Shift by Design - home staging

A day in the life of a vacant property stager

2011-03-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

So, what does actually go into staging a property for sale?

I'm told all the time how much fun my job must be and how easy it would be to complete projects each and every time we go style a vacant property for sale.

Truth is, yes, it is a great deal of fun and we pretty much always have a great time doing what we do however the notion that home staging is an easy career choice is somewhat untrue.

The amount of time that has to be invested prior to the installation and after the installation is what most people don't see and this is the hard bit.

It is a creative process, and like any other creative career there are times when inspiration is hard and the output challenged by the brief (in this case the style, look and feel of the house) that you have been given.

Should a developer buy furniture to style a vacant display home???

2011-03-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest competitors Shift by Design have in gaining new vacant property styling projects are developers who wish to buy their own furniture for their display home instead of renting stock for their marketing campaigns.

While I can completely understand their viewpoint, some furniture packages are quite inexpensive these days, there are many good reasons why renting stock is far smarter than buying outright.

In fact, there are 10 really good reasons why a builder, developer or property manager should look at renting rather than outright purchasing stock to stylishly present their property for sale.

Click here to read more about vacant home property styling top ten reasons why to rent furniture than purchase outright.

Time flys as home staging grows

2011-02-13T22:07:00.000-08:00

As a student of the online world, I should know better than to not post a blog for almost two months, but things at Shift by Design home staging have been flat out over December, January and February. For the first time we have had to knock back work or advise of a minimum two to three week delay in order to style vacant Tasmanian property for sale with our hire furniture. We hate knocking back work, but we were running out of time to prep jobs and get them installed as well as removing stock from properties that are selling quickly (and yes, for MORE!).

We have put together an enormous amount of properties over the last few months, so much so that we recently HAD to attend the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) to try and acquire more stock to keep up demand.

Our most recent installations have been added to our home staging portfolio on the website, check it out and let me know your thoughts on how we are performing.

On other news we are still working hard on our other project called homestagershq.com. This site has attracted attention from home stagers all over Australia and the world, with US and Canadian stagers starting to join which is great to see.

So all is busy in the land of property presentation and we certainly hope it continues.

Cheers

Adam

Home staging news website

2010-12-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

It's no secret we have been involved in the development of homestagershq.com, but we recently upped the ante by creating a unique side website to this project to help share home staging news with the business community.

There are loads of sites out there offering advice, but what we wanted was an industry central website drawing in content from home stager's blogs, Twitter feeds, YouTube feeds as well as supplying an official homestagershq.com blog location.

The site provides links out to individual writers blogs and Tweets meaning there is a solid link strategy going on as part of this development.

The site is great for home staging industry news and home stagers blogs. If you have a home staging blog you would like seen exposed to potentially hundreds of people, why not submit your blog address to media@homestagershq.com to get your blog covered?

A new home staging site - homestagershq.com

2010-10-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

Shift by Design been involved in a new home staging website called homestagershq.com which is a site aimed at providing a unique location for home stagers to get together to discuss major home staging industry news, trends and find out about new products.

More importantly, the site lets home stagers be found by the home sellers and real estate agents. The process allows someone looking for a home stager to go into the site, enter their location and find a home stager in their area. You sign up, get a profile page of your own (including the ability to write blogs, add a portfolio, join forums and promote your own website) and you are away.

While there is a cost for joining the site, it is so much cheaper than an ad in the local paper and less than a consultation for a home staging job. So if you only get three or four jobs form your listing, you are way in front.

We are now in on the site and loving the look and freedom the site gives.

Visit our Shift by Design landing page at homestagershq.com

Shift by Design home staging goes YouTube!

2010-02-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

Finally, Shift by Design has video online to enable clients to get a taste of what we do in the staging of vacant homes for sale.

These videos reflect the style that home stylists from Shift by Design prefer, light, uncluttered and modern even in older property.

The aim of the videos are to show that Shift by Design are more than just furniture rental/hire, we take great pleasure in making sure the home appeals and speaks to people rather than just having a bed plonked in the middle of the room.

A room has to talk to the buyer, engage them emotionally and tell them that they could live here.

Our rooms are always more about how the buyer will interact with the property and ensuring that a positive first impression is taken away after the inspection.

Have a look at the videos and let me know what you think.

Home staging results by Shift by Design

Items used in home staging

Detailed home staging

Cheers

Adam

Home staging of the Clayton's variety

2009-12-26T01:51:00.000-08:00

I recently submitted a post tin another forum in relation to the development of the home staging sub-industry of virtual staging.

Virtual staging is the Clayton's Home Staging, the home staging when you don't stage a home. It allows a home owner to have very specific photos taken of their home and then they can select from a range of furnishings and accessories which are then stylishly and digitally applied to the shots to use in marketing.

Don't get me wrong, I love what technology can offer us to make projects faster, more efficient and create better results for my clients. I think this technology is amazing and offers a great alternative to the client who may think that staging their vacant home this way is quick, simple and affordable.

Unfortunately though, this service is actually a disservice to home buyers.

Why? Well I am glad you asked (even if you didn't!).

Home buying is an emotional practice, we all know that. So you can imagine how a buyer FEELS when they look online and see the home of their dreams, gleaming with wondering fittings and furniture and ring the listing agent for an inspection. They turn up excited to see this warm glowing home that could be their next place of residence (that until now has been served up to them in hi-res photographic mastery) only to open the door to find a vacant, echoing and empty property.

What a kick in the ribs. There is nothing worse that creating an impression in a consumer's mind only to have it completely dashed in reality. That is a quick way to lose a sale and disappoint a prospective buyer.

The fact of the matter is a staged property provides the warmth that a buyer looks for. Even a badly laid out room is better than an empty one for the buyer to determine the scale and space in the home.

So while technology is a wonderful thing, it cannot replace some things that we humans need and want. Physically staging a property is the only true way to engage a buyer both in marketing and while inspecting the home.

Shift by Design are professional home stagers based in Hobart, Tasmania. We rent and hire furniture specifically to present property for sale.

Home stagers are personally removed from the sale

2009-10-01T04:26:00.000-07:00

I have only realised in the last few days that my own website was not looking as polished as it once was. It's a solid site that ranks well for my keywords but it wasn't until someone independent from my business recently reviewed the site and gave me constructive criticism that I realised what elements I was missing and the difference it made to users of my site.

While I am a home stager I also run a business called Shift Branding International which assists small business with search engine optimisation and usability on websites and it's not until you sometimes take a step back that you can see the bigger picture and what you are potentially missing out on.

It made me think that this is also reflected in selling a house. While you as the owner of the house are perfectly able to clean up and prepare a home for sale you will never see it the way a buyer does. Why? Because you have your owner blinkers on and you are too close to the home.

Getting a professional home stager or property stylist in to review your home does not suggest that your home is badly maintained and they are not out to criticise the style of your home or the way you live. A good home stager is looking for opportunities that you may not have seen to add more value to your home with the buyer.

Don't be frightened about having someone independent come through your home when you are thinking about selling. The property presenter is on your side and will help you achieve more in your sale, not pick faults with your furnishings.

So take that step back, take a deep breath and invite a home stager into your property if you are considering selling.

PS The Shift by Design website comments made to me recently where taken on board and implemented. Much like a staged home, I hope buyers now see extra value in the steps I have taken.

Is home staging taking off in Australia?

2009-08-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

The home staging industry is not a new one by any means, the concept has been alive and well in the United States and the United Kingdom for sometime where it is recognised as an important element in selling a home or property.

It is also heavily supported in these countries through the incredible hype that surrounds the many reality home maker shows dedicated to turning an undesirable property into something that buyers pay a premium for.

The home staging industry in Australia is getting more and more traction with home sellers through the likes of similar shows such as The Block and HomeMADE but we still don't seem to have the interest or understanding that home owners in the States or UK do.

It still seems that home sellers are reluctant to INVEST in the sale of their property when it could net them a better selling price and less time on the market. Home owners generally don't seem to recognise that their property should be reviewed from an independent buyer's perspective to identify many of the basic issues a property has at sale time that may cause a buyer to decide against purchasing.

A small investment in a home staging expert will have a dramatic affect on the way a buyer sees a property for sale. The buyer suddenly sees the positive aspects of the property and not the negatives. The buyer sees space, identifies rooms for their purpose and more importantly, starts to imagine themselves living in the property. Emotion is a key buying decision and if your property engages emotionally with the buyer, isn't that worth a small investment in property presentation or home staging?

Home staging is taking off in Australia, yes, but with more understanding of the benefits and with more positive results in relation to sales it will grow and develop even faster.

Shift by Design are Tasmania's leading home staging experts and can provide a comprehensive review of your property to help make as attractive to the widest buying audience. We can assist owner occupied homes or provide a furniture hire and styling service to those with vacant property.

Vacant home staging becomes more affordable

2009-08-13T02:54:00.000-07:00

Tasmanian home staging professionals, Shift by Design, recently introduced a new furniture hire package to assist Tasmanian's sell their home faster and for more.

Since the inception of the company in 2006, Shift by Design has constantly looked at the way its pricing is set to offer the most competitive product around. Now, Shift by Design introduce their 4 week furniture rental and property styling package to help those on a budget but recognise the importance of investing in their home at sale time.

Typically, most clients prefer an 8 week rental to allow for photos of the property, open homes, and time to get into local real estate guides and online.

However some clients really want to have their vacant home stylishly presented for sale for a shorter period in the hope it will sell within 4 weeks knowing that if it doesn't, they can extend the contract on a monthly basis.

This means a lower initial investment than a two month contract and gives the vendor greater flexibility in that they can continue to hire the furniture after the initial contract has expired.

For more information on the new pricing, contact adam@shiftbydesign.com.au for more information and a fact sheet on this package.

Home staging is not about knocking down walls

2009-07-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

The concept of home staging has been around for some time now. The concept started in the US and has over time spread to other corners of the world including Australia (and indeed Tasmania). While the concept is still largely in its infancy in Australia, it is an incredibly vital link in the chain of selling property.

In Australia, many home themed reality TV shows depict transformation of property in a day with a cast of what seems like thousands working on knocking out walls, repainting, gardening and generally rebuilding the property.

Home staging is not like that in reality. You cannot truly expect a client to spend massive sums of money on their property prior to sale? They are preparing to sell the home and move on so there is no value is massive renovations and massive spends that the seller is not going to be able to enjoy.

A professional home stager knows this. Instead of spending money on useless and irrelevant areas of the property, a good home stager manages to utilise largely what is already in the home, just better.

But how does a home seller find out what needs to be done in the property? Well engaging a home staging expert is the first step. A home stager will identify opportunities within the property to improve or exhibit to the buying public.

Home staging is not about covering up problems within the property, it is about showcasing the positive elements of the property so that buyers are lead to the amazing view, see the fact that there are three large and spacious bedrooms, notice the built ins and realise that their large sofa will fit in the lounge room if they were to buy the property.

Home staging is about creating warmth, emotion, connection and desire. And with desire comes action - buying the property.

If you are selling a home, you should engage a home stager, it's that simple. A small investment in contracting a home staging expert to come to your property could net you a faster sale or a better sale price. Now wouldn't that be nice?

Shift by Design home staging offer consulting services and comprehensive reviews of properties as well as furniture and accessory rental for vacant property in Tasmania, Australia.

5htei6u9br

Home staging no matter what the asking price!

2009-05-01T01:53:00.001-07:00

Property presentation or home staging is quite often seen as a luxury purchase when selling your home which has always bamboozled me. Why would you consider something that has a high likelihood of generating you additional income at sale time a purchase when clearly it is an investment??

An interesting thing happened to me recently and it flows on from my last post about lower priced property benefiting from home staging. The property we worked on had been vacant for some time, had some average offers and did not show particularly well.

Given the Shift by Design treatment the listing real estate agent was shocked (pleasantly) with the results and advised he was pretty much living at the property after it was relaunched on the market due to the amount of interest in inspecting the property.

It suddenly had three offers on it, one of them was more than $5000 over the modest asking price of $150,000. Everyone walks away happy.

So if you think home staging is for medium - upper range properties, think again, you could be doing you and your asking price a great injustice. And if you consider spending money on home staging an expensive proposition, perhaps you are missing out on your greatest investment opportunity in a long time...

Staging is not just for top end property

2009-04-18T03:10:00.000-07:00

When selling a home, most people think that the concept of home staging is a service only for top-end property.

The truth of the matter is that any property can benefit from either a property presentation review (which helps determine areas of the property can that can be improved or changed to create a more welcoming space for buyers) or having the property styled for sale if it is vacant.

Shift by Design recently styled a vacant property for sale in one of Hobart's outer suburbs. The property was a small two bedroom unit that would not normally be an ideal candidate for furniture rental for two main reasons, the asking price and the current finish on the property.

I this case, the client was advised the funds to be used for furniture rental would be better off used to recarpet and repaint the property. The latter was done in key areas and the client still felt strongly about having furniture in the property to display it properly.

Shift by Design installed two bedrooms and an open plan living and dining area and dramatically transformed the property from a dark and relatively uninviting home into a fresh and open space.

The client could not believe the results, she commented that it could not be the same property and the agent was pleasantly surprised with the difference the investment in furniture rental made. In fact, after listing the property online more than 500 hits on the website were registered and the agent suddenly had 8 interested parties to show the property to.

So regardless of the value of your property, home staging or home styling can add significant value to your property and in turn, the potential sale price of your property.

Contact Shift by Design for more details.

Home staging sells property

2009-03-06T01:33:00.000-08:00

Shift by Design were recently engaged to assist in the preparation of 2 properties in distinctly different markets and locations in the outer suburbs of Hobart in Tasmania.

The difference between these properties was that one was a more rural based property and the other was in a growing suburb 15 mins out of the city centre.

Interestingly enough, both homes had been for sale for some time and both had been vacant up until Shift by Design were engaged to style and stage the homes.

Both owners were looking to introduce something new into the equation and home staging was the ideal solution, what better way to engage the buyer and define the space in the property.

Using stock from Shift's extensive collection, each property was staged specific to the individual needs of both the home and the prospective home buyer. These are important considerations when staging a home for sale, as you only get one chance to make a positive first impression.

Both properties had only key areas of the home staged for sale, this meant the overall cost of the project was minimised yet the property look and feel was maximised. Keeping some rooms vacant will not hurt your selling chances, but staging key rooms such as the master bedroom, lounge room and dining room will make a huge difference to your buyers.

As was the case with both these home staging projects. After sitting on the market with no interest for some considerable time, both properties had multiple offers for contract within the first open home! A great result and proof that home staging is both cost effective and drives results.

While ideally a property would be staged prior to going onto the market, it also shows that home staging can be introduced with effect at any time of the selling cycle.

Shift by Design offer a full range of property presentation and home staging services to get your home or your listing ready for market. Call us for more details on how we can assist you sell your home faster and for potentially more money.

Vacant property = clean canvas for creativity

2009-02-16T16:02:00.000-08:00

The thing I enjoy most about staging vacant property for sale (and this is what we mainly do) is walking into that property for the first time and seeing either the challenge or the opportunity that lays before me.

I say challenge, because the properties a home stager visits are usually are normally the ones that either have been sitting around for a while or that prospective buyers are having trouble identifying with as there is no furniture and therefore no scale (or depth) to the rooms. They are no less saleable than any other property, they are neat but it's just that sometimes they are difficult to picture furniture in. That is good as they provide the home stager a challenge, and without this factor there would not be the satisfaction there is in our work.

The joy in my job is being able to assist buyers overcome this hurdle and identify the benefits of the property through stylish presentation and staging techniques.

Shift by Design recently worked on a lovely property with a terrific client that had a large open living space which was initially difficult to determine space for furnishings due to the placement of a woodheater, doors and the kitchen. We also had to work in the constraints of the existing wall and flooring colours as well as that of the kitchen benchtops. However the result was quite pleasing and we were able to keep the property neutral and functional and define the traffic paths for the home buyer:

Then there are other properties that have something obviously quite special to work with, timber floors for example, that provide you with a wonderful scheme to work with from the beginning. These properties have opportunity written all over them from the moment you walk in. You can see the furniture that picks up the floor boards, you can see the accessories that will highlight the wall colour and you can define room types in a single second. These properties are equally as rewarding as the challenges because your home staging skills lead you in the right direction within seconds of seeing the property.

Shift by Design worked on such a property recently that allowed us to produce a very neatly staged property on a budget that suited our client:

Either way, whether Shift by Design sees your project as a challenge (to sharpen our home staging skills further and provide your property a great new look) or as an opportunity (to showcase the our skills we have honed so well over time and deliver a fresh looking property for sale) we look forward to being able to assist you with your project.

Presenting property through home staging

2008-12-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

With the current Australian real estate market heading into lower interest rates than we have experienced in the last 18 months and greater hesitation to spend due to economic uncertainty, it makes sense to ensure your home is properly presented should you need to list your property in the current market.

With less people looking to purchase and concern from vendors that they will not get what they feel their property is worth, then home owners really should take advantage of the services of a home stager to maximise their home sale potential.

Home stagers will review the property and provide cost effective solutions on how to improve the overall look and feel of the property. And why is this so important? Well, the way a property presents will affect the level of engagement the property has with the buyer. A badly presented property will reduce the emotional connection a buyer needs to commit to the purchase. The old saying that first impressions are everything seems to be tailored for those selling their home so why risk your sale through not having a professional review your property prior to listing?

The cost of engaging a home stager to review your property will be far less than a drop on the asking price for the home and will give the property a new lease of life which both agents and buyers will appreciate.

It makes financial sense to invest a small amount of money in your home at sale time in order to present it to the widest posible buying audience in the best condition. With summer upon us it is imperative that a property be presented as well as possible as it is the best time to sell.

Shift by Design can assist with all facets of home staging from walk through property reports to hiring of furniture and accessories to style vacant property for sale.

Visit our website for more information at www.shiftbydesign.com.au/homestaging

Home staging provides this resource to home sellers in Hobart, Tasmania

It takes time to set the stage

2008-10-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of people question me in relation to the time it takes to stage a vacant home for sale. Why does it take so long to complete this service? Why should I pay you to do this when I am renting your stock?

The answer to this is that getting it right takes time. Getting all the rental furniture stock into a property takes time and then in many instances you have to build it (beds, dining tables, occasional furniture). Building a bed can take two people 30-45 mins alone and if you are doing a 3 bedroom home, triple this time. Then there is the ironing of the linen. Again, consider how long it takes to iron a queen or king quilt cover, then times that by the number of rooms being installed.

How about artwork? Artwork is key to setting the mood in any property but you have to measure up, you have to find centre on the wall. Now how high does it need to be? What is the drop on the back? Is there a multiple set of artwork to be hung? What is the spacing?

Even when all this is done there is still the positioning of the furniture, the staging of the accessories, creating traffic paths to enhance the engagement of the buyer to maximise their exposure to the postive selling aspects of the property. All vital in the home staging of any property.

Then finally after all this is done and the property is looking a million dollars there is the tidy up, the packing up and the dropping off of excess items to the warehouse to be entered back into inventory.

The process is lengthy, but it is needed in order to get the final picture that creates that all important first impression, the "buy me" attribute that home buyers are looking for in their next property.

Shift by Design specialise in presenting vacant property for sale through furniture and accessory hire. We can transform your property and help buyers appreciate and understand the space and dimension in your property.

For more information on home staging, property presentation or home makeovers in Tasmania, visit our website at www.shiftbydesign.com.au.

Home staging - when is too much, too much?

2008-07-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Being a home stager of vacant and occupied properties means knowing when to either continue adding items to the property to ensure it looks lived in, without looking contrived or to cease accessorising for fear of over-doing it. Seriously, how many times have you seen photos in real estate guides (printed or online) with wine glasses propped up on the corner of the bed on a silver serving tray? Does anyone actually do that in reality as part of their everyday life? I don't think so.

One of the things a professional home stager must identify in their work is when enough is enough. Our main goal in presenting property to home buyers is to ensure they see the property, home or house OVER the contents. We aim to highlight the benefits of the property, the key selling areas of the home that the buyer will recall and have emotional involvement with in order to generate the sale of a home.

A home stager must identify what will suit the property and determine what the audience viewing that particular home will interest them through furnishings, artwork and accessories. But it is not just the items that are put into the home that assists it to sell, it is the way that they are placed to provide clear definition of rooms, traffic zones and scale that really count.

After all, there is no point having a magnificent view over a city or coast line when large sofas or plants are pushed hard up against the glass restricting visual access. This limits the property's selling potential and affects the way the buyer engages with the property.

The joy about working with Australian (and in particular, Tasmanian) properties in preparing them for sale is that generally the less is more mantra can be clearly adhered to. Allowing the property to shine in natural light or making the most of the panaramic views should be a priority.

These are the priciples that Tasmanian home staging and property presentation company Shift by Design follow. We aim to showcase properties for sale in the best possible light, without the contents being overwhelming or not reflecting the lifestyle the property will present its new owners. We simplify, not crowd your property to make it feel like a home.

If you need assistance preparing your property for sale or need rental furniture for your vacant property for sale visit the Shift by Design website for more details. Shift by Design can create a space potential home owners want to be in your home.

Stage to sell your property now!

2008-06-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

With winter upon us and interest rates up, now is the time to get the jump on the real estate market and have your property presented for sale.

Having your home, rental property or display home styled will give you a marketing edge over the competion by creating a space buyers want to be in and own.

A well presented home is more likely to sell faster and for more than a property that is not presented. It also attracts more buyers to inspections and generally creates a lot more interest.

If you are considering selling your home in Tasmania (or your home is on the market and not attracting attention), why not discuss your options with Shift by Design - the property presenters.

Visit our website at http://www.shiftbydesign.com.au/ for more information.

How much furniture is too much?

2008-06-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

This is the age old question for the home stager or property stylist. How much furniture and how many accessories will the property take before these items become the feature and not the house?

When furnishing a property for sale, it is important to know just how much to put in the house so that the furniture does not become the prominent feature in the home.

Staging a home means putting selected pieces in that compliment the home and showcase the features of the property in the best possible light, after all, this is what the buyers are purchasing. Over dressing a property takes the attention away from the home and focusses the buyer on how the property is styled which is not the aim.

Texture, tone, pattern and colour all add to the experience for the buyer when inspecting a home and assists create the emotional link with the buyer so creating a welcoming space is vitally important.

At Shift by Design, we create spaces that are defined and complimentary to to the property without being over the top. If you need assistance styling your property for sale or furnishing a vacant property, call Shift by Design - the property presenters.

Visit the Shift by Design website at http://www.shiftbydesign.com.au/

Images really do say a thousand words

2008-05-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

We are all largely visual people. We process information based on what we see and make instant decisions on the basis of these images.

Preparing a house ready for sale is no different. The process of staging a home for sale means ensuring all the elements are in place (and that nothing is out of place!) and that the mental picture that potential buyers take away with them is something that emotionally convinces them to purchase your property...that is of course based on the fact you get people to the property.

Well, what stops people from inspecting a property? One thing that is vital in the marketing of your property for sale is the way your home is presented to the buying public. By this I mean how it is visually presented to those looking for property online or in the local real estate guide. The image of your property, whether it be an internal shot or an external shot, needs to be clear, an accurate representation of the property and focussed on a key selling proposition for the property. If the property has a view, incorporate some of the room that looks out onto the view in the photo. If the room has little natural light, ensure the blinds are all the way back or up. Buyers are sceptical of some photos that do not accurately show the property, especially when they inspect the property and cannot see what has been presented to them in the marketing.
The last thing a buyer wants is to have to climb a ten rung ladder like the photographer did to get that view of the river!

A lot of agents now engage professional photographers and this is good as the images are clean, crisp and generally focus on an interesting feature of the property. However if your agent is happy to take shots of your kitchen when the dishes are piled high (don't laugh, it happens!) and use these in your marketing campaign, don't be surprised if there are no enquiries (you should also question your agent if they are prepared to print these images or post them online).

A picture does say a thousand words, and it is the hook that draws buyers into your property when you are selling.

All projects completed by Shift by Design have high quality photos taken the minute the project is complete. It is the fresh approach that allows us to capture the moment and ensure that the images you use in your marketing reflect the property accurately.

For more information on property presentation tools to assist you sell your home, visit the Shift by Design website at http://www.shiftbydesign.com.au/.

Builders - do you stage your spec or display home??

2008-05-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

Whether you are a builder, project manager or owner builder it makes sense to ensure you make your property as attractive as possible to perspective buyers when the time comes to list the property for sale.

You put time and effort into building the property (or even a series of properties in the one location) and so it adds up that if you are to get the best price for the property, you need to ensure it presents as well as possible.

With home buyers being more selective about the types of property they would consider buying to turn into their new home, builders need to look beyond getting the property to lock up and selling stage. They need to consider the emotions of the people inspecting the home when it is on the market, their needs and lifestyle aspirations and how they will function in the property once they commit to buying.

Shift by Design gives builders that edge through transforming your building into a home. Shift by Design are specialists in creating a lived in and warm feel to vacant properties in Tasmania. We use quality furnishings to style the property in the mood it was intended so that buyers can see how they would live and use their furniture in the property.

We can assist builders get the most value out of their marketing efforts by providing a display home instead of merely a vacant shell of a building, creating emotion and mood in the property for inspection. This is of particular benefit if you have built a series of villas or apartments on the one parcel of land. Having one of these properties styled for sale helps people visualise what the other properties could look like.

Shift by Design has flexible rental terms on everything from bedroom and loungeroom furniture through to rugs, linen, lamps and prop TVs! We can turn your property into someone's dream.

We can even provide paint colour recommendations for interiors and exteriors, provide assistance with the selction of tiles, benchtops, carpet colouring and textures and more should you need the help.

For more information on Shift by Design visit our website at http://www.shiftbydesign.com.au/

Should I stage the whole house or just key rooms?

2008-02-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

When home staging is used effectively to present a property, you can certainly increase your selling potential in relation to time and money.

But should your investment in home staging be the whole house or just key rooms? Well this largely depends on whether the property is currently being lived in or is vacant.

A lived in property for sale needs to maintain the look and feel of the home and therefore each and everyroom needs to be furnished and styled appropriately. The home needs to showcase the application for each and everyone of the rooms so that the buyer can see the room definition and use.

While the same can be said for a vacant home to be staged, buyers are savvy enough to realise when a home is lived in and when it has rental furniture in it (empty cupboards are a dead giveaway!). In a vacant property it is more important to cover the key rooms such as living spaces, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. These rooms have the highest emotional attachment and therefore should the 'hero' rooms to assist in selling your home.

Either property type, a well presented property will always be seen more favourably by buyers who prefer to purchase and move into a property that requires less work.

Shift by Design specialise in the preparation of both lived in and vacant properties for sale. Our property presentation services cover the inside and outside and provide creative solutions to attracting the widest possible audience to your property.

Visit our website at http://www.shiftbydesign.com.au/ for more information and contact details.

Can you stage a property yourself?

2008-01-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

The answer to this question is of course you can. A property can be tidied and reviewed by the property owner and even your agent in order to be ready for sale.

But in doing this, are you effectively covering the whole property? Are you seeing the property from a buyer perspective? Will the fact that you have lived in the property for some time blind you from seeing the obvious issues?

Preparing and staging a home is not as simple as people first expect. There are plenty of traps to fall into and there is often a great deal of time that needs to be dedicated to the process.

Cleaning, gardening, painting and even furniture all need to be reviewed and where appropriate, the right suppliers bought in to correct if sellers are short on time.

A professional home stager will provide all these resources and the skills to complete the work in the minimal amount of time and cost. This is vitally important when you consider how short a period of time you have from the moment you decide to sell a property to when it is actually on the market. Do you have the free time in your busy lifestyle to stage and prepare your home in one to two weeks?

Investing in home staging will have a positive effect on you, your agent and how the buyer perceives your property and should always be considered prior to listing, and more importantly, prior to considering a price drop on your property.

Shift by Design offer home sellers everything they need to prepare their home for sale. For more information on Shift by Design's services visit our site at www.shiftbydesign.com.au

Will the costs of staging be expensive?

2007-11-29T02:09:00.001-08:00

I recently had a leading Hobart agent (who happened to be engaging my services for the first time) ask me about the value he would be getting for contracting me to stage his brand new vacant property. It was a beautiful location, quality fit out and finish but in order to truly display the potential of this property, staging was the way to go.

It is a good and fair question I think. This agent who had never dealt with me before was suddenly trusting me with his property to present it to the market as a quality home of distinction. Not only that, but he (like all my clients) was paying in advance to secure the rental goods. What would his money get? Would it be quality furnishings? Would the end result reflect his wishes for the property? It is hard to allow someone into your property to complete work on your behalf when you cannot really gauge the end result.

At the end of the day it comes down to trusting the stager and knowing they know what they are doing.

In valuing the worth of staging it is important to understand the costs associated with staging covers many different elements, especially in a vacant property where all you have to work with is the walls and windows. The costs cover the furniture, the rugs, the lamps, the linen, the pillows, the artwork and all the decorative accessories that make a home a home. Add to this the time it takes to select the right pieces for an individual property (as no properties are alike in any form or way) and then prepare them for transport to the site (plus the transport and hauling of heavy sofas and dining tables). The installation of the property takes considerable time. Despite some military like pre-planning to get a job just right even before arriving at the property, often plans need to change on-site. And once you are at the property you can be confronted with mess, furniture that was requested to be removed and many more obsticles that you need to work around. Then, once this is all sorted you need to measure up walls for artwork, you need to iron linen for multiple beds and then set and style each room to ensure it looks the best it can.

The work does not stop there. Once the rental period is over the stock must be packed away, transported, unpacked, cleaned and prepared for entry back into inventory in readiness for its next usage.

So although there appears to be a price involved in having your home or property staged, keep in mind the effort that goes into making a property look its best. And remember, the amount paid to a stager is an INVESTMENT in the sale price of your property.

Shift by Design ensure that all projects undertaken are priced accurately and fairly for the work and inventory required. We don't waste money by advising clients to install items not needed and keep installation costs to a minimum. For more information on property presentation or to arrange an inspection of your property visit www.shiftbydesign.com.au

Drive-by home staging

2007-10-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

While working on bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms in a property for sale is key for a home stager in presenting a property, the most important element of the home is quite often neglected as part of the preparation. Clients and buyers like to see a nicely made bed, or perhaps a nice sofa that has been hired for the sale process, but home staging and property presentation is so much more than that.

The art of home staging is all about first impressions, and where does the first, first impression occur? The front yard. This vital piece of real estate is where you can win or lose a prospective buyer and if it is not right or does not convey the right message, all the internal home staging work in the world is not going to get the buyer back for a second look, particularly if they are only doing an initial drive-by. Curb appeal in any property for sale is a MUST.

Lawns must be cut, overgrown trees must be pruned and tidied, paths must be clutter free and easily accessed and gardens beds weeded and mulched.

The front of the home needs to be carefully reviewed too. Are there loose bricks, rotten timberwork, inoperative doorbells or cracked glass in the windows? A buyer looks for these issues and mentally calculates what it will cost to replace should they decide to buy. Then, typically, they multiply that cost by two to be safe and then look for that figure off the asking price.

Worst still, if the buyer is making these calculations and looking for issues with the property prior to getting to the front door, imagine what they will find when they enter the house and the dollar value they will tally up inside the property.

Yes this process is time consuming to correct if you work all week and have limited time of a weekend, but this is where Shift by Design can assist. Shift by Design are specialists in preparing property for sale in the Hobart, Tasmania market and can provide cost effective creative solutions to assist you sell your home faster and for a better price. We review property from a buyer perspective and as such see the issues that will put buyers off. A small investment in property presentation may save you thousands in a price drop.

Is staging a home subjective?

2007-10-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

It is an interesting experience being a property presenter (or home stager) in that you can encounter some negative feedback from people who have never used your services. I recently heard 2nd hand comments from an agent who had advised their vendor not to consider staging a property as the process was 'too subjective' and really only reflected the ideas of one person.

This raises an interesting point. Having your home evaluated for sale by a home stager IS a subjective practice. It is the review of one property by one person. So in that case, how does the home stager know what the buying audience is actually looking for? Well, I would suggest experience, training, knowledge of home types and the fact that as a stager, I am independant of that property as some pretty good reasons. I have no emotional link to the property other than to see it presented in the best possible light.

It is also knowing what the buying audience is NOT looking for in a property. How many times have you seen property listings in the real estate guide or online where you struggle to see the carpet for the boxes packed up on it, or the kitchen counter colour is hidden due to last night's dishes being piled up waiting to be done. While these are easily sorted, it is the issue of funiture layout, the quantity of furniture and the amount of knick-knacks that go with it that people cannot see past.

Buyers struggle to determine the use for any given room in a property unless it is clearly defined. As they walk around the property viewing what could be their potential home they need emotional involvement. Defining the property and the way it is presented is what stagers do, it is what they know. They use their skills to create emotional involvement for potential buyers and to make the process of selling a home easier for the agent.

So is the process of professionally preparing a home and staging it subjective? Yes. But that subjective opinion is just as professional as that of a doctor or a lawyer as we offer insight into making the most of the marketing of a home at sale time.

Shift by Design offer full property presentation and home staging service to the greater Hobart area (Tasmania, Australia) and can assist with the preparation of occupied homes, or professionally staged vacant apartments or homes with their own stock of rental furniture and accessories.

Visit the Shift by Design website for more information

Why property presentation?

2007-09-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

Property presentation is a growing industry in the United States and is rapidly gaining momentum in the larger capital cities of Australia. More commonly referred to as 'Home Staging', property presentation is all about increasing the visual benefits of a given property and to make it more attractive to a larger buying audience.

Property presentation provides the vendor an opportunity to make their home stand out from the crowd, to have it looking its very best and to attract the right buyer.
A better presented property will always make the home buyer feel more comfortable and give a better impression right from the start. In some cases, it may reduce the chance of price negotiation which means your property sells for a greater price.

Most people when selling their homes have an expectation of price which they have researched based on similar homes which have sold in the neighbourhood. But is your property really ready for makret? Does it have that wow factor that will convince a potential buyer to sign on the dotted line?

Shift by Design are specialists in the area of property presentation and interior redesign. We are experienced at preparing properties for market and ensuring all of the key features of your property are properly presented.
Shift by Design can also arrange furniture rental, accessory hire, project manage contractors and assist in installing and making changes within your home.

Visit the Shift by Design website for more information.

New rental furniture stock arrives in Hobart

2007-09-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Shift by Design, Tasmania's leading specialist in property presentation and home staging services, has received its new range of rental furniture direct from the recent Furnitex expo showcasing the emerging trends in furniture design from around Australia and the world.

"Shift by Design is pleased to be at the forefront of providing innovative and quality furniture to assist Tasmanian vendors prepare their property for sale and gain the best price they can for their property" said Director, Adam Luttrell.

"We have chosen a contemporary range that will suit homes across the board, but will look particularly stunning in a vacant property for sale."

"Short term furniture rental is a difficult commodity to obtain in Tasmania and this is where Shift by Design hope to assist home sellers, real estate agents, landlords and property developers."

In addition to our existing service offering including property aesthetic reviews, project mangement for contractor services such as gardeners and painters and accessory rental Shift by Design hope the addition of their new stock will make the process of selling a home in Tasmania a less stressful process for the vendor.

For more information on the full range of services Shift by Design offer visit http://www.shiftbydesign.com.au/

Selling homes in Hobart

2007-09-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Shift by Design were contacted by Kerry and John of Sandy Bay in Tasmania to assist them review their home for ways to improve the overall look and feel to potential buyers. Kerry advised that the property had been on the market for some months but had not generated any real interest much to her frustration. After reviewing the property Shift by Design submitted our findings for their property in order to present it to buyers in its best light.

Both Kerry and John were very receptive to the ideas and could see the potential and contracted Shift by Design to complete the install and arrange accessory and furniture hire. While this work was underway, the owners decided to take the property off the market during the makeover to ensure everything was ready next time a buyer walked through the door.

The property was a great base to work from as it was well maintained and with some decluttering, fresh paint, hired furniture and some accent accessories such as rugs, vases and fresh linen the property came alive.

With some hard work by the owners to complete the list of required jobs and Shift by Design's eye for what was required the property it was soon back on the market.

After only one week back on the market the property was sold. A great result for both the owners and Shift by Design.

See Kerry and John's testimonial and before/after shots at http://www.shiftbydesign.com.au/portfolio_testimonials.html

Welcome to the Shift by Design blog

2007-09-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, Shift by Design has a blog. This is where news and success stories will be shared for all to read.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Adam Luttrell and with my partner, Donielle, we have set to create Tasmania's leading Property Presentation service providing home sellers, landlords, property developers and real estate agents a method to showcase their properties in the best possible light.

The services Shift by Design offer the market are:

property presentation consultations (home staging)
installation and property styling (creating the right look and feel in your home)
furniture rental
accessory rental
contractor project management (gardeners, painters, electricians etc)
renovation project management
open home styling

This service is cost effective and represents a small investment in the selling price of your property.

For leading advice and quality service delivery, discuss your property presentation requirements with Shift by Design - the property presenters.