Phyllis's Blog

So many days I jump out of bed and into the shower readying myself to run out the door. It's all about running to that next consultation or next staging. Got to be there on time, got to do this or get that done. Does this sound like you?

The Bible states: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul"? There is more to life than work and making money. While I know this in my heart and mind, my body keeps running at a high speed race that oftentimes keeps me working until the wee hours of the morning. Then the other evening I got a phone call that stopped me in my tracks.

My dear friend Brenda was brutally attacked in her home by a neighbor. My sister called me at 10 that evening. We have known her family since I was a child and we are all very, very close. Brenda was stabbed 4x and her throat was slit. She was severely beaten and left for dead. PRAISE GOD her son came home from school and called 911, if he had not, she would no longer be with us.

Brenda is a single mom, raising her teenage son and loving life. I have never heard her complain. She was recently laid off from her job and she was found laying on her kitchen floor still in her pajamas. I am sure she was looking forward to a nice relaxing day at home, when this crazed man (who was her neighbors boyfriend) came knocking on her door. Of course she let him in, she knew him. He went with the intent to rob and harm and when she turned her back he stabbed her.

Brenda fought back with a vengence! Her goal in life is to minister to the lost, the drug addicted, the single mom. This is what she lives for. She lives to bring the GOOD NEWS of JESUS to a lost and dying world. I am sure this lost soul has not heard the last from Brenda.

GOD SPARED HER LIFE and HE HAS A PURPOSE AND A PLAN for her. She has a long recovery ahead but the prognosis is good. Her family members, especially her mom and son, are having a very difficult time dealing with this. PLEASE PRAY for them. Her son witnessed a horrible event and as a mom I can tell you knowing that someone wanted to kill my child would put me over the edge. But to see your loved one lying in a hospital bed beaten beyon recongition is just too much for a mom to bear.

You can read of my friends story by going to www.google.com and typing in Brenda Lanni. The assailant is Kevin White and if you click onto his name in Google you can also view the news clip which interviewed Brenda's sister and brother in law. I tell you this because this IS FOR REAL! Once you read the article you too will agree that THIS WAS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE that she is ALIVE! Everyday we read of horrible things that happen all over our world, but we never think this could happen to us or to people we know, BUT IT CAN and IT DOES!

So I say this to everyone because I want you to stop and think about your life and your loved ones. What are you striving for? What are you living for? What is most important to you? And what do you believe?

Do you believe in a LIVING GOD that loves you, that has a plan for your life? Is JESUS LORD of your life? Do you believe that LIFE IS A GIFT and can be taken away at any moment? I hope that this post will awaken the spirit in each of you to reevalute your priorities.

Yes it is important to run your business and be a success, but remember no one at the end of their life wishes they had more time at the office. Read Erma Bombecks poem about that. She wrote her famous poem when she was diagnosed with cancer.

I love what I do but I am glad that each and every day my friend and I pray and we commit my business to the LORD. I ask HIM everyday to GUIDE and LEAD it. To bless it, to take away the jobs that are not for me and to give me the jobs that I can be a blessing to the people. HE has NEVER LET ME DOWN!

While I am keeping extremely busy, I still take time to babysit my grandchild every Tuesday and Thursday. Yes it means having to squeeze in jobs oftentimes on Sunday afternoons, BUT the precious times I have with him I will never get back.

HUG YOUR CHILDREN MORE, TELL YOUR SPOUSES YOU LOVE THEM MORE, SPEND TIME WITH YOUR PARENTS and GRANDPARENTS, HAVE THAT EXTRA CUP OF LATTE and YES ENJOY THAT PIECE OF CAKE WITH IT. LIFE IS A GIFT, AND ETERNAL LIFE IS A FREE GIFT GIVEN BY GOD TO ALL WHO BELIEVE IN HIS SON JESUS. WILL YOU RECEIVE IT?  

Hey everyone, do you remember my first staging consultation of 2008? Probably not, but I thought I would remind you.....LIZARDS and RATS and GOD knows what else was lurking in the cages....ahhh, yes that does sound familiar, right?? Well in case you forgot, here are the befores to remind you...

With alot of hard work both on the part of the homeowners and my team at ReStyled to Sell, this room was transformed from storage room and menagerie to.......

A room that every little girl and her "friends" could call HOME!! I can hear it now...mommy, mommy can this be my room??

Here is what had to take place BEFORE this room could be staged to sell.

First, the pets needed to find a new home. The sellers were happy to see them go, afterall they belonged to their married daughter. Once she found a new home, so did they. Then the furniture was either discarded or put into storage. The old carpeting was ripped out and replaced with new flooring and finally the room was painted a crisp linen white.

Just look how the sun pours into this room. This wonderful window seat was being hidden under the animal cages and the built in cabinets and bookcases were nowhere to be found. The sellers were so thrilled with the room when it was complete. They each got a bit nostalgic as they looked around the room, remembering all the wonderful memories that took place there while raising their daughter. Sellers I can never stress enough how important it is to rid each room of clutter, pets, old carpeting and dirty walls.

Yes, this room was not an easy task, but in today's competitive market it is important that EACH ROOM be shown to it's fullest potential. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes for a moment and ask yourself which room you would rather have your child sleeping in? The bedroom before or after it was staged?

Staging shows buyers HOW the room should look and NEVER leaves them guessing. So before you list your home to sell, call on the services of a professional home stager. You'll be glad you did!

 The team of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ can be reached at 732-995-3425 

Sellers sometimes the simplest of things to do that will add warmth and appeal to your home is to add the color RED!! Red is a vibrant, warm color that immediately invites you into a room. Think of how warm your home feels at Christmas time. WHY?? Red is used throughout your home as a decoration. Now think of how empty and cold the house looks after you remove all your Christmas decorations. WHY?? Back to bland, boring walls.

But I'm afraid of using RED, I don't know how..is this how you feel? First start with a warm, rich color on your walls.

The color I used in this room is called Golden Chenille by Benjamin Moore. As you can see the room immediately takes on a cozier feel. Adding a nice area rug and darker curtains brings the room to life.

In this room we kept the same color to tie into the kitchen, as well as the same curtains. By adding darker coffee and end tables with smaller accents of reds, the room seems more cohesive. The fireplace also takes on it's own personality.

BEFORE the curtains take over the fireplaceAFTER the curtains frame the fireplace  BEFORE the curtains overwhelm this space

AFTER By only adding a panel to each end of the wall (you cannot see the left side, sorry) the back wall now appears larger instead of alot of little windows, which was confusing to the eye. 

Smaller punches of RED go along way when your home is barren and cold! Don't be afraid of color. Call a professional home stager to help you with the preparation of your home BEFORE you list to SELL!

ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ can be reached at 732-995-3425  

Okay it is not that often that you find a Master Bedroom this size. From the time I saw this space I just knew I had to do something special with it...so I thought of turning it into a Master Suite. Let's face it, some people don't have living rooms this size, so you just know that this will appeal to many buyers.

The master bedroom is suppose to show as a relaxing spa hideaway. In today's busy world, we all need a place to come home to and unwind at the end of the day. When bedrooms serve many functions such as offices and workout rooms they never show buyers the "CALM" that they are so desparately searching for.

BEFOREAFTER

By angling the bed, the two spaces come together which creates warmth and doesn't make the room seem so empty. In this next shot you will see how large the space actually is, but the sellers were not showing buyers this room's full potential.

In this next set of Before and Afters you can see why buyers would not feel relaxed in this bedroom. When selling your home MOVE THE OFFICE OUT OF THE BEDROOM!

BEFOREAFTER

IF YOU WERE A BUYER LOOKING AT THIS HOME WHICH MASTER BEDROOM WOULD YOU WANT TO COME HOME TO EACH EVENING??

BEFOREAFTER

Call ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ @ 732-995-3425 BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR HOUSE ON THE REAL ESTATE MARKET. STAGING ROOMS THAT WELCOME BUYERS HOME!

In today's competitive market it is important to show your home in it's best possible light. When selling a vacant house it is hard for a buyer to envision their furniture in the space. Selling features in the room get lost and buyers eyes are only drawn to the negatives of the room, not the positives.

I NEED TO MENTION THAT THIS HOME WAS ON THE MARKET FOR ONE YEAR. A NEW REALTOR TOOK OVER THE LISTING TWO WEEKS AGO AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY COMPANY IN TO STAGE THIS HOUSE.... SMART REALTOR, DO YOU AGREE?

In this room, the team of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ took down the heavy upholstered valances which exposed lovely arched windows. I truly felt like Lisa LaPorta from DeSigned to Sell. I was determined to GET THESE DOWN. The original plan was to remove the material and paint wooden boxes, but after an hour of battling with a millions staples I called out to one of my guys to help me GET RID OF THESE THING NOW! As we banged away at them from the back with hammers and a determined spirit, we were all thrilled when they came tumbling down. The homeowners were also thrilled to see them go and wondered why they even had them put up in the first place.

We then proceeded to paint the inset of the fireplace which made the fireplace POP!! A simple fix for such a dramatic change. The sellers were also sorry they had not addressed this space years ago. Finally, furniture and accessories were added to compliment the style of the home.

FROM BLAND AND DATED......

TO A SPACE ALL WOULD BE PROUD TO CALL HOME!

STAGING HOMES TO SELL IN TODAY'S COMPETITIVE REAL ESTATE MARKET, RESTYLED TO SELL HOME STAGING IS A FULL SERVICE STAGING COMPANY THAT WILL ADDRESS ALL AREAS IN YOUR HOME FROM PAINTING AND REPAIRS TO RUG AND WALLPAPER REMOVAL. FILLING YOUR HOME WITH FURNITURE THAT WILL COMPLIMENT THE STYLE OF THE HOME AND WELCOME IN BUYERS!

CALL TODAY FOR AN IN HOME CONSULTATION AT 732-995-3425. 

Each time I stage a home one common theme I stick to is to let the house dictate the style. Here is a home I staged in Shrewsbury, NJ today. The home is quite large and sits on a lovely 2 acre lot. From the time I entered the home I saw the potential in this home.

But I also noticed it lacked color, charm and personality. The style of the home was country cottage. The clients furnishings were in different tones of reds, creams, blues and sage green, but there was no drama to the space. There was nothing that screamed COME ON IT AND SIT AWHILE.... 

After painting and repairs to the kitchen and bathrooms, accessories and furniture were added to complete the look. From large and empty to warm and fuzzy, welcome home!

FR Before

Kitchen Before 

KITCHEN AFTERKitchen Counter Area Before

Dated Countertop got an updated look for only $576.00 installed. Sellers make the necessary changes to your home so buyers will fall in love with it. Spending a little goes a very long way.!

AHHHH! Now doesn't that feel better?

Call ReStyled to Sell Home Staging for your in home consultation @ 732-995-3425...you'll be glad you did!

Oftentimes when doing a staging consultation I will see rooms that require just a bit of tweaking. I love these spaces because you can show sellers how small changes can make a huge difference.

In this family room the client had too many accessories competing with the fireplace. The chairs really were not creating a warm conversation nook, and the photos on the sofa table made the room seem cluttered.

In a matter of 10 mintues the room went from NICE to SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER!! 

BEFORE

AFTER

By changing the angle of the chairs and placing the ottomon between them, a more inviting "reading" or "converstation" nook was created. The ottomon allows you to be more casual by giving you a place to rest your feet. The round table was placed by the sectional on the other side of room which also opened up that space.

The sofa table was removed to the dining room which became our new server. The accessories over the fireplace were removed. If you notice they were all about the same height. There was no visual interest added to the fireplace which also lended itself to the high ceilings. By addiing height with the giraffes you also notice the high windows.

Remember, when selling your home buyers are not there to buy your furniture, but they are there to buy your home. SHOW THEM ALL THAT YOUR HOME HAS TO OFFER!

Every home, no matter how beautiful, can always benefit with a little staging. Simple staging and redesign techniques that will prepare your home to sell is what ReStyled to Sell does best!

Schedule your in home consultation today @ 732-995-3425. ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ....we're in the business of helping sellers MOVE ON!

When selling your home it is important to remember that the way you sell your home and the way you lived in your home are entirely two different things. Detaching yourself from your home is the first thing you MUST DO as a seller when preparing for the real estate market. I know, this can be very hard, but I always advise my clients to take a breath, ahhh, okay, now breathe deeply and let go. I then put my arm around them and tell them it will be okay, but now they must leave the house, let us do our job and they can come back tomorrow for the reveal.... 

And what do I hear when they come back?? WOW, I cannot believe it is the same house, we should have did this years ago

So I ask you, why are you still hanging onto the dated wallpaper? Call ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ and let us prepare your home for the competitive real estate market, you will be glad you did.

Schedule your in home consultation by calling 732-995-3425!

When selling your home it is important to SHOW buyers what they are buying, not just write about it. This home has been on the market for (1) year, before ReStyled to Sell was called in for a staging consultation. The previous realtor that had the listing wrote about the hardwood flooring that was hidden under all this carpet, but I said we NEEDED TO SHOW THEM THE HARDWOOD FLOORING, don't you agree?

 As a professional Home Stager, I have found that in today's competitive market, sellers MUST address issues such as stained carpeting, faux painting, damaged flooring, cracked sinks, old window treatments, just to name a few. Just filling a home with furniture does not represent the home in it's best light.

Let me explain...Buyers are buying YOUR HOUSE, not the furniture. So when everything is removed from the house, what is left? Well as you can see from my before pics, it was the stained carpeting and faux painted walls.

So what do buyers think when they see this?? CHA CHING!! We have to replace carpeting, hire a painter, blah, blah, blah...the list goes on and on. Oops, this house needs too much work, onto the next!

Sellers don't let that happen to you. The team at ReStyled to Sell was called in for an Initial Staging Consultation on January 25th and the first Open House with the new realtor was held today, February 4th. I have a team of professionals that are ready to get your house in shape, so don't wait any longer to get your home staged.

Don't let a year go by before you hire the services of a Professional Home Stager. Call ReStyled to Sell Home Staging NJ @ 732-995-3425 to schedule your in home consultation. We're in the business of helping sellers move on!