Synergy Staging - Portland Home Staging Blog

Stagers Are Expected to Have A Solution for Everything - Part Two

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:42:28 -0700

The first installment of this blog focused on the upper level of this beautiful mid-century modern home in Portland which presented some staging challenges. We now turn to the master bedroom and bathroom downstairs.

Although the sellers had the kitchen painted in the upper level, we had to work with the bright green and yellow colors in the lower level. It was our goal to warm them up and make the spaces feel inviting and cozy.

*** Make sure to read the footnote at the bottom of the blog ***

By bringing in a darker color palatte the color of the walls are toned down. We also wanted to be able to use the space in between the wall heaters, so we had to find a piece that was just the perfect width to accommodate the gap. It's always important to select just the right pieces that have the appropriate scale and style to highlight a room.

Another view of the bedroom which opens to a bright yellow master bathroom. By infusing some green into the bathroom, the rooms feel more connected.

*** AN INTERESTING FOOTNOTE:

The home had numerous showings right after it was staged, but the remianing two bedrooms on the lower level were not staged, had bright wall colors, and one had flourescent lighting in the ceiling, like an office building. Since those were the last two rooms that everyone saw when viewing the house, no one made an offer.

We worked with the sellers to update these rooms with paint and remove the lighting fixtures. We also returned to stage both bedrooms. At the next showing the home received 3 offers!!!

Staging absolutely works!

This home was professionaly staged by Synergy Staging. We present a lifestyle your buyer desires so you can sell your home fast and for top dollar. Join the Realtors, Investors, Banks, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company.

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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You Won't Believe This Transformation from Dated to Contemporary

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:02:48 -0700

Synergy Staging was recently selected to stage a beautiful listing in Portland, Oregon. The home has an amazing view and great layout, but it was very dated. Buyers in the current market are looking for move-in ready properties. No longer is a great home with potential enough to get a deal closed.

We began with a color consultation and made some recommendations regarding the removal of wallpaper, flooring, and fixtures. While wallpaper tends to be very personal from a design perspective, it is rarely going to help sell a home. We encourage people all the time to live in their houses surrounded by design that they like, however, when selling a home, sellers must realize that not everyone will appreciate their taste. What a pleasure to work with an owner who was willing to work together in order to achieve the best look for the home.

Here are some of the dramatic before and after photos:

What a difference new carpet and a warm wall color made compared to the cool blue that was previously used.

Adding a drum shade gave the dining space a much more elegant and defined feel compared to the mounted ceiling light.

Replacing cabinet hardware instantly updated the kitchen, in addition to a paint color that downplayed the blue backsplash.

You'd never know this was the same powder room. From a tropical cave to an inviting and modern space.

The previous owner used this space as the bedroom. Now it is a work space / lounge area with flat screen television.

The space is now shown as a master bedroom retreat. The bright gold walls have been toned down which also helped neutralize the green marble hearth.

And now the most dramatic transformation. From shiny silver cherub wallpaper to a spa like feel.

For more information on this listing please contact:
Dwayne Davis of Realty Trust at 503-416-3360

This home was professionaly staged by Synergy Staging. We present a lifestyle your buyer desires so you can sell your home fast. Join the Realtors, Investors, Banks, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company.

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Stagers Are Expected to Have a Solution for Everything! Part One

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:09:26 -0700

We love helping our clients sell their homes quickly. And we love helping buyers see how they can best live in the home they are purchasing.

However, many people think staging is just plopping some furniture and decor in a house, calling it done, and waiting for the offers to come in. We wish it were that easy!

One thing that we discover at almost every project is a tricky space, odd layout, or some other challenge that must be addressed. Clients expect their home stager to overcome these obstacles. And we should meet the challenge - it's our job. But that means that we have to have a solution (and inventory) for every circumstance, and that's not always a simple task.

This beautiful Mid-Century Modern home that we recently staged had a few of those challenges. Here's some before and afters with the results:

Large open living room with several focal points and no lighting built in.

Four lamps placed throughout the space add warmth and lighting. And we placed a swivel chair next to the fireplace so it could essentially function in either space depending on which way it faced, adding an extra seating area.

This step up nook in the living room had no obvious function. The challenge was making it useful and not just filling it with decor. It was a small space that we felt functioned best as a work space, but could only accommodate a desk smaller than average. Fortunately we had one in our inventory that fit perfectly.

This Dining Room had beautiful wood floors and paneling, but needed to be lightened up since it all felt like one tone. There was also an old curtain rod that needed to have a purpose. We don't like to keep existing hardware empty, but the challenge was making the existing hardware work without doing a custom treatment since that wasn't an option.

By adding a dark table and light chairs to contrast with all the wood in the room, the rooms gets more life. Green was the only other color that was added to this beautiful room. We also used small hooks to attach our curtain panels to all 46 of the existing curtain rings (hard to see in this photo), so the windows had a finished look and the rod served a purpose.

The next part of this blog will take a look at the kitchen and colorful bedrooms!

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Staging Helps Overcome Budget Limitations - Sold in 2 Days

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:37:49 -0800

Our Portland Home Staging Company works with many investors who are buying and renovating homes. Many times we are able to consult with our clients prior to staging their homes for color, finishes, and other recommendations. While we always have our wish list, sometimes the reality is that budgets limit what can be done to a house prior to listing.

Here is a great example of a home that Synergy Staging recently staged in Happy Valley, Oregon. It is a beautiful property that had some challenges that would have posed major issues if the house hadn't been staged.

As you will see below, the wall color in the master bedroom is what we like to call Barbie Peach, and is not appealing. The master bathroom tiles were very specific and overwhelmed the space, but there wasn't room in the budget to address them.

This is when professional home staging helps a buyer see the potential of a house and overlook what might be an instant 'no' if it was vacant. This house was staged and then listed on a Friday, shown on Saturday, and 3 offers were received on Sunday. That is the type of result our clients love to see!

Here are some before and after photos:

The fleshy color of the walls made the room feel drab and unappealing. Staging the room helped bring some life and warmth to the space.

Here's the black and rust tile in the master bath that we had to work with, not to mention the brass shower stall.

What seemed like a space completely out of character with the rest of home was toned down, and staging the rest of the house made this bathroom more acceptable, as evidenced by the 3 offers that came in the first weekend on the market.

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Bringing a Gorgeous Home to Life

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:05:14 -0800

Synergy Staging was recently contacted to stage a gorgeous home in Lake Oswego Oregon. It's sweeping views, dramatic ceilings and high end finishes were definite selling points. However, our client understands the value of bringing a home like this to life to so potential buyers fall in love.

Prior to staging, the home was cold, empty, and stark. Once furnished and accessorized with an elegant design it was transformed into a home that buyers could envision living in.

Here are some of the before and after photos of this property:

Note all the living room built-ins. When approaching a space like this we find it important to accentuate the architecture and simplify the cluttered effect that staging the built-in shelving would create in the space. By adjusting the shelving we could control how much staging we wanted to use for a simple less cluttered look.

After Photos by CPS Real Estate Photography

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Using 2011 To Attract More Clients in 2012

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:27:19 -0800

I find that January is always a great time to reflect on the previous year and make plans for what lies ahead. It's a time to look back on our business model and see what was successful and what could be improved.

We must all constantly find new ways to showcase our company, its look, style, approach, results, and list goes on and on. One way we have found to attract new clients and retain existing ones is through photos highlighting our recent work. As they say, you are only as good as your last staging!

Most of us find that our staging design evolves over time, and looking back to our first few stagings can result in panic! This is why it is important to continually update our photos and keep our portfolios looking fresh and current.

Synergy Staging was fortunate to work on many great projects with wonderful clients in 2011. Below is video featuring photos that highlight some of the vacant properties throughout Portland that our team staged this past year. Using a compilation such as this is a short and effective way to showcase your work to potential clients and remind existing clients why they should continue using your services.

Here's to a successful and prosperous 2012!

These homes were professionaly staged by Synergy Staging. We present a lifestyle your buyer desires so you can sell your home fast and for top dollar. Join the Realtors, Investors, Banks, and Homeowners who call Synergy Staging to make their properties irresistible and sell quickly! Read what our clients have said about their experience with our company.

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Synergy Staging Top 9 Success Stories of 2011

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:50:47 -0800

Synergy Staging is pleased to present our Top 9 Success Stories of 2011. This video of before and after photos showcases the vacant homes we staged that sold the fastest this past year. Some had been on the market well over 100 days prior to staging and sold very quickly.

Although it was a challenging year for the Real Estate market, there were plenty of positive signs to show that the market is moving well when a home is priced appropriately for the neighborhood, prepared well, and professionally staged. Taking those three steps is the most important thing a seller can do to increase their chances of a quick sale at a high price.

Let's hope everything turns around in 2012!

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Staging A House So It All Connects

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:18:51 -0800

Our Portland Home Staging Company recently staged a beautiful home in Happy Valley, Oregon for one of our investor clients. The home had some design issues which needed to be addressed, and our client understood that staging was the answer to help buyers see the potential of the home.

Although this property is 4,000 square feet, some of the living spaces were small. There are also very large custom drapes in the living room that felt out of place without some connection to the rest of the home. By showing this house vacant, potential buyers would have had many reasons to say 'no' and move on to the next one.

Here are some before and after photos of how we addressed the design issues:

We used two elegant wing back chairs that tied in the gold of the window treatments and the height of the room.

This kitchen has a huge island with two eating areas. It was important to define them with different types of stools to help buyers see these as separate spaces.

The master bedroom in this home is large, but the only wall without windows is too small to accommodate a Queen bed and two bedside tables. We used window treatments to create a wall to anchor the bed and two bedside tables. This made the room feel more elegant and dramatic and also connected it with the spacious living room and huge custom drapes.

Another View

For more information about this property please contact
Eugene Pahomsky at Rio Realty LLC at 503-267-9772

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Can Home Staging Bring Out The X Factor?

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:36:45 -0700

What is the The X Factor? Well aside from being another talent show transplanted from the UK, it is that extra special characteristic that sets an individual apart from others and makes them stand out.

The same appeal can sometimes be found in homes that are on the market. While every home has a unique personality and look, bringing out it’s best attributes so potential buyers fall in love is where home staging comes in. Nothing can be taken for granted when marketing what is typically a person’s largest investment. Hiring a professional home stager to ensure your home is presented as well as possible can be one of the most important steps in a successful sale.

Synergy Staging helped showcase this investment property so it would stand out from the many similar properties in the neighborhood with a consultation and staging.

The wall color was changed from white to a few complimentary earth tones throughout which immediately changed the feel of the house. The home was also staged to create an environment that showed potential buyers how they could live in the home and helped them connect to the space.

The combination of these steps truly brought out the X Factor in this property.

Here are few of the before and afters:

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Risky Business - A Buyer's Imagination

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:00:40 -0700

When showing a home that is vacant, there are inevitably a few different reactions.

The first thing many buyers do is stare blankly, and then try to imagine the furniture they own in the space. Next they will inevitably notice all the eyesores such as cosmetic issues, dings in the wall, paint to be touched up, and any other reason they can think of to say "No" or to negotiate for a lower price. Why would you ever want to give someone a chance to think these terrible thoughts about your home?

Vacant Living Room with awkward layout due to angled carpeted design

The risk of these thoughts going through the mind a potential buyer can very easily be avoided. Call in a local Home Stager to give you an objective point of view from the buyer's perspective. Our Portland home staging company will help you make sure your home shows it's absolute best. We view, stage, and help sell numerous properties each month, and know what buyer's are looking for.

Living Room staged highlighting the amount of space.
This home sold in one month after being on the market for 139 days prior to staging.

When a Home Stager walks into a vacant home to prepare a quote, one of the first things that we consider is how to best show off the space. For example, where will the furnishings go, what design style does the home call for, which colors will work just right. Our objective perspective from the buyer's viewpoint allows us to offer advice and recommendations about what steps you can take to make sure your home shows it's absolute best.

Leaving a sale to your buyer's imagination is not how you want to approach selling your home. To sell it quickly and for top dollar, hire a home stager to put the first impression in your hand.

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Neutralizing Wall Colors with Home Staging

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:45:08 -0700

As home stagers we often get to work with owners to prepare their homes for sale. Many times this includes a color consultation to ensure that the paint color is pleasing to potential buyers and works with the architecture and feel of the home. However, sometimes we don’t get the benefit of a consultation and must work with the house as it is, especially when budgets are tight.

Here is a wonderful house in Oregon City overlooking Beaver Lake that we recently staged with just such a color issue. The walls were overwhelming with a gray/green that didn’t feel warm and inviting. Unfortunately this color was seemingly everywhere! We had no choice but to make it work.

Working in a room with darker colors, especially in Oregon where the sky is often overcast, the importance of light furnishings and decor is essential. In this house the ceilings soared almost 20 feet so it was vital to neutralize the color with the staging.

Here’s some pictures of the results.

For more information about this property please contact
Ivan Primachenko at Enetra Real Estate at 503-793-5752

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Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Home Staging Bank Owned Properties is a Win-Win

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:25:46 -0700

Do you ever wonder what separates a house that sells quickly from one that lingers on the market?

There many factors to take into consideration such as location, price, condition, presentation, home staging, and on and on. However, even with the multitude of answers to this question, there are important steps a seller can take to ensure the best possible chance at selling their home quickly and for top dollar. One of the key factors in selling quickly in the current marketplace is home staging.

Synergy Staging has provided home staging for newly constructed bank owned homes in a wonderful development just outside Portland in West Linn. Every new home that has been staged, without fail, has sold within 2 weeks of staging!

An interesting point is that all homes are listed when construction begins. Before we started staging, the homes would be shown vacant without the same success. Several homes we later staged had been shown empty for up to one month with no interest. Once the homes were staged, interest immediately picked up.

New homes are beautiful, but that alone is not always enough to ensure a sale. There is no doubt that adding home staging to the equation was a primary factor in generating interest and selling the properties.

Here is one property from the development that recently sold at the very first Open House:

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Home Staging Helps A Portland Bungalow Sell in Two Days

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:43:00 -0700

Our Portland Home Staging company stages many different types of homes throughout Portland. Our clients range from homeowners, to banks, to investors, to Realtors. One thing that is similar are the results. Staged then Sold! Again and again and again! It’s been hard to keep up. We hope that other markets are seeing the same increase in quick sales.

It doesn't seem to matter if the properties are newly built, recently remodeled, or owner occupied. The secret to a quick sale is consistently the same formula. Price your listing appropriately for your market, and make sure it is prepared and presented as best as possible.

When it comes to presentation, Home Staging makes all the difference between a property that is sold and one that lingers on the market! When trying to sell your home, which is typically your largest asset, you must ensure that you pull out all the stops to make it show at it’s absolute best. With all the competition you can’t take the process of selling your home for granted.

Many sellers believe that their home is worth more than it is, or that it will ‘sell itself’, since they have such a strong personal attachment to it. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, and a primary reason to bring in an outside perspective from a home stager to honestly evaluate the property. This is the one way you can be certain you’ve done everything to make your home stand apart from your competition, get the top dollar, and sell as quickly as possible.

One of our recent clients was a Realtor who was selling his own home. This was an adorable 1920's bunglaw in Portland. He understood what it takes to sell a home in this market and the advantage a home stager would bring. After preparing his property with fresh paint, refinishing the floors, replacing carpet, and touching up the landscape, the only thing left was to stage the house.

The combination of these factors saw spectacular results. This home sold in only two days vs. the Portland average of 137 days on market. We have many stories similar to this one and are encouraged that staging is making a true difference for sellers throughout our market.

Here are a few before and after shots:

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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Website Redesign for Synergy Staging

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 12:48:08 -0700

We love redesign projects, but redesigning our website is a project we put off for a long time because it seemed a bit overwhelming.

We wanted to let all of you on Active Rain know that Synergy Staging has launched our new and improved website. It was way overdo to give our site a fresh look and we hope you like what you see.

I especially want to thank Kathy Nielsen and Michelle Minch at Easy Designer Websites for helping us with the website. Although I'm pretty computer savvy, there was no way I could have tackled this huge project on my own. They did a fantastic job of getting the site setup to our sepcifications, and were generous with their time in coaching me so I could maintain the site and keep it updated. If you are looking to give your website a facelift, I'd recommend you get in touch with them.

Now that this big project is over, I plan to be posting more blogs here and spending time on Active Rain. Hope you are all have a successful summer staging season.

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Lots and Lots of Bedrooms - Before and After Photos

Tue, 10 May 2011 14:32:45 -0700

Although our Portland home staging company typically stages the impact rooms in a vacant home (living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, and bathrooms), sometimes a house needs more help. There are few things less inviting than MLS photos of empty bedrooms where all you can see are a few bare walls and the floor. There is just no way for potential buyers to connect to the space and want to see it in person. And without a showing, there is no possible way an offer will be made.

Synergy Staging recently staged a contemporary home in the hills of Portland that had a unique layout with 3 smaller bedrooms, a guest suite, and a master suite with sitting room. The challenge for buyers was trying to envision how to use all the spaces and live in this 3 story home with great views of the hills and city.

Here is how we staged the bedrooms:

This guest suite has an attached bath and fireplace. When vacant, it was hard to imagine where the bed would be located, and that this could be an inviting room. Once staged, buyers want to invite guests to stay in this room.

This very small bedroom would have buyers believe that it would not fit their bed. In fact a full size bed and dresser easily fit and there were no more questions. One of the key factors that staging provides is to eliminate the reasons NOT to buy a property.

When staging this many bedrooms in a house, you must be careful not to make every room look the same. Helping buyers see the potential in each room gives the house more value. Here we staged a large chaise (facing a built in entertainment center) and also a work space. The pop of green makes the space interesting, yet doesn't overwhelm the purpose of the room.

This room was staged as an office which is how many in the target demographic will want to use this space.

Outside the master bedroom was this room in a vibrant shade of red. Since the room wasn't going to be painted, we had to make this space work. With so much room in the rest of the house, making this feel like a lounge where you could hang out before going to bed was important. There is a wet bar next to where the photo was taken from. In order to brighten the room, a white rug and light accents were used.

The master bedroom has an incredible view and feels like a retreat. A stark room with tile isn't the most inviting, so it was important to bring in a rug to soften the floor, and use light tones to create a serene feel that buyers would instantly connect with.

In a future blog we'll share the living spaces in the rest of the house.

Please call us at (503) 557-2244 for a free no obligation quote so we can help your home sell faster.

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