Should You Stage Your Own Home? Or Hire a Pro?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-selfstagefrontdoor_zps2e19e9de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-selfstagefrontdoor_zps2e19e9de.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">An inviting front entrance like this colorful one -- so important <br />for curb appeal --  is easy to stage by basic staging principles. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>So I was reading on this online forum for professional home stagers, when I stumbled across a comment that annoyed me at first and then amused me.<br /><br />Here's the quote:<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“One can certainly tell the difference between real staging and self-staged. The latter range from bad to appalling. Anyone looking at self-staged listings has to look past the fuchsia/avocado green walls and swagged drapes and dark green wall-to-wall carpeting and flowered sofa and chair that don't match -- indeed, they don't match anything in the room.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">That’s pretty harsh. But not true.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I maintain that most homeowners can stage their own homes. </span></span><br /><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Many of them will need to bring themselves up to speed, but that process can be an enjoyable learning experience. And most certainly a smart financial experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">  <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">It’s no secret that most of us stage our own homes to stretch our budget. </span></span><br /><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Hiring a professional stager will cost some money, understandably. A trained and accredited stager is an entrepreneur in business to make money, and cranking up and running a home staging business demands capital investment. She’ll have to pay for her training, for furnishings and warehousing, insurance, website, cell phone, laptop, camera, transportation, day laborers, tradespeople, office expenses, and advertising. She has to </span></span>calculate these costs into the estimate she gives you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Why Do It Yourself</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Besides the obvious economic advantages of staging your own home, let’s look at some other benefits.  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><b>Pace.</b> You have the flexibility to do it on your schedule. Unless you have a tight deadline for moving, you can afford to make some mistakes and then fine tune things with time. Perhaps family and friends will give you feedback for what looks best. You’ll be educating your eye. You might even be making purchases for your next home and using them for staging this one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><b>Safety.</b> Most people have a horror story about movers or other workers in their home. Something was broken or stolen. Private information was taken. Do you know the “helpers” a stager might bring in to move your antiques around? Only you know exactly what you have that is valuable, delicate, or private, and how things are packed, labeled, and stored. Staging your own home could mean no surprises down the road. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><b>Familiarity</b>. If you’ll be living in your home while it is listed, you have an understanding of exactly what you and your family can tolerate in the name of an uncluttered home. It’s unrealistic to stage a playroom all cutesy and expect it to stay that way when you have three boys who prefer the room with wall to wall Legos. Can you keep your countertops free of small appliances? (I can’t!) Put away hair styling equipment and cosmetics every day? You might as well stage your home so you can still function comfortably.  <o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-MC8014454_4_0_zps6b997006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-MC8014454_4_0_zps6b997006.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Julie, a reader of this blog, staged her home herself. This is her <br />dining area. I think she did everything right!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">On the Other Hand</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A professional brings advantages of her own to the home staging process. Here’s my list of the advantages I see, along with some tips for you if you are considering hiring one.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She’s been schooled as a professional and knows what the market insists on, what the trends are in your area. You should ask to see her credentials and view her portfolio.  You can ask your real estate agent to recommend a stager. </div><div class="MsoNormal">    </div><div class="MsoNormal">She has the furnishings and manpower necessary for staging. Ask if she pays any furniture rental fees or if you do. How about the cost of tradespeople like an electrician or a plumber?  Ask about the total cost for staging, how it is determined, and how it might vary. </div><div class="MsoNormal">     </div><div class="MsoNormal">Professional staging can be done relatively quickly. Depending on the extent of the job, the stager will probably be in and out and have you photo-ready in less time than if you had to do everything yourself. Ask how long the work will take. Ask what your responsibilities will be during the project.  </div><div class="MsoNormal">     </div><div class="MsoNormal">A stager has an unbiased viewpoint and can evaluate what should stay and what should go in your home for showings. She’ll see problems and solutions you haven’t thought of because she has the fresh eye.  Do you sense a <i>sympatico</i> with the stager you’re interviewing, so that communications are likely to go smoothly?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-MC8014454_18_0_zps5781a37b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-MC8014454_18_0_zps5781a37b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the bedroom Julie staged. Would a professional have done better? I don't think so. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">You Could Flip a Coin</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333;">What’s a homeowner to do when it’s time to sell? It’s possible that a compromise might deliver the best of all worlds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">You could pay for a plan, and do the labor yourself.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">Many stagers will work as consultants, touring your house and offering suggestions on how best to present it. For a fee that varies according to where you live and how experienced the stager is, she will tour the property completely and then present you with a printed report.  A more casual, more economical arrangement might be a walk-through when you can take notes or record or video what she suggests. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">Some stagers will offer an initial consultation and a follow-up visit to make suggestions about <span id="goog_469709624"></span><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/03/finishing-touches-department-where-to.html" target="_blank">finishing touches<span id="goog_469709625"></span> </a>or tweaks. </div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">A cooperative arrangement like this means that you do the cleaning, the decluttering, and make the necessary trips to Goodwill, the landfill, or storage facility. </div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-selfstsagekintyrelivingroom_zps66f87e9f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-selfstsagekintyrelivingroom_zps66f87e9f.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Celeste, another blog reader, sent me this photo of the living room she staged herself <br />after reading my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>.  Her house sold for close to asking price in two weeks, <br />and I think it was because she did such a good staging job.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Whether you hire a pro or not depends on -- </div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><ul><li><b>Schedule</b>. How much time you have to do the work yourself. </li><li><b>Market.</b> What the competition is like in your local real estate market, how other homes go to market. In larger cities, it’s more likely that staging is expected. </li><li><b>Specifics.</b> The price, size, and age of your home. More expensive homes, larger homes, newer homes benefit more from a professional’s touch. Even if you have had your home professionally decorated, a home stager has a different set of priorities than a decorator. </li><li><b>Nostalgia.</b> How much emotional detachment you can muster. An outsider will be more objective, and help you understand typical consumer reactions to your décor and belongings. You may adore your cherry red dining room walls, but a stager may see that they make the room look smaller and older. </li><li><b>Imagination</b>. How much vision you have. If you’ve never been one to pay much attention to home décor, if you haven’t redecorated in a couple decades, if home improvement bores you, and if you can’t even imagine alternative colors or furniture arrangements for your home, perhaps you need outside advice. </li><li><b>Money</b>. How much money you are able and willing to spend on staging. If you are underwater with your home, it’s understandable that investing more money is painful. But an investment is what it is. Done correctly, staging pays for itself, because staged houses sell faster and for more money. </li><li><b>Desire</b>. How motivated you are to sell. If you want to sell quickly and move on, staging with a pro can speed things up.  </li><li><b>Stress.</b> How able you are to cope with stress. Some people seem to thrive on chaos, drama, and deadlines. Others are easily overwhelmed. Even a simple <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/tips-for-cleaning-and-organizing-closet.html" target="_blank">closet cleaning</a> can be stressful for some, while someone else can take a complete kitchen remodel i<span style="color: #333333;">n stride.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Whether you do all your own staging, turn it over to an accredited home stager, or go with some combination, only you can decide. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">If you stage your own home and use my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar</i>, as a guide, I guarantee your results won’t look anything like the way the online poster described self staging. You’ll be on our way to staging like a pro. I’ll give you your money back if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Avocado walls and swagged drapes, indeed! </span></span><br /><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Top photo: Better Homes and Gardens</span></span><br /></div></div>

Should You Stage Your Own Home? Or Hire a Pro?

An inviting front entrance like this colorful one -- so important for curb appeal --  is easy to stage by basic staging principles.  So I wa...

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Setting Goals -- Six Steps That Get Results

<div style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p><br /><o:p></o:p></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2547.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I used this silly photo to remind me of the life I wanted.</i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><o:p>Is selling your home one of the goals you hope to accomplish in 2012?</o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If so, can we talk? I want to share with you what I know about setting goals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When I met Mr. Lucky in 1990, both of us were starting over, refugees who had fled failed marriages. He was living in a campground in a $3500 camper, working for someone else for $10 an hour. I was earning even less, and paying $250 a month for my rental apartment, which was basically half a doublewide trailer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But both of us had lived in better circumstances and knew we wanted a better life again. Even before we married, we set mutual goals and together we have created a satisfying lifestyle, more comfortable and more interesting than we ever imagined.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We decided that our path to financial freedom would be through real estate investments. We had the skills and determination, so we set specific goals. We wrote these goals down and read them aloud to each other each evening. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We quit our jobs and went into business as painting contractors, something Mr. Lucky had been doing for 10 years. He trained me, and soon we were employing others and handling large accounts. Evenings we studied how to buy and sell properties, how to negotiate prices, how to calculate fix-up costs and interest rates, and how to find and keep good tenants. Midday we listened to audio tapes about real estate investment as we ate brown bag lunches in our work van. We joined a real estate investors club and listened to speakers, borrowed books, and attended seminars. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2573.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>On some jobs, the lunch break gave us a distant view. These are mountains near Asheville, NC.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal">In a year’s time, we had enough savings and education to start buying houses, fixing them, staging them, and selling or renting them. Today, we are completely debt-free, and depend on our rental properties to support us. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m not an authority on how to set and reach goals, but I know what has worked for us, and I also did my homework for this post. Here’s what the experts say.   </div><div class="MsoNormal">    </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Step 1.  Look at the Big Picture. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Double-check that your goal -- <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/05/are-you-reason-your-home-isnt-selling.html">selling your home -- is really what you want.</a> If you’re not on board with the idea, or if your entire household isn’t supportive, the path will be uphill. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Make sure your goal doesn’t contradict other goals you have. I knew that investing in real estate did not compromise my ethics or my dedication to my family or health. Will the sale of your home support or undermine the other important expectations you have in your life right now?<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2559.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This is our notebook we reviewed daily.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">STEP 2. Write and Recite Your Goals</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When you see what you want spelled out on paper, your subconscious begins believing! You can carry this visualization even further by describing in detail what you want, and even collecting pictures of your goals. <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> is terrific for doing this. Twenty years ago, I chose clippings from magazines to represent what we were working for, and put them in a cheap photo album, photos of dreams that are reality today.<br />         </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Be positive rather than negative when defining your goals and new year’s resolutions. Instead of writing, “I will not sleep late on Saturdays,” write, “I will use each Saturday morning to deep clean a different room.” If you have low expectations of yourself, recite positive affirmations such as, “I will be happy with less clutter in my life.” A proactive state of mind is indispensable to achieving success.    </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Be realistic. Educate yourself about how quickly homes are selling and at what prices where you live. Work with your realtor to establish fair market value, based on proven formulas and statistics. Mr. Lucky and I knew we couldn’t buy spacious four-bedroom homes as investments. Our first property was a one-bedroom home. But it came with enough land that we were able to subdivide the lot, and have a new house built on the property, which we sold for a handsome profit. Life is full of happy surprises when you begin with realistic expectations. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2572.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mr. Lucky painting a home under construction.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Step 3. Define What Needs to be Done</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />List the steps to reach your goals. Mr. Lucky and I knew we had to have a certain amount of money for a down payment on our first property. We knew we had to cultivate a relationship with a bank. We knew we had to build a good credit history so we could qualify for a mortgage.<br /><br />List whatever you need to do to get your property sold.  This list might include:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><ul><li><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-not-to-hire-realtor.html">Call a realtor.</a></li><li>Write down what is especially desirable about your home, and what doesn’t work for you. Then, determine if any of these problems can be fixed.</li><li>Start your cleaning and de-cluttering process.</li><li>Download my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar</i>, to learn all the ways staging can help sell your home, and the easy steps to staging frugally and effectively.</li><li>Let friends and family know you plan to sell.</li><li>Study the area you plan to relocate to, whether across town or to the other side of the globe. You’ll have a better handle on what’s ahead and what you need to bring from your present home.</li><li>Examine <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/01/staging-uses-many-skills.html">the skills you have</a> and consider how you can use the tools and knowledge you have at your fingertips.</li></ul></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Step 4. Divide Your Goals into Smaller Goals.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Break larger tasks down into smaller steps. Be specific. Logically organize the things you need to do in order to be efficient. For example, if you plan to replace the doorknobs and hinges in your house, first get prices online, then read how to do it, then purchase what you’ll need, then set aside one morning to do it.<br /><br />Small steps make even the overwhelming jobs doable. Once underway, many tasks take on a life of their own. Often you will amaze yourself by what you are capable of doing if you just take the first step, then the next one, then the next one… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If any one told me, shy and easily intimidated me, 20 years ago that I would be able to manage my own rental properties, I would have laughed at them. Now, being a landlady is easy and enjoyable! Baby steps.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Step 5. Set Deadlines for Your Goals.</b></span><br /><br />Make a schedule for all your goals and tasks. Review similar projects you’ve tackled in the past so you can give yourself deadlines that make sense. Deadlines keep you focused, and on schedule. And they provide a sense of accomplishment. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Be realistic about deadlines. If you know you hate yardwork, find someone who can do this for you. Mr. Lucky and I knew we didn’t have skills to do finished carpentry, so we hired the best carpenter we knew. In business, time is money, and selling a home is a business proposition.   </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Step 6. Track yourself.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2571.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>One client wanted every door a different color!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>If you don’t track results you won’t know if and when you’ve reached your goals. You wouldn’t start a diet without either weighing yourself along the way, or watching how your clothes are fitting you. Small successes build confidence and point the way. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Knowing that you’ve reached a goal lets you know you can move on to another project, or just relax!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracking calls for adjusting your goals as you progress. You’ll need to be flexible. Consider alternatives if your top choices seem impossible or impractical.<br /><br />Are you able to rent your home and still move?<br /><br />Would it be smarter to remodel your home and remain in it?<br /><br />Are you able to owner finance your home to a buyer who doesn’t qualify for a conventional loan?     </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are serious about selling your home, make more than a new year’s resolution about it. Set it as a goal, and start walking towards it!<br /><br />Happy New Year! May all your goals be reached.<br /><br /><br /></div></div>

Setting Goals -- Six Steps That Get Results

I used this silly photo to remind me of the life I wanted. Is selling your home one of the goals you hope to accomplish in 2012? If so, can ...

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Insider Tips: Notes From a Blue Collar Gal

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/money3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/money3-1.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>How one client paid us.</i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Every homeowner bumps into situations when DIY is a DDI -- a "don't do it."<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">I'm talking about</span></b> the times when you just have to hire the Big Guys, the ones with all the latest tools, the manly truck, and sometimes the proper local or state certification. They are the ones who have been doing it --  wiring, plumbing, roofing, landscaping -- for years.<br /><br />This post if for those times. I am going to tell you how to deal with these people. I know because I am one of these people. I am a housepainter.<br /><br />I might wear pink overalls, but I'm a blue collar worker. Housepainters rank pretty darn low on the status scale of trade people in the construction field. I'm not going to quote Rodney Dangerfield here, but you know what I'm talking about.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">I like to think that</span></b> I always give every client the best service I can. But if I am honest, I'll admit that the people who have treated me well when I worked for them, even though I am "just the painter," are the people I was happy to go that extra mile for.<br /><br />While I can't endorse befriending every member of every crew doing work around your home, it helps to remember that a little kindness goes a long way.<br /><br />Here are my tips to having a productive, satisfying relationship for both you and any helpers you hire.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip #1</b></span><br /><b>Learn their names.</b> if they will be at your house for more than a few days. First names are usually sufficient unless you are building an ongoing relationship or need to know the name that goes on the check. I remember one woman who hired Mr. Lucky and me to paint her home -- and then her son's home, her church's office, her next home, and her rental property (love that!). Whenever someone came to her home while we were there, she actually introduced us, using both first AND last names. She flattered us by showing us respect, simply by using our names. Lesson: It's the little things that create a bond between people.  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip #2</b></span><br /><b>Make them feel welcome.</b> Say hello to acknowledge their arrival and let them know you are home. In the South where I am, the custom is to always engage in a little small talk in all business situations. To not banter a bit is considered rude.<br /><br />Some people give in-house workers the message that they are not trusted. Don't do this. If you have questions about the honesty or ethics of people in your house, you have hired the wrong people. I am not suggesting that you leave cameras, money, and jewelry about when having your bathroom re-tiled by a couple of men you never met before. Be smart, but don't demonstrate paranoia and distrust.<br /><br />How do you find trustworthy and capable tradespeople? Ask your realtor for the names of good people. Or ask other tradespeople. For instance, a carpet cleaning service man will probably know who lays good carpet, and a painter will know a good carpenter. You can also ask fussy friends and neighbors for the names of people they have been pleased with.   <br /><br />We have painted for people who do not leave the room we are working in. They may be lonely, or they may be distrustful. If you have hired tradespeople, greet them, and then remove yourself. Not only is it a distraction to have to carry on a conversation, but workers may feel you are trying to learn how they do what they do, so that next time you can DIY and save the money. It makes you look like you wish you didn't have to hire them.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip #3</b></span><br /><b>Make them feel appreciated.</b> In one small house where we were painting, the homeowners were home all day. Each day when their daughter returned from school, they baked cookies. Of course the scent of chocolate chips, sugar and butter filled the place. Did they ever offer us one? They did not. Did we feel appreciated? We did not. Did we adjust our schedule so we could do more painting for them when they called us again? No. We're not mean, but when push comes to shove, people go where they are appreciated. Lesson: The Golden Rule is still good business.   <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/snacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/snacks.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Cheese, crackers, grapes, jellybeans!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Can you tell I love cookies?<br /><br />The woman who paid us with gift-wrapped cash in a thank you card last week (photo above) also set out a snack and coffee buffet just for Mr. Lucky and me that was so unusual in its graciousness, I had to take a photo (right). While this example is definitely over the top, the message was clear: "We appreciate you."<br /><br />You absolutely don't have to go to this extreme, but...just saying... <br /><br />Doughnuts are always a big hit with workers. A dozen doughnuts buys you a whole lot of feel good.  <b> </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip #4</b></span><br /><b>Make them comfortable.</b> I don't know if you have ever been in a stranger's home for the whole day. It can be a delicate situation. Workers aren't guests, but they aren't robots either. They will appreciate it, for example, if you tell them when they start a job, where the bathroom is, where they can get water, and what door you want them to use for coming and going. In some states the law requires you provide an outside portijohn when the number of persons on site reaches a certain number.<br /><br />Are conditions comfortable for working? Tradespeople are used to working around debris and dust, and in extreme heat and cold. But you can still be the hero by providing an environment that is uncluttered and at a sensible temperature as much as is practical. Let them have what they need in order to do their job well.<b> </b><br /><br />At the same time, if the person you are hiring will be coming back on a regular basis, a housekeeper or a lawn maintenance person for example, you need to establish businesslike protocol at the beginning of the relationship. If you are too casual about the work that needs to be done, you may find your cleaning person or pool cleaning serviceman expects to have coffee and half an hour of conversation before beginning work. Lesson: Be friendly but don't be friends.<b> </b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip #5</b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Praise their work</b>.  Even if you are not totally happy with the job being done, find something you like. If you have complaints, let them know that, too. And don't wait until the job is done to express discontent. If you are considering a number of options at the start of your project, ask for their opinions. Experts and professionals usually like to hear the question, "What would you do?" because it signifies that you value their experience. You can still do it your way, or decide on an approach better than either you or the professional hadn't thought of previously.<br /><br />Clients often ask me to help them make decisions about color or finishes. Some ask about painting-related problems, like removing mildew from a roof (trim the tree branches back to let light in, and sprinkle the roof with laundry powder). Asking opinions is one way to acknowledge expertise.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMmTgX7w-A45ghnzwUM17efyp_hzy0Rn8L8zNcHlN10Q2vkIiBZYBTwYJnnsIqXeSg4QuTOkLEm2eOAb3Fd3rs8dvc0nvaiWsOvcoFyHtP_XVnuqXfWGmCNDSZLRD66d3PxcgPqvjPeo/s200/ebook_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMmTgX7w-A45ghnzwUM17efyp_hzy0Rn8L8zNcHlN10Q2vkIiBZYBTwYJnnsIqXeSg4QuTOkLEm2eOAb3Fd3rs8dvc0nvaiWsOvcoFyHtP_XVnuqXfWGmCNDSZLRD66d3PxcgPqvjPeo/s200/ebook_cover.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>Next time you need to hang up your DIY tool belt, and bring in a contract worker, whether it's an air conditioning repairman, an electrician, a floor re-finisher, or some other hard working soul, follow my advice, and I think you will see better communication and better workmanship.<br /><br />Maybe even a better price.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I can offer you </b></span>many more tips to make selling your home a positive experience. My <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook,</a> <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar</i>, will provide answers, inspiration, buying guides, and how-tos for everything from arranging furniture to curb appeal and everything in between. It's quick and easy to download. Why wait? I can start today to help you stage to sell.

Insider Tips: Notes From a Blue Collar Gal

How one client paid us. Every homeowner bumps into situations when DIY is a DDI -- a "don't do it." I'm talking about the...

Read more »