Home Staging in Portland Oregon Blog

Nice job Maureen. I especially like the bedroom photo. A wide angle camera can make all the difference.

Maureen: Very nice changes. The Living Room and Dining Room especially create a whole new look. Hope it sells quickly.

Thank you for the tips. I like the way you have shown the before and after pictures.

Hi Maureen--what a great post showing the benefits of staging.  Sellers so often think we will change everything and many Realtors believe the "before" house looks just great.  It is all in the details.  Just the changes in the living room, rearranging the furniture and removing the small valances over the windows by the fireplace have changed the room from "okay" to "dramatic". 

Very nice, Maureen.  These small tweaks really do mae a big difference.  Amazing what a amart & savvy stager can do.

Maureen- great post showing how Staging (with a Professional like you!) can take an "OK" room and with a little tweak.. give it the WOW factor.

Maureen:  You magic wand has been at it again.  Great work.  Some people think they have to take everything off the kitchen counters.  Your photo shows that a very nice things can make the kitchen wonderful.  Love all of the before and after photos. 

Maureen - great post on how just a little tweaking makes such a difference on how a home shows on MLS and in person. You took it from nice to WOW....just like you always do! It would behoove anyone in Portland, Oregon thinking of selling to call Room Solutions Staging - you do amazing work and have the track record to back it up. You do some of the best work I've ever seen - not a surprise you've worked with HGTV!

I absolutely agree Maureen!  It is just amazing how the little tweaks and changes just "feel" better and look fantastic.    Your photo's are wonderful!  What kind of camera and lens do you use?  With the new photo's that home is sure to move quickly!

Maureen, you have a great eye-sometimes a few tweaks just give a room more grounding and it just feels better!

This is a timely post, Maureen!  Recently I've noticed several homes that looked like all the personality had been stripped out...that's not good Staging.  Thank you for removing those valaces, too!

Maureen.....GREAT post and pictures to demonstrate that staging comes in so many forms and even a home that looks good can morf into a BEAUTIFUL home with those few tweeks from a home stager.  Removing the valances in the Great Room added (or subtracted) alot....and I love how you "tucked" in the comforter in the Master....it made is look finished/polished and showroom perfect!!!

Maureen, I think that I may have my first e-staging to accomplish that same as you show here.  It will be for a design client that is moving here from Ohio and she is returning there today to prepare that house for sale.  I attempted to convince her to hire a local stager there but she resisted and said she wants my help (isn't that nice).  She will send some photos and I will help her as much as I can from California.  Should be interesting.  Hopefully I can help her accomplish as much as you did here.  She was shocked that she shouldn't remove ALL of the personality from her Ohio home.  EDUCATION!!!

hi Kim ~ Thanks, I agree that a wide-angle lens is absolutely the best way to showcase real estate

hi Anne ~ Your feedback is much appreciated, thank you!

hi Gita ~ Before & After photos can tell the story better than words.

hi Janet ~ you're so right, it's often little changes that make the most dramatic difference.  Once the valances were removed, much more light came into the room!

hi Janet ~ Thanks for your support!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend

hi Kathy S. ~ You hit the nail on the head -- "just OK" rooms aren't memorable to buyers

hi Valerie ~ I've heard listing agents sometimes advise their clients to remove "everything" from the kitchen counters, but this isn't the best advice.  A few well-placed items like plants, a cookbook, a bowl of colorful apples, spice bottles, etc actually give the buyer cues that it's a great place to entertain family & friends.

hi Kristine ~ Your comments just made my day  :-)   Thanks for your loyal support!

hi Laura ~ YES!  Your comment is spot on -- what we do helps the house to "feel" better to buyers.  That "feeling" is what we go for every time when staging a home, whether it's an occupied one like this one, or a vacant home that we furnish.

hi Joanna ~ Thanks, I'm glad you liked it

hi Julie ~ we want the home to appeal to buyers, and it needs some personality in order for that to happen.  A good stager can add just the "right" amount of that, as you well know!  Oh yes, those valances had to go.

hi Kathy ~ when you look at the photos, it is surprising how much better the comforter looks tucked in, isn't it?

hi Ginger ~ great that you'll be able to help your client by reviewing her photos and offering your excellent suggestions.  Good luck and we'll look forward to seeing the transformation!

Maureen, there are many homes on the market that need just little changes and pictures from the angle that will benefit each room the most. Excellent post.

hi Anna ~  Isn't that the truth!  If only sellers knew that by working with a professional home stager, their home could look much more appealing to buyers!

It's amazing how such little tweaks can make a huge difference. The feel of the living room changed completely by moving the sofa--much more friendly and inviting in the 'after' shot.

Maureen - Many people would look at this home and say it presents well, and not bother staging it.  However, you've proven here that even some small changes can really ramp up the presentation of a home, taking it  from good to great! 

Stagers do add value.  I'm amazed that is still a secret to some agents and sellers.  Good blog.  Keep spreading the word.

Nice work.

I especially like the living room changes. Amazing.

Judy

It's amazing what a few minor changes can do to a home.   Not to mention better lit pictures!

Hello Maureen...moving that angled sofa over to the windowed wall made a huge difference.  I believe that many people "angle" their furniture because they think it's just the new "in" thing, but it works best in small spaces when the focal point calls for it. The living room was much needed tweaking.

I do have a question about the dining room.  I noticed that you moved the chairs from the ends of the table to the sides. I've never seen that done before, and I wondered why you rearranged them?  It's interesting.  Much thanks, Carolyn Huggins

Excellent job, I have to laugh as normally the kitchen counters are so cluttered you have to remove stuff & on this one you had too add things. Funny. Great before & after photos show the benefits of your experience.

I wonder what's going on today? I can see most of your photos - but not the living room!

It really is amazing what a few tweaks can do to give a room warmth, even though it's been "depersonalized."

Maureen,

I completely agree with you.  My staff and I see so many homes regularly where they are a mess.  And then when people are trying to sell their homes (we perform a # of pre-listing appraisals for Realtors and homeowners) and they have not made the home inviting, they wonder what's the problem?  The problem, as touched on, is the home is not inviting.  People like to be invited! 

Your photo expose is great.

Thank you for the visual montage!

Michael

hi Lottie ~ That was our goal, so I'm glad to hear that you agree it helped!

hi Sally ~ you're right, small changes can affect how buyers will "feel" about the home -- something we're always trying to do.

hi Mike ~ It's true that some skeptics are still out there -- but that's OK because the smart agents know about staging and use it to their advantage -- thanks for chiming in!

hi Judi ~ Thanks, just getting the furniture placement right in each room is our first step -- then we work with what the homeowner has and accessorize as needed -- oh, and let in as much light as possible, which makes a huge difference.

hi Carolyn ~ Angling furniture only makes sense in limited situations, so angling in an attempt to "look interesting" can miss the mark completely.  This room needed the floor space opened up, as you mentioned.  You've asked a great question about the dining room chairs....and there are two reasons I changed their position:  If you place the 4 chairs side by side, it opens up the space on the ends of the table, allowing buyers to move more freely around the room.  Also, if you place 4 chairs side by side, buyers will notice that it's very easy to seat 6 ... just by adding 2 chairs to the ends of the table.  If you had the 4 chairs placed where they were originally, buyers have a harder time imagining how they could seat 6 people.

hi Lyn ~ Yes, we usually see way too much stuff on kitchen counters!  In this case we wanted to just warm it up a bit, making the kitchen look like a great place to entertain family and friends, so we added some cookbooks, plants, spices, etc.

hi Marte ~ When staging an occupied home, we want it to look warm and inviting so that buyers can easily imagine themselves living there ... a few touches here and there can do that, without showing too much of the sellers' own personality, so that the home can appeal to the target buyers in that neighborhood.

hi Michael ~ thanks for your kind words ... people DO love to be invited in!  Furniture placement is such a key element, but if the home doesn't feel inviting, buyers can't get excited about it.

Nice job.. Much more "inviting"

Best of Luck with your business this year!

Bruce Fecteau, Realtor       Century 21 Orange County California     http://www.Century21-OrangeCounty.com

Thanks, Bruce -- glad you like it.  Best wishes to you as well!

Maureen-great job, congrats on the feature! With SO many houses out there for buyers to choose from, you created something buyers will not just remember, but WANT.

Hi Maureen--Had to come back and say congrats on a well deserved feature!!!!

hi Marie ~ There is so much inventory of competing homes, you're right.  We hope they really connect with this home now!

hi Janet ~ thank you -- it's an honor to be featured in the AR Daily News.

I can't see the pictures, because of whatever is going on in the Rain today...but I will be back!  I know your work well enough to know that it will be worth the wait, LOL!

Hi Sharon -- I can see photos in all the posts today, so not sure what's happening -- but yes, please come back to revisit!!

It's amazing how a little "tweaking" can transform a space.  Great job!

I can see photos again!!!  No surprise here...they are fabulous, just as I expected!

hi Diane ~ Thanks!  Knowing which tweaks are helpful is where we stagers shine, right?

hi Sharon ~ glad to hear that your "vision" has been restored LOL!  Thanks for your nice compliment.

Great work with these.  I love the kitchen photo.  It's so simple but a huge difference when you have the accents in there.

Taking those valances down in the LR was huge. That is almost always one of my recommendations too. I love that you showed that staging can make such a difference with little things. It doesn't always have to be big and expensive to stage something well.

You're right Maureen, simple tweeks made a huge difference in these rooms!  Nice job!!!!!

hi Kevin ~ Thanks, glad you noticed the kitchen --- sometimes people remove everything, and then it doesn't look as inviting.

hi Shar ~ The valances just dated the room and also blocked the all-important light.  You're right, simple changes can make such a difference!

hi DeeDee ~ Thanks for your feedback, glad to hear that you agree!

The dining room is picture perfect~like a Pottery Barn magazine. Your transformations are amazing!  

hi Cathy ~ Thank you so much for that wonderful compliment  :-)   All the basics were there, it just needed a few small "tweaks" to make it memorable for buyers.  Aren't we lucky to be able to do what we love?

This post is as much about the quality of the photos as it is about the staging.  However, without staging there is often nothing to really photo in the room.

hi Gene ~ Good point -- the online photos are so important.  Good staging can be cancelled out by bad photos.

Great tips. The camera angle can make such a large difference in the perception of the room size. I normally take several and then look at them on my computer to make sure they came out well. This will help with fewer pictures and more deliberate shots.

hi Gerard ~ thanks for your feedback!  I'm in full agreement that the angle of the camera is very important in real estate interior photos.

What? I didn't feature this?? Am I crazy?? (don't answer that).

Another beautifully staged Portland home!

Congratulations. Your home staging is being featured in the group Staging Before and After Pictures.

Kathy

hi Kathy ~ Thanks for featuring this post -- glad to hear that you like the "before to after" transformation!