Home Staging Pennsylvania- Hart & Associates Servicing the Main Line, Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of preparing this home in Wallingford PA for sale. Located in the sought after Avondale Springs Community, this home offers Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and views of the Spring Haven Country Club Golf Course. Located minutes from all major transportation this home offers you all the conveniences of living in Wallingford- Money Magazine's Top Rated Town in 2007!

If you are looking to sell your home take a look at how home staging transformed this property. Hart Staging personally services the Main Line, Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery area of Pennsylvania. Visit our site at www.hartstaging.com to learn more about our services. For all other locations contact us at www.selecthomestagers.com for one of our associates in your local area.

Kate Hart is an award winning home staging expert servicing clients in the Main Line and Philadelphia regions. Make sure to subscribe to her blog for money saving staging and home design ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you using the 1-2 punch to sell your home?

If not a combination of PRICE and PRESENTATION is the key to getting a successful home sale in today's market. Savvy home sellers and smart Realtors in the Main Line and Philadelphia markets know that propper pricing and presentation or home staging is essential to getting an offer within days. Need proof? Check out these updates from home sellers that put their homes on the market just weeks ago:

Pricing and Presentation IS what it is all about:

Dear Kate,

We did it again! The team of Hart & Associates Staging and Design and Realtor Marcia Fluhr just sold another home! At the beginning of February I was referred to a Seller whose listing was expiring with another company. The property was vacant and needed some pop. You brought in your staging materials and within hours you set the tone. You also recommended that they paint the master bedroom a more neutral color. 17 days later we had an agreement of sale and go to settlement the end of March. Pricing and Presentation IS what it is all about! I can't wait to see you at my listing next week to what kind of magic we can create. Thank you for being part of my team! M.F. Prudential Fox Roach Blue Bell PA

We got an offer for list price in hours:

Kate,

I wanted to thank you for all your help and let you know that we put our house on the market yesterday and got an offer for list price within hours!!!  Thanks again for everything! A.M Philadelphia PA

 

House Sells for MORE THAN LIST PRICE Within Weeks:

Kate,

I'd guess you probably already know from Kath, but we sold our house for a bit more than the listing price just three weeks after it came on the market.  Competing bids did the job, just as Kath had hoped.  And the compliments on how well the house looked just kept coming.  The realtors loved it, and at least three people put in bids.  We are very grateful to you for your help. S.D. Gladwyne, PA

 

 

Still not convinced that home staging can help you sell your home faster? Check out the email I got from a Philadelphia area home seller this afternoon:

"Kate,

I wanted to thank you for all your help and let you know that we put our house on the market yesterday and got an offer for list price within hours!!!  Thanks again for everything! " A.M

Even I had to smile at those results! So what made this home seller so special? She realized that in order to sell a home in today's market that she needed to use the 1-2 punch: PRICE AND PRESENTATION

She contacted us three months ago to give her a home staging consultation and then got to work storing the extra furniture, repainting, cleaning and purchasing a few things like new bedding and lamps. She then listed her home with a professional Realtor that priced and marketed her home correctly.

Bravo to my home seller! She deserves to take a bow!

It is with great honor that I announce that MirrorMate Frames has asked me to become their national product spokesperson. As a home staging expert I am often called in to advise my clients on what they can do to make their resale homes more appealing to home buyers. Updating bathrooms is always on the top of my list.

Thankfully, home sellers do not have to spend a fortune to make their bathroom more on trend. MirrorMate Frames can instantly transform their existing bathroom mirror to give it a new look in minutes. If you have not seen this incredible product at work you should visit their website at www.mirrormate.com.

I am not the only real estate stager to love this product. RESA recently named MirrorMate the 2009 RESA Product of the Year. I encourage you to recommend this innovative product at your next resale home staging project. Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you do not miss out of the amazing before and after transformations we will make using MirrorMate Frames.

Below is the official press release from MirrorMates. This is not only an honor for me personally, but for the entire home staging industry to have a national company recognize that real estate staging is a valuable resource in helping home owners to enhance their homes.

MIRRORMATE^® FRAMES SIGNS AWARD-WINNING

HOME STAGER KATE HART AS NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (February 2009) -MirrorMate^®has tapped the talents of renowned home stager Kate Hart to serve as spokesperson for the brand in 2009.  MirrorMate is the leading manufacturer and retailer of custom frames for plate glass bathroom mirrors and is used by homeowners, remodelers, designers and stagers, like Kate Hart, to give boring bathroom mirrors a finished, up-to-date look in a matter of minutes and for a fraction of the cost of a new mirror. 

Kate Hart is a pioneer in the staging field, having helped hundreds of families and realtors prepare homes for sale over the last 5 years through her Philadelphia-area company, Hart & Associates Staging & Design. Her design work has been featured in numerous books and national publications, as well as on The Fine Living Network, HGTV Radio and CNN Headline News.  Hart was also recently recognized by the Real Estate Staging Association as "Staging Professional of the Year."

"We all know kitchens and bathrooms sell homes," said Kate Hart.  "I've found MirrorMate frames to be an indispensable tool in getting a home ready for sale.  It's a quick, affordable and high-impact way to transform a dated bathroom into a home's biggest selling point."

 "We're thrilled to have Kate as an ambassador for the MirrorMate brand," said Lisa Huntting, inventor and president of MirrorMate.  "Kate and the staging community have embraced MirrorMate and we look forward to having her share her staging and design expertise with homeowners and industry professionals nationwide." 

  About MirrorMate LLC

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, MirrorMate LLC was founded by Lisa Huntting, who invented the product as a design solution for the four bare mirrors in her own home. The patented design allows the custom-cut frame to tape directly to the mirror currently on the wall, covering clips and channels and fitting seamlessly with any mirror - even if it sits atop a backsplash or runs to the wall or ceiling.  MirrorMate comes in over 40 styles, installs in a matter of minutes and gives the bathroom a finished, updated look.  As the original and industry leader, MirrorMate frames are patented in the U.S. with additional patents pending in the U.S. and Canada.  For product and company information, as well as a demonstration video, please visit www.mirrormate.com.

Press Release courtesy of Amy Florek, Florek PR

Below is an article from our monthly newsletter Prepare! Feel free to share these ideas with your clients on your next listing presentation.

Budget is a huge concern for everyone these days and now more than ever home sellers are anxious about spending money to get their homes ready for sale. Each month we will feature a different area of the home and share quick and affordable changes your client can make.  

Front Door First Impressions:   The saying that "first impressions are everything" is especially true when you are selling your home. Buyers often judge the appearance of the front door as an indication of the condition of the rest of the home. Here are some easy ideas to make sure your first impression is a great one.   

Under $10.00:

• There is nothing like old fashioned elbow grease! Grab a cleaning cloth and some metal polish and get to work polishing the front door knob, knocker, and kickplate. Don't forget to polish any light fixtures too.
• Sweep away those pesky cobwebs from any overhangs and light fixtures.
• Replace any non-working light bulbs.
• Powerwash any mildew or residue on front porches or landings.
• Wipe down the front door to remove any marks.

Under $50.00:

• Repaint the front door with a fresh coat of paint to make it look like new. Not sure what color to choose? Typically you should have no more than three colors on the exterior of your home. Your siding/stone/brick is one color, the trim a second color and shutters or doors a third color. Opt for classics like hunter green, black or cranberry red.   
• Add a new door mat in a natural fiber like coir or sisal. I recommend an oversized mat to give your home a more stately look. Bed Bath and Beyond and Target stock these year round.
• Add urns or pots with annuals to frame the entrance to your home. Small arbor vitae trees will work year round- even in winter.

Under $150:

• Replace your old hardware with a new handle and lock set to give your front door a mini makeover. Home Depot and Lowes offers many to choose from.
• Add new sconces or light fixtures to update the entrance of your home . 

 

 

Need more proof that staging your home can help to sell your home faster? Read these testimonials for properties we staged and sold in December 2008.

Getting home sellers to commit to staging their home is a challenge in any market let alone the current real-estate-rollercoaster conditions we are facing now. These clients in the Philadelphia area know that investing in preparing their homes for sale made all the difference in selling their homes last month. Realtors, feel free to share these testimonials with your clients to show them that staging works!  

Multiple Bids in Less than One Week:

Dear Kate:  No doubt, this is a tough market!  But your staging expertise did it again to help the Renninger Family garner multiple bids in less than a week!  With three children under the age of three and a big Dalmation your guidance helped ease what could have been a long process.   Their home sold in less than a week in an area where the average days on market is over 90+ days.   I truly believe that proper detailing of the home, aggressive marketing and correct pricing make a winning combination and help a seller attain the highest dollar in todays market!  Thank you again.  Best, D.Z. Berwyn, PA

Staging Accessories $50.00, Home Selling in 2 weeks, Priceless!

Dear Kate:I am writing to compliment you on the outstanding job you did staging 
our house.  When a job transfer caused us to have to put the house on  the market during the holiday season and in this severely depressed  housing market, I fully anticipated a long wait to sell the house.   But, after having you stage our home, it was only on the market for  14 days! Your process for staging is professional yet comfortable for the home owner.  I appreciated you using the resources already in the house to stage the rooms.  I spent less then $50 to complete the look that you  recommended - and look at the results that I got for that! I would highly recommend your services and would gladly serve as a  reference should you need one. warm regards, K.L. Conshohocken, PA

Staging is Pure Genius!

Dear Kate,

We did it again. You staged my latest listing and I priced it right. We were on the market for 18 days. We had thirty parties to our open house. We had six second showings and multiple offers. Last night we accepted an offer and today my clients purchased a new home. Who would have believed it...in this economy and this time of year!

This isn't sheer luck, this is pure genius! You staged other homes for me this past year and we achieved the same results. Thank you for being part of "my team". We first met when you were staging your first home. I kept your business card, with good reason. I will heartily recommend you to anyone who asks.

Hopefully, this is a sign that the coming year will be a better one. Best wishes to you and your family for the coming season.
M.F Lafayette Hill, PA