It’s hard to believe how quickly 2014 has come and gone.

One of the things I love about the start of the New Year, is it gives time to reflect on all of the wonderful things that have happened, and to make goals for the months to come.

This last year was a time of growth, we worked with so many wonderful clients, and reorganized and expanded our inventor. I was also able to take time to be with family. I’m so excited to see what 2015 brings.

Happy New Year!

Scroll down to see some pictures from a gorgeous year end staging, or click HERE to view the listing.

I recently had the opportunity of staging a home in Dundee, Oregon. This gorgeous city is only 40 min from Portland, and is host to a rich small town community.  Yamhill County, where Dundee resides, is lush with agriculture, including 200 wineries. I highly recommend a day trip to anyone in the area, click HERE for a fabulous map of wineries in the Dundee hills.

Scroll down, to see pictures from the staging:

Most of us who work in the field, have at one time or another been sent a link like this one: Terrible Real Estate Agent Photographs. Sites like these humorously document the type of well meaning, but ineffective, pictures advertising property (that are not as uncommon as one might hope).

I recommend clicking on the link for a chuckle, but it also made me think about how important good photography is for selling your home. I take a lot of pride in the work I do staging. I blog a lot about the time and creative energy involved in highlighting the selling features of a property, but I cannot say too many times how lucky I have been to work with a great number of wonderful photographers.

I would like to take a moment to talk about a recent photographer I worked with, Rowan Gillson, of A Little Rojo. A photography instructor with IPS, Gillson has traveled extensively, his stunning work can be purchased through sites like Corbis Images, or his own personal site.

His unique style incorporates lush colors, and a narrative quality to even those pictures, like the ones below, of an inanimate home. Scroll down to see my recent staging expertly captured by Rowan Gillson.

Greg and Laura first started selling property in Portland six years ago, and there business has continued to grow. I love working with Columbia Redevelopment, and several of my recent blogs posts are about homes that I staged for them. They recently blogged about the importance of staging, and featured some of the work I’ve done with them as their exclusive stager.

 Click HERE to read the post, and learn more about Columbia Redevelopment.

I still run into people today who are doubtful that staging could help them sell. People who look at the monthly cost of staging, and can’t see what it is they are paying for. Or people who understand what staging is, but not how it works.

Now, my normal preface when I go into these sorts of talks, every home is different, every person is a unique case (that’s why we like to do a walk through first and get acquainted, and figure out the perfect plan for you). But for all those out there who wonder if staging really works, I’d like to ask: ever been in an IKEA?

For those who really have never been in an IKEA – it is a multi-billion dollar international company that sells furniture. And one of iKEA’s primary marketing strategies is staging.

Whether it is there mobile show rooms (staged rooms driven around town), staging metros  and other public spaces, virtual staging , or (their most common) in store showrooms, in which entire home layouts are created and staged. IKEA stages – and they stage to sell.

Of course there is a logistical difference in the way one stages to sell furniture, vs. how one uses furniture to stage and sell a home, but the reasoning behind it is the same.

In a recent study that Ikea did on their female market, they made a statement, that I think universally applies: ““It’s not kitchen cabinets that matter; it’s how they make a cooking session with the kids go smoother. It’s not the sofa that counts, it’s the pleasure of relaxing together after a long day. Furniture is a means to an end.”

Staging helps your potential buyer visualize. Instead of a warehouse of furniture, they see individual items and how they would fit into their lives. Just as a staged home lets a buyer visualize not just how their furniture would fill the space, but how their lives and dreams would flourish in their new home.

I recently blogged about a staging I did on 3604 NE 24th Ave, Portland Oregon. Kelly Seifer is the Real Estate Agent I worked with, and I wanted to show off some pamphlets she did as advertising for this home.

It’s great working with agents like Kelly, who pull out all the stops, and I’m a big fan of this square style brochure.

Not only is it eyecatching with those vivid colors and awesome photos, but when opened the squared triad mimics the feel of a panaramic view of a home.

I also love how when open the photos give the illusion of an actual depth to the rooms that can be lossed when only viewing the pictures online : )

We have been getting some really gorgeous weather here in Portland, but being Oregonians we don’t know how to handle heat over 70 (kind of kidding ; ) so I thought I would do a fun post on some great recipes for days like these. Healthy cool dishes that are quick to make:

Creamy Cucumber Salad

 I love cucumber dishes when it is hot, cucumbers are mostly water so very hydrating and refreshing. Plus, this salad keeps well in the fridge, and works as a great side dish with any meal.

 Peanut Noodle Salad

This salad takes longer to prepare then the cucumber one, but it is delicious served cold and is filling enough to be eaten as a full meal.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Not only is this recipe tasty (tomatoes, eggs, cheese and bread crumbs) it comes from a wonderful cooking blog with lots of other great recipes.

 Do you have a favorite summer recipe? Feel free to link to it in the comments : )

Kristin Rader, a wonderful Realtor I work with, recently blogged about her experiance as a Realtor with a Stager and how staging has helped with sales:

I cracked open my 1999 Nissan Pathfinder this weekend, where it has been sitting in the field for the last 3 months gathering dust. After FOUR LONG HOURS of scrubbing, scraping, polishing, and buffing, I was cursing myself! How did it get this bad? Why do I let my kids eat in the car??

Doing ALL this work for someone else to enjoy was incredibly frustrating and I had an epiphany relating to real estate. Four hours is nothing compared to the “torture” I put my clients through before I list their home to sell.

Torture? Yes, I am a Realtor with a stager. A rare find and TRULY valuable!

READ MORE

It is such an honor to be featured in such a glowing blog post. I also recomend checking out her other blogs as well, Kristin is an experianced Realtor with not only a lot of great advice, but also fun to read witty writing : )

Home Stager selling off excess inventory:

• Art, bedding, chairs, sofas, curtains, decorative pillows and more!
• All of these have been used for staging only, so very little wear
• Rain or shine, all indoor shopping.

1812 N Culumbia Blvd #B1

9am – 5pm             Saturday (2/25)

10am – 4pm          Sunday (2/26)

 Cash only, and you must be able to transport your purchase upon buying it.

Sofas – $150-$225

 Art: $5-$25

Comforters: $25 (never been slept in!)

Chairs: $20-$50