Phyllis's Blog

Let's face it, Staging is the new buzz word and everyone thinks they can stage. Here was a perfect example of what just happened to me.

About 2 weeks ago I ran into an old neighbor from good ole Staten Island in the supermarket. She started to ask about my life and asked what I am doing now and I began to tell her about my staging business. Her immediate reply was "Oh yeah, I do that, I just did that to my brothers house, he has been having a difficult time selling, so my mom and I went and "staged" his house."

Great, was my reply, what could I say, she was very excited about this. Well, yesterday I received a phone call from this same person asking me if there was anything I could do to help her brother. Would I mind calling him and stopping by to see the house. Of course I will call him, was my reply. I was happy to not only see an old friend, but I always love the opportunity to help another seller.

As soon as I pulled in the driveway I began to make a checklist of obvious things that could be hindering the sale of this home. FOR ONE, YOU COULD NOT SEE IT!! I rang the doorbell and was greeted by an old friend which was lovely, but it seemed as if no time had passed at all, eventhough it has been at least 20 years or more. After the hugs I said okay, let me tell you what I see. I immediately went into staging mode and starting rattling off a list of things that needed to be removed.

He was a riot as he watched me start rolling up red flowered scatter rugs to expose the hardwood flooring, moving large plants that were too large for the corners they were tucked into, folding napkins and tucking them into the glasses for more drama and cleaning off countertops. These were just a few of things I began addressing. Then I mentioned to him that the wallpaper on the dining room wall should be removed.

At that point he began to laugh and said everything you just removed is exactly everything my sister and mom did, including putting up the wallpaper. My response to that....That is why stagers should do the staging and not family members.

So what is it that people think Home Staging is?? I think that consumers are confused between Home Staging and Interior Design. In Home Staging a seller needs to depersonalize the space and show off the homes best assets. In this particular home, the selling feature is definitely the backyard. This yard was a huge, private yard that had a beautiful deck and large inground pool. Unfortunately, the windows on the back of the house were covered with dated 80's style levelors. His mom and sister tried to match that decor and therefore made the rest of the house look as dated.

I had him remove the blinds and all of a sudden you could not help but say WOW when you entered his kitchen. Man, you just got drawn out into that backyard. Buyers were just being turned off by the somewhat dated kitchen and could not see past that. 

A professional Home Stager is trained to Stage your property in a way that will make potential buyers fall in love with it. He confessed to me that his mom and sister emptied their attic of their old stuff to help decorate his home. Well, their old stuff made his home look old.

A professional home stager will bring in their "new and fabulous inventory" to enhance your home's selling features. We are really worth the phone call, don't wait any longer  ...ReStyled to Sell helping sellers move on.

I have come across a certain problem, road block, if you may, in my business. What is it?? It is my website.

When I began my business 2 years ago, I immediately started staging houses and had a small website designed so I can refer customers to it, if asked. Since then I have had 3 different web designers trying to redesign the space and unfortunately, I have not had ANY LUCK!!

The first designer was fairly new and did a good job but it lacked content and SEO. The second charged $400.00 to upload new pics and completely loaded them incorrectly. My befores were being shown as my afters. NOT GOOD IN THIS BIZ, you would all agree!! The next has had my new pics and info as well as design and colors for over 4 months, but nothing has been done to update my site as yet. My site does not contain any content about vacant homes or any updated pics showing staged model homes.

While this is very frustrating to me, the most frustrating aspect of this business, is that UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE JUDGED BY OUR WEBSITES!!. So what makes a good stager? A dynamite website or a dynamo stager?

I have viewed many sites and I am saddened to say that just this morning I found 2 different stagers in 2 different states with the same pictures on their front pages. NOT GOOD! These are obviously stock photos and people who are looking to hire a stager may not realize that these beautiful pics are really NOT THEIR WORK.

I almost lost a job the other day because the builder said that after viewing my pics (which I admit are very old) he almost cancelled the appointment. How many more are not calling because of that reason. Yet my statistics for homes staged and SOLD are knocking it OUT OF THE BALL PARK.

In most cases, once my company ReStyled to Sell has staged the home, it sells from anywhere from 3 hours to 2 weeks time. Like most stagers who are working around the clock, we cannot find the time to keep our sites updated, let alone find the time to hire professional, efficient web designers.

In today'a age of technology, HOW DOES ONE KEEP UP?? 

I was sorting through my paperwork yesterday and came up with a list I had typed for myself about a year ago. I felt this was worth sharing with all

1. Always answer your phone. if your business phone is your cell phone, always answer it in a professional manner. Remember, clients are shopping around and want an answer NOW! Most likely they will deal with the first person that is available to speak with them.

2. Never wait for someone else to call you back. Too much time elapses and that indicates to the cleint that you are not on the ball. Always call back people that you are doing business with such as painters, contractors, etc. BE ON TOP OF YOUR GAME!

3. Never lose a deal to someone else. You can always do better for your clients. Try, ask, beg if necessary to the people you are doing business with and see if you cannot get better pricing from them. Everyone needs to succeed and most will cut their costs in order to close the deal.

4. Don't give up so easily!! Growing a successful business takes time, one day at a time.

5. Be Confident! Speak with confidence. If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.

6. If you are not sure, ASK! Have the right answer before your speak to the client. Don't sound like a rookie

7. Know your game. Study all aspects of your field.

8. Study your competition and see why they get the deal done

9. Everyday Learn Something NEW!

10. Wake up each morning and plan on making 2 new contacts

11. Study, Study, Study...To Learn You Must want to be Taught

12. Don't be wishy washy. Don't be lazy. Ask yourself, "what am I doing to succeed and do I really want to put the time into my business to succeed"?

13. Ask yourself, Why have I failed in the past? Be honest and grow from there

14. Associate yourself with professional, successful people. What worked for them will help you succeed. Follow their advice. 

15. Take criticism well and learn from everyone and every situation.

Growing a successful Home Staging business is not an easy task. It is a lot of hard work, both on the job and away from the job. The paperwork alone can be grueling. Shopping, sorting, keeping track of inventory is time consuming. The fun part comes the day of Staging! I call it my "P" day. The day we make everything PRETTY! But that day only comes after a lot of preparation. BUT WASN'T IT WORTH IT?

You need to prepare YOURSELF and YOUR BUSINESS in the very same way. NEVER GIVE UP!

As a professional Home Stager, we are often times faced with the undaunting challenge of trying to make something beautiful out of something chaotic and may at times wonder...how could things have gotten so out of control??

I have seen many homes that have had MAJOR challenges and wondered how could people live like this? So I started to ask certain questions that would give me insight into this clients background or life situation. What I have found is much heartache and pain behind the clutter. In the past two weeks I have been faced with 3 of these situations

The first home I was called into stage was a smaller home that was being listed that weekend so this was a rush job. When I entered the property I found clothing and laundry and items scattered about the house. After speaking with the realtor I came to find that the client has been battling cancer and they recently fell in the house and a family member was now taking care of them in their home. Well that explained that!!

This person was actually in the middle of their daily routine when their life suddenly changed. It is hard to go into a place like this and realize that this persons dreams and hopes can be taken away so quickly. I staged the property on Thursday and by Saturday they got 3 offers and SOLD FOR FULL PRICE!!  

The next house I saw was definitely in need of major renovations before we can even think of putting furniture in the home. I began to ask the client certain questions and came to find out that her spouse had recently passed away. This was not an older couple!! Her eyes began to well with tears as she explained how they thought they would have all this time in early retirement to enjoy their life. They always worked long hours and dreamed of the day they could travel together. Then she said...Life had other plans.

I see this time and time again....ugly divorces, deaths, financial problems. These things can be so crippling to an individual that they can LET THEIR HOUSE GO!! Before we sit and judge or complain, let us remember that our first priority is to HELP, REALLY HELP this seller sell their home.

As professional Home Stagers, we have been trained to make the best out of bad situations. Okay, so you have ugly green tile in the bath...match the paint color, add some decorative accessories and curtains and show the new buyer how they can live in this space until they can afford to replace it. 

Before you look at the clutter...LOOK AT THE HEART BEHIND IT!!

Happy Staging Phyllis Pafumi ReStyled to Sell Home Staging

Do you remember a time when NO ONE knew what HOME STAGING was? I do! I remember in the early days of my business I found it difficult to market because I had to come up with words that described what I could accomplish in a home to help it to sell, BUT NEVER MENTION THE WORDS HOME STAGING...WHY?? Because no one knew what it was. I am sure you could all relate to that "HUH" look when you told them you were a home stager, right? 

When Designed to Sell began running 5 nights a week, I thought for sure EVERYONE would not only know what Home Staging was, but all SELLERS and REALTORS alike would jump on the Staging bandwagon. Well, that was not entirely so. Today, more and more homeowners and realtors are calling upon the talents of Home Staging Professionals to help sell their listing. WHY? BECAUSE IT WORKS!!!

So, you can imagine my surprise when this evening while I was struggling with these (2) fabulous stools I got in Bed, Bath and Beyond on Sale for $19.98, I heard a voice say..."Are you A Home Stager"? I looked up and said YES, how did you know? And she answered...Because I am too!  AHHH, it was like relating to someone that is on the same planet as you, well you get the picture. She knew that I was going get those stools in my little car no matter what, I guess that was the first tip, well that and my magnetic signs that say ReStyled to Sell...

We had a wonderful conversation outside the store about all the pros and cons of our Home Staging businesses. I did find out that her company is my direct competition, but it did not matter. As we spoke about our jobs, I was amazed, that while we live only minutes from each other, our staging jobs are taking us from one end of NJ to the other. Pretty much in opposite direction.

So what does that tell me? Home Staging has grown and the need for it is growing every day by leaps and bounds. There are many, many houses on the market and one Stager cannot stage ALL OF THEM! There will always be enough work to go around.

Competition is good, doing your best for all is best! Be prepared, because you never know when you will be asked "Are you a HOME STAGER"? My, how we have grown..

The weather is hot, the mood is lazy, but the gifts keep on coming. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of business for ReStyled to Sell Home Staging. Not only have we been busy with stagings and interior redesigns, but we had to de stage FOUR houses in a matter of 6 days. One house we had to take inventory out on last Wednesday was put into another home that next day on Thursday and SOLD on Saturday. That is the type of week we have had, which is fantastic.

While the work of destaging is grueling because of the tedious task of carefully packing your inventory and then coming home and sorting and storing, it can be fun and exciting. I feel like a kid in a candy store. I had forgotten half of the beautiful things that I had in these homes.

One home in particular is a home that I destaged last evening. This was a spec home I had staged for a builder. The house was really a beautiful home. The builder was on a budget so I staged the home with my inventory only and did not supplement with any rental furniture, which kept his costs down. As you know the day of staging is always a hectic one and, as I recall, this house took 2 days to stage and I remember at the last minute running out to purchase that PERFECT piece for either here or there. You know what I mean, we have all done that.

Upon entering the home last evening, even I was blown away. That house looked GREAT. My pictures just never did that house justice, so even I forgot what it looked like. But the best part was all the beautiful things that I had in the home, that I had forgotten about. It was sooooo much fun!! Well at least for last night, BUT NOW, it is resorting, restocking and cleaning up time.

Opening Christmas gifts is a blast, right? BUT, remember the week that follows?? Get rid of the boxes, find room in your closets for all the new clothes and sort through old things that you can get rid of!!! Ah yes, Christmas in July, fun, fun, fun but filled with lots of work, work, work. Staging homes for sale is tedious work and the job of a Home Stager is every day, all day, but I would not change what I do for ONE MINUTE, would you? 

Hope you are all enjoying your summer, Happy Staging.

As many of you know, Staging to LIVE and Staging to SELL are two very different things. While many homeowners develop their own DESIGN plan while living in their home over many years, the key words here are THEIR OWN DESIGN PLAN, you will find that not all tastes fit all people.

Lately, I have gone into many homes to help them prepare for the competitive real estate market and have found that a common theme is evident.....70's and 80's contemporary decor!! While mirrors, chrome, glass, black and pink were popular then, it is JUST not cutting it today. We need to update, neutralize and appeal to many buyers in order to sell this house, is a common phrase that you will hear coming from my mouth.

SO WHY AM I LOVING INTERIOR REDESIGN??? BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY CAN PICK WHAT MY CLIENTS LOVE!!

Interior Redesign is another field that I have been working in for over 30 years and I find it to be a blast. The first thing I tackle when doing an interior redesign is the floor plan. Once the key pieces are in place, the whole room just starts coming together. I always look for an inspiration piece as a starting point, such as a pillow, blanket, wall color, etc. I love not only shopping for accessories and items throughout the clients home, BUT actually going to stores and furniture places and purchasing pieces that SUIT my client's taste is great.

I can use bold colors like Cedar Chest and Copper Mine from Lowe's Olympic brand (these are awesome by the way). I can mix reds with golds and taupes and not worry about what will appeal to ALL buyers. Well of course I ask the clients if they are planning on living here for awhile. If they say, yes, at least 2 - 5 years or more, then I say GO FOR IT. This is YOUR HOME, enjoy it while you can, and of course when you get ready to sell, call ReStyled to Sell for all your home staging needs. 

BUDGET, well that is a whole different story. Can you do an interior redesign on a budget?? SURE!! Depending on what the client already owns you can range from a couple of hundred dollars to a few thousand based on the extent of the work.

The attached pics are from a Living Room that just needed some color and minor pieces. LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE. Believe it or not, this room was done for under $1,000.00.

Interior Redesign, just another aspect of what ReStyled to Sell can help you accomplish. Whether you are Staging to Sell or Redecorating to  Live and Enjoy, call ReStyled to Sell and watch your home come alive!  

The other day I wrote about the nuisance of taking down wallpaper and many of you asked for an after picture. Well here it is....hmmm, not much difference you might say, but look at the rest of the pics. Instead of staging the Master Bedroom with furniture, I opted to remove wallpaper and rugs, then patch and paint walls. BUT THE REAL DIFFERENCE and money spent on staging was put to good use in the kitchen/dining area. 

MBR pic before the wallpaper removal....

 The after, all the DIRTY work done for the buyer.

Now for the kitchen/dining area...This is going to be a buyer's first impression of the home. While the upstairs rooms were totally renovated as far as paint and removal of wallpaper/rugs were concerned, we spent most of our time in the DOWNSTAIRS LIVING AREA. A buyer looking at this home will know that some work is needed, BUT my thoughts for staging and renovating the space is that a buyer can see that they will be able to live with this space for awhile until they can afford to renovate the kitchen.

 Here is what we did...I removed the overhead cabinets to open the space, then removed the "wine rack" under the island. We put down a new floor and removed wallpaper in this room as well. We sprayed the range hood to match appliances, cleaned, painted out the brown molding and finally, tied the two rooms together with paint color.

For all the past posts and controversary about Staging homes for sale and realtors wanting to know if it is worth it if the houses are only being listed in the $200K price range, I ask you....IS IT?? This house will be listed at $299K. You see the befores and you see the afters, what do you think?? If this was your listing would you feel better about showing buyers the before or after "HOME"??

Staging takes something old and makes it new for ALL to enjoy, no matter what the listing price says. Every listing is worthy of being STAGED TO SELL!!

Happy Staging 

I, for one, have a small screened in porch off my dining room and I can tell you that this is one of our favorite "rooms" in our house. I say "room" because this space welcomes you to come and sit and relax. My friends love to "dine" on my deck. I even held some tea parties for my nieces when they were younger.

On an early spring/summer or fall morning you can go outside and enjoy the quiet with a cup of coffee and good book. In the cool of the evening you can escape the sting of the ever pesky misquito and sit in candlelight with good friends and really enjoy a breezy summer evening.

Why then would a seller NOT stage this all important room? The enclosed porch or screened in patio adds square footage to your house and year round or practically year round, outdoor entertaining is a huge selling feature to a buyer. Here is a picture of a house I just staged that had a beautiful enclosed porch. The clients just had new walls and flooring put down so I really did not want to hang any pics on the walls, besides mother nature provided all the artwork that is needed.

When I viewed this space on my consultation, I immediately knew that WE HAD TO MAKE IT A SPACE FOR ENTERTAINING! I took the client's table and chairs that were in their dining room and removed the bar from their family room and began to stage this ever so important entertainment area. I think this is why they chose me as their home stager because they too got excited about this design plan. Hey, I bet buyers do also..we will see since I just finished this space on Monday.

Who would not want to hang out with their friends in this space? 

I can even imagine this room set up as a winter wonderland around Christmas time, can't you?? But for now the candles are lined up and the glasses and pitcher on are on the bar, Pina Colada anyone??

There are so many reasons why your house has not sold yet, but the number 1 reason I see as a Professional Home Stager is the amount of work needed to get the house into shape. One of my major pet peeves is the dreaded WALLPAPER!!

While I have to admit that back in the 80's I was a huge fan of wallpaper (before there was faux finishing) today, I HATE IT!! WHY...check this out!

FIRST, IT'S UGLY, you have to agree with that, right?? It looks dated... AND it limits your options for decorating. So therefore a buyer KNOWS they must get rid of the wallpaper once they move in and honestly most are just not up to the task...WHY??? Because it is filthy, time consuming, hard work, take a look at what I mean....

 This is how I spent my weekend. We are working on a home in Union NJ. This is an estate and is vacant so we are making a lot of cosmetic changes to the house to appeal to more buyers. Not only in the bedroom, but we ripped out 4 other rooms of wallpaper so buyers won't have to. This paper tore down some of the plaster walls (see all the white spots). We had to spackle and then add sand to the paint in order to get an even coat of paint. It was also "wonderful" to learn that the paint was lead paint. 

NO WONDER buyers won't buy houses with wallpaper. I was exhausted by yesterday, we worked our butts off at this house. The finishing touches will be done this week and I will show you the difference in the room. We also ripped out the rugs to expose the hardwood floors. I also met with my landscaper and are having them improve the curb appeal of the home as well.

Before comes staging there must come the "prep" work that could be the very thing that clinches the deal!!

ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ....changing the way buyers views homes AND doing the dirty work for them so they don't have to. We are a FULL SERVICE HOME STAGING COMPANY and would love to help you prepare your home to sell.

Call today to schedule your in-home consultation 732-995-3425