Home Staging in Portland Oregon Blog

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What is this room used for? Before & After

Often in a vacant home, there's a room or two that doesn't immediately indicate what it's purpose is -- that's where creative staging comes into play!  If buyers can't see how to use the room, they'll get confused and just move on to the next house....so we want to capture their imagination and let them see the possibilities.

This week we staged a 1912 vintage vacant home that had several challenges. One of them was this upstairs room that had been converted from an attic.  The sellers had used it as a family room, which was great for them as it has wonderful light and a large area for family fun, but this house also lacked a well-defined master bedroom downstairs. Our solution? 

Room Solutions Home Staging Portland Oregon

real estate home staging by Room Solutions Portland OR

 

We showed potential buyers that this room would work as a master bedroom if that's what they needed ... just doing some light staging.  One of the benefits of staging is that it shows buyers how the space might be used ~ and vacant rooms lack warmth and an inviting look.  This home had been on the market for months without a sale, but it SOLD after staging!

 

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Maureen Bray and Room Solutions Staging in Portland OR offers professional staging services to homeowners, realtors, and investors.  Give us a call @ 503-246-1800 so that we can help you sell your home faster and for maximum profit.

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Comments

My first thought would have been a bedroom - nice work - it looks great!
Posted by Dawn Taylor, SE Minnesota Home Stager~ (Taylor'd To Sell) over 4 years ago
Dawn ~ Thanks for your input -- we thought it could be used as a bedroom too -- there is an adjoining bathroom as well.  The sellers were probably a bit hesitant when I proposed the idea, but they quickly agreed it was the best use of the space once they saw the results.
Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago

I love rooms with a challenge...  FROGs are similar to this and have so much potential. I love what you did with this room..  The layered bedding adds a touch of Class... Keep the great B & A's coming...

 Kathy Holbrook

CT Realty Staging

Posted by Kathleen (Kathy) Holbrook (Waterfront Realty Group Inc & SW Florida Realty Staging) over 4 years ago
Kathleen H. ~ Thank you!  What are FROGS, would you please expand on that?  :-)
Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago

Nice Maureen!  I liked the purple and olive touches!! I recently had a strange room that I thought was a 'lovely study' with windows....and it turned out that the previous owner used it as her Clothes Closet!!  I need to get on the ball and start uploading my photos.....ugh. Thanks!!  Regards-Kathleen

PS-- What is a FROG?

Posted by Kathleen Garvey - Stager Idol Award - Denver Home Staging - Best Home Stager (Enhanced Interiors & Home Staging) over 4 years ago

hi Kathleen G. ~ Thanks for your comment....I'm amazed that you could distinguish the purple and olive colors in the bedding set!  Yes, please upload some of your photos for Before & Afters to share with us!

I'm waiting for Kathleen H. to let us know about the FROGS too!!  Maybe it's stagers' secret code I haven't learned yet?  :-)

Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago
I agree with you. I did an open house on a vacant place, and one room was questioned many times about what its purpose was.  If it was staged, it would have given buyers an idea of what it could possibly be used for.
Posted by Amy Dawson, Vancouver, WA Realtor over 4 years ago
Amy ~ Thanks for your feedback.  It's true that sometimes we really need to show buyers how to use the space.  Staging always makes it look better regardless of the room's function, doesn't it?
Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago
WOW - Maureen, what a transformation.  Great use of space and color.  This is definitely one to be proud of! - Calie
Posted by Calie Waterhouse Coaching & Classes over 4 years ago
Calie ~ How nice of you to say.  I just don't understand why some homes are still being shown vacant....I guess we have a lot more educating to do with sellers and agents, don't we?
Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago
I am curious about the FROG also!  The room looks elegant, Maureen.
Posted by Kathy Riggle Houston Home Staging-STAGING SMART NSOLD (STAGING SMART N SOLD) over 4 years ago
Thanks for pointing out the importance of giving each room CONTEXT! Keeping this in mind you can change a forgetable walkthrough into a sold sign.
Posted by Robert Whitelaw, Broker, CEO, RealtorĀ®, ePro (Whitelaw & Sons Real Estate Services) over 4 years ago

Kathy R. - Thanks for stopping....we all seem to want to know about the FROG!

Robert ~ For some reason it's hard for buyers to imagine how to use each room, but staging it does open up their eyes to the possibilities.  Thanks for your comment!

Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago
Hi Maureen, I really like what you did in the space.  It looks great.  Good work.  Still not sure what a FROG is?  If you find out let me know.  Karen
Posted by Home Stager Karen Hubert (Center Stage Design-real estate staging, Ancaster/Hamilton) over 4 years ago

Hi Karen -- how are you doing?  Nice to hear from you, thanks for commenting.  I'll let you know about the FROG mystery as soon as I find out what it is!

Ha!  "candlenut" is my graphic word.  I'm a candlenut when it comes to staging!

Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago
Good Job Maureen!  I really appreciate how creative people can be with staging.  I cannot visualize--that's why we need you people.
Posted by Leslie Bloss, Bellevue Real Estate Professional over 4 years ago
Leslie ~ Thank you very much for your comment.....and be sure to call an A/R stager in your area to help you with any of your vacant listings.  I'm sure they love to use their creativity to create a warm and inviting look to a home, as much as I do.
Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago

Maureen, you just added about 20k of value to that home. The sellers should be happy.

 

Posted by Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) over 4 years ago
Susan ~ Thanks so much for your feedback.  Let's hope the sellers get an offer now after several months on the market with no activity....fingers crossed.
Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago

Let me move right in.

Posted by Closed Xlosed (Closed) over 4 years ago

It looks phenomenal and the walls actually look taller. I have a room just like this that I am staging on Monday. Hope it comes out as good.

Phyllis pafumi

Posted by Phyllis Pafumi-ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ (ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey) over 4 years ago

I have a frog in my pond out back.  We have named him Greensly.  He says "Rrribbbittt" and everything, but I see no connection between Greensly and this room you have staged.  So I am pretty sure that what ever FROG Kathleen is referring to isn't the same as our frog Greensly.

Another great stage job, BTW!

Posted by Karen Dembsky, Atlanta Home Staging (Peachtree Home Staging LLC, Home Staging in Atlanta, GA) over 4 years ago

Akanke ~ You're welcome to move in!  :-)  Thanks for stopping by.

Phyllis ~ Isn't that something that when you stage an empty room, it almost always looks bigger?  Interesting phenomenon....good luck with your similar staging project on Monday....I'm sure it will look beautiful.  Post some photos OK?

Karen ~ Ha Ha - I hope Greensly doesn't keep you awake at night!  I'm still curious about the FROG that Kathleen referred to!  Always nice to hear from you.

Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago
Cute, cute, cute! I've noticed those green florals in a couple of your pics. Are they from Sam's club? Have you noticed the tall very real looking ones they've carried lately? Love Sam's for some of their stuff!
Posted by Minnesota Home Staging Firm, Minnesota (Minnesota Home Staging Network~ MN's Top Home Staging Firm) over 4 years ago
Did you ever figure out the FROG mystery???
Posted by Minnesota Home Staging Firm, Minnesota (Minnesota Home Staging Network~ MN's Top Home Staging Firm) over 4 years ago
hi Beth ~ Those green ferns in a metal stand are from Pier 1 --- got them on clearance!  :-)  Oh, and I never did hear back about the FROGS comment from Kathleen -- but I just thought about it and wonder if it might mean Family Room Over Garage??  Does that make sense?
Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago

Ahhhh, Maureen...that sounds very belivable!  Do you win a prize!??! 

Ribbit!

Posted by Susan Smith (Rooms That Work LLC) over 4 years ago
Wow!  What a transformation!  This area makes an excellent guest room or even a great master suite!
Posted by Kristina, KFM Staging & Design - A Minnesota Home Staging Company (KFM Staging & Design) over 4 years ago
Maureen,
This room is absolutely stunning! I love the different angles of the room. I bet you had a great time putting this one together.
Posted by Anthea Click - Nashville Home Stager Selling Nashville, TN homes quickly! (Fresh Perspectives - www.InsideNashvilleHomes.com) over 4 years ago

Susan ~ I'm not sure about the prize or if I figured out correctly what "FROG" means or not .... I'll have to check with Kathleen Holbrook!  :-)

Kristina ~ The room had previously been used as an upstairs TV room, but I wanted to show more options for it as a possible Guest or Master bedroom, especially since the downstairs didn't have a clearly-defined master.  Thanks for stopping!

Anthea ~  Thanks for your kind words. You're right, the angles in the room did make it fun. However, I recall bonking my head on the ceiling when I plugged in one of the bedside lamps!!  (Oh well, that happens a lot and so far no permanent damage that I know of!!)

Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago

Room looks great.  My first thought was a play room, but of course I didn't know anything about the house!  Nice job!

Kim Dillon, Creative Eye Home Staging

Posted by Kim Dillon (Creative Eye Home Staging) over 4 years ago

Hello Maureen,

I am so sorry...  I always try to explain when I use a term that most people won't know...FROG = Finished Room Over Garage.... I think that describes the space perfectly. I learned that term from a Broker in North Carolina. Barbara Johnson www.NCBeach4sale.com .

She used it several times to describe homes I have been looking at for my Next Big Move.. To a warmer Climate. Yes I know I live in New England and I hate cold weather... Silly Me..

 

I want to wish everyone here a Wonderful Holiday...  There is nothing better than sharing holidays with my AR friends...

Kathy

CT Realty Staging

Posted by Kathleen (Kathy) Holbrook (Waterfront Realty Group Inc & SW Florida Realty Staging) over 4 years ago

Kim ~ It could easily be a play room, too! The low ceiling makes that a perfect option.  Thanks for your comment.

Kathy H. ~ THANK YOU for solving the mystery about FROGs!!  Makes perfect sense to me.  This room is over the living room rather than the garage, but anyway I like having an easy-to-remember word like that to describe that type of room.  Thanks for coming back to let us know ... and Happy Holidays to you as well!

Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon (Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR) over 4 years ago

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