often provide our homeowner clients with neutral paint colors that will be appealing to their target buyers, along with other curb appeal tips.

When I met with the sellers of this home recently, the first thing I noticed when driving up was the bright yellow paint. Although the paint job was less than a year old and in good condition, the color was much too taste-specific for selling.  It also didn't blend in well with other homes in the neighborhood.

During our Verbal Consultation service, I advised the sellers that in order for their home to look its best, that the exterior paint color needed to be more neutral ~ and that a new color would also blend in better with other similar homes on their street.

The sellers had already guessed that their bright yellow paint might need to be changed, so they were interested in finding out my opinion, and my color recommendation. Since the house was painted only a year ago, I wanted to limit their expense as much as possible.  Their home has  some stone trim on the front of the house, along with white paint trim, black shutters, and gray cedar shingles.  To save them considerable expense, I suggested that they keep all of the trim colors as they were, thus avoiding having to repaint those areas.  For the house body color, I selected a true taupe (between gray and brown) -- which worked well with the other three paint colors on the exterior.  I also advised that they paint the front door  black, which gave a much more updated look than the previous natural wood  stain. The end result is a classic, more sophisticated  color palette that today's buyers like.  As a result, the online photos are so much more appealing.

This color is Benjamin Moore's Taos Taupe

Before you list your home, contact your local professional home stager for a very reasonably-priced Consultation.   We can help with paint colors, furniture placement, easy cosmetic updates, and lots of excellent advice on how to make your home "move in ready" for potential buyers. 

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Maureen Bray is a professional home stager based in Portland, Oregon.  Her staging company, Room Solutions Staging, has experienced phenomenal growth because of the excellent results they deliver to their clients (homeowners, Realtors, investors, trustees, banks, and builders).  Average Days on Market for their staged properties is 28 -- in a market where the current average DOM is 135.  Room Solutions offers a menu of home staging services including Staging for both Vacant & Occupied homes, home staging Consultations, Color Consultations, Redesign Services, and New Home Move-in Services. For a complimentary no-obligation estimate, call 503-246-1800.

                                                           Staging a Rummer Home in Beaverton Oregon

Today my Portland home staging company completed staging of a "Rummer" home in the suburb of Beaverton, Oregon.  If you haven't heard of a "Rummer" these homes were built in the 1960's and '70's with a post-and-beam design.  Robert Rummer was the builder and creator, and he styled them after another type of home that he admired, the Eichler home.  Eichlers were a popular mid-century ranch home in California, with most rooms built off a central atrium.

Here are some Before and After photos of this unique Rummer style of home.

The unique architectural details of the Rummer homes in Beaverton Oregon are popular with those who love these one-level ranch style homes that take their inspiration from the mid-century Eichlers in California.

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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, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.  ("After" photos by Room Solutions Staging)

 This Realtor Became a Staging Supporter when HER Home was Staged ~ and SOLD for full price!

 We all know that sometimes, the only way to really BELIEVE in something is to "see it for yourself." 

Our Portland-based home staging company has worked with many award-winning Realtors over the past few years.  One of them contacted me last year and asked me to provide a home staging consultation at her own home;  she was planning to list her home in 2010 and wanted to know exactly what type of information our staging consultation service provided, so that she could feel comfortable referring her seller clients to me.  I was delighted to be asked to help this wonderful Realtor with advice for updating her own home prior to putting it on the market, and we spent a couple of hours walking through each room and also discussing "curb appeal" and some landscaping ideas.

This savvy Realtor knew that it would take time to complete the updates we discussed so she methodically began getting bids for the work (and enlisting her husband's help as well) and worked from her "To Do" list that we developed during the home staging consultation process.  As with all my clients, follow-up emails went back and forth as she sought more information on materials, paint colors, furniture placement, accessorizing, etc.  I couldn't wait to see the final results ... and was SO proud of my Realtor client when I saw how she'd taken my suggestions; and once the work was done, staged her home herself using the tips I'd given her.

Here's a few "Before & After" photos to show what a great job our Realtor client did transforming her home for selling.  In each bathroom the cabinets, hardware, and light fixtures were replaced, granite counters added, and the mirrors were framed.  Those changes really helped to bring this 1970's home into the 21st century ...

One of our tips to sellers is to remove pet beds and toys, since buyers might not find them appealing ...

We also advised making the bedroom a peaceful retreat by adding art & accessories ...

This lovely home went on the market and SOLD for FULL PRICE in less than 2 months!  The new owners moved in last week, and my Realtor client and her husband found their next "dream" home ... making this another home staging success story.

So, if you have to "see it to believe it" then take a look at our home staging statistics for homes we've helped sellers stage in the Portland Metro area.  Home staging consultations start at just $150 and are such a cost-effective tool  to help homeowners prepare their homes themselves.  We'll be happy to help you sell YOUR home quickly too!

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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 free home staging pricing proposal, contact us @ 503-246-1800.