Professional Home Staging by Let Me Organize You

Seriously Cluttered...

This next question comes from a respected colleague, Naomi Seldin who writes a blog for the Albany Times Union called Simpler Living.  Her blog is about how we can all simplify and pare down every aspect of our lives. Please visit her blog at Albany Times Union Simpler Living


I've been reading about a Baltimore man who was featured on the Style Network show "Clean House."  I'd be interested to know if you've ever worked with someone who had a really serious clutter problem, and how do you work with them?

Hi, Naomi:

I have often worked with clients who have some serious clutter problems, and I have some very specific strategies of working with them and helping them to manage the clean-up process.

The first thing that I do is to make it very clear that I am working for them, and that I am working in their home, and that I cannot and will not decide what goes and what stays!  They need to be ready to clean up the clutter and to part with a good amount of their stuff.  If they are not ready for this step, I will not take them on as a client.  We will fail to accomplish their goals which will be both a waste of my time and their money.

The second step is to assess the problem and to set goals.  This is painstakingly and specifically done.  For instance, we may decide that "the goal is to get rid of 50% of what you have."  This is very concrete. This is easily quantifiable; for every item kept, one item is gotten rid of. This number, which normally ranges from 30% to 80%, is based on my experience, how much of their clutter is unnecessary and how large the client's home is. The third part of the assessment is to find out how the client uses the space in their home. Do they work from home? Do they have any hobbies? Do they work outside the home but have a home-based side-business? This will influence our priorities in beginning a process that can last from several weeks to several months.

Next, we roll up our sleeves and get to work.  I have had several clients where the amount of stuff to be gotten rid of is so great that we hire a roll-off dumpster for the duration of the process.  And we fill it.  Sometimes twice. This is often where the difficulties begin.  Although the client wants a clean, uncluttered home, they have a very hard time letting go of their stuff. This is where my expertise really kicks in, and this is where I make the difference.  If items are truly sentimental to them, but of absolutely no use, we may make a photo album of the stuff (so that they can stroll down memory lane when they choose) but actually discard the stuff itself.  Or, I simply point out to them that although the stuff is important to them, it is actually weighing them down. In the case of multiple items, I can suggest that they don't need 6 egg slicers, and why don't we get rid of four or five of them. One other strategy is that we donate items to charity.  The client is doing good, and gets a tax write-off to boot!

While lightening the load, I keep them focused on the positive aspects of doing so. In addition, I always take before photos during our initial consultation and bring them with me to every meeting with them.  When we appear to be at an impasse, I pull out the album and show them concretely how far we've come.  A picture truly is worth a thousand words!

The final step is support.  Once we've completed our project together, I do a follow-up visit, anywhere from four weeks to six months down the road, depending on my feeling of how long the client will take to "fall off the wagon."  The specter of me coming for a follow up visit often helps clients to stay on the straight and narrow.  In addition, clients are always welcome to contact me with questions and issues.  I take great pride in building long term relationships with my clients, and I have many clients with whom I have never lost touch.  For me, this is the best part of the job!

It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Hi Neil,

I love your blog and thank you for the great advice to unclutter our lives.  I have a question; whenever my house gets messy (cluttered) it takes a day or two to really clean it up.  In cleaning it, the mess often gets worse before it gets better.  IT DRIVES MY WIFE CRAZY.  Do you have any suggestions to make this process easier on both of us?

Thanks, MK

The state of a home can often play a major role (or even wreak havoc) in the relationship between cohabitants. There are essentially two things that can be done to alleviate this tension, and both of which require patience and the ability to compromise on the part of both partners. 

The first choice is for the messier of the pair to simply not allow things to get to the point where the neat partner is tearing their hair out. Or, to confine the mess to a closed room that the neat partner never needs enter.

The second is for the neater of the pair to simply accept the messy partner for who they are, and to try to keep as much order in the home as possible. And to ask the messy partner to respect the tidiness of certain areas of the house.

In cleaning up any kind of a mess, it appears to be a universal constant that things get worse before they get better. In order to clean out a crowded closet for instance, the closet needs to be emptied first (often laying waste to the room in which it is situated) before things can be sorted and put back away. This can be frustrating for all involved, but life (as well as our homes) can be messy, and it takes work for things to be tidy.

With compromise and patience, everyone in a house can be comfortable, provided that those living together are sensitive to the needs of their cohabitants.

Magazine Madness

Dear Neil:

Help!  I have magazines all over the place, and I don't know what to do with them.  They're taking over my house and contributing to all of my clutter.

Susan K.

Dear Susan:

The answer to your question about magazine management is a relatively simple one, but it will take some work on your part.  I have no fear that if you follow these steps, you will conquer your magazine clutter!

The first decision that you need to make is whether to simply toss the magazines that you have accumulated and start fresh, or to go through your magazines and cull the important articles before tossing them.

In either event, you will need to actually look at your magazines when they come into the house.  Here's how to do it... Have a designated place in the house for the magazines that you subscribe to.  When a new issue comes into the house, glance at the table of contents before putting it in its pile.  Now, look through the pile.  You can keep the current issue and the last issue.  Any older issues must go.  If an older issue has an article or a recipe in it that you cannot bear to part with, RIP THE ARTICLE OUT and put it in a file of materials marked "To Be Read."  Then toss the old issues.  Do this consistently.  And once you have finished reading a magazine, toss it into the recycling pile.

Another option is to create three-ring binders in which to keep torn out articles or recipes. I recently had a client whose interests were gardening, cooking and home decorating.  We created three binders for her, one per subject, and purchased a box of mylar sheet protectors from an office supply store. She now has a place to put all of the articles and recipes that she wishes to keep. You can even buy three ring index tabs to further organize your growing collection of articles!

If you are having a problem parting with old magazines, please know that most magazine articles end up on the web, so even if you toss something that has value, you can usually find it online.  You can also find magazine articles at your local public library, many of which have extensive serial collections.  Also, don't forget that many public libraries have websites that connect you with databases that provide magazine access. You may need to enter the barcode on your library card to gain access, but it is a valuable tool, and it's free!

Another way to conquer your clutter is to let the bulk of your magazine subscriptions lapse. If you pick up a copy of the magazine at the supermarket, and the table of contents really appeals to you, then buy a single issue.  You won't save any money by doing this, but you could save your sanity!

No Longer Second-Homeless

Dear Neil:

My husband and I are fortunate enough to have just purchased a vacation home.  One of my friends has suggested that I hire a professional organizer to help me make the transition to second-home life, but I'm not sure what a professional organizer could do for me. 

Sincerely:
Rosalyn R.

Dear Rosalyn:

A professional organizer will be a great boon to your making the transition.  I have had several clients fortunate enough to be in your position, and I was able to help them tremendously!

The first step in this process is for the organizer to come to your primary residence.  Once there, closets, attic, garage and basement are scoured.  This accomplishes two things; it makes your home more organized thus providing you with more space, and the things that are slated to be moved up to your second home mean that you need to spend less money furnishing and outfitting it. After all, most of us have duplicates and sometimes triplicates of household goods.

The next step is an assessment of what you need to finish furnishing your vacation home.  Often with my clients, we create a budget, and I do much of the shopping on their behalf.  In addition, as a home stager, I often help my clients choose wall colors, lighting fixtures, window treatments and other decorative elements. Another service that I have provided is finding people to work on their homes such as painters, electricians, pool services, house cleaners, etc...

Remember, your organizer will be willing to provide a level of service that will cater to your needs and budget.  They will do as much, or as little, as you wish!

To Paint or Not to Paint? That is the Question...

Hi, Neil:

I have stained molding (not quality molding - just basic builder stock and it's stained dark as are the inexpensive doors.  We are painting the bedroom and have left the molding and door the dark stain.  I would like to paint the doors and the molding white and to continue that process as we paint each room, but my husband disagrees.  He doesn't necessarily like the stained molding but doesn't want to reduce the value of the house by painting over the stained molding.  I think the stained molding makes the place look dated (especially since it's not of any real quality, it's basic, minimum width stuff) and the dark doors make the rooms look dark.  Would you agree to paint the molding?

Thanks, Deb

Hi, Deb:

If the moldings and doors in your home are not beautiful wood, then I would certainly advocate painting over them. This will not decrease the value of your home, and the lighter paint will make the rooms seem larger and up to date, most likely increasing the value of your home.  Now if you had, for instance and Arts & Crafts home with original oak moldings, I would never suggest that they be painted unless they were in irreparable condition.

Good luck!

Stale Listings Freshened Up

I've had my house on the market for over 9 months, and it's not even being shown anymore.  What can I do to sell it?

Thanks, Jael

Hi, Jael:

There's lots that you can do to move a stale listing!  The first of which is to hire a professional stager.  Here's how it usually works: You'll hire a stager and temporarily take your house off the market (and make sure that it is removed from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)).   Your professional stager will then come into your home and work his magic.  De-cluttering, re-arranging, giving the house some more curb appeal. 

Once the house has been staged, re-list the house with your Realtor.  It'll come up on the MLS as a fresh listing.  You can even advertise it as a "freshly staged home."  Have your Realtor schedule an open house to kick off the new and improved listing.  Make sure that a new set of photographs is taken for the listing and that the new photographs are used on the MLS. And ask your real estate agent to invite some of the perspective buyers who have already seen the house to come back and take another look.  Chances are that they won't even recognize the house!  You'll have the house sold in no time at all! 

I've had several clients who have used this strategy, and their houses have sold within a month of the staging!

Staging From the Outside In

I've heard that many stagers work on the outside of a house as well as the interior.  What does staging the outside of a house mean?

Thanks.  Janine

Hi, Janine:

We stagers sure do stage the outside of the homes that we work on.  In real estate, the phrase is "curb appeal."  What that means is that first impressions count!  As your Realtor approaches your house with a potential buyer in tow, the first thing that the buyer sees is the outside of your house.  And how good the outside looks (or not) can sometimes determine whether the buyer even wants to look at the interior.

The basics are that the lawn needs to be mowed.  Bald patches should be addressed.  Hedges should be trimmed.  There should be a fresh doormat at every exterior door, and a fresh doormat inside every exterior door, as you don't want the general public tracking dust into your newly staged home. 

In addition, all exterior lighting fixtures should be in good repair, and should have fresh lightbulbs in them.  The front door should have a fresh coat of paint, and the house should be pressure washed (or at the very least, all of the cobwebs should be swept away).  If you have room for hanging plants or a planter by the front door, they should be filled with colorful flowers.

Any backyard furniture should be washed down and in good repair.  If you have an outside eating area, it should look fresh (and the table should be set for a party, if you're having an open house).

You want the outside of your home to invite potential buyers inside.  The exterior should say to them, "Welcome home!"  This is how you get offers.  Fast.

Get Ready For Staging!

I'm getting ready to sell my home this Spring, and I want to hire a home stager.  The problem is that I don't know if I can afford one, and even if I can I want to do as much of the work myself as possible.  How do I go about this?

Thanks!
Dan

Dear Dan:

First of all, you most likely can afford a professional stager.  In fact you can't afford not to hire a professional stager in this difficult market.  But since Spring is busy season for Professional Stagers, you should start shopping for your stager sooner rather than later!

There are many things that you can do to prepare for a professional staging.  The first of which is to start clearing out your closets, garage, attic, kitchen cupboards and basement.  Toss what you don't need.  Box up and if possible, store the things that you want to keep but don't use on a regular basis. Also, put anything personal away.  This includes family photos and religious items.

Add to that deep cleaning.  Get the rugs professionally steam cleaned, wash the windows, touch up scuffed or chipped paint.  And put away anything that you don't use on a daily basis.  This is also a good time to go through your medicine cabinets and throw away expired prescriptions and OTC items, because potential buyers do open medicine cabinets and linen closets.

Once you've had a Professional Stager in to spec your project, they will be able to tell you what other things you can do to keep the price of the staging to a minimum.  But just remember that the return on investment makes the financial cost as well as the work you put into it well worth it!

What IS Home Staging?

I've heard the term "home staging," and I know that it's related to selling your home, but I have no idea what it is!

Thanks.  Bill

Hi, Bill:

Very good question!  Unfortunately, many consumers who are about to sell their homes, or who are in the process of selling their homes have no idea what home staging is and how it can help them.

Very simply, home staging is about de-personalizing and de-decorating your home in order to appeal to a wider audience and to sell your home faster and for more money.

As I discussed in my previous bolg entry Books, Books and More Books you most likely have a beautiful home.  And you most likely have some (many, in fact) beautiful things in your home.  Unfortunately, you haven't opened a retail business to sell your things.  You have opened your home to the public in order to sell IT.  And it is your house that you want the public to see, not your beautiful things, not your family photographs, not your large collection of books.  This is what staging is all about.

In addition to de-personalizing your home, home stagers de-clutter your home as well to make it appear larger, and more inviting.  In my case, as a professional organizer / home stager, I help my clients lighten their load and pack away things that they own but will not need until they move into their new home, thus making their move easier and often cheaper.

Once the home is de-cluttered and de-personalized, the interior is made more neutral by perhaps lightening the wall colors, taking away curtains and updating flooring.  This, of course is all done within a client's budget.

Home staging is about turning your home into a house.  A home is where you live, a house is merchandise on an often flooded market.   

To Stage or Not to Stage

I've heard that staging a house in order to sell it is a good thing to do. I've also learned that it is quite expensive! In your opinion, is it worth the expense?

Kate

Dear Kate:

It is most definitely worth the expense of staging a house.  Consider this;  the average price reduction of a house is about 10 percent of the original asking price.  So on a $200,000 house, the first price reduction would be $20,000.  Most homeowners begin to think about a price reduction after about a month on the market.  And according to StagedHomes.com, 93 percent of ASP staged homes sell  in one month or less.

Home staging fees can range anywhere from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on the condition and the size of the home.  But on a $200,000 home in pretty good condition, the total price of the staging will most likely cost less than $5,000.  So hiring a home staging professional is an excellent return on investment!

And home staging works in any market.  If the market is depressed, staged homes will most likely sell before a price reduction is necessary.  In a strong market, not only will the home sell faster, but it will most likely sell for more than the asking price.  Bidding wars are not uncommon for well staged homes!