Phyllis's Blog

I received a frantic phone call from a realtor last week saying he needed to get a vacant condo staged IMMEDIATELY!! Okay, I do hear this all the time, everyone wants their job yesterday...but here was his dilemma...

He had recently become the agent for a group of condos that were finally nearing their completion after a year of construction woes. The first units were completed and he was ready to have his photos taken and begin his marketing....BUT, the seller/investor DID NOT WANT THE PROPERTY STAGED! They did not see the value in it!

THANK GOD this very smart realtor thought differently and realized that he would be spending alot of money on a photo shoot of an empty, cold, uninviting space, and just could not proceed. When he called me it was a Thursday evening and the photo shoot was scheduled at 10:00 am on Saturday.

He began to frantically ask questions like.. What can you do? What do you have in your inventory that you can pull together? How much will the cost be for a one day staging for the photo shoot? Anything will be better than this, he exclaimed! I did NOT have time to view the property because it needed to be staged that very next morning....so he and I went and viewed his pics via email that he was able to send me.

WOW, I could not tell what room was what but as we walked through the photos together I realized that I was able to pull enough pieces from my inventory to help pull this off and work within HIS BUDGET..remember the seller/investor WOULD NOT PAY!

These condos are set in South Amboy, NJ and are beautiful and affordably priced, perfect for the young professional, or new couple just starting out.

Here is what we came up with on such short notice, and the realtor AND INVESTOR were thrilled. We also staged the Kitchen and downstairs bath to coordinate with the rest of the house. I was thrilled that we pulled this staging off WITHOUT SEEING THE ACTUAL SPACE.

BEFORE..This space looked  tiny and the floors were not cleaned. This is what their photo shoot would have looked like (MINUS MY COUCH). Who would buy from this pic?

  AFTER...THIS NOW BECOMES A HOME..OR AS THE REALTOR SAID, WOW, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE LIVES HERE NOW!

THE CONDO WAS A SMALL UNIT AND PRICED TO SELL BUT WHERE DO WE EAT???

NOW BUYERS CAN ENVISION THEIR TABLE SET UP READY TO ENTERTAIN GUESTS!

The STAGING was only suppose to be  for the purpose of a photo shoot, but it has now become a home that will remain STAGED and ready to sell!

REALTORS, BUILDERS, INVESTORS, SELLERS...DON"T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON EMPTY ROOMS THAT LEAVE BUYERS FEELING COLD AND EMPTY, WONDERING HOW TO SET UP THEIR SPACE. STAGE YOUR LISTING, TAKE YOUR PHOTOS AND WELCOME THE BUYERS HOME!

CALL RESTYLED TO SELL HOME STAGING NJ @ 732-995-3425 AND LET US WORK TOGETHER TO GET YOUR HOUSE SOLD!

Everyone I speak to these days have been singing the same old tune...things are slow around here, not much business going around, phones hardly ringing, etc. etc, etc. So what are you to do if you are running your own business?

I have found this bit of down time THE PERFECT TIME to revamp my marketing materials, website and logo. As professional home stagers we all say that you never get a second chance to make a great first impression, so we need to take a look at how our marketing material speaks to those who are searching us on the internet.

I for one, have not had the time to update my site in the past two years which has been detrimental since all my OLDER photos were on there and my latest projects could not be seen.

I have spoken with quite a few stagers over the past week and found that we are all thinking the same with regard to revamping our image. I have been setting up realtor presentations and have involved myself in 3 trade expos over the next few months.

I just recently ordered a five foot banner (see below) that comes with a portable stand for easy set up at the trade expos. I am thrilled with it. I purchased this banner at Mybannerstand.com, but designed it myself with the help of a friend.

Also I am excited about The Tri State Stagers Expo sponsored by American Furniture Rental and Stagers List. This is the first Tri State Expo in our area and we are so looking forward to finally getting to meet everyone.

So enjoy the bit of downtime, re-vamp, re-educate, re-vise and GET READY FOR THE NEXT WAVE of homes needing to be staged.

Happy Staging and I hope to see you at the Expo!

Phyllis Pafumi

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the weather, the color of the trees, the food and the festivities that go along with fall. Here in Old Bridge, New Jersey my favorite thing to do with my grandson is take an old fashioned hayride at Cottrell Farms.

I just can never get enough of apple picking and apple pie. Finding that perfect pumpkin that will make the neatest jack o lantern is high on my list of things to do, BUT never as high as drinking PUMPKIN LATTES. You know it's Fall when Pumpkin Lattes are advertised in all our favorite coffee joints.

Next weekend we are looking forward to our Church's Harvest Celebration! This is an event we will be holding at our home. The festivities start early in the day and are filled with traditional and NON traditional games for children of all ages.

We will have potato sack races, three legged races, wheelbarrow races, mummy wrap and don't forget the pie eating contests. The traditional bobbing for apples is replaced with bobbing for donuts. This is something I developed because I did not want the children getting wet in the chilly weather. It is alot of fun. Here is all you need to do:

Get a large piece of ribbon (enough to fit a donut for the number of children playing). Now take pipe cleaners and attach to the ribbon and at the bottom of pipe cleaner, thread on your mini donunt. Two adults hold the ribbon with all the hanging donuts and the children put their hands behind their back and begin eating.

The menu is a typical HARVEST menu...Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese, Salad and Apple Cider! Yum, who can resist? Then comes the fun part...we all head out to the Hayride and Corn Maize at Cottrell Farms. We booked a wagon just for our group and each child will go into their OWN pumpkin patch to pick their pumpkin.

But what would be the best ending you can think of?? Yep, you are right...A Barn Fire to roast marshmallows, make smore's and a time to worship our Lord and Saviour, Jesus. Thanking HIM for blessing our crops, our families and OUR LAND! 

If you have never attended a Harvest Celebration, then I would recommend that you start your own tradition of Celebrating the Harvest. We all have SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. Enjoy what GOD has given you and take the time to spend with your family and friends. Life is precious, take the time to sit, relax and smell the PUMPKIN LATTE, AHHH! Now doesn't that feel good?

Have a blessed weekend and REMEMBER TO GET OUT AND VOTE!

I am not sure if this is happening in your area but in the past month I have been on several consultations where the SELLERS EXPECTED THE REALTORS TO PAY FOR THE STAGING OF THEIR HOME!! Is this happening to you, and if so what should you do??

Let me first say that I truly belive that realtors should be pay for the consultation of the home stager. I think that it is important to team up with a professional Home Stager and have us as part of your marketing team. We can review your clients property and be the "bad guys" as we tell them that the dated wallpaper and doggie beds need to be removed PRIOR to listing the property.

When you team up with a Professional Home Stager in your area ask if there is a Preferred Agent Discount if the Realtor pays for the consult. All my agents get a 20% discount off the original cost of the consult. This adds value to your listing presentation and the sellers SHOULD NOT have to pay for this fee. This now becomes part of your marketing plan....BUT what happens after the report and Proposal have been submitted??

Over the past month I have heard that the sellers are asking that the realtor pay for the cost of staging. Remember this could involve removal of wallpaper, painting, adding new light fixtures and oftentimes the cost for rental furniture. WHY WOULD A SELLER EXPECT THAT FROM THE REALTOR?? These are improvements that are necessary and must be made when preparing your home for sale in ANY MARKET!

What if a realtor pays for this service and you DECIDE TO NO LONGER SELL?? Remember, when selling your home it is absolutely necessary that you prepare it for SALE. WHEN YOU DECIDE TO SELL YOUR CAR, WHO PAYS FOR THE DETAILING?? Sellers, this is your responsibility.

What I have seen over the past month or more has been very upsetting as I watched sellers DISMISS HIGHLY QUALIFIED, PROFESSIONAL REALTORS as their agent because they did not pay for the staging. I have also worked with some agents who have agreed to pay BUT because they are also limited they are giving Stagers VERY LIMITED budgets with which to stage. 

Yes, a Professional Home Stager will pull out all the stops to ENHANCE a home...but if the budget only allows for partial furnishings and enhancements and DOES NOT COVER the cost to remove moldy wallpaper and stained carpets, what have we accomplished here.

As the market grows tougher it is important to remember these facts:

1. ENHANCE YOUR HOME when preparing it to sell. That means review each room with a keen eye and make all necessary repairs from the outside broken doorbell and light fixture to the dog stained carpet in the living rom.

2. CHOOSE AN EXPERIENCED REALTOR. Don't go with a discount broker, in the end the money you think you were going to save could have cost you thousands. A TOP AGENT that I work with just lost a listing because she chose NOT to pay for the staging. The seller went with a realtor that said she would pay for the staging. When we checked out this realtor, we were surprised to find out that in the past year, they had only SOLD ONE HOME!

3. PRICE THE HOUSE ACCORDINGLY...Listen to your realtor when they tell you the value of your home, they have based this price on the CURRENT pricing for your area.

4. STAGE YOUR HOME and pay for the necessary enhancements. We staged a home yesterday where our hands were literally tied. The seller refused to pay for the staging....the cost was very reasonable $1,500.00 which included removing VERY OLD, dated wallpaper that was stained and peeling in his kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom was BEAUTIFUL BUT for some ODD reason they had the ceiling and crown molding painted PINK. They refused to address these items and the realtor had to do something so she asked us what can we do on a $500.00 budget??

We did our best to HELP THIS AGENT out and it did look BETTER! Here was the sellers response. He did NOT want to pay for the removal of the wallpaper and the painting, but he would be willing to accept $400K for his house....DOWN FROM THE ORIGINAL ASKING PRICE OF $449K.

$1,500 for PROPER STAGING OF YOUR HOME.....NOT! $49K PRICE REDUCTION..YES! What's wrong with this picture? Is this a growing trend?

If you are considering placing your home on the real estate market, TEAM UP with a Professional, experienced agent who works with a Professional experienced Home Stager...

The team of ReStyled to Sell  can help in ALL ASPECTS of your sale...Call today @ 732-995-3425

This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to view the movie Fireproof with Kirk Cameron. While the main stream hollywood world may not nominate this movie for any academy award, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you make the time to see it.

We live in a throw away society today. The values that many of us were raised on as children have dwindled away and society has paid a price for it. This movie has  a POWERFUL  message and I believe that  if  many would follow  the guidelines recommended in this film they will surely prosper in ALL THINGS!

Want to read more? Go to www.fireproofmymarriage.com. If you are a fireman or know someone who is, treat them to a dinner and date night.  We did that this weekend with a very special couple and I am ALREADY seeing the fruits of that labor.

This film is playing in selected theatres ONLY...that is a shame as it should be BLASTED FROM THE MOUNTAINTOPS..FINALLY a movie that carries a message of HOPE for this dying generation and an ANSWER TO ALL THEIR PROBLEMS

God Bless you, Phyllis Pafumi

Everyone knows that the way you live in your home and the way you sell your home are two very different things. When selling your home you must prepare it in a way that will showcase the HOUSE! In this photo you may find that the before picture is not so bad. In fact it is actually a great room...there was just one problem with it....

IT'S NOT THE DINING ROOM OR THE EAT IN KITCHEN....the sellers chose to place their dining room table in this room because they loved the EMPTY, SPACIOUS feel of having less furniture in their living room/dining room area! This room is actually their family room with an area for a breakfast bar....

  By taking the sectional from the living room and placing two stools by the breakfast bar, this room is now returned to it original purpose. We then placed their dining room table in it's proper place and brought down a couch and chair from their upstairs office and staged their living room area, making the two spaces cozier. This house sold in two weeks!

While the clients LOVED the changes we  made, they admitted they would never like living like this. Is was just against their sense of style. BUT....it appealed to buyers and that is all that matters when you are selling your house.

Staging is about letting go and turning your house into a product that a realtor can market. In this home the realtor was marketing the home as having a living room, dining room and FAMILY ROOM off the kitchen with a fireplace.

So if you are seriously ready to move on, call ReStyled to Sell, your premier Home Staging Company of NJ @ 732-995-3425 to schedule your in home consultation.  

In today's troubled economy, l fear that many small business owners may be tempted to throw in the towel because all around us it seems that the housing market is doom and gloom. I say that now is the time to market yourself to others, get your name out there and be ready when things return to normal!

As President and Founder of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging I can tell you firsthand that the real estate market has slowed tremendously over the past few weeks. That is a no brainer, everyone can see that. As professionals who are in this field we need to look to the future and ask some questions about the present. Will there still be people out there needing to buy homes?..OF COURSE!. Can they get a loan? Sure if they are qualified! Will Your House Sell? Yes, if it is priced right, staged to sell and is being marketed by an experienced realtor!

So as a small business owner, what are we to do? Well you can stick your head in the sand and sulk OR.....Here are some tips that I have posted before but I truly feel that they are worth reading again and I pray they will give you hope and help motivate you ON!

1.     ALWAYS ANSWER YOUR PHONE. IF YOUR BUSINESS PHONE IS YOUR CELL PHONE, ALWAYS ANSWER IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. REMEMBER, CLIENTS ARE SHOPPING AROUND AND WANT AN ANSWER NOW, SO THEY WILL DEAL WITH THE FIRST PERSON THAT IS AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH.

2.        NEVER WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO CALL YOU BACK. TOO MUCH TIME ELAPSES AND THAT INDICATES TO THE CLIENT THAT YOU ARE NOT ON THE BALL. ALWAYS CALL BACK PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH. EX: 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.

5.        ACT 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 YOU 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 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 SUCCEEDING.

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 AND FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE.

15.    TAKE CRITICISM WELL AND LEARN FROM EVERYONE AND EVERY SITUATION.

16.  Take a look at your initial Business Plan, have you set new goals?

Happy Staging and Continued Success to ALL!

God Bless Phyllis Pafumi