National Staging Association Establishes Local Chapter!

I hope everyone enjoyed the fabulous weather we had over the weekend, especially yesterday! So there is some exciting news to share...
Up until now the home staging industry has been pretty scattered. It is a legitimate industry, no doubt, but it is not a regulated industry. Some stagers do it as a hobby, some as a business...some have had training, and some have not. There have not been set standards, which has made things a little difficult for the industry to establish the credibility it deserves.

The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) has set out to change that. They have established a code of ethics, standards to follow, educational opportunities, and more. They have created national statistics to show the results of staging, and they are working toward becoming the organization that turns Home Staging into a regulated industry. In the future, it is likely that this organization RESA, will be for Staging Companies what the NAR is for Real Estate Agents. It is likely to have different levels of membership, with active members being required to fulfill continuing education requirements. This is really exciting and a huge step for our industry!

Just Perfect! has been a member of RESA since 2008. As a company, it is our goal over the next 10 years, to make Home Staging a regular practice in Wilmington NC and surrounding areas. It offers so much value, to both sellers and buyers, that we strive for it to become standard - when you sell your house, you stage it first! To further our efforts, Jessica Pirone, owner of Just Perfect! has founded a local Wilmington Chapter for RESA and will be serving as President for 2009.

More information is to come, but we will be having general membership meetings once a month (starting in APRIL - date, time and location TBA) and a Networking Event with a Guest Speaker for Real Estate Agents, Industry Associates, and Home Stagers in the area to meet and mingle. Details will be announced later in the month. Spread the word! And for more information, contact us at info@justperfecthomestaging.com

GRAND PRIZE WINNER - A FREE DAY OF STAGING!

It was so much fun meeting all of you at the Realtor Recharge yesterday held at the Blockade Runner.

We had 80 Agents register for our drawing, so you will all receive your Gift Certificate for "The Perfect Beginning" in the mail next week. This is service is great for your client with an occupied listing! CLICK HERE to see everything this service includes.

Now... I know you have been dying to know who won the GRAND PRIZE!
"Staged to Perfection", a FREE DAY of our FULL SERVICE STAGING!

And the winner is....
SUSIE LOFTIS from INTRACOASTAL REALTY!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!


If you have any questions or are curious to know more about our company and our services, please feel free to give us a call. We would love to sit down with you individually and get to know you better!

Thanks again for your attendance! Hope you are now motivated and pumped for 2009!

The Trend of Renting While Selling

Hello, I hope you had a fabulous weekend. I spent my my weekend looking for a new rental property, as I am planning on moving next month. I have noticed through potential clients or agents that I have worked with that many people have had their home on the market for some time and are starting to decide to rent it while they are trying to sell it to bring in income. As I was house hunting for rentals myself, I was rather astounded by the number of homes that are in this type of situation.

While I completely understand the desire to bring in monthly income, and the stress of carrying costs that a vacant home can put on you, I do not advise this tactic! If you really want to sell your house, this is not the way to go. You hear about staging and de-personalizing and creating warmth and emphasizing space... showing rooms as their normal function, keeping things sparkly clean, eliminating odors, and doing everything you can to give your home "model-home" qualities. These techniques are not just for fun... there are specific reasons for them and they are proven to make your home more attractive to buyers.

When you rent your house, you are throwing all of that down the drain. You cannot control what your renters do, what their furniture looks like, their style is, how tidy they are, how they use the space, or what condition they turn your house into. You do not have any control over the condition the house is in when it has a showing... Do you see where I'm going with this?

You may think it doesn't matter, buyers will understand it is rented, and will be able to see beyond the renter's belongings and the state the property is in. Maybe this could happen, but 9 out of 10 times, that is not going to be the case. If you believe you have to rent it because of the "economy" and the "current market" in real estate... that is understandable. I would recommend going all the way with your decision though and rent it. Take it off the market. Then when you are ready to put it back on the market, you should stop renting it, fix it up, and properly prepare it for sale so it is show ready, 24/7!

Want to do something to help keep your home from just sitting there as an alternative to renting while selling? Try making changes that will make your house MORE marketable and will help it sell faster. Do your research, talk to a home stager in your area, talk to your agent... once you make some changes, then stir up some interest. Do something new, tell everyone to come back and take a second look and see the difference you have made. I hope this helps... please feel free to share comments or ask questions!