April 2011 Newsletter

April 27, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Warm Greetings from The Inviting Home!
 
Spring has sprung and if you are like me, you are feeling anxious to get digging… in the dirt! I’m not sure what is so satisfying about this… maybe just reconnecting with earth and nature… but it truly is a simple pleasure. Whether it’s finger-tilling around plants,  planting more bulbs,  plants, flowers, or tidying up the mulch… the first dig into the dirt is calendar worthy! 
 
And yes, I’m also feeling anxious to dig into projects within my home! There is satisfaction here as well, using my hands in the remaking, rejuvenating, refinishing, repurposing of pieces within my home. Digging into something old and making it new again! So, today I’m wondering: does your home need a facelift? Do you need to dig in and freshen it up? Is there a lack of luster? Layers of dust, dirt or paint to be removed so what looks old and tired becomes fresh, “green,” and welcoming again?! 
 
Here are a few tips for a fast facelift:
 
*One of the quickest and easiest ways to give your sofa, loveseat or chair a fresh new look is to slipcover them.  Consider reversible slipcovers as a way to change up your look even more.  A few resources include:
www.needleandshears.com
www.surefit.com
www.slipcovershop.com
http://www.jcpenney.com/products/Cg13349.jsp
http://www.potterybarn.com/search/results.html?words=loose-fit+slipcovers&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button
 
*A new coat of paint, or fresh stain can lift the face of any piece of furniture. If you’re going green and purposing not to buy new, look at some of the “old” pieces you already have and give them a new look… or repurpose them to a different room in your house for a brand new feel. Sometimes, all that is needed to bring the “wow” out of your furniture is a good cleaning. Try: Cabinet & Wood Magic by Magic American Products.
 

*Painting is the cheapest way to give a room a much needed facelift. Color can change the tone and feel of any room, and it is a very easy DIY project. Be sure to check out paints with low VOCs. For more tips on choosing a color, visit our “All About Color” page on our webpage.
 
*Rotating your accessories is a quick way to update and refresh the look of any room. Consider changing them with the seasons. Have a storage container and wrapping paper ready to wrap up outgoing items.
 
*Rearrange your artwork! Walk around your home and see if some works of art can trade places. You will be surprised at how many people will think a picture is new… just because it has a new home!
 
*Change out the accent pillows on your sofa! This is an easy way to give your furniture a new look without breaking the bank! Consider a storage container to store “out of season” pillows. If you are handy with a sewing machine, or know someone who is, a weekend trip to your favorite fabric store might yield the perfect fabric to be sewn into a pillow slipcover!
 
*Change the furniture arrangement in your family gathering room. Are your pieces backed up against the walls? Consider bringing  them in away from the walls for a cozier seating arrangement. Instead of the sofa and loveseat creating an L-shape formation, contemplate whether your space (and focal point) allow the pieces to face each other. You will be happily surprised at the warm, welcoming, and inviting effect of a new room arrangement!

*Do you have a wall space that feels and looks dead? Consider a mirror! Mirrors are excellent wall art. They put a window in the wall… bounce and reflect light. You will be amazed at how open and inviting the wall now looks!
 
*A different colored mat can give artwork a new look… just as a new, or just different, shade lifts the face of a tired lamp. Be sure to pack your lamps along with you when you choose to shop for new shades… you will want to be certain that the shades are in proportion to the lamp.
 
*Fresh flowers are an instant lift for any room. Pick florals in hues that coordinate with your décor. If you use a clear glass vase, one of my favorite tricks is to use 2” of water…. This way, only a small portion of the stems are in water and the water stays much cleaner. Consider adding clear or colored crystals to the bottom of your vase for instant glam or pop of color!

*Perhaps the quickest facelift procedure is a simple editing of the contents of your room. Pretend you are moving… get rid of unnecessary clutter; pack away items that you want to keep, but aren’t in use and just collect dust; donate unwanted items to a local charity, or if applicable, throw away; recycle items with a friend; repurpose a seldom used chair to another room of your home. Suddenly, the room feels lighter… more comfortable… and camera ready!
 
I hope these quick and easy ideas will help you dig in and give your room the lift you are envisioning…. and, as always, an inviting home. A home in which you love the way you live!
 
Warmly,
 
Renee

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Today’s Home Buyers Respond to Home Staging in Madison, WI

April 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

A defining goal of Home Staging is to appeal to today’s home buyer. And homeowners wonder: Who is he? What does she want? What are they looking for? What are they willing to overlook? Lets face it: today’s home buyer has choices. They can afford to be picky. Very picky. And, they are!

I’ve been compiling data specific to today’s home buyer… here’s what I’m finding:

5 Traits of Today’s Home Buyers

The following results are from a survey conducted by American Lives, A consumer research firm in California,  for the trade magazine Builder to answer the question of “who” is today’s home buyer. Here are their conclusions:

They are young. Most are under 45. Half said they had annual household incomes of $75,000 or less. Two-thirds are married.

They are frugal. They consistently told surveyors they were eager to live a simple lifestyle.

They are concerned about their financial future. About 70% said the economy is “not so good” with 27% saying it was getting worse and 27% saying it was getting better, and two-thirds saying it would get better in a year. Some 55% said they were concerned that they might lose their jobs.

They see themselves as energy efficient buy not necessarily “green.” About 32% said they’d pay extra for energy-efficient features but only 16% said they’d pay extra for recycled or renewable construction materials.

Neighborhood is important. 95% said they thought the community was as important as the home itself. 79% wanted the most square footage they could afford, but 69% said they’d consider a smaller home in the right neighborhood.

Source: Inman News, Mary Umberger (10/27/2010)

 

Others have been studying what today’s buyers want as well.

  1. Bankrate.com recently asked real estate professionals to chime in on the top desires of their buyers when home shopping. Here are four things that made the list of top home buyer preferences:
    Homes that are in good condition. “There’s not a lot of flexibility in that,” says Ron Phipps, president of the National Association of REALTORS®. Many buyers now take the attitude: “I’d rather spend the money getting into the house” and not have to spend more money later, Phipps says. One of the major reasons is that “buyers have limited amounts of cash,” he adds. “Even if they want to do a fixer-upper, they don’t have the money to do it.”
  2. A bargain with incentives. Buyers are looking for a good deal, even when considering bank-owned properties, says Joan Pratt, real estate broker with RE/MAX Professionals in Castle Pines, Colo. “They want the short sales and the foreclosures and they want them to look like they’re owner-occupied,” she says. “They don’t want to paint. They don’t want to put carpet in. They don’t want to clean.”
    And they aren’t only asking for a low price but they also want incentives to buy too. As such, sellers are offering everything from gift cards for new furniture to paint to financial assistance at closing.
  3. Outdoor living areas. Homes with screen porches, outdoor kitchens, two-way fireplaces are becoming increasingly competitive in the marketplace as more buyers say they want more outdoor living space.
  4. Open kitchens. “The wall between the kitchen and the family room is evaporating,” Phipps says. “The kitchen is becoming part of the gathering space.” (See Buyers Want Cozy, Connected Kitchens)
    Source: “9 Items Homebuyers Desire in 2011,” Bankrate.com (March 2011)     

Additionally, Daily Real Estate News reported the following:

  • Generation X — adults ages 31 to 45 — are expected to lead the recovery in the housing market, according to real estate experts in a recent webinar produced by the National Association of Home Builders. During the event, speakers highlighted results of a survey of 10,000 buyers in 27 metro areas.
  • While Generation X isn’t the largest population group — making up 32 percent of the population compared to 41 percent of baby boomers — it’s the most mobile age group, says Mollie Carmichael, principal of John Burns Real Estate Consulting in Irvine, Calif., the company that conducted the survey.
  • “They are in full force with their careers, and they need to accommodate growing families,” Carmichael says.
  • This generation is coming with their own set of house preferences that may differ from other generations. Even though home sizes continue to shrink, first-time buyers and younger families are looking for more room to grow, Carmichael says. Nearly 50 percent said they prefer a home with a large lot and in a suburban development. Only 21 percent said they are looking for a traditional or “walkable neighborhood,” according to the survey.
  • “They want something compelling, from a design or personalization standpoint,” Carmichael says.
  • Many want “green,” energy-efficient features, too. Regardless of age group, 70 percent of buyers said in the survey they are willing to pay $5,000 more for a home with “green” features.
  • Most buyers also said they’d be willing to pay a premium for such housing characteristics as dark wood cabinets, a separate tub and shower, and a fireplace in the living room.

Source: “Young Home Buyers Will Lead Housing Market Recovery, Says NAHB,” National Association of Home Builders (March 17, 2011)

Now maybe you can imagine my enthusiasm for a recent opportunity to accompany a young married couple to some home showings. They are first-time homebuyers, and they are definitely in the market to BUY, and soon.  So, as a professional Home Staging & Redesign Consultant in the Madison, WI area, it was very interesting to observe their responses to the homes, listen to their comments, and see if they fell into the “norm” of what “Today’s Homebuyer Really Wants.” Let me tell you what I heard. Firsthand!

On this particular day, we looked at 5 houses. And the overwhelming feeling was: if it was dirty, smelly, messy, cluttered, or in need of repair, there was no interest. Even if the floor-plan of the home was a perfect match for their criteria. (The homes were chosen based on certain criteria, and so, when this young couple entered the home, they were a perfectly targeted audience.) These homes, on paper, fit their specifics. Until they walked through the door and into the homeowners mess. It was really quite sad to me that very few of the homeowners cared enough about their homes to present them in the very best light possible. Here they were, entering their home into the MLS Beauty Pageant with pet hair on couches, dust on half walls and furniture, gritty floors in need of vacuuming, carpets needing to be replaced, counters with grime.  The home that held the most appeal was in need of major repairs on the outside. And yet… even though the interior carpets were newly cleaned and the walls were painted in warm, welcoming, updated colors, there wasn’t even talk of an offer. (oh, and by the way, we’re talking homes priced between $200,000 and $300,000.)

My conclusions? Exactly what I have been expressing to homeowners: Today’s Buyer wants move-in ready. They aren’t looking for a fix-er-upper. They are young. They want clean. Uncluttered. Updated. Repaired. Inviting. And finally, they’ll look at your floor plan . Then, they’ll begin to imagine themselves at home in your house. Home Staging by The Inviting Home will help you achieve this. Your Inviting Home consultant will set the stage so that potential homebuyers entering your home immediately feel…. at home!  With you, we will create, imagine, and design spaces that appeal to today’s homebuyer. We know who he is! Do you? We can help! Call today for your free, initial consultation.

 

Filed Under: Market Update, Why Staging is Vital for Success

March 2011 Newsletter

March 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

 Warm greetings from The Inviting Home! I wonder if you are anticipating Spring as much as I am? It truly is my favorite season. For me, Spring heralds color… and after a long, cold, white winter, I am ready for a change!  I checked the other day, and my tulips are already beginning to poke up through the ground. And when this happens, I know that the array of color my tulips offer is just around the corner.…  So, I’m wondering….  are you as anxious for color as I am? 

Sometimes, as we are anticipating a new season of outdoor color, we begin to think about color within our homes. This definitely happens in my home! Color is magical… emotional… a unifier of rooms, inspiring, and comforting. Color can affect our energy level, and sense of order, or disorder. Color also sets a tone: masculine or feminine, formal or informal, cool and aloof or warm and welcoming. Thankfully, these effects can be successfully controlled through the use of color!

 


So, perhaps you are wanting a color change in your home… you have light and cool, and now warmer tones are beginning to appeal to you…. but you don’t know where to start. Here are a few ideas from which to draw inspiration for your new color scheme:
 

*Base your color scheme on a piece of furniture and center the color palette of the room around it.  Take your color cue from upholstery, a rug, window treatment, or artwork. Be inspired by wallpaper. It IS making a comeback – use it as a foundation for your color scheme! Draw inspiration from a beautiful pillow or a swatch of fabric! If you love how colors look together in the piece that inspires you, you will be happy with how they work together in a room. Having an inspiration piece first is much easier – and less expensive – than painting the walls first and then trying to find appropriate color matches in your furnishings.
*Think about who will be using a room, and the purpose of the room, before you decide on color. Relate the colors you choose to the ages of the occupants! Soft pastels keep an infant’s environment soothing, while the brightness of primary colors is more invigorating for older children.
*If you live in a home that has a historical reference or a particular style, choose colors that are associated with that style. 
*Use your favorite colors, an outfit, or accessory to inspire your color scheme. A meaningful theme or atmosphere can dictate colors. Pick hues based on the way you want to feel when you walk into the room; relaxing hues present a calming atmosphere. Use the hues of a favorite collectible, such as a vase, and turn these into a color scheme.
  


It is also important to keep the “emotion” of colors in mind while you are considering your color scheme. Have you ever walked into a room and just felt “happy?” Or perhaps the opposite happened… your energy level plummeted? Maybe you have experienced feeling especially energized in a particular outfit… it is because color has emotion and DOES affect the way we feel.  Let’s look at the emotion and meaning of various colors:
 

  • RED is known to stimulate the appetite and increase adrenaline.
  • ORANGE is the color of creativity, enthusiasm, and warmth.  
  • YELLOW is welcoming, sunny, and brightly enthusiastic.
  • BLUES are emotionally connected to sky and water; they are associated with meditation and calm environments.
  • GREEN is restful, tranquil, relaxing and soothing. 
  • PURPLE is mysterious, magical, romantic, and often associated with wealth and sophistication.     
  • NEUTRALS: work wonders in any color scheme!
  • WHITE is associated with cleanliness, purity, newness, peace and freshness.
  • BLACK is elegance, sophistication, formality, power, and strength.
  • BROWN is relaxing, confident, casual, reassuring, earthy, and offers stability, security and comfort.

  


Since the goal of a new color scheme is a warm and welcoming home… a home in which you feel good and love to relax after a long day… it is important to keep in mind that proportions of color in your new color scheme is vitally important. One color, used in a stronger proportion than is advisable, will have a dominating, overwhelming, negative effect. Here’s a little guideline:
 
60% - 30% - 10%*As a general rule, it is wise to use the strongest colors in the smallest amounts, otherwise, they tend to overpower the space and can become oppressive. When stronger colors are used in smaller amounts, they function as accents and serve to enliven the more muted or neutral colors.
*Typically, the dominant color covers 60% of the room (for instance, walls) the secondary color composes 30% of the space (such as window treatments and furnishings), and accent colors make up the remaining 10% (pillows, throws, accessories). These recommended percentages will help you determine how much of each color to use as you build a successful color scheme.
*Ultimately, you will find the 60% proportion unifies the color scheme, the 30% provides a  visual pop of interest and the 10% yields the wow factor! When you think about it, this rule of proportion is very similar to the way we typically dress!
 
I hope these tips and will help jumpstart your new color scheme and the end result is a home that is truly you: a house you love to come home to. 
 
Warmly,
 
Renee

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Going Green in Home Redesign

Going Green in Home Redesign

October 26, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

One of my favorite pastimes is finding new life in something “old!” I love to re-purpose a piece of furniture or object from one room to another… using it in a completely new and different way! What was once old, tired and seemingly ready for either the junk pile, garage sale or second hand store, is new again! How green is that?!

Several months ago,  I had been interested in finding a black storage cabinet for our home. I was finding exactly what I was looking for in the Home Decorators Catalog, when I had my “Aha” moment: my old, tired, scuffed and scratched hand-me-down from Grandma dresser and nighstand – refinished, refurbished, painted and polished, would look like they had been delivered especially to me, courtesy of the Home Decorators Collection! Likely, you can imagine my excitement and understand the sense of urgency I felt to transform the furniture!

The newly painted nightstand has been used as an end table in a family room…. Currently, it nestles closely to my teenage daughter while she sleeps. And believe me, she would have nothing to do with the nightstand before it was given new life! It looks crisp, updated, and definitely worthy of it’s new look.

Once refurbished, the dresser has been used as a storage cabinet in a family room as well… and is also currently residing in my teenage daughters bedroom.  It’s new look says: I’m alive, I’ve got style, and many more years of life in me! (and for the rest of us since a low VOC paint was used!)

Not only is repurposing, refinishing, reusing, recycling and reducing the buzz words of today’s efforts to be environmentally green, they’ve also brought me great joy every time I enter my daughter’s bedroom and see Grandma’s furniture living on.  I hope this inspires you to take a second look at what feels old, worn, outdated and overused. With a little time, paint, elbow grease and love, something old can be new again. I hope you love the new way it begins to live in your home.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Is Home Staging Important in Madison, WI?

October 10, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

I’m sure you’ve heard it… everyone’s talking about it… it’s the new buzz in today’s Real Estate Market: Home Staging. And yet, even though key words like “decluttering” and “depersonalizing” are used frequently, not everyone understands the point of Home Staging! Successful Home Staging goes well beyond decluttering, cleaning, putting away and packing up. At The Inviting Home, we understand that successful Home Staging invokes feelings of “I want to live here.” Successful Home Staging appeals to the majority of potential buyers. Successful Home Staging demonstrates to the buyer the wonderful lifestyle of living in the home.

So let’s take a look… which room do you think would appeal to the most buyers? Which room do you think invokes the “I could live here” feeling? Which room do you think demonstrates the lifestyle of: “living here I feel calm, peaceful and uncluttered?”

Home Staging works. It’s a must in todays Real Estate Market. Your home is potentially your largest asset and you cannot afford to put it on the market without giving it the courtesy of a successful Home Staging Day with The Inviting Home. Visit www.theinvitinghome.com today for more information.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

New Home Staging Before/After photos from the Madison and Beaver Dam WI areas

July 7, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

We recently added a couple before and after slide shows to our Portfolio page. One of these homes is south of the Madison, WI area, and the other is from Beaver Dam, WI. Click here to see the shows.

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