Whether you’re designing a home you will love to live in or one you hope to sell for a profit, it’s important to understand the difference between trendy design, “on-trend” design, and timeless design. After all, money is involved! If you’re investing in your home, you want that investment to pay off down the road… no matter how far down the road it may be.
To help you make smart designs when it comes to designing and decorating your home, let’s talk about the difference between the three and how to spot them. Can you guess which are which?
A design is considered trendy when what is in front of your face at the big box stores somehow also makes it into your home. This could apply to the fixed elements of your home and the furnishings. Within a season or two, those styles are likely to disappear and be replaced by the next “latest and greatest” thing.
To me, choosing to decorate with trendy designs is kinda like buying trendy clothes. Although they may get worn with love pretty regularly for a few weeks or months, they’ll slowly trickle to the back of your closet where you probably won’t see them again until your next purge. You’ll say, “I forgot about this dress. I used to love it!” and into the donation bin it will go. (Ladies, are you with me on this one?)
What would I consider trendy in home design right now? Great question. Here’s what I have been seeing:
Gray everything, especially as it relates to new builds. Although this style has lasted for a while now, I would call it a trend because it’s no longer here to stay. Although gray has had quite a long run, the design industry as a whole is shifting away from the gray trend and moving into more warm neutrals and color. This shift had already started before COVID, and I suspect that pandemic living has us all craving more warm tones in our lives and a little less of the cold, medical feeling of grays. How about you?
Another trend in home design is a focus on outdoor living. The need for outdoor space in general has risen since millennials entered the housing market, as millennials are more likely to own pets. However, with the onset of COVID more than a year ago, there has been a growing need for livable spaces outside, not just space for four-legged family members to roam. When pandemic becomes a thing of the past (fingers crossed), I suspect our need for outdoor living will decrease again.
Large 12” x 24” tiles. This one is a small mystery to me because it does not look good. I have a feeling that people assume the bigger the tile, the less grout, and the less cleaning necessary. But when you put jumbo-scale tile in a small space, it feels off. The space looks smaller. And let’s be honest, you still have to clean it anyway. This is a trend I hope passes soon! If you must have large tiles, go for a neutral in 12” x 12”. Much safer bet.
Two home offices within a residence. Again, COVID inspired this one (I can tell you from personal experience that two offices is a blessing when you and your partner both work from home!) However, I don’t think this trend will last forever, as it isn’t entirely practical.
On-trend means that it’s largely in demand in the industry and is lasting longer than a season or two. Most on-trend design is likely to stick around for 10-15 years (gray used to be on-trend). You could even think of it as “modern-day” design, because it’s what is supporting our way of life and taste as a society in the current times. In some cases, these on-trend preferences exist because it was forecasted by “design and build” experts, or because they are following the demands of daily life.
If we continue our fashion comparison, on-trend design is like high-waisted vs. low-waisted pants. Depending on when you were born, I bet you remember the transition from high-waisted pants to low-rise jeans and back to cuts with high waists. They each lasted for at least a decade or more, and when they were in, they would have been considered “on-trend.”
Light natural wood finishes in flooring and furnishings. This one walks the line between trendy and on-trend, but it’s definitely a phase. I find it way too taste specific, but it looks good for a time. I like the idea of light wood tone flooring that’s in a flat finish but that is it. This will be around for a long time, as in for the next 10-15 years.
Colorful kitchen design. I know this sounds like it would be a trend, but to me, color is always in style and on trend. Even during this past Parisian Grey trend (everything is gray, aka BLAH), what has prevailed is pretty color done right and in the right doses.
Kitchens as a gathering place. On-trend home design can also be seen in the way we use our spaces. In the last couple decades, the kitchen has shifted away from being just a place to cook and shifted toward a place where the family gathers and spends time together. This means islands with seating and open concept spaces have seen a rise in popularity and will continue to do so.
Timeless design is something with eternal good taste. For example, you could compare those trendy or on-trend clothes to your little black dress, Audrey Hepbern style, that you bought 15 years ago. To this day, every time you wear it you feel like a million dollars, because it looks just as pretty and just as classic as it did back then. One decade. Two. Three. That black dress is never going out of style. THAT’s a timeless piece.
Subway tile. Subway tile has never been, nor will ever be, dated. It is a timeless classic that can be done in so many ways, just like that little black dress getting dressed up or down with the occasion.
Pretty mosaic tile in fun colors and shapes, such as hexagon, herringbone, etc. is timeless. It has existed in design for centuries (from East to West), and I’m confident it will continue to play a role in design for the next several centuries, too.
White kitchens. Like that little black dress, they never go out of style. There is a way to do a classic white kitchen the right way (again, dressed up or down depending on the occasion), and you don’t have to pair it with gray backsplash and or gray countertops. Check out my portfolio to see what I mean!
Okay, you’re now an expert at spotting the trends, the design phases, and the timeless classics. But which ones belong in your home? And where? My philosophy in design is the same as my philosophy in clothing...
Step 1: Classic pieces for the main, foundational items. These are your fixed elements like flooring, cabinets, countertops, backsplashes, fireplaces, and vanities.
Step 2: Then, make it fun and current with on-trend (not “trendy”) accessories, shoes, and jewelry — in other words, the decorative touches on your home. This could include lighting, drapery, and decor.
Step 3: If you really love certain trendy designs (and your home is for you, not for resale), you can mix in a couple as accessories, such as art or decor. Just be wary of adding in anything that requires physical installation, like lighting or drapery, as it is difficult to swap out.
That’s it! This is the perfect mix that never fails. Your home (and you) look great all the time, and your bank account will thank you. If you need more advice on renovating your home, sign up to receive my Guide to a Stress-Free Renovation below!
Oh and by the way, once you are done with a classic and timeless design or renovation, go ahead and book that vacation. After all, life is meant to be enjoyed; it's all about experiences surrounding your loved ones, is it not? 😉
Yours,
Keti
Welcome to my house! Long ago, I had a dream of building and designing my own home. I spent years designing and elevating builder-grade homes for clients, picking out timeless yet on-trend materials for flips, and seeing every type of home the Dallas market had to offer. As I did, I narrowed down my list of must-haves — and I was convinced that building from scratch was the way to go.
When the timing was finally right to design my own home, I was ready. I imagined...
That's it. Not too much to ask, right? 😉
Once I knew what I wanted, I had to consider how I would go about getting it built. You're probably thinking, "Hire a builder, Keti!" True, but the first thing you should know is that there are actually 3 types of builders out there...
1. "Truck-Type Builders"
The first type are the run around “truck-type” builders. You want to stay away from this type of builder. Run the other way, even. Period. Nothing good can come of it.
2. "Spec Builders"
The second type of builder are the “Spec Builders." These guys will give you the custom house of your dreams with all the bells and whistles. Naturally, they cost more and the process is more lengthy. If you are in a hurry to get into a home (or your budget is tight), this might not be the ideal option for you.
The other thing to watch out for... some of them may have a designer on their team who is really good. Some don't. You will want to research their work first. Designers that work in-house with builders have a tendency to over-personalize the fixed elements in the home and specify what's trendy.
Why is this not a great idea? Well, it means that you are spending more money now and getting less equity in the long run, when you are about to sell. Plus, in a few years, if not months down the road, your home will look dated, and it has therefore lost property value as well.
My suggestion is to either make sure their designer will be able to design a timeless home for you OR hire your own designer, one who knows trends, can distinguish between what's on trend (current) and what's trendy, and is able to select all the fixed elements in the home. That way, you will end up with a beautiful home, that’s timely yet classic and will stand the test of time.
P.S. If you're knew to the blog, you should know that this is always my mission when I design any space! If you're a blog regular, well... you've heard it all before. 😉
3. Production Builder
The third type of builder is a production builder. They are similar to Spec Builders, but they build homes in larger development communities. This means that there is less room for customization, since the home will need to fit the neighborhood's aesthetic.
You better believe the truck-type builders did not make it on the short list. Initially, I also nixed the idea of buying from a production builder, mainly because I love renovating homes and thought I would go that route. Having done it so many times for clients, I was confident I could also do it for myself.
However, I just could not find the right house to renovate. I looked and looked, but nothing popped up that really felt like it could be home. Then, I discovered that a local production builder was building in my desired area, so I had to reconsider. What swung my decision their direction was their reputation: this builder in particular is known for being efficient with their process and for the quality and energy efficiency of their homes.
Even with the design restrictions, I figured, "I will use my tricks of the trade to still get the custom home I want... within their scope of their elevation, floor plan, material selections and finishes, of course."
So I did! Ready to see how it turned out? And how I elevated builder-grade products to a home that feels fresh, custom, and personal? Come take a look!
Okay, here is what our fireplace looked like when we got the keys...
A corner fireplace was not my first choice. In general, it's always a very tricky configuration to work with, but in this case, I had no choice. With the square footage limitations, it was either "Baby in the corner" or "Baby not in the room at all."
Also, if you're wondering why it looks so plain, that's because the builder would not do any custom work. They would only install one of their templated designs... and honestly, I didn't like any of them. I knew that I would just end up ripping out what they put in, so I saved myself the trouble and had them install the bare minimum. No surround... no mantel... just a blank slate.
Here's what I did with it...
SO MUCH BETTER. I designed it with a tile pattern I love, and my very talented team of trades brought my vision to life. Of course, adding cozy furnishings and plenty of space for seating (I have a big family who likes to visit) makes it feel warm and like home.
Alright, let's move on to the bathroom...
Okay, here's the thing to know about builder bathrooms. They are be-hind. Like, WAY behind. While interior designers are ripping out platform tubs left and right in favor of free-standing tubs, builders keep putting them into new homes. It baffles me.
In fact, I can show you exactly what I mean. I was in Florida recently, touring a brand new house that builder just finished and put on the market... and there's a platform tub and '90s Tuscan tile. Shield my eyes!!
You get the idea. The designer in me is absolutely cringing knowing that the future homeowners are buying something that is already dated. Ouch. Anywayyyy, back to my story. Luckily, I was able to convince my builders that the platform tub was a dealbreaker.
They were kind enough to accommodate me by switching up the floor plan to my liking and installing a free-standing tub. Here's how it turned out:
Not a bad starting point. After my team and I put a bit of magic into it — new lighting, mirrors, decor, etc. — here is my master bathroom now...
Best part? (Other than getting to enjoy this space, that is.) I did not break the bank. Now you tell me, which bathroom do you see yourself getting ready each morning??
Pro Tip: By the way, don’t ever let your builder convince you to skip the tub in favor of a caved-in, walk-in shower. In move-up and luxury homes, a tub is an absolute must!
Yes, we did get the office spaces we wanted. Of course, they started as four white walls and that was it. After it was turned over to me, I designed all the built-ins in the house and my carpenters worked their magic.
Here is a little sneak peak of my hubby's home office. He is averse to sharing his space with others, so I will only let you see a bit of what goes on in there. 😉
And here is where I work and make design magic happen... plus relax and watch some TV when the time is there.
Cozy. Fresh. Bright. Timeless!
I love my home. It’s functional. It’s beautiful. It's on-trend and timely, and I don’t foresee it going out of style any time soon. We scored big! ...and I haven't even shown you the kitchen and dining room yet! But I'll save those for another day. 😉
Until then, download my renovation guide below or reach out to me here to get some help designing your comfortable, livable, and sophisticated home.
— Keti
You’ve been browsing through Architectural Digest, Pinterest, or Instagram, and you’re finally ready to embark on a decorating process to create a home filled with beauty, joy, and pride. You have your inspiration board saved, but you know there are too many details for you to create the home yourself…
How do you choose between a thousand choices for a single item, like a lamp, a rug, or a table? How do you know which pieces of furniture are worth the investment? How do you create a cohesive design that really works together in style and color? How do you also make sure that your home is going to stand up to your day-to-day life?
Designing a home is not nearly as simple as it looks. There are so many details to factor in, including your unique personality and how you will use the space. This is where an interior designer comes in.
We can work together to bring you clarity and support to the design process — and ensure an end result that you will be thrilled to come home to every day. Today, I’m sharing my personal design process (and why it’s different!), along with what you can expect every step of the way.
Pour a glass of Malbec with me, sit back, and let’s get started...
Master bedroom redesign by yours truly
To create a space that works for your lifestyle, speaks to your style preferences, and fits your budgets, we have to get to know each other. Building a relationship of trust and understanding is how I help sift through all the design “noise” to zero in on the options that are right for you.
In our initial consultation, we will discuss your lifestyle, your space, your design preferences, your budget, and create a blueprint.
We start by discussing your design preferences. Do you learn toward modern design, contemporary, traditional...? These words can mean different things to different people, so we will explore inspirational images to narrow down the colors, textures, and patterns you love most. If you have design boards, I would love to see them!
We will also discuss incorporating on-trend and current elements and a few more classic pieces to bring a timeless feel to your home. If you’re investing in your home, you don’t want it to go out of style anytime soon. Updated and fresh is the goal!
One of the first questions my clients ask me is “How much is it going to cost me?” My answer is: “It’s all up to you!” (Not all designers work this way!) My goal is to bring your vision to life while staying within your budget to the best of my ability.
Yes, if you have a tight budget, there are certain things that are simply not possible. However, we can usually find a mid-market option with a similar look and feel. A great example? Porcelain tiles that are made to look like marble. Who can tell, really?
Another one of the great advantages of working with a designer is that we know how to balance a budget. I can advise you on where to save and where to splurge to maximize your investment, increase comfort, preserve the longevity of your home, and elevate your lifestyle.
Once we’ve covered all aspects of your design style and budget, we will create a rough sketch of the space so you can visualize an optimal furniture configuration. This blueprint — and how full you want your space to be — will help us determine the size, shape, and location of all the furniture. It will also help us consider the fixed elements of the space, like having lighting perfectly over your dining room table.
Once we have a set plan, we’re ready to move onto Step 2...
After our initial consultation, I will take all of my learnings back to my studio and start looking for the perfect pieces for your home. Believe it or not, this means sifting through thousands of options to find the perfect combination of items to suit your taste, lifestyle, and budget.
No, you won’t see this happening behind the scenes, but it is a massive undertaking. Once I’ve settled on the final contenders for your design, I will reach out to the vendors and suppliers for quotes. This takes more time (and back and forth communication with various parties), but once complete, I will have a list of furnishings and fixtures for your dream home and the quotes to go with them!
Once everything is prepared, you and I will meet for our Design Presentation. I will share these selections with you, show you how the whole design works together, and provide you with quotes so you can see how the pieces fit into your desired budget.
You will have a chance to share your feedback as we fine-tune the final selections and decide which to proceed with. Once we have the green light on your selections, my team and I will move ahead with ordering your items… another long and involved process! For us, at least. 🙂
Procuring your furnishings is another aspect of our work that is extremely important and very time-consuming but all takes place behind the scenes. You’re probably thinking, “Wait, just to place orders?” If only it were so simple.
Not only do orders need to be placed with exact dimensions (down to ⅛th of an inch) and specifications, but we also need to communicate with the vendors directly, track the orders’ progress, receive shipments, inspect them for quality, and remedy any errors or damages during shipping. This can last weeks, even months for custom items.
Although you won’t see much during this part of the process, your project is still fully in motion and we will keep you updated along the way. Be patient… magic is happening!
My favorite step! This is when it all comes together and you finally get to see the results. Once all the ordered items have been received and inspected, we schedule your Installation Day. Our team is in charge of installing everything and styling the space with the finishing touches that make the house feel like home. Then, you get to come home...
TA-DA! Expect excitement, hugs, and maybe even some happy tears and Champagne! Why not?!
After we gather all our emotions, I will walk through the home with you to create a “punch list” of any final items to address. We do our best to resolve loose ends promptly, so you can get on with living your amazing life in your new space. And now, the house is yours — enjoy it!
There you have it — my 4-step decorating process, designed to bring all of your home dreams to life with clarity, customization, and you at it’s center. Exciting, isn’t it?
If you’re ready to get started on your space, let’s chat!
Keti
Another day, another before and after — this time for an updated listing in Winterlake. This is a home we resuscitated after it sat on the market for a few good months. Yikes! Spoiler alert: this story has a happy ending. After we were through with the updates and re-staging, the house sold in just 5 DAYS.
I know I’ve spoiled the grand finale, but I wanted you to know exactly what each of the updates below have helped achieve. But first, every home update and staging needs a smart plan...
This house belongs to an investment property client we had worked with in the past. They had been trying to sell it as-is with no luck. Since we were able to help them with another property, they decided to reach out to us and trust us with this one. I’m so glad they did! The outside is lovely and charming.
The inside, which you will see in just a minute, felt dated and designed for a very specific taste. We also found damaged flooring, dirty carpets, unsightly wall colors and wall paper, old fixtures, and more. Luckily, the layout of the home had great potential. I knew that strategically updating some of the fixed elements would make this home really shine.
As soon as we knew what could be improved in this home, we had to consider the ideal buyers. After all, knowing who we will market the home to determines how we will make certain updates. During our consultation, we came to the conclusion that if we were going to invest in renovating this home, it should be marketed to someone who’s looking for a move-in ready place, and who’s willing to pay a little extra for that.
We decided that young families and first-time home buyers were our target audience. This home would be perfect for them, because it would be easier to spread out the extra cost when getting a mortgage, as opposed to coming up with the hard cash to do the renovation work themselves prior to moving in.
Once we determined how we would market the home, we got to work! Our design plan was pretty straightforward because most of the issues that needed to be addressed were design-defining elements that would transform the aesthetic of the home. First, we would paint the walls and get rid of wallpapers. Then we would address flooring and carpet. After that, we would update fixtures and bring in furniture.
It all sounds simple enough when you list it out like that, but in reality, it took coordination, strategy, and work — on our part. Our clients got to sit back and relax as we made the magic happen. 😉
Ready to see it? Come take a look at the updated listing...
The home had a great open foyer, but I could see that it needed a fresh coat of paint to feel new. If you look at the door and stairway edges (left), you can see that the paint looks tired. Repainted (right), we have a brighter entryway that definitely feels more fresh and inviting, especially in person!
For the staging, we styled the space with more modern and contemporary furnishings, using art and small accessories to add soothing touches of color. Pro Tip: The best colors for staging homes are blues and greens, which are most likely to put homebuyers at ease.
In the original living room, the furniture was way too taste-specific for an updated listing, and the wood flooring needed replacing. The original rug is also too small for this space. With furniture floating around it, it makes the space feel disjointed, dated, and incomplete.
On the right, the living room furniture I selected makes the space feel more open and welcoming. (See how at least two legs of each furniture item is on the rug? That’s how it should be!) We used a vibrant blue as an accent color for interest and, of course, brought in some plants for a touch of life and warmth.
Here's another angle. Doesn't the flooring look so much better?? The flooring was number one on our priority, and we traded the previous engineered wood for this stained oak beauty. The muted tones create a sense of softness in the space that is instantly welcoming. We also refaced (painted over dated brick) the fireplace for a more contemporary look.
The original kitchen was definitely out of this era, from the yellow walls to the counters to the flooring. For an updated listing, neutrals are your friend! On the right... hello, new kitchen! The kitchen got a full revamp with new countertops, timeless yet on-trend backsplash, and fixtures. We used cool tones to continue the overall sense of freshness in the home.
Just off the kitchen, we have the breakfast nook. Originally, the light fixture and wallpaper looked very outdated, and the walls needed updating. After... gone are the yellow walls and scary wallpaper! Welcome to a more modern breakfast nook, where homebuyers can imagine their mornings sipping coffee or reading a good book.
The master bedroom was actually not too bad. It had a lot of space and potential. We added a fresh coat of paint, new lighting, new carpet and less traditional furnishings. Much better!
Another spacious room but definitely outdated stylistically. We got rid of the lime-colored walls, added a stylish new countertop, painted the existing vanity and installed these modern cabinet pulls, light fixtures and mirrors. This home has now joined the world in this decade!
The home office was probably in the best shape of all the rooms. The flooring and color scheme just needed some love. Fresh paint, art, and more oak wood flooring transformed this office instantly!
Well, I know I spoiled the surprise at the beginning, but let me say it again. After sitting stagnant on the Dallas market with zero movement for a long while, this home sold in 5 days after re-listing! Not only that, our client saw a 57% return on their investment to get this home move-in ready. In what stock market do you get that kind of return?
So what did we learn today? Strategic design and home staging work... and we have the numbers to back it up!
Do you have a property to list? (Or RE-list?) I can’t wait to show you how I can help YOU sell your property and get on with your life, too. If you’re ready to enlist our help in a speedy and profitable home sale, let’s talk.
— Keti
Have you ever found yourself in a design rut? You know that feeling you get when your space doesn’t inspire you anymore? A few months ago, I started feeling that way about my master bedroom design.
Although it is a lovely space, I felt like it needed a bit of a refresh. The goal was to create a safe haven without breaking the bank. Spoiler alert... we did!
So get comfortable, grab a drink, and let me show you how you can transform your space with a good dose of creativity, ingenuity, and a little bit (not a lot) of money.
The design goal for my home has always been to create a peaceful and joyful space that inspires every day. I took my time curating design elements, and ended up with an intentionally decorated home. It turned out really well, but not perfect, especially not the master bedroom design.
The master bedroom, unfortunately, has been my least favorite room. Here’s a peek...
When we were building our house, a standard feature offered by the builder was incorporating beams in the ceiling. I was against it at first, because I felt like it would clash with my modern dresser and nightstands. (While my hubby has more of a traditional design style, I like a more modern contemporary style.) However, my hubby felt strongly about exposed beams, so I let Mr. Traditionalist have them.
After we moved into the finished home and used our existing furniture, the overall master bedroom design was simply off. I did not love it or feel inspired, and it wasn’t the safe haven I had in mind.
I knew that our master bedroom had tons of potential and that it wouldn’t take much to revamp it. It was all about being strategic with the design elements we chose to update. (The same advice I would give any client — strategy first!)
I have always wanted to have wallpaper as part of our bedroom design. Although I have never used it before on any of my clients’ projects, I was feeling a bit adventurous. After some research and hours browsing through many options, I came to the conclusion that the right wallpaper needs to be classic, timeless, and inspiring. (Wallpaper is really in right now, too.)
When I saw this Black Bird wallpaper in Z-Gallerie, I knew I had to have it! It’s dark, sexy, and beautiful. Plus, it is low budget, so there you go.
When it came to the dresser, I decided to go with the Playlist from Universal Furniture. It has oak veneers and a walnut inlay that complements the finish on the ceiling beams. It also looks good on the walnut-stained hardwood floor.
I love it… definitely the right choice.
My existing nightstands were from Liberty Furniture. The style works perfectly with the Black Bird wallpaper I picked. The color and finish... not so much.
What did I do, you ask? Chalk paint to the rescue! I found a matte charcoal tone that works well with the wallpaper, and then I painted it! (No, I don’t paint for clients, but if you need ideas, I can certainly give you some.)
I have to say, this was my very first furniture painting project, and I can’t stress enough how important it is to use the right tools, especially when handling chalk paint. You need a designated brush to paint, and a designated brush to wax with. The results were pretty good.
Okay, I admit that I was nitpicking here, but our bed frame’s upholstery was really bugging me, especially after we installed the wallpaper. They had these silver finish nail heads that now stuck out like a sore thumb.
By the way, have you heard that joke about lawyers charging you even for the time they’re taking a shower? Now, I kind of understand...
Once I noticed how much the upholstery clashed with the wallpaper’s vibrant gold pattern I kept thinking of ways to fix it. I didn’t want to buy a whole new bed just for that tiny detail. So, where did I get the best idea ever? While taking a shower! Go ahead, you can laugh.
My great idea was to replace those silver nailheads with gold ones. But do they sell nailheads? I took to Amazon, and soon enough, I found nailhead strips already lined up and ready to go! I opted for these antique plated ones.
Last but not least, I found some accent pillows at HomeGoods for only $49 each. They tie the whole room together perfectly! My hubby also had this Ralph Lauren bench that I had chosen for him a few years back when we were dating. So he brought it in, and guess what, I like it! I think it works beautifully.
Ta da! I can’t tell you how happy I am with our master bedroom and how it all turned out. The budget was quite low compared to a full redesign, but the results are amazing. I love coming in here now! Every room in my house finally feels like it’s right for us… and that feels priceless.
How about you? Are you ready to redesign your space? Let’s chat!
Keti
Today I am bringing you behind the scenes of our design and renovation process. Renovating your home right before putting it on the market can increase your sale price considerably. However, while you might have an idea for your budget, you need to be mindful of which updates will truly increase your home value and make the investment worth your while.
Lucky for you, that is what I do, and I am the best at it. But don’t just take it from me — Design by KETI did receive another year of Houzz awards for Best in Design and Best in Service! Together, these two categories perfectly sum up what we do for our clients, and today, I’m showing you exactly how we do it.
Ready to design and renovate your home? Sit back, relax, and explore our tried-and-true process...
We always start with a pre-project Consultation or “Work Session” as I like to call it. (Yes, we’re already getting to work at this phase!) This is the time where we get to know each other and determine the driving selling points of your home — which are essential to knowing what to renovate.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this jam-packed session:
We need to determine first and foremost who your target buyers are. You might think, “But Keti, I want my home to appeal to everybody.” I can understand that line of thinking, but trying to appeal to everyone is going to result in appealing to no one.
When renovating the home, we want to make sure it appeals specifically to the target buyer and their lifestyle. During our discussion, we’ll determine how old they are, if they are married, do they have kids, their annual income, etc. Targeting a specific group will make your property stand out to those people and get them to the closing table!
During this Consultation and Work Session, we will discuss how much you should invest in the renovation as well as the current price point of your home. The purpose of upgrading your home before putting it on the market is obviously to increase its value, so my responsibility is to ensure we target upgrades that maximize your ROI... without pricing the home out of the market. We specialize in finding that sweet spot!
When it comes to the scope of the renovation, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Not all design projects are the same; some could be minor upgrades, while others could include intense renovations. Once I know the property and your budget, I’ll be able to advise on the best course of action:
The “fixed elements” of your home refer to items that are physically installed, like countertops, cabinets, flooring, fireplace surround and mantel, trim, etc. Since these elements are stationary, unlike decor, it is important to decide which ones we will be keeping and which ones we will be changing. (Remember, this decision is made based on your target buyers, what suits their lifestyle and most importantly your budget and whether the change makes financial sense.)
You know that feeling you get when entering a newly designed home? When it feels fresh and welcoming? That is the exact experience we want to provide your target buyers with when they tour your home. Using our decisions for scope, budget, and fixed elements, we’ll create a design plan that includes on-trend elements that exude freshness and timelessness and will attract your target buyer like bees to honey!
The last step of the consultation phase is mapping out the design blueprint for staging your home. We will create a visual of the furniture placement, of the scale of fixtures we will be using, and account for the additional furniture pieces we need to make the home feel spacious and welcoming (using price point appropriate staging furnishings, of course).
Furniture plays a big role, and we never want to cheapen your home with low-level furnishings, regardless of price point. Staging should be inspirational. At the end of the day regardless of the price point, when people buy things, they always buy up. There is a certain status that goes along with it. I always like to say, no one buys a Rolex because they want to know what time it is... and not one single person buys a Tesla or a Bentley just because they need wheels to make it to their office each day. That's just a bit of human Psychology 101 for you. 😉
Remember, the design elements are what make make the house itself feel timeless, but the furniture and decor is what makes the house feel like the home they always wanted but never had. Emotional connection that inspires buyers to make an offer!
Now that we have a clear idea of what the design and renovation project will entail, we move on to my favorite part: the design plan. We start by creating a map for all the minor or major renovations we need to do. The design plan includes two main elements:
The color palette is the foundation of your home’s design. It should tie all the fixed elements together cohesively, create expansiveness, and appeal to your target buyer. For homes being staged for sale, neutrals (with the correct undertones) are the best way to go.
Although we have already established in the Consultation which materials we will need to include in the design, now is the time when we officially select them. We’ll source materials for your flooring, fireplace, countertops, cabinets, backsplash, vanities, lighting fixtures, hardware, etc. For many of these items, we’ll get quotes from the manufacturers in advance before officially purchasing.
Once we submit the design plan and we have all agreed on it, it’s time to get to work. However, there are multiple ways to proceed:
This is where our design plan finally comes to life. My team ad I will bring in the elements of the staging, as agreed upon in our Consultation, which includes furnishings, art, and decor in a timeless yet on-trend style. Remember, it’s not about what you or I like. It’s about what your target buyer likes! (In fact, all of the photos you’ve seen so far include spaces that we have professionally staged — and they all flew off the market.)
The very last step is getting your home professionally photographed, putting it on the market, and get ready for the offers to come your way!
Whether your home has been sitting on the market without any movement — or you’re trying to avoid this situation entirely — I am confident that we can freshen up your listing to generate tons of interest and get your property sold in no time. I love interior design, but the strategy behind designing a home for sale is my passion.
I can’t wait to help you make back your initial investment… and then some!
Ready to start sprucing up your property listing? Book your 15-minute discovery call with me today!
To you and your best home sale,
Keti
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up here for our Guide to a Stress-Free and Profitable Renovation!
Potential Dallas homebuyers are most likely to make up their minds about your property based on the appearance of… the kitchen, the living room, and the master bathroom. Before you list your property, you have the chance to make these spaces stand out!
Last month, we talked about budget-friendly kitchen makeovers, and I showed you how to revive your living spaces here. So today… let’s talk about budget-friendly bathroom makeovers.
Whenever you’re updating your property to sell, you don’t want to break the bank. The good news — there are many inexpensive yet impactful ways to update your bathroom before listing. People usually assume that upgrading their bathroom is an intensive endeavor that would take tearing it all down and starting from scratch. Not necessarily.
Sometimes the smallest details are what make the design in any space. You just have to be smart with your investment and address the design elements that have the biggest impact. In fact, I’d say you can get away with spending anywhere from $250 to $5,000 to revive an outdated bathroom.
Today, I’m sharing my top 5 budget-friendly tips for a bathroom makeover, of course, using one of our latest projects. Come take a look!
Before even thinking of putting their condo on the market, the owners reached out to me for a renovation and staging consultation and feedback. But what’s wrong with it? It is a perfectly functional space and has everything a bathroom needs, but… the walls feel dark, the lighting isn’t impressing anyone, and the bathtub feels like a relic of the 1990s. All mixed in with that Tuscan-inspired travertine floor.
When I saw this bathroom, I knew that an update would positively impact the home’s overall value. (Spoiler Alert: it did!) And we didn’t break the bank to get there...
If you’ve been following me for a while you probably know that I always like to start with a fresh light canvas, AKA bright walls. We painted the walls a light green gray, and instantly, the whole space felt fresh and open. Simply change, completely different feel.
One thing to keep in mind is that a bathroom makeover is an excellent time to address any functionality or layout issues. Take this bathroom, for instance, My clients both admitted that they had no use for the bathtub and would rather have a decent sized shower. If that’s how they feel, future homeowners are likely to feel the same way.
We knew that getting rid of the tub/shower combination would solve two issues in one: it visually opened up the space and made it more functional. We even went one step further and ripped out the dated travertine floor tile and brought in highly-functional and cost-effective LVP. (talk about LVP, Check out my post on why high end homes are giving up hardwood by going HERE)
Bigger investment than painting the walls? Yes. Worth the increase in property value? Absolutely.
Ah, the vanity, lighting, and mirror! These are the things that can transform your bathroom from builder grade to livable luxury that Dallas homebuyers are willing to pay for. We took out the traditional, lantern-looking lighting that was there previously and installed this more modern fixture in brushed chrome.
We decided to paint the vanity cabinets, as well. With the new flooring, granite counter, and light green gray walls, the color palette (specifically the vanity color) felt a bit off. As a True Color Expert, I was able to pick a neutral shade with an undertone that ties it all together and makes the countertop not look dated at all. Now, it feels light, warm and inviting!
As for the mirror, we actually kept the original mirror in this space because it made the room feel larger. If you’re adding your own, bigger is better, so it reflects more light and opens up the space. I suggest picking a mirror with a simple yet classic frame.
If there is one takeaway from this blog post, it’s this: no bathroom makeover is complete until you’ve updated your faucets and cabinet pulls. I know, these items are small, functional elements and easily overlooked — but you wouldn’t believe how much of an impact they have on the overall design of the space. Plus, they are easy to swap out (you can even do it yourself) and are budget-friendly. So trust me on this one.
I suggest opting for more modern-style hardware in a metal that complements the color palette of the space.
Painting the bathroom walls a light green gray brought instant freshness and modernity to the space, so we needed to extend that color (or lack of color) to the shower wall, as well. This bathroom originally had subway tiles, but they looked a bit dingy, and we knew they had to go!
No need for Demo Day... we simply glazed the tiles for a cohesive look. Fresh, classic, timeless — wouldn’t you agree?
And now the moment that you’ve been waiting for...
Once we put the property on the market, it sold in about 5 days from listing! Not only that, we nailed the staging… so much that the new buyer even bought some of our inventory items. How amazing is that?!
If you have a property that’s been sitting on the market for months, or if you want to renovate your bathroom (so that it doesn’t sit on the market for ages!), I would be delighted to support you.
Book your free discovery call with me here, and let’s chat!
— Keti
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up here for our Guide to a Stress-Free and Profitable Renovation!
The first thought that probably comes to mind when you’re ready to put your property on the market is... do I need to make any renovations? Naturally, you want to appeal to your ideal buyers, but you also want to increase the value of your property.
Then comes the subject of the budget. How much should you invest in the renovation? What ROI will you get? What part of the property should you focus on?
Let’s answer the easiest question first: the kitchen.
No matter what you do or how extensive your renovation project is, always make sure to update your kitchen before putting your house on the market.
Renovating the kitchen is the best way to increase your property value. In fact, it is the one room that is most likely to sell the home.
Whenever I meet up with new clients and they walk me through their home, I always pay extra attention to the kitchen and the living space around it. Once we define your ideal buyers, we need the home to be a reflection of the space they would want to live in.
The tricky part getting the homeowners on board. But let’s take a little tour for a minute...
Take the kitchen above, for example. This is such a lovely kitchen, isn’t it? The open layout, the beautiful granite, the textured backsplash. It even has a wine fridge! You know how much I like my wine. 😉
However, it also looks outdated. It needs a bit of a modern refresh to be market-ready. Do you want to know how I know that?
One, because I’ve been designing homes that sell for years. Two, because this house sat on the market for over a year without selling!
Once the clients brought me into this specific home, I could see exactly what needed to be done to transform this kitchen. We knew the Dallas market and the ideal buyers we were targeting. They wanted fresh and updated — and luckily we had a great floor plan to work with!
Okay, now let’s move on to the next question… how much should you invest in kitchen updates?
The good news — there are many ways to update your kitchen before listing without necessarily breaking the bank. Your renovation project could take $150 to install new hardware, or up to $5K for a full kitchen makeover.
(If that $5k is going to increase your sale price by $10k, it’s worth it. That’s the value of getting an expert’s opinion FIRST.)
For today, though, I’m going to use this project to show you my top 4 tips for a budget-friendly kitchen makeover. Can you guess what they are? And can you guess how quickly the home sold afterward?
White is very in right now, especially for kitchen cabinets. When you scroll through your favorite Instagram feed (aka Design by KETI), don’t you feel drawn to light and bright design aesthetics? This is because lighter colors on the walls make the room feel larger.
And it’s not just a trend. Take it from this staging expert, homebuyers perceive white interiors as a blank and timeless canvas they can work with. It gives them space to picture themselves living in the house — and that’s when they’re most likely to make an offer.
Backsplashes get dated, which is perfectly normal. However, you don’t have to break the bank to update them. There are many low-budget and pretty tile options these days.
Pro Tip: I usually like to create a contrast between the backsplash and the countertop. I either go for a solid color to accentuate a colorful countertop, or a fun pattern to drift the attention from the minimalist kitchen surface.
If you are guilty of forgetting how essential hardware is to the kitchen aesthetic, raise your hand. Yep, you’d be in the majority! 🙂
Yes, the hardware is a functional feature, and no, it doesn’t have to be fancy and expensive, but updated finishes make a visible difference in the perceived “newness” of the kitchen. And you can still play around with colors and finishes within budget.
Pro Tip: When you paint your cabinets white or any lighter color, you always want your hardware to create a contrast, not to blend in. I usually pick a darker finish for the hardware. When working with white cabinets, matte black is the way to go.
Tip 4 is a crucial one, and another that often gets forgotten. To illustrate, do me a favor and look up. Play along with me here... if you are at home right now, just look up at the ceiling.
What does your light fixture look like? Does it come from this decade? Or is it a 90s vibe kinda fixture?
Don’t get me wrong, I love a moody light fixture when it’s cohesive with the overall design. However… if you have come all this way and modernized your home for today’s buyers, how out of place would that 90s light fixture look? You guessed it. It would drag down the design and date the home.
Long story short, get up-to-date fixtures in there, pronto! Again, this doesn’t have to be out of your budget, there are many options available to you. Just make sure your overall design is cohesive, and you’re good to go.
The minute we put the house back on the market, we got our first visitors. The day they toured the property was the day they put in an offer... and they bought it! That’s right — just a few cosmetic updates and this home sold IMMEDIATELY!
Updating the kitchen did not only sell the house, it increased the value of the home for a minimal investment. How incredible is that?
If you have a property that’s been sitting on the market for months, or you want to renovate your kitchen (so that it doesn’t sit on the market for ages!), I am more than happy to support you.
Book your free discovery call with me here, and let’s chat!
— Keti
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up here for our Guide to a Stress-Free and Profitable Renovation!
One of my clients’ most frequently asked questions is “Why do I need home staging services to sell my home?” The answer: Marketing!
We are all familiar with the concept of home staging and how important it is in the selling process. But, you wouldn’t believe how many homeowners are still hesitant to invest in revamping their properties before putting them on the market.
To sell your home, you need to market it. And for that, you need to work on your packaging, AKA, staging. This project I’m about to share with you is a special one… and living proof of why you need me! 😉
Our clients were Dallas natives who enjoyed living in this home for some time. After a few years, they decided to sell the home and move on to the next chapter of their lives. Like most of our clients, their main goals were to sell the property fast and at the highest price possible, which is when they called me.
Here is what the property looked like before…
Setting the design and staging strategy is such an important step in our process. It allows us to assess the main architectural components of the home (fixed elements) that we have to take into account when planning the staging design. That’s how we create a design that looks cohesive, feels warm and inviting, and is on-trend yet timeless.
The result will be a home that potential buyers can identify with and picture themselves living in.
The first step is to identify who we wanted to market this home to. When you know your buyers, you can determine what they need and plan your design accordingly. During our home staging consultation, we discussed who we believe this home would be perfect for.
Because this lovely home is a few miles away from White Rock Lake, near uptown/downtown, and has a great school district, we established that young professionals with children were the best demographic to target.
We knew that with young professionals as our ideal buyer, this home would need to be staged as move-in ready. You can see how this information changes our approach!
Once we identified our ideal buyers, it was time to get to work. We put a list together of the main areas of the home that needed our attention.
The distinction between interior design and home staging is that we’re not renovating a home for the owners to live in, we are marketing it to sell. So our overall plan is driven by the goal of emotionally sparking that aha moment for the buyer, making them think, “This is the one!”
Here’s what we did...
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, focusing on the curb appeal of your property is crucial. That’s where all the magic happens. You’re not just selling a home — you’re selling an experience. Who doesn’t find rocking chairs on a covered porch inviting??
We started by updating the wall paint and trim. This is something we always do in these types of projects. A fresh coat of paint is perhaps the easiest and most effective way to revive a space. You can feel it when you walk in the door!
The front entry’s open layout felt warm and welcoming, but the former travertine tiles gave it an outdated look. To achieve a more luxurious feel, we got rid of the tiles and replaced them with lightly sanded natural wood. We also stained all hardwood flooring to match everything. It has a slightly warm undertone that pairs perfectly with the cool shade of the walls and trim.
Once the walls and floors were updated, it was time to bring in some furniture. For this project, we used our inventory alongside some of the pieces the homeowners already had. This entry room and formal dining space had bright large windows and nice built-ins. They complemented the overall luxury look we wanted (to match the price point of the home) yet feel warm, welcoming, and delightfully livable.
With a few light fixture swaps and furniture additions, the kitchen was revived into the warm family space it was meant to be. Can’t you picture yourself cooking and hosting in this open space? How about a morning coffee in that lovely breakfast nook? (This home’s eventual buyers certainly could!)
We also shaved off the butcher block that was sticking out previously, and replaced the travertine backsplash with a stainless material to match the rest of the kitchen. So much more current and cohesive now.
As you make your way upstairs, you are welcomed by another living space with a small wet bar that we upgraded. We added a dining set and a sofa to elevate the space and make it feel warm and welcoming.
We didn’t stage all the bedrooms but chose to focus on this master bedroom. After updating the trim and flooring, we swapped the bed set for a modern looking one to appeal to today’s buyers. The room feels spacious and inviting without being overdone.
This spa-like master bathroom was the true showstopper. With a large walk-in shower, and a vanity countertop, all we had to do is spruce it up with some staging elements.
The updated light fixtures and seated vanity area contributed to the overall luxury feel. These are the details that support the home’s price point — so making an offer at or above list price feels like a no-brainer to buyers!
Because every story needs a happy ending, let me fill you in on the results for this particular project. After Design by KETI helped renovate and stage this lovely home..
Can I let you in on a secret? This project was completed in 2017. That’s right, 3 years ago! But guess what? It STILL looks as up-to-date then as it does now.
That is the value of timeless design — and trust me, buyers know when a home is too trendy and won’t have resale value years down the road. This is design and staging done right.
If you’re having trouble with your listing (or want to make sure you do it right the first time), let’s talk. We’ll get to know each other, discuss your goals, and come up with a smart plan that pays off.
Keti
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up here for our Guide to a Stress-Free and Profitable Renovation!
The question I get asked more than any other is… what is the cost of home staging? It’s a reasonable question, and a smart one. After all, you want to make sure that your investment is well spent and going to serve you well — with a fast property sale and high profit.
But before we talk numbers (yes, we will), let’s cover the basics...
Most people will tell you that home staging is the act of visually preparing a home to attract and appeal to the property’s target buyers. This is true, but more importantly, home staging is strategic marketing. It is NOT decorating.
Preparing a home to whisk buyers off their feet is not about matching decor. It’s about a design that speaks to these specific buyers’ tastes, interests, and priorities. For example, if our client is listing a family-sized home in a great school district, we will design and present that home far differently than we would for a home in a neighborhood of working couples.
To truly get the highest offer for your property, we need to prepare the home in a way that entices target buyers, addresses their needs, and above all... represents the lifestyle they dream of living.
Don’t worry, I’ll get to home staging investments shortly, but I know that there’s a common misconception that vacant homes don’t need staging. False. Vacant homes need staging just as much, if not more, than an occupied home. Why?
Convinced? Okay, let’s look at what’s involved in staging a home. After all, you should know everything that your home staging investment is getting you…
Before we can discuss the costs associated with home staging, you should know what’s included. First, there’s a home staging consultation, which is a 2-hour on-site meeting where we nail down a home staging strategy. During this meeting, we will...
Once a plan has been approved, and after any necessary or optional renovations, we will stage the home with furniture, bedding, accessories, art, decor, and more.
We also offer professional photography services for an additional fee. I highly suggest this step, because it’s more than having a photographer come through to point and shoot.
By that point, no one knows your property better than I do! I will be on-site with our trusted photographer providing art direction services. Being that I myself only have put in a good 8 to 12 hours working on your home, I know the best angles the property will show and will make sure you get them captured for MLS photos.
Okay, let’s answer the big question: what does home staging cost? First, even though I will give you a general ballpark estimate, please know that it is very difficult to estimate the cost of home staging without seeing the property.
No, I’m not making excuses — this really is the truth. Each home has its own positive and negative aspects (to highlight or minimize) and its ideal price point and buyers, which we would need to address through staging.
Yes, once we speak on the phone and discuss your property, we will give you a general estimate for your project. However, we will give you an official home staging plan and quote only after we have seen the property ourselves.
But hey, we’re not on the phone right now. You’re reading this blog post and eager for a number! So, what can you expect?
Well, generally speaking, the cost of home staging hovers right around 1% of the listing price of the home, give or take.
So, how do we judge the cost of home staging for our clients and create a quote? There are three items taken into consideration when determining the investment range for staging a vacant property:
1. The price point of the home
2. The number of rooms we are staging
3. Similar homes we have staged in your area
It's important to know that staging should reflect the price point of the home. A $200K home will be staged very differently than a $2M home, even if we are to stage the same rooms. As you can imagine, the size and style of a $200k home vs. a $2M home vary drastically. This means we are filling more space, using more elevated furnishings, etc.
Generally, we will stage the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, and perhaps an entryway. Sometimes, we will stage a home office (highly desirable right now), or an additional bedroom if we know that it will make the home more desirable.
As I mentioned above, before I set foot on your property for our home staging consultation, I will give you a ballpark estimate based on other projects and homes we have staged in the past that are similar in price point. I will do my best to outline the investment you can expect.
Once we set foot on property, however, we can actually work on a staging blueprint and design plan. As these are presented and finalized, you’ll receive an official quote personalized to your project.
For sure, home staging costs a whole lot less than the first price reduction you will have to make if the home doesn’t sell within two weeks or so. Staging your home costs less than having to carry the property and still pay the mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance, plus all other maintenance fees.
As one of our investor clients put it:
I couldn’t agree more! As far as ROI goes, you are very likely to see your investment made back… and then some. We recently staged this project, which saw an ROI of 150%. That is money well spent!
I will wrap things up here, but I hope this overview has been helpful for judging your expected investment and the home staging process in general. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
And if you have a property that you would love to sell quickly and for profit, let’s talk.
— Keti
Today I want to share a project we recently completed with excellent results — a design and home staging ROI of 150%. Yes, I know I've spoiled the grand finale of this transformation, but knowing the final result makes it all the more worth seeing...
Our clients were out-of-towners who had been trying to sell this house in Dallas with no luck. They were tired and frustrated but mostly eager to sell the property and move on with their lives.
Here's what the property looked like before…
Overall, this home was clearly dated and tailored to a very specific taste, but it also had great potential. Architectural details gave it unique character… if we presented it just right.
First, we had to determine how we wanted to market this home. During our home staging consultation, we discussed two options for listing the home: as a bargain home or a move-in ready home. Older homes can be more desirable at a lower price point, but we also know a young professional couple with a family has no time for remodeling or reno work. They are more willing to make an offer on a property that is move-in ready.
Additionally, our clients had already tried the bargain route with no luck. They agreed that designing and staging the home as move-in ready was the way to go.
Once we reached this decision, we quickly got to work. (We know time is money, and we don’t dilly dally!) I put together a design plan for all the make-ready/renovation work that needed to be done.
I provided the design direction and the project management for the staging, whereas my team of subcontractors and tradesmen did the work (which you’ll see soon). The plan?
1. The house looked dark, frumpy, and not like it belonged in the luxury home category. We knew we needed to address it right from the curb (appeal) with exterior landscaping and price-conscious paint color selections.
2. With all the fixed features making bold statements, we needed to update the decade-defining features, creating a cohesive interior color palette, and bring light and life into the home.
Ready to see how the home turned out?
Welcome to a new front step…
Lighter eaves, better landscaping, and a more inviting front step make this home far more joyful and welcoming to a young family.
We removed the dark wallpaper and opted for a light blue-gray color, picking up from the blue undertones in the kitchen counters that was used throughout the home. The end result was enormous spaciousness, making it so much lighter, brighter and airy… perfect for today’s buyers!
A mix of cool tones in the staging elements and warm lighting help this space feel balanced.
In the living room, more luxurious furnishings in the right scale keep this space looking elevated, not dated.
This dramatic wall feels like a stunning feature instead of an eyesore, largely thanks to lighter flooring and furnishings, and small touches of warm copper in the decor to help it blend in.
Speaking of the flooring, we stripped the wood floors of the old stain and finished them new with a light walnut stain. We know that this stain is on-trend and will be trending at least for the next 10 to 15 years.
Tip: Painting the stair risers the same color as the trim makes for a more classic and timeless look. It was also a great way to blend the light airy feel we wanted to create with the existing warm tones of the wood.
We didn’t stage all of the bedrooms (though we certainly got rid of the dated wallpaper), but this master bedroom with a view deserved to be staged for a young couple who may be working from home.
Same with this built-in workspace. As more professionals work from home (and kids “school from home”), spaces like these are essential for selling a home quickly and for profit.
Well, I know I spoiled the surprise in the beginning, but I’ll say it again. After sitting on the market indefinitely, this house sold in less then two weeks of being put back in the market as a newly renovated home.
It listed for $110K more than the old list price.
And — if that wasn’t enough — my clients told me that their investment on the reno-work and the repairs paid off BIG time. For every dollar they put into the house via the reno work and staging, they were able to get $1.50 back. That’s a 150% return on investment!
Strategic design and home staging work. I can’t wait to show you how it can help YOU sell your property and get on with your life, too.
If you’re ready to enlist our help in a speedy and profitable home sale, let’s talk.
— Keti
At the beginning of this year (before you-know-what hit the fan), I shared some insights into the features that Dallas homebuyers are looking for in a property. I told you about buyers’ need to have multi-functional spaces, open kitchens with room to socialize, and a light color scheme.
These things are all still true — I’ve seen them in action — but there are a few more that are edging up the list in popularity.
Now that most of us are working from home (likely into next year), schooling from home (depending on the district), and not getting to travel (sigh)… well, a home now has a LOT more requirements to meet.
So, what new features are homebuyers really looking for these days? Let’s look at the top 3…
I bet you saw this one coming, right? Having a dedicated at-home workspace is becoming essential, especially for couples where both spouses work. Can you imagine taking Zoom calls at the same time, in the same space? That will strain a career (and marriage) fast!
What can you do, as the homeowner (or investor), to make these spaces appealing?
Staging is one easy way to do it. Depending on the neighborhood (families vs. couples), staging a spare room as a home office is far more likely to grab attention than staging a second guest bedroom. At the minimum — be sure to include a desk, a chair, a lamp, and a rug to ground the space. Bonus points if there’s great natural light. (Who wants to work in a dungeon? Not today’s homebuyers.)
If the property doesn’t have a spare bedroom for this purpose, you can still create an at-home workspace by staging a smaller area, like a nook or section of the living room. Again, depending on the neighborhood you’re in, even formal dining rooms (which often go unused) could be contenders for a stylish home office.
I know I’ve said it before, but this is where a professional is worth their weight in gold. Having the insights into the neighborhood and ideal buyers for the home will help make these decisions simple and will help with a staging that is irresistible.
That’s right. At the beginning of the year, the desire for home gyms was on the rise. Since the onset of COVID, this home feature has skyrocketed in popularity. Homeowners need and want their homes to meet ALL of life’s demands.
While this is something that we can stage for, it is more likely that you’ll be considering the options of adding this type of space to your property during the renovation process. I believe in minimal renovations with maximum return on investment.
It’s also difficult for me to say, in general, “you should always make ____ type of renovation.” You have to determine that on a case by case basis. It depends on the home itself, the neighborhood, the price range, the ideal buyers, etc.
However, a renovation that ADDS livable space is almost always a good investment (assuming it doesn’t consume the whole backyard). So if you’ve been contemplating the idea of an add-on, ask yourself what it’s purpose would be? Could it be a home gym or home office? Would it add to the desirability of the home in your ideal buyers’ eyes?
Again, this is where a professional who knows the area, local buying trends, AND construction and design can be a huge asset.
Last but not least, outdoor living spaces are becoming less of a bonus feature and more of an essential. First, the number of people who own pets has increased (seriously, the number of dog owners LEAPED this summer). And second, if homeowners are spending more time in their homes, they need an outdoor space to escape to.
There are two ways you can prepare the outdoor spaces of your property to appear irresistible to buyers. First, landscaping. Green grass, beautiful plants (maybe even some tropical ones for a vacation feel — Lord knows Dallas is hot enough for them!), and colorful flowers will create an inviting atmosphere that’s difficult to pass up.
Your second strategy is to use staging to create social spaces, like a living room, but outdoors. Depending on the amount of space you have available, you could layer a rug, then chairs with pillows, a coffee table or side table, and accessorize with a candle or small plants.
If you have less space available, two small chairs with comfortable pillows might be enough to set the scene. Again, if we work together, this is something we will definitely talk about during our initial consultation.
If you think home sales are slowing down, guess again. As our needs for our homes change, as proximity to the office becomes less of a necessity, the real estate market is still very much alive and well… and with the right strategy, there is no reason you shouldn’t get a slice of it!
Together, we can make a plan for identifying your home’s most likely buyers, updating your space, and staging it to be irresistible. If you’re ready to prepare your property and market it strategically for top ROI, let’s talk.
— Keti
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up here for our Guide to a Stress-Free and Profitable Renovation
Today, I want to share a project with you that perfectly illustrates why preparing your home for the market really matters. And I don’t just mean a new coat of paint and home staging. Those are important, but what I really mean is making strategic updates that truly impact your bottom line.
Case in point: The clients who hired us for this project weren’t new to staging. In fact, they had already staged their property with another home stager and weren’t getting any offers.
Confused and disappointed, they reached out to me for a consultation to figure out what they could do to sell the home and get the price they really wanted for it. Here’s the full story and a peek behind the scenes of this transformation…
Whenever I come out to a property, there are two aspects of the home I look at. If a home is already listed and it isn’t getting offers, we have to ask… what’s not working?
In other words, we have to diagnose the situation. In these clients’ case, we determined that the style and scale of the existing staging did not meet the home’s price point. Potential buyers were walking in and what they saw was not meeting their expectations.
The main problem we identified was that the fixed elements in the home, as well as some of the finishes and the home staging, did not match the price point of the home. It’s easy to cut corners and assume that potential buyers won’t notice, but the opposite is true. The disjointed feel of the home was off-putting and even made several spaces feel smaller.
So to recap the existing issues...
• the style and scale of previous staging did not meet the price point
• the mismatched color scheme created spaces that felt dated and disconnected
• the fixed elements of the home did not reflect the price point
Now, the second aspect I always consider for a home — what will make it irresistible to ideal buyers?
The answers to this question, as well as to the ones above, give us a good direction for which updates will need to be made. Can you guess what we did in this space?
Before creating a furniture design plan, I had to find an on-trend wall color to match the existing trim color (this is one trick that saved our clients lots of money because painting baseboards and crown molding, doors and door frames...lets just say it adds up pretty quickly) and update the entire look and feel of the home. Fortunately, I spent considerable time becoming a Certified True Color Expert™ — so finding the right color was a very easy decision to make!
In addition to the walls, we also painted the kitchen cabinets, the wet bar, and the millwork in the living room. These made a HUGE difference to the impression of the space.
We also swapped out the light fixtures in the common areas of the house with more on-trend and style-appropriate finds. These did not break our clients’ bank account and all added up to the new luxury look and feel of the home.
But I won’t let you just imagine it… let’s look at some Before & After photos.
The style and scale of the furnishings (who has conversations that far apart?) and the dark millwork and the wine bar to the left, made the space feel smaller and closed off.
In this room, the light color of the bookshelves brighten this space, and new furnishings create a completely different feel than the one above. Traditional details and mixed metals uplevel the luxury of the space, while the rug adds effortless elegance.
Pro Tip: An easy way to balance the masculine elements in a room, such as tile or wood flooring, would be to always bring an area rug (a feminine element).
Before, this kitchen looked like it belonged in a cottage type home, which this home was not. Remember, most buyers prefer move-in ready homes. Also, it is important that the fixed elements in the home reflect its price point. Buyers are not going to easily part with their hard earned dollars just because we want them to. We have to justify the asking price.
Light-colored furniture with luxurious style elevate this space while keeping it livable and welcoming. Oversized light fixtures help create separation between the kitchen and table, which could be used as a breakfast table or even as a work-from-home space.
Plus, now your ideal buyers can imagine how events would play out… hosting guests and sipping wine in the living room (far right)… tasting small bites at the table, and moving to the formal dining room when the meal is ready (far left). THAT is how you design and sell a lifestyle experience!
In this photo, you will see that there is a piano tucked away in the corner of this room, which you could not even see from outside and as you looked into the room. Once I toured the property I immediately saw this as a home office. SO we staged it as such.
SO much better and brighter! It has purpose, feels open and spacious. Plus, the nice thing about staging a home office is that you don’t need much really. But the staging does need to be intentional and to clearly relay a message.
Dark, slightly cramped and with dated lighting.
This formal dining room is finally worthy of its name! Updated lighting elevate the elegance, the space isn’t overly crowded, and white walls reflect light to keep the room bright and open. Plus, you can easily see the kitchen and the living space for a seamless entertaining experience.
These mismatched furnishings weren’t working with the home’s color scheme and didn’t have the aura of livable luxury that would support the property’s price point. We also knew we needed to tone down the baby blue on the walls with a more mature look.
Much better. Here, we upleveled the look with new paint, our own furnishings, and thicker bedding. (See how staging isn’t just about putting furniture in a space? There is strategy involved!)
Whoops! Forgot to grab a Before photo of this space. But wait until you see the After…
Now THAT is an elegant master retreat! The space is clear, minimally furnished, and there is harmony between the fixed elements (countertops, floors, hardware) and the wall color.
So, the big question… how well did this home sell?
This story is a case study, which means you have to know the happy ending. If you remember, this home sat on the market with NO offers for months before we got our hands on it.
After Design By Keti helped renovate and stage the property...
Isn’t it amazing what updating and staging a home can do??
If you’re having trouble with a lifeless listing, I hope this case study gives you some hope. Selling a home doesn’t have to be stressful. With the right approach and an expert strategy, your property CAN sell well on the Dallas market.
Book your 15-minute discovery call, and we’ll prove to you that it’s true!
To you and your best home sale,
Keti
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up here for our Guide to a Stress-Free and Profitable Renovation!
In today’s Dallas real estate market, the majority of buyers want make-ready homes. We’re seeing less desirability for “fixer uppers” and more attraction to homes that are move-in ready, full of amenities, and tailored to a comfortable lifestyle.
The good news is that if you’re selling a home, it doesn’t have to be difficult to get your property up to these standards. It just takes some attention and expertise around two important steps. Do these, and your final sale price is almost guaranteed a boost, meaning you'll sell for a profit.
What are the 2 steps? Preparation and Presentation.
Staging your home is important, but preparation is what happens BEFORE home staging ever takes place — and it is extremely important. I know that we stagers can do many magical things, but even the best stagers can’t distract from damaged paint and battered doors, floors and trim.
If updates or upgrades will require $5k investment, but the payoff is a $15k increase in the sale price, that is wise investment. In my experience, 9.9 times out of 10, it’s The Best Money you will ever spend.
AFTER!
The trick is knowing where and how to invest, and that’s where a professional stager comes in. During our initial consultation with you, we weigh the pros and cons of your space. We will let you know which type of buyers are eager for a home like yours, the features they want, and we’ll tell you exactly which investments are wiser than others.
You’ll walk away from our meeting with a prioritized plan for updating or upgrading your space wisely and staying within budget.
You are welcome to call in your favorite handyman or the one you found on Google last week… or, you could let our extended team do it for you!
In our case, all we ask is that you give us a little time, and we will bring our painters, the flooring and carpet installer, the electrician, and even the cleaner when the work is complete. What buyer doesn’t love walking into that fresh, new smell and the feeling that they will be the first to live in the home?
Staging your home for the potential buyers is another great investment, because it allows the buyers to connect with the home and see themselves living in it.
I’ve found that sometimes home sellers and even listing agents believe that they were born with special gifts in home decorating, and they will try to stage the home themselves. Please, even if you have a gift (I believe it!) doing the staging yourself to save a few bucks is a mistake.
Why? Because...
Staging a home for the market is a lot more complicated than bringing furniture in and fluffing pillows. Yes, it requires one to not only know how to fluff pillows and bring furniture in.
But you need to be trained on certain things, too, like giving each space a purpose, staging for the ideal buyer, creating focal points and interest where there are none, showing potential clients how they can live in your home, and most importantly… staging so that the house photographs well!
The way the human eye and the camera lens perceives space is so far off from each other. And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. (Why do you think the big bucks companies hire visual merchandisers to market their products?)
Please know this, when you decide to put your house on the market, it is no longer your home. It is now a product that you would want to sell for a profit. So leave it to the professionals (and not necessarily the cheapest one) to get it done the right way, because you only have one chance to make the right impression.
Buyers will either love or hate your home in the first 3 to 6 seconds, whether they saw photos online or toured it in person.
3 to 6 seconds. That's all you’ve got. SO, my friends... choose wisely!
— Keti
If you have a vacant property to sell, you might not be too excited to invest in home staging right now. I completely understand that perspective, but I have to be honest with you — I don't believe that's the right strategy.
Research says that 90% of the population can not visualize a vacant space. That means, when you don't stage your vacant home for sale you are automatically eliminating 90% of the potential buyers.
Why would you want to do that? I want to help you, so here is what's up…
The following story comes from the Realtor, Josh, who managed the sale of one of our staged projects. As usual, we staged a vacant home, our clients listed it, and a buyer quickly fell in love with it and made an offer.
Well, Josh told me that the buyers ended up closing the sale at the property. But by that time, we had removed all our inventory and the home was vacant again. He said that when the buyer saw the vacant home, she began worrying that the space was too small and said that her furniture might not fit in the living room. She couldn’t visualize it anymore!
Her agent assured her that it would work out, as she had seen the room with furniture in it already, and it had all looked just fine. The sale went through.
But… can you imagine how this conversation would have gone differently with a vacant home that was never staged? It would have been very tough for the buyer’s agent to convince the client to blindly trust that her furniture would fit in the vacant home. I can tell you from experience, without the confidence that comes from visualizing a staging, vacant homes are much less likely to get offers!
So, why is this? Let’s talk about it…
Every home has its little flaws, but leaving your home vacant puts those flaws on display! When there is no furniture in a room, guess where your potential home buyers will look? With a microscopic view at the walls, the flooring, the base boards, etc. And guess who will be paying for repairs? You… when the buyer subtracts it from your list price.
The big takeaway? Staging helps them see the big picture and the potential of the space, not its defects.
It sounds counterintuitive, but rooms really do look smaller when they are empty. The right scale of furnishings, lighting, and even art, can make a space feel taller, larger, brighter, and grander. And believe me, more space (even if it’s just an illusion) SELLS better.
This is what staging by a savvy designer can do for you. Don’t miss the opportunity to present your property at its best.
It’s no secret. A home without furniture feels cold, sterile, and far from welcoming. If you remember that most buying decisions are made based on emotion… well, the three emotions I just mentioned aren’t the ones inspiring purchases. Warmth, welcome, and classiness do.
Without furniture, it is nearly impossible for a home to create a strong emotional connection with a prospective buyer. And like I said before, 90% of buyers can’t even picture what their future lives would look like in an empty space. They can’t visualize the things that will make them feel at home!
You have to do it for them. Truth of the matter is — as Steve Jobs accurately pointed out — people don’t even know what they want; we have to show them. This holds true not only for iPhones and iPads, but for pretty much every other product that exists out there. And yes, if you’re selling your home, it IS a product.
When a home is staged with furniture that reflects its list price, it is obvious that the number is reasonable. By contrast, when home buyers walk into a vacant home, you have to hope that empty rooms will convince them.
I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to be in control of the conversation! And that conversation does not include haggling over price. Buyers should fall in love with the home and be excited to pay the list price… or higher!
The longer a potential buyer hangs around, the better. Good staging allows the buyer to linger as opposed to going in and out of the home in a jiffy. They will have the opportunity to take a closer look at all your house has to offer. Their mind starts working. And you will hear them talk about how they could do “this” or “that” with the space.
Most likely by the time they are out the door, they have emotionally moved in. And that’s all it takes to get a house sold.
I understand times are a bit tough for many people right now. That's one of the reasons we have come up with creative ways to help our clients stage their vacant home for impact and a fast sale.
I believe in Home Staging so much that we’re offering a summer special from now to August 31st. Stage your home with us and pay when you close the sale. Really.
IF you have a home that's on the market, naked and vacant, before that next price reduction, please give us a call. We CAN help you.
IF you are about to put your house on the market vacant, because money is tight, please give us a call. We can talk about staging now, and collecting at the time you sell. Once we are confident the house is priced well and we are confident we will present it well via our staging design plan, there is no reason for you to not sell your house fast and for profit.
Per an article on #inman, "Numerous studies have demonstrated that staging speeds sales. Faster sales tend to bring the best prices. Quick sales at favorable prices generally produce happier sellers."
In other words, the biggest mistake any Real Estate Agent or Seller can make is not staging a vacant home for sale. And with our Pay at Closing Home Staging service, there is really no reason not to stage your home!
So don’t wait. Don’t leave things up to chance. Call us and we’ll help you get the most for your investment.
Xo,
Keti
While you may or may not want to start a kitchen renovation right this second, there’s no reason not to use this time at home to start planning! And when it comes to planning a remodel, it usually starts with creating a smart investment strategy.
If you’ve never budgeted for a kitchen renovation before, you might have only a vague idea of what the total investment really looks like. Or maybe you have no idea. Which is also okay. We all start somewhere.
In any case, let’s take it from the top...
To know how much you’ll be investing in your kitchen renovation, you’ll need a budget. A budget, not to be confused with your TOTAL investment, is an itemized list of the funds that will be allocated to various aspects of the renovation.
You can see that true budgeting requires researching, getting your team together, making a real plan (not a rough one), getting realistic quotes, and of course, TIME...
...which is precisely why it’s so difficult for me to give you an accurate cost estimate without looking at the property in question!
So, what’s my point? The point is to be aware that this will be the eventual process for a real functioning budget. For now (because I know you’re looking for a number), we’re going to talk in general investment ranges.
Discover this kitchen’s story in our portfolio
As I said above, it depends on the kitchen, but there are two components to the overall cost of any and EVERY kitchen reno: labor and materials.
Unless you’re renovating a super high-end luxury kitchen that will have all the bells and whistles of a commercial grade kitchen, your investment in LABOR is more or less the same. That makes labor a fixed (and non-negotiable) expense.
Materials vary widely in cost and therefore contribute most to variations in investments. Before we can estimate or calculate your materials investment, we need to know whether the home we are remodeling is a budget home, a move up home, or a luxury home. Each of these comes with different material choices and slightly different features, which will affect your total investment.
Entry Level Kitchen in Dallas: $7-12K
Move Up Kitchen in Dallas: $15-25K
Luxury Kitchen in Dallas: $25K-50K+
Again, these are general, average ranges based on my many years of being involved in Dallas kitchen renovations. Yours might be different, but this is what I’ve seen to be true.
Hear this kitchen’s story in our Portfolio
There are a few ways you can control costs in a kitchen renovation without skimping on style. YES, even a budget renovation can look nice!
If you’re renovating your kitchen as the homeowner, I highly suggest working with a designer who knows trends in real estate. If so, they will be able to deliver a kitchen that is timely and timeless. (Never let your General Contractor make design decisions!) The idea is that, should you decide to sell your home in the next few years, the home will still hold up its value. I think we all want that, right?
The other benefit of hiring a professional (versus doing it yourself) is in saving on costly mistakes. The cost of a single expensive mistake made on your own could likely have paid for the professional to do it right the first time. And saved you the stress and heartache of investing twice. So I say do your homework and go with a professional you trust.
Just because you are working on a budget-friendly or move up kitchen it does not mean that it has to look ugly. You can have a well put-together kitchen on a small budget by adding classic elements. Such as an inexpensive subway tile and on-trend hardware and faucets. Even painting the cabinets white will do the trick.
(Here are some other timeless selling design features in today’s housing market.)
This is where hiring a design professional is worth its weight in gold, because your budget-friendly kitchen won’t look like it was pieced together — it will look well worth its selling price!
Read this kitchen’s story in our Portfolio
I hope this post has given you a foundation for what a kitchen renovation investment looks like, as well as some tips for planning your own.
If you need a professional opinion on what your renovation will take (and how to do it right the first time!), I’d be happy to support you. Book your free discovery call here, and let’s chat!
— Keti
P.s. You can grab our Guide to a Stress-Free and Profitable Renovation by signing up for our newsletter below!
This total isolation in place situation has caused a lot of people to rethink their homes — and I bet you’re no exception. In one location, we’re now having to eat, sleep, work, be entertained, and do everything in between.
But to be honest, this isn’t so different from the way housing trends have been going lately. In the last year especially, we’ve seen buyers gravitating toward amenity-rich homes that “do it all.” After the current situation passes, I predict we’re going to see this even more.
I think we are all realizing just how much a supportive, comfortable home can change how we feel and live, and in the last month, I have personally found this to be incredibly true. Knowing it is one thing. Experiencing it yourself is another.
For about a year, I have lived in a 1300 square foot apartment waiting for my new house to be built. It felt like my family and I were practically on top of each other. And I’ll be honest with you… it was affecting me in a negative way.
Being crowded was part of it, but I’m a person who gets peace and joy from order and beautiful aesthetics — and it was not either of those things. (You know that sort of stretched, irritated feeling you get when you’re cramped and the situation is out of your control? That’s the one.) Safe to say, I was so looking forward to getting out of there.
I finally made the move at the end of February. I had a couple of weeks to decorate, get furniture in there, and make it both pretty and functional… and not a day too soon!
When the “shelter in place” order came in for Dallas, we were ready to go. And by go, I mean STAY, of course!
Since then, we’ve been so, so grateful to have our home during this time. One of my family members has the office on the 1st floor, and my workspace is on the second. We both have our privacy, ability to focus on work, and if we need some alone time (as all humans do), the option is there.
Overall, the house is supportive and functional. Peaceful and relaxing. And lets us do anything and everything we could dream up to do with this extended time in isolation.
THIS is the experience that buyers want these days when they purchase a home!
For this month’s blog post, I want to share some of the features and amenities that are making our home supportive and a place we love to be, even when under order. And it’s not just about beauty. Beauty and function should ALWAYS work together!
I bet this one doesn’t surprise you. Two allocated home office/work spaces have been revolutionary. In this day, having at least ONE home office is very important to buyers, two is even better. So many of us work from home (or will in the future), even if it’s just once per week.
It is not an understatement to say that natural light sells homes. Sure, your home buyer might not say that the natural light was the motivator of their purchase, but I guarantee that it contributed. Natural light promotes mental health, creates a feeling of being able to breathe, and makes the home look more spacious. In other words: windows.
In this blog post, I mentioned that many millennial buyers have pets and are looking for homes with outdoor spaces. But whether your ideal buyers are millennials or not, an outdoor living space is essential, and it doesn’t have to be fancy. Add a table, chairs, and inviting landscaping (if possible) and potential buyers are sure to be impressed.
Yes, ensuite bathrooms, and not just in the master bedroom. Can you imagine all of the families stuck at home right now with multiple children sharing one bathroom space in the hallway? Trust me, harmony at home starts with personal space.
Spacious kitchens are another amenity that sells homes. The kitchen is the hub of the home in today’s age, not just for cooking. Families gather in the kitchen, people entertain in the kitchen, and it’s become a place to enjoy, create, and connect. (See timeless and sellable kitchen styles here.)
Built-ins are important as they address the storage issue. It doesn’t matter who your ideal buyer is, they will NEED storage, and I’ve never met a person who said they had too much of it. It helps a house look well put together and in order… and an orderly house and environment translate to tranquility and peace of mind!
We get all the seasons in Dallas, and having a fireplace has made such a huge difference in how comfortable and supported we feel at home. I have really enjoyed it on the days when the temperatures have gone down. It’s a small thing that has such great mental health benefits!
Our homes are our escape from the busy world outside, and design is one way to bring those feelings of peace and calm into the home. Whether in the fixed elements of the home or in the decor, opt for soothing colors and patterns, such as nudes, warm grays, blues, and even greens.
Along with that large kitchen, for move-up to high-end homes, I also highly suggest having a large refrigerator or a freezer somewhere in the house. In a large home, the appliances should match. Otherwise, you’re not creating a space that supports the people who live there. And as we’ve all found out these past couple weeks — we need our homes’ support!
Another simple and completely satisfying amenity. For move-up to high-end homes, a reverse osmosis water filtration system is yet another way to elevate your offering (and sale price) and create a home that truly does everything your clients could want.
This one is less of a staple and more of a simple way to elevate your offering. Yes, I’m talking about a wine room or beverage fridge. As a wine lover (give me a Malbec any day), I can tell you that having a room/fridge feels luxurious and was worth every penny.
If you’re flipping or renovating a home for sale, it’s important to consider WHO will be buying the home and WHAT they are looking to get from it. Then you can design for those amenities and make it a property they won’t be able to resist. (And yes, this is where an experienced property designer is worth their weight in gold!)
If you have a property to design and renovate, and you need to hit the ground running as soon as the current situation passes, let’s talk.
— Keti
YES, we did it again… we were just voted Best in Houzz for Design AND for Service!
These awards mean so much to me. First, it is rare for a home stager to win in a Design category and it feels darn good (though I’ve said it before — we’re not just home stagers!). Second, these awards are not one of those fake, pay-to-play type deals.
They’re earned on MERIT and the voices of the people we serve! Here’s how these accolades get dished out...
This award comes from receiving a large volume of positive reviews and ratings. For us, this means that our clients had a great experience working with us AND saw a high rate of success in the selling of their properties!
The Best in Houzz for Design Award takes into account how many times our project photos have been viewed and saved in “idea books” by Houzz users. As someone who designs and stages homes for SALE, it is extremely validating to see that our designs are so widely loved and appreciated. We must be doing something right! 😉
I’ll take happy client reviews any day, but these don’t just come from great service — it means they saw success! And by success, we mean PROFIT. Whether you’re renovating or staging a property to sell, your ROI is our #1 goal… and we obsess over it! A smart plan and great design is how we get there.
So, these project photos that are getting shared around and ooh’d and ahh’d over? None of them “broke the bank.: In fact, when you’re renovating to sell, it’s less wise to throw money at a property and far better to invest wisely where it matters.
Our priority is finishing on-time, on-budget, and getting you the most ROI possible. And YES, all of these good things can coexist with a beautiful design buyers will love!
Renovating for the first time (like anything you’ve never done before) can come with some questions. Will your renovation drag on? Will it be done correctly? Are you going to see some profit on your investment?
I would love to say that every new client who crosses our path is 100% confident in the process, but that would be unreasonable to ask. So, how did we get to all those positive reviews?
Communication. Kindness. Integrity. Excellence. All of these contribute to the trusting relationships we build with clients, and with them, incredible homes and... ROI!
So whether you’re a first time home seller or an experienced investor, with us, you’ll be in good hands. P.s. Sample a bit of the good stuff we're dishing out by subscribing to our newsletter below!
Yours,
Keti
Do you know which design trends are going to boost your bottom line, and which are going to sink it?
In my last post, we talked about some of the features that today’s buyers want most in a home. These were mainly related to spatial desires, such as a sociable kitchen, designs for joy, smart homes, etc.
Today, I’m going to talk about the MATERIALS that are on-trend, timeless, and going to support a great bottom line for your renovation.
Note, this post is hot on the heels of my trip to the International Builders’ Show (IBS) and Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), where experts meet to talk trends, market shifts, and the latest in home design.
It’s important to note that just because a beautiful slab of stone or oversized modern lighting are on display at KBIS doesn’t necessarily make them a prime candidate for a profitable renovation.
Not everyone is designing to sell. Some are designing to live. So it’s important that I use my experience and judgment to assess the trends that everyone is gushing over.
Some trends are timely but will have a short lifespan. Others are timely as well as TIMELESS (Meaning future buyers aren’t going to be worried about their interiors having an expiration date.)
The trick to profit-driven interior design is that it is equal parts timely AND timeless.
Knowing which trends are profitable (and which aren’t) is an area where I excel. So, what’s the verdict?
White kitchens are incredibly on-trend right now, but I wouldn’t call them “trendy.” White is timeless and can make well-lit spaces look larger. Another tip is to take those cabinets all the way up to the ceiling. They make the room seem taller, in addition to adding more, desirable storage space.
If you’re selecting wood cabinets, go with a warm tone. It makes the space feel more inviting, social, and comfortable.
Black is another timely and timeless color that can be used to create elegant impact in a home. It’s best used as an accent color, either in some of the furniture used in a home staging, or as part of the hardware of a home, such as an elegantly slim curtain rod, light fixtures, or window frames.
Much like blue did in 2019, green is taking over homes in 2020. Color is always timely and timeless, but should be used tastefully when selling a home. I like to add pops of color with pillows and decor, or in the case of this year’s color, fresh greenery.
Spring green accents are tasteful and inviting. (Design by KETI)
Light fixtures are incredibly underrated – they are the jewels of the home, and you shouldn’t sell a home without great-looking ones!
Below are a few that we’ve chosen for dramatic impact. And yes, they sold quickly!
Living room or bathroom, lighting matters! (Design by KETI)
This trend applies more to the home staging than the renovation, but is equally important. A home without some semblance of the outdoors will feel cold and lifeless. With today’s shift toward design for joy, bringing the outdoors in is ESSENTIAL!
I like to use flowers, small potted plants, indoor trees, or succulents. (Design by KETI)
This is the only trend on our list that is timely but NOT timeless. You might be tempted to install a backsplash of beautiful patterned tiles that are completely on-trend right now… but not only are you taking the risk of the homeowner not liking the pattern, it may go out of style quickly.
This is why I suggest pattern mixing in the home staging, not in the renovation itself. Keep your backsplashes and tiles more neutral.
Mixing patterns with the area rug and pillows are timely and tasteful. (Design by KETI)
In my next post, I’m going to break down what a kitchen renovation costs and how to budget for it.
Until then, download our free guide to profitable staging or contact us here for help with your project!
— Keti
Every year, I see large and small shifts in the Dallas home features that buyers want most. This is true of aesthetics — such as color, material, and style — but also functionality, HOW people are using their homes.
As someone who designs homes to sell (for homeowners, builders, investors and flippers), it’s extremely important for me to stay in-the-know about these housing trends and give my clients the upper hand.
Part of staying educated includes attending conferences and industry events, and I recently returned from two that were held in January in Las Vegas:
So, what features are Dallas homebuyers loving most in 2020?
Today’s market buyers are mostly millennials, and gone are the days of the big mansions. It’s challenging to sell a 5000 square foot home to a millennial, even if they have the cash to buy it. In fact, the ideal home in 2019 was about 2,500 sq-ft with 3 bedrooms.
Home features millennials love:
Allow me to elaborate…
It’s sad but true that people are lonelier than ever before. Nearly 80% of Americans say they are unhappy. There is rising emotional anxiety.
Naturally, a trend to design for joy has taken root and flourished in the housing market. Health and quality of life has taken precedence amongst the builder community because that’s what their buyers are asking for.
How can you capitalize on this housing trend?
Design the home to be a safe haven, a place for people to take time to decompress. This can be achieved in how you stage the home (creating restful spaces), as well as the attention given to materials in private areas, such as a master bathroom in cool, soothing colors designed for relaxing.
As I said before, when you design a home that appeals to the senses, millennials are not the only buyers who will be impressed.
Another aspect of housing trends is the way we use the different spaces in our homes. Here’s a quick room-by-room breakdown of the changes that are happening in the 2020 market:
KITCHEN
Along the lines of Americans feeling lonely, the kitchen has made a 180-degree turn in how it’s being used day to day. No longer a place for the chef to retreat, kitchens have become a place for gathering, socializing, and entertaining.
The most desirable kitchens are spacious, have islands, and offer a variety of seating conducive to gatherings and socializing.
DINING ROOM
For a period, it was not trendy to have a formal dining room. Now it’s a comeback!
MUDROOMS
We’re seeing mudrooms becoming a highly desirable feature, even more so than the entryway. Why? Because today’s homeowners rarely get into the house via the front door.
FLEX SPACE
These days, buyers are eating up “flex spaces,” a room or area that is left up to the buyer to decide what to do with it. That said, you should always STAGE a flex space with a design that appeals to your target buyer. Leaving it vacant won’t inspire anyone’s imagination.
We styled this flex space as an office, since buyers in the area are mainly business professionals who often work from home.
Today’s consumers (mostly millennials) are all about the smart home and the home’s role in battling time poverty. Now, you can talk to a faucet to start it, start dinner while in your car driving home, take a therapeutic bath in a free standing jetted tub, and the bath mat will weigh you each morning.
How can you capitalize on this housing trend?
Regardless of how you feel about technology in the home (or seeing your weight first thing in the morning), today’s consumers are interested in tech. Yet, the volume builders are not providing it in homes!!
Adding smart features to your property will put you above the competition, help your home appeal to the largest population of buyers, and usher you even faster to the closing table.
This one can include millennials but also branches out into the Gen X’ers. I’m talking about billionaires. More billionaires have cash than ever before, but we’re not seeing a trend toward opulence or heavy luxury in homes.
These days, luxury is light and livable. Luxury is classic and timeless. Luxury doesn’t need to be loud because it speaks for itself.
How can you capitalize on this housing trend?
If you’re designing for a luxury client, focus on materiality. For example, an incredible piece of marble around the fireplace speaks volumes.
Since we talked about the most desirable housing trends in this post, my next post is going to share some of the best TIMELY and TIMELESS materials for your bottom line.
Until then, download our free guide to profitable staging!
— Keti
Getting a home staging consultation is probably one of the best kept secrets in the real estate market. Instead of wasting money on updates you hope buyers will like, imagine having an experienced professional essentially hand you a cheat sheet to success.
Sounds easier, right? Not to mention better for your ROI!
This is exactly what a home staging consultation does for you. But first, what is home staging?
At its heart, home staging is strategic marketing. We all know that a company wouldn’t expect great sales if they never invested in marketing their product, and the same is true for homes.
To get the highest offer for your property, we need to prepare the home in a way that entices target buyers, addresses their needs, and offers the lifestyle they dream of living.
THAT is home staging. And it all starts with that home staging consultation I mentioned...
If home staging is the design and preparation of the home, your consultation is the strategy session. Some people might think that a consultation includes us coming out to your property and walking around to see it, but this barely skims the surface.
Here are the 5 steps of this action-packed session, and yes, they all prioritize your ROI:
First things first: identifying your target buyer. In any marketing or business plan, the target buyer (or client) is the center point that EVERYTHING else focuses on. If you’re not serving people well, you’ll have a hard time succeeding. We take this same approach to preparing your property.
Maybe your property is located in a great Dallas school district and is ideal for families. Or maybe it’s in a neighborhood that consistently attracts business professionals. We’ll do the research for you in advance of our home staging consultation to identify the buyer most likely to meet you at the closing table!
Now, we use our knowledge of your target buyer as the lens through which we assess your property. What features will attract that target buyer most? Which are less important? Are spare rooms better presented as a home office or a child’s bedroom? Is creating an open concept floor plan going to sell your home for $20K more and in the blink of an eye? (Sometimes, that’s the case!)
Once we’ve identified the home’s best features, we can make a plan for any updates and design options.
Next, we’ll talk about your budget and how much you plan to invest in preparing the home for sale. I can give you all of my best suggestions for updates that will sell your property (#4 below), but if these updates don’t fit into your investment strategy, there’s no point.
In other words, we take your ROI very seriously, have decades of experience with budgeting, and an MBA to boot. We’ve got your back.
Combining all of the information above, we’ll offer suggestions for updates that will raise the perceived value of your home, promote a fast sale, and support your ROI. Updates could include fresh paint, a new color palette, small or large repairs, updated lighting or materials, etc.
We’ll also advise you on which updates AREN’T worth the time or money. Waste not. 😉
The last piece of the puzzle is a layout of furnishings and accessories that paint a picture of the dream lifestyle your target buyers want. This includes the look, flow, functionality, and livability. We’ll create a home staging plan for you that checks all of these boxes... and has the wow-factor!
So, what do you think? Did you know that ALL THIS happens during one home staging consultation? Most of our clients are surprised by just how much we do, too!
It’s also worth mentioning that if you decide to stage your home with us, we credit the cost of the home staging consultation back to you. Just another way we uphold our mission of stewardship, integrity, and trust. 🙂
I’ll close out this post here for now, but you can book a discovery call with us here or download our free guide to profitable staging here.
Until next time, here’s to your most profitable sale!
Keti
If white-on-white kitchens make you feel like taking a deep breath of air or if you've felt the serenity of light blues and grays, you've experienced the overwhelming power that color has on your emotional and physiological states.
In fact, it isn't merely the color itself that our brains interpret as mood-invoking, but also the shade, pattern and depth of that color. (e.g. A bright red alerts us to danger and puts us on edge, while a deep burgundy can make us feel warm, passionate and elegant. Additionally, small and repetitive patterns can make us feel regimented while large, flowing patterns bring out our artistic sides.)
While you might laugh at this idea, give it a chance. If your living room is a drab beige and you often find yourself restless or unhappy when in that room, you can bet your last can of paint that there is a connection.
Certain colors can multiply or muffle light and can even appear as various shades of that color throughout the day, depending on how much sunlight that room receives and its proximity to other colors.
Basically, colors are complicated, and color choices are--by far--the most stressful decisions that must be made during any home improvement project.
If you've hit a wall with your personal life, you need to consider the physical walls around you and the colors therein. Are they enhancing the positive qualities of your life--thankfulness, love, abundance--or are they muting your individual voice?
We find the latter to be true nearly every time you buy a new home (and, in essence, take on the mood / color palette of the previous owner). Not all vibes are worth sharing, and that's why fabric, furniture, and paint colors must be matched to your current chapter in life.
And that's a good thing. As you grow and evolve your personality, your family dynamic, or your skill set, it's important for your home environment to evolve at the same rate. When it doesn't, you'll feel it. Restlessness, irritability and an inability to relax or be your authentic self are all symptoms of a mismatched environment.
You can't always remove the people or situations from your life that cause disharmony, but you do have control over your home. Make sure it's a sanctuary that fills you up rather than depletes you.
Let's talk. Your individualized color consultation is a phone call away. Call us at (469) 210-1067 to book your in-home consultation.
— Keti
You might think a great floor plan, location, or square-footage will sell a property, but trust me, important as that might be, great real estate design is what sells homes. Buyers care what the home looks like, and if it doesn’t meet their criteria, they won’t be headed to the closing table any time soon.
I know because we’ve encountered many situations where homes with great bones and floor plans sat on the market indefinitely until we came in and helped with some much-needed improvements. Design MATTERS.
Here’s what great design can do to sell your property:
If you don’t believe me, here’s the proof!
If you’re serious about your ROI, you’ll want to hire a professional in the field. Your first instinct might be to hire an interior designer, but I would caution you against it. Interior designers, while extremely talented, are experts at creating spaces that are highly personal and specific to the people already living in the home.
Designing a flip or renovation to sell requires a very different approach.
Instead of asking the homeowners how they use the space and want to live in it, we have to consider the design from a profit-driven perspective:
Once these questions have been answered, a real estate design and staging professional will create the right aesthetic AND prioritize your bottom line.
It’s design, but it’s also expert business strategy. Your pocket book and future will thank you!
If you work with a design and real estate staging professional, they should take you through three steps: a consultation, a design plan, and the final staging to bring everything together.
The renovation and design consultation is a strategy session. It’s the first step to a successful project and is not to be taken lightly! During this on-site meeting, we’ll…
During this phase we get into all the design-related specifics, or the HOW of our renovations plan. We’ll make all the selections for any new or updated features such as paint, flooring, counter tops, tile, back splash, lighting, hardware, plumbing, etc.
We will present you with all the specifics of the renovations design plan at which time, we can either source all the material selections for you, or you can do so in collaboration with your GC. During the renovation process we can also make ourselves available to your crew for any installation and design specific inquiries.
Extra step: If desired, our trusted team of subcontractors can carry out the agreed-upon updates and renovations with speed and professionalism. Relax and enjoy letting experts take the wheel!
The design of the home doesn’t stop with hardware, flooring, and countertops — what’s inside your home matters too. To complete the transformation, you will definitely want to stage the home. (Whether you choose us or not, we still suggest it! It is SO worth it.)
With us, while the minor improvements and renovations are underway, we’ll present you with a vacant home staging proposal that highlights the home’s selling features and is worthy of its listing price.
Once the renovations have been finalized, we will begin staging your investment property. This is the moment when the magic happens… the home is transformed and ready to steal the hearts of potential buyers!
For the best results, we recommend bringing in a design professional from the very beginning, before any updates are made, and taking your project step by step. (This is our Complete Concierge service for investors or homeowners.)
But if you’re looking for design help somewhere in the middle of your project, you can still find any of these as a stand-alone service and see drastic impact.
Next month, I’ll be back here to share a bit more about what really goes on at a home staging consultation. Spoiler… more than you think!
Until then, sign up HERE to grab our free download, How to Prepare for a Remodel!
— Keti
Instantly Improve the Perceived Value Does your home for sale have cringy or outdated kitchen cabinets? If they don't show significant wear, they are a good candidate for a paint-induced makeover. Remember, kitchens and baths are the main selling points of a home. Ensure that the kitchen, the heart of the home, is looking its best with an upgrade to the kitchen cabinets.
Whether you are the homeowner looking to sell or the agent who is handling the listing, the tips we're sharing today will help increase the perceived value of the house, which can result in a higher payoff.
Update old or builder-grade kitchen cabinets with high quality paint. If they are already painted, simply refresh their existing color. If they were previously stained, hire a professional re-finisher or take your time to learn the best way to paint your cabinets. Keep in mind that the cabinets must not show significant wear and must not be broken.
Make your cabinets look high end by painting a different color on the island or by creating contrasting upper / lower cabinets. (e.g. A tuxedo kitchen has white uppers and black lowers.)
When selecting new paint colors, choose a shade from the existing counter tops and / or back splash tile to ensure that the space still flows well.
To further accessorize, line the cabinets with a solid color shelf liner or simply remove any old shelf liners. Your cabinets should look fresh from the inside out. Don't hesitate to give them a thorough interior cleaning.
Lastly, swap out the cabinet and drawer hardware for something new and minimal. This can improve the aesthetic of the entire kitchen by leaps and bounds.
The way your home looks online matters. Ensure that your house gets the attention it deserves (and sells for a great price) by investing in quality staging and styling.
Paint the kitchen island a deep, bold color to make it stand out from the cabinets. Navy, black, or deep green are excellent options.
Cheers,
Keti
Hardwood has long since been synonymous with high-end, quality homes. The rich, earthy texture and natural beauty have made it an obvious choice for many. Because hardwood has a long life, this choice has resulted in people refinishing their floors, instead of replacing, whenever possible. (This has also helped people avoid the high cost of replacement).
However, hardwood flooring has also caused considerable anxiety in homeowners with children and pets. Because hardwood floors can be warped by excess moisture or noticeably scratched, they aren't always the best option for busy households.
So, what is hardwood-loving homeowner to do? Meet Luxury Vinyl Planks (LVP)...
Luxury vinyl planks make for excellent flooring in every room. This is especially true of high-moisture areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. Their wood-like appearance adds warmth and character. But their durability keeps them from succumbing to spilled liquids, heavy use, or frequent cleanings.
Quality vinyl planks will last anywhere from 10-15 years. (Though they could last even longer, depending on how they are treated.) This flooring doesn't need to be refinished EVER! It is available in a variety of faux wood finishes: maple, oak, walnut, and hickory. Both wide and narrow planks are available, making it easy to create a truly custom floor.
The ease of installation matters, even if you're hiring a company to handle it all. The more convenient installation is for the installers, the faster they will work. Quick work means a more pleasing final invoice. Plus, happy installers make for good projects...trust us!
Luxury vinyl planks snap together effortlessly, but do require some pre-planning. Measuring and cutting to ensure the joints don't end up all in a row is essential (just like hardwood). For best results, use a professional installer who works with LVP and hardwood frequently.
We never suggest that you cut corners when it comes to more permanent home materials, like flooring. But, we also have to admit that vinyl planks are a significantly smaller investment than hardwood. A happy accident? Not really.
Luxury vinyl planks were developed to be an aesthetically-pleasing, durable, and affordable alternative to hardwood. This material ranges from $2-5 per square foot. Hardwood costs $8-25 per square foot, comparatively. Homeowners who opt for vinyl planks often end up having more funds leftover in their budgets. These can then be used for other luxuries, such as a curbless shower or elaborate backsplash tile.
Faux wood and waterproof flooring are trending. Luxury vinyl planks often contain recycled PVC, which adds to its durability.
If someone in your home suffers from chemical sensitivities, be sure to treat your new vinyl planks as you would any other building material. This means allowing it to off-gas in a climate controlled space.
Cheers,
Keti
O: (469) 210– 1067
Website: https://designbyketi.com/
I have seen this trend recently where some stagers are advertising and claiming that they will stage your home - and because they own their own inventory - they will not charge you any rental fees.
As a professional home stager myself and as someone who is dedicated to running a successful staging and design business whose services will benefit many clients for many years to come, I wanted to write about this trend and clarify some things.
My goal and desire is that all you who are seeking staging services - where the stager claims they will use their props and inventory and not charge you for it - will be better educated in making the right decision that best addresses your staging needs.
First I would like to make you all aware of the fact that Home Staging is not a regulated business. What that means to you as a consumer and as a seeker of staging services is that anyone can put a shingle out there and claim to be a “professional home stager”, but that does not necessarily make them so.
For anyone to achieve the highly sought “professional” status in any field a few things need to take place. I read once that it takes an average of three years or about 6,000 working hours for someone to hone in their skill set in the profession of their choice.
It is a known fact that a lot of people who claim to be home stagers, stage on the side, and on the weekends mostly. Staging is not their full time profession.
Secondly, like with any other profession, on-going training and education is a must. There is absolutely no way around it, if anyone as a professional is set on providing stellar service and products to all their clients 100% of the time.
As an example of this I have committed to investing up to $5,000 a year towards on-going training as it relates to what I am engaged with on a daily basis and that is, staging, design, and renovations.
Since Staging is not a regulated business, on-going continued education is not required. That is not to say, it is not needed however.
Thirdly results always speak for themselves. Check out their on-line reputation, portfolio and results. Reading reviews from clients who have actually worked with them in the past would be a great thing to check out.
And as always be weary of stock photos used on ads and websites, as they are not reflective of what the stager can actually do or accomplish; rather they only speak to the fact that those stagers can pick a pretty picture, no problem.
A professional home stager, one who has done the time so to speak and on an on-going basis hones their professional skills is very well versed in things like, fundamental design elements, what makes a staging design stand out, what does not, scale, balance and symmetry, how the style of the home and the fixed elements in the home dictate how the home is staged etc. For those reasons I am also against verbal staging quotes, but I will have to write another blog on that and why you as a consumer should not fall for it.
Please realize that all those items I listed above dictate how the buyers will respond to your home. Why would you want to risk having the potential buyers focus on bad staging when they should actually focus on your beautiful home?
You are making the buyers experience of touring your home memorable o’right but it is not your sellable home they will be remembering I can assure you of that.
Case in point, check out these two homes below.
One belongs to the Tuscany brown trend which is no longer trendy now btw. This property was located in Prestonwood in Dallas and it sold in one week once it was professionally staged by Design by KETI and it relisted as such.
This other home which is located in Preston Hollow in Dallas belongs to the current Parisian gray trend. This home sold in two weeks after it relisted as a professionally staged home by Design by KETI.
Here are some other examples...
This condo sold and de-staged in less then 30 days...
This luxury Home in Lake Highlands sold in three days from being listed as a professionally staged home. It de-staged in less than two months.
This renovated home in Preston Hollow sold and de-staged in two and a half months...
Different type of props, inventory and color schemes were used to stage those homes as the fixed elements and the color scheme in the home dictate how the home should be staged.
For those reasons – so that you ensure that you hire the right stager for you, whose staging will add value to your home and not take away from it – some good questions to ask would be along the lines of their professional staging background and how much actual time do they dedicate to staging homes on a weekly basis and for how long have they done so.
Some people might excitedly say “staging is my passion”. Please understand Passion Is Not Enough.
Although there is nothing wrong with being passionate about staging, having the skill set to also deliver a top staging and design plan that will yield results and that is to sell your home swiftly and at a desirable price point, is of utmost importance.
Passion does not make you a professional!
For example, I love dancing. I am very passionate about it. Everybody who knows me on a personal level knows this fun fact about me.
And I exercise this passion of mine by social dancing on a regular basis. On occasion and when my schedule permits it, I will take a group class but that is about it. But IF I want to become a professional dancer however, I would need to dedicate a lot of time and money to it. I would need to allocate time in my schedule to take a lot of private lessons so I can hone my dancing skills, and be really good at it. I also need to practice what I learn during those private lessons, so that one day in the near future I would be able to call myself a professional dancer and make a living out of my dancing.
My point is having passion about something – even staging - is not enough!
Cultivating your passion by dedicating time and resources to it, will elevate you to a professional status in the field of your choice!
Now that you have a little bit of a background on what distinguishes a pro stager from an amateur stager, let me tell you the reasons why we charge rental fees when we use our own props and inventory to stage your home.
Let’s apply this to hiring a stager to stage your vacant home and you need not pay rental fees for props and inventory.
Although it appears you may be getting a good deal, in actuality you may be getting a really bad one.
It pays to invest more in the front end. When you pay a rental fee for props and inventory to stage your home, you are ensuring you are getting top of the line items that are on-trend, are ispirational to the buyers and in line with the architecture of your home. Since staging is nothing but packaging and merchandising, it is of utmost importance that the right props and inventory are used to package and merchandise your home in other words stage your home.
Please understand each added input/benefit (in other words, "free props and inventory") will lead to a decrease in the quality of what you thought the outcome of staging was going to be.
So you find yourself six to eight months down the road and not only do you not get the return on your initial staging investment, you suddenly find yourself losing money because of it. Those losses come in the form of several price reductions, and on-going mortgage, tax, insurance and upkeep payments and fees.
The quote from John Ruskin comes to mind:
“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
So I encourage you to pay for something better, all the time.
3.1 We charge rental fees when we use our own props and inventory to stage your home because not charging accurately for services provided is not a sustainable business model. Specifically such type of business model will drive the business and the business owner into bankruptcy in no time at all.
Let me explain this a bit further. The three basic components that make up a vacant staging price quote are: 1. Staging Design Fee, 2. Moving and Logistics/Packing/Unpacking Fee and 3. Furniture and Accessories Rental Fee.
The staging fee covers things such as putting together a staging design concept, selecting all the props needed to stage the home (things like furniture, accessories, artwork, and soft good, lighting), and packing and wrapping all such props and inventory, and then setting up on site as well as styling.
The moving fee covers the cost of moving all packed and wrapped props and inventory from the warehouse all the way to your house. And then from your house all the way back to the warehouse when your house sells and it needs to be de-staged.
If you have moved recently you know from experience that it is expensive to hire movers in Dallas. Our experience has been that when staging vacant homes – based on the scope of the project, the rooms we have staged and the distance of the house from our warehouse– moving costs can go anywhere from $700 and up to $2,000 on any vacant staging project.
And then there is the Furniture and Accessories rental fee. Please understand that there is a lot of money that goes into purchasing new inventory items on a regular basis. Inventory purchase and warehousing are two of the largest expenses any staging business has on their books.
We have a special formula in place when it comes to pricing out the rental fee for all items that are needed to stage your home.
What those other stagers are doing when they say “they don’t charge rental fees” is no different that you reaching out to some of the furniture rental companies out there and have them let you lease their stuff for free. I can assure you that will never ever happen. Why because they are a for profit business. An exchange of products (staging props and inventory) for dollars ( inventory rental fee) needs to happen.
That makes a lot of logical, business and financial sense.
Red flags should go up when someone claims they do not bill rental fees. Some valued questions to ask would be, where did they get their props and inventory, how much money they spent towards it, will they bring cardboard furniture to stage your home, are they bringing stuff they got on garage sales to stage your home, or is it their parents oversized peanut butter color leather sofa from the 80’s that will make its debut in the formal living room of your $900K home.
I am mentioning all those things because I have seen them actually happen over and over.
And last but not least do they have insurance for their inventory. And do they have insurance to be working at your home. Unforeseen/unexpected things happen all the time. And the smart and savvy business owners plan accordingly for such things.
At the end of the day – as a consumer myself – I would be reluctant to hire someone who appears to not understand the intricacies of basic pricing. In my head that is something that would raise flags related to their professionalism, knowledge of real estate and their skill set.
Since they are not capable of doing such elementary thing – meaning pricing their services correctly - I would wonder if they are capable of being a top notch professional who will provide top notch staging designs so that your home is packaged and merchandised the correct way, so that your home sells fast and for top dollar and so that you get your money’s worth and return in staging it the professional way by a professional stager.
…those are all my thoughts. What are yours? Please feel free to share your opinion on this. I would love to hear it.
And if you are set on working with a professional home stager to help stage your home the right way, we would welcome the opportunity to be of service. And because we care for results and we care that YOU turn a profit, we will bill you rental fees, not because we are greedy, but because it's a win-win for all parties involved, we are fair, and we are really good at what we do. 🙂
Cheers,
Keti
O: (469) 210 – 1067
Website: https://designbyketi.com/
