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How in the world do I establish a budget?

Establishing a home decorating budget can be a daunting task.  If you are working with Lorraine or Margie at Stage One, we are happy to help you set a budget for your project. If you’re simply looking for a place to get started, here are some tidbits of information:

Assess Your Financial Situation

The first part of any budgeting process includes taking a close look at your current financial situation. Look at your debts, monthly obligations and your monthly income.  Consider things like how long you plan to be in your home. Obviously, renters don’t want to spend too much or make permanent/structural changes to the property. Another example would be if you’re thinking about starting a family, you might not want to convert that bonus room into a pool hall just yet – perhaps a nursery/guest room might be a better idea.

Future Implications

Keep in mind that though you may love your digs now, the average homeowner lives in their home for 7 to 10 years! If you make bold color choices or things that are very style/taste specific (i.e. wall paper, murals, etc.) chances are, you will have to neutralize that when you prepare to sell your home.  Don’t let that scare you, though. Many redecorating projects can increase the value of a home.  Keep  items with a high ROI on the top of your to do list.  Kitchen and bathroom improvements are usually the best payouts when it comes to resale. Make sure your changes fit the character of the home.

Determine Your Style

Now, here’s the fun part. Start to create a design style file folder or box, which will be filled with pictures, design styles, color swatches, fabrics and other decorating elements that resonate with you while also capturing the essence of the look and scheme you are trying to achieve. Next, jot down a list of items you need to purchase for your project. Try to consider all the details of the project and make the most complete list possible.

Establish Price Ranges

Once you have your list of items it’s time to do a little research to see what these things will cost and establish a price range for big ticket items. Compare the expected costs to the estimated amount of money available for the project. If some expense trimming is necessary then begin shopping for deals and discounts and target the lower end of the price range. Don’t forget, you can even shop in your own home! Repurposing is a great way to save money, and save the environment!

Once you get these first basic steps out of the way, congratulate yourself…you’re a lot closer to creating the space of your dreams!

If you’ve read this article and are feeling a little overwhelmed, consider hiring Stage One Decorators  to help guide you through your next redesign project.

www.stageonedecorators.com

Information received from IADIE

1.       Upgrade your hardware. It is a small investment for your kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and/or entertainment centers that can help give you an undated look. You can purchase new knobs and switch plates at any hardware store. Most cost under $10.00

2.       For less than $20.00 you can change the lamps shade on your current lamps. Switch out white shades to colored shades. It can be an accent color to match your room.

3.       Paint, Paint, Paint!!! So many paint stores are having sales right now! For under $25.00 you can redo the total look of a room just by changing the color on the walls. Transform any space into a new oasis with one of the new popular colors on the market right now!

4.       Add a pop of color with new pillows and throws. You can get a twin pack of accent pillows at most home stores for $25.00.  By changing out your accent colors in a room you can keep up with the newest trends. Don’t want to spend the money on new pillows? Then replace your existing ones with new covers.

5.       Warm up your space with a rug. Hardwood floors are in but they can be so cold looking. Bring in an area rug to pull your look together. Most area rugs are under $100.00

If you have questions or don’t know where to start, please feel free to email us or take advantage of our sizzling summer prices!

There are many ways to create an outdoor living room for your home. Whether you are staging to sell, or designing to dwell, you don’t have to have a complete built in kitchen, fireplace and sitting area (of course if you do, fabulous!).  Take the patio you do have, make sure it is spotlessly clean and add cozy seating, festive lighting and some colorful potted plants and you’ve created a relaxing outdoor living area.

If you don’t have a patio, consider creating one by placing paver bricks or stones in a unique pattern and then placing a bistro table and chairs and plants around the sitting area.  Lighting can be hung from trees and solar powered lamps can be placed in the ground around the patio.

Your outdoor living space does not have to be right off of your back door.  If you have beautiful shade trees further out in your yard, create a walkway with pavers leading to a seating area under the canopy of trees.

Some tips:

1.     Get rid of the mismatched plastic chairs that have a suspicious green substance growing on them.

2.     Look for inexpensive bistro tables and chairs and other seating arrangements that are designed to withstand the outdoors.

3.     Clean up the grill and purchase a cover to minimize its presence when you aren’t using it.

4.     Hang lanterns and other festive lighting in nearby trees, around your deck or on the back of the house.

5.     Fill beautiful large planters with colorful flowers and greenery.

6.     Place the kids’ toys, dog’s toys and other clutter out of site.

7.     If you do have a pet, keep the poop scooped to avoid a malodorous turn off!

8.     Keep the backyard landscaping in pristine condition. Mow, weed, edge, trim and remove dead limbs.

9.     If your home backs up to a loud road, consider placing a water feature on your patio in order to bring in the sounds of nature and create a relaxing ambience.

10.   Power washing your deck or flatwork will make a tremendous difference and will help freshen up your outdoor living area so it will look brand new!

People enjoy spending time outdoors, particularly if they spend the majority of their days inside. When staging your home for sale, creating a relaxing, comfortable outdoor living space adds usable square footage and value to your home and is a great selling point.

Thank you to Ashley Whittenberger from IADIE

Drexel Hill, Pa., October 29, 2010

Margie Wildason and Lorraine Curran of Stage One Decorators, LLC has earned the RESA-PRO™ designation.

RESA-PRO™ designees must meet the following 6 mandatory requirements:

1. Must pass the RESA® Ethics Exam.
2. Must agree to follow the RESA® Code of Ethics.
3. A minimum of 1 year in business, as a professional home stager (proof by either a Business License, DBA,  LLC, CORP, Re-sale license or Legal  Partnership,)
4. Proof of Home Staging Business Insurance
5. No lawsuits pending against your staging business
6. Business Checking Account

The RESA® Ethics class and exam is an extremely important factor in raising the bar for the home staging industry.  RESA-PRO™ is the only designation governed and regulated by the Real Estate Staging Association®.  RESA® ensures that RESA-PRO™ designees uphold the highest ethical standards possible.

Stage One Decorators offers Home Staging, Redesigns and Decorating Services in the Delaware, Montgomery and Chester Counties. “Earning our RESA-PRO designation is one more commitment we have made to our clients. We are dedicated to going that extra mile for home owners and Realtors alike” said, Wildason and Curran of Stage One.

RESA® recently released statistics on the benefits of home staging. RESA studied 410 properties in North America and found on average staged properties are on the market 78% less time. “There is no doubt staging benefits buyers, sellers and agents. We strongly recommend anyone considering selling their property to work with a professional stager in their local area,” said Shell Brodnax, RESA’s CEO.

Part of selling your home is the de-personalizing and detaching yourself. You need to make the focal points of the home stand out not your furniture and personal belongings.

Ask yourself …….do I have them at Hello? Selling your home begins at the curb. Take a good look at the curbside appeal of your home. Pull the weeds, re mulch, cut down oversized trees and shrubs and plant some seasonal flowers. A new door mat, planters and a fresh wreath go along way.

Think about it! If you pulled up to a house on the market and it did not look good from the outside. Would you want to go inside? Grab them from HELLO!

Take a photo of your home and look at it with a “BUYERS EYE”.  A photo says a thousand words and that is what buyers see on the internet.  It is simple small fixes on the outside that can grab you potential buyer. Get them to walk thru that front door.

Local Interior Decorators, Lorraine Curran and Margie Wildason of Stage One Decorators in Drexel Hill Earn Designation as Certified Color Expert

Drexel Hill, Pa. August 6, 2010   -Would you like to know how to hone into the
perfect color in less than 5 minutes? Perhaps you would like to know how to eliminate
75% of a paint deck in 60 seconds. Lorraine Curran and Margie Wildason of Stage One Decorators located in Drexel Hill learned just that in a recently completed color certification training, “Color with No Regrets” a patented selection process. This earned them the distinction of becoming a CCNRP. (Certified Professional Color with No Regrets PRO).

The patented system and workshop was created by JoAnne Lenart-Weary, industry expert
and Director of The Decorating and Staging Academy, along with Cyndie Stefanik, a 20-
year decorative painting veteran and color guru. JoAnne and Cyndie have been featured
in magazines, HGTV and a weekly segment on ABC affiliate, WJET-TV. The patented
Color with No Regrets System is based on the science of the color wheel and combining
levels of color intensity to create perfect color harmonies for a client quickly and
effectively. It begins with a non-verbal color test to understand what color palette
appeals to the client. “Most people begin the color selection process by asking the
question, what is your favorite color?” says Lenart-Weary . “We have discovered this

does not truly communicate the client’s preferences. For example, if a client states blue,
each of us would visualize a different blue. The CNR color test helps the client and the
decorating professional hone into the perfect blue. The end result is the CNR Perfect
Palette personalized to the client. This approach is based on the science of color without
subjectivity.”

“I have a responsibility to my clients to keep current on trends happening within the
industry,” said Curran  Color is a significant element of the decorating process
and where most of my clients feel intimidated. This training has helped me to offer
mistake-proof color selection to my clients with complete confidence. “Stage One Decorators” specializes in creating beautiful homes on any budget. Some of the services we
offer are Interior Decorating, Re-Designs and Home Staging but each of them begins with fail-proof color selection, resulting in a room people love with a price tag they can afford,” explained Wildason

Stage One Decorators

610-853-2676

www.stageonedecorators.com

decorate123@gmail.com

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When it comes to your home, you want people to be wowed from the very beginning. If the first thing they see when they come for a visit is unsavory or uncouth, it can alter not only how they judge your house, but can actually change the way they look at you as a person.

One thing that’s important to note is that your home doesn’t begin at the front door. People will be looking with a speculative eye, the entire way as they walk up to your house. Things like a dirty, cluttered, unkempt front yard, can discolor people’s perceptions about a space. You should spend some time outside, looking in at your home the way a potential visitor might see it. This will allow you to pick up on decorative mistakes, or unsavory elements which might be ruining people’s first impressions.

Next, the doorway itself is important to the atmosphere of a home in a profound symbolic way. This is the entrance to the abode, the first sight of the place where you live. You should decorate this area strategically with interesting, eye catching works of art or design. This will instantly arrest visitor’s senses, impressing them with an initial burst of good taste.

Finally, the hallway actually leading further into the home should be attended to. A nice carpet or liner can add color and pattern to this area. The walls are another decorative option, with a narrow walkway simulating the corridor of a fancy art museum.

Making a first impression is important, whether it be in person, or in your home. Make certain you know what guests see when they first come to visit, and do your best to make these initial areas as attractive and impressive as possible.

For $150.00 you get a full property walk thru with a written proposal. The proposal includes a detailed list room by room of suggestions to make your home stand out among the masses. We also include a top dollar guide and  the energized seller’s list.

Would you but a home without a home inspection? Then why would you sell a house without a consultation? Staging statistics show that a staged home sells on average faster and at a higher price point!! What are you waiting for? Call a home stager today!

Clear all the clutter, shoes, baskets, throw rugs and runners. Make sure the walls look good. If there is wallpaper remove it. A fresh coat of paint will go a long way. Use one of today’s new neutral colors.

Make sure your front door is clean and if the hardware is worn replace it. Add a fresh wreath with seasonal colors.

The foyer is your entryway but it is also a room. It does need some furniture to make a statement and welcome potential buyers.

A sofa  table usually works in this space. Placing a mirror above the table with open up the area and reflect light. Add a accent lamp to the table and a some accessories. Do not place photos of your family here when selling your home. It needs to be de personalized.Add some greens or a plant. This will soften and balance out the area.