Summary

A group of home stagers claim that houses “speak” to them during their home staging projects, indicating the changes that need to be made for better resale potential.

Home Stagers Report That Houses Speak to Them

(UNITED STATES) December 12, 2011 – In a recent discussion on the Home Staging Business Report, Staging Diva Debra Gould queried her readers as to whether houses “speak” to them during their home staging projects. A number of home stagers posted replies, recounting their own experiences with this phenomenon.

Gould, who is president of her home staging company Six Elements Inc. and founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, has “listened” to hundreds of homes during her career as a home stager.

She explains: “The majority of my home staging projects have been in resale homes. In those cases, I work primarily with what the client already has—adding, subtracting or modifying the furnishings as needed. Often when I first walk into a home, I don’t care for it because the architecture or the decor is really not my taste.”

According to Gould, this is the difficult part of the home staging consultation because she hasn’t yet “bonded” with the house. However, she claims that if she really pays attention, there is always a point where the property speaks to her and tells her how it should look.

“When that happens, I am able to see the beauty in almost every home, even when it’s filled with items that I’d never personally choose in a million years!” Gould says. “At that moment, something switches inside of me and I can see what needs to be done. I begin to notice details in the home that the owner isn’t even aware of. I find hidden ‘treasures’ just waiting to be revealed, or discover new ways to look at the same space. This is part of the magic that makes home staging such an awesome career, filled with creative challenge and variety every single week.”

Home stager Fabia MacNair of Ontario agrees with Gould:

“Houses absolutely speak to me! I believe spaces live; they have energy. I see a few eyebrows rise when I say that, but I do believe a home is a barometer of your well-being. It hurts my heart to see a home that is not living up to its potential.”

Staging Diva Graduate Leah Fritz of Wisconsin has a similar perspective:

“The occupied furnished homes really get me. It’s like some of them are crying out as soon as I step inside. I hear, ‘Help me! I’m beautiful under all this stuff! Save me please!’ I see some places as being depressed and sad when I first arrive, and finally free and happy when I’m done. Sometimes I don’t want to leave! That’s when I know my work is done and the home is exactly how it wanted to be.”

To read about similar experiences from other home stagers, visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. She is the president of home staging firm SixElements.com and has trained over 4000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Six Elements Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Summary

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, provides suggestions to home stagers who wish to promote their services by donating to silent auctions.

Staging Diva Offers Tips for Donating to Silent Auctions

(UNITED STATES) May 9, 2011 – Home stagers are often approached about donating prizes for silent auctions. Because home staging is an intangible service, stagers are often puzzled about how to handle such a request. Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, provides detailed advice in the Home Staging Business Report to help home stagers determine a strategy for donating to silent auctions.

A silent auction is a fundraiser for a school or an organization where tables are set up so attendees can view product displays and decide which ones they want to bid on. There are typically bid sheets next to each donated item so that participants can write down their name and the amount they’re willing to pay for that item. The highest bidder gets that item and the money goes to the charity.

Debra Gould, founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, explains that donating a gift certificate is a natural fit for home staging or interior redesign services, but that it is important to create an attractive table display to get the attention of bidders.

“If you’re participating in a silent auction, I suggest going to the art supply store and buying a small wooden easel, a heavy piece of black card stock and several pretty pieces of handmade paper. You might paint the easel to make it look nice if it’s a plain wooden one,” says Gould. “Then glue the pieces of handmade paper in a layered pattern on the card stock so there is a 2- or 3-inch border of each color to the center, where your gift certificate will be displayed. After propping up your presentation on the easel, it will more easily compete for attention with other 3-dimensional displays,” Gould adds.

Gould emphasizes the importance of looking at the event from a marketing perspective: “Part of the reason for making a donation is to gain exposure. Otherwise, you might as well just make an anonymous donation, send your money and not bother with the event. You participate in a silent auction because you want to leverage your presence there.”

Gould also recommends displaying a stack of brochures with before and after photos and some basic information about available services. The goal is to give attendees something they can take home and keep. For that reason, some home stagers choose to add a small gift basket to their offering so the highest bidder has something tangible they can enjoy right away.

Home stagers looking for more details on promoting their services through silent auctions can visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate, including seven of her own homes. She is the president of home staging firm SixElements.com and has trained over 4000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women’s Day, Reader’s Digest and more.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Six Elements Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

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Style at Home Magazine, October 2010 Issue
Producer: Sara Cation

Staging for the Sell: Give your home sale a boost with colour picks from Canada’s home staging experts

Home staging expert Debra Gould who is founder of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, says, “Many months ago I chose my favorite colors for Style at Home Magazine for front doors, living rooms and master bedrooms. Much to my surprise, the story finally ran in the October issue. I almost missed it, but fortunately one of my clients found the story for me after I’d just finished choosing colors for her kitchen!”

Debra Gould also received a pleasant surprise from a Style at Home reader who looked her up online and wrote to say, “Two painters transformed my front door and (single) garage door with low-luster Caliente, a beautiful red from Benjamin Moore® that you suggested in the October issue of Style at Home. It looks fabulous. Many thanks.”

Home stagers who panic when it comes to choosing colors should read Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: the easy way to pick colors for home staging projects where Gould teaches readers how she convinces her clients to repaint their homes to sell. She also includes all of her top color picks for staging and organizes them into different color palettes for the whole home in this guide. The information is organized by room type and for different painting jobs like floors, trim, ceilings, walls, doors and more. The guide includes both American and Candian color recommendations by specific color name and number.

“I guarantee this ebook will save you from spending countless hours trying to wade through the 2800+ colors that Benjamin Moore offers. You’ll create your own swatch deck in no time with what you learn in this guide!” states The Staging Diva.

Style At Home Magazine excerpts of Debra Gould’s tips (colors mentioned are from Benjamin Moore’s Canadian color collections):

“A front door should be welcoming and fairly conservative, yet attention grabbing. Red doors stand out. I like Caliente (AF-290) and Northern Fire (CC-94). If you have red brick use Jamesboro Gold (HC-88), a gold green tone that looks nice with red brick.”

“I think a master bedroom can be a bit darker— I prefer muted tones that stay neutral, like Piedmont Gray (CC-690) or Killarney (CC-698). You want your bedroom to feel mellow and welcoming, and have nothing too bright jumping out at you.”

Together Magazine
“Primping Pointers,” by Julia Aitken

Excerpt from Together Magazine:

Debra Gould, known as The Staging Diva, specializes in finessing clients’ houses so they look their best for the real estate market.

But Gould’s tips work just as well if you’re in the mood for a kitchen makeover.

Chuck that clutter

If you use your food processor only once a month, purge your cabinets of unwanted items to make more room inside for it and other counter top appliances you rarely use.

Colour Your World

Cabinets, drawers, walls, even a laminate backsplash and countertop can be re-painted (use melamine paint for laminate) to give your kitchen a whole new look.

Pull Together

Replace cabinet knobs and drawer pulls . . .

Dream Homes & Condominiums Magazine – Fall 2007
“Keeping that Brand New Home Look,” by J. Lynn Fraser

Excerpt from Dream Homes & Condominiums:

Buying a new home or condo means buying a dream. Part of that dream is the life we envision ourselves having in our new home. A life inspired by magazines and home decorating television shows.

In real life, unfortunately, it’s difficult to keep up that “new home” look. Professional home stagers, the experts who create ideal home suites and get homes ready for sale, can offer some valuable tips about keeping that “model suite” look in your home. These tips are also helpful for special occasions when you want to impress visitors.

“Only hold on to things you really use and/or really love. Anything else should be given away or sold,” states Debra Gould, also known as The Staging Diva. Gould is president of the Toronto-based home staging and interior redesign company Six Elements Inc.