[Disclaimer - "House for Sell" is being used as an experiment. According to keyword research, that phrase get 3x the traffic that House for Sale does. No idea why, but thought I'd try it for this challenge.]

* ~ *

This post is the 6th in my 7 part series illustrating Home Staging in NJ with Before and After Staging photos. Today's topic is ~

In New Jersey, as perhaps most parts of the country, the Master Bedroom is ideally a sanctuary.  No kids stuff, no photos of the children, just soothing, luxurious adult stuff.  And when I say "adult" I do not mean the "swing" in the corner for seriously adult behavior.  Everyone knows that this is where one hopes intimate life will take place, but no-one wants to think of other peole actually living it!

So the key elements in Master Bedrooms, here in NJ, at least, are simple and straightforward:-

• Soft, diffused light,

• Soothing, muted colors
  

• Rich, luxurious textures,
  

• Restful

Some examples of successfully staged Master Bedrooms in New Jersey:-

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using What They've Got Already

BEFORE	AFTER
Rumpled bedding just doesn't cut it anymore.	crsip bedding, lots of pillows, open the curtains...
Sometimes all it takes is to make the bed!	And add some bedside lights, a few sparkly accent pillows and... opening the curtains!

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
This house was owned by a Lehman Brothers guy.  Because he was one of the first people caught up in the Wall Street crisis of 2008-2009, he got a job right away.  The guys that became available at year end were not so lucky.  A relocation to California was a nice silver lining, at least.	Rental furniture gives a fresh, finished look.  Once again, we see a grave preference for a certain Master Bedroom set huh? It's called the Pebble Beach, and I do confess, I love it!  it's so reliable.  Always looks excellent, for all price ranges.
Is it the stairs for the ailing, ancient cat that makes this room so depressing, or is it the lighting, the general untidyness, the tired, haphazard flinging of any and everything in all 4 corners?	We kept the bedskirt. That poor cat ...survived the move, last I heard.

Vacant House ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
Lovely big space...is it too big?  Where d'you put stuff?    This is the perfect example of a large room that works well with staging.  If obviously HUGE pieces of furniture are added and still look lost, the place must be spacious indeed, right?	We were going to hang a picture over the bed.  The problem was the mattress wasn't big enough to fit in the frame properly; it was sitting on a paint can.  We didn't want to move the bed, once we'd got it settled, and we certainly weren't about to stand on it!! So this is how we left it.  Fine enough!  The Saks Fifth Avenue Shopping bags were a fun lifestyle tell, and would have to carry the day.  (The thing sold fine.)

Other posts in this series:-

1. Living Rooms
2. Foyers
3. Dining Rooms
4. Kitchens
5. Family Rooms

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~ Juliet Johnson ~ has been home staging NJ in the luxury real estate niche (with the predominant home value of $1 - 3 million) for the last 7 years. Juliet Johnson Staging is a founding contributor to the commercial blog - Property Marketing.

[Disclaimer - "House for Sell" is being used as an experiment. According to keyword research, that phrase get 3x the traffic that House for Sale does. No idea why, but thought I'd try it for this challenge.]

* ~ *

This post is the 5th in my 7 part series illustrating Home Staging in NJ with Before and After Staging photos. Today's topic is ~

In New Jersey's older homes (that have yet to be renovated) family rooms tend to very small.  In England we would call them snugs; here, they are often referred to as dens.  Also, they tend to be a long way away from the kitchen. As if the last thing the occupant wants to do is be anywhere near the cook, cooking!  Obviously, this doesn't work particularly well for modern life, where the "cook" likes (or maybe needs) to have the kids close by. Hence reason #347 why today's buyer's prefer new construction.  Or indeed anything built in the 80s forward so that the large family room is conveniently located adjacent to the kitchen.

So then what role in family life do family rooms have to be able to accommodate:-

• TV
  

• Games

• A place to "chill" - do they still say that, when they mean hanging out, supposedly talking to one another but actually texting other people on their phones and simply relaying those conversations?

• Homework?  Yeah, maybe not!

• A place to read (though more and more I find I am using our formal Living Room for this.  It's the only way the room gets used during the week.  Even Jane won't sit in there for tea these days; we're usually on the computer.... or the phone texting our kids and relaying... :-)

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using What They've Got Already

BEFORE	AFTER
The thing about Family Rooms, if they're used, is that they look used.  This one is a classic example.   Yet, buyers don't want to see reality, (despite all of the reality tv shows) they actually want to believe that neat, clean, happy living is possible!	Plus, we really didn't need that pink chair in the way.  I loved the architecture of this room, where the diagonal cutout was the perfect size for a sofa.  So smart of the builder.  Now, you really can zone the space - up by the fire for reading Facing the fire but angled at the tv for watching lots of floor space for games, toys, etc.

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
Typical, really. Rubbish furniture because the kids play on it, and they're little, spill things and roll around on everything! Professional photos do make a huge difference, don't they?	Rental furniture gives a fresh, finished look. And I don't care how many buyers say "it was so nice to see some family photos in that house." It means that's what they noticed, not the house! This "hotel ready" look is much sleeker, and eminently more desirable.
You can see that the homeowner reckoned the black shiny wall unit tied in with the fireplace and the grand piano. It did.  But it made the room kinda heavy and disparate.  Odd, somehow.	During the renovation, and before I arrived to stage, this house had all the carpeting removed and marble put down.  How then, for me, to soften up that marble into a soothing, inviting place? Didn't work.  The house was crazy overpriced and I'm not sure it ever sold.  One of the builders bought out his partners and moved in, last I heard. (Notice the random, architectural detail glued onto the ceiling!:-)

Vacant House ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
Massive, beautifully finished and... is it, maybe, too big?	Nah, not once you've got 2 sofas, a luxuriously soft leather ottoman, a snuggling chair and... well, actually behind there was a table and room for more chairs. Plenty of room for the #1 selling car in America - the Tyco Crazy Coupe - to do its, er, crazy thing.

Other posts in this series:-

1. Living Rooms
2. Foyers
3. Dining Rooms
4. Kitchens

* * *

~ Juliet Johnson ~ has been home staging NJ in the luxury real estate niche (with the predominant home value of $1 - 3 million) for the last 7 years. Juliet is taking the month of August to brush up her internet marketing skills by participating in Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge with a blog on Property Marketing.

[Disclaimer - "House for Sell" is being used as an experiment. According to keyword research, that phrase get 3x the traffic that House for Sale does. No idea why, but thought I'd try it for this challenge.]

* ~ *

This post is the 4th in my 7 part series illustrating Home Staging in NJ with Before and After Staging photos.  Today's topic is ~

Here, in New Jersey, as anywhere, kitchens serve 2 important roles deliberately and 1 important role by happenstance.

Before we get to the photos to NJ Luxury Real Estate's kitchens, let’s recall some key elements:-

• Food Prep, by homeowner and caterer for entertaining.  i.e. lots of counterspace
  

• Food Consumption - a nice, comfortable, inviting place to eat or your kids won't eat your vegetables!

• Hub - since people will congregate in the kitchen of any house, no matter what, you need seating and places for them to "hang" without getting in the way

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using What They've Got Already

BEFORE	AFTER
Bit blah, no?	Stylish yet casual, I thought.  So did buyers: multiple offers.
	Amazing what a coat of paint can do, huh?

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
The table they had they removed.  I never saw it.  One can only imagine!	They just needed a table and 4 chairs, so enter this glass thing, which I use a lot and love.  Elegant, leggy and see-through so a space always looks bigger.

Vacant House ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
Massive, beautifully finished and... I'm not sure this kitchen needed to be staged, frankly.  Yes, we warmed it up.  Yes, we have shown buyers how things can fit into the space.  Sure, we added a glass table in a town where all the high end homes have glass tables in the kitchen - no idea why, just is. And we warmed it up, I suppose.	Oh heavens, I just realized it's the same table!  It's not like I use it that often!! This kitchen is actually from the June Bloom 2009 RESA Show House.  The builder extended the contract and this room was an accumulation of the talents of Bernadette Flaim and Susan Corbo of Attention 2 Detail, Ingrid Heil of Ingridable Design and Juliet Johnson Staging.

Here are some other New Jersey dining rooms that I'm real proud of but don't have "befores" of ~

Then there's my own kitchen, that I sold in January of this year (2009) ~ 28 days on market ~

BEFORE	AFTER

Other posts in this series:-

1. Living Rooms
2. Foyers
3. Dining Rooms
   

* * *

~ Juliet Johnson ~ has been home staging NJ in the luxury real estate niche (with the predominant home value of $1 - 3 million) for the last 7 years. Juliet is taking the month of August to brush up her internet marketing skills by participating in Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge with a blog on Property Marketing.

Dear Tide:

I am writing to say what an excellent product you have!   I've used it all of my married life, as my Mom always told me it was the best. Now that I am in my fifties I find it even better!

In fact, about a month ago, I spilled some red wine on my new white blouse. My inconsiderate and uncaring husband started to belittle me about how clumsy I was, and generally started becoming a pain in the neck. One thing led to another and somehow I ended up with his blood on my new white blouse! I grabbed my bottle of Tide with bleach alternative and to my surprise and satisfaction, all of the stains came out!

In fact, the stains came out so well the detectives who came by yesterday told me that the DNA tests on my blouse were negative and then my attorney called and said that I was no longer considered a suspect in the disappearance of my husband.

What a relief! Going through menopause is bad enough without being a murder suspect!

I thank you, once again, for having a great product.

Well, gotta go, have to write to the Hefty bag people.

I rarely blog humor, but this was too good to miss.  I apologise if you've all seen it before.

WARNING:  Juliet Johnson Staging endorses liberal use of both TIDE and Hefty bags when marketing luxury NJ Real Estate.

[Disclaimer - "House for Sell" is being used as an experiment.  According to keyword research, that phrase get 3x the traffic that House for Sale does.  No idea why, but thought I'd try it for this challenge.]

* ~ *

This post is the 3rd in my 7 part series illustrating Home Staging in NJ with Before and After Staging photos. (The first post was on Living Rooms.) Today's topic is ~

Here, in New Jersey, most houses have a Dining Room. Some are large and impressive. Others are smaller and utilitarian, asked to play several roles in family life: from hosting committee meetings for volunteer activities, homework, crafts, a place to put the sewing machine, a wrapping station and of course, the most often I see – a plonkery. i.e. storage, or a place you just plonk this down while you figure out what to do with them. (Plonk is British slang for mindlessly dumping an article in the most irratating place for your spouse, partner, parent, etc.!)

My series on luxury NJ Real Estate started with the Living Room, and then we moved on to the Foyer. As we begin to take a look at today’s Dining Rooms, let’s recall some key elements:-

• Formal Entertaining (whether folks do that stuff anymore of not, though in the higher end homes they still do it a lot)

• Festive but not jam-packed with furniture or decorative items.

• Flow – you don’t need to have all 12 chairs to show people that the room is big enough to fit them. However, if you’ve got a HUGE room and you’re selling “Massive”, then by all means use as many chairs as customarily sit there.

• Do not use fresh flowers or live plant material if you don’t plan on going back in and dealing with them! There’s nothing worse than foul-smelling, fur-growing water holding up dead flowers in a beautiful crystal mausoleum! For some reason the homeowner has a blind spot on this. If you ain’t there, it ain’t getting done.

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Their Own Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
Owned by a travelling executive single mom,this charming Victorian had no eat-in kitchen.  In fact, the Dining Room had the only large horizontal surface on the first floor.  As you can imagine, it was used for everything!  Clearly visible through the sheers were a washing machine and dryer. Kinda messy, kinda junky, the room was blah and awkward, with a diagonal fireplace off to one side as well!	We doubled up the layers of curtains so as to mask the laundry, and then kept the color palette as simple and clean as possible.  Setting the tone, was an exquisite charcoal drawing from a Kenyan Safari of a leopard bending down for a cool, soothing drink.  That then gave us the opportunity to marry all the other "eclectic" (read: disparate) elements together - from drooping crystal chandeliers to wooden farmhouse table, from pampas grass in an earthernware pot to a crisp white-on-white hand embroidered Edwardian table cloth with African eggs sitting in a wooden olive tray on it. Jute rug, wicker chairs... I know! Still, it worked!  The thing flew off the market for well over asking.  It really was a one-of-a-kind for our area of NJ.

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
This mural went all around the room.  Columns, flowing fountains, long-tailed birds... the thing didn't quit.  How to show a young family relocating from the City with their "transitional" dining room that they could comfortably co-exist with this thing. Yeah, no question of painting over it!	So what to do?  We installed The largest "transitional" dining room set the budget could take Mercury glass table decorations to keep it light and airy. A wide silver-framed mirror No rug.  Enough going here.  Really. Did we help?  Not sure.  We did well in the rest of the house.   The home sold in just over 3 months after being on the market for over a year before I got in to give it a shot.

Vacant House ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
How to contend with doorways on 3 sides and windows on the 4th?  this space is essentially a pass-through. All that panelling? How to handle something so period-specific?	By keeping the accessories few, simple and in keeping with the period, we were able to show how the space would work with pretty much anything. Buers could see that the room is large enough for 8 though we've only shown 6 chairs, and there is still ample room for a buffet/sideboard.  (Very sad to have sold those urns ~ I did love them.  They reminded me of Kate's.... ) Result ~ the home sold handsomely in 53 days for over $2 million.

Here are some other New Jersey dining rooms that I'm real proud of but don't have "befores" of ~

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~ Juliet Johnson ~ has been home staging NJ in the luxury real estate niche (with the predominant home value of $1 - 3 million) for the last 7 years. Juliet is taking the month of August to brush up her internet marketing skills by participating in Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge with a blog on Property Marketing.

This post is the second in my 7 part series illustrating Home Staging in NJ with Before and After Staging photos. (The first post was on Living Rooms.)  Today's topic is ~

Here, in New Jersey, most houses have a foyer. Some are large and impressive. Some are non-existent.  When there isn't one you have to create the sense of one with a sofa table if the front door opens right into the living room or whatever.

I started the series with the Living Room, because that's the room that usually sets the tone for the rest of the house. 

Once it's complete, we have the tone, the color temperatures, the overall style and feel of the home we can come back to the foyer and set up the first view.

The key elements of a foyer are -

1. The Welcome
2. The Sight-lines
3. and how you deal with inclement weather. (i.e. places for boots, umbrellas or iced water depending upon your season and geographic locale.)
   

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Their Own Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
This house is called Tudor Rose.  The conversation went like this:- (read w/ heavy English accent) "Ah, you picked up on the "rose" in the home's name to paint the foyer.  What a fun idea! Of course, you know that particular color is a tricky one; tends to oxidize over time.  I'm sure this isn't the color you originally put up.  Moving forward, we need to find a neutral shade that will last a little longer.  We might just get the same warm welcome from a simple beige.  A pinkish beige.  Yes?" Oh-kay, said the homeowner nervously, oblivious to the realtor's exuberant "happy dance" in the background! Never even mentioned all the ~s.tuff!!	Pinkish, if you want to see it that way.  And so soothing.   Now ~ What a beautiful mirror! Is it included in the sale (yes) How elegant! I can see our daughter's wedding here... when we have a daughter... and she's grown up...

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
A fascinating house that had a fully-functioning organ in the living room that Caruso sang with.  President Woodrow Wilson slept here and Madam Xiang Hai Chek visited with her classmate who's father owned the place.   Massive What are you supposed to do with it? Every single room leads of it... what would that fireplace heat exactly?	We added more chairs, a lot more LIGHTING and a central table.  For the Broker's Open House we created a custom Clue Game  - Caruso in the Library with a hammer - so as to emphasize the history. Now ~ the unusual circular design is enjoyed the room as a point - it's a gathering place an ante-room for phone calls in the middle of dinner, for quiet disputes, for...whatever!

Vacant House ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
We had not included anything for the Foyer in the original proposal.  then the Builder complained that it looked empy.  Cold.  Unwelcoming.  And what was that horrible piece of amateurish art doing in a $1 1/2 million house with pool and NYC Skyline views? "Er... well, I just threw something up because I thought it looked bare and you haven't authorized anything else."	The clock cost the same as the painting, but was new from Target as opposed to the art which came from a Yard Sale.  I don't think it's that bad.  (Even my husband says it's only fit for a kid's bedroom or a basement playroom!!!) (sigh)  Buyers can now see An elegant entry The length of the space and now have a place to put keys that isn't the top of a radiator!

Here are some other foyers that I'm real proud of but don't have "befores" of ~

* * *

~ Juliet Johnson ~ has been home staging NJ in the luxury real estate niche (with the predominant home value of $1 - 3 million) for the last 7 years. Juliet is taking the month of August to brush up her internet marketing skills by participating in Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge with a blog on Property Marketing.

[Disclaimer = For some reason, the number of people searching for House for Sell is 3 x higher than House for Sale.  Since this challenge is about traffic, it seemed only sensible to use the more popular keyword.]

Here, in New Jersey, buyers are still looking for a formal living room.  They may not use it very often, but they want it in a house they are going to OWN.  In fact, a "good" living room is one of the more important differentiating features when evaluating which home they prefer.  Therefore it made sense to start my 7-part series with a look at staging the Living Room.  

Once you have cleaned out the hearth, put away all of your personal items like photos, certificates, trophies and award-type gifts, here are some additional key things to remember about living rooms -

1. Clean the windows, and only cover them up with a lush elegant treatment if your view is gravely unappealing.
2. Display your best stuff - it lends a formal yet festive spirit
3. Make sure you have good pathways THROUGH this room (it's usually the first on the tour, and it's imortant not to get stuck backing up in the very beginning!)
4. This is an ADULT room. (no toys, not for children and most definitely NOT for pets!)
5. Use color carefully - to lead the eye left and right - from window to window and then the mantel (or whatever focal point it is that you've identified)

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Their Own Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
For many older homes, the living room is the largest room on the main floor.  It might seem ridiculous to keep the best, warmest and nicest space for just formal occasions.  Here, the family has understably used it as a comfy, chaotic playroom! This makes total sense for the family living there. But it does nothing to help the resale value ~ in fact, had the house gone to market like this, the message buyers would have received is ~   There's no Family Room in this house (there were 2 actually) There's no formal living room (this IS the formal living room) It's too small.	Now, the formal living room is restored. All of the toys have been dispersed between the Sun Room, the Den, the downstairs playroom and the upstairs bedrooms. The yellow sofa was brought back up from the downstairs playroom, and some wedding presents were finally unpacked and displayed on the shelves. That fabulous rug was in an upstairs guest room!!  Buyers can now see that   Formal, adult living - really entertaining space, exists in abundance in this, the grandest room in the house, the length of the room is emphasized, and  a focal point has been highlighted ~ the beautiful brick hearth with gleaming wood mantel!

Owner Occupied Home ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
Two teachers, with all their reading, papers, curriculum materials x 2... PLUS a scrumptious little baby girl!   There's no Family Room in this house (there was a small one in the back, and a basement that could have been finished) There's no way to entertain (not true, there was a nice formal dining room through the archway) This looks like a studio apartment.	Now, a casual but comfy living room has been created. SOME toys remain, but tucked away. The rest are in the Den, the little girl's bedroom and, frankly, storage! Yes, this really is the same room! Buyers can now see that   The biggest, brightest room on the first floor has lots of possibilities for use the length, and brightness of the room is emphasized, and two focal points have been highlighted ~ the brick hearth and a sunny seating area over by the windows!

Vacant House ~ Using Rental Furniture

BEFORE	AFTER
Empty rooms give a buyer not a lot to look at, beyond the molding, the floor, the windows.... With no frame of reference, they have no idea how this space could work with their furniture; what will fit where? how this space might work for their family Doors start to look huge, and walls small (The after picture is taken from a different angle because, as you can see in the before, the header beam made it impossible for my flash to adjust and get the furniture highlighted properly.)	Now, a r-e-a-l living room has been created. Architectural features are highlighted with yummy, huge green ceramic pots with Art Deco motifs (I couldn't believe how perfect they were for this style of home!) The rental company let me be the first one with a new, fabulously spiffy, elegant sofa suite Buyers can now see that Beautiful, lush, elegant entertaining space Exquisite craftsmanship a true one-of-a-kind new build for THE discriminating buyer And indeed a guy sold a $4 million home to buy this one for $2.3. What a spectacular, graceful, sensual home!!

***   ~~~   ***

~ Juliet Johnson ~ has been home staging NJ in the luxury real estate niche (with the predominant home value of $1 - 3 million) for the last 7 years.  Juliet is taking the month of August to brush up her internet marketing skills by participating in Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge with a blog on Property Marketing. 

(There's a bit of a ramble up to my point, but bear with me.  I can assure you the payout is worth it!)

Today, one of my totally fabulous RESA-nj stagers shared an article with us all about an enterprising ASP in Dayton who was hosting a Home Seller's Seminar.  While the idea was good, it was the comments that distressed Jill.  So many suggestions as to how a seller could better redirect that $75 seminar fee into some cans of paint...you know the kind of thing.

I was outraged on this stager's behalf, naturally!  Her comments were really well-worded and she sounded like she was not only an excellent home stager but a good spokesperson for home staging in general!  [We need as many of those folks in our industry as we can get!]

So, off to her website I go.  It's nice.  Her company has a lot of people for a staging company (which is usually one or 2 folks, generally).  I click the Realtor's Corner.  This is what I find:-

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Wow!  That is some giveaway!  We had just been talking about Membership and Loyalty programs at our last RESA-nj Meeting.  We had come up with "For every 3 jobs, I'll redesign a room in your house", Buy 4 consults get the 5th one free, BOGO (from Payless), etc.  Clearly, we were not thinking big enough.  This is soooo impressive.

What other incentive programs are out there?  Do share ~

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Juliet Johnson Staging offers real estate staging and online marketing for listings and realtors in the Luxury Market of Suburban New Jersey.   <Rfx: home staging nj>