tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post651746939499092426..comments2024-03-19T08:21:49.021-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: On Stage(ing)Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64726452323730765722017-02-04T15:51:17.964-05:002017-02-04T15:51:17.964-05:00Good luck with the house sale! We sold our house a...Good luck with the house sale! We sold our house after living in it for 30 years -- the realtor and I had a long relationship, in a down market year or so. She pushed and pushed. In the end, we renovated the basement and -- the action that drove me nuts -- had the built-in wood shelves in the living room painted white. A neighbor's son had built the shelves, including a lovely hand-turned molding.<br /><br />She brought in a few odds and ends for "staging" but not like people do now -- a friend recently rented furniture and accessories to sell a condo.<br /><br />Eventually, we did sell the house, at a good price. Its deficits were many -- no central air, boring old bathrooms, no "family room." But we raised our children there and loved it so much. <br /><br />Denise Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790883493798517829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91673918705795336242017-02-04T14:24:26.308-05:002017-02-04T14:24:26.308-05:00Julia, you and your BFF did a great job!
Personal...Julia, you and your BFF did a great job!<br /><br />Personally I would rather see a house empty than staged. That's how we fell in love with ours. After being vacant for some time, it had been renovated by a contractor, so the paint was fresh and the floors gleaming. Light poured in through all the undressed old windows and it was glorious. (Little did I know how cold all those old windows would make the place...) We never had any trouble figuring out where to put furniture, even though our front door opens right into the middle of the living room.<br /><br />I am horrified that books are considered verboten. "Buyers don't read?" ???? <br /><br />Agree about the very annoying pop up box. No idea where that came from, but we will investigate!!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42769590461380244012017-02-04T13:15:27.716-05:002017-02-04T13:15:27.716-05:00Karen in Ohio . . .
I agree with you about the ne...Karen in Ohio . . . <br />I agree with you about the new pop-up box for the comments page . . . I’m definitely not a fan.<br />Interestingly enough, if I use my tablet rather than my laptop, the comments for Jungle Red Writers show up the way they used to . . . no pop-up box.<br />Joan Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06810313925049108163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-52902997524808035882017-02-04T12:41:31.236-05:002017-02-04T12:41:31.236-05:00Cannot help but wonder if the books were missing a...Cannot help but wonder if the books were missing after Open House?<br /><br />sometimes people steal books or things that are easy to hide during Open House tours,<br /><br />A friend and her husband had Open Houses by Appointment only because they knew people would steal things during Open House.<br /><br />And people could see photos and video of their house for sale.<br /><br />Staging can help the buyer see how things fit in rooms.<br /><br />When I bought my condo, there was staging and it was easy to see where furniture could be placed in each room.<br /><br /><br />Great photos!bib-li-o-philehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00622118991020988370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64109153686761938752017-02-04T11:06:07.139-05:002017-02-04T11:06:07.139-05:00One thing--I hate those stagings of bookshelves--w...One thing--I hate those stagings of bookshelves--where they take out 99% of the books and leave a few artfully stacked here and there. Books are the heart of the home!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55730113595063914762017-02-04T11:04:11.310-05:002017-02-04T11:04:11.310-05:00I'm nosy. When I go to open houses, I'm in...I'm nosy. When I go to open houses, I'm interested in how people live in a space. (I don't open drawers, etc, though!). Staging, to me, is someone's idea of how the house is 'supposed' to be lived in. Often very attractive, but hardly realistic. I also like empty houses, because I have a good eye for the possibilities of how spaces can be used for my needs. And yes, I once went to an open house (the owner was a realtor) with a freshly baked apple pie on the counter. <br /><br />I've put together a slideshow of my yard and garden through the seasons, to use as a selling tool when I get ready to sell. The trees in bloom, the flowers, the garden paths neatly weeded--and shots of kids playing in the yard with exuberance and joy radiating from them--can't think of a better come-on than that for a family with kids!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3094865651134676482017-02-04T11:02:42.646-05:002017-02-04T11:02:42.646-05:00I am always suspicious of houses without books - l...I am always suspicious of houses without books - lots of books - it's not natural!Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-6819769870941220292017-02-04T10:40:19.605-05:002017-02-04T10:40:19.605-05:00And we will be tearing down that five-room, grubby...And we will be tearing down that five-room, grubby building, by the way. The refrigerator alone will need to be removed by men in hazmat suits. Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13846039203123720312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-68819620899433014182017-02-04T10:37:35.310-05:002017-02-04T10:37:35.310-05:00We've lived here for 32 years, plus. I'm r...We've lived here for 32 years, plus. I'm ready to go, to build a home where we can age in place, and we've decided to do that in the next year or two. We have the property, right down the street, where Steve's dad and he have had their studio for almost 50 years. The house is old, built around 1940, and a tiny five-room cottage where men have spent every day, often with live critters roaming around. <br /><br />The last time we sold a home it was 1987, and we had renters living there while the house was on the market. And they were not invested in us selling it quickly. In fact, they were building a home (he was the builder), and since it was taking longer than they thought they deliberately dragged their feet. It was really annoying. <br /><br />Over the years I've tried to keep up with a list of projects and improvements, but in order to sell this house quickly we will have to get busy and get a couple major things done. Two of my daughters have sold homes in the last few years, so I'll be taking tips from their methods of staging; it wasn't nearly so difficult for them, since neither had lived in their home for more than four years. It's a whole 'nother ballgame when you raised kids in a place, plus had businesses, etc. <br /><br />By the way, is there a reason why the comments section pops out now? It's much less likely commenters will come back and rejoin the conversation, I think, since there is no easy way to refresh for new comments. Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13846039203123720312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51085593806179950292017-02-04T10:34:02.322-05:002017-02-04T10:34:02.322-05:00I always wonder what the agent is actually doing w...I always wonder what the agent is actually doing when the seller has to do all the prep work, in spades.<br /><br />I had an agent tell me, "Take down those ceiling fans. It makes it look like there's no air conditioning." Um, there IS no air conditioning. Those fans are heavenly in summer.<br /><br />After my mom moved into a retirement home, we had to sell her lovely house on a lake in the country, half hour commute from downtown. Three different agents over two years, <br />"Don't change a thing." "Oh, the market's slow right now; houses in the country aren't selling...." <br /><br />"Change everything." We knocked outselves out and spent a ton of mom's money getting it looking modern, new furnace, new A/C<br />"Oh, the market's slow right now. Houses in the country aren't selling...."<br />"It's a bad time of year, take it off the market for the winter." blah blah blah<br /><br />I put it up on Kijiji (cost me $8) and we sold it ourselves. In winter.Susan Dhttp://www.susandaly.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4557487478118198802017-02-04T08:48:57.010-05:002017-02-04T08:48:57.010-05:00When we bought our house in 1998, staging was not ...When we bought our house in 1998, staging was not yet a "thing." The house was completely empty. The colors on the walls were - interesting (purplish pink and forest green anyone?). I think the owners had been out of the house for almost a year and were having trouble selling it. They'd just recently put down wall-to-wall carpeting in the living room (which we promptly tore up to expose the gorgeous hardwood floors underneath).<br /><br />We'd be so screwed if we tried to sell now. After the kids leave, maybe we could stage. But I thought stagers could bring all their own stuff (okay, we might be able to leave the leather love seat in the living room)?Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32700084385479980472017-02-04T08:38:23.054-05:002017-02-04T08:38:23.054-05:00Agree w/comments Less is more Professional stager ...Agree w/comments Less is more Professional stager if good worth the expense particularly when you have furniture in storage otherwise if you have a good eye for color and arrangements you'd do better- personality sells.Now if the market is hot then fresh paint refinished floors and sprucing up entrance landscaping to give that "ready to move in today" look would do the trick. Moved a bit of our own houses this way in the past.Don't over price better to sell quickly then have house sit on the market for months on end-all staging efforts will then be for naught. Good luck with your sale!<br />Jerry@thecloakanddagger.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06871661256136080388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43697329376523666442017-02-04T08:23:32.443-05:002017-02-04T08:23:32.443-05:00We unloaded our Atlanta house in a slow market, wh...We unloaded our Atlanta house in a slow market, when the only important aspect for buyers was the glamorous $50,000 finished basement. Ours was an unfinished playroom.<br /><br />We were told buyers didn't read, so no books allowed. I had "grandma" furniture, so we moved it out. We painted all walls the same insidious shade of realtor tan.<br /><br />Take all screens off the windows. Swap out blueish lightbulbs for warmer tones. No toiletries in evidence. I had a customer go through the bathroom vanity drawers and complain that the house was messy.<br /><br />I kept a laundry basket handy for a last minute sweep of the house. Dirty clothes shoved in the washer or dryer. Toilet lids down. Shades/blinds in up position. All white bedding a plus. Garage doors in down position at all times.<br /><br />Buyers usually make their initial sweep in five minutes. Leave keys in all the deadbolts. Don't cook food with lingering odors. No evidence of pets. In a snowy climate, leave a chair in the front hall with a boot tray next to it. Customers can be considerate...or they can stamp out a cigarette butt on your freshly refinished hardwoods. <br /><br />Good luck!Margaret S. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07979191318652199350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-788654484387658722017-02-04T08:13:00.604-05:002017-02-04T08:13:00.604-05:00Yes maybe becoming illiterate! It is a good questi...Yes maybe becoming illiterate! It is a good question about hiding books. In my relative's case, they would only let him keep CERTAIN books on the shelves. Weird!<br /><br />Julia, love the before and after pic with the dead plant--we've had that look tool<br /><br />Joan, what a discouraging second story. You better stay put!!Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70302393657053902582017-02-04T08:10:32.995-05:002017-02-04T08:10:32.995-05:00Oh, *staying put* - that sounds lovely to me, too,...Oh, *staying put* - that sounds lovely to me, too, Joan.<br />Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27691416051130168072017-02-04T08:08:55.908-05:002017-02-04T08:08:55.908-05:00Why do they always want you to hide your books? We...Why do they always want you to hide your books? We have bookscases between the kitchen and family room that every realtor or designer that comes near the place tells us to remove, or put doors on. They are horrified when I refuse to hide my books. Visitors, on the other hand, often remark hiw nice it is to have books handy. Is the world becoming illiterate?S. E. Warwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16617370499414107804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15298474460823851772017-02-04T04:01:03.340-05:002017-02-04T04:01:03.340-05:00Only a true and special friend would help someone ...Only a true and special friend would help someone get a house ready to sell, Julia . . . friends who do that sort of thing are absolute treasures.<br /><br />House-selling adventures . . . We bought our first house [near Los Angeles] when arriving babies made the house we’d been renting since our marriage [for only $150.00 a month] too small for our family. A dozen or so years later, the day school ended for the year, I got on a plane and headed for my new job in Alabama, leaving John and the girls to pack everything and sell the house. <br />Done with hardly a blink of an eye; the house was on the market for less than two days . . . no one cared that they were still living there; the realtor didn’t blink an eye when she listed the house and “staging” was never even mentioned. <br /><br />So we bought a lovely new house in Alabama. We put it on the market ten years later and I naively expected a repeat. After all, it was a spacious, well-cared-for house in a great neighborhood, close to everything. How difficult could it be?<br />Well, you’d have thought we were trying to sell a falling-down, dilapidated eyesore for a million dollars. We couldn’t sell it lived in, staged, empty. The smell of freshly-baked bread, cookies, cinnamon . . . apples, no apples, lemons, no lemons . . . our house, apparently, was lovely only in our own eyes. <br />Finally, we lowered the price and took a significant loss on the place just to get it sold. That allowed us to move on to dealing with the builder who took six years to build the house where we now live.<br />These days, we are not anticipating any repeated house-selling nightmares . . . we’re simply staying put.<br />Joan Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06810313925049108163noreply@blogger.com