Listen first

How to listen

Listening is part of my genetic makeup. Sure there are times my family will say that I am not listening to them but that is not who I am. According to the Myers-Briggs test, http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp I am introvert, introverts are listeners. Of the 4 metrics on the MB gauge my strongest trait is the Introverted trait. It does not necessarily mean I am shy; most people would not say that about me. However, it does imply that I get energy from within and am a good listener and like to listen.

I see this manifest itself in my daily relationships and communication. In meetings and class rooms I am the one taking notes and listening intently and soaking up all the information I can. Letting my mind understand and listen to what the speaker is trying to say. Once I have all the data then I respond, many times with another question or re-statement of what I heard.

lis·ten

Lis (a) n /

take notice of and act on what someone says; respond to advice or a request

Why does this matter? In our business we need to understand the wants and needs of our clients. We need to spend the time to get to know someone at a personal level and not assume anything. At Sell or Dwell? we take the time upfront to get to what is important and why. We don’t just jump in the car and see a bunch of houses right away. We want to know your goals, location, financial situation, style preference and timeline. By listening we can understand.

We care about you and where you will make your home. We want to think through the whole process and get to the best result. Because if we do, you will refer us to others and we are NEVER too busy to listen to one of your referrals.

What are your real estate goals? Do you need to Stage to Sell or Style to Dwell in your home? Give us a call, you might do a lot of talking because we are listening. 

Home Styling and the 80/20 Rule!

Like many of you, I love the "before and after" on HGTV. The smiles (and sometimes tears of joy!) from the homeowners when they arrive home and poof their home has been magically transformed! If only it could be that simple in real life!

Most of our customers have realistic
budgets and timelines!

Often we do one day make overs. But, we work in the real world!

Yes, the home is transformed when the customer returns from work that evening! However, all the work is often not done in just one day. The most successful re-designs require up front communication with the customer, at least one visit beforehand to measure and take photos of each room and of course shopping for home decor. The actual decorating can often be done in one day - but, it's not HGTV magic, we've done our homework! 

A few years ago, we came up with the idea of applying the "80/20 Rule" to working with customers who wanted to re-design their home. By using at least 80% of the customer's existing furniture, art and accessories accomplishing the "one day makeover" is much more achievable both in terms of time frame and even more importantly budget!

Decorating your home does NOT mean throwing everything you own out the window! 

Remember, you bought that piece of furniture, lamp or picture because you loved it. Why not use it? But, allow someone else with an objective viewpoint to help breath new life into your home!

The "new 20%" can help you fall
back in love with the "old 80%!"

Happy Styling!

Adrienne

 

What's Behind Door #1?

When you're selling your home, put yourself into the buyer's shoes and open your front door. What do you see? Is it cluttered and overflowing with "stuff?" Or, is it sparse and missing furniture? It should be neither!

Each room in your home should have a clear definition of the intended use. This might seem like a "no brainer!" However, with today's open concept floorplans - it can be trickier than you think.

"Potential buyers remember the first thing and the last thing they see in your home."

Recently when hosting an open house in Durbin Crossing (St. Johns, FL), upon opening the front door and entering the mostly unfurnished living/dining room, potential buyers kept asking the same thing: "so, what is this room supposed to be?" I literally heard some form of that question at least five times. I realized, a change needed to be made - pronto!

"If a buyer doesn't know the purpose and function of the room -

they can't envision themselves living in it!"

When a home is completely or even partially vacant/unfurnished, room definition can be an issue. In this home, fortunately, the solution was simple! By bringing in a few pieces of furniture from other rooms (in particular a dining table!), we were able to quickly define the space. The buyer's attention is no longer spent on solving the puzzle of: "what's this room for?" The buyer can now start picturing what their own furniture might look like in the room. Once a buyer starts thinking of their own "stuff" in a home, the emotional connection begins!

Staging does not have to be a time-consuming or expensive endeavor. This particular room was transformed in less than an hour using only the homeowners' furntiure, art and accessories.

"A well-staged room tells the buyer a story."

Until next time, Happy Staging!

Adrienne